Wei Juyuan - During Emperor Zhongzong's Reign

During Emperor Zhongzong's Reign

In 705, Wu Zetian was overthrown in a coup, and her son Li Xian, who had previously been briefly emperor in 684, was restored to the throne (as Emperor Zhongzong). Wei Juyuan was made the minister of public works (工部尚書, Gongbu Shangshu) and created the Viscount of Tong'an. In the fall of that year, Wei Juyuan was given the designation Tong Zhongshu Menxia Sanpin (同中書門下三品), again making him a chancellor de facto; he was also created the Count of Xun. However, he was soon made the minister of rites (禮部尚書, Libu Shangshu) and no longer chancellor, as Wei Anshi was still chancellor at the time.

In 706, Wei Juyuan was the minister of justice (刑部尚書, Xingbu Shangshu), when he was again given the Tong Zhongshu Menxia Sanpin designation—and further, Emperor Zhongzong had Wei Juyuan formally considered part of the clan of his wife Empress Wei. He was created the Duke of Shu. He thereafter appeared to become part of Empress Wei's faction at court. When Emperor Zhongzong's son-in-law Wang Tongjiao (王同皎) was accused of a treasonous plot with Zhang Zhongzhi (張仲之), Zu Yanqing (祖延慶), and Zhou Jing (周璟), in 706, of plotting to kill Empress Wei's lover Wu Sansi the Prince of Dejing (Wu Zetian's nephew) and then depose her, Zhang, while being interrogated, openly accused Empress Wei and Wu Sansi of adultery. Wei Juyuan and another chancellor aligned with Empress Wei, Yang Zaisi, who were conducting the interrogation, were said to have simply ignored the accusations as if they did not hear them.

In 707, Wei Juyuan was again the head of the examination bureau (now renamed Menxia Sheng (門下省)), now with the title Shizhong (侍中). In spring 708, when there were rumors coming out of the palace that there was a five-colored cloud—a sign of holiness—that was coming out of Empress Wei's skirt, Wei advocated that this incident be publicized, and Emperor Zhongzong agreed.

In 709, Wei Juyuan and Yang were both was made Pushe (僕射), heads of the executive bureau (now renamed Shangshu Sheng (尚書省)), and they both continued to serve as chancellor with the Tong Zhongshu Menxia Sanpin designation. Later that year, when Emperor Zhongzong was set to make sacrifices to heaven to the south of Chang'an (now capital again), Zhu Qinming the principal of the imperial university and Zhu's deputy Guo Shanyun (郭山惲), in order to flatter Empress Wei, suggested that she be allowed to serve as the second-stage sacrificer after Emperor Zhongzong, against the opposition of several other scholars, Tang Shao (唐紹), Jiang Qinxu (蔣欽緒), and Chu Wuliang (褚無量). Wei Juyuan ruled that Zhu's proposal be accepted, and so Empress Wei served as the second sacrificer. Zhu initially proposed that Emperor Zhongzong's powerful daughter Li Guo'er the Princess Anle be made the third sacrificer, but Tang and Jiang sternly opposed it, and so Emperor Zhongzong had Wei Juyuan serve as the third sacrificer.

In spring 710, there was an occasion when Emperor Zhongzong had the high level officials play games of cuju and tug of war. It was said that Wei Juyuan and fellow chancellor Tang Xiujing, due to their old age, fell and could not get up, drawing much laughs from the imperial household.