Yuwen Shiji - During Emperor Gaozu's Reign

During Emperor Gaozu's Reign

When Emperor Gaozu received Yuwen Shiji, he initially rebuked him, but Yuwen Shiji was able to point out that they had previously been friends and that he had offered to submit earlier. Further, Yuwen Shiji's sister was by this point Emperor Gaozu's concubine, and so Emperor Gaozu made Yuwen Shiji an official. He later served under Emperor Gaozu's son Li Shimin the Prince of Qin in defeating Liu Wuzhou the Dingyang Khan, and as a result was created his old title of Duke of Xincheng, and was given the Lady Shouguang (a relative of Emperor Gaozu, although the relationship is not clear) as his wife. Later, in 620 and 621, he followed Li Shimin in his campaign against Wang Shichong the Emperor of Zheng, at the end of which Li Shimin defeated not only Wang, but Dou Jiande as well. After Dou's defeat, the Princess Nanyang, who had become a Buddhist nun, headed back from the Xia capital Ming Prefecture (洺州, in modern Handan) to Chang'an, and she happened to encounter Yuwen Shiji at Luoyang. Yuwen Shiji wanted her back as his wife, but she refused, stating to him, "My clan and yours have great enmity. The only reason why I am not killing you by my own hand is that you did not participate in the treasonous plot." She nevertheless ordered Yuwen Shiji to leave. Yuwen Shiji initially persisted, but she then stated, "You can see me again if you want death." Yuwen Shiji knew that she would not yield, and therefore left her.

For Yuwen Shiji's contributions in the campaign against Zheng and Xia, he was created the Duke of Ying. He was also made the Zhongshu Shilang (中書侍郎), the deputy head of the legislative bureau (中書省, Zhongshu Sheng). In 625, he was made acting Shizhong (侍中), the head of the examination bureau (門下省, Menxia Sheng), a post considered one for a chancellor, as well as the head of the household at the palace of Emperor Gaozu's crown prince Li Jiancheng. (By this point, there was an intense rivalry between Li Jiancheng and Li Shimin, although whether Yuwen Shiji participated in either of their factions is not known.)