Cui Shenyou

Cui Shenyou (崔慎由), courtesy name Jingzhi (敬止), was an official of the Chinese Tang dynasty, serving as a chancellor during the reign of Emperor Xuānzong. Background and early career It is not known when Cui Shenyou was born. He was from the prominent Cui clan of Qinghe (清河, in modern Xingtai, Hebei), which claimed ancestry from the ruling house of the Spring and Autumn period state Qi, and which traced its ancestry to officials of Qin dynasty, Han dynasty, Cao Wei, Jin dynasty (266–420), Later Zhao, Southern Yan, Liu Song, Northern Wei, Northern Qi, and Tang dynasty. Cui Shenyou's grandfather Cui Yi (崔異) served as a prefectural prefect, and his father Cui Cong (崔從) served as a regional governor and was created the Count of Qinghe. He had at least one older brother, Cui Yanfang (崔彥方) and at least three younger brothers, Cui Zhoushu (崔周恕), Cui Anqian (who would later become a major general), and Cui Yanchong (崔彥沖). Cui Shenyou passed the imperial examinations in the Jinshi class early in the Taihe era (827-835) of Emperor Wenzong, and further passed a special examination for those who were considered good and righteous. He was said to be intelligent, with good memory, and mild in his disposition. He later served on the staff of Gao Zhu (高銖) when Gao served as the military governor of Yicheng Circuit (義成, headquartered in modern Anyang, Henan). During Emperor Xuānzong's reign Later, during the reign of Emperor Wenzong's uncle Emperor Xuānzong, Cui was recalled serving as You Shiyi (右拾遺), an advisory official at the legislative bureau of government (中書省, Zhongshu Sheng), as well as imperial scholar (翰林學士, Hanlin Xueshi). He later served as the governor (觀察使, Guanchashi) of Hunan Circuit (湖南, headquartered in modern Changsha, Hunan) and then of Zhexi Circuit (浙西, headquartered in modern Zhenjiang, Jiangsu). At that time, he was suffering from an eye ailment that caused him to be unable to see but was cured after treatment. After he was cured, he was recalled to the capital Chang'an to serve as the deputy minister of census (戶部侍郎, Hubu Shilang) and the director of taxation.