Zhang Yue

Background

Zhang Yue was born in 667, during the reign of Emperor Gaozong. His family was from the Tang dynasty eastern capital Luoyang, and traced its ancestry to the great Han dynasty strategist Zhang Liang, as well as a line of officials that served Cao Wei, Jin dynasty (266–420), Northern Wei, and Northern Zhou.

In his youth, Zhang Yue passed the imperial examinations and received the highest score among the group of people who took the exam at the same time. He was made an attendant in the crown prince's studies.

During Wu Zetian's reign

During the reign of Wu Zetian (r. 690–705), Zhang Yue was gradually promoted to You Bujue (右補闕), a low-level official at the legislative bureau of government (鳳閣, Fengge). While serving there, he participated in a project, headed by Li Jiao to create a work known as the Essence of Pearls from the Three Religions (三教珠英, Sanjiao Zhuying)—a compilation of various poetry about Confucianism, Buddhism, and Taoism, in which Wu Zetian's lovers Zhang Yizhi and Zhang Changzong also participated, to give them a legitimate reason to enter the palace. In 700, when Wu Zetian spent summer and fall at Sanyang Palace (三陽宮), away from Luoyang (which she had made capital), Zhang Yue submitted an earnest petition urging her to return to Luoyang, which she did not accept. Early in her Chang'an era (701-705), the Essence of Pearls from the Three Religions was completed, and the participants were rewarded—with Zhang Yue becoming You Shi (右史), an imperial chronicler, as well as an imperial attendant; he was also put in charge of grading the entries of imperial examination takers. Sometime thereafter, he was promoted to be Fengge Sheren (鳳閣舍人), a mid-level official at the legislative bureau.

In 703, Zhang Yizhi and Zhang Changzong were apprehensive that if Wu Zetian, who was ill at the time, died, they would be killed by the senior chancellor Wei Yuanzhong. They therefore falsely accused Wei and the official Gao Jian (高戩) of having said that Wu Zetian was too old and that it was better to support her son and crown prince, Li Xian. Wu Zetian, in anger, arrested Wei and Gao, who proclaimed their innocence. Zhang Changzong promised Zhang Yue a promotion if he would corroborate the accusations against Wei, who was Zhang Yue's superior. Zhang Yue initially agreed, but as he entered the palace, several fellow junior officials, Song Jing, Zhang Tinggui (張廷珪), and Liu Zhiji, pointed out to him that it was important for him to leave a clean name in history. After he entered Wu Zetian's presence, instead of corroborating Zhang Yizhi and Zhang Changzong's accusations against Wei, he proclaimed Wei's innocence and accused Zhang Changzong of suborning perjury. Wu Zetian, while angry at Zhang Yue, spared Wei and Gao as a result, exiling them and Zhang Yue instead to the Lingnan region—in Zhang Yue's case, to Qin Prefecture (欽州, roughly modern Qinzhou, Guangdong). Zhang Yue would remain there for the rest of Wu Zetian's reign.

During Emperor Zhongzong's second reign

In 705, Wu Zetian was overthrown, and Li Xian, a former emperor, returned to the throne (as Emperor Zhongzong). He recalled Zhang Yue from exile to serve as an official at the ministry of defense (兵部, Bingbu). Subsequently, Zhang was made the deputy minister of public works (工部侍郎, Gongbu Shilang). During Emperor Zhongzong's Jinglong era (707-710), his mother died, and he left public service to observe a period of mourning—traditionally three years under Confucian principles, but which were often shortened for officials. After he had mourned for the typical shortened period, Emperor Zhongzong was set to recall him to serve as Huangmen Shilang (黃門侍郎), the deputy head of the examination bureau (門下省, Menxia Sheng), but he declined, asking to mourn for the entire three-year period. He was allowed to do so, and this drew popular approval. After the three-year period was complete, he was recalled to serve again as the deputy minister of public works, and then the deputy minister of defense (兵部侍郎, Bingbu Shilang). He was also made an imperial scholar at Hongwen Pavilion (弘文館). Sometime during Emperor Zhongzong's reign, Zhang submitted a petition asking him to end his habit, which started in Wu Zetian's reign, of going up a tower to watch non-Han splash cold water on themselves to celebrate the arrival of winter, on account that such a ceremony was disrespectful. Emperor Zhongzong agreed, and stopped watching such ceremonies.

During Emperor Ruizong's second reign

In 710, Emperor Zhongzong died suddenly—a death that traditional historians believed to be a poisoning carried out by his powerful wife Empress Wei and daughter Li Guo'er the Princess Anle, so that Empress Wei could be "emperor" like Wu Zetian and Li Guo'er could be crown princess. Meanwhile, Emperor Zhongzong's son by a concubine, Li Chongmao the Prince of Wen, was named emperor (as Emperor Shang), but Empress Wei retained power as empress dowager and regent. Less than a month later, Emperor Zhongzong's sister Princess Taiping and nephew Li Longji the Prince of Linzi rose in rebellion, killing Empress Dowager Wei and Li Guo'er. Li Longji's father Li Dan the Prince of Xiang, himself a former emperor, returned to the throne (as Emperor Ruizong), displacing Emperor Shang. After Emperor Ruizong's return to the throne, Zhang Yue was made Zhongshu Shilang (中書侍郎), the deputy head of the legislative bureau (by now named Zhongshu Sheng (中書省)), as well as the secretary general for the capital prefecture Yong Prefecture (雍州, roughly modern Xi'an, Shaanxi, as Emperor Zhongzong moved the capital back to Chang'an from Luoyang). Later that year, Emperor Zhongzong's son Li Chongfu the Prince of Qiao tried to rise against Emperor Ruizong at Luoyang, but was quickly defeated, and he committed suicide. Several hundred of people, accused of being complicit with Li Chongfu's plot, were arrested, but it was difficult to adjudicate their guilt or innocence. Emperor Ruizong sent Zhang to Luoyang to judge them. Zhang, after interrogating Li Chongfu's main co-conspirators Zhang Lingjun (張靈均) and Zheng Yin, quickly figured out that most of the accused were not part of the plot, and released them. Once he returned to Chang'an, Emperor Ruizong thanked him:

I know that, as you, Lord, judged this case, that the good were not falsely convicted, and the guilty were not released. How would this be possible except for your faithfulness and righteousness?

At that time, Li Longji was crown prince, and both Zhang Yue and Chu Wuliang (褚無量) served as attending officials in his studies, and he became close to them.

In 711, Zhang was given the designation Tong Zhongshu Menxia Pingzhangshi (同中書門下平章事), making him a chancellor de facto. At that time, there was much struggle at court between the factions of Princess Taiping and Li Longji. At one point, there was a prediction by a sorcerer that there would be an incursion into a palace—a prediction that much troubled Emperor Ruizong. Zhang stated that this rumor must have been spread by someone who was intent to harm Li Longji, and that the best way to dissipate the rumors would be for Emperor Ruizong to transfer some of the authority to Li Longji—an assessment that fellow chancellor Yao Chong concurred in. Emperor Ruizong agreed and did so. (However, when Yao and Song Jing then proposed sending Princess Taiping and two princes with arguably better claims on the crown prince title than Li Longji—his older brother Li Chengqi the Prince of Song and cousin Li Shouli the Prince of Bin (the son of Emperor Zhongzong's and Ruizong's older brother Li Xian (note different character than Emperor Zhongzong)) -- out of the capital, Princess Taiping found out and got Yao and Song demoted out of the capital, although Zhang was not demoted at that time. Later that year, however, as a part of a government reorganization, Zhang, along with the other chancellors, were removed from their chancellor positions. Zhang was made Shangshu Zuo Cheng (尚書左丞), one of the Secretaries General of the executive bureau (尚書省, Shangshu Sheng), and given an office in Luoyang, away from Chang'an.

During Emperor Xuanzong's reign

In 712, Emperor Ruizong passed the throne to Li Longji, who took the throne as Emperor Xuanzong. However, Emperor Ruizong retained most of the imperial authority as Taishang Huang (retired emperor). Princess Taiping, who was of high noble status and her wealth, which included: treasure, slaves, livestock, and real estate, was more than the imperial house, and through retired emperor, continued to exert excessive influence on governance. As of 713, it was said that five of the seven chancellors at the time -- Dou Huaizhen, Cen Xi, Xiao Zhizhong, Cui Shi, and Lu Xiangxian, and three of the four generals of the Forbidden Troops at the time—Chang Yuankai, Li Ci, and Li Qin—were recommended by her (although Lu was not considered a follower of hers). Also, the majority of officials and officers depended on her, and her spies were scattered everywhere. So she was in power and was secretly and openly at war with Emperor Xuanzong. With Emperor Xuanzong and Princess Taiping locked into a power struggle, Zhang Yue, from his post at Luoyang, had a messenger present Emperor Xuanzong with his sword—meaning to tell him that it was time to take decisive action. Meanwhile, it was said that Princess Taiping, Dou, Cen, Xiao, and Cui; along with other officials Xue Ji, Li Jin (李晉) the Prince of Xinxing (a grandson of Li Deliang (李德良), a cousin of Tang's founder Emperor Gaozu), Li You (李猷), Jia Yingfu (賈膺福), Tang Jun (唐晙); the generals Chang Yuankai (常元楷), Li Ci (李慈), and Li Qin (李欽); and the monk Huifan (惠範), were plotting to overthrow Emperor Xuanzong. It was further said that they discussed, with the lady in waiting Lady Yuan to poison the gastrodia elata that Emperor Xuanzong routinely took as an aphrodisiac. When this alleged plot was reported to Emperor Xuanzong by Wei Zhigu, Emperor Xuanzong, who had already received advice from Wang Ju (王琚) and Cui Riyong, in addition to Zhang, to act first, did so. He convened a meeting with his brothers Li Fan (李範) the Prince of Qi, Li Ye (李業) the Prince of Xue, Guo, along with a number of his associates — the general Wang Maozhong (王毛仲), the officials Jiang Jiao (姜皎) and Li Lingwen (李令問), his brother-in-law Wang Shouyi (王守一), the eunuch Gao Lishi, and the military officer Li Shoude (李守德) — and decided to act first. On July 29, Emperor Xuanzong had Wang Maozhong take 300 soldiers to the imperial guard camp to behead Chang and Li Ci. Then, Jia, Li You, Xiao, and Cen were arrested and executed as well. Dou and Princess Taiping committed suicide. Emperor Ruizong turned over imperial authority to Emperor Xuanzong and thereafter was no longer involved in important decisions. Emperor Xuanzong subsequently recalled Zhang from Luoyang to serve as Zhongshu Ling (中書令), the head of the legislative bureau and a post considered one for a chancellor. Later in the year, when Emperor Xuanzong changed the names of many official titles, the legislative bureau's name was changed to Ziwei Sheng (紫微省), and its head's title changed to Ziwei Ling (紫微令); Zhang's title changed accordingly. When it was discovered that the former chancellor Li Jiao, during Empress Dowager Wei's regency, had suggested that Emperor Ruizong's sons be sent out of Chang'an to serve as local officials, there was suggestions that Li Jiao should be executed, but Zhang pointed out that while Li Jiao might be viewed as having suggested inappropriate, he was being faithful to Empress Dowager Wei. Emperor Xuanzong agreed, and only sent Li Jiao's son Li Chang (李暢) out of Chang'an to serve as a prefectural prefect, and had Li Jiao go with his son.