Recent from talks
Zheng Tan
Knowledge base stats:
Talk channels stats:
Members stats:
Zheng Tan
Zheng Tan (鄭覃) (died 842), formally the Duke of Xingyang (滎陽公), was a Chinese historian and politician during the Tang dynasty, serving as a chancellor during the reign of Emperor Wenzong. He was viewed as a Li Faction leader in the Niu-Li Factional Struggles.
It is not known when Zheng Tan was born. He came from a prominent line, as his father Zheng Xunyu was a chancellor during the reigns of Emperor Dezong and Emperor Dezong's son Emperor Shunzong. As a result of his father's status, Zheng Tan was able to start his official career as a copyeditor (校書郎, Xiaoshu Lang) at Hongwen Institute (弘文館). He subsequently went through the ranks of low-level advisory officials as Shiyi (拾遺) and then Bujue (補闕); he then served successively as Kaogong Yuanwailang (考功員外郎), a low-level official at the ministry of civil service affairs (吏部, Libu), and then Xingbu Langzhong (刑部郎中), a supervisory official at the ministry of justice (刑部, Xingbu).
In 819, during the reign of Emperor Shunzong's son Emperor Xianzong, Zheng Tan was made Jianyi Daifu (諫議大夫), a fairly high-level advisory official. On an occasion when Emperor Xianzong wanted to make five eunuchs directors of troop food supplies for Tang's northwestern border with the Uyghur and Tibetan Empires, Zheng submitted a petition against the action and the order was cancelled.
In 820, Emperor Xianzong died and was succeeded by his son Emperor Muzong. Emperor Muzong was considered pleasure-loving, and in winter 820, there was an occasion when Emperor Muzong met with the imperial officials in the palace. Zheng Tan, his colleague Cui Yan (崔郾), and three other advisory officials took the opportunity to advise him that he was spending too much time in feast and games, and was overly exhausting the imperial treasury with his rewards to his favorites. Emperor Muzong was much surprised and initially displeased by the advice, and asked the chancellor Xiao Mian who these officials were. Xiao informed him that these were advisory officials. Emperor Muzong thus understood that they were giving him advice, and he dismissed them with kind words, but did not actually carry out their advice.
Around that time, Wang Chengzong the military governor (jiedushi) of Chengde Circuit (成德, headquartered in modern Shijiazhuang, Hebei)—whose circuit had long been resistant to imperial rule—died. In light of Wang Chengzong's death, the Chengde soldiers wanted to support his brother Wang Chengyuan as the new military governor, but Wang Chengyuan wished to turn control of the circuit over to the imperial government. Nevertheless, the soldiers were not allowing him to depart and head for his new post as the military governor of Yicheng Circuit (義成, headquartered in modern Anyang, Henan). Wang Chengyuan requested Emperor Muzong to send a senior official to encourage the soldiers to obey the imperial order, so Emperor Muzong sent Zheng to Chengde, assisted by Wang Fan (王璠), to declare the imperial orders and to give a large cash award to the Chengde soldiers. It was said that when Zheng arrived at Chengde, he explained to the soldiers the importance of loyalty to the imperial government, and the soldiers thus allowed Wang Chengyuan to leave.
In 821, Zheng was involved in an incident that was considered one of the precipitating incidents of the coming Niu-Li Factional Struggles. At that time, both Yuan Zhen, an official at the legislative bureau of government (中書省, Zhongshu Sheng) and imperial scholar Li Deyu were involved in power struggles with another official, Li Zongmin. Meanwhile, Li Zongmin's junior colleague at the legislative bureau, Yang Rushi (楊汝士) and the deputy minister of rites (禮部侍郎, Libu Shilang) Qian Hui (錢徽) were in charge of overseeing the imperial examinations. The military governor Duan Wenchang (a former chancellor) and the imperial scholar Li Shen both made secret pleas to Qian for certain examinees. However, when the results were announced, the examinees that Duan and Li Shen recommended were not given passing results, while among those passing the examinations were Zheng Tan's brother Zheng Lang; Pei Zhuan (裴譔) the son of the military governor Pei Du (a former chancellor); Li Zongmin's son-in-law Su Chao (蘇巢); and Yang Rushi's brother Yang Yinshi (楊殷士). This thus brought a popular uproar, and Duan submitted a report accusing Yang Rushi and Qian of being unfair. When Emperor Muzong requested opinions from the imperial scholars, Li Deyu, Yuan, and Li Shen all agreed with Duan's opinion. Emperor Muzong thus ordered Li Zongmin's colleague Wang Qi (王起) to conduct a re-examination, while demoting Qian, Li Zongmin, and Yang Rushi to be prefectural prefects and deposing 10 of the examinees selected by Qian and Yang Rushi. This was said to be the start of some 40 years of struggles between Li Deyu and his associates (known as the Li Faction) and Li Zongmin and his associates (known as the Niu Faction, named after Li Zongmin's ally Niu Sengru). (Despite the way the incident occurred, Zheng himself was usually viewed as a leader of the Li faction as well.) Late in 821, Zheng Tan was made an imperial attendant (給事中, Jishizhong).
In 824, the same year that Emperor Muzong died and was succeeded by his son Emperor Jingzong, Zheng Tan was made deputy chief imperial censor (御史中丞, Yushi Zhongcheng). Late in the year, he was also made acting deputy minister of public works (工部侍郎, Gongbu Shilang). In 825, he was made the mayor of Jingzhao Municipality (京兆, i.e., the region of the capital Chang'an).
After Emperor Jingzong was assassinated around new year 827 and was succeeded by his brother Emperor Wenzong, Zheng Tan was made Zuo Sanqi Changshi (左散騎常侍), a senior advisory official at the examination bureau of government (門下省, Menxia Sheng). In 829, he was also given the title of assistant imperial scholar (翰林侍講學士). In 830, he was made deputy minister of public works. It was said that Zheng was learned in the Confucian classics and was upright in his behavior, and therefore Emperor Wenzong respected him. At Zheng's suggestion, Emperor Wenzong started a project where the text of the Confucian classics were edited, commentaries were written, and the resulting text carved onto stone tablets and displayed publicly at the imperial university. (This project would not be completed until 837, when Zheng would be chancellor.)
Hub AI
Zheng Tan AI simulator
(@Zheng Tan_simulator)
Zheng Tan
Zheng Tan (鄭覃) (died 842), formally the Duke of Xingyang (滎陽公), was a Chinese historian and politician during the Tang dynasty, serving as a chancellor during the reign of Emperor Wenzong. He was viewed as a Li Faction leader in the Niu-Li Factional Struggles.
It is not known when Zheng Tan was born. He came from a prominent line, as his father Zheng Xunyu was a chancellor during the reigns of Emperor Dezong and Emperor Dezong's son Emperor Shunzong. As a result of his father's status, Zheng Tan was able to start his official career as a copyeditor (校書郎, Xiaoshu Lang) at Hongwen Institute (弘文館). He subsequently went through the ranks of low-level advisory officials as Shiyi (拾遺) and then Bujue (補闕); he then served successively as Kaogong Yuanwailang (考功員外郎), a low-level official at the ministry of civil service affairs (吏部, Libu), and then Xingbu Langzhong (刑部郎中), a supervisory official at the ministry of justice (刑部, Xingbu).
In 819, during the reign of Emperor Shunzong's son Emperor Xianzong, Zheng Tan was made Jianyi Daifu (諫議大夫), a fairly high-level advisory official. On an occasion when Emperor Xianzong wanted to make five eunuchs directors of troop food supplies for Tang's northwestern border with the Uyghur and Tibetan Empires, Zheng submitted a petition against the action and the order was cancelled.
In 820, Emperor Xianzong died and was succeeded by his son Emperor Muzong. Emperor Muzong was considered pleasure-loving, and in winter 820, there was an occasion when Emperor Muzong met with the imperial officials in the palace. Zheng Tan, his colleague Cui Yan (崔郾), and three other advisory officials took the opportunity to advise him that he was spending too much time in feast and games, and was overly exhausting the imperial treasury with his rewards to his favorites. Emperor Muzong was much surprised and initially displeased by the advice, and asked the chancellor Xiao Mian who these officials were. Xiao informed him that these were advisory officials. Emperor Muzong thus understood that they were giving him advice, and he dismissed them with kind words, but did not actually carry out their advice.
Around that time, Wang Chengzong the military governor (jiedushi) of Chengde Circuit (成德, headquartered in modern Shijiazhuang, Hebei)—whose circuit had long been resistant to imperial rule—died. In light of Wang Chengzong's death, the Chengde soldiers wanted to support his brother Wang Chengyuan as the new military governor, but Wang Chengyuan wished to turn control of the circuit over to the imperial government. Nevertheless, the soldiers were not allowing him to depart and head for his new post as the military governor of Yicheng Circuit (義成, headquartered in modern Anyang, Henan). Wang Chengyuan requested Emperor Muzong to send a senior official to encourage the soldiers to obey the imperial order, so Emperor Muzong sent Zheng to Chengde, assisted by Wang Fan (王璠), to declare the imperial orders and to give a large cash award to the Chengde soldiers. It was said that when Zheng arrived at Chengde, he explained to the soldiers the importance of loyalty to the imperial government, and the soldiers thus allowed Wang Chengyuan to leave.
In 821, Zheng was involved in an incident that was considered one of the precipitating incidents of the coming Niu-Li Factional Struggles. At that time, both Yuan Zhen, an official at the legislative bureau of government (中書省, Zhongshu Sheng) and imperial scholar Li Deyu were involved in power struggles with another official, Li Zongmin. Meanwhile, Li Zongmin's junior colleague at the legislative bureau, Yang Rushi (楊汝士) and the deputy minister of rites (禮部侍郎, Libu Shilang) Qian Hui (錢徽) were in charge of overseeing the imperial examinations. The military governor Duan Wenchang (a former chancellor) and the imperial scholar Li Shen both made secret pleas to Qian for certain examinees. However, when the results were announced, the examinees that Duan and Li Shen recommended were not given passing results, while among those passing the examinations were Zheng Tan's brother Zheng Lang; Pei Zhuan (裴譔) the son of the military governor Pei Du (a former chancellor); Li Zongmin's son-in-law Su Chao (蘇巢); and Yang Rushi's brother Yang Yinshi (楊殷士). This thus brought a popular uproar, and Duan submitted a report accusing Yang Rushi and Qian of being unfair. When Emperor Muzong requested opinions from the imperial scholars, Li Deyu, Yuan, and Li Shen all agreed with Duan's opinion. Emperor Muzong thus ordered Li Zongmin's colleague Wang Qi (王起) to conduct a re-examination, while demoting Qian, Li Zongmin, and Yang Rushi to be prefectural prefects and deposing 10 of the examinees selected by Qian and Yang Rushi. This was said to be the start of some 40 years of struggles between Li Deyu and his associates (known as the Li Faction) and Li Zongmin and his associates (known as the Niu Faction, named after Li Zongmin's ally Niu Sengru). (Despite the way the incident occurred, Zheng himself was usually viewed as a leader of the Li faction as well.) Late in 821, Zheng Tan was made an imperial attendant (給事中, Jishizhong).
In 824, the same year that Emperor Muzong died and was succeeded by his son Emperor Jingzong, Zheng Tan was made deputy chief imperial censor (御史中丞, Yushi Zhongcheng). Late in the year, he was also made acting deputy minister of public works (工部侍郎, Gongbu Shilang). In 825, he was made the mayor of Jingzhao Municipality (京兆, i.e., the region of the capital Chang'an).
After Emperor Jingzong was assassinated around new year 827 and was succeeded by his brother Emperor Wenzong, Zheng Tan was made Zuo Sanqi Changshi (左散騎常侍), a senior advisory official at the examination bureau of government (門下省, Menxia Sheng). In 829, he was also given the title of assistant imperial scholar (翰林侍講學士). In 830, he was made deputy minister of public works. It was said that Zheng was learned in the Confucian classics and was upright in his behavior, and therefore Emperor Wenzong respected him. At Zheng's suggestion, Emperor Wenzong started a project where the text of the Confucian classics were edited, commentaries were written, and the resulting text carved onto stone tablets and displayed publicly at the imperial university. (This project would not be completed until 837, when Zheng would be chancellor.)