Actor

1994-11-23 · Beijing · Male

1 series in the catalog

Zhang Jiuling (simplified Chinese: 张九龄; traditional Chinese: 張九齡; pinyin: Zhāng Jiǔlíng; Wade–Giles: Chang1 Chiu3-ling2; Jyutping: Zoeng1 Gau2 Ling4) (678 or 673 – 5 June 740), courtesy name Zishou (子壽), nickname Bowu (博物), formally Count Wenxian of Shixing (始興文獻伯), was a Chinese poet and politician of the Tang dynasty, serving as chancellor during the reign of Emperor Xuanzong.

Early life

Zhang Jiuling was born in 678, during the reign of Emperor Gaozong. His family was from Qujiang (曲江) in Shao Prefecture (韶州, roughly modern Shaoguan, Guangdong) in the region called Lingnan 嶺南), which was at the time a relatively remote area of the Tang empire. His family traced its ancestry to the Jin dynasty (266–420) chancellor Zhang Hua, and his eldest son Zhang Yi (張禕). His great-grandfather Zhang Junzheng (張君政) served as the secretary general of Shao Prefecture, and therefore settled there. His grandfather Zhang Zizhou (張子冑) served as a county magistrate, and his father Zhang Hongyu (張弘愈) served as a county secretary general.

Zhang Jiuling was said to be intelligent in his childhood and capable in literary skills. In 685, when he was 12, he had an occasion to write a letter to Wang Fangqing, then the prefect of Guang Prefecture (廣州, roughly modern Guangzhou, Guangdong). Wang was impressed and commented, "This child will do great things in the future." When the official Zhang Yue was exiled to the region, he met Zhang Jiuling and was impressed, and treated Zhang Jiuling with kindness. Zhang Jiuling later passed the jinshi imperial examinations under poet Shen Quanqi 沈佺期 and scored the highest on that occasion. After passing several more exams, in 712 he was appointed zuo shiyi (左拾遺).

He was made a xiaoshu lang (校書郎), a clerk at the imperial institute Hongwen Pavilion (弘文館). Later, while Li Longji was crown prince under his father Emperor Ruizong (r. 710–712), he summoned those in the empire known for their literary talent and personally examined them. Zhang scored the highest on this occasion as well, and was made you shiyi (右拾遺), a consultant at the legislative bureau of government (中書省, the zhongshu sheng).

During Emperor Xuanzong's reign

In 712, Emperor Ruizong passed the throne to Li Longji, who took the throne as Emperor Xuanzong. For some time, though, Emperor Xuanzong did not offer sacrifice to heaven and earth outside of the capital Chang'an, as was customary for emperors. Zhang Jiuling submitted a petition, asking him to carry out such sacrifices, and Emperor Xuanzong, following his advice, did so. In or around 713, he submitted a petition to the chancellor Yao Chong, pointing out the importance of a clean and fair civil service system, and Yao was impressed.

Zhang became known for his talent in understanding people's talents. At that time, Emperor Xuanzong had him and his colleague Zhao Dongxi (趙冬曦) decide the postings for the people selected for official service by the ministry of civil service affairs, and he and Zhao were considered fair and capable in finding the right posts for people. In 722, he became Sixun Yuanwailang (司勳員外郎), a low level official at the ministry of civil service affairs. At that time, Zhang Yue was a chancellor as Zhongshu Ling (中書令, the head of the legislative bureau), and he considered Zhang Jiuling, as they had the same family name, like a brother, often stating, "He will surely be the most distinguished poet." Zhang Jiuling was also happy that Zhang Shuo appreciated his talent, and therefore became a follower of Zhang Yue's. In 723, he was made a Zhongshu Sheren (中書舍人), a mid-level official at the legislative bureau, serving under Zhang Yue.

In 725, at Zhang Yue's suggestion, Emperor Xuanzong offered sacrifice to heaven and earth at Mount Tai. After the ceremony, many of the officials that Zhang Shuo favored were to be promoted to high positions. Zhang Yue had Zhang Jiuling draft the edict for the promotions. Knowing that such promotions would draw resentment from others, Zhang Jiuling tried to dissuade Zhang Yue, but Zhang Yue insisted, causing much resentment against Zhang Shuo. In particular, Zhang Jiuling warned Zhang Yue about the minister Yuwen Rong, whom Zhang Shuo did not respect but whom Emperor Xuanzong favored for his talent in gathering money for the imperial treasury. Zhang Yue did not believe Yuwen Rong could do him harm, but in 726 found himself removed after accusations by Yuwen. In the aftermath, Zhang Jiuling was made the deputy minister of worship (太常少卿, Taichang Shaoqing) -- an honored post without much actual authority—and soon was made the prefect of Ji Prefecture (冀州, roughly modern Hengshui, Hebei). Zhang, because his mother was then old and at home in Shao Prefecture, requested to be posted to a prefecture south of the Yangtze River, so that he could better communicate with her. Emperor Xuanzong issued an edict praising him for his filial piety, and made him the commandant at Hong Prefecture (洪州, roughly modern Nanchang, Jiangxi). Zhang was later made the commandant at Gui Prefecture (桂州, roughly modern Guilin, Guangxi) and the examiner of Lingnan Circuit. Emperor Xuanzong further made his brothers Zhang Jiuzhang (張九章) and Zhang Jiugao (張九皋) prefects in the region as well, so that the brothers could all visit their mother on holidays.

Meanwhile, Zhang Yue was no longer chancellor, but was still the head of the imperial institute Jixian Institute (集賢院). He often recommended Zhang Jiuling for his talent. After Zhang Yue died near the new year 731, Emperor Xuanzong remembered Zhang Yue's recommendations and recalled Zhang Jiuling to serve as Mishu Shaojian (秘書少監), the deputy head of the Palace Library, as well as a scholar at Jixian Institute, acting as its head. At that time, it happened that an edict needed to be issued to the vassal kingdom Balhae, but no one could write one well. Emperor Xuanzong had Zhang draft one, and it was written quickly. Soon thereafter, Zhang was made the deputy minister of public works (工部侍郎, Gongbu Shilang) but was put in charge of drafting edicts. He was then made Zhongshu Shilang (中書侍郎), the deputy head of the legislative bureau. In 732, his mother died, and he returned to Shao Prefecture to observe a period of mourning for her.

Around the new year 733, Emperor Xuanzong removed then-chancellors Xiao Song and Han Xiu from their chancellor positions, and named Pei Yaoqing and Zhang to replace them—ordering Zhang to end his period of mourning, which was to last for three years, early, making him Zhongshu Shilang but with the chancellor de facto designation of Tong Zhongshu Menxia Pingzhanshi (同中書門下平章事). After Zhang subsequently arrived at the eastern capital Luoyang, where Emperor Xuanzong was at the time, he requested that he be allowed to return to mourning. Emperor Xuanzong rejected the request.

Later in 733, Zhang proposed that private citizens be allowed to mint money. With opposition from Pei and Liu Zhi, however, Emperor Xuanzong rejected the proposal. Later that year, Zhang was made Zhongshu Ling and continued to serve as chancellor. Other projects that Zhang proposed included reestablishing the offices of examiners of the 10 circuits and also rice farming in the prefectures just south of the Yellow River, which ended in failure. Zhang was further said to be impatient and easily angered, damaging his reputation. However, Zhang was also said to be honest and always seeking to correct the emperor's behavior, even if it offended the emperor. For example, in 735, after the general Zhang Shougui (張守珪) scored a major victory over the Khitan, Emperor Xuanzong wanted to reward Zhang Shougui by making him a chancellor, but Zhang Jiuling pointed out that it was inappropriate to use the chancellorship as a reward, even with just the honorable title and no actual authority (as Emperor Xuanzong considered as well) and that giving Zhang Shougui the chancellorship for defeating the Khitan meant that there would be no other available awards if he were to defeat…