Liu Hun
Encyclopedia
Liu Hun (715
– February 23, 789), né Liu Zai (柳載), courtesy name Yikuang (夷曠), alternative name Weishen (惟深), formally Count Zhen of Yicheng (宜城貞伯),, was an official of the Chinese
dynasty Tang Dynasty
, serving as a chancellor during the reign of Emperor Dezong
.
, during the reign of Emperor Xuanzong
. His family was from Xiang Prefecture (襄州, in modern Xiangfan
, Hubei
) but claimed as their ancestral lands the Hedong region (河東, roughly modern Shanxi
) and claimed the Jin Dynasty (265-420)
official Liu Chun (柳純) as an ancestor. Their traceable ancestry included officials of Jin Dynasty, Liu Song, Southern Qi
, Liang Dynasty
, and Tang Dynasty
. His grandfather Liu Shangsu (柳尚素) and father Liu Qingxiu (柳慶休) both served as county-level officials.
Liu Zai's father Liu Qingxiu died early. He was studious, but was poor as a result of his father's early death. He passed the imperial examination
s early in Emperor Xuanzong's Tianbao era (742
-756
) and was made the sheriff of Danfu County (單父, in modern Heze
, Shandong
).
-758
) of Emperor Xuanzong's son Emperor Suzong
, Liu Zai served as a secretary for Huangfu Shen (皇甫侁) the surveyor of Jiangxi Circuit (江西, headquartered in modern Nanchang
, Jiangxi
). He was then recalled to serve as Jiancha Yushi (監察御史), an imperial censor. As the imperial censors were required to be careful and formal in their behavior, and Liu was free in his spirit, Liu became unhappy and sought another position. The chancellors had regard for his talents, however, and so had him made Zuo Bujue (左補闕), a low-level official at the examination bureau of government (門下省, Menxia Sheng). He was later given the responsibility of monitoring the tax revenues from Jiangxi Circuit.
-779
) of Emperor Suzong's son Emperor Daizong
, Wei Shaoyou (魏少遊), the governor of Jiangxi Circuit, requested that Liu Zai serve as his secretary. While he was serving under Wei, there was an occasion when the abbot of a Buddhist
temple dedicated to Emperor Xuanzong was drinking at night with his disciples, and in their drunkenness, the temple suffered a fire. They blamed it on the deaf servant guarding the door, however, and bribed the military officer Wei put in charge of the investigation to submit a report indicating such. Wei believed the report and was set to punish the servant, and while many people knew of the servant's innocence, no one dared to speak. Liu and his colleague Cui Youfu
, however, stepped in and reported this to Wei. Wei was surprised, and after he interrogated the abbot further, the abbot confessed. Wei thanked them and stated, "Except for you two gentleman, this old man would have committed a wrong." Later, after Lu Sigong (路嗣恭) succeeded Wei, Lu made Liu the deputy commander of the circuit militia (團練副使, Tuanlian Fushi). In 778
, Liu was made the prefect of Yuan Prefecture (袁州, in modern Yichun, Jiangxi
).
, Emperor Daizong died and was succeeded by his son Emperor Dezong
. Cui Youfu became chancellor, and he recommended Liu Zai to be the examiner of Zhejiang Circuit (浙江東西道, headquartered in modern Suzhou
, Jiangsu
). He was later recalled to the capital Chang'an
to serve as Shangshu Zuo Cheng (尚書左丞), one of the secretaries general of the executive bureau (尚書省, Shangshu Sheng).
In 783
, soldiers from Jingyuan Circuit (涇原, headquartered in modern Pingliang
, Gansu
), then at Chang'an to await deployment, mutinied, and Emperor Dezong was forced to flee to Fengtian (奉天, in modern Xianyang
, Shaanxi
). Liu followed him to Fengtian. Meanwhile, the Jingyuan soldiers supported the general Zhu Ci
as their leader, and Zhu soon declared himself emperor of a new state of Qin. To create suspicion within Emperor Dezong's followers, he issued an edict naming Liu and Cui Ning
chancellors. Emperor Dezong, believing Cui to be complicit in Zhu's rebellion, executed Cui, but took no actions against Liu. Later, when Emperor Dezong was forced to further flee to Liang Prefecture (梁州, in modern Hanzhong
, Shaanxi
), Liu followed him, and was made Zuo Sanqi Changshi (左散騎常侍), a senior advisor at the examination bureau. After Zhu's state was destroyed in 784
and Emperor Dezong returned to Chang'an, Liu, stating that his name had been tainted because it had been in an edict of Zhu's, and also that the character of Zai (載) contained a radical
, ge (戈), that signified the use of force while the state was to be pacified, requested permission to change his name to Hun, and permission was granted.
In 786
, Liu was made the deputy minister of defense (兵部侍郎, Bingbu Shilang) and was created the Count of Yicheng. In 787
, under the recommendation of the powerful chancellor Han Huang
, Liu was given the designation Tong Zhongshu Menxia Pingzhangshi (同中書門下平章事), making him a chancellor de facto as well, and he was also given authority over the examination bureau. Believing Han to be overly harsh, although he was recommended by Han, he sternly rebuked Han for battering a low-level official to death, and thereafter, Han moderated his behavior somewhat. Meanwhile, he opposed Emperor Dezong's consideration of a former close associate, Bai Zhizhen (白志貞), for promotion, believing that Bai was a flatterer unfit for promotion. Emperor Dezong nevertheless promoted Bai while Liu was away ill. When Liu recovered, he offered his resignation, but Emperor Dezong turned it down.
Later in the year, Emperor Dezong, despite the opposition of the major general Li Sheng
, entered into a peace treaty with Tufan's chancellor Shang JIezan (尚結贊). On the day that another major general, Hun Zhen
, as Emperor Dezong's emissary, was set to formally sign the treaty with Shang at Pingliangchuan (平涼川), Emperor Dezong remarked to the officials at Chang'an that it was a fortunate time for the state. Liu stated that he believed that he was worried because he found the Tufan to be untrustworthy, and Li agreed; Emperor Dezong, angry at their continued opposition to the treaty, rebuked them both. That night, however, reports from the general Han Yougui (韓遊瓌) arrived that Tufan forces had ambushed Hun and nearly captured him. Emperor Dezong, amazed that Liu had predicted this, had an imperial messenger deliver the report to Liu. The next day, he stated to Liu, "You are but a scholar. It is amazing how you were able to predict this so accurately." Meanwhile, because Liu was willing to speak, his relationship with fellow chancellor Zhang Yanshang
, whom Emperor Dezong trusted, became poor. On one occasion, Zhang sent an associate to state to Liu, "You, lord chancellor, are greatly honored for your virtues. If you are more careful with your words in the imperial halls, you can stay chancellor for a long time." Liu responded:
However, Liu was soon offending Emperor Dezong, as Emperor Dezong liked people who spoke elegantly and implicitly. However, Liu was straightforward and often used colloquialisms. He wanted to demote Liu to be the secretary general for an imperial prince, but at the urging of fellow chancellor Li Mi
, only demoted him to be Zuo Sanqin Changshi again.
It was said that Liu was humorous, and in his association with others he was not as arrogant as high level officials usually were. Several days after his removal as chancellor, he was touring with his old friends and did not appear at all upset over his removal. At that time, former chancellors Li Mian
and Lu Han
commented, "When we see Lord Liu of Yicheng, we, in comparison, feel like overly constricted men." Liu died in 789
.
715
Year 715 was a common year starting on Tuesday of the Julian calendar. The denomination 715 for this year has been used since the early medieval period, when the Anno Domini calendar era became the prevalent method in Europe for naming years.- Europe :* September 26 – Battle of Compiègne:...
– February 23, 789), né Liu Zai (柳載), courtesy name Yikuang (夷曠), alternative name Weishen (惟深), formally Count Zhen of Yicheng (宜城貞伯),, was an official of the Chinese
History of China
Chinese civilization originated in various regional centers along both the Yellow River and the Yangtze River valleys in the Neolithic era, but the Yellow River is said to be the Cradle of Chinese Civilization. With thousands of years of continuous history, China is one of the world's oldest...
dynasty Tang Dynasty
Tang Dynasty
The Tang Dynasty was an imperial dynasty of China preceded by the Sui Dynasty and followed by the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms Period. It was founded by the Li family, who seized power during the decline and collapse of the Sui Empire...
, serving as a chancellor during the reign of Emperor Dezong
Emperor Dezong of Tang
Emperor Dezong of Tang , personally name Li Kuo , was an emperor of the Chinese Tang Dynasty and the oldest son of his father Emperor Daizong. His reign of 26 years was the third longest in the Tang dynasty...
.
Background
Liu Zai was born in 715715
Year 715 was a common year starting on Tuesday of the Julian calendar. The denomination 715 for this year has been used since the early medieval period, when the Anno Domini calendar era became the prevalent method in Europe for naming years.- Europe :* September 26 – Battle of Compiègne:...
, during the reign of Emperor Xuanzong
Emperor Xuanzong of Tang
Emperor Xuanzong of Tang , also commonly known as Emperor Ming of Tang , personal name Li Longji , known as Wu Longji from 690 to 705, was the seventh emperor of the Tang dynasty in China, reigning from 712 to 756. His reign of 43 years was the longest during the Tang Dynasty...
. His family was from Xiang Prefecture (襄州, in modern Xiangfan
Xiangfan
Xiangyang is a prefecture-level city in Hubei Province of the People's Republic of China. It was formed from two famous ancient cities, Xiangyang and Fancheng...
, Hubei
Hubei
' Hupeh) is a province in Central China. The name of the province means "north of the lake", referring to its position north of Lake Dongting...
) but claimed as their ancestral lands the Hedong region (河東, roughly modern Shanxi
Shanxi
' is a province in Northern China. Its one-character abbreviation is "晋" , after the state of Jin that existed here during the Spring and Autumn Period....
) and claimed the Jin Dynasty (265-420)
Jìn Dynasty (265-420)
The Jìn Dynasty , was a dynasty in Chinese history, lasting between the years 265 and 420 AD. There are two main divisions in the history of the Dynasty, the first being Western Jin and the second Eastern Jin...
official Liu Chun (柳純) as an ancestor. Their traceable ancestry included officials of Jin Dynasty, Liu Song, Southern Qi
Southern Qi
The Southern Qi Dynasty was the second of the Southern dynasties in China, followed by the Liang Dynasty. During its 23-year history, the dynasty was largely filled with instability, as after the death of the capable Emperor Gao and Emperor Wu, Emperor Wu's grandson Xiao Zhaoye was assassinated...
, Liang Dynasty
Liang Dynasty
The Liang Dynasty , also known as the Southern Liang Dynasty , was the third of the Southern dynasties in China and was followed by the Chen Dynasty...
, and Tang Dynasty
Tang Dynasty
The Tang Dynasty was an imperial dynasty of China preceded by the Sui Dynasty and followed by the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms Period. It was founded by the Li family, who seized power during the decline and collapse of the Sui Empire...
. His grandfather Liu Shangsu (柳尚素) and father Liu Qingxiu (柳慶休) both served as county-level officials.
Liu Zai's father Liu Qingxiu died early. He was studious, but was poor as a result of his father's early death. He passed the imperial examination
Imperial examination
The Imperial examination was an examination system in Imperial China designed to select the best administrative officials for the state's bureaucracy. This system had a huge influence on both society and culture in Imperial China and was directly responsible for the creation of a class of...
s early in Emperor Xuanzong's Tianbao era (742
742
Year 742 was a common year starting on Monday of the Julian calendar. The denomination 742 for this year has been used since the early medieval period, when the Anno Domini calendar era became the prevalent method in Europe for naming years.- Asia :* Chinese poet Li Po is presented before the...
-756
756
Year 756 was a leap year starting on Thursday of the Julian calendar. The denomination 756 for this year has been used since the early medieval period, when the Anno Domini calendar era became the prevalent method in Europe for naming years.- Europe :* Pepin the Short defeats the Lombards of...
) and was made the sheriff of Danfu County (單父, in modern Heze
Heze
Heze is a prefecture-level city in southwestern Shandong province, People's Republic of China. The westernmost prefecture-level city in Shandong, it borders Jining to the east and the provinces of Henan and Anhui to the west and south respectively. The old name of Heze was Caozhou and now a part...
, Shandong
Shandong
' is a Province located on the eastern coast of the People's Republic of China. Shandong has played a major role in Chinese history from the beginning of Chinese civilization along the lower reaches of the Yellow River and served as a pivotal cultural and religious site for Taoism, Chinese...
).
During Emperor Suzong's reign
During the Zhide era (756756
Year 756 was a leap year starting on Thursday of the Julian calendar. The denomination 756 for this year has been used since the early medieval period, when the Anno Domini calendar era became the prevalent method in Europe for naming years.- Europe :* Pepin the Short defeats the Lombards of...
-758
758
Year 758 was a common year starting on Sunday of the Julian calendar. The denomination 758 for this year has been used since the early medieval period, when the Anno Domini calendar era became the prevalent method in Europe for naming years.- Asia :* Emperor Junnin succeeds Empress Kōken on the...
) of Emperor Xuanzong's son Emperor Suzong
Emperor Suzong of Tang
Emperor Suzong of Tang , personal name Li Heng , né Li Sisheng , known as Li Jun from 725 to 736, known as Li Yu from 736 to 738, known briefly as Li Shao in 738, was an emperor of the Tang Dynasty and the son of Emperor Xuanzong...
, Liu Zai served as a secretary for Huangfu Shen (皇甫侁) the surveyor of Jiangxi Circuit (江西, headquartered in modern Nanchang
Nanchang
Nanchang is the capital of Jiangxi Province in southeastern China. It is located in the north-central portion of the province. As it is bounded on the west by the Jiuling Mountains, and on the east by Poyang Lake, it is famous for its scenery, rich history and cultural sites...
, Jiangxi
Jiangxi
' is a southern province in the People's Republic of China. Spanning from the banks of the Yangtze River in the north into hillier areas in the south, it shares a border with Anhui to the north, Zhejiang to the northeast, Fujian to the east, Guangdong to the south, Hunan to the west, and Hubei to...
). He was then recalled to serve as Jiancha Yushi (監察御史), an imperial censor. As the imperial censors were required to be careful and formal in their behavior, and Liu was free in his spirit, Liu became unhappy and sought another position. The chancellors had regard for his talents, however, and so had him made Zuo Bujue (左補闕), a low-level official at the examination bureau of government (門下省, Menxia Sheng). He was later given the responsibility of monitoring the tax revenues from Jiangxi Circuit.
During Emperor Daizong's reign
Early in the Dali era (767767
Year 767 was a common year starting on Thursday of the Julian calendar. The denomination 767 for this year has been used since the early medieval period, when the Anno Domini calendar era became the prevalent method in Europe for naming years.-Africa:* The Kharijite Berbers of Tlemcen and Tiaret...
-779
779
Year 779 was a common year starting on Friday of the Julian calendar. The denomination 779 for this year has been used since the early medieval period, when the Anno Domini calendar era became the prevalent method in Europe for naming years.- Europe :* Offa of Mercia defeats Cynewulf of Wessex...
) of Emperor Suzong's son Emperor Daizong
Emperor Daizong of Tang
Emperor Daizong of Tang , personal name Li Yu , né Li Chu , was an emperor of the Chinese Tang Dynasty....
, Wei Shaoyou (魏少遊), the governor of Jiangxi Circuit, requested that Liu Zai serve as his secretary. While he was serving under Wei, there was an occasion when the abbot of a Buddhist
Buddhism
Buddhism is a religion and philosophy encompassing a variety of traditions, beliefs and practices, largely based on teachings attributed to Siddhartha Gautama, commonly known as the Buddha . The Buddha lived and taught in the northeastern Indian subcontinent some time between the 6th and 4th...
temple dedicated to Emperor Xuanzong was drinking at night with his disciples, and in their drunkenness, the temple suffered a fire. They blamed it on the deaf servant guarding the door, however, and bribed the military officer Wei put in charge of the investigation to submit a report indicating such. Wei believed the report and was set to punish the servant, and while many people knew of the servant's innocence, no one dared to speak. Liu and his colleague Cui Youfu
Cui Youfu
Cui Youfu , courtesy name Yisun , was an official of the Chinese dynasty Tang Dynasty, serving as a chancellor briefly early during the reign of Emperor Dezong...
, however, stepped in and reported this to Wei. Wei was surprised, and after he interrogated the abbot further, the abbot confessed. Wei thanked them and stated, "Except for you two gentleman, this old man would have committed a wrong." Later, after Lu Sigong (路嗣恭) succeeded Wei, Lu made Liu the deputy commander of the circuit militia (團練副使, Tuanlian Fushi). In 778
778
Year 778 was a common year starting on Thursday of the Julian calendar. The denomination 778 for this year has been used since the early medieval period, when the Anno Domini calendar era became the prevalent method in Europe for naming years.- Europe :* August 15 – Battle of Roncevaux Pass...
, Liu was made the prefect of Yuan Prefecture (袁州, in modern Yichun, Jiangxi
Yichun, Jiangxi
Yichun is a mountainous prefecture-level city in the Chinese province of Jiangxi. Yichun literally means "pleasant spring". It is located in the northwest of the province along a river surrouneded by mountains. Its area is 18,669 km²; 50% forested, 35% mountainous. It has a total population...
).
During Emperor Dezong's reign
In 779779
Year 779 was a common year starting on Friday of the Julian calendar. The denomination 779 for this year has been used since the early medieval period, when the Anno Domini calendar era became the prevalent method in Europe for naming years.- Europe :* Offa of Mercia defeats Cynewulf of Wessex...
, Emperor Daizong died and was succeeded by his son Emperor Dezong
Emperor Dezong of Tang
Emperor Dezong of Tang , personally name Li Kuo , was an emperor of the Chinese Tang Dynasty and the oldest son of his father Emperor Daizong. His reign of 26 years was the third longest in the Tang dynasty...
. Cui Youfu became chancellor, and he recommended Liu Zai to be the examiner of Zhejiang Circuit (浙江東西道, headquartered in modern Suzhou
Suzhou
Suzhou , previously transliterated as Su-chou, Suchow, and Soochow, is a major city located in the southeast of Jiangsu Province in Eastern China, located adjacent to Shanghai Municipality. The city is situated on the lower reaches of the Yangtze River and on the shores of Taihu Lake and is a part...
, Jiangsu
Jiangsu
' is a province of the People's Republic of China, located along the east coast of the country. The name comes from jiang, short for the city of Jiangning , and su, for the city of Suzhou. The abbreviation for this province is "苏" , the second character of its name...
). He was later recalled to the capital Chang'an
Chang'an
Chang'an is an ancient capital of more than ten dynasties in Chinese history, today known as Xi'an. Chang'an literally means "Perpetual Peace" in Classical Chinese. During the short-lived Xin Dynasty, the city was renamed "Constant Peace" ; yet after its fall in AD 23, the old name was restored...
to serve as Shangshu Zuo Cheng (尚書左丞), one of the secretaries general of the executive bureau (尚書省, Shangshu Sheng).
In 783
783
Year 783 was a common year starting on Wednesday of the Julian calendar. The denomination 783 for this year has been used since the early medieval period, when the Anno Domini calendar era became the prevalent method in Europe for naming years.- Byzantine Empire :* Campaigns of the Byzantine...
, soldiers from Jingyuan Circuit (涇原, headquartered in modern Pingliang
Pingliang
Pingliang is a prefecture-level city in eastern Gansu Province in China. Pingliang is famous for a local mountain range that includes Kongtong Mountain, a site sacred to Taoism and mythical meeting place of the Yellow Emperor and Guangchengzi, an immortal....
, Gansu
Gansu
' is a province located in the northwest of the People's Republic of China.It lies between the Tibetan and Huangtu plateaus, and borders Mongolia, Inner Mongolia, and Ningxia to the north, Xinjiang and Qinghai to the west, Sichuan to the south, and Shaanxi to the east...
), then at Chang'an to await deployment, mutinied, and Emperor Dezong was forced to flee to Fengtian (奉天, in modern Xianyang
Xianyang
Xianyang is a former capital of China in Shaanxi province, on the Wei River, a few kilometers upstream from Xi'an. It has an area of...
, Shaanxi
Shaanxi
' is a province in the central part of Mainland China, and it includes portions of the Loess Plateau on the middle reaches of the Yellow River in addition to the Qinling Mountains across the southern part of this province...
). Liu followed him to Fengtian. Meanwhile, the Jingyuan soldiers supported the general Zhu Ci
Zhu Ci
Zhu Ci was a general of the Chinese dynasty Tang Dynasty. He initially served as military governor of Lulong Circuit , but later became a general for the imperial government...
as their leader, and Zhu soon declared himself emperor of a new state of Qin. To create suspicion within Emperor Dezong's followers, he issued an edict naming Liu and Cui Ning
Cui Ning
Cui Ning , né Cui Gan , was a general of the Chinese dynasty Tang Dynasty. For over a decade, he ruled over Xichuan Circuit effectively independently from the imperial government, but was eventually kept at the capital Chang'an by the imperial government in 779...
chancellors. Emperor Dezong, believing Cui to be complicit in Zhu's rebellion, executed Cui, but took no actions against Liu. Later, when Emperor Dezong was forced to further flee to Liang Prefecture (梁州, in modern Hanzhong
Hanzhong
Hanzhong is a municipality in southwest Shaanxi Province, China, occupying a historically significant valley in the mountains between the Xi'an area, home to many Chinese capitals, and the fertile but isolated Sichuan Basin...
, Shaanxi
Shaanxi
' is a province in the central part of Mainland China, and it includes portions of the Loess Plateau on the middle reaches of the Yellow River in addition to the Qinling Mountains across the southern part of this province...
), Liu followed him, and was made Zuo Sanqi Changshi (左散騎常侍), a senior advisor at the examination bureau. After Zhu's state was destroyed in 784
784
Year 784 was a leap year starting on Thursday of the Julian calendar. The denomination 784 for this year has been used since the early medieval period, when the Anno Domini calendar era became the prevalent method in Europe for naming years.- Asia :* The Japanese capital moves away from Nara,...
and Emperor Dezong returned to Chang'an, Liu, stating that his name had been tainted because it had been in an edict of Zhu's, and also that the character of Zai (載) contained a radical
Radical (Chinese character)
A Chinese radical is a component of a Chinese character. The term may variously refer to the original semantic element of a character, or to any semantic element, or, loosely, to any element whatever its origin or purpose...
, ge (戈), that signified the use of force while the state was to be pacified, requested permission to change his name to Hun, and permission was granted.
In 786
786
Year 786 was a common year starting on Sunday of the Julian calendar. The denomination 786 for this year has been used since the early medieval period, when the Anno Domini calendar era became the prevalent method in Europe for naming years.- By place :Byzantine Empire* A council is organized in...
, Liu was made the deputy minister of defense (兵部侍郎, Bingbu Shilang) and was created the Count of Yicheng. In 787
787
Year 787 was a common year starting on Monday of the Julian calendar. The denomination 787 for this year has been used since the early medieval period, when the Anno Domini calendar era became the prevalent method in Europe for naming years.- Europe :* Conall succeeds Drest as king of the...
, under the recommendation of the powerful chancellor Han Huang
Han Huang
Han Huang , courtesy name Taichong , formally Duke Zhongsu of Jin , was an official of the Chinese dynasty Tang Dynasty, serving as a chancellor during the reign of Emperor Dezong...
, Liu was given the designation Tong Zhongshu Menxia Pingzhangshi (同中書門下平章事), making him a chancellor de facto as well, and he was also given authority over the examination bureau. Believing Han to be overly harsh, although he was recommended by Han, he sternly rebuked Han for battering a low-level official to death, and thereafter, Han moderated his behavior somewhat. Meanwhile, he opposed Emperor Dezong's consideration of a former close associate, Bai Zhizhen (白志貞), for promotion, believing that Bai was a flatterer unfit for promotion. Emperor Dezong nevertheless promoted Bai while Liu was away ill. When Liu recovered, he offered his resignation, but Emperor Dezong turned it down.
Later in the year, Emperor Dezong, despite the opposition of the major general Li Sheng
Li Sheng
Li Sheng was a Chinese landscape artist. His brush painting Saying Farewell by the Lake Dianshan is popular in the west, as exemplified by its widespread availability.- See also :* Chinese painting in the Song and Yuan dynasties...
, entered into a peace treaty with Tufan's chancellor Shang JIezan (尚結贊). On the day that another major general, Hun Zhen
Hun Zhen
Hun Zhen , né Hun Jin , formally Prince Zhongwu of Xianning , was a general of the Chinese dynasty Tang Dynasty of Tiele extraction...
, as Emperor Dezong's emissary, was set to formally sign the treaty with Shang at Pingliangchuan (平涼川), Emperor Dezong remarked to the officials at Chang'an that it was a fortunate time for the state. Liu stated that he believed that he was worried because he found the Tufan to be untrustworthy, and Li agreed; Emperor Dezong, angry at their continued opposition to the treaty, rebuked them both. That night, however, reports from the general Han Yougui (韓遊瓌) arrived that Tufan forces had ambushed Hun and nearly captured him. Emperor Dezong, amazed that Liu had predicted this, had an imperial messenger deliver the report to Liu. The next day, he stated to Liu, "You are but a scholar. It is amazing how you were able to predict this so accurately." Meanwhile, because Liu was willing to speak, his relationship with fellow chancellor Zhang Yanshang
Zhang Yanshang
Zhang Yanshang , né Zhang Baofu , was an official of the Chinese dynasty, serving as a chancellor during the reign of Emperor Dezong.- Background :...
, whom Emperor Dezong trusted, became poor. On one occasion, Zhang sent an associate to state to Liu, "You, lord chancellor, are greatly honored for your virtues. If you are more careful with your words in the imperial halls, you can stay chancellor for a long time." Liu responded:
However, Liu was soon offending Emperor Dezong, as Emperor Dezong liked people who spoke elegantly and implicitly. However, Liu was straightforward and often used colloquialisms. He wanted to demote Liu to be the secretary general for an imperial prince, but at the urging of fellow chancellor Li Mi
Li Mi (chancellor)
Li Mi , courtesy name Changyuan , formally the Marquess of Ye County , was an official of the Chinese dynasty Tang Dynasty...
, only demoted him to be Zuo Sanqin Changshi again.
It was said that Liu was humorous, and in his association with others he was not as arrogant as high level officials usually were. Several days after his removal as chancellor, he was touring with his old friends and did not appear at all upset over his removal. At that time, former chancellors Li Mian
Li Mian
Li Mian , courtesy name Xuanqing , formally Duke Zhenjian of Qian , was an official and general of the Chinese dynasty Tang Dynasty, serving as a chancellor during the reign of Emperor Dezong.- Background :...
and Lu Han
Lu Han (Tang Dynasty)
Lu Han was an official of the Chinese dynasty Tang Dynasty, serving as a chancellor during the reign of Emperor Dezong.- Background :Very little is known about Lu Han's background, and his date of birth is not known, as, contrary to the case with most other Tang chancellors, there was no biography...
commented, "When we see Lord Liu of Yicheng, we, in comparison, feel like overly constricted men." Liu died in 789
789
Year 789 was a common year starting on Thursday of the Julian calendar. The denomination 789 for this year has been used since the early medieval period, when the Anno Domini calendar era became the prevalent method in Europe for naming years.- Asia :* An uprising in Japan leads to a major defeat...
.