Dong Jin
Encyclopedia
Dong Jin (724
– March 13, 799), courtesy name Huncheng (混成), was an official and general 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 Hezhong Municipality (河中, in modern Yuncheng, Shanxi
) and claimed ancestry from the Han Dynasty
scholar Dong Zhongshu
. Dong Jin's great-grandfather Dong Renwan (董仁琬) served as a prefectural education official, and his father Dong Boliang (董伯良) served as a county secretary. Dong Jin passed the imperial examination
s, although it is not clear when that occurred.
-758
) of Emperor Xuanzong's son Emperor Suzong
, when Emperor Suzong was at Pengyuan (彭原, in modern Qingyang
, Gansu
) during the Anshi Rebellion as the armies of the rebel Yan
occupied the capital Chang'an
, Dong Jin went to Pengyuan and submitted a petition for an audience with the emperor, Emperor Suzong made him a Xiaoshulang (校書郎), an editor at the archival bureau (秘書省, Mishu Sheng). Later, he was made the secretary general at the ministry of armory supplies (衛尉丞, Weiwei Cheng), and then the military advisor to the prefect of Fen Prefecture (汾州, in modern Linfen
, Shanxi
). Subsequently, when the prefect, Cui Yuan
, was made the military governor (Jiedushi
) of Huainan Circuit (淮南, headquartered in modern Yangzhou
, Jiangsu
), he invited Dong to serve as his secretary. Soon, though, he was recalled to Chang'an to serve as an imperial censor, first under the title Dianzhong Shiyushi (殿中侍御史) and then Shiyushi (侍御史); he later successively served as Zhuke Yuanwailang (主客員外郎), a low-level official at the ministry of rites (禮部, Lǐbu); and then Cibu Langzhong (祠部郎中), a supervisorial low-level official at the ministry of rites.
In 769
, when Emperor Suzong's son Emperor Daizong
created a daughter of the general Pugu Huai'en
to be Princess Chonghui, to be married to the khan of Huige, the official Li Han (李涵) served as Princess Chonghui's escort. Li Han invited Dong to serve as his secretary. When they arrived at Huige headquarters, the Huige officials threatened Li Han over Tang's late payment for horses that it had purchased from Huige. Li Han did not dare to respond, but Dong responded, pointing out that Tang had been willing to absorb Huige's excess horses without demanding better quality and that Huige should be appreciative; his responses drew respect from the Huige officials. Upon the completion of the mission, he was made Sixun Langzhong (司勳郎中), a supervisorial official at the ministry of civil service affairs (吏部, Lìbu, note different tone than the ministry of rites), and then the deputy head of the archival bureau (秘書少監, Mishu Shaojian).
and succession of his son Emperor Dezong
, Dong Jin was made the minister of worship (太常卿, Taichang Qing). Because he had a reputation for being hardworking and careful, he was subsequently made You Sanqi Changshi (右散騎常侍), a high-level consultant at the legislative bureau (中書省, Zhongshu Sheng) as well as deputy chief imperial censor (御史中丞, Yushi Zhongcheng), but acting as the chief imperial censor. Soon, he was made the prefect of Hua Prefecture (華州, in modern Weinan
, Shaanxi
) as well as defender of Tong Pass.
In 783
, soldiers from Jingyuan Circuit (涇原, headquartered in modern Pingliang
, Gansu
), then at Chang'an to await deployment to the east to combat warlords, mutinied, forcing Emperor Dezong to flee to Fengtian (奉天, in modern Xianyang
, Shaanxi
). The Jingyuan soldiers supported the general Zhu Ci
as their leader, and Zhu soon declared himself the emperor of a new state of Qin. Zhu sent his general He Wangzhi (何望之) to attack Hua Prefecture, and Dong abandoned Hua Prefecture and fled to Fengtian, although the Tang general Luo Yuanguang (駱元光) soon recaptured Hua Prefecture. When Dong arrived at Fengtian, Emperor Dezong made him the principal of the imperial university (國子祭酒, Guozi Jijiu), and soon made him a special emissary to the region north of the Yellow River. As he was returning from his mission and went through Hezhong, Hezhong had been occupied by Li Huaiguang
— a major Tang general who had rebelled recently. Dong tried to persuade Li Huaiguang to rejoin the imperial cause, and it was said that due to Dong's efforts, while Li Huaiguang did not resubmit to Emperor Dezong, he also did not join Zhu in attacking Emperor Dezong. After Chang'an was recaptured from Zhu, Dong accompanied Emperor Dezong back to Chang'an and was made a general of the imperial guards, and then Shangshu Zuo Cheng (尚書左丞), one of the secretaries general of the executive bureau (尚書省, Shangshu Sheng). At that time, his colleague as secretary general, Yuan Xiu (元琇), was in charge of financial affairs, but was demoted due to false accusations by the chancellor Han Huang
. Dong met with the other chancellors and tried to speak in Yuan's defense, and while he was unsuccessful in doing so, was praised by other officials for doing so. Soon thereafter, he was again made the minister of worship.
As of 789
, Li Mi
was in effect the only chancellor, and Li repeatedly recommended both Dong and Dou Can
, believing that Dou was capable in financial matters and Dong was morally upright. Emperor Dezong initially did not agree with Li's assessment, but in 789
, with Li being seriously ill, he again recommended Dou and Dong, and Emperor Dezong finally agreed. He made Dong Menxia Shilang (門下侍郎), the deputy head of the examination bureau (門下省, Menxia Sheng). He also gave both Dou and Dong the designation Tong Zhongshu Menxia Pingzhangshi (同中書門下平章事), making them chancellors de facto. Li died shortly after, and it was said that while both Dou and Dong were chancellors, Dou had greater grasp of power and put many of his associates in powerful positions. Dong was said to be careful in his behavior, and did not leak contents of his conversations with the emperor. When his sons and brothers asked about the conversations, he would respond:
Later, Dou began to draw Emperor Dezong's displeasure due to his arrogance and partisanship. In 792
, Dou asked Dong to recommend his nephew Dou Shen (竇申) to be the deputy minister of civil service affairs. Emperor Dezong, when hearing this recommendation, sternly asked Dong, "Is it not Dou Can who asked you, Lord, to make this recommendation?" Dong did not dare to hide Dou's request from Emperor Dezong, and when Emperor Dezong subsequently asked further about Dou's faults, he reported them to Emperor Dezong. Soon, Dou was exiled, and Dong, in fear, requested to resign. In 793
, Dong was removed from his chancellor position and made the minister of rites (禮部尚書, Lǐbu Shangshu). He was soon made the official in charge of the eastern capital Luoyang
as well as the commander of the militias of the region.
In 796
, Li Wanrong (李萬榮) the military governor of Xuanwu Circuit (宣武, headquartered in modern Kaifeng
, Henan
) died. His son Li Nai (李迺) started a disturbance and tried to take over the circuit, but the eunuch monitor of the army, Ju Wenzhen (俱文珍) and the officer Deng Weigong (鄧惟恭) joined forces and arrested Li Nai. Emperor Dezong then named Dong the new military governor. Deng, believing that he should be allowed to take over the circuit, refused to send messengers to welcome Dong. As Dong travelled from Luoyang toward Xuanwu's capital Bian Prefecture, he went through Zheng Prefecture (鄭州, in modern Zhengzhou
, Henan
). The people at Zheng Prefecture feared for Dong's safety and tried to persuade him to slow down and not proceed to Bian Prefecture. Dong refused, and continued to proceed, arriving at Bian Prefecture quickly. Deng, surprised by Dong's arrival and not knowing how to react, was forced to welcome Dong. Dong therefore took his position as military governor and entrusted much of the responsibilities of governing the army to Deng. At that time, the military governors of Xuanwu were accustomed to have a large corps of guards, and Dong dismissed them as he believed them to be unnecessary.
Meanwhile, Emperor Dezong, believing Dong to be too meek in his personality, sent Lu Changyuan (陸長源) to assist him as the commander of the army. It was said that Lu was harsh and wanted to impose rules of stricter discipline. Initially, Dong agreed, but after Lu drafted the rules, he set them aside, and the army was thus comforted. Despite this, though, Deng was fearful, and he gathered a group of some 200 soldiers, planning an uprising. The plot was discovered in winter 796, and Dong arrested Deng and delivered him to Chang'an. Emperor Dezong spared Deng's life but exiled him.
Dong died in spring 799
. He was given posthumous honors and given the posthumous name
of Gonghui (恭惠, meaning, "respectful and benevolent").
724
Year 724 was a leap year starting on Saturday of the Julian calendar. The denomination 724 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 Shōmu succeeds Empress Genshō on the...
– March 13, 799), courtesy name Huncheng (混成), was an official and general 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
Dong Jin was born in 724724
Year 724 was a leap year starting on Saturday of the Julian calendar. The denomination 724 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 Shōmu succeeds Empress Genshō on the...
, 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 Hezhong Municipality (河中, in modern Yuncheng, 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 ancestry from the Han Dynasty
Han Dynasty
The Han Dynasty was the second imperial dynasty of China, preceded by the Qin Dynasty and succeeded by the Three Kingdoms . It was founded by the rebel leader Liu Bang, known posthumously as Emperor Gaozu of Han. It was briefly interrupted by the Xin Dynasty of the former regent Wang Mang...
scholar Dong Zhongshu
Dong Zhongshu
Dong Zhongshu was a Han Dynasty Chinese scholar. He is traditionally associated with the promotion of Confucianism as the official ideology of the Chinese imperial state.-History:...
. Dong Jin's great-grandfather Dong Renwan (董仁琬) served as a prefectural education official, and his father Dong Boliang (董伯良) served as a county secretary. Dong Jin 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, although it is not clear when that occurred.
During Emperor Suzong's and Daizong's reigns
Early in 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...
, when Emperor Suzong was at Pengyuan (彭原, in modern Qingyang
Qingyang
Qingyang is a prefecture-level city in China's Gansu province.-Geography and climate:Qingyang is in eastern Gansu province and is sometimes referred to in Chinese as "Longdong" . Ningxia province is to the north west and Shaanxi is to the east. It is in the lower middle part of the Yellow River on...
, 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...
) during the Anshi Rebellion as the armies of the rebel Yan
Yan (Anshi)
Yan , also known as the Great Yan , was a state established in 756 by the Tang Dynasty general An Lushan, after he rebelled against the reign of Emperor Xuanzong of Tang in 755. The state was extinguished in 763, with the death of An Lushan's former subordinate, Shi Siming's son, Shi Chaoyi, who...
occupied 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...
, Dong Jin went to Pengyuan and submitted a petition for an audience with the emperor, Emperor Suzong made him a Xiaoshulang (校書郎), an editor at the archival bureau (秘書省, Mishu Sheng). Later, he was made the secretary general at the ministry of armory supplies (衛尉丞, Weiwei Cheng), and then the military advisor to the prefect of Fen Prefecture (汾州, in modern Linfen
Linfen
-Administrative divisions:The prefecture-level city of Linfen is divided in one district, two cities and fourteen counties. The information here presented uses the metric system and data from 2010 Census.-Pollution:...
, 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....
). Subsequently, when the prefect, Cui Yuan
Cui Yuan (Tang Dynasty)
Cui Yuan , courtesy name Youyu , formally Duke Zhaoxiang of Zhao , was an official of the Chinese dynasty Tang Dynasty, serving as a chancellor during the reigns of Emperor Xuanzong and Emperor Suzong.- Background :...
, was made the military governor (Jiedushi
Jiedushi
The Jiedushi were regional military governors in China during the Tang Dynasty and the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms Period. Originally set up to counter external threats, the jiedushi were given enormous power, including the ability to maintain their own armies, collect taxes, and pass their...
) of Huainan Circuit (淮南, headquartered in modern Yangzhou
Yangzhou
Yangzhou is a prefecture-level city in central Jiangsu Province, People's Republic of China. Sitting on the northern bank of the Yangtze River, it borders the provincial capital of Nanjing to the southwest, Huai'an to the north, Yancheng to the northeast, Taizhou to the east, and Zhenjiang across...
, 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 invited Dong to serve as his secretary. Soon, though, he was recalled to Chang'an to serve as an imperial censor, first under the title Dianzhong Shiyushi (殿中侍御史) and then Shiyushi (侍御史); he later successively served as Zhuke Yuanwailang (主客員外郎), a low-level official at the ministry of rites (禮部, Lǐbu); and then Cibu Langzhong (祠部郎中), a supervisorial low-level official at the ministry of rites.
In 769
769
Year 769 was a common year starting on Sunday of the Julian calendar. The denomination 769 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.- Religion :* Pope Stephen III holds a council; papal...
, when 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....
created a daughter of the general Pugu Huai'en
Pugu Huai'en
Pugu Huai'en , formally the Prince of Da'ning , was a general of the Chinese dynasty Tang Dynasty, of Tiele ancestry. He was instrumental in the final suppression of the Anshi Rebellion, but rebelled against Emperor Daizong in fear that he was being accused of treason...
to be Princess Chonghui, to be married to the khan of Huige, the official Li Han (李涵) served as Princess Chonghui's escort. Li Han invited Dong to serve as his secretary. When they arrived at Huige headquarters, the Huige officials threatened Li Han over Tang's late payment for horses that it had purchased from Huige. Li Han did not dare to respond, but Dong responded, pointing out that Tang had been willing to absorb Huige's excess horses without demanding better quality and that Huige should be appreciative; his responses drew respect from the Huige officials. Upon the completion of the mission, he was made Sixun Langzhong (司勳郎中), a supervisorial official at the ministry of civil service affairs (吏部, Lìbu, note different tone than the ministry of rites), and then the deputy head of the archival bureau (秘書少監, Mishu Shaojian).
During Emperor Dezong's reign
After Emperor Daizong died 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...
and succession of 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...
, Dong Jin was made the minister of worship (太常卿, Taichang Qing). Because he had a reputation for being hardworking and careful, he was subsequently made You Sanqi Changshi (右散騎常侍), a high-level consultant at the legislative bureau (中書省, Zhongshu Sheng) as well as deputy chief imperial censor (御史中丞, Yushi Zhongcheng), but acting as the chief imperial censor. Soon, he was made the prefect of Hua Prefecture (華州, in modern Weinan
Weinan
Weinan is a Municipality in the province of Shaanxi, PRC. The Grand Historian Sima Qian was born in Weinan.-Administration:...
, 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...
) as well as defender of Tong Pass.
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 to the east to combat warlords, mutinied, forcing Emperor Dezong 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...
). 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 the emperor of a new state of Qin. Zhu sent his general He Wangzhi (何望之) to attack Hua Prefecture, and Dong abandoned Hua Prefecture and fled to Fengtian, although the Tang general Luo Yuanguang (駱元光) soon recaptured Hua Prefecture. When Dong arrived at Fengtian, Emperor Dezong made him the principal of the imperial university (國子祭酒, Guozi Jijiu), and soon made him a special emissary to the region north of the Yellow River. As he was returning from his mission and went through Hezhong, Hezhong had been occupied by Li Huaiguang
Li Huaiguang
Li Huaiguang was a leading general of the Chinese dynasty Tang Dynasty, of Mohe extraction. He was credited with saving Emperor Daizong in the face of an attack by the rebel Zhu Ci in 783 but, dissatisfied with the lack of trust that Emperor Dezong displayed in him later, also rebelled, but his...
— a major Tang general who had rebelled recently. Dong tried to persuade Li Huaiguang to rejoin the imperial cause, and it was said that due to Dong's efforts, while Li Huaiguang did not resubmit to Emperor Dezong, he also did not join Zhu in attacking Emperor Dezong. After Chang'an was recaptured from Zhu, Dong accompanied Emperor Dezong back to Chang'an and was made a general of the imperial guards, and then Shangshu Zuo Cheng (尚書左丞), one of the secretaries general of the executive bureau (尚書省, Shangshu Sheng). At that time, his colleague as secretary general, Yuan Xiu (元琇), was in charge of financial affairs, but was demoted due to false accusations by the 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...
. Dong met with the other chancellors and tried to speak in Yuan's defense, and while he was unsuccessful in doing so, was praised by other officials for doing so. Soon thereafter, he was again made the minister of worship.
As of 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...
, 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...
was in effect the only chancellor, and Li repeatedly recommended both Dong and Dou Can
Dou Can
Dou Can , courtesy name Shizhong , was an official of the Chinese dynasty Tang Dynasty, serving as a chancellor during the reign of Emperor Dezong...
, believing that Dou was capable in financial matters and Dong was morally upright. Emperor Dezong initially did not agree with Li's assessment, but 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...
, with Li being seriously ill, he again recommended Dou and Dong, and Emperor Dezong finally agreed. He made Dong Menxia Shilang (門下侍郎), the deputy head of the examination bureau (門下省, Menxia Sheng). He also gave both Dou and Dong the designation Tong Zhongshu Menxia Pingzhangshi (同中書門下平章事), making them chancellors de facto. Li died shortly after, and it was said that while both Dou and Dong were chancellors, Dou had greater grasp of power and put many of his associates in powerful positions. Dong was said to be careful in his behavior, and did not leak contents of his conversations with the emperor. When his sons and brothers asked about the conversations, he would respond:
Later, Dou began to draw Emperor Dezong's displeasure due to his arrogance and partisanship. In 792
792
Year 792 was a leap year starting on Sunday of the Julian calendar. The denomination 792 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 :* Irene is confirmed empress of the...
, Dou asked Dong to recommend his nephew Dou Shen (竇申) to be the deputy minister of civil service affairs. Emperor Dezong, when hearing this recommendation, sternly asked Dong, "Is it not Dou Can who asked you, Lord, to make this recommendation?" Dong did not dare to hide Dou's request from Emperor Dezong, and when Emperor Dezong subsequently asked further about Dou's faults, he reported them to Emperor Dezong. Soon, Dou was exiled, and Dong, in fear, requested to resign. In 793
793
Year 793 was a common year starting on Tuesday of the Julian calendar. The denomination 793 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 :* June 8 – Vikings sack the monastery...
, Dong was removed from his chancellor position and made the minister of rites (禮部尚書, Lǐbu Shangshu). He was soon made the official in charge of the eastern capital Luoyang
Luoyang
Luoyang is a prefecture-level city in western Henan province of Central China. It borders the provincial capital of Zhengzhou to the east, Pingdingshan to the southeast, Nanyang to the south, Sanmenxia to the west, Jiyuan to the north, and Jiaozuo to the northeast.Situated on the central plain of...
as well as the commander of the militias of the region.
In 796
796
Year 796 was a leap year starting on Friday of the Julian calendar. The denomination 796 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 :* December – Coenwulf becomes king of...
, Li Wanrong (李萬榮) the military governor of Xuanwu Circuit (宣武, headquartered in modern Kaifeng
Kaifeng
Kaifeng , known previously by several names , is a prefecture-level city in east-central Henan province, Central China. Nearly 5 million people live in the metropolitan area...
, Henan
Henan
Henan , is a province of the People's Republic of China, located in the central part of the country. Its one-character abbreviation is "豫" , named after Yuzhou , a Han Dynasty state that included parts of Henan...
) died. His son Li Nai (李迺) started a disturbance and tried to take over the circuit, but the eunuch monitor of the army, Ju Wenzhen (俱文珍) and the officer Deng Weigong (鄧惟恭) joined forces and arrested Li Nai. Emperor Dezong then named Dong the new military governor. Deng, believing that he should be allowed to take over the circuit, refused to send messengers to welcome Dong. As Dong travelled from Luoyang toward Xuanwu's capital Bian Prefecture, he went through Zheng Prefecture (鄭州, in modern Zhengzhou
Zhengzhou
Zhengzhou , is the capital and largest city of Henan province in north-central China. A prefecture-level city, it also serves as the political, economic, technological, and educational centre of the province, as well as a major transportation hub for Central China...
, Henan
Henan
Henan , is a province of the People's Republic of China, located in the central part of the country. Its one-character abbreviation is "豫" , named after Yuzhou , a Han Dynasty state that included parts of Henan...
). The people at Zheng Prefecture feared for Dong's safety and tried to persuade him to slow down and not proceed to Bian Prefecture. Dong refused, and continued to proceed, arriving at Bian Prefecture quickly. Deng, surprised by Dong's arrival and not knowing how to react, was forced to welcome Dong. Dong therefore took his position as military governor and entrusted much of the responsibilities of governing the army to Deng. At that time, the military governors of Xuanwu were accustomed to have a large corps of guards, and Dong dismissed them as he believed them to be unnecessary.
Meanwhile, Emperor Dezong, believing Dong to be too meek in his personality, sent Lu Changyuan (陸長源) to assist him as the commander of the army. It was said that Lu was harsh and wanted to impose rules of stricter discipline. Initially, Dong agreed, but after Lu drafted the rules, he set them aside, and the army was thus comforted. Despite this, though, Deng was fearful, and he gathered a group of some 200 soldiers, planning an uprising. The plot was discovered in winter 796, and Dong arrested Deng and delivered him to Chang'an. Emperor Dezong spared Deng's life but exiled him.
Dong died in spring 799
799
Year 799 was a common year starting on Tuesday of the Julian calendar. The denomination 799 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.- Religion :* 29 November – Pope Leo III, aided...
. He was given posthumous honors and given the posthumous name
Posthumous name
A posthumous name is an honorary name given to royalty, nobles, and sometimes others, in East Asia after the person's death, and is used almost exclusively instead of one's personal name or other official titles during his life...
of Gonghui (恭惠, meaning, "respectful and benevolent").