Dou Can
Encyclopedia
Dou Can (734
–793
), courtesy name Shizhong (時中), was an official of the Chinese
dynasty Tang Dynasty
, serving as a chancellor during the reign of Emperor Dezong
. He was known for being a capable judge before becoming chancellor, but was considered a partisan power monger as a chancellor, eventually drawing Emperor Dezong's ire and leading to his demotion and later forced suicide.
, during the reign of Emperor Xuanzong
. His ancestors were originally Xianbei
nobles of Northern Wei
with the clan name Gedouling (紇豆陵), and further claimed that they were descended from the Han Dynasty
official Dou Wu
and fled to Xianbei realms after Dou Wu was killed in 168
after a failed struggle with powerful eunuchs. Dou Can's Northern Wei ancestors, after assuming the surname of Dou during the change of Xianbei names to Han names
regime that Emperor Xiaowu of Northern Wei
instituted, were ancestors in the line to officials of Western Wei
and Sui Dynasty
, before the early Tang dynasty chancellor Dou Kang
, who was Dou Can's great-great-great-grandfather. Dou Can's grandfather Dou Jin (竇瑾) was not recorded with any official titles, but Dou Can's father Dou Shenyan (竇審言) served as a county magistrate.
. On one night, one of his colleagues was supposed to be on duty in watching the prisoners but asked Dou to fill in for him because his relative was ill. Dou agreed. That night, some prisoners escaped, and his superior, the mayor of Jingzhao Municipality (京兆, i.e., the Chang'an region) read the rotation schedule and saw that Dou's colleague was to be on duty. He was set to punish Dou's colleague, when Dou stated that it was he who watched the prisoners and should be held responsible. As a result, he was sent out of the capital to be the magistrate of Jiangxia County (江夏, in modern Wuhan
, Hubei
), but received praise for his honesty.
Eventually, he was promoted to be the sheriff of Fengxian County (奉先, near Chang'an). One of the residents of Fengxian, Cao Fen (曹芬), was nominally a soldier of the imperial guards, but was known for his violence. On one occasion, when Cao was drunk, he battered his sister; his father tried to stop the battering, but could not, and in distress committed suicide by jumping into a well. Dou arrested Cao and his brothers and sentenced them to death. His subordinates wanted to spare them because their father had just died, but Dou responded:
Dou then caned them to death, and this terrified the people of the county. He later became Dali Sizhi (大理司直), a judge at the supreme court (大理寺). On one occasion, he was sent to the Yangtze River
-Huai River
region to rule on cases in that region. When he arrived at Yang Prefecture (揚州, in modern Yangzhou
, Jiangsu
), the military governor of Huainan Circuit (淮南, headquartered at Yang Prefecture), Chen Shaoyou (陳少遊), who was arrogant, did not personally welcome him as per regulations but only sent subordinates to do so. Dou rebuked them and refused to meet them. Chen, in fear, apologized. It was further said that Dou served well on this mission. In particular, at that time, Deng Ting (鄧珽) the prefect of Wu Prefecture (婺州, in modern Jinhua
, Zhejiang
) was accused of receiving a large amount of bribes, and his assets were set to be seized to satisfy the penalty. Deng, however, was friendly with the chancellors at that time, and Dou's colleagues largely, wanting to ingratiate the chancellors, wanted to exempt Deng. Dou, however, stood firm and wanted to collect Deng's assets, and he was able to prevail. The next year, he became Jiancha Yushi (監察御史), an imperial censor. At that time, Ma Yi (馬彝), the secretary to the governor of Hunan Circuit (湖南, headquartered in modern Changsha, Hunan
), was falsely accused of crimes, because he had punished a subordinate for receiving bribes and in turn was accused by that subordinate's son. Dou was sent to judge Ma, and he was able to tell that Ma was innocent.
Dou later was promoted in his censor rank to Dianzhong Shi Yushi (殿中侍御史). He then successively served as Jinbu Yuanwailang (金部員外郎), a low-level official at the ministry of census (戶部, Hubu); Xingbu Langzhong (刑部郎中), a supervisorial low-level official at the ministry of justice (刑部, Xingbu); and Shiyushi (侍御史), a higher level censor. He was yet later promoted to be Yushi Zhongcheng (御史中丞), the deputy chief imperial censor. He was said to be stern in his rulings and unafraid of powerful men. As a result, he gained favor from Emperor Dezong
and was often summoned to give Emperor Dezong advice. He often disagreed with the chancellors' suggestions, and the chancellors tried to find fault in him, but could find nothing to damage him with. However, it was also said that, by this point, he was letting his own desires interfere with his enforcement of law. For example, when he was involved in setting salaries for the officials, he set the salary for the Yushi Sizhi higher than that of Yushi Cheng (御史丞, secretaries general), who were of the same rank, because he had been Sizhi before. Further, when he was setting regulations on the order of precedence the officials should have when meeting the emperor, he disliked Li Bian (李昪), a staff member of the crown prince
Li Song
with the title of Taizi Zhanshi (太子詹事), and therefore had Taizi Zhanshi listed after the deputy mayors of the special municipalities — even though Taizi Zhanshi carried a higher rank and traditionally was more honored. For this, he began to receive criticism.
Dou soon took on the additional office of deputy minister of census (戶部侍郎, Hubu Shilang). There was an occasion when a Chang'an farmer had a pig that had two heads. His subordinates believed that this to be a sign of fortune and wanted to report it to the emperor. Dou responded, "This is one monstrous pig. How can it be reported to the emperor?" He ordered that the pig be abandoned. In another incident, Chen Shaoyou's son Chen Zhengyi (陳正儀), after Chen Shaoyou's death, requested to be allowed to inherit Chen Shaoyou's title. Dou publicly wrote a statement and posted it on the front door of the executive bureau of government (尚書省, Shangshu Sheng):
Chen Zhengyi, in fear, left without further requesting to inherit the title. Around this time, the generals Meng Hua (孟華) and Li Jianyu (李建玉) were both falsely accused of crimes and set to be sentenced to death, and they could not show their innocence. Dou, however, was able to discern their innocence and obtain their releases. As a result, the popular sentiment at the time had great expectations for Dou.
, and Li repeatedly recommended both him and Dong Jin
, 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 Dou Zhongshu Shilang (中書侍郎), the deputy head of the legislative bureau (中書省, Zhongshu Sheng) as well as the director of financial affairs. 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. He often met Emperor Dezong alone, under the guise of discussing financial matters. It was said that generals and regional warlords all feared him, and in particular, Li Na
the military governor of Pinglu Circuit (平盧, headquartered in modern Tai'an
, Shandong
), sent him gifts, ostensibly to honor him, but instead intending to discredit him. Emperor Dezong's close associates also disliked Dou and often defamed him.
In fall 791
, Dou, as he disliked Emperor Dezong's trusted advisor, the imperial scholar Lu Zhi
, had Lu made the deputy minister of defense (兵部侍郎, Bingbu Shilang) — ostensibly a promotion, but instead a way to cause distance between Emperor Dezong and Lu. Meanwhile, Dou also disliked Wu Cou (吳湊) the governor of Fujian Circuit (福建, headquartered in modern Fuzhou
, Fujian
) — a maternal uncle of Emperor Dezong's father Emperor Daizong
. Even though Wu had good reputation as the governor of Fujian, Dou reported to Emperor Dezong that Wu had been stricken by arthritis
and rendered immobile. Emperor Dezong recalled Wu to Chang'an and had Wu walk before him. He saw that Wu was not immobile, and thereafter began to dislike Dou for his false reporting. He made Wu the governor Shanguo Circuit (陝虢, headquartered in modern Sanmenxia
, Henan
) to displace Dou's associate Li Yi (李翼).
Meanwhile, Emperor Dezong's original choice for the director of finances, Ban Hong (班宏), who was made Dou's deputy, had been promised by Dou that he would become director after Dou had served for one year, but after one year, Dou continued to hold onto the position with no intent to yield it, drawing Ban's anger. Only after Dou became aware of Emperor Dezong's displeasure with him did he yield the post to Ban, in spring 792
. Dou, however, chose Ban's deputy, Zhang Pang (張滂) to divide Ban's power.
Meanwhile, Dou's nephew Dou Shen (竇申), an imperial attendant, was very close to Dou Can, and Dou Can often discussed with him personnel movements before they were announced. Dou Shen thus often used this information to extract bribes from others by informing the subjects of promotions in advance — such that he gained the nickname of "Magpie
" (because the Chinese believed that magpies were foretellers of good fortune). Even Emperor Dezong heard of Dou Shen's reputation and suggested Dou Can to send Dou Shen out of the capital, but Dou Can guaranteed to Emperor Dezong that Dou Shen would not cause trouble. Dou Shen closely associated with his maternal uncle Li Zezhi (李則之) the Prince of Guo and the imperial scholar Wu Tongxuan (吳通玄), and all of them resented Lu Zhi. They therefore manufactured documents defaming Lu, to try to stop Emperor Dezong from trusting Lu. However, Emperor Dezong found out, and in summer 792 demoted Dou Shen, Li Zezhi, and Wu Tongxuan out of the capital, and soon ordered Wu to commit suicide. Soon thereafter, Emperor Dezong demoted Dou Can to be the secretary general of Chen Prefecture (郴州, in modern Chenzhou
, Hunan
). Lu Zhi and Zhao Jing
were named chancellors.
, the former chancellor Jiang Gongfu
, a former colleague of Lu Zhi's as an imperial scholar, met Lu to request his help in obtaining a promotion. Lu secretly responded:
In fear, Jiang offered to resign and asked to become a Taoist monk
. When Emperor Dezong inquired as to the reason and found out that he was fearful, he did not dare to state that Lu had told him this information, and instead claimed that Dou told him the information. Angry that his words had been leaked, Emperor Dezong demoted Jiang to be the secretary general of Quan Prefecture (泉州, in modern Quanzhou
, Fujian
), and sent imperial eunuch messengers to Dou, in exile, to rebuke him.
Meanwhile, Dou Can's superior, Li Sun (李巽) the governor of Hunan Circuit had been demoted when Dou was chancellor. In 793
, Li submitted a report about how Dou had received a gift in silk from Liu Shining (劉士寧) the military governor of Xuanwu Circuit (宣武, headquartered in modern Kaifeng
, Henan
) and accused Dou of improper association with governors. Emperor Dezong wanted to execute Dou; Lu Zhi opposed on the grounds that this offense was not a death offense. Emperor Dezong therefore demoted Dou to be the military advisor to the prefect of the distant Huan Prefecture (驩州, in modern Nghe An Province, Vietnam
). His son Dou Jingbo (竇景伯) was exiled to Quan Prefecture (泉州, in modern Quanzhou
, Fujian
), while his daughter Dou Zhenru (竇真如), who was a Buddhist nun, was made a servant at Chen Prefecture. His assets were seized. However, Emperor Dezong's eunuchs deeply hated Dou and continued to attack him. Eventually, even as Dou was on the way to Huan Prefecture, Emperor Dezong issued an edict ordering him to commit suicide.
734
Year 734 was a common year starting on Friday of the Julian calendar. The denomination 734 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 :* The Franks defeat the Frisians in the Battle...
–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...
), courtesy name Shizhong (時中), 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...
. He was known for being a capable judge before becoming chancellor, but was considered a partisan power monger as a chancellor, eventually drawing Emperor Dezong's ire and leading to his demotion and later forced suicide.
Background
Dou Can was born in 734734
Year 734 was a common year starting on Friday of the Julian calendar. The denomination 734 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 :* The Franks defeat the Frisians in the Battle...
, 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 ancestors were originally Xianbei
Xianbei
The Xianbei were a significant Mongolic nomadic people residing in Manchuria, Inner Mongolia and eastern Mongolia. The title “Khan” was first used among the Xianbei.-Origins:...
nobles of Northern Wei
Northern Wei
The Northern Wei Dynasty , also known as the Tuoba Wei , Later Wei , or Yuan Wei , was a dynasty which ruled northern China from 386 to 534 . It has been described as "part of an era of political turbulence and intense social and cultural change"...
with the clan name Gedouling (紇豆陵), and further claimed that they were descended 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...
official Dou Wu
Dou Wu
Dou Wu , courtesy name Youping , was a Han Dynasty politician who was known as a Confucian scholar and served as a low-level official during the reign of Emperor Huan until his daughter Dou Miao was elevated from imperial consort to empress, which caused him to be promoted, eventually to become...
and fled to Xianbei realms after Dou Wu was killed in 168
168
Year 168 was a leap year starting on Thursday of the Julian calendar. At the time, it was known as the Year of the Consulship of Apronianus and Paullus...
after a failed struggle with powerful eunuchs. Dou Can's Northern Wei ancestors, after assuming the surname of Dou during the change of Xianbei names to Han names
Change of Xianbei names to Han names
The Change of Xianbei family names to Han names was part of a larger sinicization campaign. It was at its peak intensity under Emperor Xiaowen of the Northern Wei dynasty in 496.-Background:...
regime that Emperor Xiaowu of Northern Wei
Emperor Xiaowu of Northern Wei
Emperor Xiaowu of Northern Wei , personal name Yuan Xiu , courtesy name Xiaoze , at times known as Emperor Chu , was an emperor of the Chinese/Xianbei dynasty Northern Wei...
instituted, were ancestors in the line to officials of Western Wei
Western Wei
The Western Wei Dynasty followed the disintegration of the Northern Wei, and ruled northern China from 535 to 556.After the Xianbei general Yuwen Tai killed the Northern Wei emperor Yuan Xiu, he installed Yuan Baoju as emperor of Western Wei while Yuwen Tai would remain as the virtual ruler...
and Sui Dynasty
Sui Dynasty
The Sui Dynasty was a powerful, but short-lived Imperial Chinese dynasty. Preceded by the Southern and Northern Dynasties, it ended nearly four centuries of division between rival regimes. It was followed by the Tang Dynasty....
, before the early Tang dynasty chancellor Dou Kang
Dou Kang
Dou Kang , courtesy name Daosheng , was an official and general during the Chinese dynasties Sui Dynasty and Tang Dynasty who briefly served as a chancellor early in the reign of Emperor Gaozu of Tang.- Background :...
, who was Dou Can's great-great-great-grandfather. Dou Can's grandfather Dou Jin (竇瑾) was not recorded with any official titles, but Dou Can's father Dou Shenyan (竇審言) served as a county magistrate.
Early career
Dou Can learned about laws and administrative regulations when he was young. It was said that he had a stern and decisive personality. Because of his heritage, he became an official in his young age, and eventually became the sheriff of Wannian County (萬年), one of the two counties making up the Tang capital Chang'anChang'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...
. On one night, one of his colleagues was supposed to be on duty in watching the prisoners but asked Dou to fill in for him because his relative was ill. Dou agreed. That night, some prisoners escaped, and his superior, the mayor of Jingzhao Municipality (京兆, i.e., the Chang'an region) read the rotation schedule and saw that Dou's colleague was to be on duty. He was set to punish Dou's colleague, when Dou stated that it was he who watched the prisoners and should be held responsible. As a result, he was sent out of the capital to be the magistrate of Jiangxia County (江夏, in modern Wuhan
Wuhan
Wuhan is the capital of Hubei province, People's Republic of China, and is the most populous city in Central China. It lies at the east of the Jianghan Plain, and the intersection of the middle reaches of the Yangtze and Han rivers...
, 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 received praise for his honesty.
Eventually, he was promoted to be the sheriff of Fengxian County (奉先, near Chang'an). One of the residents of Fengxian, Cao Fen (曹芬), was nominally a soldier of the imperial guards, but was known for his violence. On one occasion, when Cao was drunk, he battered his sister; his father tried to stop the battering, but could not, and in distress committed suicide by jumping into a well. Dou arrested Cao and his brothers and sentenced them to death. His subordinates wanted to spare them because their father had just died, but Dou responded:
Dou then caned them to death, and this terrified the people of the county. He later became Dali Sizhi (大理司直), a judge at the supreme court (大理寺). On one occasion, he was sent to the Yangtze River
Yangtze River
The Yangtze, Yangzi or Cháng Jiāng is the longest river in Asia, and the third-longest in the world. It flows for from the glaciers on the Tibetan Plateau in Qinghai eastward across southwest, central and eastern China before emptying into the East China Sea at Shanghai. It is also one of the...
-Huai River
Huai River
The Huai River is a major river in China. The Huai River is located about mid-way between the Yellow River and Yangtze River, the two largest rivers in China, and like them runs from west to east...
region to rule on cases in that region. When he arrived at Yang Prefecture (揚州, 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...
), the military governor of Huainan Circuit (淮南, headquartered at Yang Prefecture), Chen Shaoyou (陳少遊), who was arrogant, did not personally welcome him as per regulations but only sent subordinates to do so. Dou rebuked them and refused to meet them. Chen, in fear, apologized. It was further said that Dou served well on this mission. In particular, at that time, Deng Ting (鄧珽) the prefect of Wu Prefecture (婺州, in modern Jinhua
Jinhua
Jinhua is a prefecture-level city in central Zhejiang province of Eastern China. It borders the provincial capital of Hangzhou to the northwest, Quzhou to the southwest, Lishui to the south, Taizhou to the east, and Shaoxing to the northeast....
, Zhejiang
Zhejiang
Zhejiang is an eastern coastal province of the People's Republic of China. The word Zhejiang was the old name of the Qiantang River, which passes through Hangzhou, the provincial capital...
) was accused of receiving a large amount of bribes, and his assets were set to be seized to satisfy the penalty. Deng, however, was friendly with the chancellors at that time, and Dou's colleagues largely, wanting to ingratiate the chancellors, wanted to exempt Deng. Dou, however, stood firm and wanted to collect Deng's assets, and he was able to prevail. The next year, he became Jiancha Yushi (監察御史), an imperial censor. At that time, Ma Yi (馬彝), the secretary to the governor of Hunan Circuit (湖南, headquartered in modern Changsha, Hunan
Hunan
' is a province of South-Central China, located to the south of the middle reaches of the Yangtze River and south of Lake Dongting...
), was falsely accused of crimes, because he had punished a subordinate for receiving bribes and in turn was accused by that subordinate's son. Dou was sent to judge Ma, and he was able to tell that Ma was innocent.
Dou later was promoted in his censor rank to Dianzhong Shi Yushi (殿中侍御史). He then successively served as Jinbu Yuanwailang (金部員外郎), a low-level official at the ministry of census (戶部, Hubu); Xingbu Langzhong (刑部郎中), a supervisorial low-level official at the ministry of justice (刑部, Xingbu); and Shiyushi (侍御史), a higher level censor. He was yet later promoted to be Yushi Zhongcheng (御史中丞), the deputy chief imperial censor. He was said to be stern in his rulings and unafraid of powerful men. As a result, he gained favor from 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...
and was often summoned to give Emperor Dezong advice. He often disagreed with the chancellors' suggestions, and the chancellors tried to find fault in him, but could find nothing to damage him with. However, it was also said that, by this point, he was letting his own desires interfere with his enforcement of law. For example, when he was involved in setting salaries for the officials, he set the salary for the Yushi Sizhi higher than that of Yushi Cheng (御史丞, secretaries general), who were of the same rank, because he had been Sizhi before. Further, when he was setting regulations on the order of precedence the officials should have when meeting the emperor, he disliked Li Bian (李昪), a staff member of the crown prince
Crown Prince
A crown prince or crown princess is the heir or heiress apparent to the throne in a royal or imperial monarchy. The wife of a crown prince is also titled crown princess....
Li Song
Emperor Shunzong of Tang
Emperor Shunzong of Tang , personal name Li Song , was an emperor of the Chinese Tang Dynasty. He was created crown prince in 779 and became emperor in 805 after the death of his father Emperor Dezong, of whom he was the oldest son...
with the title of Taizi Zhanshi (太子詹事), and therefore had Taizi Zhanshi listed after the deputy mayors of the special municipalities — even though Taizi Zhanshi carried a higher rank and traditionally was more honored. For this, he began to receive criticism.
Dou soon took on the additional office of deputy minister of census (戶部侍郎, Hubu Shilang). There was an occasion when a Chang'an farmer had a pig that had two heads. His subordinates believed that this to be a sign of fortune and wanted to report it to the emperor. Dou responded, "This is one monstrous pig. How can it be reported to the emperor?" He ordered that the pig be abandoned. In another incident, Chen Shaoyou's son Chen Zhengyi (陳正儀), after Chen Shaoyou's death, requested to be allowed to inherit Chen Shaoyou's title. Dou publicly wrote a statement and posted it on the front door of the executive bureau of government (尚書省, Shangshu Sheng):
Chen Zhengyi, in fear, left without further requesting to inherit the title. Around this time, the generals Meng Hua (孟華) and Li Jianyu (李建玉) were both falsely accused of crimes and set to be sentenced to death, and they could not show their innocence. Dou, however, was able to discern their innocence and obtain their releases. As a result, the popular sentiment at the time had great expectations for Dou.
Chancellorship
Meanwhile, though, Dou Can drew the attention of the chancellor Li MiLi Mi (chancellor)
Li Mi , courtesy name Changyuan , formally the Marquess of Ye County , was an official of the Chinese dynasty Tang Dynasty...
, and Li repeatedly recommended both him and Dong Jin
Dong Jin
Dong Jin , courtesy name Huncheng , was an official and general of the Chinese dynasty Tang Dynasty, serving as a chancellor during the reign of Emperor Dezong.- Background :...
, 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 Dou Zhongshu Shilang (中書侍郎), the deputy head of the legislative bureau (中書省, Zhongshu Sheng) as well as the director of financial affairs. 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. He often met Emperor Dezong alone, under the guise of discussing financial matters. It was said that generals and regional warlords all feared him, and in particular, Li Na
Li Na (Tang Dynasty)
Li Na , formally the Prince of Longxi , was a general of the Chinese Tang Dynasty. Inheriting the post from his father Li Zhengji, he served as the military governor of Pinglu Circuit semi-independently from the imperial government.- Background :Li Na was born in 758, during the reign of...
the military governor of Pinglu Circuit (平盧, headquartered in modern Tai'an
Tai'an
Tai'an is a prefecture-level city in western Shandong province, People's Republic of China.Centered around Mount Tai, the city borders the provincial capital of Jinan to the north, Laiwu to the northeast, Zibo to the east, Linyi to the southeast, Liaocheng to the extreme west and Jining to the south...
, 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...
), sent him gifts, ostensibly to honor him, but instead intending to discredit him. Emperor Dezong's close associates also disliked Dou and often defamed him.
In fall 791
791
Year 791 was a common year starting on Saturday of the Julian calendar. The denomination 791 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 :* The Avars invade Europe again, but are...
, Dou, as he disliked Emperor Dezong's trusted advisor, the imperial scholar Lu Zhi
Lu Zhi (Tang Dynasty)
Lu Zhi , courtesy name Jingyu , was an official of the Chinese Tang Dynasty, serving as a chancellor during the reign of Emperor Dezong. Even before he became chancellor, he became a trusted advisor to Emperor Dezong, who greatly valued his opinion...
, had Lu made the deputy minister of defense (兵部侍郎, Bingbu Shilang) — ostensibly a promotion, but instead a way to cause distance between Emperor Dezong and Lu. Meanwhile, Dou also disliked Wu Cou (吳湊) the governor of Fujian Circuit (福建, headquartered in modern Fuzhou
Fuzhou
Fuzhou is the capital and one of the largest cities in Fujian Province, People's Republic of China. Along with the many counties of Ningde, those of Fuzhou are considered to constitute the Mindong linguistic and cultural area....
, Fujian
Fujian
' , formerly romanised as Fukien or Huguing or Foukien, is a province on the southeast coast of mainland China. Fujian is bordered by Zhejiang to the north, Jiangxi to the west, and Guangdong to the south. Taiwan lies to the east, across the Taiwan Strait...
) — a maternal uncle of Emperor Dezong's father 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....
. Even though Wu had good reputation as the governor of Fujian, Dou reported to Emperor Dezong that Wu had been stricken by arthritis
Arthritis
Arthritis is a form of joint disorder that involves inflammation of one or more joints....
and rendered immobile. Emperor Dezong recalled Wu to Chang'an and had Wu walk before him. He saw that Wu was not immobile, and thereafter began to dislike Dou for his false reporting. He made Wu the governor Shanguo Circuit (陝虢, headquartered in modern Sanmenxia
Sanmenxia
-Administration:The prefecture-level city of Sanmenxia administers one district, two county-level cities and three counties.*Hubin District*Lingbao City*Yima City*Lushi County*Shan County*Mianchi County*Sanmenxia Development Zone...
, 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...
) to displace Dou's associate Li Yi (李翼).
Meanwhile, Emperor Dezong's original choice for the director of finances, Ban Hong (班宏), who was made Dou's deputy, had been promised by Dou that he would become director after Dou had served for one year, but after one year, Dou continued to hold onto the position with no intent to yield it, drawing Ban's anger. Only after Dou became aware of Emperor Dezong's displeasure with him did he yield the post to Ban, in spring 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, however, chose Ban's deputy, Zhang Pang (張滂) to divide Ban's power.
Meanwhile, Dou's nephew Dou Shen (竇申), an imperial attendant, was very close to Dou Can, and Dou Can often discussed with him personnel movements before they were announced. Dou Shen thus often used this information to extract bribes from others by informing the subjects of promotions in advance — such that he gained the nickname of "Magpie
Magpie
Magpies are passerine birds of the crow family, Corvidae.In Europe, "magpie" is often used by English speakers as a synonym for the European Magpie, as there are no other magpies in Europe outside Iberia...
" (because the Chinese believed that magpies were foretellers of good fortune). Even Emperor Dezong heard of Dou Shen's reputation and suggested Dou Can to send Dou Shen out of the capital, but Dou Can guaranteed to Emperor Dezong that Dou Shen would not cause trouble. Dou Shen closely associated with his maternal uncle Li Zezhi (李則之) the Prince of Guo and the imperial scholar Wu Tongxuan (吳通玄), and all of them resented Lu Zhi. They therefore manufactured documents defaming Lu, to try to stop Emperor Dezong from trusting Lu. However, Emperor Dezong found out, and in summer 792 demoted Dou Shen, Li Zezhi, and Wu Tongxuan out of the capital, and soon ordered Wu to commit suicide. Soon thereafter, Emperor Dezong demoted Dou Can to be the secretary general of Chen Prefecture (郴州, in modern Chenzhou
Chenzhou
Chenzhou is a city located in the southern area of Hunan province, People's Republic of China. Its administrative area covers , 9.2% of the provincial area, and its total population reached 4,559,600 as of 2001, 26% of them living in urban areas, 74% of them live in rural areas.-History:Chenzhou...
, Hunan
Hunan
' is a province of South-Central China, located to the south of the middle reaches of the Yangtze River and south of Lake Dongting...
). Lu Zhi and Zhao Jing
Zhao Jing (Tang Dynasty)
Zhao Jing , courtesy name Tuiweng , was an official of the Chinese dynasty Tang Dynasty, serving as a chancellor during the reign of Emperor Dezong.- Background :...
were named chancellors.
After chancellorship and death
In 792792
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...
, the former chancellor Jiang Gongfu
Jiang Gongfu
Jiang Gongfu was an official of the Chinese Tang Dynasty who served as a chancellor during the reign of Emperor Dezong.-Background and early career:...
, a former colleague of Lu Zhi's as an imperial scholar, met Lu to request his help in obtaining a promotion. Lu secretly responded:
In fear, Jiang offered to resign and asked to become a Taoist monk
Monk
A monk is a person who practices religious asceticism, living either alone or with any number of monks, while always maintaining some degree of physical separation from those not sharing the same purpose...
. When Emperor Dezong inquired as to the reason and found out that he was fearful, he did not dare to state that Lu had told him this information, and instead claimed that Dou told him the information. Angry that his words had been leaked, Emperor Dezong demoted Jiang to be the secretary general of Quan Prefecture (泉州, in modern Quanzhou
Quanzhou
Quanzhou is a prefecture-level city in Fujian province, People's Republic of China. It borders all other prefecture-level cities in Fujian but two and faces the Taiwan Strait...
, Fujian
Fujian
' , formerly romanised as Fukien or Huguing or Foukien, is a province on the southeast coast of mainland China. Fujian is bordered by Zhejiang to the north, Jiangxi to the west, and Guangdong to the south. Taiwan lies to the east, across the Taiwan Strait...
), and sent imperial eunuch messengers to Dou, in exile, to rebuke him.
Meanwhile, Dou Can's superior, Li Sun (李巽) the governor of Hunan Circuit had been demoted when Dou was chancellor. 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...
, Li submitted a report about how Dou had received a gift in silk from Liu Shining (劉士寧) 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...
) and accused Dou of improper association with governors. Emperor Dezong wanted to execute Dou; Lu Zhi opposed on the grounds that this offense was not a death offense. Emperor Dezong therefore demoted Dou to be the military advisor to the prefect of the distant Huan Prefecture (驩州, in modern Nghe An Province, Vietnam
Vietnam
Vietnam – sometimes spelled Viet Nam , officially the Socialist Republic of Vietnam – is the easternmost country on the Indochina Peninsula in Southeast Asia. It is bordered by China to the north, Laos to the northwest, Cambodia to the southwest, and the South China Sea –...
). His son Dou Jingbo (竇景伯) was exiled to Quan Prefecture (泉州, in modern Quanzhou
Quanzhou
Quanzhou is a prefecture-level city in Fujian province, People's Republic of China. It borders all other prefecture-level cities in Fujian but two and faces the Taiwan Strait...
, Fujian
Fujian
' , formerly romanised as Fukien or Huguing or Foukien, is a province on the southeast coast of mainland China. Fujian is bordered by Zhejiang to the north, Jiangxi to the west, and Guangdong to the south. Taiwan lies to the east, across the Taiwan Strait...
), while his daughter Dou Zhenru (竇真如), who was a Buddhist nun, was made a servant at Chen Prefecture. His assets were seized. However, Emperor Dezong's eunuchs deeply hated Dou and continued to attack him. Eventually, even as Dou was on the way to Huan Prefecture, Emperor Dezong issued an edict ordering him to commit suicide.