Liu Yan (Tang Dynasty)
Encyclopedia
Liu Yan (715?/716? – August 12, 780), courtesy name Shi'an (士安), was an official of the Chinese
dynasty Tang Dynasty
who served briefly as chancellor during the reign of Emperor Daizong
— but who was more known for his reforms in the Tang salt monopoly and food transportation systems, credited with allowing the Tang economy to recover after the disastrous Anshi Rebellion. In 780, during the reign of Emperor Daizong's son Emperor Dezong
, after the chancellor Yang Yan
made a series of false accusations against him, he was first demoted and then executed.
, Shandong
), and traced its ancestry to Liu Jiao (劉交), a younger brother of Han Dynasty
's founder Emperor Gao. His great-great-grandfather Liu Jin (劉晉) served as a county magistrate during Tang Dynasty
's predecessor Sui Dynasty
, and his great-grandfather Liu Yu (劉郁) served as an imperial scholar early in Tang. His grandfather Liu Gong (劉功) served as a county magistrate, while his father Liu Zhihui (劉知晦) served as a county secretary general.
offered sacrifices at Mount Tai
in 725, Liu Yan, then a child, wrote a song and submitted it to Emperor Xuanzong. Emperor Xuanzong was amazed, and he had his chancellor Zhang Shuo test Liu's knowledge. Zhang was also impressed and stated, "This is a sign of fortune for the empire." He made Liu a scribe in the imperial government, at his young age, and Liu became referred to as the "godly child." The honored men all rushed to invite him to their households.
During Emperor Xuanzong's Tianbao era (742-756), Liu became the magistrate of Xia County (夏縣, in modern Yuncheng, Shanxi). Xia County was a key point for transportation of supplies to the Tang capital Chang'an
, and it was said that while Liu did not supervise the transportation of supplies through his county in a harsh manner, the supplies were nevertheless always on time. After receiving a recommendation, he was then made the magistrate of Wen County (溫縣, in modern Jiaozuo
, Henan
). It was said that the people were happy about his governance and made monuments for him. He was later recalled to Chang'an to serve as Shiyushi (侍御史), a low-level imperial censor.
rebelled at Fanyang
and by 756, the forces of his new state of Yan were approaching Chang'an, forcing Emperor Xuanzong to flee to Chengdu
. Liu Yan fled to Xiangyang. Emperor Xuanzong's son and crown prince
Li Heng
fled to Lingwu instead, where he was declared emperor (as Emperor Suzong), an act that Emperor Xuanzong recognized. Emperor Xuanzong, however, prior to Emperor Suzong's declaration as emperor, had sent another son, Li Lin
the Prince of Yong, to Jianling to oversee the Yangtze River
region. When Li Lin arrived at Jiangling, he heard that Liu was at Xiangfan and invited him to serve on his staff. Liu declined, however, and wrote a letter to the chancellor Fang Guan
, pointing out that at this point, having imperial princes with great powers would simply bring trouble. Emperor Suzong then issued an edict making Liu the tax collector for the Yangtze-Huai River
region. When Liu reached Wu Commandery (吳郡, roughly modern Suzhou
, Jiangsu
), he heard that Li Lin had rebelled against Emperor Suzong, and therefore met with the surveyor of the region, Li Xiyan (李希言), to confer on how to resist Li Lin. Li Xiyan put Liu in defense of Yuhang Commandery (餘杭, roughly modern Hangzhou
, Zhejiang
). After Li Xiyan was defeated by Li Lin late in 756, he fled to Yuhang and defended it together with Liu. In 757, after Li Lin was defeated by other Tang generals, he initially considered attacking Yuhang, but after hearing that Liu was defending it, he changed his mind and fled west. (He was eventually captured and killed by another Tang general, Huangfu Shen (皇甫侁).) Liu, however, did not claim credit for the victory. At a later point, Emperor Suzong recalled him to serve as the governor of Pengyuan Commandery (彭原, roughly modern Qingyang
, Gansu
). He later served as the prefect of Hua Prefecture (華州, in modern Weinan
, Shaanxi
), and then the mayor of Henan Municipality (河南), which encompassed the eastern capital Luoyang
. However, as at that time Tang forces were still stalemated against the Yan emperor by that point, Shi Chaoyi
(the son of An Lushan's general Shi Siming
), and Luoyang was still in Yan hands, Liu's government seat was actually at Changshui (長水, near Luoyang).
By 760, Liu Yan was serving as the mayor of Jingzhao Municipality (京兆), which encompassed Chang'an, when he, because he was believed to be capable in financial matters, was also made the deputy minister of census (戶部侍郎, Hubu Shilang), as well as the special director in charge of finance, minting, and salt and iron monopolies. It was said that in these positions, Liu was not harsh but had a good grasp of the big picture, and that he served well.
In 761, the official Yan Zhuang (嚴莊), who had previously served An but later submitted to Tang, was accused of having secret communications with Shi Chaoyi. After Yan was arrested, Liu sent soldiers to guard Yan's mansion, ready to seize it if Yan were found guilty. Yan, however, was soon exonerated, and became resentful of Liu. Yan therefore accused Liu of leaking contents of secret conversations that he had with Emperor Suzong. As a result of these counteraccusations, and also because the chancellor Xiao Hua
was jealous of Liu's talents, both Liu and Yan were demoted — in Liu's case, to be the prefect of Tong Prefecture (通州, in modern Dazhou). His financial responsibilities were transferred to Yuan Zai
.
. Emperor Daizong recalled Liu Yan to Chang'an to again serve in three posts — deputy minister of census, mayor of Jingzhao Municipality, and special director in charge of finance, minting, salt and iron monopolies, and food shipments. Liu declined the posts of deputy minister of census and mayor of Jingzhao, yielding them to Yan Zhenqing
and Yan Wu (嚴武) respectively. In 763, while still serving as special director of the various economy-related matters, he was also made the minister of civil service affairs (吏部尚書, Libu Shangshu) and given the designation Tong Zhongshu Menxia Pingzhangshi (同中書門下平章事), making him a chancellor de facto. In 674, however, he was accused of having close association with the eunuch Cheng Yuanzhen
— who had been exceedingly powerful but who had been removed in 763 after he was blamed for not warning Emperor Daizong about a Tufan invasion — and he, along with a colleague who had been hated by other eunuchs for his role in Cheng's downfall, Li Xian
, were removed from their chancellor posts, with Liu being made a member of the staff of Li Kuo
the Crown Prince.
However, later in the year, Liu was put in charge of the affairs of food shipments, taxation, salt and iron monopolies, and food management for the regions of Luoyang, Huai River, and Yangtze River. At that time, the Chang'an region was suffering from a food shortage, after years of warfare. Food supplies coming from the Yangtze region, which had been traveling through Bian River — a canal that connected the Huai River and Yellow River
— prior to the Anshi Rebellion, had been unable to travel through it since it had been silted through the years. Instead, the shipments had to travel on the Yangtze River and Han River
to Liang Prefecture (梁州, in modern Hanzhong
, Shaanxi
), and then over the Qinling Mountains
to Chang'an — a much more treacherous and costly route. Liu, hoping to restore the Bian River-Yellow River route, personally travelled through the former route to examine it. He then wrote a detailed report to Yuan Zai, who had become a powerful chancellor by that point, explaining the benefits of the Bian River route. With Yuan's support, he began the project to clear Bian River of silt. Upon the completion of the project, the food supplies for the Chang'an regions became plentiful, even during times of poor harvest. Emperor Daizong, complimenting him, stated, "You, lord, are my Marquess of Zuan" — comparing him to the great Han Dynasty prime minister Xiao He
. By 766, Liu was serving as the minister of census (戶部尚書, Hubu Shangshu), and that year, the financial matters of the state were divided in halves — with him in charge of the eastern half of the empire, and his deputy Diwu Qi
in charge of the western half.
By 777, Yuan and his chancellor colleague Wang Jin
, both of whom had become entrenched in their positions and become extremely corrupt, finally wore out Emperor Daizong's patience, and Emperor Daizong had them arrested. He ordered Liu to interrogate them, but Liu, not daring to carry this task out along, proposed that five officials, including himself and the chief imperial censor Li Han (李涵), be appointed. Subsequently, Yuan was executed, but at Liu's suggestion that Wang was less culpable than Yuan, Wang's life was spared, although he was demoted to be a prefectural prefect. Subsequently, Chang Gun
replaced Yuan, and Chang, jealous of Liu, suggested to Emperor Daizong that Liu, given his contributions, should be made Pushe (僕射) — one of the heads of the executive bureau of government (尚書省, Shangshu Sheng); Chang did so with the intent that Liu be stripped of his financial responsibilities. Emperor Daizong made Liu Pushe, but continued to have him be in charge of the financial affairs.
It was said that during the years that Liu was in charge of financial affairs, he carefully selected the officials in charge of financial matters in each region, choosing those who were young, energetic, and talented. Many times, powerful individuals would make recommendations; Liu would take the people that they recommended and put them in honored posts with salaries, but not give them actual responsibilities. It was said that those officials that Liu commissioned were faithful to their tasks and Liu's instructions, even if they were thousands of miles away from the capital.
was in charge of the financial matters of the western half of the empire (Diwu Qi having been removed from that post in 770). Emperor Dezong, hearing that Han was harsh and excessive, removed Han from his post and gave the responsibilities for the financial matters of the entire empire to Liu Yan. It was said that he improved the salt monopoly system that Diwu had instituted and increased the earnings tenfold, without any additional impositions on the people.
However, Liu was soon in a precarious position. Yang Yan
, a protege of Yuan's, had become the most powerful chancellor and was well-trusted by Emperor Dezong. Yang had previously served under Liu as deputy minister of civil service affairs, and they did not get along with each other; further, Yang blamed Liu for Yuan's death. At that time, there were rumors that Liu had, during Emperor Daizong's reign, suggested to him that he create his favorite concubine, Consort Dugu
, empress. (As Consort Dugu was not Emperor Dezong's mother and had her own son, Li Jiong (李迥) the Prince of Han, it was believed that such a move would have potentially endangered Emperor Dezong's position.) Further, many people had been jealous of Liu's long hold on financial matters. Yang, wanting to avenge Yuan, thus took this opportunity to accuse Liu of having endangered Emperor Dezong's position, along with the official Li Gan (黎幹) and the eunuch Liu Zhongyi (劉忠翼) — both of whom had been executed in 779 under the same accusations of having supported Consort Dugu. Yang's chancellor colleague Cui Youfu
opposed further investigation of Liu Yan, but still, in spring 780, at Yang's suggestion, Liu Yan was stripped of his special director status, and the financial responsibilities were returned to the bureaus under the ministry of census, which had previously been responsible for such matters. Subsequently, Emperor Dezong demoted Liu to be the prefect of Zhong Prefecture (忠州, in modern Chongqing
).
In fall 780, at Yang's inducement, Liu's superior Yu Zhun (庾準) submitted an accusation that Liu had written a letter to the general Zhu Ci
, asking for Zhu's help, and that in the letter to Zhu he wrote many complaints about Emperor Dezong. Yu further accused Liu of having requested additional soldiers for his prefecture with the intent to start a rebellion. Yang urged Emperor Dezong to execute Liu. Emperor Dezong agreed, and he sent eunuchs to Zhong Prefecture to secretly strangle Liu to death, before issuing an edict publicly ordering Liu to commit suicide. It was said that the entire empire mourned Liu's death and believed him to be innocent. His family was exiled to the Lingnan
region, and his assets were confiscated. (When his assets were booked in order to be confiscated, it was discovered that Liu had been so honest that as an official that he lacked any real wealth, and those who saw this were further impressed by him.) The warlord Li Zhengji
, who had been looking for excuses to complain about imperial governance, submitted a petition stating that Liu had been innocently killed and requested that his family be allowed to return to Chang'an — a petition that Emperor Dezong ignored. Nevertheless, because Liu had been careful at selecting officials, particularly those with financial talents, it was said that for decades following his death, the officials in charge of financial affairs were mostly Liu's old subordinates.
In 784, Emperor Dezong, beginning to believe that Liu was in fact innocent, allowed him to be reburied in his home prefecture. In 789, he further made Liu's sons Liu Zhijing (劉執經) and Liu Zongjing (劉宗經) officials. When Liu Zhijing offered to yield his posts in exchange for Liu Yan to be posthumously honored, Emperor Dezong posthumously honored Liu Yan Situ (司徒, one of the Three Excellencies
).
Liu Xu, the lead editor of the Book of Tang
, commented thus about Liu Yan:
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...
who served briefly as chancellor during the reign of 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....
— but who was more known for his reforms in the Tang salt monopoly and food transportation systems, credited with allowing the Tang economy to recover after the disastrous Anshi Rebellion. In 780, during the reign of Emperor Daizong's 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...
, after the chancellor Yang Yan
Yang Yan
Yang Yan , courtesy name Gongnan , was an official of the Chinese dynasty Tang Dynasty, serving as a chancellor early in the reign of Emperor Dezong. He was credited with reforming the tax system to reduce burdens on the peasants and to bring merchants into the rank of taxpayers, but was blamed...
made a series of false accusations against him, he was first demoted and then executed.
Background
Liu Yan was born in 715 or 716. His family was from Cao Prefecture (曹州, in modern HezeHeze
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...
), and traced its ancestry to Liu Jiao (劉交), a younger brother of 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...
's founder Emperor Gao. His great-great-grandfather Liu Jin (劉晉) served as a county magistrate during 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...
's predecessor 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....
, and his great-grandfather Liu Yu (劉郁) served as an imperial scholar early in Tang. His grandfather Liu Gong (劉功) served as a county magistrate, while his father Liu Zhihui (劉知晦) served as a county secretary general.
During Emperor Xuanzong's reign
When Emperor XuanzongEmperor 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...
offered sacrifices at Mount Tai
Mount Tai
Mount Tai is a mountain of historical and cultural significance located north of the city of Tai'an, in Shandong province, People's Republic of China. The tallest peak is the Jade Emperor Peak , which is commonly reported as tall, but is described by the PRC government as .Mount Tai is one of the...
in 725, Liu Yan, then a child, wrote a song and submitted it to Emperor Xuanzong. Emperor Xuanzong was amazed, and he had his chancellor Zhang Shuo test Liu's knowledge. Zhang was also impressed and stated, "This is a sign of fortune for the empire." He made Liu a scribe in the imperial government, at his young age, and Liu became referred to as the "godly child." The honored men all rushed to invite him to their households.
During Emperor Xuanzong's Tianbao era (742-756), Liu became the magistrate of Xia County (夏縣, in modern Yuncheng, Shanxi). Xia County was a key point for transportation of supplies to the Tang 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...
, and it was said that while Liu did not supervise the transportation of supplies through his county in a harsh manner, the supplies were nevertheless always on time. After receiving a recommendation, he was then made the magistrate of Wen County (溫縣, in modern Jiaozuo
Jiaozuo
Jiaozuo is a prefecture-level city in northern Henan province, People's Republic of China. Sitting on the northern bank of the Yellow River, it borders the provincial capital of Zhengzhou to the south, Xinxiang to the east, Jiyuan to the west, Luoyang to the southwest, and the province of Shanxi...
, 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...
). It was said that the people were happy about his governance and made monuments for him. He was later recalled to Chang'an to serve as Shiyushi (侍御史), a low-level imperial censor.
During Emperor Suzong's reign
In 755, the general An LushanAn Lushan
An Lushan was a general who rebelled against the Tang Dynasty in China.His name was also transcribed into Chinese as Āluòshān or Gáluòshān ,...
rebelled at Fanyang
Fanyang
Yanjing for administrative purposes was an ancient city and capital of the State of Yan in northern China. It was located in modern Beijing.- History :...
and by 756, the forces of his new state of Yan were approaching Chang'an, forcing Emperor Xuanzong to flee to Chengdu
Chengdu
Chengdu , formerly transliterated Chengtu, is the capital of Sichuan province in Southwest China. It holds sub-provincial administrative status...
. Liu Yan fled to Xiangyang. Emperor Xuanzong's son and 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 Heng
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...
fled to Lingwu instead, where he was declared emperor (as Emperor Suzong), an act that Emperor Xuanzong recognized. Emperor Xuanzong, however, prior to Emperor Suzong's declaration as emperor, had sent another son, Li Lin
Li Lin (prince)
Li Lin , né Li Ze , formally the Prince of Yong , was an imperial prince of the Chinese dynasty Tang Dynasty...
the Prince of Yong, to Jianling to oversee 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...
region. When Li Lin arrived at Jiangling, he heard that Liu was at Xiangfan and invited him to serve on his staff. Liu declined, however, and wrote a letter to the chancellor Fang Guan
Fang Guan
Fang Guan , courtesy name Cilü , formally the Duke of Qinghe , was an official of the Chinese dynasty Tang Dynasty, serving as a chancellor during the reigns of Emperor Xuanzong and Emperor Suzong....
, pointing out that at this point, having imperial princes with great powers would simply bring trouble. Emperor Suzong then issued an edict making Liu the tax collector for the Yangtze-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. When Liu reached Wu Commandery (吳郡, roughly 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 heard that Li Lin had rebelled against Emperor Suzong, and therefore met with the surveyor of the region, Li Xiyan (李希言), to confer on how to resist Li Lin. Li Xiyan put Liu in defense of Yuhang Commandery (餘杭, roughly modern Hangzhou
Hangzhou
Hangzhou , formerly transliterated as Hangchow, is the capital and largest city of Zhejiang Province in Eastern China. Governed as a sub-provincial city, and as of 2010, its entire administrative division or prefecture had a registered population of 8.7 million people...
, 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...
). After Li Xiyan was defeated by Li Lin late in 756, he fled to Yuhang and defended it together with Liu. In 757, after Li Lin was defeated by other Tang generals, he initially considered attacking Yuhang, but after hearing that Liu was defending it, he changed his mind and fled west. (He was eventually captured and killed by another Tang general, Huangfu Shen (皇甫侁).) Liu, however, did not claim credit for the victory. At a later point, Emperor Suzong recalled him to serve as the governor of Pengyuan Commandery (彭原, roughly 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...
). He later served as 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...
), and then the mayor of Henan Municipality (河南), which encompassed 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...
. However, as at that time Tang forces were still stalemated against the Yan emperor by that point, Shi Chaoyi
Shi Chaoyi
Shi Chaoyi was the final emperor of the Yan state that was established in rebellion against the Chinese Tang Dynasty. He was the oldest son of Shi Siming, and he overthrew and then killed his father in a coup in 761 and took over as emperor...
(the son of An Lushan's general Shi Siming
Shi Siming
Shi Siming , or Shi Sugan , was a general of the Chinese Tang Dynasty who followed his childhood friend An Lushan in rebelling against Tang, and who later succeeded An Lushan's son An Qingxu as emperor of the Yan state that An Lushan established.-Background:It is not known when Shi Sugan was born,...
), and Luoyang was still in Yan hands, Liu's government seat was actually at Changshui (長水, near Luoyang).
By 760, Liu Yan was serving as the mayor of Jingzhao Municipality (京兆), which encompassed Chang'an, when he, because he was believed to be capable in financial matters, was also made the deputy minister of census (戶部侍郎, Hubu Shilang), as well as the special director in charge of finance, minting, and salt and iron monopolies. It was said that in these positions, Liu was not harsh but had a good grasp of the big picture, and that he served well.
In 761, the official Yan Zhuang (嚴莊), who had previously served An but later submitted to Tang, was accused of having secret communications with Shi Chaoyi. After Yan was arrested, Liu sent soldiers to guard Yan's mansion, ready to seize it if Yan were found guilty. Yan, however, was soon exonerated, and became resentful of Liu. Yan therefore accused Liu of leaking contents of secret conversations that he had with Emperor Suzong. As a result of these counteraccusations, and also because the chancellor Xiao Hua
Xiao Hua
Xiao Hua , formally the Duke of Xu , was an official of the Chinese dynasty Tang Dynasty, serving as a chancellor during the reign of Emperor Suzong.- Background :It is not known when Xiao Hua was born...
was jealous of Liu's talents, both Liu and Yan were demoted — in Liu's case, to be the prefect of Tong Prefecture (通州, in modern Dazhou). His financial responsibilities were transferred to Yuan Zai
Yuan Zai
Yuan Zai , courtesy name Gongfu , formally Viscount Huang of Xuchang and then Viscount Chengzong of Xuchang , was an official of the Chinese Tang Dynasty, serving as a chancellor during the reigns of Emperor Suzong and Emperor Daizong, becoming particularly powerful during the middle of Emperor...
.
During Emperor Daizong's reign
Emperor Suzong died in 762 and was succeeded by his son Emperor DaizongEmperor Daizong of Tang
Emperor Daizong of Tang , personal name Li Yu , né Li Chu , was an emperor of the Chinese Tang Dynasty....
. Emperor Daizong recalled Liu Yan to Chang'an to again serve in three posts — deputy minister of census, mayor of Jingzhao Municipality, and special director in charge of finance, minting, salt and iron monopolies, and food shipments. Liu declined the posts of deputy minister of census and mayor of Jingzhao, yielding them to Yan Zhenqing
Yan Zhenqing
Yan Zhenqing was a leading Chinese calligrapher and a loyal governor of the Tang Dynasty. His artistic accomplishment in Chinese calligraphy parallels the greatest master calligraphers throughout the history, and his regular script style, Yan, is often imitated.-Early life:Yan Zhenqing was born...
and Yan Wu (嚴武) respectively. In 763, while still serving as special director of the various economy-related matters, he was also made the minister of civil service affairs (吏部尚書, Libu Shangshu) and given the designation Tong Zhongshu Menxia Pingzhangshi (同中書門下平章事), making him a chancellor de facto. In 674, however, he was accused of having close association with the eunuch Cheng Yuanzhen
Cheng Yuanzhen
Cheng Yuanzhen was a eunuch official of the Chinese dynasty Tang Dynasty. He was exceedingly powerful early in the reign of Emperor Daizong and was said to, in his attempts to consolidate his power, have killed or demoted a number of key generals and officials on his own whim, and thus drew the...
— who had been exceedingly powerful but who had been removed in 763 after he was blamed for not warning Emperor Daizong about a Tufan invasion — and he, along with a colleague who had been hated by other eunuchs for his role in Cheng's downfall, Li Xian
Li Xian (chancellor)
Li Xian , formally the Duke of Liang , was an official of the Chinese dynasty Tang Dynasty, serving as a chancellor during the reigns of Emperor Suzong and Emperor Daizong...
, were removed from their chancellor posts, with Liu being made a member of the staff of Li Kuo
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...
the Crown Prince.
However, later in the year, Liu was put in charge of the affairs of food shipments, taxation, salt and iron monopolies, and food management for the regions of Luoyang, Huai River, and Yangtze River. At that time, the Chang'an region was suffering from a food shortage, after years of warfare. Food supplies coming from the Yangtze region, which had been traveling through Bian River — a canal that connected the Huai River and Yellow River
Yellow River
The Yellow River or Huang He, formerly known as the Hwang Ho, is the second-longest river in China and the sixth-longest in the world at the estimated length of . Originating in the Bayan Har Mountains in Qinghai Province in western China, it flows through nine provinces of China and empties into...
— prior to the Anshi Rebellion, had been unable to travel through it since it had been silted through the years. Instead, the shipments had to travel on the Yangtze River and Han River
Han River (Hanshui)
The Han River is a left tributary of the Yangtze River with a length of 1532 km. Historically it was referred to as Hànshuǐ and the name is still occasionally used today....
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...
), and then over the Qinling Mountains
Qinling Mountains
The Qin Mountains are a major east-west mountain range in southern Shaanxi province, China. The mountains provide a natural boundary between the North and South of the country, and support a huge variety of plant and wildlife, some of which is found nowhere else on Earth.To the north is the...
to Chang'an — a much more treacherous and costly route. Liu, hoping to restore the Bian River-Yellow River route, personally travelled through the former route to examine it. He then wrote a detailed report to Yuan Zai, who had become a powerful chancellor by that point, explaining the benefits of the Bian River route. With Yuan's support, he began the project to clear Bian River of silt. Upon the completion of the project, the food supplies for the Chang'an regions became plentiful, even during times of poor harvest. Emperor Daizong, complimenting him, stated, "You, lord, are my Marquess of Zuan" — comparing him to the great Han Dynasty prime minister Xiao He
Xiao He
Xiao He was a Chinese statesman who lived during the early Han Dynasty. He served Liu Bang during the insurrection against the Qin Dynasty, and fought on Liu's side in the Chu–Han contention against Xiang Yu. After the founding of the Han Dynasty, Xiao He became chancellor and held office until...
. By 766, Liu was serving as the minister of census (戶部尚書, Hubu Shangshu), and that year, the financial matters of the state were divided in halves — with him in charge of the eastern half of the empire, and his deputy Diwu Qi
Diwu Qi
Diwu Qi , courtesy name Yugui , formally the Duke of Fufeng , was an official of the Chinese dynasty Tang Dynasty who served briefly as chancellor during the reign of Emperor Suzong, but was more known for his influence on financial policies throughout his career, including his advocacy for the...
in charge of the western half.
By 777, Yuan and his chancellor colleague Wang Jin
Wang Jin
Wang Jin , courtesy name Xiaqing , was an official of the Chinese dynasty Tang Dynasty who served as a chancellor during the reign of Emperor Daizong...
, both of whom had become entrenched in their positions and become extremely corrupt, finally wore out Emperor Daizong's patience, and Emperor Daizong had them arrested. He ordered Liu to interrogate them, but Liu, not daring to carry this task out along, proposed that five officials, including himself and the chief imperial censor Li Han (李涵), be appointed. Subsequently, Yuan was executed, but at Liu's suggestion that Wang was less culpable than Yuan, Wang's life was spared, although he was demoted to be a prefectural prefect. Subsequently, Chang Gun
Chang Gun
Chang Gun , formally the Duke of He'nei , was an official of the Chinese dynasty, serving as a chancellor during the reigns of Emperor Daizong and Emperor Dezong.- Background :...
replaced Yuan, and Chang, jealous of Liu, suggested to Emperor Daizong that Liu, given his contributions, should be made Pushe (僕射) — one of the heads of the executive bureau of government (尚書省, Shangshu Sheng); Chang did so with the intent that Liu be stripped of his financial responsibilities. Emperor Daizong made Liu Pushe, but continued to have him be in charge of the financial affairs.
It was said that during the years that Liu was in charge of financial affairs, he carefully selected the officials in charge of financial matters in each region, choosing those who were young, energetic, and talented. Many times, powerful individuals would make recommendations; Liu would take the people that they recommended and put them in honored posts with salaries, but not give them actual responsibilities. It was said that those officials that Liu commissioned were faithful to their tasks and Liu's instructions, even if they were thousands of miles away from the capital.
During Emperor Dezong's reign
Emperor Daizong died in 779 and was succeeded by Li Kuo (as Emperor Dezong). At that time, Han HuangHan 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...
was in charge of the financial matters of the western half of the empire (Diwu Qi having been removed from that post in 770). Emperor Dezong, hearing that Han was harsh and excessive, removed Han from his post and gave the responsibilities for the financial matters of the entire empire to Liu Yan. It was said that he improved the salt monopoly system that Diwu had instituted and increased the earnings tenfold, without any additional impositions on the people.
However, Liu was soon in a precarious position. Yang Yan
Yang Yan
Yang Yan , courtesy name Gongnan , was an official of the Chinese dynasty Tang Dynasty, serving as a chancellor early in the reign of Emperor Dezong. He was credited with reforming the tax system to reduce burdens on the peasants and to bring merchants into the rank of taxpayers, but was blamed...
, a protege of Yuan's, had become the most powerful chancellor and was well-trusted by Emperor Dezong. Yang had previously served under Liu as deputy minister of civil service affairs, and they did not get along with each other; further, Yang blamed Liu for Yuan's death. At that time, there were rumors that Liu had, during Emperor Daizong's reign, suggested to him that he create his favorite concubine, Consort Dugu
Consort Dugu
Consort Dugu, imperial consort rank Guifei , formally Empress Zhenyi , was an imperial consort of the Chinese Tang Dynasty, during the reign of Emperor Daizong...
, empress. (As Consort Dugu was not Emperor Dezong's mother and had her own son, Li Jiong (李迥) the Prince of Han, it was believed that such a move would have potentially endangered Emperor Dezong's position.) Further, many people had been jealous of Liu's long hold on financial matters. Yang, wanting to avenge Yuan, thus took this opportunity to accuse Liu of having endangered Emperor Dezong's position, along with the official Li Gan (黎幹) and the eunuch Liu Zhongyi (劉忠翼) — both of whom had been executed in 779 under the same accusations of having supported Consort Dugu. Yang's chancellor 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...
opposed further investigation of Liu Yan, but still, in spring 780, at Yang's suggestion, Liu Yan was stripped of his special director status, and the financial responsibilities were returned to the bureaus under the ministry of census, which had previously been responsible for such matters. Subsequently, Emperor Dezong demoted Liu to be the prefect of Zhong Prefecture (忠州, in modern Chongqing
Chongqing
Chongqing is a major city in Southwest China and one of the five national central cities of China. Administratively, it is one of the PRC's four direct-controlled municipalities , and the only such municipality in inland China.The municipality was created on 14 March 1997, succeeding the...
).
In fall 780, at Yang's inducement, Liu's superior Yu Zhun (庾準) submitted an accusation that Liu had written a letter to 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...
, asking for Zhu's help, and that in the letter to Zhu he wrote many complaints about Emperor Dezong. Yu further accused Liu of having requested additional soldiers for his prefecture with the intent to start a rebellion. Yang urged Emperor Dezong to execute Liu. Emperor Dezong agreed, and he sent eunuchs to Zhong Prefecture to secretly strangle Liu to death, before issuing an edict publicly ordering Liu to commit suicide. It was said that the entire empire mourned Liu's death and believed him to be innocent. His family was exiled to the Lingnan
Lingnan
Lingnan is a geographic area referring to lands in the south of China's "Five Ranges" which are Tayu, Qitian, Dupang, Mengzhu, Yuecheng. The region covers the Guangdong, Guangxi, Hunan and Jiangxi provinces of modern China and northern Vietnam...
region, and his assets were confiscated. (When his assets were booked in order to be confiscated, it was discovered that Liu had been so honest that as an official that he lacked any real wealth, and those who saw this were further impressed by him.) The warlord Li Zhengji
Li Zhengji
- Background :Li Huaiyu was born in 733, during the reign of Emperor Xuanzong of Tang. He was born in Tang's Pinglu Circuit...
, who had been looking for excuses to complain about imperial governance, submitted a petition stating that Liu had been innocently killed and requested that his family be allowed to return to Chang'an — a petition that Emperor Dezong ignored. Nevertheless, because Liu had been careful at selecting officials, particularly those with financial talents, it was said that for decades following his death, the officials in charge of financial affairs were mostly Liu's old subordinates.
In 784, Emperor Dezong, beginning to believe that Liu was in fact innocent, allowed him to be reburied in his home prefecture. In 789, he further made Liu's sons Liu Zhijing (劉執經) and Liu Zongjing (劉宗經) officials. When Liu Zhijing offered to yield his posts in exchange for Liu Yan to be posthumously honored, Emperor Dezong posthumously honored Liu Yan Situ (司徒, one of the Three Excellencies
Three Excellencies
The Three Ducal Ministers , also translated as the Three Dukes, Three Excellencies, or the Three Lords, was the collective name for the three highest officials in ancient China...
).
Liu Xu, the lead editor of the Book of Tang
Book of Tang
The Book of Tang , Jiu Tangshu or the Old Book of Tang is the first classic work about the Tang Dynasty. The book began when Gaozu of Later Jin ordered its commencement in 941...
, commented thus about Liu Yan: