Wen Yanbo
Encyclopedia
Wen Yanbo (575–637), formal name Wen Dalin (溫大臨) but went by the courtesy name of Yanbo, formally Duke Gong of Yu (虞恭公), was a key official early in the Chinese
dynasty Tang Dynasty
as a key advisor for Emperor Gaozu
and Emperor Taizong
, serving as a chancellor during Emperor Taizong's reign, and, having been captured by and lived among the people of Eastern Tujue for years, was a key advisor on Emperor Taizong's policies toward Tujue.
. His father Wen Junyou (溫君攸) was one of the literary talents retained by the last Northern Qi emperor to wield power over the entire realm, Gao Wei
. Later, after Northern Zhou
destroyed Northern Qi in 577 and was in turn itself overthrown in favor of the Sui Dynasty
in 581, Wen Junyou served as the military assistant for the governor of Si Province (泗州, roughly modern Suzhou
, Anhui
), but retired under the excuse of illness when he believed that Sui rule was not proper.
Wen Yanbo had at least one older brother, Wen Daya (溫大雅), and at least one younger brother, Wen Dayou (溫大有). All three became known for their abilities, and the Sui official Xue Daoheng (薛道衡), after once meeting the three, remarked, "All three are capable of becoming imperial advisors or chancellors
." Wen Yanbo himself was particularly considered a capable scribe, and was said to be also alert and capable at debating. Toward the end of the Kaihuang era (581-600) of Emperor Wen
, he entered the imperial examinations and was rated highly. He became a junior official at the legislative bureau of the government (內史省, Neishi Sheng). It is not known exactly how he ended up at Zhuo Commandery (涿郡, roughly modern Beijing
) near the end of the reign of Emperor Wen's son Emperor Yang
, but he, like most imperial officials, might have accompanied Emperor Yang there on one of Emperor Yang's campaigns against Goguryeo
(as Zhuo Commandery served as the headquarters for the overall operation) and stayed there. After the general Luo Yi
rebelled against Emperor Yang in 617 and took over Zhuo Commandery (renaming it You Prefecture (幽州)) and the surrounding area, Wen joined Luo's headquarters and served as Luo's military assistant.
, Jiangsu
) led by the general Yuwen Huaji
. Yuwen sent messengers to Luo Yi suggesting that he submit to the new regime that Yuwen led after Yuwen declared Emperor Yang's nephew Yang Hao
the Prince of Qin emperor. Luo, although he himself had rebelled against Emperor Yang, stated, "I am still a Sui subject." He executed Yuwen's messengers and then also rejected overtures from agrarian rulers Dou Jiande
the Prince of Xia and Gao Kaidao
the Prince of Yan. Instead, apparently with Wen Yanbo's advocacy, he decided to submit to another former Sui general, Li Yuan
, who had also rebelled against Emperor Yang in 617 but who by now had taken over the western parts of the empire and established Tang Dynasty
at Chang'an
as its Emperor Gaozu. Emperor Gaozu accepted Luo's submission and created him the Prince of Yan, granting him the imperial clan name of Li (and he thereafter became known as Li Yi) and making him the commandant at You Prefecture. As Wen had supported Li Yi's decision to submit, Emperor Gaozu made Wen the secretary general of You Prefecture and created him the Duke of Xihe, and soon summoned him to Chang'an to serve as a Zhongshu Sheren (中書舍人), a mid-level official at the legislative bureau (by this point renamed 中書省, Zhongshu Sheng). At that time, Wen Yanbo's older brother Wen Daya served as the deputy head of the legislative bureau, and the two brothers lived close by. This was considered an unusual honor. When Goguryeo offered tributes to Emperor Gaozu, Emperor Gaozu considered declining the tributes and not treating Goguryeo as a subject but as an equal (to endear himself to Goguryeo's King Yeongnyu
). Wen Yanbo opposed, stating:
Emperor Gaozu thus accepted Goguryeo's tributes, effectively treating King Yeongnyu as a subject.
In 625, Eastern Tujue's Jiali Khan Ashina Duobi attacked Ling Prefecture (靈州, roughly modern Yinchuan, Ningxia
). Emperor Gaozu sent the general Zhang Jin (張瑾) to resist Ashina Duobi, with Wen serving as Zhang's secretary general. When Zhang engaged Ashina Duobi, however, he suffered a major defeat, and Wen was captured. As Wen was an important official, Ashina Duobi put him under interrogation and asked him about the strengths and weaknesses of the Tang state. Wen refused to answer, and Ashina Duobi moved him to the Yin Mountains
region.
the Prince of Qin ambushed his brothers Li Jiancheng
the Crown Prince
and Li Yuanji
the Prince of Qi (who supported Li Jiancheng) at the Incident at Xuanwu Gate
, and then effectively forced Emperor Gaozu to yield the throne to him (as Emperor Taizong). Wen Yanbo's brother Wen Daya was a supporter of Emperor Taizong, and in fall 626, Emperor Taizong, who had just made peace with Eastern Tujue, made a demand to Ashina Duobi that he return the Chinese people that Tujue had seized and Wen Yanbo. Soon thereafter, Ashina Duobi returned Wen Yanbo, and Emperor Taizong made him the secretary general of the capital prefecture, Yong Prefecture (雍州), and then the assistant minister of civil service affairs. Wen wanted to carry out a major reduction of the civil service system to reduce waste, and this brought many accusations of unfairness from officials as well as criticism that he was overly obsessed with details. However, Emperor Taizong soon made him the deputy head of the legislative bureau, and then made him, in addition, the imperial censor.
In 627, when the important official Wei Zheng
was accused of nepotism
, Emperor Taizong ordered Wen to investigate. After Wen's investigation turned up no evidence of wrongdoing on Wei's part, Wen nevertheless stated to Emperor Taizong, "Wei did not care about public perception or appearance of conflict of interest
. Even though he had no wrongful intent, he should still be rebuked." Emperor Taizong agreed and rebuked Wei, but Wei bluntly refused to accept the rebuke, and Emperor Taizong later retracted the rebuke after concluding that Wei was correct.
In 628, there was an incdient where Emperor Taizong had the official Zu Xiaosun (祖孝孫) teach his ladies in waiting
music, and when the ladies in waiting could not learn it well, rebuked Zu. Wen and the chancellor Wang Gui
spoke against the rebuke, stating that it was not appropriate for Emperor Taizong to have had an important official become a music teacher for ladies in waiting in the first place. Emperor Taizong became angry and rebuked Wen and Wang. Wen bowed and begged for forgiveness, but Wang refused to do so, stating to Emperor Taizong that the rebuke to him and Wen was not warranted as they were reporting what was true. Emperor Taizong was surprised, but the next day indicated to the high level officials that he was rash and improper in rebuking Wen and Wang.
In 630, Wen was made Zhongshu Ling (中書令), the head of the legislative bureau and a post considered one for a chancellor. He was also created the Duke of Yu. Earlier that year, the general Li Jing
had inflicted a heavy blow to Ashina Duobi's forces, and later that year, after Ashina Duobi was captured, Eastern Tujue chieftains submitted to Tang. Emperor Taizong requested opinions on what to do with Eastern Tujue's people. There were many different opinions, but the two opinions that Emperor Taizong appeared to consider the most were the ones by Wen and Wei, who debated extensively before Emperor Taizong. Wen argued that, pursuant to precedents of what Eastern Han Dynasty did with the Xiongnu
, the Eastern Tujue people should be placed within Tang borders but organized in tribal form, to serve as a defense perimeter on the northern border. Wei advocated that the Eastern Tujue people be placed north of Tang borders, believing that they would pose a threat if placed within Tang borders. Wen, however, argued that the Eastern Tujue people could eventually be assimilated and become an asset to the Tang state, and Emperor Taizong agreed with Wen. He established 10 prefectures to settle the Eastern Tujue people and made the major chieftains the prefects, while inviting a number of Eastern Tujue nobles to serve as generals at Chang'an.
In 636, Emperor Taizong made Wen a Pushe (僕射), a head of the important executive bureau (尚書省, Shangshu Sheng), and a post also considered one for a chancellor.
In 637, Wen died. It was said that during the time that Wen served in important positions, he refused to accept guest visits, believing that it was easy to leak imperial secrets if he had toomany guests. He also often discussed important matters of state whenever he entered the palace. After his death, Emperor Taizong was said to state in lament:
It was said that Wen's household was not wealthy, and there was no main hall where his wake could be held. Emperor Taizong ordered the imperial architect to quickly construct a main hall for Wen's house. Wen was buried near the tomb of Emperor Taizong's wife Empress Zhangsun
, where Emperor Taizong would eventually be buried himself.
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...
as a key advisor for Emperor Gaozu
Emperor Gaozu of Tang
Emperor Gāozǔ of Táng , born Lǐ Yuān , courtesy name Shūdé , was the founder of the Tang Dynasty of China, and the first emperor of this dynasty from 618 to 626. Under the Sui dynasty, Li Yuan was the governor in the area of modern-day Shanxi, and was based in Taiyuan.In 615, Li Yuan was assigned...
and Emperor Taizong
Emperor Taizong of Tang
Emperor Taizong of Tang , personal name Lǐ Shìmín , was the second emperor of the Tang Dynasty of China, ruling from 626 to 649...
, serving as a chancellor during Emperor Taizong's reign, and, having been captured by and lived among the people of Eastern Tujue for years, was a key advisor on Emperor Taizong's policies toward Tujue.
During Sui Dynasty
Wen Yanbo was born in 575, during the waning years of Northern QiNorthern Qi
The Northern Qi Dynasty was one of the Northern dynasties of Chinese history and ruled northern China from 550 to 577.-History:The Chinese state of Northern Qi was the successor state of the Chinese/Xianbei state of Eastern Wei and was founded by Emperor Wenxuan...
. His father Wen Junyou (溫君攸) was one of the literary talents retained by the last Northern Qi emperor to wield power over the entire realm, Gao Wei
Gao Wei
Gao Wei , often known in history as Houzhu of Northern Qi , courtesy name Rengang , sometimes referred to by his later Northern Zhou-created title of Duke of Wen , was an emperor of the Chinese dynasty Northern Qi...
. Later, after Northern Zhou
Northern Zhou
The Northern Zhou Dynasty followed the Western Wei, and ruled northern China from 557 to 581. It was overthrown by the Sui Dynasty.Northern Zhou's basis of power was established by Yuwen Tai, who was paramount general of Western Wei, following the split of Northern Wei into Western Wei and...
destroyed Northern Qi in 577 and was in turn itself overthrown in favor of the 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....
in 581, Wen Junyou served as the military assistant for the governor of Si Province (泗州, roughly modern Suzhou
Suzhou, Anhui
-Administration:Suzhou administers five county-level divisions, including one district and four counties.*Yongqiao District *Dangshan County *Xiao County *Lingbi County *Si County...
, Anhui
Anhui
Anhui is a province in the People's Republic of China. Located in eastern China across the basins of the Yangtze River and the Huai River, it borders Jiangsu to the east, Zhejiang to the southeast, Jiangxi to the south, Hubei to the southwest, Henan to the northwest, and Shandong for a tiny...
), but retired under the excuse of illness when he believed that Sui rule was not proper.
Wen Yanbo had at least one older brother, Wen Daya (溫大雅), and at least one younger brother, Wen Dayou (溫大有). All three became known for their abilities, and the Sui official Xue Daoheng (薛道衡), after once meeting the three, remarked, "All three are capable of becoming imperial advisors or chancellors
Chancellor of China
The Chancellor , variously translated as Prime Minister, Chancellor of State, Premier or Chief Councillor, was a generic name given to the highest-ranking official in the imperial government in ancient China...
." Wen Yanbo himself was particularly considered a capable scribe, and was said to be also alert and capable at debating. Toward the end of the Kaihuang era (581-600) of Emperor Wen
Emperor Wen of Sui
Emperor Wen of Sui — personal name Yang Jian , Xianbei name Puliuru Jian , nickname Naluoyan — was the founder and first emperor of China's Sui Dynasty . He was a hard-working administrator and a micromanager. As a Buddhist, he encouraged the spread of Buddhism through the state...
, he entered the imperial examinations and was rated highly. He became a junior official at the legislative bureau of the government (內史省, Neishi Sheng). It is not known exactly how he ended up at Zhuo Commandery (涿郡, roughly modern Beijing
Beijing
Beijing , also known as Peking , is the capital of the People's Republic of China and one of the most populous cities in the world, with a population of 19,612,368 as of 2010. The city is the country's political, cultural, and educational center, and home to the headquarters for most of China's...
) near the end of the reign of Emperor Wen's son Emperor Yang
Emperor Yang of Sui
Emperor Yang of Sui , personal name Yang Guang , alternative name Ying , nickname Amo , known as Emperor Ming during the brief reign of his grandson Yang Tong), was the second son of Emperor Wen of Sui, and the second emperor of China's Sui Dynasty.Emperor Yang's original name was Yang Ying, but...
, but he, like most imperial officials, might have accompanied Emperor Yang there on one of Emperor Yang's campaigns against Goguryeo
Goguryeo
Goguryeo or Koguryŏ was an ancient Korean kingdom located in present day northern and central parts of the Korean Peninsula, southern Manchuria, and southern Russian Maritime province....
(as Zhuo Commandery served as the headquarters for the overall operation) and stayed there. After the general Luo Yi
Luo Yi
Luo Yi , known during service to Tang Dynasty as Li Yi , courtesy name Ziyan or Ziting , was a Sui Dynasty official who rose against the rule of Emperor Yang of Sui and occupied the modern Beijing region. He subsequently submitted to Emperor Gaozu of Tang and was created the Prince of Yan and...
rebelled against Emperor Yang in 617 and took over Zhuo Commandery (renaming it You Prefecture (幽州)) and the surrounding area, Wen joined Luo's headquarters and served as Luo's military assistant.
During Emperor Gaozu's reign
In 618, news arrived at You Prefecture that Emperor Yang had been killed in a coup at Jiangdu (江都, in modern YangzhouYangzhou
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...
) led by the general Yuwen Huaji
Yuwen Huaji
Yuwen Huaji was a general of the Chinese dynasty Sui Dynasty who, in 618, led a coup against Emperor Yang of Sui, killing him. He subsequently declared Emperor Yang's nephew Yang Hao led Emperor Yang's elite Xiaoguo Army north, but was then repeatedly defeated by Li Mi, Li Shentong , and...
. Yuwen sent messengers to Luo Yi suggesting that he submit to the new regime that Yuwen led after Yuwen declared Emperor Yang's nephew Yang Hao
Yang Hao (Sui Dynasty)
Yang Hao , often known by his princely title of Prince of Qin , was one of the claimants of the throne of the Chinese Sui Dynasty at the dynasty's end.-Background:...
the Prince of Qin emperor. Luo, although he himself had rebelled against Emperor Yang, stated, "I am still a Sui subject." He executed Yuwen's messengers and then also rejected overtures from agrarian rulers Dou Jiande
Dou Jiande
Dou Jiande was a leader of the agrarian rebels who rose against the rule of Emperor Yang of Sui near the end of the Chinese dynasty Sui Dynasty...
the Prince of Xia and Gao Kaidao
Gao Kaidao
Gao Kaidao , at one point known as Li Kaidao , was an agrarian rebel leader who rose against Sui Dynasty rule at the end of Emperor Yang's reign. He occupied the region centering Huairong and claimed the title of Prince of Yan, in alliance with Eastern Tujue...
the Prince of Yan. Instead, apparently with Wen Yanbo's advocacy, he decided to submit to another former Sui general, Li Yuan
Emperor Gaozu of Tang
Emperor Gāozǔ of Táng , born Lǐ Yuān , courtesy name Shūdé , was the founder of the Tang Dynasty of China, and the first emperor of this dynasty from 618 to 626. Under the Sui dynasty, Li Yuan was the governor in the area of modern-day Shanxi, and was based in Taiyuan.In 615, Li Yuan was assigned...
, who had also rebelled against Emperor Yang in 617 but who by now had taken over the western parts of the empire and established 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...
at 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...
as its Emperor Gaozu. Emperor Gaozu accepted Luo's submission and created him the Prince of Yan, granting him the imperial clan name of Li (and he thereafter became known as Li Yi) and making him the commandant at You Prefecture. As Wen had supported Li Yi's decision to submit, Emperor Gaozu made Wen the secretary general of You Prefecture and created him the Duke of Xihe, and soon summoned him to Chang'an to serve as a Zhongshu Sheren (中書舍人), a mid-level official at the legislative bureau (by this point renamed 中書省, Zhongshu Sheng). At that time, Wen Yanbo's older brother Wen Daya served as the deputy head of the legislative bureau, and the two brothers lived close by. This was considered an unusual honor. When Goguryeo offered tributes to Emperor Gaozu, Emperor Gaozu considered declining the tributes and not treating Goguryeo as a subject but as an equal (to endear himself to Goguryeo's King Yeongnyu
Yeongnyu of Goguryeo
King Yeongnyu of Goguryeo was the 27th king of Goguryeo, the northernmost of the Three Kingdoms of Korea.-Background:He was the younger half-brother of the 26th king Yeong-yang, and son of the 25th king Pyeongwon...
). Wen Yanbo opposed, stating:
- The Liaodong region was originally the domain of JiziJiziJizi was a semi-legendary Chinese sage who is said to have ruled Gojoseon in the 11th century BCE. Early Chinese documents like the Book of Documents and the Bamboo Annals described him as a virtuous relative of the last king of the Shang dynasty who was punished for remonstrating the king...
during Zhou DynastyZhou DynastyThe Zhou Dynasty was a Chinese dynasty that followed the Shang Dynasty and preceded the Qin Dynasty. Although the Zhou Dynasty lasted longer than any other dynasty in Chinese history, the actual political and military control of China by the Ji family lasted only until 771 BC, a period known as...
, and Xuantu CommanderyFour Commanderies of HanThe Four Commanderies of Han are Lelang, Lintun, Xuantu and Zhenfan commanderies in northern Korean Peninsula and part of the Liaodong Peninsula. set up by Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty in early 2nd century BC after his conquest of Wiman Joseon...
during Han DynastyHan DynastyThe 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...
. If you do not treat it as a vassal, how would the other barbarian tribes be willing to submit to you?
Emperor Gaozu thus accepted Goguryeo's tributes, effectively treating King Yeongnyu as a subject.
In 625, Eastern Tujue's Jiali Khan Ashina Duobi attacked Ling Prefecture (靈州, roughly modern Yinchuan, Ningxia
Ningxia
Ningxia, formerly transliterated as Ningsia, is an autonomous region of the People's Republic of China. Located in Northwest China, on the Loess Plateau, the Yellow River flows through this vast area of land. The Great Wall of China runs along its northeastern boundary...
). Emperor Gaozu sent the general Zhang Jin (張瑾) to resist Ashina Duobi, with Wen serving as Zhang's secretary general. When Zhang engaged Ashina Duobi, however, he suffered a major defeat, and Wen was captured. As Wen was an important official, Ashina Duobi put him under interrogation and asked him about the strengths and weaknesses of the Tang state. Wen refused to answer, and Ashina Duobi moved him to the Yin Mountains
Yin Mountains
The Yin Mountains are mountains in the steppe forming the southern border of the eastern Gobi Desert of the Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, as well as the northern part of Hebei province....
region.
During Emperor Taizong's reign
In 626, Emperor Gaozu's son and major general Li ShiminEmperor Taizong of Tang
Emperor Taizong of Tang , personal name Lǐ Shìmín , was the second emperor of the Tang Dynasty of China, ruling from 626 to 649...
the Prince of Qin ambushed his brothers Li Jiancheng
Li Jiancheng
Li Jiancheng , formally Crown Prince Yin , nickname Pishamen , was a crown prince of the Chinese dynasty Tang Dynasty. He was the oldest son of the founding emperor Emperor Gaozu and therefore was designated crown prince after the founding of the dynasty in 618...
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....
and Li Yuanji
Li Yuanji
Li Yuanji , formally Prince La of Chao , more commonly known by the title of Prince of Qi , nickname Sanhu , was an imperial prince of the Chinese Tang Dynasty...
the Prince of Qi (who supported Li Jiancheng) at the Incident at Xuanwu Gate
Incident at Xuanwu Gate
The Incident at Xuanwu Gate refers to an incident on July 2, 626, when Li Shimin the Prince of Qin, a son of Emperor Gaozu of Tang , in an intense rivalry with his older brother Li Jiancheng the Crown Prince and fearing that Li Jiancheng was about to kill him, set an ambush at Xuanwu Gate, the...
, and then effectively forced Emperor Gaozu to yield the throne to him (as Emperor Taizong). Wen Yanbo's brother Wen Daya was a supporter of Emperor Taizong, and in fall 626, Emperor Taizong, who had just made peace with Eastern Tujue, made a demand to Ashina Duobi that he return the Chinese people that Tujue had seized and Wen Yanbo. Soon thereafter, Ashina Duobi returned Wen Yanbo, and Emperor Taizong made him the secretary general of the capital prefecture, Yong Prefecture (雍州), and then the assistant minister of civil service affairs. Wen wanted to carry out a major reduction of the civil service system to reduce waste, and this brought many accusations of unfairness from officials as well as criticism that he was overly obsessed with details. However, Emperor Taizong soon made him the deputy head of the legislative bureau, and then made him, in addition, the imperial censor.
In 627, when the important official Wei Zheng
Wei Zheng
Wei Zheng , courtesy name Xuancheng , formally Duke Wenzhen of Zheng , was a Chinese politician and the lead editor of the Book of Sui, composed in 636...
was accused of nepotism
Nepotism
Nepotism is favoritism granted to relatives regardless of merit. The word nepotism is from the Latin word nepos, nepotis , from which modern Romanian nepot and Italian nipote, "nephew" or "grandchild" are also descended....
, Emperor Taizong ordered Wen to investigate. After Wen's investigation turned up no evidence of wrongdoing on Wei's part, Wen nevertheless stated to Emperor Taizong, "Wei did not care about public perception or appearance of conflict of interest
Conflict of interest
A conflict of interest occurs when an individual or organization is involved in multiple interests, one of which could possibly corrupt the motivation for an act in the other....
. Even though he had no wrongful intent, he should still be rebuked." Emperor Taizong agreed and rebuked Wei, but Wei bluntly refused to accept the rebuke, and Emperor Taizong later retracted the rebuke after concluding that Wei was correct.
In 628, there was an incdient where Emperor Taizong had the official Zu Xiaosun (祖孝孫) teach his ladies in waiting
Lady in Waiting
Lady in Waiting is the 2nd album by American southern rock band Outlaws, released in 1976. -Track listing:#"Breaker-Breaker" – 2:59#"South Carolina" – 3:05#"Ain't So Bad" – 3:48...
music, and when the ladies in waiting could not learn it well, rebuked Zu. Wen and the chancellor Wang Gui
Wang Gui
Wang Gui , courtesy name Shujie , formally Duke Yi of Yongning , was a chancellor during the reign of Emperor Taizong of Tang...
spoke against the rebuke, stating that it was not appropriate for Emperor Taizong to have had an important official become a music teacher for ladies in waiting in the first place. Emperor Taizong became angry and rebuked Wen and Wang. Wen bowed and begged for forgiveness, but Wang refused to do so, stating to Emperor Taizong that the rebuke to him and Wen was not warranted as they were reporting what was true. Emperor Taizong was surprised, but the next day indicated to the high level officials that he was rash and improper in rebuking Wen and Wang.
In 630, Wen was made Zhongshu Ling (中書令), the head of the legislative bureau and a post considered one for a chancellor. He was also created the Duke of Yu. Earlier that year, the general Li Jing
Li Jing
Li Jing , né Yaoshi , formally Duke Jingwu of Wei , was a general and one time chancellor of the Chinese Tang Dynasty...
had inflicted a heavy blow to Ashina Duobi's forces, and later that year, after Ashina Duobi was captured, Eastern Tujue chieftains submitted to Tang. Emperor Taizong requested opinions on what to do with Eastern Tujue's people. There were many different opinions, but the two opinions that Emperor Taizong appeared to consider the most were the ones by Wen and Wei, who debated extensively before Emperor Taizong. Wen argued that, pursuant to precedents of what Eastern Han Dynasty did with the Xiongnu
Xiongnu
The Xiongnu were ancient nomadic-based people that formed a state or confederation north of the agriculture-based empire of the Han Dynasty. Most of the information on the Xiongnu comes from Chinese sources...
, the Eastern Tujue people should be placed within Tang borders but organized in tribal form, to serve as a defense perimeter on the northern border. Wei advocated that the Eastern Tujue people be placed north of Tang borders, believing that they would pose a threat if placed within Tang borders. Wen, however, argued that the Eastern Tujue people could eventually be assimilated and become an asset to the Tang state, and Emperor Taizong agreed with Wen. He established 10 prefectures to settle the Eastern Tujue people and made the major chieftains the prefects, while inviting a number of Eastern Tujue nobles to serve as generals at Chang'an.
In 636, Emperor Taizong made Wen a Pushe (僕射), a head of the important executive bureau (尚書省, Shangshu Sheng), and a post also considered one for a chancellor.
In 637, Wen died. It was said that during the time that Wen served in important positions, he refused to accept guest visits, believing that it was easy to leak imperial secrets if he had toomany guests. He also often discussed important matters of state whenever he entered the palace. After his death, Emperor Taizong was said to state in lament:
- Wen Yanbo paid so much attention to the important affairs of state that he wore himself out. I have believed for several years that his body was beginning to deteriorate, and I regret not allowing him to live out his years in leisure, but ending his life early.
It was said that Wen's household was not wealthy, and there was no main hall where his wake could be held. Emperor Taizong ordered the imperial architect to quickly construct a main hall for Wen's house. Wen was buried near the tomb of Emperor Taizong's wife Empress Zhangsun
Empress Zhangsun
Empress Zhangsun , formally Empress Wendeshunsheng or, in short, Empress Wende , was an empress of the Chinese dynasty Tang Dynasty. She was the wife of Emperor Taizong and the mother of Emperor Gaozong...
, where Emperor Taizong would eventually be buried himself.