Liu Yan (Tang dynasty)
Liu Yan (
Background
Liu Yan was born in 715 or 716.
During Emperor Xuanzong's reign
When
During Emperor Xuanzong's Tianbao era (742–756), Liu became the magistrate of Xia County (夏縣, in modern
During Emperor Suzong's reign
In 755, the general
Liu had already proved his worth by using
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.
During Emperor Daizong's reign
Emperor Suzong died in 762 and was succeeded by his son
The system of monopoly on salt would by 780 help provide more than half of the entire cash revenue of the empire. While his reforms on grain transport helped reduce a significant cost to the empire. His liangshuifa (two-tax system) consolidated and collected property and land tax twice-annually which greatly increased state revenue.[7]
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
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 Puye (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.[5]
During Emperor Dezong's reign
Emperor Daizong died in 779 and was succeeded by Li Kuo (as Emperor Dezong). At that time, Han Huang 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.
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.[5] 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.[10]
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
Liu Xu, the lead editor of the Old Book of Tang, commented thus about Liu Yan:[8]
Throughout the generations, not one of the officials in charge of financial matters would fail to oppress the people to provide for the emperor; to harm others to provide for himself; to change laws to abuse power; and to create hatred to bring disaster to himself. Someone like Liu Yan, who coordinated the supplies, used talented and capable people, such that the empire was wealthy but the people were not burdened and that he himself was frugal and allowed the people to benefit, was almost otherwise not known in history. Some might question the authenticity of the records and ask, "As for
Zi Chan of Zheng, his subordinates were unable to defraud him. As for Mi Zi [(宓子)] of Song, his subordinates did not have the heart to defraud him. As for Ximen Bao [(西門豹)] of Wei, his subordinates did not dare to defraud him. These three gentlemen were among the most capable of antiquity, but their subordinates did want to defraud him — just that they were unable, did not have the heart, or did not dare to defraud him. How was it that Liu Yan's subordinates, no matter near or far, did not even consider defrauding him?" My response would be, "Because Liu Yan selected proper individuals and allowed them to fully exercise their abilities." Could this not be shown from how, after his death, his subordinates continued to control the financial affairs for over 20 years? The Biographies of Economists in the Records of the Grand Historian stated, "Suppressing food prices and making sure that there were no lack of goods are the ways to allow the state to be calm."[11]When Liu Yan was in charge of the taxations, the prices were flat, with nothing particularly expensive and nothing particularly cheap. How can those who just talk about how to rule the nation and comfort the state compare to him? It was out of faithfulness that Liu Yan recommended Yan Zhenqing; it was out of fairness that he decreased Wang Jin's punishment. Both his faithfulness and fairness exceeded his colleagues. However, if there was a particularly large tree in the forest, the winds would eventually destroy it. He first suffered jealousy from Chang Gun and later false accusations from Yang Yan, and this causes me to sigh. There were also those who satirized Liu Yan and stated that he sealed the mouths of those who attacked him with money. However, without sealing these harmful, accusatory mouths, how could Liu Yan have received his power, and without his power, how could he have exercised his talent and saved the empire? This was only his power-play and no reason to satirize him.
Notes and references
- ^ a b c Liu Yan's biography in the Old Book of Tang indicated that he was 66 when he died, while his biography in the New Book of Tang indicated that he was 65 when he died. Compare Old Book of Tang, vol. 123 and New Book of Tang, vol. 149. However, it should also be further noted that according to his biography in the Old Book of Tang, he was seven when he was made a scribe, while in the New Book of Tang, he was said to be eight – and it was further said that it occurred at the time that Emperor Xuanzong offered sacrifices at Mount Tai, which was in 725. If the latter were accurate, he would have born in 718.
- ^ [1][dead link]
- ^ The date is based on the assertion in Liu Yan's biography in the New Book of Tang that he died 19 days before the edict ordering him to commit suicide, which was issued on August 31, according to the Zizhi Tongjian. See New Book of Tang, vol. 149 and Zizhi Tongjian, vol. 226.
- ^ New Book of Tang, vol. 71.1.
- ^ a b c New Book of Tang, vol. 149.
- ISBN 1403934568), p. 50.
- ISBN 978-0-312-16334-1.
- ^ a b Old Book of Tang, vol. 123.
- ^ Bo Yang Edition of the Zizhi Tongjian, vol. 54 [780].
- ^ Zizhi Tongjian, vol. 226.
- ^ Records of the Grand Historian, vol. 129.
- Old Book of Tang, vol. 123.
- New Book of Tang, vol. 149.
- Zizhi Tongjian, vols. 221, 222, 223, 224, 225, 226