12 Facts About Cui Renshi

Cui Renshi was born in the 580s, during the reign of Emperor Wen in the Sui dynasty.

In 622, the chancellor Chen Shuda recommended Cui Renshi to be capable of editing imperial histories, and he was promoted to the post of military advisor to the commander of one of the imperial armies, but given the responsibility of assisting in editing the histories of the Liang dynasty and Northern Wei.

Early in the reign of Emperor Gaozu's son, Emperor Taizong, Cui Renshi was made an assistant to the imperial censorate.

In 627, there was an alleged treasonous plot that occurred in Qing Prefecture, and Cui was sent to investigate.

Cui Renshi removed their restraints, gave them food, and allowed them to bathe.

Cui Renshi eventually sentenced only the ten-odd leaders to death, while releasing all of the rest.

Cui Renshi disapproved of Wang's commentaries, finding them to rely on unreliable interpretations, and so he wrote a submission rejecting Xu's and Li Xiaogong's suggestions.

In 643, in the aftermaths of major conflict between Emperor Taizong's sons Li Chengqian and Li Tai, who was Emperor Taizong's favorite son, causing Li Chengqian to plot to overthrow his father in fear that his father would replace him with Li Tai, Cui Renshi submitted a secret petition urging for Li Tai to be made crown prince.

Emperor Taizong, after some deliberation, deposed both Li Chengqian and Li Tai, holding Li Tai's machinations responsible for Li Chengqian's downfall, and as Cui Renshi had wanted Li Tai made crown prince, he drew Emperor Taizong's ire and was demoted to the post of assistant minister of palace supplies.

Cui Renshi, believing that the supplies from distant prefectures would not arrive in time, took the initiative of requisitioning the food collected as taxes in the region he was in charge and shipping those as food supplies for the troops.

Cui Renshi was accused of not paying sufficient attention to the problems of laborers fleeing conscripted labor and was removed from his post.

In 648, Cui Renshi was made Zhongshu Shilang, the assistant head of the legislative bureau, not typically considered a post for a chancellor, but Emperor Taizong gave him the additional designation Canzhi Jiwu, making him a de facto chancellor.