1. Wei Zheng, courtesy name Xuancheng, posthumous name Duke Wenzhen of Zheng, was a Chinese politician and historian.
48 Facts About Wei Zheng
1. 2.
Wei Zheng served as a chancellor of the Tang dynasty for about 13 years during the reign of Emperor Taizong.
3.
Wei Zheng was the lead editor of the official history of the Sui dynasty, the Book of Sui, which was composed in 636.
4.
Wei Zheng was born to a poor family in modern Hebei, and joined Li Mi's rebellion against the Sui dynasty in his youth.
5.
Rather than punishing Wei Zheng he was impressed with Wei's faithfulness to Li Jiancheng, and he made Wei an important official, eventually a chancellor.
6.
Subsequently, as a result of false accusations made by others in the court, the stone monument that Emperor Taizong had built for Wei Zheng was destroyed, and Emperor Taizong cancelled the planned marriage between Princess Hengshan and Wei Shuyu.
7.
However, after the failure of the campaign against Goguryeo in 646, Emperor Taizong, believing that Wei Zheng would have stopped him from going on the campaign had he lived longer, restored the stone monument.
8.
Wei Zheng is revered as a minor god of doorways in parts of Taiwan.
9.
Wei Zheng was born in 580, shortly before the founding of Sui dynasty in 581.
10.
Wei Zheng's father Wei Changxian was a county magistrate during Northern Qi.
11.
Wei Zheng favored studying, and as he saw that the rule of Emperor Yang of Sui was beginning to make Sui fall into a state of confusion, he particularly paid attention to strategic works.
12.
Wei Zheng invited Wei Zheng to serve on his staff, as his secretary.
13.
Wei Zheng subsequently drafted submissions from Yuan to Li Mi, suggesting that Li Mi attack and seize nearby Wei Zheng Commandery and a large food storage that Emperor Yang built, Liyang Storage.
14.
Li Mi was impressed, and when he found out that Wei Zheng wrote the submissions, he requested Yuan send Wei Zheng to him.
15.
Wei spoke with Li Mi's secretary general Zheng Ting, advocating that Li Mi take a defensive stance, refusing to engage Wang and draining Wang's food supplies.
16.
Wei Zheng rejected the proposal, and the proposal apparently was never submitted to Li Mi.
17.
Subsequently, with Li Mi's major general Xu Shiji still holding the Liyang region, Wei Zheng requested that Emperor Gaozu send him to Liyang to persuade Xu to submit to Tang as well.
18.
In spring 619, with Yuan Baozang being attacked by Yuwen Huaji the Emperor of Xu, Wei Zheng went to Yuan to persuade him to submit to Tang.
19.
In winter 619, when Dou Jiande the Prince of Xia, one of Tang's major rivals, attacked and captured Liyang, Wei Zheng was among the people captured by Dou, along with Emperor Gaozu's cousin Li Shentong the Prince of Huai'an, Emperor Gaozu's sister Princess Tong'an, and Li Shiji's father Li Gai.
20.
The Xia officials initially fled back to the Xia capital Ming Prefecture subsequently decided to surrender, and Wei Zheng followed Pei Ju back to the Tang capital Chang'an.
21.
Wei Zheng had the fortitude to speak up for what he saw to be right, and Emperor Taizong often gladly accepted his suggestions.
22.
In 627, when it was rumored that Feng Ang, a former Sui official who had submitted to Tang several years prior, had started a rebellion, and Emperor Taizong wanted to send forces to attack Feng, Wei Zheng advised against it, pointing out that Feng did not advance outside his own territories and appeared to be simply fearful that he had been accused of treason.
23.
Wei Zheng pointed out that both Fang and Wang were trusted officials who should be given free rein and not have the details of their acts be picked on.
24.
Wei Zheng advocated that the Eastern Tujue people be placed north of Tang borders, believing that they would pose a threat if placed within Tang borders.
25.
Wei Zheng 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.
26.
In 632, at the urgings of many officials who believed that he should go to Mount Tai to pay homage to heaven and earth, Emperor Taizong considered doing so, but Wei Zheng opposed, and this led to a famous conversation between them, which showcased Wei Zheng's personal philosophy against overextending the state:.
27.
Wei Zheng sent some of his servants back to Chang'an, and they were staying at the official lodges at Weichuan County, when the chancellors Li Jing and Wang Gui arrived.
28.
Wei Zheng disagreed, pointing out that Li and Wang were far more important and honored than the imperial servants.
29.
Wei Zheng advised against it, pointing out that this was contrary to Emperor Ming of Han's observation that his sons should not be as honored as his brothers.
30.
Wei Zheng was surprised, and asked her what the reason was.
31.
At that time, there were a large backlog of legal matters being handled by the executive bureau, and Emperor Taizong temporarily assigned Wei Zheng to handle them.
32.
Also in 636, Wei Zheng tried to resign on account of eye illnesses.
33.
Wei Zheng continued to designate him Canyi Deshi, keeping him as a de facto chancellor.
34.
However, Wei Zheng responded that those high-level officials should, in fact, be more honored than the imperial princes, as the state's key personnel, and Emperor Taizong, seeing that Wei Zheng was correct, apologized.
35.
Also in 637, Wei Zheng submitted a petition containing a number of advice for Emperor Taizong to continuously examine himself.
36.
Wei Zheng then awarded both Fang and Wei an imperial sword.
37.
Also around that time, Wei Zheng advised him to be cognizant that he was not accepting adverse advice from others as he had previously.
38.
However, Wei Zheng pointed out that chancellors were supposed to be responsible for all affairs of state, and Emperor Taizong, realizing that he had erred, was humbled.
39.
In 642, Wei Zheng was ill, and Emperor Taizong and he exchanged letters with each other expressing how they missed each other, and in Wei Zheng's letters, he continued to give adverse advice to Emperor Taizong.
40.
Meanwhile, as Wei Zheng's mansion had no large halls, Emperor Taizong diverted the construction material that he was going to use for an imperial hall and constructed a hall for Wei Zheng in five days, and further awarded him with folding screens, bedding, a small table, and canes, hoping to comfort him.
41.
When Wei Zheng grew better, he personally went to the palace to decline, but Emperor Taizong pointed out the symbolic importance of having someone as important as himself serve as Li Chengqian's advisor, stating that even if Wei Zheng could only lie on the bed, his being named a senior advisor to Li Chengqian would help clarify the situation.
42.
Wei Zheng personally visited Wei, with Li Chengqian, and he pointed at his daughter Princess Hengshan and promised to give her to Wei's son Wei Shuyu in marriage.
43.
Wei Zheng was buried near the tomb of Empress Zhangsun, where Emperor Taizong would eventually himself be buried.
44.
Wei Zheng commissioned a stone monument for Wei, and personally wrote the text of the monument.
45.
Later that year, when Emperor Taizong commissioned the Portraits at Lingyan Pavilion to commemorate the 24 great contributors to Tang rule, Wei Zheng's was one of the portraits commissioned.
46.
Also, it was discovered at the time that Wei Zheng had recorded his adverse advice to Emperor Taizong and given them to Chu, who was the imperial historian as well, displeasing Emperor Taizong further.
47.
Wei Zheng therefore cancelled the planned marriage between Princess Hengshan and Wei Shuyu and destroyed the stone monument that he had commissioned for Wei.
48.
Wei Zheng is venerated as a door god in some Chinese and Taoist temples, usually in partnership with Li Shiji.