Fang Xuanling

Fang Xuanling. Painting by Kikuchi Yōsai (1781–1878).

Fang Xuanling ( Chinese  房玄齡 , Pinyin Fáng Xuánlíng , * 579 ; † 648 ), maiden name Fang Qiao ( Chinese  房 喬 , Pinyin Fáng Qiáo ), posthumously Prince Wenzhao von Liang ( Chinese  梁文昭 公 , Pinyin Liáng Wénzhāo Gōng ) was a Politicians and historians of the Chinese Tang Dynasty . Alongside his successor Du Ruhui, he is considered a role model for all chancellors .

Fang Xuanling's influence on Emperor Tang Taizong was very great and is described in vivid anecdotes in Tang's book .

Life

youth

Fang Xuanling was born in 579, just before the collapse of the Northern Zhou Dynasty . He came from a noble family: his great-grandfather Fáng Yì (房 翼) was a general, civil servant and hereditary prince under the Northern Wei Dynasty , his grandfather Fáng Xióng (房 熊) a civil servant, his father Fáng Yànqiān (房 彥 謙) a civil administrator of the Sui dynasty .

Fang Xuanling received extensive training and was a gifted calligrapher in his youth. Even then, he is said to have had political foresight, as the following story from Tang illustrates: On a trip to the capital Chang'an , his father noticed that the Sui dynasty would last for a long time because it would bring peace to the country . Fang Xuanling is said to have replied: “The emperor ( Wen von Sui ) has no merits or virtues, he won rule through betrayal. He withheld long-term profit from his heirs. And because the heir to the throne is no different from his brethren, they will vie for succession, just as they will vie in waste and luxury. Eventually they will kill each other and the state will fail. Even if everything is peaceful at the moment, I expect the fall of the dynasty soon. ” This assessment later turned out to be correct.

In 596, at the age of seventeen, Fang Xuanling passed the civil servant examination and became an officer in the Imperial Army. Despite the great impression he made on Interior Minister Gao Xiaoji (高 孝 基), it seems that Fang Xuanling's service did not last long. When his father fell ill, he cared for him for ten years until his death. He then fasted for five days. He later received the post of governor of Xisheng District (隰 城, in what is now Lüliang , Shanxi ).

Service under Li Shimin

In 617, General Li Yuan's revolt against Emperor Yang of Sui broke out. Fang Xuanling went to Li Shimin's son, Li Yuan's camp , and offered his services. On the recommendation of counselor Wen Yanbo , Fang was accepted and soon became Li Shimin's chief of staff and close confidante. Even after the fall of the Sui Dynasty in 618, Fang Xuanling retained his position under Li Shimin, the current Prince of Qi.

In 621, Li Shimin defeated the warlord Wang Shichong and occupied his capital Luoyang . He sent Fang Xuanling there to protect the imperial archives (from the Sui period), but Wang Shichong had already burned them. In the same year, Li Shimin was honored by the emperor for his successes and built a country house where the literary advisors of his staff could research and discuss. There, Fang Xuanling came into contact with the later chancellors Du Ruhui and Xu Jingzong . While Fang hatched the best plans, he was always undecided about what decisions to make. Du Ruhui, on the other hand, was able to judge very quickly which approach was best. The Chinese proverb (later developed) comes from their collaboration: “Fang plans, you decide” (房 謀 杜 斷, Fang mou du duan).

Promotion to "Chancellor", personal advisor to the Crown Prince, Prince of Wei

Fang and Du became involved in a follow-up dispute between Crown Prince Li Jiancheng and Li Shimin in 626, as a result of which the Crown Prince and Prince Li Yuanji were executed. Despite their reluctant roles, both you and Fang were honored by Li Shimin. Fang was even made Zhongshu Ling (中書令), a post that corresponded to the future chancellor . Two months later, Li Shimin became emperor after his father abdicated. The next year, he appointed his five most senior advisors and generals to be princes: Yuchi Jingde, Hou Junji, Zhangsun Wuji , Du Ruhui, and Fang Xuanling.

In 630, Du Ruhui and Fang Xuanling were appointed personal advisers to Crown Prince Li Chengqian . That year, Fang also received the title of Prince of Wei .

Merits, government reform (634), impeachment, reinstatement, Prince of Liang

One of Fang's most outstanding achievements was the introduction of the simplified government reform in 634. Nevertheless, he was relieved of his office for unknown reasons 636 and retired to his estate. At the request of the dying Empress Zhangsun, however, the Emperor reinstated Fang. In 637 he bestowed the title of Prince of Liang and the hereditary post of Civil Administrator of Song Prefecture. Nevertheless, Fang remained in the capital as Chancellor until the prefecture was finally revoked.

Honors, marriage of his children into the imperial house, title

In 638, Fang Xuanling and Wei Zheng (580–643) received the Imperial Sword as an award for their services. The next year, Fang's son Fang Yi'ai (房 遺 愛) was married to the Imperial Princess Gaoyang, and Fang's daughter was married to Prince Li Yuanjia (李元嘉) of Han. In 642, Fang Xuanling was decorated with the title of Sikong (司空) and included among the Three Exalted (an honorary title for outstanding officials since the Han Dynasty ). In 643 the emperor commissioned a series of paintings from the famous portrait painter Yan Liben , which were mounted on the outer walls of the Lingyan Palace and depict 24 eminent politicians. Fang Xuanling's picture was also included. In the same year, the emperor deposed his crown prince Li Chengqian and raised Li Tai to crown prince in his place . He appointed Zhangsun Wuji, Xiao Yu and Fang Xuanling as advisers to the Crown Prince .

Compilation of the history of the dynasty (Book of Jin) and death

In the last years of his life, Fang Xuanling used the state archives to compile a history of the Jin Dynasty (265-420) (the Book of Jin ). Emperor Taizong himself wrote some chapters. Fang Xuanling died in 648 at the age of 69. His descendants became minor rural officials.

Individual evidence

1. ↑ Tang's Book , Volume 66

literature

• Karl Bünger: Sources on the legal history of the T'ang period . New, expanded edition with a foreword by Denis Twitchett. Steyler Verlag, Nettetal 1996, ISBN 3-8050-0375-7 , ( Monumenta serica Monograph series 9).

Web links

Wikisource: Fang Xuanling  - Sources and full texts (Chinese)