Liu Yan

Liu Yan

Liu Yan (716-780), the word Shi an. Nanhua, Caozhou (now Dongming County, Heze City, Shandong Province), was an economic reformer and financier in the Tang Dynasty.

Liu Yan was brilliant in his childhood. He was known as a child prodigy and famous in the capital. In the Three Character Classic, Liu Yan of Tang Dynasty was seven years old. Take the child prodigy as the correct word. Liu Yan served successively as the Minister of the Ministry of official affairs, the Minister of Tongzhong, the Minister of Duzhi, the Minister of Zhuqian and the Minister of salt and iron, and was the founder of Pengcheng county. Liu Yan carried out a series of financial reform measures, such as reforming the salt law, reforming the water transport law and reforming the Changping law, which made an important contribution to the economic development of the Tang Dynasty after the an Shi rebellion. On June 27 of the first year of Baoying (762), Emperor Li Yu of Tang Dynasty appointed Liu Yan, the governor of Tongzhou, as the Minister of the Ministry of household and the Minister of Jing Zhaoyin, to serve as the Minister of Du Zhi, the Minister of transportation, the Minister of salt and iron, and the Minister of casting money.

In the first year of Jianzhong (780), Liu Yan was framed by Yang Yan's slander and killed himself at the age of 65. Later, Li Shi, Emperor Dezong of the Tang Dynasty, gave a gift to the governor of Zhengzhou and a gift to situ. Liu Yan's works are recorded in Quan Tang Wen and Quan Tang Shi.

Life of the characters

Early experience

In 716, Liu Yan was born in Nanhua, Caozhou (now Dongming County, Heze City, Shandong Province).

In November 725, Emperor Xuanzong of the Tang Dynasty, Li Longji, granted Zen in Mount Tai. Liu Yanxian sent his eulogy to Xuanzong's residence. Xuanzong was surprised that Liu Yan was so young that he was good at writing. He ordered Prime Minister Zhang Shuo to investigate Liu Yan. After Zhang Shuo's investigation, Liu Yan said, "Liu Yan is Guorui." Emperor Xuanzong should make Liu Yan the official name of the crown prince. The ministers invited Liu Yan one after another at noon, and Liu Yan won the name of child prodigy, which made him famous.

A new official career

During the reign of Tianbao, Liu Yan was promoted many times and then served as the magistrate of Xia County. He did not supervise the payment of taxes, but the people did not violate the time limit to pay taxes. Liu Yan was elected as a virtuous and upright person, and was appointed as the magistrate of Wenxian county. There were records of good governance in his office, and people engraved steles to recite it. He was promoted to the rank of imperial censor.

Tianbao 15 years (755), an Lushan Rebellion, Liu Yan to avoid chaos Xiangyang. Li Li, the king of Yongwang, appointed Liu Yan as a senior official, but he firmly refused. He wrote to Fang Guan, talking about the difference between enfeoffment and ancient times: "it's impossible for all the kings to go out from the palace to take office and hope for the credit of jianqihuan and Jin Wengong all at once." An imperial edict appointed him to be a doctor of Duzhi, a minister of imperial history, and to manage the affairs of Jianghuai rentyong.

In November of the first year of Zhide (756), Liu Yan went to Wujun and met with Li Li, who rebelled against him. Li Xiyan asked Liu Yan to guard Yuhang. After Li Xiyan was defeated, he escaped according to Liu Yan's method. Liu Yan told Li Xiyan how to defend himself, so Li Xiyan recruited volunteers to hold the barracks.

In the second year of Zhide (757), Li Li was defeated. He wanted to go back and capture the counties. When he heard that Liu Yan was on guard, he fled from the west of Jinling. Liu Yan never talked about his credit. Tang Su Zong recalled Li Heng's appointment as Peng Yuan, and later transferred to the two prefectural governor of Gansu and China. He was soon promoted to Henan Fu Yin.

In February of the second year of Shangyuan Dynasty (761), Shi Chaoyi occupied Luoyang, and Liu Yan was still governing Changshui county. He was also promoted to minister of the Ministry of household affairs, and concurrently served as Zhongcheng, censor, and envoy of Duzhi, Minqian, Yantie, etc.

Some people accused Hong Lu Qing Kang Qian of having connections with Shi Chaoyi. This matter implicated Si Nong Qing Yan Zhuang, and Su Zong put them all in prison. Jing Zhaoyin and Liu Yan sent officials to guard Yan Zhuang's home. Soon after, Emperor suzong ordered Yan Zhuang to be released and summoned. Yan Zhuang hated Liu Yan very much, so he said that Liu Yan often revealed some gossip in the palace to Yan Zhuang, boasted of his contributions and complained about suzong. On the sixth day of November, Liu Yan was demoted to TongZhou governor, Yan Zhuang demoted to Nanjiang County captain, and Kang Qian was executed for crime. On the seventh day of November, Zhongcheng Yuanzai, the imperial censor, served as the Minister of the Ministry of household affairs, and served as an envoy of Duzhi, Zhuqian, Yantie and Jianghuai transportation. Yuan Zai was a doctor of Duzhi at the beginning. Su Zong appreciated yuan Zai's ability and appointed yuan Zai to be in charge of Jianghuai water transportation. A few months later, he replaced Liu Yan and took charge of the national finance.

rapidly go up in the world

On June 27 of the first year of Baoying (762), Emperor Li Yu of Tang Dynasty appointed Liu Yan, the governor of Tongzhou, as the Minister of the Ministry of household and the Minister of Jing Zhaoyin, to serve as the Minister of Du Zhi, the Minister of transportation, the Minister of salt and iron, and the Minister of casting money. Jing Zhaoyin, Zheng Shuqing and Li Qiwu, were dismissed because of their cruelty and greed. Daizong issued an imperial edict ordering Liu Yan to concurrently serve as Jing Zhaoyin. On November 14, Daizong appointed Liu Yan, the Minister of the Ministry of household affairs, to be concurrently the water and land transportation envoy of Henan road. Liu Yan gave the Chamberlain of the Ministry of household and Jing Zhaoyin to Yan Zhenqing and Yan Wu respectively, and was renamed Guozijian to offer sacrifices.

In the first month of the first year of Guangde (763), Liu Yan was appointed Minister of the Ministry of Li and Minister of Tongzhong. Because of his good relationship with Cheng Yuanzhen, he was dismissed as a guest of the crown prince. Before long, he was promoted to the rank of imperial censor, and served as an envoy to Dongdu, Henan, Jianghuai, zuyong, Yantie and Changping.

At that time, after the war, the price of rice in the capital was 1000 yuan per Dou, and the Imperial Palace kitchen had no savings for a quarter. It was supplied by the farmers in the suburbs of the capital and the nearby counties and counties. Liu Yan personally inspected the river and took a boat from Huaihe River and Sihe River to reach Bianhe River and enter the Yellow River. To the west, we pass through dizhu and Xiashi to observe the ruins of Sanmen channel ferry; to Heyin, Gongxian and Luoyang, we see Lianggong weir built by yuwenkai, diverting the Yellow River water into Tongji canal, and observing the new dike built by Li Jie, we know all their disadvantages and advantages.

Liu Yan worried that the water transport would be controlled by others, so he sent a letter to the prime minister yuan Zai. Because Yuan Zai was busy with the dictatorship of the central government, he handed over all the water transport affairs to Liu Yan after receiving the letter, so Liu Yan could give full play to his talent. As soon as the goods arrived, Daizong was very happy. He sent guards to play music to greet him at Dongwei bridge, and sent messengers to comfort him and say, "you are really my Xiao He!" A total of 400000 grains are transported every year. From then on, even if there is drought and flood in Guanzhong, the price will not rise.

In the spring of the first year of Dali (766), on the 30th of the first month, Emperor Zong of the Tang Dynasty appointed Liu Yan, the Minister of the Ministry of household, as the transit envoy of Duji Road, Henan Road, Huainan Road, Jiangnan Road, Hunan Road, Jingnan Road, Shannan Road, Changping Road, Zhuqian Road, Yantie Road, etc., and Shi Lang Di Wuqi as the transit envoy of Jingji Road, Guannei Road, Hedong Road, Jiannan Road, Shannan Road, etc., to manage the state's finance and taxation respectively . He was also in charge of the selection, appointment and examination of the officials in the Ministry of official affairs, and the examination and treatment were good and bad, so his subordinates respected Liu Yan.

In the 12th year of Dali (777), Zhongshu Shilang and Tongping Zhangshi Yuanzai were very bossy, while Huangmen Shilang and Tongping Zhangshi WANGJIN were attached to Yuanzai. They were very greedy. Yuan Zai's wife, Wang Shi, his sons, Yuan Bohe and Yuan Zhongwu, Wang Jin's younger brother and sister, and the nuns who went in and out of Wang's gate all vied for bribes. Yuan Zai and Wang Jin entrusted the government affairs to the officials. If they did not flatter their children and Zhuo Yingqian, they would not be able to enter the official career. Daizong had been tolerant for many years, but Yuanzai and Wang Jin still did not repent. Daizong wanted to kill them. He was afraid of leaking information. There was no one to talk with, but he planned with general Wu of Zuo Jinwu. Wu CuO is the uncle of Daizong. It happened that some people accused Yuanzai and Wang Jin of holding the sacrifice ceremony of praying for the gods at night and plotting against them. On March 28, Daizong came to Yanying hall and ordered Wu CuO to arrest yuan Zai and Wang Jin in zhengshitang. He also arrested yuan Zhongwu and Zhuo Yingqian and put them in prison. Liu Yan was afraid that Yuanzai's party was powerful, so he did not dare to interrogate Yuanzai and others alone. Therefore, Daizong ordered Liu Yan, the Minister of the Ministry of officials, and Li Han, the imperial historian, to interrogate them together. The prosecution documents came out of the palace, and eunuch envoys were sent to accuse them of their secret activities. Yuanzai and Wang Jin all pleaded guilty. On that day, Daizong first ordered people in the palace to kill general Zuowei and Dong Xiu, who was in charge of the internal affairs of the province, with a staff. Later, he gave Yuanzai, who was in Wannian County, a gift to commit suicide. Yuan Zai asked the official in charge to say, "I hope to die soon!" The official in charge said, "you will be slightly insulted. Please don't take it amiss!" So he took off his smelly socks and put them into yuan Zai's mouth to kill him. At the beginning, Wang Jin was also given to commit suicide. Liu Yan told Li Han and others, "according to Zhao's practice, the application of severe punishment should be reviewed, not to mention the minister! In addition, there are differences between the first offender and the accomplice in law, and they should be reported to the emperor again for treatment. " Li Han and others agreed. So emperor Daizong demoted Wang Jin to be the governor of Kezhou.

In December of the 13th year of Dali (778), Chang gun was in power. He was envious of Liu Yan's prestige, so he praised Liu Yan's past achievements. He thought that he should be appointed Zuo pushe as a model of all officials, and actually wanted to seize his power. In consideration of the improvement of the management work, Emperor Daizong issued an imperial edict to minister of the Ministry of official affairs, concurrently serve as an envoy for transportation, salt and iron, etc. At the beginning, Liu Yan assigned various envoys to the imperial court, and carefully chose officials in the imperial court to take charge. At that time, because of the lack of funds, all the assistant officials in the whole country were stopped. Only the renter could supplement the officials, and the number increased to several hundred. All of them were young and talented talents. Under the supervision and reuse of Liu Yan, they were able to build a successful career. Even if the powerful people wanted to apply for jobs, Liu Yan would only give them high salaries instead of letting them take power, so everyone was diligent. He once said: "officials have titles and salaries, so for officials, reputation is more important than interests. Small officials have no status and can not be promoted, so for small officials, interests are more important than reputation. " Therefore, the work of examining the cashier situation can only appoint officials, and petty officials only need to act according to orders. The people Liu Yan appointed were thousands of miles away, obeying orders, just like in front of Liu Yan's eyes, being lazy and neglecting his normal work. Only Liu Yan can do this, no one else can. Daizong once ordered Liu Yan to investigate the quality of his officials. If the assassin was guilty, those with more than five grades would be imprisoned for trial. For those below six grades, they should be punished with the stick first, and then reported to Daizong.

In May 779, Li Shi appointed Han Fu, the Minister of the Ministry of household affairs, as the Minister of Taichang, and Liu Yan, the Minister of the Ministry of official affairs, appointed Du Zhi. At first, Liu Yan and Han Fu were in charge of property taxes in the world. Liu Yan was in charge of Jiangnan, Shannan

Chinese PinYin : Liu Yan