Cui Yin

Cui Yin (崔胤) (854 – February 1, 904 ), courtesy name Chuixiu (垂休), nickname Zilang (緇郎), formally the Duke of Wei (魏公), was an official of the Chinese Tang dynasty, serving as a chancellor during the reign of Emperor Zhaozong. He was a controversial figure in the late Tang period, who ruthlessly tried to destroy the powerful eunuchs at court and whose actions in that regard had traditionally made him regarded as one of the persons causing the demise of the dynasty at the hands of the warlord Zhu Quanzhong the military governor of Xuanwu Circuit (宣武, headquartered in modern Kaifeng, Henan) (who would overthrow Tang and establish his own Later Liang).

Background Cui Yin was born in 854, during the reign of Emperor Xuānzong. (According to the biography of the powerful eunuch Qiu Shiliang in the New Book of Tang, Cui Yin developed a hatred for eunuchs early in his life due to Cui Shenyou's relating to him of an incident during the earlier reign of Emperor Xuānzong's nephew Emperor Wenzong, when Qiu tried to have Emperor Wenzong deposed.)

Early career After Cui Yin passed the imperial examinations in the Jinshi class, he served on the staff of Wang Chongrong the military governor of Hezhong Circuit (河中, headquartered in modern Yuncheng, Shanxi). (Wang was military governor of Hezhong from 881 to Wang's death in 887, placing a timeframe on Cui's service under him.) Later, after Cui was recalled to the imperial government, he served successively as Kaogong Yuanwailang and then Libu Yuanwailang , both low-level positions at the ministry of civil service affairs (吏部, Libu). He was later promoted to a supervisory position at the ministry of civil service affairs (郎中, Langzhong). He was later made imperial attendant (給事中, Jishizhong) and then Zhongshu Sheren , a mid-level official at the legislative bureau of government (中書省, Zhongshu Sheng). During the Dashun era of Emperor Xuānzong's grandson Emperor Zhaozong (890–891), Cui successively served as deputy minister of defense (兵部侍郎, Bingbu Shilang) then deputy minister of civil service affairs (吏部侍郎, Libu Shilang).

In 895, when Wang Chongrong's brother and successor Wang Chongying died at Hezhong (which had been renamed Huguo at this point), the soldiers supported Wang Chongrong's adoptive son and biological nephew Wang Ke to succeed him as the military governor, but Wang Chongying's son Wang Gong, then the military governor of neighboring Baoyi Circuit (保義, headquartered in modern Sanmenxia, Henan), also had designs on Huguo. Wang Ke was supported by his father-in-law Li Keyong the military governor of Hedong Circuit (河東, headquartered in modern Taiyuan, Shanxi), while Wang Gong was supported by his allies Li Maozhen the military governor of Fengxiang Circuit (鳳翔, headquartered in modern Baoji, Shaanxi), Wang Xingyu the military governor of Jingnan Circuit (靜難, headquartered in modern Xianyang, Shaanxi), and Han Jian the military governor of Zhenguo Circuit (鎮國, headquartered in modern Weinan, Shaanxi), and all these military governors submitted competing petitions to Emperor Zhaozong in support of Wang Ke or Wang Gong. Emperor Zhaozong initially approved Li Keyong's request and made Wang Ke the military governor of Huguo but, subsequently, trying to settle the dispute, named Cui the military governor of Huguo, still carrying the Tong Zhongshu Menxia Pingzhangshi designation as an honorary title. Wang Tuan was made a chancellor to replace him.

This failed to settle the dispute, however, and, at Cui Zhaowei's instigation (as Cui Zhaowei was allied with Li Maozhen and Wang Xingyu), the three military governors who supported Wang Gong marched on the imperial capital Chang'an, killing the chancellors Li Xi and Wei Zhaodu and forcing Emperor Zhaozong to accede to their demands. That, in turn, caused Li Keyong to launch his troops to attack them. Emperor Zhaozong, fearing that Li Maozhen and/or Wang Xingyu would seize him, fled into the Qinling Mountains. (During this 896–899 term as chancellor, it was said that Cui secretly plotted with the emperor to slaughter the eunuchs. Wang Tuan, fearing the repercussions of such a plot, urged moderation, pointing out that a major confrontation between imperial officials and eunuchs would have uncertain results. When Cui was removed from the chancellor position in 899, he thus suspected Wang of being behind his removal and hated Wang from this point on; he also accused Wang of being in league with the powerful eunuch directors of palace communications Zhu Daobi and Jing Wuxiu

Latter two terms as chancellor In 900, Cui Yin was sent out of the capital to serve as military governor of Qinghai Circuit (清海, headquartered in modern Guangzhou, Guangdong), carrying the Tong Zhongshu Menxia Pingzhangshi as an honorary designation. Cui, believing that Wang Tuan was trying to eliminate him as a rival, wrote Zhu Quanzhong to ask for aid. Zhu Quanzhong, in response, submitted multiple petitions accusing Wang of collaboration with Zhu Daobi and Jing Wuxiu and urging Emperor Zhaozong to keep Cui as a chancellor. As a result, Cui was recalled from his journey to Qinghai. Upon arrival in Chang'an, he was made chancellor again, as well as Sikong (司空, one of the Three Excellencies) and Menxia Shilang , the deputy head of the examination bureau (門下省, Menxia Sheng). Wang was initially demoted to be the deputy minister of public works, while Zhu Daobi and Jing were sent out of the capital to serve as eunuch monitors; soon, all three were ordered to commit suicide. After this incident, Cui became, effectively, the most powerful official at court, and the eunuchs hated him. It was said that, because he was jealous of the more senior Xu Yanruo, that Xu decided to ask for the Qinghai assignment himself and was soon made the military governor of Qinghai.

Meanwhile, Li Maozhen, resolved to seek peace, killed Han and the other eunuchs, as well as Li Jiyun, Li Jihui, and Li Yanbi, sending their heads to Zhu. Zhu, however, while stopping the active siege efforts, did not initially end the siege. Li Maozhen then had Emperor Zhaozong summon Cui to Fengxiang and restore all of Cui's offices; Li Maozhen also personally wrote Cui in humble terms. Cui, initially fearing that it was a trap by Li Maozhen, refused, but Zhu, asking him to broker a peace agreement, persuaded him to do so. Subsequently, Li Maozhen delivered the emperor to Zhu, and Zhu and Cui escorted Emperor Zhaozong back to the capital. At Cui's and Zhu's urging, Emperor Zhaozong issued an edict ordering the general slaughter of the eunuchs, ending a lengthy period of power for the palace eunuchs. Cui was put in command of the imperial guards generally. Also at Cui's urging, the chancellors Su Jian and Lu Guangqi, who were commissioned by Emperor Zhaozong while Emperor Zhaozong was at Fengxiang and were Li Maozhen's allies, were ordered to commit suicide, while Wang Pu was removed from his chancellor position.

Zhu subsequently left Chang'an, but left a Xuanwu contingent at Chang'an, commanded by his nephew Zhu Youlun . While Cui and Zhu Quanzhong were longtime allies, Cui began to be apprehensive that Zhu intended to control the imperial government by himself and eventually take over the throne. Cui thus urged Emperor Zhaozong to allow him to reconscript soldiers for the imperial guards. In winter 903, Zhu Youlun died in an accident while playing polo—but Zhu Quanzhong became convinced that Cui was behind Zhu Youlun's death. He was also suspicious of Cui's intentions in rebuilding the imperial guards, and therefore had soldiers in his own army pretend to be new conscripts and join Cui's imperial guards, to watch what he was doing. In spring 904, Zhu submitted a petition to Emperor Zhaozong, accusing Cui and his associates Zheng Yuangui the mayor of Jingzhao Municipality (京兆, i.e., the Chang'an region) and the army officer Chen Ban of treason. Emperor Zhaozong, apparently under duress from Zhu, thereafter issued an edict demoting Cui to be an advisor to the Crown Prince, with his office at Luoyang. Soon thereafter, Zhu's soldiers surrounded Cui's mansions and put Cui to death, along with Zheng and Chen.

Notes and references

Old Book of Tang, vol. 177. New Book of Tang, vol. 223, part 2. Zizhi Tongjian, vols. 259, 260, 261, 262, 263, 264.