Huangfu Bo

Huangfu Bo (皇甫鎛; died 820) was a Chinese economist and politician. He served as an official of the Chinese Tang dynasty, serving as a chancellor during the reign of Emperor Xianzong. He was viewed by traditional historians as a wicked official who pleased Emperor Xianzong by submitting revenues for Emperor Xianzong's personal use and who used machinations to expel his colleagues Pei Du and Cui Qun from the imperial government.

Background It is not known when Huangfu Bo was born, but it is known that his family was from Jing Prefecture (涇州, in modern Pingliang, Gansu) and traced its ancestry to the ducal house of the Spring and Autumn period state Song. According to his biography in the Old Book of Tang, both his grandfather Huangfu Linji (皇甫鄰幾) and father Huangfu Yu (皇甫愉) served as prefectural prefects, although according to the table of the chancellors' family trees in the New Book of Tang, both Huangfu Linji and Huangfu Yu were without offices. He had at least one older brother, Huangfu Yong (皇甫鏞). He later became Libu Yuanwailang (吏部員外郎), a low-level official at the ministry of civil service affairs (吏部, Libu), in charge of selecting non-official-status government employees. He served in this capacity for three years, and it was said that he was capable in stopping inappropriate candidates from being selected. He was thereafter promoted to be Libu Langzhong (吏部郎中), a supervisorial official at the ministry of civil service affairs. He was thereafter made deputy minister of census (戶部侍郎, Hubu Shilang) and continued to be the director of finances as well. At that time, Emperor Xianzong was conducting a campaign against the warlord Wu Yuanji, who controlled Zhangyi Circuit (彰義, headquartered in modern Zhumadian, Henan), and much revenue was needed. Huangfu was said to be harsh in his extraction of money. He drew Emperor Xianzong's favor and was also given the additional title of chief imperial censor (御史大夫, Yushi Daifu).

As chancellor In 818, after Wu Yuanji was defeated, Emperor Xianzong was said to begin to be wasteful in his spending. As both Huangfu Bo and the director of salt and iron monopolies Cheng Yi were considered capable in getting him revenues, he made both Huangfu and Cheng chancellors de facto with the title Tong Zhongshu Menxia Pingzhangshi (同中書門下平章事), over the strenuous objections of Cui Qun and Pei Du. Pei, indeed, wrote a harshly worded objection that criticized Cheng but even more so Huangfu, and he requested to resign rather than to serve with them. Emperor Xianzong did not accept Pei's resignation or his criticism of either Huangfu or Cheng. Meanwhile, Huangfu was carrying out a scheme where the excess palace supplies were sold to the government in exchange for money at market value—even though the excess palace supplies were often of poor quality or had deteriorated such that they could no longer be used—so that the palace treasury (separate from the imperial government treasury) would be replenished at the expense of the government. When Pei pointed this out to Emperor Xianzong, Huangfu pointed to his own boots and stated that he had himself bought the boots from the palace excess supplies, and that the boots were of high quality and durable. Emperor Xianzong thus did not believe Pei. Huangfu also proposed that the salaries of the officials be reduced to enrich the treasury. When the imperial attendant Cui Zhi (崔植) opposed this proposal, it was not carried out.

Later in 819, there was an occasion when Emperor Xianzong asked the chancellors why the reign of his ancestor Emperor Xuanzong started out well but ended in disaster. Cui pointed out that initially, Emperor Xuanzong trusted such chancellors as Yao Chong, Song Jing, Lu Huaishen, Su Ting, Han Xiu, and Zhang Jiuling, but late in the reign trusted such chancellors as Yuwen Rong, Li Linfu, and Yang Guozhong, and that it was his poor selection of chancellors at the end that led to the disaster. It was said that because this comment was viewed as directed at Huangfu, Huangfu much resented Cui for the comment. He struck back at Cui late in the year, as earlier in the year, the officials had offered Emperor Xianzong the honorary title of Emperor Yuanhe Shengwen Shenwu Fatian Yingdao (元和聖文神武法天應道皇帝). Huangfu initially wanted two additional characters—Xiaode (孝德, "filial and virtuous"). Cui opined, "Sheng [(聖)] encompassed filial piety," and therefore did not include them. Huangfu thus told Emperor Xianzong, "Cui did not want Your Imperial Majesty to have the characters 'Xiaode.'" At that time, the troops sent to the borders with Tufan were receiving supplies of poor quality and were so displeased that they were on the verge of mutiny—so much so that their commander, the general Li Guangyan, was so distressed to consider suicide. Li Guangyan reported this to Emperor Xianzong, but Huangfu informed Emperor Xianzong that there was nothing wrong with the supplies and that it was Cui who encouraged the soldiers to complain. Emperor Xianzong believed Huangfu, and around the new year 820, Cui was sent out of the capital to serve as the governor (觀察使, Guanchashi) of Hunan Circuit (湖南, headquartered in modern Changsha, Hunan). It was said that because of this action, the people hated Huangfu. But, as new chancellor Xiao Mian, like Linghu Chu, passed the imperial examinations the same year as Huangfu and thus was friendly with him, interceded on his behalf along with a number of eunuchs doing the same, Huangfu was spared.

Notes and references

Old Book of Tang, vol. 135. New Book of Tang, vol. 167. Zizhi Tongjian, vols. 239, 240, 241.