Liu Ye

Liu Ye (died January 24, 881? ), courtesy name Hanfan , was an official of the Chinese Tang dynasty, serving as a chancellor during the reigns of Emperor Yizong and Emperor Yizong's son Emperor Xizong.

Background It is not known when Liu Ye was born. His family was from Run Prefecture (潤州, in modern Zhenjiang, Jiangsu), and his father Liu Sanfu was a long-time staff member of Li Deyu when Li was a regional governor. Later, when Li became a powerful chancellor during the reign of Emperor Wuzong, Liu served under Li in the imperial government, eventually reaching the post of deputy minister of justice. It was after a petition by Liu Sanfu that Lady Pei, the wife of the deceased military governor Liu Congjian, whose adoptive son (and biological nephew) Liu Zhen rebelled against the imperial government, was put to death, apparently at Li's behest, in 844. It was shortly after Liu Sanfu's petition regarding Lady Pei that he himself died of illness. He later continued to serve under Gao when Gao was transferred to Zhenguo Circuit (鎮國, headquartered in modern Weinan, Shaanxi). Later, Liu served as an imperial scholar (翰林學士, Hanlin Xueshi). Eventually, he rose to be Zhongshu Sheren , a mid-level official at the legislative bureau (中書省, Zhongshu Sheng), deputy minister of census (戶部侍郎, Hubu Shilang), and chief imperial scholar (翰林學士承旨, Hanlin Xueshi Chengzhi).

In 871, Liu was given the additional post of director of the salt and iron monopolies. Liu was unable to follow Emperor Xizong in his flight, and he, as well as the current chancellors Doulu Zhuan and Cui Hang, hid at the house of the imperial guard general Zhang Zhifang, who had publicly submitted to Huang but had secreted a number of Tang officials at his house. When the Qi troops intensified their searches for Tang officials, Liu fled with Doulu and Cui at night, but all three were captured. Huang offered them official posts, but they refused and were executed.

Notes and references

Old Book of Tang, vol. 177. New Book of Tang, vol. 183. Zizhi Tongjian, vols. 250, 252, 254.