Su Wei

Su Wei (蘇威; 542–623), courtesy name Wuwei , was a Chinese politician of the Chinese Sui dynasty. He first became an important official during the reign of Sui's founder Emperor Wen, and after Emperor Wen's death continued to serve Emperor Wen's son Emperor Yang. He was often praised for his abilities and integrity but criticized for pettiness. and then under the warlords Yuwen Huaji, Li Mi, and Wang Shichong. After Wang Shichong's state of Zheng was destroyed by Tang dynasty in 621, neither the Tang general Li Shimin (the later Emperor Taizong) nor Li Shimin's father Emperor Gaozu of Tang was interested in retaining Su as an official, and Su Wei died soon thereafter. although Yuwen Hu maintained power over the reigns of three emperors -- Emperor Xiaomin (whom Yuwen Hu later deposed and killed As one of Yang's close advisors, Gao Jiong, had long praised Su for his abilities, Yang invited Su to join his staff.) After serving under Yang for a month, Su heard that Yang was intending to seize the throne, and he fled into the country.

In 590, due to an investigative report submitted by Yu that pointed out that the township mayors were indeed often corrupt, Emperor Wen ordered that the township layer be abolished—but instead of punishing Su, he became angry when Li pointed out that he had previously opposed the idea but now wanted to wait to see if the idea could be reworked, and he demoted Li to a provincial governorship, particularly with Su accusing Li himself of corruption. Yang Su took over Su Wei's posts. By summer 594, Emperor Wen had restored Su Wei to his dukedom and again made him the head of the examination bureau.

During Emperor Yang's reign In 604, Emperor Wen died—a death that traditional historians, while admitting a lack of direct evidence, generally believed to be a murder ordered by his son and Yang Guang the Crown Prince. Yang Guang took the throne as Emperor Yang, and Su Wei continued to serve as co-prime minister.

In 607, despite Su's opposition, Emperor Yang built a section of the Great Wall from Yulin to Zihe (紫河, in modern Hohhot, Inner Mongolia), employing over a million men in labor. Su was subsequently removed from office. However, Su escaped the fate of Gao Jiong, Yuwen Bi , and Heruo Bi , who were executed for their similar oppositions to Emperor Yang's construction and military campaigns.

In the fall of 615, while Emperor Yang was touring the frontier districts, Shibi Khan and the Eastern Turks launched a surprise attack against Yanmen Commandery in reprisal against various offenses by the emperor. Princess Yicheng—daughter of a Sui clansman—secretly informed the emperor of the attack, and Emperor Yang and his entourage fled to the safety of the commandery seat at present-day Daixian, Shanxi. Shibi Khan then besieged the town on September 11. Yuwen initially suggested that Emperor Yang fight his way out of the siege, but Su opposed taking such risks and eventually, under the advice of Emperor Yang's brother-in-law Xiao Yu, Emperor Yang sought more aid from Princess Yicheng. Emperor Yang's extravagant promises of promotion and reward brought reinforcements and Princess Yicheng falsely informed the khan that the Turks were under attack from the north. Shibi Khan then lifted the siege. With the northern empire under the effects of agrarian rebellions, Su subsequently advised Emperor Yang to return to the capital Chang'an, and Emperor Yang initially agreed. However, Yuwen suggested going to the eastern capital Luoyang instead, and Emperor Yang went to Luoyang and would never again go to Chang'an in his lifetime. Subsequently, when Su was examining the proposed promotions to soldiers based on their contributions assisting Yanmen Commandery lift the siege, he reviewed them strictly and promoted few of them, a decision that Emperor Yang agreed with, but which brought much dissension among the army ranks. —a lament by the five brothers of King Taikang of Xia dynasty that he lost his kingdom due to his excessive cruelty and hunting—and believed that Su was criticizing him. He was further incensed when Su, while discussing the issue of another campaign against Goguryeo, sarcastically suggested that if Emperor Yang pardoned all of the agrarian rebels, there would be hundreds of thousands of soldiers available to attack Goguryeo. Emperor Yang thereafter complained about Su to Pei Yun, and Pei Yun then had a man named Zhang Xingben accuse Su of inappropriate promotions and fear of Tujue. who served as hong lu qing during the Sui era. Su Kui's son, Su Dan (苏亶), was Inspector of Taizhou during Emperor Taizong's reign. Su Dan's son, Su Gui (苏瓌) had biographies in both Old Book of Tang and New Book of Tang. Su Dan's eldest daughter also became the wife and crown princess of Emperor Taizong's first crown prince Li Chengqian on 9 February 635.