Wei Mo

Wei Mo (魏謩 or 魏謨; 793–858), courtesy name Shenzhi (申之), was an official of the Chinese Tang dynasty, who served as a chancellor during the reign of Emperor Xuānzong.

Background Wei Mo was born in 793, during the reign of Emperor Dezong. He was a fifth-generation descendant of the famed early Tang chancellor Wei Zheng, who had served a distinguished career under Emperor Taizong. Wei Mo's great-grandfather Wei Yin (魏殷), grandfather Wei Ming (魏明), and father—whose name was variously given as Wei Feng (魏馮) all served as county magistrates.

In 838, Wei was promoted to be an imperial chronicler with the title Qiju Sheren (起居舍人). (The Gantang was a poem in which the people of Zhou dynasty memorialized the great early Zhou statesman Ji Shi the Duke of Shao.)

In 839, Wei was given the additional title of Jianyi Daifu (諫議大夫), and continued to serve as Qiju Sheren. Thereafter, Wei Mo was promoted to be the prefect of Ying Prefecture (郢州, in modern Wuhan, Hubei), and then moved even closer to the capital to be the prefect of Shang Prefecture (商州, in modern Shangluo, Shaanxi). In 848, he was recalled to Chang'an to serve as imperial attendant (給事中, Jishizhong), and then to be deputy chief imperial censor (御史中丞, Yushi Zhongcheng). While serving as deputy chief imperial censor, he submitted an accusation of corruption against Emperor Xuānzong's brother-in-law Du Zhongli (杜中立), which shocked the nobles and caused them to fear him. Later, he was made the deputy minister of census (戶部侍郎, Hubu Shilang) as well, and in that capacity was to serve as the director of taxation. He submitted a petition in which he pointed out that it would be inappropriate for him to oversee matters of money and continue to serve as censor, and by his request, he was relieved of his censor duties.

In 852, Li Ye (李業) the military governor of Hedong Circuit (河東, headquartered in modern Taiyuan, Shanxi) caused disturbances on the border by allowing the Han people to pillage the non-Han and also by killing those non-Han who had surrendered. However, Li Ye was not punished because he had backing of powerful people at court. Only Wei dared to submit an accusation against Li Ye, asking that he be relieved of his duties entirely; Emperor Xuānzong did not do so, but replaced Li Ye with Lu Jun (盧均) and transferred Li Ye to Yicheng Circuit (義成, headquartered in modern Anyang, Henan). He died in winter 858 and was given posthumous honors.

Notes and references

Old Book of Tang, vol. 176. New Book of Tang, vol. 97. Zizhi Tongjian, vols. 245, 246, 249.