Song Jing


Song Jing , formally Duke Wenzhen of Guangping, was an official of the Chinese Tang Dynasty and Wu Zetian's Zhou Dynasty, serving as the chancellor during the reigns of Emperor Ruizong and Emperor Xuanzong. He was praised by historians for his insistence on being morally upright, and for being a just administrator of the law during his time as Xuanzong's senior chancellor.

Background

Song Jing was born in 663, during the reign of Emperor Gaozong. His clan was originally from Guangping, but by the time of Song Jing's birth, his family had relocated to Xing Prefecture. The clan traced its ancestor to the Northern Wei official Song Bian, although Song Jing's grandfather Song Wuben and father Song Xuanfu served only as local officials. Song Jing was said to be upright in his character from youth. He was also said to be learned and capable in writing, and passed the imperial examinations when he was young.

During Wu Zetian's reign

During the reign of Emperor Gaozong's wife Wu Zetian, Song Jing became Fengge Sheren, a mid-level official at the legislative bureau of government. It was said that he acting properly while in office and was respected by Wu Zetian. In 703, when Wu Zetian's lovers Zhang Yizhi and Zhang Changzong tried to falsely accuse the chancellor Wei Yuanzhong by persuading Song's colleague Zhang Shuo to provide corroboration of their accusation that Wei wanted to pledge loyalty to Wu Zetian's son and crown prince Li Xian instead of Wu Zetian herself, it was Song, along with Zhang Tinggui and Liu Zhiji who persuaded Zhang Shuo that historical reputation was more important than political expediency, which led Zhang Shuo to change his testimony and instead corroborate Wei's innocence. As a result, Wei were exiled, but escaped death.
Meanwhile, Song himself refused to yield to Zhang Yizhi and Zhang Changzong, despite their honored status. At one feast, Zhang Yizhi tried to placate Song by offering the most honored position on the table to Song, which Song declined—and subsequently, publicly showed disapproval when another official, Zheng Gao, used an endearing epithet toward Zhang Yizhi. It was said that Zhang Yizhi and Zhang Changzong later tried to attack Song before Wu Zetian, but Wu Zetian favored Song and therefore took no action.
Song soon became Yushi Zhongcheng, one of the deputy chief imperial censors. In 704, when Zhang Changzong was accused of having had inappropriate discussions with the fortuneteller Li Hongtai, who had told him that he had the appearance of an emperor, Song pressed on with the investigation even though Wu Zetian and the chancellor Yang Zaisi signaled to him that he should stop the investigation. He even had Wu Zetian approve an interrogation of Zhang Changzong, although as the interrogation had just commenced, Wu Zetian issued an edict pardoning Zhang Changzong. Song sighed, "I should have first cracked that villain's skull." When Wu Zetian subsequently had Zhang Changzong try to meet Song to thank him for the release, Song refused to meet Zhang Changzong.

During Emperor Zhongzong's second reign

In 705, Wu Zetian was overthrown in a coup, and Li Xian, formerly emperor, was restored to the throne. Song Jing became the deputy minister of civil service affairs, and as Emperor Zhongzong favored Song for his morals, he also gave Song the title of imperial consultant. Soon thereafter, he was made Huangmen Shilang, the deputy head of the examination bureau of government. At that time, Wu Zetian's nephew and Emperor Zhongzong's cousin Wu Sansi the Prince of Dejing, who was also the lover of Emperor Zhongzong's powerful wife Empress Wei, was very powerful. On one occasion, Wu Sansi made a request to Song and Song sternly rejected, stating:
In summer 706, when the hermit Wei Yuejiang submitted an accusation of the adulterous relationship between Wu Sansi and Empress Wei, Emperor Zhongzong was incensed and was set to execute Wei Yuejiang. Song refused, stating that executing Wei Yuejiang would merely bring more rumors and that if Emperor Zhongzong were to execute Wei Yuejiang, he needed to execute Song first. Meanwhile, other officials, including Su Xiang, Xu Jian, and Yin Sizhen, pointed out that it was inappropriate to execute anyone during the summer. Emperor Zhongzong thus spared Wei Yuejiang and exiled him to the Lingnan region. , then the commandant at Guang Prefecture Soon thereafter, Wu Sansi had Song sent out of the capital to serve as acting prefect of Bei Prefecture. Once Song got to Bei Prefecture, he further offended Wu Sansi—as he refused to have tax payments due Wu Sansi as his fief paid to Wu Sansi, citing that the region had just suffered a flood. He was moved to be the prefect of the more distant Hang Prefecture, and later served as the prefect of Xiang Prefecture. It was said that he was clean but strict as a prefect, and his subordinates did not dare to be corrupt.

During Emperor Shang's reign and Emperor Ruizong's second reign

Emperor Zhongzong died suddenly in 710—a death that traditional historians believed to be a poisoning carried out by Empress Wei and her daughter Li Guo'er the Princess Anle, so that Empress Wei could become "emperor" like Wu Zetian and Li Guo'er could be crown princess. Meanwhile, though, Emperor Zhongzong's son by a concubine, Li Chongmao the Prince of Wen, was named emperor, but Empress Wei retained power as empress dowager and regent. Song Jing was made the secretary general of Luo Prefecture, which contained the eastern capital Luoyang. Less than a month later, Empress Dowager Wei and Li Guo'er were killed in a coup led by Emperor Zhongzong's sister Princess Taiping and nephew Li Longji the Prince of Linzi. Li Longji's father Li Dan the Prince of Dan, himself a former emperor, returned to the throne.
Emperor Ruizong made Song the minister of civil service affairs and gave him the designation Tong Zhongshu Menxia Sanpin, making him a chancellor de facto. After Li Longji was created crown prince, Song was also made a member of his staff. During Emperor Zhongzong's reign, the civil service affairs system was subject to great abuses by powerful individuals at court, particularly while the chancellors Cui Shi and Zheng Yin were in charge — as they were allowing bribes and pleas by powerful individuals to influence them, going as far as naming reserve officials two years in advance. Song and his deputies Li Ai and Lu Chongyuan reformed the system and put the civil service system back in order, at the same time that Song's fellow chancellor Yao Yuanzhi, who was then also minister of defense, put the military promotion system back in order as well. It was said that popular sentiment at the time viewed this as the return to the clean government of the days of Emperor Gaozong's father Emperor Taizong. Song's reforms included removing all of the several thousands of officials that Emperor Zhongzong commissioned directly without submitting the commissions to the examination bureau for review.
Meanwhile, Princess Taiping and Li Longji were beginning to have discord, as both tried to influence Emperor Ruizong's administration. Princess Taiping, finding Li Longji difficult to control, began considering trying to replace him as crown prince with one of two nephews with arguable better claims than Li Longji—Li Longji's older brother Li Chengqi the Prince of Song and his cousin Li Shouli the Prince of Bin, the son of Emperor Zhongzong's older brother Li Xián, who had been crown prince at one point during Emperor Gaozong's reign. When she hinted that Li Longi should be replaced at a meeting she had with the chancellors, the other chancellors all did not dare to speak, but Song directly responded:
In spring 711, Song and Yao suggested to Emperor Ruizong that the way to stop the rumors about Li Longji's being replaced would be to send Princess Taiping and her husband Wu Youji to live in Luoyang, while sending Li Chengqi and Li Shouli out of the capital Chang'an to be prefectural prefects. Emperor Ruizong initially agreed, but after Princess Taiping found out and objected vehemently, Li Longji, fearful of consequences, disavowed and denounced Song and Yao. Emperor Ruizong removed both from their chancellor positions and demoted them to be prefectural prefects—in Song's case, to be the prefect of Chu Prefecture. He later served successively as the prefect of Yan Prefecture, Ji Prefecture, and Wei Prefecture ; the examiner of Hebei Circuit ; the commandant at You Prefecture ; and principal of the imperial university, being in charge of Luoyang. He was then recalled to Chang'an to serve as the secretary general of the capital prefecture Yong Prefecture.

During Emperor Xuanzong's reign

In 712, Emperor Ruizong passed the throne to Li Longji, who took the throne as Emperor Xuanzong. In 713, after Emperor Xuanzong converted Yong and Luo Prefectures to special municipalities, Song was made the mayor of Jingzhao Municipality. As of 715, he was serving as chief imperial censor, when, on one occasion, he was accused of not ordering for greater force to be applied when a criminal was being caned, and he was demoted to be the prefect of Mu Prefecture. He was later made the commandant at Guang Prefecture. It was said that at that time, the people of Guang Prefecture used bamboo to build houses, and therefore the houses were prone to fires. Song promoted the use of bricks, which greatly reduced the damage of fires, and the people of the region were grateful for this.
As of 716, Yao Yuanzhi—who had changed his name to Yao Chong by that point—and Lu Huaishen were serving as chancellors. Lu died in late 716, and before he did, submitted a petition arguing that Song and several other officials, Li Jie, Li Chaoyin, and Lu Chongyuan had been demoted only of minor offenses and, as they were talented, should be repromoted. Meanwhile, Yao was drawing displeasure from Emperor Xuanzong due to accusations that his sons and associate Zhao Hui were corrupt. Yao, in fear, offered to resign and recommended Song to succeed him. Emperor Xuanzong, who was then preparing to go to Luoyang, thus recalled Song to serve as the minister of justice and be in charge of Chang'an. He sent one of his close eunuch associates, Yang Sixu, to Guang Prefecture to escort Song back to the capital. Yang had many past achievements—including putting down a coup during Emperor Zhongzong's reign led by Emperor Zhongzong's crown prince Li Chongjun—and was honored by the emperor, but on the trip back to Chang'an, Song, who did not like to ingratiate the emperor's associates, did not say anything to him. When Yang informed Emperor Xuanzong of this, Emperor Xuanzong was even more impressed with Song. Around the new year 717, he removed Yao and fellow chancellor Yuan Qianyao from their chancellor posts and replaced them with Song and Su Ting—naming Song Huangmen Jian and acting minister of civil service affairs. Emperor Xuanzong also created Song the Duke of Guangping. Song and Su worked well together, with Song taking the leading role and Su the assisting role. With Yao having distinguished himself as one who modified the regulations to fit the situation and Song known for following the laws strictly and fairly, it was said that while their styles were different, they were both considered great chancellors of Emperor Xuanzong's reign. Song was also known for often making suggestions to correct Emperor Xuanzong's and governmental officials' behavior, thus causing Emperor Xuanzong to respect him more. These actions included:
By 720, however, Song's strictness would eventually bring his removal. Song had ordered that individuals who had repeatedly appealed their cases without cause be detained by the imperial censors, until they were willing to drop their appeals. This drew much anger from people. At that time, there happened to be a drought, which, according to popular beliefs at the time, would be accompanied by the appearance of a spirit known as the Hanba. One day, while Emperor Xuanzong was watching a play, an actor dressed as the Hanba, and stated:
Meanwhile, further, Song and Su were strictly prohibiting the use of damaged coins, which they had tried to replace with newly minted coins. However, the damaged coins were still in circulation despite the prohibition, particularly in the region between the Yangtze River and the Huai River. Song sent the imperial censor Xiao Yinzhi to the region to be in charge of collecting the damaged coins and taking them out of circulation. Xiao was strict in his behavior, drawing much resentment. Emperor Xuanzong, when he heard this, demoted Xiao, and in spring 720 removed Song and Su from their chancellor posts, giving Song the honorific title of Kaifu Yitong Sansi instead. He replaced Song and Su with Yuan and Zhang Jiazhen.
In 722, while Emperor Xuanzong was at Luoyang, there was a coup attempt at Chang'an by the army officer Quan Chubi, who had his nephew Quan Liangshan claim to be the son of Emperor Shang and therefore deserving of the throne. The coup attempt was put down quickly, and Quan Chubi was killed. Emperor Xuanzong sent the mayor of Hunan Municipality, Wang Yi, to Chang'an to investigate. Wang detained a large number of people but could not quickly come to resolutions as to who were responsible. Emperor Xuanzong made Song in charge of Chang'an and had him investigate. Song quickly determined who were the leaders and had them executed, and at his request, Emperor Xuanzong pardoned the rest of the detainees. In 724, when Emperor Xuanzong was set to visit Luoyang again, he again made Song in charge of Chang'an and made him minister of civil service affairs; he also awarded Song with silk. Around 725, when Emperor Xuanzong's trusted general Wang Maozhong was set to have his daughter married, he invited the key government officials to the wedding banquet—but Song declined; Wang, who wanted the honor of Song's attendance, had Emperor Xuanzong order Song to attend, which Song did, but as soon as he had the chance to toast the emperor, he then claimed illness and left the banquet.
In 729, Song was made You Chengxiang, one of the heads of the executive bureau of government. The day that Song was to take office, Yuan and Zhang Shuo were to take new offices as well, Emperor Xuanzong set up a grand ceremony for their inauguration, including an elaborate tent, music, and food from the imperial kitchen. Emperor Xuanzong personally wrote a poem commemorating the contributions of the three.
In 730, when the chancellor Pei Guangting took the office of minister of civil service affairs as well, Pei instituted a system of promotion based on seniority. Song argued fervently against it, believing that this would cause capable people to be stuck in low positions, but Emperor Xuanzong did not agree.
In 733, Song retired and took residence in Luoyang, and Emperor Xuanzong ordered that full salaries be paid to Song notwithstanding his retirement. In 734, when Emperor Xuanzong visited Luoyang, Song came out of his mansion to greet the emperor, and Emperor Xuanzong had his son Li Huang the Prince of Rong personally comfort Song, and thereafter frequently sent medicines and delicacies to Song. Song died in 737 and was given posthumous honors.