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Du Ruhui (杜如晦) (585-630), courtesy name Keming (克明), formally Duke Cheng of Lai (萊成公), was one of the most celebrated chancellors of the Chinese dynasty Tang Dynasty, and he and his colleague Fang Xuanling, both serving during the reign of Emperor Taizong, were often asserted to be ideal models for chancellors. Events By Place Europe The Suebi kingdom on the Iberian peninsula is conquered by the Visigoths under King Events By Place Byzantine Empire Serbs settle in the Balkans having been invited by the Byzantine emperor Heraclius A Chinese style name, sometimes also known as a courtesy name ( zì) is a given name to be used later in life The chancellor of the Tang Dynasty (唐朝宰相 was an office that was semi-formally designated for a number of high level officials at one time during the Chinese Chinese civilization originated in various city-states along the Yellow River ( valley in the Neolithic era The Tang Dynasty ( Middle Chinese: dhɑng (June 18 618&ndashJune 4 907 was an imperial dynasty of China preceded by the Sui Dynasty and followed by Fang Xuanling (房玄齡 (579–648 formal name Fang Qiao (房喬 but went by the Courtesy name of Xuanling formally Duke Wenzhao of Liang (梁文昭公 Emperor Taizong of Tang ( January 23, 599 &ndash July 10 649) personal name Lǐ Shìmín ( was the second emperor of the

Contents

During Sui Dynasty

Du Ruhui was born in 585, during the reign of Emperor Wen of Sui. Events By Place Europe The Suebi kingdom on the Iberian peninsula is conquered by the Visigoths under King Background Yang Jian's clan was from Hongnong Commandery (弘農 roughly modern Sanmenxia, Henan) He was from the Sui capital Chang'an. Chang'an ( is an ancient Capital of more than ten dynasties in Chinese history. His great-grandfather Du Jiao (杜皎) and grandfather Du Hui (杜徽) were both officials for Sui's predecessor state Northern Zhou, and his granduncle Du Guo (杜果) or Du Gao (杜杲) was particularly well-regarded during Sui. The Northern Zhou Dynasty (Chinese北周 followed the Western Wei, and ruled northern China from 557 to 581. [1] His father Du Zha (杜吒) was a provincial secretary general during Sui. Du Ruhui had at least one older brother, whose name is lost to history, and one younger brother, Du Chuke (杜楚客).

Du Ruhui himself was considered intelligent in his youth, and he often discussed literature and history with others. During Emperor Wen's reign, he participated in the civil service selection process, and the deputy minister of civil service affairs, Gao Xiaoji (高孝基), was particularly impressed with him. Gao gave him the post as a county magistrate, although Du did not remain at that post for long and resigned.

During Emperor Gaozu's reign

In 617, the general Li Yuan rebelled against the rule of Emperor Wen's son Emperor Yang, and by 618 had established Tang Dynasty at Chang'an (as its Emperor Gaozu). Events By Place Europe Heathens revolt in Kent under king Eadbald. Background and early career Li Yuan's seventh-generation ancestor was Li Gao, the founder of the Sixteen Kingdoms state Western Liang. Background Yang Guang was born in 569 during the reign of Emperor Wu of Northern Zhou. Events By Place Asia The Sui Dynasty ends and the Tang Dynasty begins in China. The Tang Dynasty ( Middle Chinese: dhɑng (June 18 618&ndashJune 4 907 was an imperial dynasty of China preceded by the Sui Dynasty and followed by Du Ruhui served on the staff of Emperor Gaozu's son Li Shimin the Prince of Qin, a major general. Emperor Taizong of Tang ( January 23, 599 &ndash July 10 649) personal name Lǐ Shìmín ( was the second emperor of the At that time, Li Shimin had many talented people on his staff, and soon, many were commissioned to be local officials. Du was scheduled to become the secretary general for Shan Prefecture (陝州, roughly modern Sanmenxia, Henan), when Li Shimin's trusted advisor Fang Xuanling pointed out that Du was highly talented and that Li Shimin could not afford to lose him. Sanmenxia ( is a Prefecture-level city in western Henan province, People's Republic of China. Henan ( is a province of the People's Republic of China, located in the central part of the country Fang Xuanling (房玄齡 (579–648 formal name Fang Qiao (房喬 but went by the Courtesy name of Xuanling formally Duke Wenzhao of Liang (梁文昭公 Li Shimin thus interceded with Emperor Gaozu to keep Du on his staff. Du later followed Li Shimin in campaigns against Tang's major enemies Xue Rengao the Emperor of Qin, Liu Wuzhou the Dingyang Khan, Wang Shichong the Emperor of Zheng, and Dou Jiande the Prince of Xia, contributing strategies to LI Shimin's campaigns. Under Xue Ju As of 617 Xue Rengao's father Xue Ju was a commander of the local militia at Jincheng (金城 in modern Lanzhou, Gansu) when Initial establishment of Dingyang Liu Wuzhou's clan was originally from Hejian Commandery (河間 roughly modern Baoding, Hebei) Early career Wang Shichong's ancestors were surnamed Zhi (支 originally from the Xiyu region and were not Han. Initial uprising and service under Gao Shida Dou Jiande was born in 573 when his birth area Zhangnan County (漳南縣 in modern Handan, Hebei) was under For his achievements, Du was created the Baron of Jianping. (When the Zheng capital Luoyang fell to Li Shimin in 621, Du Ruhui's uncle Du Yan, a Zheng official, was captured. Luoyang ( is a Prefecture-level city in western Henan province, People's Republic of China. Events By Place Byzantine Empire Byzantine Emperor Heraclius invades Persia. Du Yan (杜淹 (died 628 Courtesy name Zhili (執禮 formally Duke Xiang of Anji (安吉襄公 was a chancellor during the reign of Du Yan was not on friendly terms with Du Ruhui and his brothers and who had given informed Wang that Du Ruhui's older brother was not faithful to Zheng, causing Wang to execute Du Ruhui's older brother and to imprison Du Ruhui's younger brother Du Chuke. Du Ruhui was originally intending to allow Li Shimin to execute Du Yan, but Du Chuke reasoned with him -- that even though Du Yan had led to their brother's death, they should not in turn lead to an uncle's death. Du Ruhui relented and interceded on Du Yan's behalf, and Du Yan was spared. ) Du and Fang continued to serve as key advisors for Li Shimin, and it was said that Fang was capable act planning and strategizing, but not decisive in his decisions, while Du was capable in making quick and correct decisions, and they divided their strategical responsibilities while on Li Shimin's staff in that manner. (This eventually led to the Chinese proverb "Fang plans and Du decides" (房謀杜斷, Fang mou Du duan), after they became renowned. )

Later in Emperor Gaozu's reign, Li Shimin was locked in an intense rivalry with his older brother Li Jiancheng the Crown Prince, and Fang and Du often suggested that he act first against Li Jiancheng. Li Jiancheng (李建成 ( 589 - July 2, 626) formally Crown Prince Yin (隱太子 literally "the hidden crown prince" nickname Crown Princess redirects here for the ship see Crown Princess (ship. As both Li Jiancheng and another brother who supported Li Jiancheng, Li Yuanji the Prince of Qi, feared Fang's and Du's strategic capabilities, they falsely accused both Fang and Du and had them demoted out of Li Shimin's staff. Li Yuanji (李元吉 ( 603 - July 2, 626) formally Prince La of Chao (巢剌王 more commonly known by the title of Prince of Qi In summer 626, when Li Shimin decided to act against Li Jiancheng and Li Yuanji, however, he summoned Fang and Du to his mansion. Fang and Du, initially fearing Emperor Gaozu's orders forbidding them to serve Li Shimin, declined. In anger, Li Shimin sent the general Yuchi Jingde to summon Fang and Du, with directions if they declined again, to kill them. Yuchi Jingde (尉遲敬德 (585-658 formal name Yuchi Gong (尉遲恭 but went by the Courtesy name of Jingde formally Duke Zhongwu of E (鄂忠武公 Yuchi, however, was able to persuade them that Li Shimin was in fact intending on acting against Li Jiancheng and Li Yuanji, and so Fang and Du put on disguises as Taoist monks and were able to get to Li Shimin's mansions, where they assisted Li Shimin in planning the ambush against Li Jiancheng and Li Yuanji. Taoism (pronounced /ˈdaʊɪzəm/ or /ˈtaʊɪzəm/ also spelled '''Daoism''') refers to a variety of related Philosophical and Religious traditions Li Shimin subsequently ambushed his brothers as Xuanwu Gate and killed them, and then effectively forced Emperor Gaozu to create him crown prince. The Incident at Xuanwu Gate (玄武門之變 refers to an incident on July 2, 626, when Li Shimin the Prince of Qin a son of Emperor Gaozu of Tang Once he was created crown prince, Fang and Du were restored to honored positions on his staff, and soon, Du was made the minister of defense. Two months later, Emperor Gaozu yielded the throne to Li Shimin (as Emperor Taizong).

During Emperor Taizong's reign

Late in 626, when Emperor Taizong personally ranked the contributions of the generals and officials in order to grant them fiefs, Emperor Taizong ranked five of them -- Fang Xuanling, Zhangsun Wuji, Du, Yuchi Jingde, and Hou Junji to be contributors of the highest grade, and Du was created the Duke of Cai. Zhangsun Wuji (長孫無忌 (d 659 Courtesy name Fuji (輔機 formally Duke of Zhao (趙公 was a chancellor of the Chinese Hou Junji (侯君集 (d April 29, 643) was a major general and chancellor of the Chinese dynasty Tang Dynasty, particularly known When Emperor Gaozu's cousin Li Shentong (李神通) the Prince of Huai'an, himself a key general, objected to being ranked below Fang and Du, stating that Fang and Du, in particular, were only bureaucrats, Emperor Taizong pointed out that it was with their strategies that he was able to become emperor, Li Shentong relented, which led to the other objectors to also cease their objections.

In 629, Du, along with Fang, became Pushe (僕射), a head of the important executive bureau of the government (尚書省, Shangshu Sheng) and a post considered one for a chancellor. Events By Place Persian and Byzantine Empires September - Jerusalem is reconquered by the Byzantine Empire from The chancellor of the Tang Dynasty (唐朝宰相 was an office that was semi-formally designated for a number of high level officials at one time during the Chinese It was said that at this time that the Fang and Du became known as the model for chancellors. During this time, remember Gao Xiaoji's kindness toward him, he commissioned a stone tablet monument for Gao. Around the new year 630, however, Du resigned due to illness. Events By Place Byzantine Empire Serbs settle in the Balkans having been invited by the Byzantine emperor Heraclius By spring 630, he was near death. Emperor Taizong initially sent his crown prince Li Chengqian to visit Du, and then did so himself as well. Li Chéngqián (李承乾 (619?- January 5, 645) Courtesy name Gaoming (高明 formally Prince Min of Hengshan (恆山愍王 Du soon died. For a long time, whenever Emperor Taizong received precious items, he would think of Du, and he would send messengers to deliver some of the items to Du's family. He also often wept while talking with Fang, stating, "Both you and Du Ruhui assisted me. Now I only see you, and not him. " For reasons unclear, he changed Du's title posthumously to Duke of Lai, with the posthumous name Cheng (成, "successful"). A posthumous name is an honorary name given to royalty nobles and sometimes others in some cultures after the person's death He gave his daughter Princess Chengyang to Du's son Du He (杜荷) in marriage and created Du He the Duke of Xiangyang. (Du Ruhui's oldest son Du Gou (杜構) inherited the title of Duke of Lai. ) In 643, when Emperor Taizong commissioned the Portraits at Lingyan Pavilion to commemorate the 24 great contributors to Tang rule, Du's was one of the portraits commissioned. Events By Place Europe Rothari King of the Lombards, issues the Lombard law code The Portraits at Lingyan Pavilion (凌煙閣畫像 refer to the 24 portraits that Emperor Taizong of Tang commissioned the great painter Yan Liben to paint on Lingyan

However, the honored position of the Du clan did not last long. Later in 643, Du He was implicated in a plot with Li Chengqian to overthrow Emperor Taizong (as Li Chengqian, who had by then lost Emperor Taizong's favor, was fearful that Emperor Taizong would depose him and replace him with his brother Li Tai the Prince of Wei). Events By Place Europe Rothari King of the Lombards, issues the Lombard law code Li Tai (李泰 Pinyin: Lǐ Tài (618- December 15, 652) Courtesy name Huibao (惠褒 nickname Qingque (青雀 formally Du He was executed, while Du Gou was exiled.

Notes and references

  1. ^ It appears fairly clear that Du Hui, not Du Guo/Gao (with "Guo" and "Gao" being two easily confused characters), was Du Ruhui's grandfather, but not completely. Du Ruhui's biography in the Book of Tang first said that Du Hui was his grandfather, and then said tha Du Guo was his grandfather. The Book of Tang ( or the Old Book of Tang (舊唐書/旧唐书 is the first classic work about the Tang Dynasty. See Book of Tang, vol. 66[1]. The New Book of Tang gave only Du Guo as his grandfather. The New Book of Tang ( is a classic work of history about the Tang Dynasty edited by Ouyang Xiu and Song Qi (宋祁 and other official scholars of the See New Book of Tang, vol. 96[2]. However, both works referred to the Book of Sui, mentioning that Du Guo's biography was in the Book of Sui -- which, in turn, did not actually have a biography for anyone named Du Guo or Du Gao. The Book of Sui ( was the official history of the Chinese dynasty Sui Dynasty, and it ranks among the official Twenty-Four Histories of imperial See Table of Contents for the Book of Sui. The History of Northern Dynasties, vol. The History of Northern Dynasties ( is one of the official Chinese historical works in the Twenty-Four Histories canon 70[3], however, contained a biography of Du Gao, the contents of which were consistent with Du Ruhui's biography but did not mention Du Ruhui's father Du Zha as a son -- and made a stray reference to Du Gao's older brother as Du Changhui (杜長暉), which many later historians believed to be intended to be a lead-in to Du Ruhui's family tree. As "Changhui" could be a courtesy name for Du Hui (particularly since Du Gao's courtesy name was mentioned as Zihui (子暉)), those historians of this camp believed that the History of Northern Dynasties biography for Du Gao confirmed that Du Guo/Gao was Du Ruhui's granduncle, not grandfather. A Chinese style name, sometimes also known as a courtesy name ( zì) is a given name to be used later in life The Zizhi Tongjian, for example, referred to Du Ruhui as Du Guo's grandnephew. The Zizhi Tongjian ( was a pioneering reference work in Chinese historiography. See Zizhi Tongjian, vol. 179. See also the correspondence between Liao Weiyu (廖位育) and Bo Yang in the appendix of the Bo Yang Edition of the Zizhi Tongjian, vol. Bo Yang ( 7 March 1920 – 29 April 2008) also sometimes called Bai Yang, was a Chinese language writer based in 48. The biography of Du Ruhui's uncle Du Yan in the Book of Tang -- also in vol. 66 -- gave yet different names for the lineage, giving the names of Du Yan's grandfather as Du Ye (杜業) and father as Du Zheng (杜徵). It might be that Du Yan was not actually an uncle but only someone one generation higher in the Du clan. However, if this is true, the historical accounts gave no indication of such other than the discrepancies in the names of ancestors.
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