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Du Zhenglun () (died 658?) was a Chinese politician of the
Chinese Chinese may refer to: * Something related to China * Chinese people, people identified with China, through nationality, citizenship, and/or ethnicity **Han Chinese, East Asian ethnic group native to China. **'' Zhonghua minzu'', the supra-ethnic ...
Sui dynasty The Sui dynasty ( ) was a short-lived Dynasties of China, Chinese imperial dynasty that ruled from 581 to 618. The re-unification of China proper under the Sui brought the Northern and Southern dynasties era to a close, ending a prolonged peri ...
and Tang dynasties, serving as
chancellor Chancellor () is a title of various official positions in the governments of many countries. The original chancellors were the of Roman courts of justice—ushers, who sat at the (lattice work screens) of a basilica (court hall), which separa ...
during the reign of
Emperor Gaozong of Tang Emperor Gaozong of Tang (21 July 628 – 27 December 683), personal name Li Zhi, was the third Emperor of China, emperor of the Chinese Tang dynasty, ruling from 649 to 683; after January 665, he handed power over the empire to his second wife ...
.


During the Sui dynasty

It is not known when Du Zhenglun was born, but it is known that he was from what would eventually become Xiang Prefecture (相州, in modern
Handan Handan is a prefecture-level city located in the southwest of Hebei province, China. The southernmost prefecture-level city of the province, it borders Xingtai on the north, and the provinces of Shanxi on the west, Henan on the south and Shando ...
,
Hebei Hebei is a Provinces of China, province in North China. It is China's List of Chinese administrative divisions by population, sixth-most populous province, with a population of over 75 million people. Shijiazhuang is the capital city. It bor ...
). During the ''Renshou'' era (601–604) of the
Sui dynasty The Sui dynasty ( ) was a short-lived Dynasties of China, Chinese imperial dynasty that ruled from 581 to 618. The re-unification of China proper under the Sui brought the Northern and Southern dynasties era to a close, ending a prolonged peri ...
's founding emperor Emperor Wen, Du Zhenglun and his older brothers Du Zhengxuan () and Du Zhengzang () all passed the
imperial examination The imperial examination was a civil service examination system in History of China#Imperial China, Imperial China administered for the purpose of selecting candidates for the Civil service#China, state bureaucracy. The concept of choosing bureau ...
. As Sui dynasty imperial examinations were considered unusually difficult—with only 10-odd examinees passing each year—the Du household received great acclaim for having three brothers who did so. It was said that Du Zhenglun was capable in literature, particularly in explaining meanings of passages. He later served as a military officer in the Sui imperial government.


During Emperor Gaozu's reign

During the reign of the
Tang dynasty The Tang dynasty (, ; zh, c=唐朝), or the Tang Empire, was an Dynasties of China, imperial dynasty of China that ruled from 618 to 907, with an Wu Zhou, interregnum between 690 and 705. It was preceded by the Sui dynasty and followed ...
's founder, Emperor Gaozu, Du Zhenglun was initially serving as the military advisor to the commandant at Qi Prefecture (齊州, roughly modern
Jinan Jinan is the capital of the province of Shandong in East China. With a population of 9.2 million, it is one of the largest cities in Shandong in terms of population. The area of present-day Jinan has played an important role in the history of ...
,
Shandong Shandong is a coastal Provinces of China, province in East China. Shandong has played a major role in Chinese history since the beginning of Chinese civilization along the lower reaches of the Yellow River. It has served as a pivotal cultural ...
). Emperor Gaozu's son, the major general
Li Shimin Emperor Taizong of Tang (28January 59810July 649), previously Prince of Qin, personal name Li Shimin, was the second Emperor of China, emperor of the Tang dynasty of China, ruling from 626 to 649. He is traditionally regarded as a co-founder ...
the Prince of Qin became aware of Du's talents and invited him to serve as a resident scholar at Li Shimin's mansion.


During Emperor Taizong's reign

In 626, Li Shimin became emperor (as Emperor Taizong). One of his key advisors,
Wei Zheng Wei Zheng (580 – 11 February 643), courtesy name Xuancheng, posthumous name Duke Wenzhen of Zheng, was a Chinese politician and historian. He served as a chancellor of the Tang dynasty for about 13 years during the reign of Emperor Taizong. H ...
, recommended Du Zhenglun's talent and stated that there were few people as talented. Emperor Taizong then made Du an official at the ministry of defense in 627. In 628, Du was made imperial attendant and put in charge of recording Emperor Taizong's acts for imperial archives. On one occasion, Emperor Taizong stated, "Everyday, as I sit in judgment of important matter and get ready to speak, I think carefully about whether what I have to say has any benefit or harm to the people. That is why I do not speak a lot." Du responded, "Whatever an emperor says is recorded in history. As my responsibility is to record Your Imperial Majesty's acts, I have to be honest. If any of your words is improper, it will harm your reputation for a thousand years, and it is not only harmful to the people. May Your Imperial Majesty consider this carefully." Emperor Taizong was pleased with these words and gave Du an award of silk. In 630, Du was promoted to the post of ''Zhongshu Shilang'' (), the deputy head of the legislative bureau of government (中書省, ''Zhongshu Sheng''). In 632, after Du and three other officials, Wei Ting (),
Yu Shinan Yu Shinan (558 – 11 July 638), courtesy name Boshi, posthumously known as Duke Wenyi of Yongxing, was a Chinese calligrapher and politician who lived in the early Tang dynasty and rose to prominence during the reign of Emperor Taizong. His u ...
, and
Yao Silian Yao Silian (姚思廉; died 637), courtesy name Jianzhi (簡之), formally Baron Kang of Fengcheng (豐成康男), was a Chinese historian and politician during the Sui dynasty and Tang dynasty and was the lead author of the '' Book of Liang'' and ...
had submitted petitions commenting on various imperial acts, Emperor Taizong invited them to a feast, where he thanked them for being honest at danger to themselves (as they risked offending the emperor). Du was soon given titles as imperial advisor and scholar, as well as a member of the staff of Emperor Taizong's
crown prince A crown prince or hereditary prince is the heir apparent to the throne in a royal or imperial monarchy. The female form of the title, crown princess, is held by a woman who is heir apparent or is married to the heir apparent. ''Crown prince ...
Li Chengqian Li Chéngqián (李承乾) (619 – 5 January 645), courtesy name Gaoming (高明), formally Prince Min of Hengshan (恆山愍王), was a crown prince of the History of China, Chinese Tang dynasty. He was Emperor Taizong of Tang, Emperor Taizong's ...
—with Emperor Taizong specifically asked to counsel Li Chengqian in proper behavior. In 636, he was again ''Zhongshu Shilang'', but still served on Li Chengqian's staff; he was also created the Marquess of Nanyang. It was said that Du was known for his capability in handling the matters at both palaces (i.e., the emperor's palace and the crown prince's palace). However, soon Du drew both the emperor's and the crown prince's ires. At that time, Li Chengqian was suffering from a foot ailment that made it difficult for him to walk, and therefore he did not see Emperor Taizong often, but instead spent his time in frivolous activities with associates that Emperor Taizong disapproved of. Emperor Taizong told Du: Du made several suggestions to Li Chengqian, asking him to change his ways, but Li Chengqian did not do so. Du told Li Chengqian what Emperor Taizong told him—which led to Li Chengqian immediately submitting an objection to Emperor Taizong. Emperor Taizong asked Du, "Why did you let him know what I said?" Du responded, "He did not listen to me, so I wanted to scare him with your words. I hoped that he would be scared and would change his ways." Emperor Taizong was still displeased, and he demoted Du to the post of prefect of Gu Prefecture (穀州, in modern
Luoyang Luoyang ( zh, s=洛阳, t=洛陽, p=Luòyáng) is a city located in the confluence area of the Luo River and the Yellow River in the west of Henan province, China. Governed as a prefecture-level city, it borders the provincial capital of Zheng ...
,
Henan Henan; alternatively Honan is a province in Central China. Henan is home to many heritage sites, including Yinxu, the ruins of the final capital of the Shang dynasty () and the Shaolin Temple. Four of the historical capitals of China, Lu ...
), and later to be the commandant at Jiao Prefecture (交州, roughly modern
Hanoi Hanoi ( ; ; ) is the Capital city, capital and List of cities in Vietnam, second-most populous city of Vietnam. The name "Hanoi" translates to "inside the river" (Hanoi is bordered by the Red River (Asia), Red and Black River (Asia), Black Riv ...
,
Vietnam Vietnam, officially the Socialist Republic of Vietnam (SRV), is a country at the eastern edge of mainland Southeast Asia, with an area of about and a population of over 100 million, making it the world's List of countries and depende ...
). After Li Chengqian was revealed to have plotted with the general
Hou Junji Hou Junji (died April 29, 643) was a Chinese general and official who served as a chancellor during the reign of Emperor Taizong in the Tang dynasty. He is best known for leading the Tang military campaigns against the Gaochang and Tuyuhun ki ...
to overthrow Emperor Taizong in 643, Du was accused of having received a gold belt from Hou, and he was stripped of his rank and exiled to Huan Prefecture (驩州, also in modern Vietnam). However, later he successively served as the prefect of Ying (郢州, roughly modern
Wuhan Wuhan; is the capital of Hubei, China. With a population of over eleven million, it is the most populous city in Hubei and the List of cities in China by population, eighth-most-populous city in China. It is also one of the nine National cent ...
,
Hubei Hubei is a province of China, province in Central China. It has the List of Chinese provincial-level divisions by GDP, seventh-largest economy among Chinese provinces, the second-largest within Central China, and the third-largest among inland ...
) and Shi (石州, roughly modern
Lüliang Lüliang ( zh, s=吕梁 , t=呂梁 , p=Lǚliáng), also spelled as Lvliang or Lyuliang, is a prefecture-level city in western Shanxi province, People's Republic of China. It borders Shaanxi province across the Yellow River to the west, Jinzhong ...
,
Shanxi Shanxi; Chinese postal romanization, formerly romanised as Shansi is a Provinces of China, province in North China. Its capital and largest city of the province is Taiyuan, while its next most populated prefecture-level cities are Changzhi a ...
) prefectures.


During Emperor Gaozong's reign

In 656, Du Zhenglun was serving as the deputy minister of treasury, when Emperor Taizong's son and successor Emperor Gaozong promoted him to serve as ''Huangmen Shilang'' (), the deputy head of the examination bureau (門下省, ''Menxia Sheng''). Emperor Gaozong also gave him the designation of ''Tong Zhongshu Menxia Sanpin'' (), making him a
chancellor Chancellor () is a title of various official positions in the governments of many countries. The original chancellors were the of Roman courts of justice—ushers, who sat at the (lattice work screens) of a basilica (court hall), which separa ...
''de facto''. Du was also created the Duke of Xiangyang. In 657, he was made ''Zhongshu Ling'' (), the head of the legislative bureau and a post considered one for a chancellor. Later that year, he concurred with the official Liu Xiangdao that there were too many people made imperial officials, and Emperor Gaozong put them in charge of drafting a proposal to reduce the number of officials. However, their proposal ran into much opposition from other officials and was never carried out. Meanwhile, Du was beginning to have conflict with fellow chancellor
Li Yifu Li Yifu (; 614–666) was a Chinese historian, poet, and politician who served as a chancellor of the Tang dynasty, during the reign of the Emperor Gaozong. He became particularly powerful because of his support for Emperor Gaozong's second wife ...
, who also carried the title of ''Zhongshu Ling'', as Du considered himself the senior official, but Li, who was an ally of Emperor Gaozong's powerful wife Empress Wu (later known as Wu Zetian), disrespected Du. They argued frequently before Emperor Gaozong, who rebuked both for not cooperating with each other. On December 6, 658,兩千年中西曆轉換
/ref> Emperor Gaozong demoted both to be prefects—in Du's case, the prefect of Heng Prefecture (橫州, roughly modern
Nanning Nanning; is the capital of the Guangxi, Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region in South China, southern China. It is known as the "Green City (绿城) " because of its abundance of lush subtropical foliage. Located in the South of Guangxi, Nanning ...
,
Guangxi Guangxi,; officially the Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, is an Autonomous regions of China, autonomous region of the China, People's Republic of China, located in South China and bordering Vietnam (Hà Giang Province, Hà Giang, Cao Bằn ...
). Du was said to have died at Heng Prefecture soon thereafter.


Notes and references

* ''
Old Book of Tang The ''Old Book of Tang'', or simply the ''Book of Tang'', is the first classic historical work about the Tang dynasty, comprising 200 chapters, and is one of the Twenty-Four Histories. Originally compiled during the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdo ...
'', vol. 7

* ''
New Book of Tang The ''New Book of Tang'', generally translated as the "New History of the Tang" or "New Tang History", is a work of official history covering the Tang dynasty in ten volumes and 225 chapters. The work was compiled by a team of scholars of the So ...
'', vol. 10

* ''
Zizhi Tongjian The ''Zizhi Tongjian'' (1084) is a chronicle published during the Northern Song dynasty (960–1127) that provides a record of Chinese history from 403 BC to 959 AD, covering 16 dynasties and spanning almost 1400 years. The main text is ...
'', vols.
192 Year 192 ( CXCII) was a leap year starting on Saturday of the Julian calendar. At the time, it was known as the Year of the Consulship of Aelius and Pertinax (or, less frequently, year 945 ''Ab urbe condita''). The denomination 192 for this yea ...
,
193 Year 193 ( CXCIII) was a common year starting on Monday of the Julian calendar. At the time, it was known as the Year of the Consulship of Sosius and Ericius (or, less frequently, year 946 ''Ab urbe condita''). The denomination 193 for this ye ...
,
194 Year 194 ( CXCIV) was a common year starting on Tuesday of the Julian calendar. At the time, it was known as the Year of the Consulship of Septimius and Septimius (or, less frequently, year 947 ''Ab urbe condita''). The denomination 194 for thi ...
, 197,
200 Year 200 ( CC) was a leap year starting on Tuesday of the Julian calendar. At the time, it was known as the Year of the Consulship of Severus and Victorinus (or, less frequently, year 953 ''Ab urbe condita''). The denomination 200 for this y ...
. {{DEFAULTSORT:Du, Zhenglun 650s deaths Chancellors under Emperor Gaozong of Tang Politicians from Handan Sui dynasty government officials Year of birth unknown