Zheng Lang ( zh, t=鄭朗; died 857),

courtesy name A courtesy name ( zh, s=字, p=zì, l=character), also known as a style name, is an additional name bestowed upon individuals at adulthood, complementing their given name. This tradition is prevalent in the East Asian cultural sphere, particula ...

Yourong (), was a Chinese historian and politician during 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 ...

, who served as 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 ...

during the reign of Emperor Xuānzong.

Background and early career

It is not known when Zheng Lang was born. He came from a prominent family, as both his father

Zheng Xunyu Zheng Xunyu (鄭珣瑜) (738 – December 11, 805), courtesy name Yuanbo (元伯), was a Chinese judge and politician during the Tang dynasty, serving as a chancellor during the reigns of Emperor Dezong and Emperor Shunzong. Background Zheng Xu ...

and brother

Zheng Tan Zheng Tan (鄭覃) (died 842''Old Book of Tang'', vol. 18, part 1.), formally the Duke of Xingyang (滎陽公), was a Chinese historian and politician during the Tang dynasty, serving as a chancellor during the reign of Emperor Wenzong. He was vie ...

served as

s during their respective careers.''

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. 173. Zheng Lang himself 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 ...

s in the ''Jinshi'' class in 821, during the reign of Emperor Muzong, by which time Zheng Xunyu was deceased but Zheng Tan was already a prominent official—but his passage, as well as the passages of several other examinees related to prominent officials, including

Pei Du Pei Du () (765 – April 21, 839), courtesy name Zhongli (), formally Duke Wenzhong of Jin (), was a Chinese politician. He served a government official of the during Tang dynasty, as a chancellor during the reigns of Emperor Xianzong, Emperor Xian ...

's son Pei Zhuan (),

Li Zongmin Li Zongmin (李宗閔) (died 846?''Zizhi Tongjian'', vol. 248.), courtesy name Sunzhi (損之), was a Chinese politician of the Tang dynasty, serving twice as chancellor during the reign of Emperor Wenzong. He was considered one of the leading fi ...

's son-in-law Su Chao (), and Yang Yinshi () the brother of Yang Rushi (), who was one of the lead examiners, were embroiled in controversy as the officials Duan Wenchang,

Li Deyu Li Deyu (; 787 – January 26, 850Academia Sinicabr>Chinese-Western Calendar Converter.''Old Book of Tang'', vol. 174.), courtesy name Wenrao (), formally the Duke of Wei (), was a Chinese poet, politician, and writer during the Tang dynasty, ser ...

Yuan Zhen Yuan Zhen (; 779 – September 2, 831), courtesy name Weizhi (), was a Chinese novelist, poet, and politician of the middle Tang dynasty. In prose literature, Yuan Zhen is particularly known for his work '' Yingying's Biography'', which has oft ...

, and

Li Shen Li Shen () (died July 29, 846''Zizhi Tongjian'', vol. 248.), courtesy name Gongchui (), formally Duke Wensu of Zhao (), was a Chinese historian, military general, poet, and politician of the Tang dynasty, serving as a chancellor during the reign ...

, accused the examiners Yang Rushi and Qian Hui () of being unfair in their decisions. As a result, Emperor Muzong ordered a reexamination, while demoting Qian, Li Zongmin, and Yang Rushi, as well as the 10 examinees who passed based on perceived influence. This incident was considered to have precipitated the subsequent decades-long Niu-Li Factional Struggles. As a result of this incident, Zheng Lang was not able to remain at

Chang'an Chang'an (; zh, t=長安, s=长安, p=Cháng'ān, first=t) is the traditional name of the city now named Xi'an and was the capital of several Chinese dynasties, ranging from 202 BCE to 907 CE. The site has been inhabited since Neolithic time ...

to start his official service, but instead served as a staff member of the military governor (''

jiedushi The ''jiedushi'' (, Old Turkic: Tarduş) or jiedu, was a regional military governor in China; the title was established in the Tang dynasty and abolished in the Yuan dynasty. The post of ''jiedushi'' has been translated as "military commissi ...

'') Liu Gongchuo () at Shannan East Circuit (, headquartered in modern

Xiangfan Xiangyang is the second-largest prefecture-level city by population in northwestern Hubei province, China. It was known as Xiangfan from 1950 to 2010. The Han River runs through Xiangyang's centre and divides the city north–south. The ci ...

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 ...

).''

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. 165. Zheng was eventually recalled to Chang'an to serve as ''You Shiyi'' (), a low-level advisory official at the legislative bureau of government (, ''Zhongshu Sheng'').

During Emperor Wenzong's reign

During the ''Kaicheng'' era (836–840) of Emperor Muzong's son Emperor Wenzong, Zheng Lang was made an imperial chronicler (, ''Qiju Lang''). On one occasion, after Emperor Wenzong and the chancellors discussed the virtue of frugality, Emperor Wenzong saw Zheng taking notes, as an imperial chronicler was supposed to do. After the meeting, Emperor Wenzong requested to see the records. Zheng initially resisted, pointing out that if the emperor were free to read the records of the imperial chroniclers, the imperial chroniclers would feel constrained about what they could write and would not be able to be impartial, but after Emperor Wenzong insisted, stating that he wanted to see so that he could correct himself if necessary, Zheng submitted the records for his review. Zheng was later made ''Kaogong Langzhong'' (), a supervisory official at the ministry of civil service affairs (, ''Libu''). In 839, he was made ''Jianyi Daifu'' (), a high-level advisory official.

During Emperor Wuzong's reign

In 842, by which time Emperor Wenzong's brother Emperor Wuzong was emperor, there was an occasion when Zheng Lang, still then serving as ''Jianyi Daifu'', along with his colleague Gao Shaoyi (), advised Emperor Wuzong that he was spending too much time in hunting. Emperor Wuzong thanked them and told the chancellors about their advice. He later served as an imperial attendant (, ''Jishizhong''), then the prefect of Hua Prefecture (, in modern

Weinan Weinan ( zh, s=渭南 , p=Wèinán) is a prefecture-level city in east-Guanzhong, central Shaanxi, Shaanxi province, northwest China. The city lies on the lower section of the Wei River confluence into the Yellow River, about east of the provinc ...

Shaanxi Shaanxi is a Provinces of China, province in north Northwestern China. It borders the province-level divisions of Inner Mongolia to the north; Shanxi and Henan to the east; Hubei, Chongqing, and Sichuan to the south; and Gansu and Ningxia to t ...

), then the deputy minister of census (, ''Hubu Shilang''), also serving as the director of taxation.

During Emperor Xuānzong's reign

During the reign of Emperor Wuzong's uncle Emperor Xuānzong, Zheng Lang was made the military governor of Yiwu Circuit (, headquartered in modern

Baoding Baoding is a prefecture-level city in central Hebei province, approximately southwest of Beijing. As of the 2020 census, Baoding City had 11,544,036 inhabitants, of which 2,549,787 lived in the metropolitan area made of 4 out of 5 urban distri ...

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 ...

), as well as the prefect of its capital Ding Prefecture (). He was later transferred to Xuanwu Circuit (, headquartered in modern

Kaifeng Kaifeng ( zh, s=开封, p=Kāifēng) is a prefecture-level city in east-Zhongyuan, central Henan province, China. It is one of the Historical capitals of China, Eight Ancient Capitals of China, having been the capital eight times in history, and ...

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 also served as the prefect of its capital Bian Prefecture (). He was later recalled to Chang'an to serve as the minister of public works (, ''Gongbu Shangshu'') and the director of finances. He was then made the chief imperial censor (, ''Yushi Daifu''). In 856, he was further given the designation ''Tong Zhongshu Menxia Pingzhangshi'' (), making him a chancellor ''de facto''.''Zizhi Tongjian'', vol. 249. He was also made ''Zhongshu Shilang'' (), the deputy head of the examination bureau, as well as a senior scholar at Jixian Hall (), in charge of editing the imperial history. He resigned the chancellor position on account of illness in 857, and was made a senior advisor to the

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 ...

.However, as there was no crown prince at the time, the post was entirely honorary. He died later that year and was given posthumous honors.

Notes and references

* ''

'', vol. 173. * ''

'', vol. 165. * ''

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.

241 Year 241 ( CCXLI) was a common year starting on Friday of the Julian calendar. At the time, it was known as the Year of the Consulship of Gordianus and Pompeianus by the Romans (or, less frequently, year 994 ''Ab urbe condita''). The denominat ...

246 __NOTOC__ Year 246 ( CCXLVI) was a common year starting on Thursday of the Julian calendar, the 246th Year of the Common Era ( CE) and Anno Domini ( AD) designations, the 246th year of the 1st millennium, the 46th year of the 3rd century, and t ...

249 __NOTOC__ Year 249 ( CCXLIX) was a common year starting on Monday of the Julian calendar. At the time, it was known as the Year of the Consulship of Gavius and Aquilinus (or, less frequently, year 1002 ''Ab urbe condita''). The denomination 24 ...

. {{DEFAULTSORT:Zheng, Lang 857 deaths Chancellors under Emperor Xuānzong of Tang Tang dynasty historians Tang dynasty jiedushi of Xuanwu Circuit Tang dynasty jiedushi of Yiwu Circuit Year of birth unknown

Lang Lang may refer to: *Lang (surname), a surname of independent Germanic or Chinese origin Places * Lang Island (Antarctica), East Antarctica * Lang Nunatak, Antarctica * Lang Sound, Antarctica * Lang Park, a stadium in Brisbane, Australia * Lang, ...

Taizi taishi (Tang dynasty)