Pei Kuan（ 681-755), a native of Wenxi, Jiangzhou (today's Wenxi, Shanxi) in the middle Tang Dynasty. He was born in a famous family, and was educated by the strict ancestral instructions and honest family style from childhood. He has successively served as a military officer in Runzhou, a minister of the Ministry of Household, a governor of Puzhou, a resident of Taiyuan Yin and Beidu, a provincial envoy of Fan Yang, a royal doctor, a minister of the Ministry of Household, and so on. He is intelligent by nature, skilled in riding and shooting, especially good at writing and ci. He is also famous for his honesty, integrity, and law enforcement. Emperor Xuanzong of the Tang Dynasty praised him: "Virtue is like Dai Yunbu, and his heart is like Jin Shuiqing."
Honest and prudent
During the Jingyun period of the Tang Dynasty, Pei Kuan and Ren Runzhou (today's Zhenjiang, Jiangsu) joined the army. Someone sent him venison, knowing that he would not accept it in person, he quietly put it into his house when he was not at home. Pei Kuan wanted something back to the owner, but there was nowhere to return it. He had to bury the venison in his backyard. It happened that Wei Shen, the governor, went upstairs on holiday. He saw this scene and sent someone to invite Pei Kuan to ask him what he buried in the back garden. Pei Kuan told the truth, and Wei Shen sighed at Pei Kuan's behavior, immediately elected him as a judge, and betrothed his daughter to him as his wife.
The 21st Century（ 733), the grain harvest in Guanzhong failed after a long rain, and a famine occurred in Chang'an. Pei Yaoqing, then prime minister and transport envoy of the Yangtze and Huaihe Rivers, recommended Pei Kuan as the minister of the Ministry of Household and his deputy to assist him in dredging water transport and collecting grain taxes from the Yangtze and Huaihe Rivers to enrich the Central Shaanxi Plain. They jointly planned to adopt the method of sectional transportation, that is, the southeast ship was transported to Luokouchang, and the government hired a ship to transport it to the Yellow River and Luoshui, and then to the capital via the Yellow River and Weishui. Pei Kuan is specifically responsible for supervising this matter. Every day, he handles tens of thousands of money, but he is spotless and avaricious. It was a rumour that was widely praised by Pei Yaoqing.
Rigorous law enforcement
New Year Nine（ 721), Pei Kuan was recognized by the Secretary Zhang Shuo for his outstanding talent, and was recommended as Wai Lang, a member of the Ministry of Punishment. Soon after he took office, he accepted a thorny case - the murder of General Wan Chi Ma Chong. Ma Chong, as a general of ten thousand cavalries, was promoted and put in an important position by the imperial court. He should have been clean and honest, but he killed people openly in broad daylight, and the facts were clear, so he should be punished. Wang Maozhong, the general of the auxiliary state, interceded for Ma Chong and tried to atone for his sins with money. Wang Maozhong was a meritorious and favored official of Emperor Xuanzong of the Tang Dynasty. He was usually arrogant and overbearing, and even the prime minister gave him three points. Pei Kuan is facing a very severe test and great pressure. However, Pei Kuan dared to resist Wang Maozhong's intervention, was not afraid of power, and resolutely enforced the law impartially, which fully demonstrated his integrity and won the respect of the people in the court and the opposition.
After Pei Kuan took office as the governor of Puzhou, he refused to cater to the dignitaries, went deep into the people, distributed relief food, and punished a group of corrupt officials and local tyrants. Puzhou people regarded him as "Timely rain". Coincidentally, Pei Kuan's arrival in office has relieved the drought in the local area. The Old Book of the Tang Dynasty records that "the state border has been drought for a long time, and (Pei Kuan) enters the country, and the rain is heavy." Pei Kuan was promoted to Yin in Henan because of his outstanding achievements in Puzhou. Luoyang in its jurisdiction is located at the midpoint of the North South Canal, and the transportation of water is very convenient. As a result, a large number of princes, nobles and court dignitaries gathered here. Relying on their contributions to the court, Luoyang ignored the local jurisdiction, and passed frequently with non judges and officials, which added a lot of trouble to the local government, increased the burden of the people, and encountered continuous disasters for years, leading to the poverty of the people, Therefore, Yin Sulai of Henan was regarded as a dangerous path by the officialdom. Pei Kuan, who was appointed Yin of Henan Province, resolutely refused to bow to the evil forces with his integrity. "Do not attach to the power and nobility, and pay attention to the hidden, political justice".
Honest advice
The first year of Taiji（ In 712), during the spring drought and thousands of miles of bare land, people's life became increasingly difficult, but Tang Ruizong insisted on building a temple for the religious daughters Jin Xian and Yuzhen. Although Pei Kuan at that time was just a small Chang'an Lieutenant, after learning of this, he and his brother Pei Xuan, who was then the secretary of the middle school, and other officials made a petition to the emperor to stop the project that cost the people and money. In his recital, Pei Kuan made an impassioned statement, saying: "Your Majesty's camp has two views, and has six disasters, and has hurt ten thousand people, and has four offenses. It's not difficult to be reasonable! I hope to follow people at the right time, and stop doing meritorious deeds." Although Pei Kuan is at the end of his post, he has demonstrated his integrity, prudence, honesty, and courage to speak, which is commendable. Finally, under the unanimous opposition of the officials, Ruizong had to give up the project.
The Ministry of Rites suggested that music should be played in the memorial temple on the day of death. Pei Kuan proposed according to human feelings: "If the victim is in a high position and the deceased is in a low position, the music will be played. If the victim is in a low position and the deceased is in a high position, the music will not be played." (The death day here mainly refers to the anniversary of the death of a member of the royal family. The temple is a temple dedicated to the former emperor or other members of the royal family. Because the members of the royal family also have the difference of seniority, the performance of temple music has certain attention.). Zhang said that he appreciated his proposal and asked the court to follow Pei Kuan's proposal.
Stick to principles
Tianbao Three Years（ 744). At that time, Pei Dunfu, the minister of the Ministry of Punishment, returned after a defeat in his crusade against the pirates. He publicized everywhere that the pirates were powerful and powerful, and shamelessly recorded their merits to himself and his subordinates in order to earn capital for promotion. Although he was a member of his clan, Pei Kuan did not protect Pei Dunfu, but saw the emperor expose his fraud. Later, a ministry general in Hebei entered the court and praised Pei Kuan's great achievements in governing Fan Yang in front of the emperor. Even the northern barbarians admired him. Xuanzong was amazed at this, and he relied more heavily on Pei Kuan.
Xuanzong's trust in Pei Kuan triggered the dissatisfaction of Li Linfu, the powerful minister. Li Linfu was worried that Pei Kuan's reputation was growing, threatening his appearance, which would be detrimental to him; At the same time, he hated Pei Kuan for being friendly with his enemy Li Shizhi. Therefore, he tried to provoke Pei Dunfu to fight against Pei Kuan. Dun Fu formed a grudge against Pei Kuan because of his past events. In addition, he was narrow-minded and instigated by Li Linfu, so he tried his best to frame Pei Kuan. At this time, Pei Dunfu's generals Cheng Zangyao and Lang Cao Jian were reported because they had acted in accordance with their power. Pei Kuan was ordered to accept the case, and they were justly arrested. Dunfu asked someone to intercede with him. Pei Kuanyan was too lenient to enforce the law, so Pei Dunfu harbored a grudge. He attached himself to Li Linfu, the powerful minister, and bribed his sister Yang Guifei to frame Pei Kuan. Pei Kuan was demoted to be an imperial guard.
Fourteenth year of Tianbao（ 755), Pei Kuan regained his importance and worshiped the Ministry of Rites. Unfortunately, he died of illness soon after taking office at the age of 74. After his death, Pei Kuan was presented to the Prince Shaofu, and the famous poem of Emperor Xuanzong of the Tang Dynasty describing him as "Dai Yun" and "Jinshui" became a vivid portrayal of Pei Kuan's life as an official, a man and a man!
Qin Zhen
