Linghu Chu

Life

Linghu Chu was the son of 令狐承簡 and claimed descent from 令狐德棻, one of the Eighteen Scholars. His sons were 令狐緒 and 令狐綯, and his nephew was 令狐紞.

In the seventh year of the Zhenyuan era (791), he passed the jinshi examination and was appointed a 校書郎 at Hongwen Hall. He subsequently served as an aide in 桂州 and worked in the Taiyuan military headquarters as secretary and military judge. Early in the Yuanhe era under Emperor Xianzong, he entered the court and held the offices of Right Reminder, Vice Director of the Ministry of Rites, Vice Director of the Ministry of Justice, and a Secretariat vice-directorship; after mourning his father, he became a drafter of imperial edicts and a Hanlin Academician.

In the thirteenth year of Yuanhe (818), he was sent out as governor of 華州 and then became military commissioner of 河陽. In the fourteenth year (819), he was appointed 中書侍郎 and 同中書門下平章事, thereby entering the ranks of the chief ministers.

Accounts of the turning point in his career diverge. One says that he was sent to 華州 because he joined 皇甫鎛 and 李逢吉 in opposing 裴度; another attributes the subsequent demotion to corruption involving a subordinate official, after which he was demoted in the fifteenth year of Yuanhe (820) to the 宣歙 observation command, demoted again to 衡州, and later transferred to 郢州.

In the fourth year of Changqing (824), he moved from the Henan prefectural governorship to the Xuanwu military command. In the second year of Dahe (828), he entered the court as Minister of Revenue and later held the eastern capital’s custodianship and the Tianping and Hedong commands; one version writes the latter as 河本. His administrations were praised for good government.

In the seventh year of Dahe (833), he became Minister of Personnel, then Grand Master of the Court of Imperial Sacrifices, and finally Left Vice Censor, concurrently overseeing the salt and iron transport administration. In the first year of Kaicheng (836), he was sent out as military commissioner of 山南西道 and died at his post at the age of seventy-two. He was posthumously granted the title Sikong and the posthumous name Wen; after his son 令狐綯 rose to prominence, Linghu Chu was eventually posthumously elevated to Taiwei.

Literary achievement

Linghu Chu excelled in literary composition, especially memorials, petitions, and imperial edicts; as a poet he was known for yuefu and was particularly accomplished in quatrains. His poetry was described as 「宏毅闊遠」. Alongside 王涯 and 張仲素, he served as a Secretariat drafter and was associated with the collection known as 「三舍人詩」.

He exchanged poems frequently with 劉禹錫, 李逢吉, and 廣宣, and also maintained poetic and literary exchanges with 白居易, 竇鞏, 錢徽, 張祜, and 李商隱. He once presented a volume of 張祜’s poetry to the court and taught parallel prose to 李商隱.

Works

He wrote 《漆匳集》, also styled 《漆奩集》, in 130 juan. His three-juan exchange collection with 劉禹錫, 《彭陽唱和集》, and his one-juan exchange collection with 李逢吉, 《斷金集》, are both lost. During the Yuanhe era he compiled and presented the one-juan 《御覽詩》, which survives; one juan of his poems is preserved in 《全唐詩》, with two additional poems and two titles in 《全唐詩續拾》.

Other associated titles include 《三舍人集》, 《元和辨謗略》, 《廣宣與令狐楚唱和集》, 《梁苑文類》, and 《表奏集》。