Pei Du

Life

Pei Du's father was Pei Xu (裴溆). He had eight sons: Pei Shi (裴識), Pei Zhuan (裴譔), Pei Xu (裴詡), Pei Shen (裴諗), Pei Diao (裴調), Pei Xian (裴諴), Pei Rang (裴讓), and Pei Yi (裴議); Pei Xu died in 784, Pei Shi in 864, Pei Xu (裴詡), Pei Diao, Pei Xian, Pei Rang, and Pei Yi in 861, and Pei Shen in 880.

Under Emperor Dezong, he passed the jinshi examination in 789, the Boxue Hongci examination in 792, and subsequently became a proofreader; in 795 he passed the Xianliang Fangzheng neng zhi yan ji jian examination with distinction and became magistrate of Heyin. At the beginning of the Yuanhe era, he served successively as Investigating Censor (監察御史), secretary to a military governor (節度掌書記), and Recorder of Daily Affairs (起居舍人); he later held the posts of Sifeng yuanwailang (司封員外郎), zhizhigao (知制誥), Zhongshu Sheren (中書舍人), and Censor-in-Chief (御史中丞), advocating the suppression of regional military governors.

In 815 he was appointed Zhongshu Shilang and concurrent councilor in the central administration. During the campaign against Wu Yuanji at Caizhou, he was made military governor of the Zhangyi Army and a Huaixi pacification and military commissioner, and inspected the armies in the field; on his return to court, an assassin sent by Li Shidao slashed his head, but Emperor Xianzong kept him in office. In 817 he directed the campaign that pacified Huaixi and captured Wu Yuanji, for which he was made Duke of Jin; after the victory he received the titles of Grand Master of Splendid Happiness, Grand Academician of Hongwen, and Pillar of the State, while the Hebei military governors were frightened into submitting to the court.

In 819 he became military governor of Hedong. Under Emperors Muzong and Jingzong he repeatedly moved between provincial commands and the central government, serving as Situ and again taking part in government in 822, and doing so again in 826. The chronology of his later postings varies in detail: one version says that Huangfu Zhu caused him to be sent to Hedong and that Li Fengji later brought about his transfer to the military governorship of Shannan West; another places his removal to Shannan East under Emperor Wenzong and his subsequent command at Xiangzhou.

In 834 he was transferred to Luoyang as Dongdu Liushou and was granted the title Zhongshu Ling. Under Wenzong he also received the titles Menxia Shilang, Academician of the Jixian Hall, and Superintendent of the Taiqing Palace, was advanced to Shizhong, and was appointed Zhongshu Ling; in 837 he was again given command of Hedong, and in 839 an edict permitted his return to court, after which he died. At the beginning of the Taihe era, he joined Wei Chuhou in recommending Gao Yu for command of Zhongwu.

Literary life and associations

In his later years in the eastern capital, Pei Du built a residence in Jixian Ward, Luoyang, and called the estate Green Field Hall (Lüyetang). He made a life of poetry, wine, qin, and books, and exchanged poems closely with Bai Juyi and Liu Yuxi. His literary contacts also included Xue Tao (薛濤), Liu Zongyuan (柳宗元), Han Yu (韓愈), Li Jifu (李吉甫), Zhang Ji (張籍), Yuan Zhen (元稹), Linghu Chu (令狐楚), Liu Gongchuo (柳公綽), Wu Yuanheng (武元衡), and Li Jiang (李絳).

Works and reception

Works associated with Pei Du include the Pei Jingong Collection (《裴晉公集》), in two juan, as well as Shu yi (《書儀》) and Ruluo ji (《汝洛集》). The Quan Tang shi preserves one juan of his poetry; the Quan Tang shi waibian and Quan Tang shi xu shi add one poem and two fragments.

Poetry criticism described his writing as plain and substantial, citing the line “灰心缘忍事，霜鬓为论兵” as deeply restrained. Fang Hui praised him as a veteran statesman of successive reigns whose achievements were at their height, and said that poets from his circle were especially numerous; the episode of “sending a horse to present to Zhang Ji” became a celebrated story in poetic circles.

Death and legacy

His pacification of Huaixi and capture of Wu Yuanji brought him the title Duke of Jin. He later repeatedly held the reins of government; contemporaries compared him to Guo Fen-yang, and he was said to have weighed the balance of the empire for nearly thirty years. He died in 839 at the age of seventy-five, was posthumously granted the title Grand Preceptor (太傅) and the posthumous name Wenzhong, and in the first year of the Huichang era was additionally granted the title Grand Mentor (太師).