Tang Situi (湯思退; ?–1164), courtesy name Jinzhi (進之), was a Southern Song official. He was a native of Qingtian in Chuzhou (present-day Lishui, Zhejiang), although another account places him in Lishui, Chuzhou. His birth year is not recorded; one account gives 1117. In 1145, the fifteenth year of the Shaoxing era, he passed the examination for broad learning and grand phraseology and was granted the jinshi degree; he served under Emperor Gaozong and Emperor Xiaozong and rose to left and right vice-director of the Department of State Affairs, the office of chief councillor.
Life
Tang entered official life through the yin privilege. In the Shaoxing period he was appointed magistrate of Hezheng county with the honorary rank of You Congzheng Lang; another account gives Zhenghe county. In 1145 he passed the extraordinary examination, was granted the jinshi degree and appointed corrector of the Palace Library. Between 1147 and 1149 he served as a bureau director in the Ministry of Personnel, and afterwards held the posts of vice-director of the Palace Library, diarist, imperial diarist, acting vice-minister of rites, vice-minister of the Court of Imperial Sacrifices and drafter of the Secretariat.
In 1155 he attached himself to Qin Hui and was promoted to vice-minister of rites; he was appointed academician of the Duanming Hall, signatory of the Bureau of Military Affairs, acting vice-chief councillor and deputy commissioner of military affairs. In 1156 he became director of the Bureau of Military Affairs; in 1157 he was appointed right vice-director of the Department of State Affairs and joint manager of affairs with the Secretariat-Chancellery, and in 1159 he advanced to left vice-director with the same title. He was afterwards impeached, dismissed from the council and given a temple commission, and he later held the title of grand academician of the Guanwen Hall and supervised the Taiping Xingguo Palace.
In 1163, the first year of Longxing, after the Song army was routed at Fuli, Tang returned to the council as commissioner of military affairs and right vice-director of the Department of State Affairs; he had shortly before served as prefect of Shaoxing. When the Jin demanded the four prefectures of Hai, Si, Tang and Deng, Tang strongly advocated peace, agreed to cede them and secretly ordered Sun Zao to press the Jin for peace with a show of force; he consistently favoured peace and was at odds with Zhang Jun. Xin Ciying, Wang Che, Chen Lianghan and Wang Dabao all impeached him. Accused by remonstrating officials, he was ordered to reside in Yongzhou, and the Imperial University student Zhang Guan and others petitioned that he had ruined the state and asked that he be executed. In 1164, the second year of Longxing, the Jin broke the agreement and advanced, and Tang died of grief and fear; his highest title was Duke of Qi.
Xue Jixuan and Wang Zhi wrote letters to him, and he exchanged letters with the Chan monk Zonggao; Lu You was his biographer.
Works
He compiled the Veritable Records of Zhezong (哲宗實錄) in 150 juan and the Record of the Reception of the Yongyou Mausoleum (永祐陵迎奉錄) in 10 juan.
Family
His father-in-law was Pan Zeng; his wife was née Pan (1144–1231); his son was Tang Gang (1139–1161).
References
- CBDB Tang Situi (8122)
- 搜韵 湯思退 (28975)
- Wikidata Tang Situi (Q11136087)