Background

It is not known when Pei Mian was born. He was from a prominent clan of Hedong (河東, in modern Yuncheng, Shanxi), which traced its ancestry to officials of Han Dynasty, Cao Wei, Jin Dynasty (266–420), Former Yan, Later Qin, Northern Wei, and Tang Dynasty. His grandfather Wei Zhi (韋陟) served as a military advisor to a prefectural prefect, and his father Wei Ji (韋紀) served as the secretary general for Chang'an County, one of the two counties making up the Tang capital Chang'an.

During Emperor Xuanzongs reign

Early in Emperor Xuanzong's Tianbao era (742–756), because of his ancestors' status as imperial officials, Pei Mian was made the sheriff of Weinan County (in modern Weinan, Shaanxi), and he became known for his administrative abilities. When Wang Hong (王鉷) the chief imperial censor took on the additional post as the surveyor of the Chang'an region, he made Pei his assistant. Pei later served as an imperial censor, initially with the low rank of Jiancha Yushi (監察御史), then the higher rank of Dianzhong Shi Yushi (殿中侍御史). It was said that while Pei was not well-learned, he was diligent, responsible, and decisive, and Wang much depended on him. In 752, when Wang Hong was implicated in a coup plot of his brother Wang Han (王銲) and was forced to commit suicide, his several hundred subordinates did not dare to even approach Wang Hong's door, except for Pei, who personally took Wang Hong's body and buried it properly. He became renowned for this, and in 753, Geshu Han, the military governor (jiedushi) of Hexi Circuit (河西, headquartered in modern Wuwei, Gansu) invited him to serve as an officer below Geshu.

During Emperor Suzongs reign

In 755, the military governor An Lushan rebelled, and by 756 had established a new state of Yan. Further, Yan forces were approaching Chang'an, forcing Emperor Xuanzong to flee toward Shu Commandery (蜀郡, roughly modern Chengdu, Sichuan). Emperor Xuanzong's son, Li Heng the Crown Prince, however, did not follow Emperor Xuanzong and instead headed toward the important military outpost Lingwu. Meanwhile, Pei, who had received a recall to serve as deputy chief imperial censor (御史中丞, Yushi Zhongcheng), encountered Li Heng at Pingliang and accompanied Li Heng to Lingwu. Subsequently, at the urging of Pei and Du Hongjian, Li Heng declared himself emperor there (as Emperor Suzong)—an act that Emperor Xuanzong would recognize when the news reached him later. Emperor Suzong made Pei Zhongshu Shilang (中書侍郎), the deputy head of the legislative bureau of government (中書省), and gave him the designation Tong Zhongshu Menxia Pingzhangshi (同中書門下平章事), making him a chancellor de facto.

It was said that Pei was faithful and diligent as chancellor, and received the support of the people. However, it was also said that he was not wise, and, believing that it was necessary to gather money for government use, advocated selling government offices for money, and also letting people become Buddhist and Taoist monks and use them to gather more money. As a result, political honors became worthless. After Emperor Suzong, gradually advancing back toward Chang'an, moved to Fengxiang (鳳翔, in modern Baoji, Shaanxi) in spring 757, Pei was made You Pushe (右僕射), one of the heads of the executive bureau (尚書省, Shangshu Sheng), and no longer chancellor. In fall 757, when Tang and Huige forces recaptured Chang'an, it was Pei that Emperor Suzong sent to Chang'an to comfort the people and to offer sacrifices to the imperial ancestral temple. Emperor Suzong created him the Duke of Ji. In 758, when Emperor Xuanzong gave his daughter Princess Ningguo in marriage to Huige's Bayanchur Khan, Pei was sent to escort Princess Ningguo to the border, although not to Huige headquarters. Pei was subsequently made the mayor of Chengdu Municipality and the military governor of Xichuan Circuit (西川, headquartered in Chengdu), although he was later recalled to again be You Pushe. In 761, when the powerful eunuch Li Fuguo wanted to be chancellor, and Emperor Suzong, who by this point was fearful of Li Fuguo, refused on the basis that he did not have the support of the officials, Li Fuguo tried to persuade Pei to recommend him. Emperor Suzong told the chancellor Xiao Hua that if an important official (i.e., someone like Pei) recommended Li Fuguo, he would no longer have the excuse to refuse Li Fuguo's request. When Xiao subsequently discussed this with Pei, Pei's response was:

Subsequently, Li Fuguo was not able to be chancellor while Emperor Suzong was alive, much to Li Fuguo's resentment.

During Emperor Daizongs reign

In 762, Emperor Suzong died. After a power struggle between Emperor Suzong's wife Empress Zhang and Li Fuguo, Li Fuguo prevailed and killed Empress Zhang, and subsequently supported Emperor Suzong's crown prince Li Yu as emperor (as Emperor Daizong). Meanwhile, Pei Mian was put in charge of building an imperial tomb for Emperor Suzong, and, in order to ingratiate Li Fuguo, made Li Fuguo's close associate Liu Xuan (劉烜) his assistant. After Li Fuguo was removed in 762, Pei had disagreements with the newly powerful eunuch Cheng Yuanzhen, and thus was demoted to be the prefect of Shi Prefecture (施州, roughly modern Enshi Tujia and Miao Autonomous Prefecture, Hubei). Several months later, he was moved to be the prefect of Li Prefecture (澧州, roughly Changde, Hunan), and eventually was recalled to be Zuo Puye (左僕射), the other head of the executive bureau.

By 769, the chancellor Yuan Zai was the most powerful figure at court. Yuan was grateful to Pei for having recommended him in the past, and therefore, when Du Hongjian, who was then chancellor, died that year, Yuan recommended Pei to again be chancellor both to repay Yuan and to further control the government in light of Pei's old age and illness. When Pei was receiving his commission as chancellor, pursuant to customs, he was dancing to show gratefulness to the emperor, but as he danced, he fell to the ground, and Yuan had to help him up and to give thanks on his behalf. Pei died around the new year 770 and was posthumously honored. Emperor Daizong further had an award of silk and grain sent to his family. However, no posthumous name was recorded for him.

It was said that Pei, despite his faithfulness, was also known for wastefulness, spending much resources on his wagons, his clothes, his food, and his horses. He invented a form of headdress that was imitated by others and which became known as Puye Form (僕射樣). When he succeeded Du as chancellor, his subordinate reported to him the amount of additional salary he would be earning, and he was pleased with the earning, drawing scorn from those who saw him.

Notes and references

• Old Book of Tang, vol. 113.

• New Book of Tang, vol. 140.

• Zizhi Tongjian, vols. 216, 218, 219, 220, 222, 223, 224.

歷官

• 天寶初，以門廕再遷渭南縣尉。

• 任御史中丞、充京畿採訪使王鉷的判官。

• 遷監察御史

• 殿中侍御史

• 河西節度使哥舒翰表為行軍司馬，

• 累遷員外郎中。

• 安史之亂，唐玄宗入四川，任裴冕為御史中丞兼太子左庶子，天下兵馬副元帥。

• 至德元年（756年）七月十二日，五次勸進，唐肅宗即位，遷中書侍郎、同中書門下平章事。

• 因賣官鬻爵，大賣僧尼道士度牒，至德二載二月，肅宗至鳳翔後，罷冕知政事，遷尚書右僕射。

• 十二月，唐朝收複兩京，裴冕封冀國公，食實封五百戶。

• 乾元元年（758年）六月初一日，為御史大夫、成都尹，持節充劍南節度副大使、本道觀察使。

• 寶應元年（762年），唐代宗即位，充護山陵使。依附李輔國，舉薦輔國親暱術士中書舍人劉烜充山陵使判官。九月，劉烜坐法，裴冕坐貶施州刺史。數月，移澧州刺史.

• 廣德二年（764年）二月，複征為尚書左僕射兼御史大夫，充東都、河南、江南、淮南轉運使。

• 永泰元年（765年）三月初一日，左僕射裴冕、右僕射郭英乂、太子少傅裴遵慶、檢校太子少保白志貞、太子詹事臧希讓、左散騎常侍暢璀、檢校刑部尚書王昂、高升、檢校工部尚書崔渙、吏部侍郎李季卿、王延昌、禮部侍郎賈至、涇王傅吳令瑤等十三人，並為集賢院待詔。

• 大曆四年（769年）十一月，門下侍郎、同中書門下平章事、衛國公杜鴻漸去世，宰相元載推舉左僕射、冀國公裴冕代杜鴻漸同中書門下平章事，充東都留守、河南淮南淮西山南東道副元帥。裴冕大喜過望，手舞足蹈，拜倒在地，元載前去扶起，代他謝恩。拜相未盈月而卒，時大曆四年十二月。代宗追悼，輟朝三日，贈太尉，賻制五百匹、粟五百石。

注釋