家世

齐抗生于唐玄宗年间的740年，是定州义丰人，认祖春秋战国姜齐公室。祖父齐浣为唐玄宗年间名臣，官至平阳太守，父齐翱却官位低微，只做到左龙武仓曹参军，后因齐抗显贵，累赠国子祭酒。

早年

齐抗年幼时，正值安史之乱席卷唐帝国北方，齐抗奉母隐居会稽剡中，就在那里读书。他善于作文，长于笺奏。曾师从独孤及。唐代宗大历年间（766年－779年），寿州刺史张镒辟齐抗为判官。齐抗明习吏事，敏于文学，张镒很看重他。

唐德宗年间

唐德宗建中（780年－783年）初年，张镒任江西观察使，齐抗随他于幕府。三年（782年），张镒在宰相任上被任为凤翔节度使，奏齐抗为监察御史，仍为自己的宾佐。当时张镒的军事筹画，多出于齐抗。齐抗也作为张镒的幕僚参与了建中四年（783年）唐朝与吐蕃的清水之盟。迁殿中侍御史。

四年十月，京城长安发生兵变，迫使德宗出奔奉天，因奉天城小，德宗想进一步逃到凤翔。张镒闻讯，筹划迎驾。齐抗和自己曾推荐的行军司马齐映指出后营将李楚琳为兵变首领朱泚旧部，难以控制，建议张镒先除去李楚琳。张镒没有听从，命李楚琳出屯陇州。李楚琳假托有事，没有即时出发。张镒一心迎驾，以为李楚琳已经走了。当夜李楚琳就和党羽作乱，攻张镒，张镒与二子缒城逃跑，都被候骑所擒，都被李楚琳杀死。齐抗在佣人背负下与齐映都逃到奉天，德宗任齐抗为侍御史，十天后改户部员外郎。宰相萧复为江淮宣慰使，以齐抗为工部员外郎、判官。齐抗推荐卢迈。

兴元元年（784年），乱平，德宗还京，天下旱蝗，国用尽竭。盐铁转运使元琇认为齐抗有才，奏授仓部郎中，条理江淮盐务。贞元初年，为水陆运副使，督江淮漕运以供给京师。迁兵部郎中兼御史中丞，又任谏议大夫，为朝廷要员所不容，因姻亲有小过，贬为处州刺史。《唐会要》卷五十载五年（789年）八月处州刺史齐黄的奏文，疑即齐抗。六年（790年），因旧州治屡遭水灾，北移四里到高原上。《全唐诗》收录有路应、李缜、戴公怀《仙岩四瀑布即事寄上秘书包监侍郎七兄吏部李侍郎十七兄婺州赵中丞处州齐谏议明州李九郎十四韵》。又历任苏州刺史，八年（792年）二月转潭州刺史、湖南都团练观察使。同年，宰相中书侍郎同平章事陆贽推荐齐映为江西观察使，有人指出齐映、齐抗互为本家，同任相邻方镇不妥，需要重新商议，陆贽上疏指出二齐是同姓别房，非五服之亲，不需要避嫌。入为给事中，十年（794年）二月又为河南尹，捕得劫转运绢贼人郭鹄、朱瞿昙等七人及赃绢，使被冤枉为劫匪的原东都留守将令狐运冤情得雪（但令狐运没有被赦免，死于贬所）。十二年（796年），上疏言两税法之弊，无果。吕温曾作《上族叔齐河南书》，称齐抗为「大尹叔父阁下」，因吕、齐二氏同出自姜姓齐国，故称齐抗为族叔。齐抗历任秘书监、太常卿。十四年（798年）十二月，奏请依开元礼，户部尚书以下于南班再拜后随上公升阶东向站立，准仪注奏事，以补旧仪。

贞元十六年（800年）九月，以中散大夫、守太常卿、上柱国、赐紫金鱼袋代被贬的郑馀庆为中书侍郎、同中书门下平章事，为宰相，散官勋赐如故。十二月，齐抗认为吏部选的官员已是精选过的，中书省、门下省再复查是浪费时间，奏请废止复查，获准。当时礼部侍郎主管科举，其亲故都能考功，被称为「别头举人」，此事早在贞元十年（794年）也因齐抗所奏而罢。齐抗又奏裁减诸州府别驾、田曹、司田官及判司之双曹者及中书省驱使官及诸胥吏，而以为朝官。不久，以中散大夫、守中书侍郎、同中书门下平章事、上柱国、赐紫金鱼袋加修国史。齐抗让中书舍人权德舆上表辞让。

齐抗虽然读书，却没有远略，过度在意细节上求精，有挑剔苛刻之名。十九年（803年），因病请辞，七月，罢为太子李诵宾客，已病得不能朝谢。贞元年间他与贾耽同修《时政记》，也因病罢而中止。二十年（804年）四月卒，赠户部尚书，又赐家绢二百匹。谥成。

作品

• 《齐抗集》二十卷

• 《元日朝班仪注奏》

• 《更定祭日奏》

评价

• 《旧唐书》

　• 史臣曰：而损（崔损）、抗之比，夫何足云，遽污台槐，盖时主之容易耳。

　• 赞曰：窦（窦参）阿齐佞，偏诐斯同。

家族

• 曾祖：齐知玄，仕至淄州长山县令

• 曾祖：齐浣，给事中、吏部侍郎

• 父亲：齐翧，右龙武兵曹参军

妻

• 河南独孤氏，某官之女，贤明，早亡

• 兰陵萧氏，驸马都尉萧衡孙女，梓州别驾萧戡第二女

子孙

• 齐餗，嗣子，官至东都留守府推官、洛阳主簿，娶赞善大夫、鄂州别驾河南源清寰之女

　• 齐酄，会稽县尉

　　• 齐佑

　　• 齐药师

　　• 二女

注释及参考文献

Background

Qi Kang was born in 740, during the reign of Emperor Xuanzong. His family was from Ding Prefecture (定州 Dìng Zhōu, in modern Baoding, Hebei). and claimed ancestry from the royal Jiang house of the Spring and Autumn period state Qi. His grandfather Qi Huan (齐浣 Qí Huǎn) was a well-known commandery governor during Emperor Xuanzong's reign, although his father Qi Ao (齐翱 Qí Áo) was described to have served in an insignificant position.

In Qi Kang's youth, the Anshi Rebellion swept over the northern parts of the Tang empire, and he took his mother and fled to Kuaiji (present-day Shaoxing in Zhejiang), where he spent his time studying. It was said that he was good at writing, particularly when it came to reports on various matters.

During Emperor Daizongs reign

During the Dali era (766-779) of Emperor Xuanzong's grandson Emperor Daizong, Zhang Yi the prefect of Shou Prefecture (寿州 Shòu Zhōu, in modern Lu'an, Anhui) invited Qi Kang to serve as an assistant. It was said that Qi was capable administratively and literarily, and Zhang respected him.

During Emperor Dezongs reign

Early in the Jianzhong era (780-783) of Emperor Daizong's son Emperor Daizong, Zhang Yi became the governor of Jiangxi Circuit (江西 Jiāngxī, headquartered in modern Nanchang, Jiangxi), and Qi Kang followed him and continued to serve on his staff. After Zhang later served a stint as chancellor and was made the military governor (Jiedushi) of Fengxiang Circuit (凤翔 Fèngxiáng, headquartered in modern Baoji, Shaanxi) in 782, he invited Qi to serve on his staff again. It was said that most of the military tactics that Zhang used at the time were suggested by Qi.

In fall 783, when a mutiny at the capital Chang'an forced Emperor Dezong to flee to Fengtian (奉天 Fèngtiān, in modern Xianyang, Shaanxi), as Fengtian was a small city, Emperor Dezong considered further heading to Fengxiang. Meanwhile, Zhang, hearing of the mutiny and of Emperor Dezong's considering visiting Fengxiang, began undertaking preparations for the emperor's arrival. Qi Kang and fellow staff member Qi Ying pointed out that one of the military officers, Li Chulin (李楚琳 Lǐ Chǔlín), was previously a subordinate of the mutiny leader Zhu Ci and would be difficult to control. Zhang thus issued an order that Li report to Long Prefecture (陇州 Lǒng Zhōu, in modern Baoji). Li, giving excuses, did not report immediately, and Zhang, concentrating on welcoming the emperor, never followed up on whether Li left for Long Prefecture. That night, Li and his associates mutinied and attacked Zhang's headquarters. Zhang and two of his sons climbed over the city walls and tried to flee but were captured by the mutineers and killed. Qi Kang and Qi Ying both fled to Fengtian, and Emperor Dezong made Qi Kang an imperial censor with the title Shiyushi (侍御史 Shìyùshǐ).

After the rebellions were quashed in 784 and Emperor Dezong returned to Chang'an, the treasury was drained, and a major part of the empire was laid waste. At that time, the official Yuan Xiu (元琇 Yuán Xiù), who was in charge of the state salt and iron monopolies, believed that Qi Kang was capable and recommended him as Cangbu Langzhong (仓部郎中 Cāngbù Làngzhōng), a supervisorial official at the ministry of census (户部 Hùbù), to be in charge of the salt monopoly in the Yangtze River-Huai River region. Qi was also soon made the deputy director of the supplies, in charge of supplying Chang'an with food from the Yangtze-Huai region. Soon, for minor faults that are lost to history, he was demoted to be the prefect of Chu Prefecture (处州, in modern Lishui, Zhejiang). He later served as the prefect of Su Prefecture (苏州, in modern Suzhou, Jiangsu) before becoming the governor (观察使, Guanchashi) of Hunan Circuit (湖南, headquartered in modern Changsha, Hunan) was well as the prefect of its capital Tan Prefecture (in modern Changsha, Hunan). He was later recalled serving as imperial attendant (给事中, Jishizhong) and then the mayor of Henan Municipality (河南, i.e., the region of the eastern capital Luoyang). He later successively served as Mishu Jian (秘书监), the director of the Palace Library and then the minister of worship (太常卿, Taichang Qing).

In 800, Qi was made Zhongshu Sheren (中书舍人), a mid-level official at the legislative bureau of government (中书省, Zhongshu Sheng) and given the designation Tong Zhongshu Menxia Pingzhangshi. This made him a chancellor, replacing the recently demoted Zheng Yuqing. While serving as chancellor, Qi suggested the abolition of the system where, after the ministry of civil service affairs (吏部, Lìbu) selected officials to be commissioned, the officials from the legislative bureau and the examination bureau (门下省, Menxia Sheng) would reexamine the proposed list — reasoning that after the ministry of civil service affairs had carefully selected the officials, it would be a waste of time to reexamine. This suggestion was accepted. Per the customs of the time, as the deputy minister of rites was in charge of the imperial examinations, his relatives and friends would be given a separate imperial examination; under Qi's suggestion, that examination was also abolished. Also, per Qi's suggestions, various local officials were also given titles of corresponding central government officials. Emperor Dezong also gave Qi the responsibilities of editing the imperial histories.

It was said that while Qi was well-learned, he did not have long-term plans, but overly paid attention to details such that he became known for pickiness and harshness. In 803, after he became ill and offered to resign, he was made an advisor to Emperor Dezong's crown prince Li Song, and it was said that due to the illness, he was unable to thank Emperor Dezong in person. He died in 804 and was given posthumous honors. He was also given the posthumous name of Cheng (成, meaning "successful").

Notes and references

• Old Book of Tang, vol. 136.

• New Book of Tang, vol. 128.

• Zizhi Tongjian, vols. 228, 235, 236.