家庭背景

苏良嗣生于隋炀帝年间的606年。父亲苏世长是隋朝官员，之前还是北周官员。619年隋朝灭亡后，苏世长投靠郑帝王世充，但621年郑朝被唐军击败投降，苏世长成为了唐高祖和唐太宗的官员。苏良嗣一家来自雍州，大约在今陕西西安，也是隋、唐两朝的京畿。

唐高宗年间

苏良嗣最初为洛州长史，因受妻子的妹夫贪赃事连累，贬冀州刺史。妻子的妹夫结案后前去谢罪，苏良嗣面色泰然淡定，说：「州牧、郡守调任是常事，我不知道被你连累甚么。」

唐高宗年间，苏良嗣任周王李显（即后来的唐中宗）王府的司马，正色匡谏李显年少不法的行为，李显对他很敬畏。周王府属官多不称职，但苏良嗣守文自检，依法处置这些人，没人敢冒犯他，高宗对他也很赏识。

永淳元年（682年）六月，苏良嗣以岐州刺史改任雍州长史。当时，关中饥荒严重到了食人的地步，盗贼横行。苏良嗣为政严明，敢作案的盗贼不出三天即被擒，被号为神明。

高宗任他为荆州大都督府长史。七月，高宗派内侍去长江沿岸采办奇异竹木，想把它们移植到上苑。这些内侍滥用职权，欺压百姓，当他们路过荆州时，苏良嗣逮捕了他们，并上疏高宗，指出为了远方的宝物而扰民不是圣人所为，言辞切直。高宗对武后承认自己考虑不周，约束不严，才被苏良嗣所怪，并且下诏慰勉了苏良嗣，下令把已采办到的竹子都投入长江。

荆州有一座西梁宣帝所建的河东寺，系为其兄河东王萧誉所建。苏良嗣不知道该寺得名于河东王，惊道：「这座寺在江、汉之间，与河东何干？」于是上奏，导致河东寺被改名，当地士大夫抱怨苏良嗣学问不精。

唐睿宗年间

683年，唐高宗驾崩，太子李显（此时已改名李哲）继位为唐中宗，实权由摄政的武太后掌握。684年，中宗表现出独立执政的迹象，被太后所废，太后改立中宗之弟豫王李旦为唐睿宗，更加把持朝政。苏良嗣迁工部尚书，垂拱元年（685年）五月代王德真守纳言，实际相当于宰相。太后定居洛阳后，命苏良嗣为西京长安留守，累封温国公。当他离开洛阳时，太后亲自赋诗饯送，赏赐和恩遇都很优渥。当时尚方监裴匪躬负责检校京苑，提议贩卖禁苑中的蔬果为朝廷谋利。苏良嗣拒绝了，引用春秋时鲁国国相公仪休的典故，指出朝廷不宜和农民争夺商业利益，遂劝止。

二年（686年）六月，苏良嗣被召回洛阳，任文昌左相，随后进为同凤阁鸾台三品。其间，他曾经于南门遭遇太后的男宠和尚薛怀义，怀义无礼，良嗣大怒，命左右武士掌掴了怀义的脸之后，把怀义拖出去，不让他走南门。当怀义向太后抱怨时，太后半开玩笑地答道：「阁下应该走北门，宰相们在南门议事，井水不犯河水。」

苏良嗣很礼遇乾封尉韦安石。永昌元年（689年），韦安石为雍州司兵，苏良嗣对他说：「大材须大用，何必徒劳于州县。」特荐他于太后，使他被擢拜膳部员外郎、永昌令、并州司马。

载初元年（690年）正月，苏良嗣被解文昌左相职，加特进，仍以同凤阁鸾台三品为相。他和同为宰相的地官尚书韦方质不合，三月，当韦方质坐罪当诛时，攀诬苏良嗣。太后公然表示不相信苏良嗣会有牵连，苏良嗣惶恐拜谢，却不能起身，倒在朝堂上，由皇家的马车送回府邸。太后派侍御医张文仲、韦慈藏照顾他。张文仲说是忧愤邪气所激，如果冲胁痛，就救不了了。未及吃饭时，苏良嗣就为冲胁绞痛所苦。张文仲又说如果病到了心，就不可治疗。苏良嗣很快心痛，张文仲不复下药，当天晚上苏良嗣卒。武则天辍朝三日，举哀于观风门，命百官去苏家赴吊，赠开府仪同三司、益州都督，赐绢布八百段、米粟八百硕，并降玺书吊祭。然而不久，他的长子太常丞苏践言被酷吏陷害，与弟弟苏践忠都被弹劾处绞刑，酷吏要求斩苏良嗣棺，但在司刑丞徐有功奏请下，苏氏父子免遭这些刑罚，苏践言流死岭南，苏良嗣的官爵遭到追削，财产被没收。神龙元年（705年），唐中宗复位。景龙元年（707年），中宗恢复了苏良嗣的生前爵位，追赠司空，允许苏践言的儿子苏务玄袭温国公。后来唐玄宗年间，苏良嗣被揭发有罪，玄宗下诏免斩其棺、宽抄其家。

苏良嗣后来亦得绘图凌烟阁。

子孙

• 苏践言，秘书监

　• 苏务玄，开元年间为邠王府长史

　• 苏务寂，梓州刺史

　• 苏务升

• 苏践忠

• 苏践信，中书舍人，有孙苏震娶真阳公主

　• 苏彦伯，娶长宁公主

• 苏践义

　• 苏务廉

• 苏践节。曾孙苏檀，太府卿

另有兄孙苏弁。

Background

Su Liangsi was born in 606, during the reign of Emperor Yang of Sui. His father Su Shizhang (苏世长) was then an official for Sui Dynasty, and had been an official for Sui's predecessor Northern Zhou. After Sui's fall in 619, Su initially submitted to one of the contenders to succeed Sui, Wang Shichong the Emperor of Zheng, but after Zheng was defeated by Tang Dynasty forces in 621, submitted to Tang and became a Tang official, subsequently serving under its first two emperors Emperor Gaozu and Emperor Taizong. Su's family was from Yong Prefecture (雍州, roughly modern Xi'an, Shaanxi) -- the capital prefecture for both Sui and Tang.

During Emperor Gaozongs reign

During the reign of Emperor Taizong's son Emperor Gaozong, Su Liangsi served as the military advisor to Emperor Gaozong's son Li Xian the Prince of Zhou. It was said that because Li Xian was young, his behaviors were often against regulations; Su would sternly advise against such behavior, and Li Xian feared and respected him. It was also said that many staff members were not capable officials, but Su carefully governed the staff and there were few violations against regulations, earning him much praise from Emperor Gaozong.

Later in Emperor Gaozong's reign, he was made the secretary general at Jing Prefecture (荆州, roughly modern Jingzhou, Hubei). On an occasion in 682, Emperor Gaozong sent eunuchs to the Yangtze River region to seek out unusual bamboo plants, hoping to transplant them to the imperial garden. The eunuchs were said to abuse this authority to overpower the people, and when they went through Jing Prefecture, Su arrested them and submitted a petition to Emperor Gaozong, stating, "Looking for unusual things afar and disturbing the regions on the way is not the way for holy ones to show that they love the people. Further, these frivolous persons are abusing their authority and causing damage to the imperial reputation." Emperor Gaozong commented to his powerful wife Empress Wu (later known as Wu Zetian), "I did not think this through carefully, and I drew a rebuke from Su Liangsi." He wrote an edict thanking Su, and ordered that the collected bamboo plants be thrown into the river.

However, while serving at Jing Prefecture, Su was also involved in an embarrassing event that caused people to believe that he did not study well. In Jing Prefecture was a Buddhist temple that Emperor Xuan of Western Liang had built named Hedong Temple, dedicated to Emperor Xuan's older brother Xiao Yu (萧誉) the Prince of Hedong, who had been killed early by their uncle Emperor Yuan of Liang. Su, when he saw the temple, unaware of its connection with the Prince of Hedong, commented, "What does Hedong have to do with this region between the Yangtze and the Han River?" (Hedong originally referred to the region east of the Yellow River, in modern Shanxi.) He submitted a request, later approved, that the temple be torn down. This caused the people of the region to complain that he was unaware of history.

During Emperor Gaozong's Yongchun era (682-683), Su was made the secretary general of Yong Prefecture. At that time, the Guanzhong region (i.e., the region around the capital Chang'an) was suffering from a famine that was so severe that people resorted to cannibalism, and there were many thefts and robberies. Su was said to be a strict governor, and criminal cases were usually solved within three days.

During Empress dowager Wus regency

Emperor Gaozong died in 683 and was succeeded by Li Xian (then Crown Prince with the name Li Zhe) (as Emperor Zhongzong), but actual power was in the hands of Empress Wu, as empress dowager and regent. In 684, when Emperor Zhongzong showed signs of independence, she deposed him and replaced him with his brother Li Dan the Prince of Yu (as Emperor Ruizong), but thereafter held onto power even more firmly. Around this time, Su Liangsi was made the minister of public works, and in 685 he was made Nayan (纳言) -- the head of the examination bureau of government and a post considered one for a chancellor, replacing Wang Dezhen. As Empress Dowager Wu had taken up permanent residence at the eastern capital Luoyang, Su was made the official in charge of Chang'an; he was also created the Duke of Wen. As he departed Luoyang, Empress Dowager Wu personally recited a poem to send him off. At that time, the director of imperial constructions, Pei Feigong (裴匪躬), was in charge of the imperial garden at Chang'an and proposed that the fruits and vegetables in the garden be gathered and sold to supplement the imperial budget. Su rejected the proposal, pointing out that it was inappropriate for the imperial government to be competing on the market with farmers.

In 686, Su was recalled to Luoyang to serve as Wenchang Zuo Xiang (文昌左相) -- one of the heads of the executive bureau and also a post for a chancellor—and further given the chancellor designation Tong Fengge Luantai Sanpin (同凤阁鸾台三品). Around this time, there was an incident where he encountered Empress Dowager Wu's lover, the Buddhist monk Huaiyi. Huaiyi did not greet him and displayed himself arrogantly. In anger, Su ordered his guards to seize Huaiyi and slap him. When Huaiyi complained to Empress Dowager Wu, she responded semi-jocularly, "Your Eminence should enter through the North Gate directly into the palace without going through the governmental buildings to the south of the palace). The Southern Palace is where chancellors gather; do not violate it."

In spring 690, Su was removed from his post as head of the executive bureau, but was given the honorific title Tejin (特进) and continued to serve as a chancellor de facto with the Tong Fengge Luantai Sanpin designation. He was said to have a poor relationship with fellow chancellor Wei Fangzhi, and later that spring, when Wei was accused of capital offenses, Wei, during interrogation, intentionally stated that Su was related to the case as well. Empress Dowager Wu, however, stated publicly herself that she did not believe Su was involved, and Su, in fear, bowed to her to thank her, but could not get up after bowing. He was delivered on an imperial wagon back to his house, and Empress Dowager Wu sent the imperial physicians Zhang Wenzhong and Wei Cizang (韦慈藏) to look after him. Still, he died that same day and was buried with great honors. However, soon, after his son Su Jianyan (苏践言) was accused of crimes and exiled to the Lingnan region, Su Liangsi's honors were posthumously stripped, and his assets were seized. His other sons Su Jianzhong (苏践忠) and Su Jianyi (苏践义) were also involved. Su Jianyan died in Lingnan. In 707, after Emperor Zhongzong had been restored to the throne in 705, Su Liangsi's titles were restored, and Su Jianyan's son Su Wuxuan (苏务玄) was allowed to inherit the title of Duke of Wen.

Notes and references

• Old Book of Tang, vol. 75.https://web.archive.org/web/20071011073112/http://ef.cdpa.nsysu.edu.tw/ccw/02/tan09.htm

• New Book of Tang, vol. 103.https://web.archive.org/web/20071011093344/http://ef.cdpa.nsysu.edu.tw/ccw/02/ntan15.htm

• Zizhi Tongjian, vols. 203, 204.