家世

戴至德生年不详。父寿州长平县丞戴俭，戴俭妻南阳乐氏，隋朝曹州长史乐彦之嫡长女，未详是否戴至德母。叔父戴胄在唐太宗年间为宰相，但无子，养戴至德为子。贞观七年（633年）戴胄去世，唐太宗追封其为道国公，戴至德袭爵。

效力唐高宗

乾封二年（667年）四月，戴至德以西台侍郎、检校太子左中护被授同东西台三品，为实质宰相。咸亨元年（670年），武皇后（后称武则天）母卫国夫人杨氏过世，诏赠鲁国太夫人，戴至德奉命持节吊祭。二年（671年）唐高宗夫妇离开都城长安去东都洛阳定居且很少归来时，留皇太子李弘留守长安，此时戴至德兼太子左庶子，与同为兼太子左庶子的张文瓘及李敬玄等辅佐太子。因李弘多病，主要政务大都由戴至德、张文瓘和右庶子萧德昭决断。三年（672年），戴至德加兼户部尚书，仍居相位。戴胄、戴至德父子相继为尚书、拜相，时人以为荣。八月，特进许敬宗卒，太常博士袁思古、王福畤等认为其谥当为「缪」，戴至德和许敬宗孙太子舍人许彦伯反对，高宗下诏集五品以上官员再议，最后从礼部尚书阳思敬议，取「既过能改」之义，谥为「恭」。

唐高宗曾赐戴至德与中书侍郎崔知悌及郝处俊、李敬玄飞白书赞，称戴至德「泛洪源，俟舟楫」。

上元二年（675年）八月，戴至德为右仆射，与被任为左仆射的名将刘仁轨同列。戴至德和刘仁轨轮流隔日听取百姓的牒文诉讼，刘仁轨常以美言对诉讼者许诺，很快得到美誉；而戴至德更慎于言辞，但常将案情陈说于御前。因而百姓以为刘仁轨能干，戴至德无能。一次，一老妪误将戴至德认作刘仁轨，递上牒文，当得知自己认错人后，就对著戴至德大吼：「我以为我把牒文给了『解事仆射』，但你不是！把牒文还我！」戴至德笑著将牒文还给了她。时人称戴至德为长者。当被问及时，戴至德说：「威福是人主权柄所限的，我们身为人臣怎能盗取！」高宗闻之，深深叹服称美，器重戴至德。九月，与同僚宰相刘仁轨、张文瓘、郝处俊并兼太子宾客。仪凤年间，恢复旧官号，高宗敕刘仁轨、戴至德、侍中张文瓘、中书令李敬玄、右庶子郝处俊、黄门侍郎来恒、左庶子高智周、右庶子李义琰、吏部侍郎裴行俭、马载、兵部侍郎萧德昭、裴炎、工部侍郎李义琛、刑部侍郎张楚、金部郎中卢律师等删缉格式，为《永徽留本司格后》十一卷，二年（677年）上。《古今仪集》五十卷亦录戴至德作《丧服变服》一卷。四年（679年），戴至德薨。高宗辍朝三日，诏命百官去他家哭丧。赠开府仪同三司、并州大都督，谥恭。

后戴至德亦得绘图凌烟阁。

子孙

• 戴良绍

评价

• 史臣韦述曰：世称刘乐城（刘仁轨爵封乐城郡公）与戴至德同为端揆，刘则甘言接人，以收物誉；戴则正色拒下，推美于君。故乐城之善于今未弭，而戴氏之绩无所闻焉。呜呼！高名美称，或因邀饰而致远；深仁至行，或以韬晦而莫传。岂唯刘、戴而然，盖自古有之矣。

• 纳言王德真：「昔戴至德每有善事，必推于君。」 /「戴至德无异才，惟能归善于君，为时所服。」

• 武则天：「先朝每称至德能有此事，逮其终殁，有制褒崇。为臣之道，岂过斯行，传名万代，可不善欤！」

注释及参考文献

Background

It is not known when Dai Zhide was born. His uncle Dai Zhou served as a chancellor during the reign of Emperor Taizong but was sonless, and so adopted Dai Zhide as his son. After Dai Zhou's death in 633, Dai Zhide therefore inherited the title of Duke of Dao, a title that Emperor Taizong posthumously created Dai Zhou.

Service under Emperor Gaozong

Not much is known about much of Dai Zhide's career as an imperial official, although it was known that he was serving as an assistant to Li Hong, the son and crown prince of Emperor Taizong's son and successor Emperor Gaozong in 671, when Emperor Gaozong and his wife Empress Wu (later known as Wu Zetian) left the capital Chang'an and took up residence at the eastern capital Luoyang, rarely returning to Chang'an thereafter. Emperor Gaozong left Li Hong in charge of Chang'an, but because Li Hong was often ill, it was said that the major decisions were largely made by Dai and his colleagues Zhang Wenguan and Xiao Dezhao (萧德昭).

As of 667, Dai was serving as Xi Tai Shilang (西台侍郎), the deputy head of the examination bureau of government (西台, Xi Tai), when he was given the additional designation of Tong Dong Xi Tai Sanpin (同东西台三品), making him a chancellor de facto. In 672, he became the minister of census and continued to serve as chancellor de facto.

In 675, Dai became Puye, a co-head of the important examination bureau of government (尚书省, Shangshu Sheng), serving with the famed general Liu Rengui. It was said that they rotated listening to the people's petitions on every other day, and that Liu, who often would give the petitioners encouraging words, quickly gained a good reputation among them, while Dai was more careful with his words with them but often advocated for them before the emperor. Nevertheless, because of Liu's words, the common people came to believe that he was capable and Dai was not, and on one occasion, it was recorded that an old lady submitted a petition to Dai, believe that he was Liu, and once she realized her mistake, she yelled at Dai, "I thought I am giving my petition to the Puye who can do things, but instead I am giving it to the useless Puye. Give me back my petition!" Dai laughed and gave her petition back to her. When asked about this, Dai said, "Awards and punishments are within the authority of our sovereign. Given that we are subjects, how can we fight for this authority with him?" When Emperor Gaozong heard this, he greatly approved of Dai. Dai died in 679, and Emperor Gaozong sent the imperial officials to his house to mourn him.

Notes and references

• Old Book of Tang, vol. 70.

• New Book of Tang, vol. 99.

• Zizhi Tongjian, vols. 201, 202.