背景

崔協出自清河崔氏的清河小房，祖父崔瓘擔任吏部尚書，他的父親崔彥融擔任楚州（今江蘇省淮安市）刺史，崔彥融擔任萬年縣（今陝西省西安市）令的時候和崔蕘關係很好，崔蕘到縣上拜望他，崔彥融不在，崔蕘發現他賄賂權貴的信件，于是開始鄙視他。後來崔彥融升任司勛郎中，時任尚書左丞的崔蕘不願意見他，宰相知道了其中的過程，于是改任崔彥融為楚州刺史。崔彥融告誡崔協，崔蕘是他的仇人，于是稱他為崔仇。崔協從小孝行，他考中進士，擔任度支巡官、渭南（今陝西省渭南市）縣尉、直史館，歷三署。

後梁時代

唐朝滅亡後，在中原興起的是後梁。崔協擔任尚書省左司郎中、萬年縣令、給事中。官至兵部侍郎。923年，梁末帝朱友貞派遣兵部侍郎崔協等冊命吳越王錢鏐為吳越國王。他一次遇到崔蕘的兒子崔居儉，時任中書舍人。他厲聲對崔居儉說：「崔蕘的兒子，你怎麼敢見我？」崔居儉上奏梁末帝。梁末帝于是貶崔協為太子詹事（完全名譽職位，後梁沒有太子）。不久之後，他再擔任吏部侍郎。

後唐時代

後梁被後唐取代後，崔協被唐莊宗李存勖任命為御史中丞。但是憲司舉奏他的奏章，文字用詞常常錯誤，于是多次受到責罰。崔協外表氣宇軒昂，說話高談闊論、不近情理，當時人認為他徒有其表。

唐明宗李嗣源即位初年，崔協被任命為禮部尚書、太常卿。927年，李嗣源罷免了豆盧革、韋說兩個宰相，樞密使孔循不願意河北、河東人擔任宰相，于是推薦崔協為宰相。宰相任圜推薦李琪，但是另一個宰相鄭玨討厭李琪，孔循對安重誨說：「李琪不是沒有才能，但是他不清廉，朝議中沒有超過崔協的。」任圜上奏明宗：

李嗣源想讓馮道擔任宰相，孔循沒給李嗣源行禮，一甩衣服就走了，說：「天下的事情一也是任圜，二也是任圜，除非崔協突然死去，如果死不了必須讓他當宰相。」因此稱病不朝，李嗣源派安重誨勸他，孔循才上朝。安重誨私下對任圜說：「崔協暫作備員，可以嗎？」任圜說：「您不用李琪而使崔協為宰相，這就好像拋棄了蘇合香丸，選取屎殼螂推的糞球。」孔循和安重誨在一起處理政事，每天都說李琪的壞話，說崔協的好話。正月十一日，終于任命端明殿學士馮道和崔協一起擔任中書侍郎、同中書門下平章事，李琪沒有被任命。

崔協不能處理許多重要問題，重要文件由他人代寫。李嗣源讓他判祭酒事。他提出每年錄取二百名監生，被議論認為並不適當。明宗問宰相馮道：「盧質近日吃酒否？」馮道回答：「盧質曾到臣居，亦飲數爵，臣勸不令過度，事亦如酒，過則患生。」崔協說：「臣聞『食醫心鏡』，酒極好，不加藥餌，足以安心神。」

天成四年，李嗣源從開封府回洛陽，門下侍郎、同平章事崔協隨行，經過長途跋涉，由于中風，二月廿七日（929年4月9日）去世，虛歲六十六，謚號恭靖。

家庭

四子崔頎、崔頌、崔壽、崔貞。

注釋參考文獻

• 《舊五代史》卷58

• 《資治通鑑》卷275、卷276

Background

It is not known when Cui Xie was born. He came from the prominent aristocratic Cui clan of Qinghe, from which many officials came throughout Tang Dynasty. His grandfather Cui Guan (崔瓘) served as the minister of civil service affairs (吏部尚書, Libu Shangshu), while his father Cui Yanrong (崔彥融) served as the prefect of Chu Prefecture (楚州, in modern Huai'an, Jiangsu) — but no higher, having had his career derailed by the more senior official Cui Rao (崔蕘), who exposed him for bribing high-level officials. Through the rest of his life, therefore, Cui Yanrong bore a deep hatred for Cui Rao and indoctrinated his sons to hate Cui Rao as well. Cui Xie himself was known for filial piety in his youth. At some point, he passed the imperial examinations in the Jinshi class, and started his official career as a surveyor for the director of the treasury, as well as the sheriff of Weinan County (渭南, in modern Weinan, Shaanxi) and served as an editor for imperial histories.

During Later Liang

After Tang ended and was replaced by (in its central part) Later Liang, Cui Xie served in the posts (unclear whether simultaneously, but appeared to be simultaneously) of Zuosi Langzhong (左司郎中, a supervisory official serving under one of the secretaries generals of the Executive Bureau of government (尚書省, Shangshu Sheng)), the magistrate of Wannian County (萬年, one of the two counties making up the Tang capital Chang'an but no longer capital during Later Liang times), and imperial attendant (給事中, Jishizhong). After promotions, he eventually reached the post of deputy minister of defense (兵部侍郎, Bingbu Shilang). However, he once had an encounter with Cui Rao's son Cui Jujian (崔居儉), who was then serving as Zhongshu Sheren (中書舍人), a comparably-leveled official at the legislative bureau (中書省, Zhongshu Sheng). He yelled out to Cui Jujian in a harsh tone, "How dare you see me, the son of Cui Rao?" When Cui Jujian reported this (apparently to the emperor, although it is not known who was the emperor at that time), Cui Xie was demoted to be the head of the Crown Prince's household — a completely honorary position, as there was never a prince who was crowned the Crown Prince during Later Liang. However, shortly after, he was restored to his prior rank, as deputy minister of civil service affairs (吏部侍郎, Libu Shilang).

During Later Tang

After Later Liang was in turn conquered by its northern rival Later Tang, Cui Xie became deputy chief imperial censor (御史中丞, Yushi Zhongcheng) in the new administration of Later Tang's first emperor Li Cunxu. However, in his reports, he would often make grammatical or diction errors, and therefore was often called out and punished for it. He was also said to be impressive in appearance and capable of speech, but having logical lapses in his arguments, such that he gained a reputation for having style without substance.

Early in the subsequent administration of Li Cunxu's adoptive brother and successor Li Siyuan, Cui served successively as the minister of rites (禮部尚書, Libu Shangshu) and then as the minister of worship (太常卿, Taichang Qing). In 927, after Li Siyuan had removed two chancellors left over from Li Cunxu's administration, Doulu Ge and Wei Shuo, he was considering who else to commission as chancellors to replace Doulu and Wei. One of his chiefs of staff, Kong Xun, did not like having chancellors from north of the Yellow River — i.e., from the territory of Later Tang's predecessor state Jin — and thus recommended Cui. The chancellor Ren Huan recommended Li Qi, but fellow chancellor Zheng Jue disliked Li Qi, and therefore persuaded Kong's chief of staff colleague An Chonghui — who was then the most powerful official at Li Siyuan's court and with whom Kong was closely aligned — that Li Qi was corrupt and unsuitable. An therefore recommended Cui as well when they discussed the matter before the emperor. Upon hearing An's recommendation, Ren responded:

Li Siyuan himself suggested that the imperial scholar Feng Dao might be suitable, and then ordered these officials to rediscuss the matter. This drew Kong's displeasure about how Ren interfered with his recommendation, and he became even more determined to have Cui made chancellor. When An subsequently discussed the matter with Ren again, Ren compared choosing Cui over Li Qi to choosing beetle dung over fragrant styrax balls. Still, with Kong making daily compliments of Cui and attacks against Li Qi, eventually, Cui and Feng were made chancellors with the designation Tong Zhongshu Menxia Pingzhangshi (同中書門下平章事), and Li Qi was not.

It was said that Cui Xie did not handle much of the important matters of state as chancellor, and that whenever he had to author important documents, he had others write them for him. At that time, it was felt that the imperial university was being neglected, and Li Siyuan therefore had Cui take on the additional responsibility as the principal of the imperial university. He subsequently proposed that 200 students be admitted each year, a proposal that was considered by the popular opinion at the time to be inadequate.

In early 929, Li Siyuan was returning from the eastern capital Daliang to then-capital Luoyang, with the imperial officials attending him on the trek. While on the way, Cui Xie died at Xushui (須水, in modern Zhengzhou, Henan), due to a stroke. He was given posthumous honors, and the posthumous name Gongjing (恭靖, "respectful and meek").

Notes and references

• History of the Five Dynasties, vol. 58.

• Zizhi Tongjian, vols. 275, 276.