生平

父房融于神龙元年，贬死高州。房管少好学，以荫补弘文生。博学多闻，与吕向隐居陆浑山读书。开元十二年（724年）献《封禅书》，官至给事中。天宝五年（746年）谪守宜春，「首立学宫」，「所在为政，多兴利除害，缮修庙宇，颇著能名」。安史之乱前夕拜左庶子，迁刑部侍郎。随玄宗奔蜀，往肃宗处送交传国玉玺。肃宗任命他为宰相，房管打算用车战法收复长安，但泥于古法，以二千辆牛车打头阵，在步骑兵左右掩护下出击，监军邢廷恩又急于促战，在陈涛斜（又称咸阳斜，今陕西咸阳东。杜甫诗作陈陶斜。因其路斜出。故曰斜。）被安禄山军打败，四万唐军全军覆没，史称陈涛斜之战。唐军收复长安后，房管随肃宗回京，被授金紫光禄大夫，封清河郡公。晚年喜听门客董廷兰弹琴，董廷兰依仗房管的权势，招纳贿赂，被御史弹劾，至德二年五月贬房管为太子少师。好友左拾遗杜甫曾为他打抱不平，上书说「罪细，不宜免大臣。」乾元元年六月被贬为邠州（今陕西彬县）刺史，颇著政声。乾元二年六月拜太子宾客、上元元年（760年）四月，改礼部尚书。不久，出京为晋州（今山西临汾市）刺史，八月，改为汉州（今四川广汉市）刺史。代宗即位，拜为特进、刑部尚书。广德元年（宝应二年七月改元广德）八月四日于赴任途中卒于阆州（今四川阆中）僧舍，葬于阆州城外，年六十七，追封为太尉。

房管有三子：房宗偃，御史中丞；房乘，秘书郎；房孺复，容州刺史。房乘子房启，容管经略使；房启子房越。

注释

参考书目

• 杜甫，《别房太尉墓》

• 柳宗元，《唐相国房公德铭之阴》

Background

Fang Guan was born in 697, during the first reign of Emperor Ruizong. His family was from the Tang Dynasty eastern capital Luoyang. His father Fang Rong served as a chancellor during the subsequent reign of Emperor Ruizong's mother Wu Zetian, but was exiled and died in exile in 705 when Wu Zetian was overthrown in a coup. Fang Guan himself was said to be studious and collected in his youth, and he was able to be an imperial university student on account of his father's position. However, he favored the life of a hermit, and he and one Lü Xiang (吕向) both became hermits in Mount Luhun (陆浑山, near Luoyang) and studied together, for more than a decade.

During Emperor Xuanzongs reign

In 725, during the reign of Emperor Ruizong's son Emperor Xuanzong, Emperor Xuanzong was set to offer sacrifices to heaven and earth at Mount Tai. Fang Guan drafted a proposed text to accompany his sacrifices, and submitted the text to the chancellor Zhang Shuo. Zhang was impressed and recommended him to be Mishu Lang (秘书郎), a clerk at the Palace Library. He later served as the sheriff of Fengyi County (冯翊, in modern Weinan, Shaanxi). He later left office, but was selected in a subsequent imperial examination seeking to fill county magistrate positions, and was made the magistrate of Lushi County (卢氏, in modern Sanmenxia, Henan). It was said that the people of the county praised his rule. In 734, he was made Jiancha Yushi (监察御史), an imperial censor, but that same year was accused of improper handling of cases and demoted to be the census official at Mu Prefecture (睦州, in modern Hangzhou, Zhejiang). He later successively served as the magistrates of Cixi (慈溪, in modern Ningbo, Zhejiang), Songcheng (宋城, in modern Shangqiu, Henan), and Jiyuan Counties, and was said to rule benevolently and reasonably.

In 742, Fang was made Zhuke Yuanwailang (主客员外郎), a low-level official at the ministry of rites (礼部, Libu), and in 744 was promoted to the higher post of Zhuke Langzhong (主客郎中). In 746, he was made Jishizhong (给事中), an imperial attendant, and was created the Baron of Zhangnan. At that time, Emperor Xuanzong was expanding Huaqing Palace (华清宫), known for its hot springs, and he put Fang in charge of building housing for the officials near Huaqing Palace. However, in 747, he was, on account of his association with disgraced officials Li Shizhi and Wei Jian (韦坚), demoted to be the governor of Yichun Commandery (宜春, roughly modern Yichun, Jiangxi). He later successively served as the governor of Langye (琅邪, roughly modern Linyi, Shandong), Ye, and Fufeng (扶风, roughly modern Baoji, Shaanxi) Commanderies, and was known for benevolent rule. In 755, he was recalled to the capital Chang'an to serve as a staff member of Emperor Xuanzong's crown prince Li Heng, and subsequently made the deputy minister of justice (宪部侍郎, Xianbu Shilang).

Later in 755, the military governor (jiedushi) An Lushan rebelled, and by summer 756, the forces of his newly established state of Yan was approaching Chang'an. Emperor Xuanzong fled toward Shu Commandery (蜀郡, roughly modern Chengdu, Sichuan) in panic, leaving most officials behind. Many officials who felt that Emperor Xuanzong overlooked them for promotions surrendered to An, but Fang, even though he was also largely overlooked, invited Zhang Shuo's sons Zhang Jun (张均) and Zhang Ji (张垍), along with Wei Shu (韦述), to try to catch up with Emperor Xuanzong. Once the journey got under way, though, the Zhangs changed their mind and returned to Chang'an (and eventually submitted to An), while Fang continued. He was able to catch up with Emperor Xuanzong at Pu'an Commandery (普安, roughly modern Guangyuan, Sichuan). Emperor Xuanzong was pleased, and made him the deputy minister of civil service affairs (文部侍郎, Wenbu Shilang) and gave him the designation Tong Zhongshu Menxia Pingzhangshi (同中书门下平章事), making him a chancellor de facto. Subsequently, at Fang's recommendation, Emperor Xuanzong also made Cui Huan a chancellor.

During Emperor Suzongs reign

Meanwhile, Li Heng, who did not follow Emperor Xuanzong, declared himself emperor at Lingwu, and when the news reached Emperor Xuanzong, Emperor Xuanzong recognized Emperor Suzong as emperor and took the title Taishang Huang (retired emperor) himself. He sent Fang and fellow chancellors Wei Jiansu and Cui Huan to Lingwu to official invest Emperor Suzong as emperor and gave them the imperial seal and the edict officially passing the throne. They encountered Emperor Suzong, who was then launching a counterattack, at Shunhua (顺化, in modern Qingyang, Gansu), and they offered the seal and the edict to Emperor Suzong. Emperor Suzong declined, stating that with empire still in turmoil, it was not an appropriate time for him to officially take the throne, instead putting the seal and the edict aside and paying them daily respects, as they represented Emperor Xuanzong.

Emperor Suzong was impressed with Fang's fervor for the restoration of Tang authority and gave him the most responsibility, and he followed Fang's recommendations in not executing the generals Wang Sili (王思礼) and Lü Chongbi (吕崇贲), who were part of the Tang army defeated at Tong Pass prior to An Lushan's approach on Chang'an. However, it was said that Fang favored big talkers and injected his own likes and dislikes into personnel decisions. This came to Emperor Suzong's attention when Emperor Suzong had decreed that the official Helan Jinming (贺兰进明) should be made the governor of Nanhai Commandery (南海, roughly modern Guangzhou, Guangdong) and military governor of Lingnan Circuit (headquartered in Guangzhou), and be given an honorary title as chief imperial censor—but Fang instead announced that Helan would be given the honorary title as acting chief imperial censor. When Helan brought this to Emperor Suzong's attention, and further intimated that a decree that Emperor Xuanzong had issued before he became aware that Emperor Suzong had assumed imperial title—commissioning Emperor Suzong and several brothers of his with military commands independent of each other—was intended to allow any of Emperor Xuanzong's sons to be successful and thank him for the commission. Emperor Suzong thus began to distance himself from Fang. Fang, realizing this, requested that he be commissioned to lead an army to recapture Chang'an, hoping to regain imperial favor by battlefield success. Emperor Suzong agreed and further allowed him to select his own staff members. Fang selected such friends as Wang Sili, Deng Jingshan (邓景山), Li Ji (李揖), and Liu Zhi to serve on his staff, entrusting the strategies to Li Ji and Liu—despite the fact that neither was learned in military matters, going as far as stating, "Even though the rebels have many strong men, none can rival my Liu Zhi." He divided his army into three groups and approached Chang'an, and once he was engaging Yan forces there, he used an ancient tactic from the Spring and Autumn period—putting cattle-drawn wagons in the center and cavalry and infantry on the side. Yan forces responded by beating its drums, terrorizing the cattle, and then setting fire on the wagons. This caused a general panic in both the cattle and the Tang soldiers, causing more than 40,000 casualties. Fang led a counterattack, which was also defeated. However, at the urging of Emperor Suzong's trusted advisor Li Mi, Fang was not punished.

Despite the defeat, though, Fang was still spending most of his day discussing Buddhist and Taoist philosophies with Liu and Li JI, often claiming illness so that he would not need to deal with the affairs of state. He also favored the musician Dong Tinglan (董庭兰), and Dong thereafter often took bribes to influence Fang on the bribers' behalf. He also tried to reduce the punishment due to one of his friends, Li Heji (李何忌), for lack of filial piety. Meanwhile, he also disrespected fellow chancellor Cui Yuan, drawing Cui Yuan's resentment as well. When an indictment was filed against Dong, he tried to defend Dong, drawing displeasure from Emperor Suzong, who ordered him out of the palace. He thus returned to his own mansion and did not dare to rule on important matters. In summer 757, Emperor Suzong removed him from his chancellor position and replaced him with Zhang Gao, making Fang an advisor to the crown prince instead.

In winter 757, after Tang forces recaptured Chang'an, he returned to Chang'an with Emperor Suzong, and was given the honorific title Jinzi Guanglu Daifu (金紫光禄大夫) and created the Duke of Qinghe. Meanwhile, with him not having any real authorities, his associates were creating public sentiment that he should be restored to power due to his abilities. Emperor Suzong, displeased, issued a sternly-worded edict rebuking Fang and sending him out of Chang'an to serve as the prefect of Bin Prefecture (邠州, roughly modern Xianyang, Shaanxi). It was said that, at the time, after all of the military action, Bin Prefecture was in a state of confusion and disrepair. Once Fang arrived there, he did what he could to comfort the people, repair the buildings, and put officials in their proper places. In 759, Emperor Suzong issued an edict praising him and recalling him to serve on the staff of the new crown prince Li Yu. In 760, he was made the minister of rites (礼部尚书, Libu Shangshu), but was soon sent out of the capital to serve as the prefect of Jin Prefecture (晋州, in modern Linfen, Shanxi) and then the prefect of Han Prefecture (汉州, roughly modern Deyang, Sichuan). While he was at Han Prefecture, he paid a large bride price to the official Li Rui (李锐) to get Li Rui to give his nephew Lady Lu to be the wife of Fang's oldest son Fang Cheng (房乘), who was blind in both eyes from birth. This use of bride price drew severe criticism against Fang Guan.

During Emperor Daizongs reign

In 762, Emperor Suzong died, and Li Yu became emperor (as Emperor Daizong). In summer 763, he recalled Fang Guan to serve as the minister of justice (刑部尚书, Xingbu Shangshu). While Fang was on the way back to Chang'an, though, he became ill. He died in fall 763, while still on the way, at Lang Prefecture (阆州, roughly modern Nanchong, Sichuan). He was given posthumous honors, but historical records did not record a posthumous name.

Notes and references

• Old Book of Tang, vol. 111.

• New Book of Tang, vol. 139.

• Zizhi Tongjian, vols. 215, 217, 218, 219, 220.