Fang Guan

Life

Fang Guan was the son of Fang Rong, who was banished to Gaozhou and died there in the first year of the Shenlong era (705). Fang Guan was fond of learning from an early age, was widely learned, and withdrew with Lü Xiang to Mount Luhun to study.

His recorded children included Fang Zongyan, Fang Cheng, and Fang Rufu; Fang Jing was a grandniece. Fang Zongyan died in 778, Fang Rufu lived from 756 to 797, and Fang Jing from 800 to 822.

Through the privilege of family background, he entered as a Hongwen student and, during the Kaiyuan era, became a proofreader in the Palace Library. In the twelfth year of Kaiyuan (724), he presented the Fengshan shu.

He passed the examination for men regarded as incorruptible, principled, and capable of serving as county magistrates, and was appointed magistrate of Lushi, where he acquired a reputation for good administration. He later served as an investigating censor and as magistrate of Jiande, Songcheng, Jiyuan, and Cixi, as well as county commandant of Fengyi and military assessor for household affairs in Muzhou.

At the beginning of the Tianbao era he successively became a director and then a vice director in the Office of State Guests, and in the fifth year of Tianbao (746) was promoted to jishizhong. He subsequently served as prefect of Yichun, Langya, Ye, and Fufeng, and also held the post of inspector of Yizhou.

In the fourteenth year of Tianbao (755), he was summoned to become Left Junior Guardian of the Heir Apparent and was transferred to Assistant Minister of the Ministry of Justice. He later served as inspector of Binzhou, Xinping, Pingyang, and Deyang, and also held the posts of Grand Master of Palace Guests and Minister of Rites.

During the An Lushan Rebellion, he followed Xuanzong into Shu and was appointed Minister of the Board of Civil Office and Tong Zhongshu Menxia Pingzhangshi, with the rank of Yinqing Guanglu Daifu. In the first year of Zhide (756), he was sent to Lingwu to install Suzong, submitted a memorial requesting a military command, became commander-in-chief in the tenth month, and received the commission of Commissioner with Credentials for the Pacification of the Western Capital and the Defense of the Puto and Tong Passes.

After joining the armies in restoring Chang’an, he personally commanded the central army and, employing the chariot tactics of the Spring and Autumn period, was defeated at Chentao Xie, east of present-day Xianyang in Shaanxi; another account places the defeat at Xianyang. Suzong pardoned him.

Dong Tinglan was a musician favored by Fang Guan, who in later life enjoyed hearing him play the qin. After Dong accepted bribes, Suzong became enraged and Fang Guan was removed to the post of Junior Preceptor of the Heir Apparent. He later returned to the capital, received the ranks of Jinzi Guanglu Daifu, and was enfeoffed as Duke of Qinghe; Du Fu once spoke up in his defense.

In the first year of Shangyuan (760), he was sent out as inspector of Jinzhou and soon transferred to Hanzhou.

In the second year of Baoying (763), he was appointed Tejin and Minister of Justice. He died in the first year of Guangde at a monastic hostel in Langzhou, aged sixty-seven, and was posthumously granted the title Grand Commandant.

Literature and associations

Fang Guan was listed as a poet and as skilled in prose; the Complete Tang Poems preserves one poem attributed to him.

He was friendly with Du Fu, Wang Wei, Qiwu Qian, Jia Zhi, and Yan Wu, among others, and received gift poems and prose from Du Fu, Gao Shi, Meng Haoran, Chu Guangxi, Li Qi, and Zhang Chang.