Miao Jinqing

Life

Miao passed the jinshi examination and in 719, the seventh year of the Kaiyuan era, was selected in the decree examination in the literary elegance (文辭雅麗) category. He served as defender of Wannian county, prefect of Jinzhou, investigating censor, attendant censor, and vice director in the bureaus of expenditure, war and personnel, rising to director of the Ministry of Personnel. In 736, the twenty-fourth year of Kaiyuan, he was appointed drafter of the Secretariat and later served as a judge under the military commissioner of Hexi; in 741, the twenty-ninth year of Kaiyuan, he became vice minister of personnel and at one time had charge of the Ministry of Personnel's selection procedures.

In 743, the second year of Tianbao, he was sent out as governor of Ankang commandery and transferred to Wei commandery; in 746 he was moved to Hedong commandery, then transferred to Fufeng commandery, made surveillance commissioner of Hebei, enfeoffed as Baron of Gaoping, and transferred to the regency of the Eastern Capital, from which he retired. In 755, the fourteenth year of Tianbao, he was appointed governor of Shanjun and concurrently defense commissioner of the Shanguo army. After Xuanzong fled to Shu, Suzong summoned him to the imperial headquarters, and he rose to Minister of Justice and concurrently Left Assistant Director of the Department of State Affairs; in 757, the second year of Zhide, he was appointed Left Chancellor, changed to director of the Chancellery, and enfeoffed as Duke of Han. In 759, the second year of Qianyuan, he was invested as Grand Guardian and relieved of his governmental duties. During Daizong's reign, when the Tibetans raided the capital and tried to coerce him, he kept silent; after the emperor's return he was appointed Grand Guardian again. He died in 765, the first year of Yongtai, aged eighty-one, and was granted the title of Grand Preceptor. He was first given the posthumous name Yixian (懿獻), which was changed to Wenzhen (文貞) after Yuan Zai became chancellor and had the change pressed on the authorities out of old obligation; in 772, the seventh year of Dali, he was granted a place in the temple of Suzong.

Writings

Miao was skilled in prose and poetry; one of his poems is preserved in the Complete Tang Poems, and four fragmentary lines surviving from Wang Wei's stele on his virtuous administration were later added to the supplement to that anthology. Li Hua composed his tomb inscription, and his biography appears in both the Old and New Books of Tang. He exchanged verses with the poets Gao Shi, Cen Shen, Qian Qi and Yao Hu, each of whom addressed poems to him; he also presented poems and prose to Emperor Xuanzong and composed a tomb inscription for Guo Jingzhi.

Family

His father was Miao Daishu (苗殆庶). Among his sons were Miao Fa (苗發), Miao Shou (苗收), Miao Pi (苗丕), Miao Jian (苗堅), Miao Can (苗粲), Miao Chui (苗垂), Miao Xiang (苗向) and Miao Chang (苗昌); his grandsons included Miao Zhen (苗縝) and Miao Hongben (苗弘本), and Miao Su (苗素) was a more distant descendant.