Han Zhongyan

Life and career

Through his father’s patronage, he entered office while young and later passed the jinshi examination. His early appointments included Jiangzuo jian zhubu, mishu cheng, a post in the Academy, Mige jiaoli, Tongzhi Taichang liyuan, a judge in Kaifeng Prefecture, Salt and Iron Judge in the Three Offices, assistant prefect of Yongning Army, and Household Section Judge. During Yuanfeng under Emperor Shenzong, he observed mourning for his father; after completing it, he was promoted to Tianzhangge daizhi and appointed prefect of Yingzhou. In Yuanfeng 4, he served as jishizhong on a mission to Liao to offer birthday congratulations, returned to become Minister of Rites, and was appointed prefect of Dingzhou as a direct academician of the Privy Council.

Under Emperor Zhezong, he was summoned as Minister of Revenue and, in Yuanyou 4 (1089), promoted to Left Vice Director of the Department of State Affairs, then made Associate Commissioner and Commissioner of the Privy Council. After Zhezong began ruling personally, he served successively as an academician of the Institute of Literature and prefect of Zhending and Dingzhou, was reduced to the rank of academician of the Zizheng Palace, and became prefect of Daming.

At Huizong’s accession in 1100, he was summoned from the Ministry of Personnel and made menxia shilang. A month later he became Right Vice Director of the Department of State Affairs concurrently serving as Director of the Central Secretariat, was advanced to Left Vice Director concurrently serving as menxia shilang, and was created Duke of Yiguo. While serving as menxia shilang, he submitted four proposals concerning benevolence, channels for remonstrance, the removal of suspicion, and caution in military affairs. His disagreement with Chief Councillor Zeng Bu led to his removal to Daming; after repeated impeachment, he was demoted four times during Chongning to military vice commandant of Cizhou, retired with the rank of Xuanfeng Dafu, and was entered in the Yuanyou party register.

Among the appointments with stated years, he was Salt and Iron Judge in 1073, Deputy Commissioner of the Revenue Office of the Three Offices in 1078, and Deputy Commissioner of Salt and Iron in 1079–1081; he was Minister of Revenue in 1088, Left Vice Director in 1089, Associate Commissioner of the Privy Council in 1090–1091, Commissioner of the Privy Council in 1092, and Left Vice Director concurrently serving as menxia shilang in 1100–1102.

He died in Daguan 3 (1109), aged seventy-two.

Family and associations

Han Qi was his father. His brothers were Han Cuiyan (1065–1118), Han Chunyan, and Han Duanyan. His first wife, a Lü, lived from 1039 to 1065, and her father was Lü Gongbi; his second wife, also a Lü, lived from 1042 to 1090.

His sons included Han Jinsun (born 1055), Han Misun (born 1056), Han Zhi (1059–1125, the eldest), Han Zao, Han Hao (died 1128), and Han Cheng. His grandsons were Han Wanzhou, Han Hongzhou, Han Anzhou, Han Baozhou, Han Changzhou, Han Zhuangzhou, and Han Zhaozhou.

His daughters’ husbands were Cai Cheng, Feng Xun, Wang Chuanyue, Wang Pengyue, and Liu C, in the recorded order of the daughters. Politically, Wu Cai impeached him, Chen You opposed the proposed impeachment, and Xu Ji supported him. Bi Zhongyou wrote his biography, Liu Zhi composed a sacrificial text, Han Zhongyan wrote the epitaph of Wen, the wife of his eldest son, erected steles for Han Yizhou, Han Gu, and Han Haiseng, and received a letter from Mao Pang.

Writings

His works included the twenty-juan Zouyi, ten-juan Jiazhuan, thirty-juan Wenji, and one-juan Weigong xingshi; two poems by him are included in the transmitted corpus.