Cui Zao

Cui Zao (崔造) (737 – October 25, 787), courtesy name Xuanzai (玄宰), was an official of the Chinese dynasty Tang Dynasty, serving briefly as a chancellor during the reign of Emperor Dezong. During his chancellorship, he tried to reform the taxation system, but his reforms were opposed by Han Huang and soon reversed.

Cui Zao was born in 737, during the reign of Emperor Xuanzong. He was from the Boling (博陵, in modern Hengshui, Hebei) branch of Cui clan, which was prominent during Tang Dynasty. His ancestors claimed their ancestry from the ruling Jiang house of the Spring and Autumn period state Qi, and traced their ancestry through a line of officials of Qin Dynasty, Han Dynasty, Jin Dynasty (265-420), Northern Wei, Northern Qi, Sui Dynasty, and Tang Dynasty. Cui's immediate male ancestors — great-grandfather Cui Shaorui (崔紹睿), grandfather Cui Ding (崔頂), and father Cui Shengzhi (崔昇之) — however, did not reach offices any higher than county magistrate or sheriff positions. Cui Zao had at least two brothers, an elder brother named Cui Lin (崔遴), who served as a county secretary general, and a younger brother named Cui Shu (崔述), who served as a prefectural prefect.

When Cui Zao was young, he was said to be studious. During the Yongtai era (765-766) of Emperor Xuanzong's grandson Emperor Daizong, Cui lived at Shangyuan (上元, in modern Nanjing, Jiangsu), and he had three close friends, Han Hui (韓會), Lu Dongmei (盧東美), and Zhang Zhengze (張正則). The four all were not native to Shangyuan, and they often met to discuss their views on economics. They also all had ambitions to serve the emperor, and the people at the time referred to them as the Four Kui. He was later invited by Li Qiyun (李栖筠) the governor of Zhexi Circuit (浙西, headquartered in modern Zhenjiang, Jiangsu) to serve on Li's staff. Cui later served as Zuosi Yuanwailang (左司員外郎), a low-level official under one of the Secretaries General of the executive bureau of government (尚書省, Shangshu Sheng). While serving thus, he became friendly with the senior official Liu Yan.

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