Miao Jinqing

Miao Jinqing (苗晉卿) (685–765), courtesy name Yuanfu (元輔), formally Duke Wenzhen of Han (韓文貞公), was an official of the Chinese dynasty Tang Dynasty, serving as a chancellor during the reigns of Emperor Suzong and Emperor Daizong. He was noted for his peaceful nature, but also noted for his overeagerness to please powerful individuals at court.

Miao Jinqing was born in 685, during the first reign of Emperor Ruizong. His family was from Lu Prefecture (潞州, roughly modern Changzhi, Shanxi) and traced its ancestry to the royal clan of Chu, a state of the Warring States period. His ancestors had been Confucian scholars for generations. His grandfather Miao Kui (苗夔) was known for having refused appointment to civil service. His father Miao Daishu (苗殆庶) did serve as an official, but only reached the office of secretary general of Longmen County (龍門, in modern Yuncheng, Shanxi). Miao Jinqing himself was known for studiousness in his youth, and he was able to pass the imperial examinations, allowing him to enter civil service.

Sometime during the reign of Emperor Ruizong's son Emperor Xuanzong, Miao Jinqing started his official career as the sheriff of Xiuwu County (修武, in modern Jiaozuo, Henan), and then served as the sheriff of Fengxian County (奉先, near the Tang capital Chang'an) — which, given its proximity to Chang'an, was considered a promotion. For the faults of someone he was associated with—the historical accounts were not clear — he was then demoted to be a census officer at Xu Prefecture (徐州, roughly modern Xuzhou, Jiangsu). After his term of service was complete at Xu Prefecture, his performance was judged to be of high rank, and he was made the sheriff of Wannian County (萬年) — one of the two counties making up Chang'an, making the sheriff position, while low rank, a very prestigious position. He later served as Shiyushi (侍御史), a low-level imperial censor, before successively serving as a junior official at the ministries of finance, defense, and civil service affairs. In 735, he was promoted within the civil service affairs ministry to the position of Libu Langzhong (吏部郎中), serving under the deputy ministers. In 736, he and his colleague as Libu Langzhong, Sun Ti (孫逖), were both given additional titles as Zhongshu Sheren (中書舍人) as mid-level officials of the legislative bureau of government (中書省, Zhongshu Sheng). In 739, while still carrying those titles, he became one of the officials in charge of selecting officials for civil service. Miao was said to be peaceful and humble in his character, and when the reserve officials argued with him over their commissions, regardless of how talkative or argumentative they got, he still tolerated their arguments without displeasure. In 741, he was promoted to be deputy minister of civil service affairs (吏部侍郎, Libu Shilang). Overall, he was responsible for selecting officials for five years. It was said that because he was not an exacting supervisor, his subordinates were carrying out misdeeds, including accepting bribes for commissions.

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