Wei Baoheng

Wei Baoheng (韋保衡) (died 873), courtesy name Yunyong (蘊用), was an official of the Chinese dynasty Tang dynasty. He became extremely powerful late in the reign of his father-in-law Emperor Yizong, rising to the post of chancellor and becoming the most powerful official at court, but after Emperor Yizong's death was accused of crimes, exiled, and forced to commit suicide.

It is not known when Wei Baoheng was born. He was a member of the prominent Wei clan of Jingzhao (京兆, i.e., the region of the Tang dynasty capital Chang'an), in the branch that was known as the Duke of Pingqi Branch—named after one of his ancestors, Wei Tian (韋瑱), who carried the title of Duke of Pingqi during Northern Zhou. Wei Baoheng's ancestors traced their male-line ancestry through a line of officials of Han dynasty, Cao Wei, Northern Wei, Northern Zhou, Sui dynasty, and Tang. His grandfather Wei Yuanzhen (韋元貞) was not listed with any official titles, although both Wei Yuanzhen and Wei Baoheng's father Wei Que (韋愨) were said to have passed the imperial examinations in the Jinshi class, and Wei Que served in the imperial government, eventually serving as the military governor (Jiedushi) of Wuchang Circuit (武昌, headquartered in modern Wuhan, Hubei). According to the table of the chancellors' family tree in the New Book of Tang, Wei Baoheng had at least one older brother, Wei Delin (韋德鄰), and at least five younger brothers, Wei Baoyin (韋保殷), Wei Shensi (韋慎思), Wei Baofan (韋保範), Wei Bao'ai (韋保乂), and Wei Baohe (韋保合), each of whom would eventually serve as an official.

In 864, during the reign of Emperor Yizong, Wei Baoheng passed the imperial examinations in the Jinshi class. In 869, by which time Wei was You Shiyi (右拾遺), a low-level advisory official at the legislative bureau of government (中書省, Zhongshu Sheng), Emperor Yizong gave Wei his favorite daughter, Princess Tongchang (born of Consort Guo), in marriage, and gave them a large mansion at Guangde Block (廣德里) in Chang'an as their house. It was said that Emperor Yizong spared no treasure in the palace in giving Princess Tongchang her dowry:

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