Wei Yuanzhong

Wei Yuanzhong (魏元忠) (died 707), né Wei Zhenzai (魏真宰), formally Duke Zhen of Qi (齊貞公), was an official of the Chinese dynasty Tang Dynasty and Wu Zetian's Zhou Dynasty, serving as chancellor during the reigns of Wu Zetian and her son Emperor Zhongzong.

It is not known which year Wei Yuanzhong was born, but it is known that his family was from Songzhou. He was originally named Wei Zhenzai, but later changed his name to observe naming taboo for Lady Yang, the mother of Emperor Gaozong's second wife Empress Wu (later known as Wu Zetian). He was a student at the imperial university in his youth, and was said to be unrestrained in his behavior, and did not receive a commission as an official for a long time. During that time, he also learned various military strategies from one Jiang Rong (江融) from Zhouzhi (盩厔, in modern Xi'an, Shaanxi).

Around 678, there were repeated Tufan attacks, and Emperor Gaozong was concerned about them. Wei Yuanzhong went to the eastern capital Luoyang, where Emperor Gaozong was at the time, and submitted a secret petition, making suggestions as to what to do with the Tufan threat—pointing out that at the time, the generals were largely past generals' sons who were not necessarily militarily talented; the reward and punishment system was not being utilized properly; and that the army was being crippled by a then-existent regulation prohibiting the people from keeping horses. Emperor Gaozong was impressed by Wei's petition and made him a secretary at the Palace Library, but gave him an office at the more important legislative bureau (中書省, Zhongshu Sheng) and permitted him to meet the emperor periodically with officials of higher ranks.

Later during Emperor Gaozong's reign, Wei became an imperial censor. On one occasion, Emperor Gaozong asked him, "Which past rulers do the people think I am like?" Wei responded, "King Cheng and King Kang of Zhou, as well as Emperor Wen and Emperor Jing of Han." Emperor Gaozong then asked, "But are there faults?" Wei responded, "Yes. Wang Yifang [(王義方, an official who was demoted for indicting the chancellor Li Yifu, then a favorite of Emperor Gaozong and Empress Wu)] was allowed to die in a remote location. Commentators believed that Your Imperial Majesty was unable to use someone who was able." Emperor Gaozong stated, "I was going to use him when I heard of his death. It was already too late." Wei then responded, "Liu Cangqi [(劉藏器, another official known for having indicted another favorite official of Emperor Gaozong's, Chi Baolin (遲寶琳))] has abilities that had few rivals in the empire, and Your Imperial Majesty knows that. He is now past 70 years old and yet still serves as a minor official at the executive bureau [(尚書省, Shangshu Sheng)]. You sigh at the death of one and yet ignored another." Emperor Gaozong was much embarrassed by Wei's frankness.

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