Wei Zhiyi

Wei Zhiyi (韋執誼) was an official of the Chinese dynasty Tang Dynasty, serving briefly as chancellor in 805, during the brief reign of Emperor Shunzong and then briefly into the reign of Emperor Shunzong's son Emperor Xianzong. He came to power due to his association with Emperor Shunzong's close associate Wang Shuwen but later broke with Wang; he was nevertheless exiled once Emperor Xianzong became emperor due to his prior association with Wang and died in exile.

It is not known when Wei Zhiyi was born, but it is known that his family was from Jingzhao Municipality (京兆, i.e., the region of the Tang Dynasty capital Chang'an). HIs family traced its ancestry to a line of officials of Han Dynasty, Northern Zhou, and Tang Dynasty. HIs grandfather Wei Zhongchang (韋仲昌) served as a deputy mayor of Jingzhao, and his father Wei Mei (韋浼) served as a prefectural prefect. Wei Zhiyi himself was said to be handsome and talented in his youth.

During the reign of Emperor Dezong, Wei Zhiyi passed the imperial examinations and was particularly rated highly in the matter of offering strategies. He was made You Shiyi (右拾遺), a low-level consultant at the examination bureau (門下省, Menxia Sheng), and was subsequently made an imperial scholar (翰林學士, Hanlin Xueshi). At that time, he was in his 20s, and he was particularly favored by Emperor Dezong, who favored his writing; they often wrote poems that responded to each other. He became a part of a group of officials who were favored by Emperor Dezong — Pei Yanling, Li Qiyun (李齊運), Wang Shao (王紹), Li Shi (李實), Wei Qumou (韋渠牟), and Wei Zhiyi himself and had easy access to the palace.

On one occasion, on Emperor Dezong's birth, Emperor Dezong's son and crown prince Li Song offered a Buddharupa as a birthday gift to Emperor Dezong. Emperor Dezong had Wei Zhiyi write a text praising the statue, and under Emperor Dezong's direction, Li Song in turn gave Wei a gift of linen. When Wei went to the Crown Prince's palace to thank him, Li Song introduced him to a close associate, Wang Shuwen. Thereafter, Wei and Wang became friends. Later, Wei's mother died and he left governmental service to observe a mourning period for her. After the mourning period was over, he returned to government service to serve as a supervisorial official.

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