Zhangsun Wuji

Zhangsun Wuji
Portrait of Zhangsun Wuji from Sancai Tuhui
Chancellor of the Tang dynasty
Born	(unknown)
Died	659
Names
Traditional Chinese	長孫無忌
Simplified Chinese	长孙无忌
Pinyin	Zhǎngsūn Wújì
Wade–Giles	Chang-sun Wu-chi
Courtesy name	Fuji (simplified Chinese: 辅机; traditional Chinese: 輔機; pinyin: Fǔjī; Wade–Giles: Fu-chi)
Posthumous name	Duke of Zhao (simplified Chinese: 赵公; traditional Chinese: 趙公; pinyin: Zhào Gōng; Wade–Giles: Chao Kung)

Zhangsun Wuji (died 659), courtesy name Fuji, formally the Duke of Zhao (趙公), was a Chinese official who served as a chancellor in the early Tang dynasty. He was Empress Zhangsun's brother, which made him a brother-in-law of Emperor Taizong (Li Shimin) and a maternal uncle of Emperor Gaozong (Li Zhi). He was an important advisor to Li Shimin when the latter was still the Prince of Qin during the reign of his father, Emperor Gaozu. He helped Li Shimin overcome his brothers Li Jiancheng (the Crown Prince) and Li Yuanji (the Prince of Qi) in a succession struggle at the Xuanwu Gate Incident, eventually enabling Li Shimin to become the heir apparent and later the emperor. He was also instrumental in Emperor Taizong's selection of Li Zhi as the Crown Prince, and was exceedingly powerful after Li Zhi took the throne as Emperor Gaozong. However, he gradually fell out of his nephew's favour by failing to support Emperor Gaozong's decision to depose his first wife, Empress Wang, and replacing her with Empress Wu. In 659, Zhangsun Wuji was falsely accused of treason by Empress Wu's political ally, Xu Jingzong, and eventually ordered to be sent into exile by Emperor Gaozong. Xu Jingzong subsequently sent the official Yuan Gongyu (袁公瑜) to force Zhangsun Wuji to commit suicide on his way to exile.

It is not known when Zhangsun Wuji was born, but what is known is that he was older than his sister, the future Empress Zhangsun, who was born in 601. It was written that his ancestors traced their origin to the Xianbei dynasty Northern Wei's founding emperor Emperor Taiwu of Northern Wei's 17th generation ancestor Tuoba Kuaili (拓拔儈立) -- that their ancestor was Tuoba Kuali's third son, who took the surname Baba (拔拔), eventually changed to Zhangsun when Emperor Xiaowen of Northern Wei changed Xianbei surnames to Han surnames in 496.