[1]Life dates and political statusPei Du lived from 765 to 839, served as a Tang chancellor under four emperors and as a military governor, and was known for his literary skill.
CBDBPei Du (94941)The biographical data gives his dates and Tang affiliation, lists the offices of chancellor and military governor, and marks him as skilled in writing.
Souyun裴度 (19826)The biographical and literary entries jointly give 765–839 and describe his central and provincial offices and literary activity.
WikidataPei Du (Q717888)The English description calls him a chancellor under four emperors, while the time statements give 765 as the birth year and 839 as the death year.
[2]Courtesy name and native placePei Du's courtesy name was Zhongli, he was sixteenth in birth order, came from Wenxi in Hedong, and was also known as Pei Linggong and Pei Jingong.
CBDBPei Du (94941)The name and address entries give Zhongli, Pei Linggong, Pei Jingong, and Wenxi as his native place.
Souyun裴度 (19826)The biographical entries state that he was Zhongli, the sixteenth in birth order, and a native of Hedong Wenxi, now in Shanxi.
WikidataPei Du (Q717888)The alias list includes Pei Jingong, Pei Linggong, and Zhongli, while the Chinese description also gives his style and Wenxi origin.
[3]Family and sonsPei Xu was Pei Du's father. Pei Du had eight sons, whose names and attested death years are given in the biographical data.
CBDBPei Du (94941)The kinship entries identify Pei Xu as his father and list the eight sons, together with the supplied death years.
WikidataPei Du (Q717888)The relationship statements confirm a father relationship and eight child relationships; the names themselves are supplied by the kinship entries.
[4]Examinations and first appointmentIn 789 Pei Du passed the jinshi examination; he later passed Boxue Hongci, became a proofreader, and in 795 passed the Xianliang Fangzheng examination with distinction before becoming magistrate of Heyin.
CBDBPei Du (94941)The examination entries list the jinshi, Boxue Hongci, and Xianliang Fangzheng neng zhi yan ji jian qualifications.
Souyun裴度 (19826)The biographical entries give the 789 jinshi success, the Hongci examination and proofreader appointment, the later examination with distinction, and the Heyin appointment.
[5]Early Yuanhe careerAt the beginning of Yuanhe, Pei Du held the offices of Investigating Censor, military-governor's secretary, Recorder of Daily Affairs, Sifeng yuanwailang, zhizhigao, Zhongshu Sheren, and Censor-in-Chief, while advocating the suppression of regional military governors.
CBDBPei Du (94941)The office entries list all seven named posts in the early and middle Yuanhe career.
Souyun裴度 (19826)The biographical entries give the sequence of these appointments and state that he advocated suppressing the regional military governors.
[6]Campaign against HuaixiIn 815 Pei Du became a central-government councilor and, during the campaign against Wu Yuanji, held Zhangyi and Huaixi pacification commands, inspected the field armies, and survived an attack by an assassin sent by Li Shidao.
CBDBPei Du (94941)The office entries give the Yuanhe tenth-year post and the Zhangyi, pacification, and military-governor assignments, including their year.
Souyun裴度 (19826)The biographical entries describe the campaign, the inspection of the field armies, the attack by Li Shidao's assassin, and Xianzong's decision to retain him.
[7]Pacification of Huaixi and ennoblementIn 817 Pei Du directed the Huaixi campaign, captured Wu Yuanji, received the title Duke of Jin and several honors, and helped bring the Hebei military governors back under the court.
CBDBPei Du (94941)The office entries connect the Zhangyi military command and the Duke of Jin title with Yuanhe 12.
Souyun裴度 (19826)The entries describe the 817 Huaixi victory, Wu Yuanji's capture, the Duke of Jin title, the court honors, and the submission of the Hebei military governors.
[8]Muzong and JingzongPei Du became military governor of Hedong in 819, moved repeatedly between provincial commands and the central government under Muzong and Jingzong, and returned to government in 822 and 826.
CBDBPei Du (94941)The office entries give the Hedong military-governor appointment in 819 and the chancellorship entries beginning in 822 and 826.
Souyun裴度 (19826)The biographical entries describe the Hedong appointment, repeated movement between command and court, the Situ title, and renewed participation in government in 822 and 826.
[9]Divergent career sequencesThe biographical sequences differ over the postings that followed political opposition: one associates the moves with Huangfu Zhu and Li Fengji, while another places Pei Du in Shannan East and later Xiangzhou.
CBDBPei Du (94941)The office entries preserve the Shannan West and Shannan East military governorships and the Xiangyang assignment as distinct postings.
Souyun裴度 (19826)The biographical entries differ in their treatment of Huangfu Zhu, Li Fengji, Shannan West, Shannan East, and the Xiangzhou posting.
[10]Wenzong and final appointmentsPei Du became Dongdu Liushou in 834 and received Zhongshu Ling; he was also given several Wenzong-era titles, returned to command in Hedong in 837, and was allowed to return to court in 839 before his death.
CBDBPei Du (94941)The office entries list Dongdu Liushou, Zhongshu Ling, the Taiyuan and Beijing appointments, and the 834–839 dates.
Souyun裴度 (19826)The biographical entries describe the Dongdu appointment, Wenzong-era honors, the renewed Hedong command, and the 839 return-to-court order and death.
[11]Recommendation of Gao YuAt the beginning of Taihe, Pei Du and Wei Chuhou jointly recommended Gao Yu for command of Zhongwu.
CBDBPei Du (94941)The political association is dated to the beginning of Taihe and preserves the statement that Pei Du and Wei Chuhou recommended Gao Yu as commander.
[12]Green Field Hall and poetic exchangeIn his later years at the eastern capital, Pei Du built a residence in Jixian Ward, Luoyang, named it Green Field Hall, and exchanged poetry closely with Bai Juyi and Liu Yuxi.
Souyun裴度 (19826)The entries jointly describe his late residence in the eastern capital, the Jixian Ward estate called Green Field Hall, and his close poetic exchanges with Bai Juyi and Liu Yuxi.
CBDBPei Du (94941)The association entries list Bai Juyi and Liu Yuxi and identify their poetry and prose exchanges with Pei Du.
[13]Literary circlePei Du exchanged poetry with Xue Tao and had literary contacts with Liu Zongyuan, Han Yu, Li Jifu, Zhang Ji, Yuan Zhen, Linghu Chu, Liu Gongchuo, Wu Yuanheng, and Li Jiang.
CBDBPei Du (94941)The association index identifies these figures through exchanges of poems and prose, received literary works, and poetic replies.
[14]Works and surviving poetryWorks associated with Pei Du include the Pei Jingong Collection in two juan, Shu yi, and Ruluo ji; one juan of his poetry survives in the Quan Tang shi, with one additional poem and two fragments in supplements.
CBDBPei Du (94941)The works list contains the titles Shu yi (Pei Du) and Ruluo ji.
Souyun裴度 (19826)The literary entries give the two-juan Pei Jingong Collection, one surviving juan in the Quan Tang shi, and the supplementary poem and two fragments.
[15]Literary assessmentPoetry criticism described Pei Du's writing as plain and substantial and cited “灰心缘忍事，霜鬓为论兵” as a deeply restrained line.
Souyun裴度 (19826)The poetry commentary calls his writing plain and substantial and cites the line “灰心缘忍事，霜鬓为论兵” as deeply restrained.
[16]Later critical receptionFang Hui praised Pei Du as a leading statesman of successive reigns, emphasized the prominence of poets around him, and linked the horse presented to Zhang Ji with a celebrated poetic anecdote.
Souyun裴度 (19826)The literary entry quotes Fang Hui on Pei Du as a statesman of successive reigns, the prominence of poets associated with him, and the horse-and-Zhang-Ji anecdote.
[17]Legacy and posthumous honorsPei Du's Huaixi victory brought the title Duke of Jin; he repeatedly exercised central power, was compared with Guo Fen-yang, and was said to have weighed the empire's balance for nearly thirty years. He died at seventy-five in 839, received the posthumous name Wenzhong and the title Grand Preceptor, and was later granted the title Grand Mentor.
Souyun裴度 (19826)The later literary and official entries describe the Huaixi victory, the Duke of Jin title, repeated control of government, comparison with Guo Fen-yang, nearly thirty years of influence, age at death, and posthumous honors.
CBDBPei Du (94941)The basic chronology and the final Beijing appointment both place his death in 839.
WikidataPei Du (Q717888)The honor statement gives the posthumous name Wenzhong, and the death statement gives 839.
CBDB
