Jiang Gongfu - After Chancellorship

After Chancellorship

Jiang Gongfu's mother soon died, and he left governmental service to observe a period of mourning for her. After the period of mourning, he was returned to Li Song's staff, but went a long time without being promoted. By 792, Lu Zhi was a chancellor. Because he and Lu Zhi were colleagues while they were imperial scholars, Jiang met Lu to request his help. Lu secretly responded:

I had heard that Chancellor Dou had recommended you a number of times. The Emperor refused, and had a number of angry words about you.

In fear, Jiang offered to resign and asked to become a Taoist monk. When Emperor Dezong inquired as to the reason and found out that he was fearful, he did not dare to state that Lu had told him this information, and instead claimed that Dou told him the information. Angry that his words had been leaked, Emperor Dezong demoted Jiang to be the secretary general of Quan Prefecture (泉州, in modern Quanzhou, Fujian), and sent imperial eunuch messengers to Dou, in exile, to rebuke him. After Emperor Dezong died in 805 and was succeeded by Li Song (as Emperor Shunzong), Jiang was slightly promoted, to be the prefect of Ji Prefecture (吉州, in modern Ji'an, Jiangxi). He soon died, and was posthumously honored by Emperor Shunzong's son and successor Emperor Xianzong (to whom Emperor Shunzong, then seriously ill, passed the throne to in 805 as well).