Liu Yan (chancellor) - During Emperor Suzong's Reign

During Emperor Suzong's Reign

In 755, the general An Lushan rebelled at Fanyang and by 756, the forces of his new state of Yan were approaching Chang'an, forcing Emperor Xuanzong to flee to Chengdu. Liu Yan fled to Xiangyang. Emperor Xuanzong's son and crown prince Li Heng fled to Lingwu instead, where he was declared emperor (as Emperor Suzong), an act that Emperor Xuanzong recognized. Emperor Xuanzong, however, prior to Emperor Suzong's declaration as emperor, had sent another son, Li Lin the Prince of Yong, to Jianling to oversee the Yangtze River region. When Li Lin arrived at Jiangling, he heard that Liu was at Xiangfan and invited him to serve on his staff. Liu declined, however, and wrote a letter to the chancellor Fang Guan, pointing out that at this point, having imperial princes with great powers would simply bring trouble. Emperor Suzong then issued an edict making Liu the tax collector for the Yangtze-Huai River region. When Liu reached Wu Commandery (吳郡, roughly modern Suzhou, Jiangsu), he heard that Li Lin had rebelled against Emperor Suzong, and therefore met with the surveyor of the region, Li Xiyan (李希言), to confer on how to resist Li Lin. Li Xiyan put Liu in defense of Yuhang Commandery (餘杭, roughly modern Hangzhou, Zhejiang). After Li Xiyan was defeated by Li Lin late in 756, he fled to Yuhang and defended it together with Liu. In 757, after Li Lin was defeated by other Tang generals, he initially considered attacking Yuhang, but after hearing that Liu was defending it, he changed his mind and fled west. (He was eventually captured and killed by another Tang general, Huangfu Shen (皇甫侁).) Liu, however, did not claim credit for the victory. At a later point, Emperor Suzong recalled him to serve as the governor of Pengyuan Commandery (彭原, roughly modern Qingyang, Gansu). He later served as the prefect of Hua Prefecture (華州, in modern Weinan, Shaanxi), and then the mayor of Henan Municipality (河南), which encompassed the eastern capital Luoyang. However, as at that time Tang forces were still stalemated against the Yan emperor by that point, Shi Chaoyi (the son of An Lushan's general Shi Siming), and Luoyang was still in Yan hands, Liu's government seat was actually at Changshui (長水, near Luoyang).

By 760, Liu Yan was serving as the mayor of Jingzhao Municipality (京兆), which encompassed Chang'an, when he, because he was believed to be capable in financial matters, was also made the deputy minister of census (戶部侍郎, Hubu Shilang), as well as the special director in charge of finance, minting, and salt and iron monopolies. It was said that in these positions, Liu was not harsh but had a good grasp of the big picture, and that he served well.

In 761, the official Yan Zhuang (嚴莊), who had previously served An but later submitted to Tang, was accused of having secret communications with Shi Chaoyi. After Yan was arrested, Liu sent soldiers to guard Yan's mansion, ready to seize it if Yan were found guilty. Yan, however, was soon exonerated, and became resentful of Liu. Yan therefore accused Liu of leaking contents of secret conversations that he had with Emperor Suzong. As a result of these counteraccusations, and also because the chancellor Xiao Hua was jealous of Liu's talents, both Liu and Yan were demoted — in Liu's case, to be the prefect of Tong Prefecture (通州, in modern Dazhou). His financial responsibilities were transferred to Yuan Zai.