During Emperor Zhongzong's Second Reign
In 705, Wu Zetian was overthrown in a coup, and her son Li Xian the Crown Prince, a former emperor, was restored to the throne (as Emperor Zhongzong). Wei Sili's brother Wen Chengqing was accused of having flattered her lover Zhang Changzong in his editing of the imperial history. Wei Chengqing was reduced to commoner rank and exiled, while Wei Sili was demoted to be the prefect of Rao Prefecture (roughly modern Shangrao, Jiangxi). In 706, Wei Sili was recalled to be the deputy minister of husbandry (太僕少卿, Taipu Shaoqing) and also participate in selecting officials for civil service, but soon he was made the prefect of Xiang Prefecture (相州, in modern Handan as well). When Wei Chengqing died, after having been made Huangmen Shilang (黃門侍郎), the deputy head of the examination bureau (門下省, Menxia Sheng) but not taken office, Emperor Zhongzong much mourned Wei Chengqing and recalled Wei Sili to attend Wei Chengqing's funeral. He then made Wei Sili Huangmen Shilang. Later, Wei Sili was made the minister of reserves (太府卿, Taifu Qing) and an imperial scholar at Xiuwen Paviliion (脩文館).
In 709, Wei Sili was made the minister of defense (兵部尚書, Bingbu Shangshu) and made chancellor again with the designation Tong Zhongshu Menxia Sanpin (同中書門下三品). At that time, Emperor Zhongzong had been expending much revenue in building many temples and had also giving many individuals fiefs in rich prefectures, thus depriving the imperial treasury of a major part of its revenue and creating disturbance for the people in that these fief-holders often sent their servants to forcibly collect revenue from their fiefs. Wei Sili, concerned about the drain on the imperial treasury, submitted a petition that suggested that the temple constructions be halted and that the collection of tributes to the fief-holders be streamlined—that the fiefs be reduced in size, that the households in the fiefs be simply required to submit a tax, and that the fief-holders then be paid out of the imperial treasury. Emperor Zhongzong did not accept his proposal.
Wei Sili was a distant relative of Emperor Zhongzong's powerful wife Empress Wei -- her father Wei Xuanzhen (韋玄貞) shared a 12th generation ancestor with Wei Sili, the Cao Wei official Wei Mu (韋穆) -- and Emperor Zhongzong ordered that the Wei Sili's line be merged into Empress Wei's clan. Thereafter Emperor Zhongzong began to give Wei Sili progressively more awards. When Wei Sili built a summer mansion at Mount Li (驪山), near Chang'an, Emperor Zhongzong personally visited it in 709 and wrote poetry praising the mansion. He gave Wei Sili an award of silk and, as a member of Wei Sili's clan, Wei Xiong (韋敻), had been given the title of Duke of Xiaoyao (meaning, "duke of carefreeness") during Northern Zhou, Emperor Zhongzong created Wei Sili the Duke of Xiaoyao.
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