Wei Yuanzhong - During Emperor Zhongzong's Second Reign

During Emperor Zhongzong's Second Reign

In 705, Wu Zetian was overthrown in a coup, and Zhang Yizhi and Zhang Changzong were killed. Emperor Zhongzong was restored to the throne, and he immediately recalled Wei Yuanzhong and made him the minister of military supplies (衛尉卿, Weiwei Qing) and chancellor with the Tong Zhongshu Menxia Pingzhangshi (同中書門下平章事) designation. He was soon made the minister of defense (兵部尚書, Bingbu Shangshu) with the greater chancellor de facto designation of Tong Zhongshu Menxia Sanpin (同中書門下三品). Later in the year, he was made Shizong (侍中), the head of the examination bureau (門下省, Menxia Sheng) and a post considered one for a chancellor, and then Zhongshu Ling (中書令), the head of the legislative bureau (now again named Zhongshu Sheng) and also a post considered one for a chancellor. There was much expectation by the people that he would help reform government, but it was said that after he became chancellor again, he did not have any particularly good suggestions for Emperor Zhongzong but was instead only going with the flow in the political arena, and the people were disappointed, those in hopes that he would serve as a counterbalance to Wu Zetian's nephew Wu Sansi, who had become powerful as a trusted advisor for Emperor Zhongzong and the lover of his powerful wife Empress Wei. Late in 705, when Wu Zetian died, Wu Sansi altered her will to include the grant of 100 household to serve as Wei Yuanzhong's fief—to which Wei was seen thankfully grieving, leading people to comment that he could no longer serve as a counterbalance to Wu Sansi. During the mourning period that Emperor Zhongzong observed for Wu Zetian, he had Wei Yuanzhong serve as regent for three days, and also created Wei the Duke of Qi.

In 706, a sheriff named Yuan Chuke (袁楚客) wrote a letter to Wei, pointing out that there was much expectation the people had for him, and that it was not proper for him, as a senior chancellor, to be standing by and doing nothing while Wu Sansi and several other officials were leading Emperor Zhongzong astray in his reign. After Wei read Yuan's letter, he was much ashamed, but did little, although he did began to consider whether there was something he could do to Wu Sansi. Later that year, when the sorcerer Zheng Pusi (鄭普思), whom Emperor Zhongzong trusted and whose daughter was a concubine of Emperor Zhongzong's, was accused of treason, Wei spoke in favor of Zheng's execution, even though Emperor Zhongzong wanted to spare Zheng. Emperor Zhongzong, while sparing Zheng's life, was forced to exile him and execute his associates. Also around this time, when Emperor Zhongzong's and Empress Wei's favorite daughter Li Guo'er the Princess Anle asked to become crown princess (to displace her brother Li Chongjun, born of a concubine), Wei opposed it, pointing out that no woman had ever become the heir to an emperor, and also pointed out that there would be no appropriate title for her husband Wu Chongxun (武崇訓, Wu Sansi's son). In anger, Li Guo'er commented rather irreverently:

Wei Yuanzhong is simply a carpenter from east of the mountain, and he has black feet. What does he know about the affairs of state? If the son of that Wu woman could become Son of Heaven, why cannot a daughter of a Son of Heaven?

Despite the rebuff, Li Guo'er and Wu Chongxun continued to try to have Li Guo'er made crown princess, and also repeatedly insulted Li Chongjun. In 707, Li Chongjun, in anger, started a rebellion and killed Wu Sansi and Wu Chongxun and tried to arrest Li Guo'er, Empress Wei, and Emperor Zhongzong's concubine Consort Shangguan Wan'er, also Wu Sansi's lover, before he was defeated and killed in flight. During Li Chongjun's rebellion, Wei Yuanzhong's son Wei Sheng (魏升) was forced to participate, and at the end of the rebellion, Wei Sheng was also killed. Wei Yuanzhong commented to others, "The prime evil is dead, and even if I were to be cooked in a ding, what would be the harm? I only lament that the Crown Prince has fallen." When these words were reported, Li Guo'er had the chancellors Zong Chuke and Ji Chuna accuse Wei of being complicit in Li Chongjun's rebellion as well and request his execution. Emperor Zhongzong initially only had Wei retire and return to his mansion, but then had him demoted to be the military advisor to the prefect of Qu Prefecture (渠州, roughly modern Dazhou, Sichuan). Zong and Ji continued their accusations, however, and Emperor Zhongzong then demoted Wei further to be the sheriff of Wuchuan County (務川, in modern Tongren Prefecture, Guizhou). When Zong and Ji insisted on Wei's execution, however, Emperor Zhongzong stopped further investigation. While on the way to Wuchuan, however, when Wei reached Fuling (where he had once served as magistrate), he died, and was said to be in his 70s at death.

After Emperor Zhongzong's death in 710—a death traditional historians believed to be a poisoning by Empress Wei and Li Guo'er—a coup led by Princess Taiping and Li Longji the Prince of Linzi, the son of Li Dan the Prince of Xiang (the former Emperor Ruizong) overthrew Empress Wei and Li Guo'er and restored Emperor Ruizong to the throne. Emperor Ruizong had Wei's titles restored and had him reburied near Emperor Zhongzong's tomb.