Yuan Zi - During Emperor Shunzong and Emperor Xianzong's Reigns

During Emperor Shunzong and Emperor Xianzong's Reigns

Emperor Dezong died in 805 and was succeeded by his severely ill son Emperor Shunzong. Several months later, however, with Emperor Shunzong's illness, his son and crown prince Li Chun was made regent, and Yuan Zi was made Zhongshu Shilang (中書侍郎), the deputy head of the legislative bureau (中書省, Zhongshu Sheng). He was also given the designation Tong Zhongshu Menxia Pingzhangshi (同中書門下平章事), making him a chancellor, along with Du Huangshang. Emperor Shunzong soon passed the throne to Li Chun, who took the throne as Emperor Xianzong. Yuan continued to serve as chancellor.

Soon thereafter, Wei Gao died, and his deputy Liu Pi seized control of the circuit that Wei governed, Xichuan Circuit (西川, headquartered in modern Chengdu, Sichuan), requesting to be allowed to succeed Wei. Emperor Xianzong initially refused, and he sent Yuan on a mission to try to persuade Liu to submit to a new commander, as the surveyor of Xichuan and two other neighboring circuits, Dongchuan (東川, headquartered in modern Mianyang, Sichuan) and Shannan West (山南西道, headquartered in modern Hanzhong, Shaanxi). He then made Yuan the new military governor (Jiedushi) of Xichuan Circuit and tried to summon Liu to Chang'an to serve as imperial attendant. Liu refused and prepared to resist imperial forces. Yuan, fearing Liu, did not dare to try to advance to Xichuan, and Emperor Xianzong, angry over Yuan's fear, demoted him to be the prefect of Ji Prefecture (吉州, in modern Ji'an, Jiangxi).

Soon thereafter, however, Yuan was repromoted to be the military governor of Yicheng Circuit (義成, headquartered in modern Anyang, Henan). While there, the people were so appreciate of him that, although he was still alive, built a shrine dedicated to him. He was later recalled to Chang'an to serve as the minister of census (戶部尚書, Hubu Shangshu), and later served as the military governor of Shannan East Circuit (山南東道, headquartered in modern Xiangfan, Hubei). In 814, Emperor Xianzong swapped his post with Yan Shou (嚴綬) the military governor of Jingnan Circuit (荊南, headquartered in modern Jingzhou).

As of 816, Emperor Xianzong was waging a campaign against Wu Yuanji, who ruled Zhangyi Circuit (彰義, headquartered in modern Zhumadian) in a de facto independent manner from the independent regime. Yuan, whose home Cai Prefecture was Zhangyi's capital prefecture, went to see Emperor Xianzong at Chang'an in 816, intending to persuade him to end the campaign against Wu, which was not going well at the time. On the way to Chang'an, however, he heard that the officials Xiao Mian and Qian Hui (錢徽) had been removed from their offices due to their opposition to the campaign, and he became fearful. When he reached Chang'an, instead of his originally intended advice, he instead informed Emperor Xianzong that he believed that Wu could be defeated, and Emperor Xianzong allowed him to return to Jingnan. Soon thereafter, with the commander of the forces against Wu, Gao Xiayu (高霞寓), having no success against Wu, Emperor Xianzong made Yuan the military governor of Zhangyi, briefly carving out three prefectures of Shannan East Circuit (Tang (唐州, in modern Zhumadian), Sui (隨州, in modern Suizhou, Hubei), and Deng (鄧州, in modern Nanyang, Henan)) to serve as his territory and headquartering the circuit at Tang Prefecture. Once Yuan arrived at Tang Prefecture, however, he stopped all of the scouting activities and incursions into Wu's territory, and when Wu attacked his military outpost Xinxingza (新興柵) and put it under siege, Yuan wrote Wu in abject language requesting that he lift the siege. Emperor Xianzong was displeased when he heard this, and he had Li Su replace Yuan around the new year 817. Yuan was demoted to be the prefect of Fu Prefecture (撫州, in modern Fuzhou, Jiangxi), but was soon made the governor (觀察使, Guanchashi) of Hunan Circuit (湖南, headquartered in modern Changsha, Hunan). He died in 818, while still serving at Hunan, and was given posthumous honors.