After Serving As Chancellor
At a later point, after Tang forces had recaptured Chang'an, Cui Huan was recalled to the capital to serve as deputy minister of civil service affairs (吏部侍郎, Libu Shilang). It was said that his life was simple and unambitious, and he was respected by others for this. He later served as chief imperial censor (御史大夫, Yushi Daifu).
During the reign of Emperor Suzong's son Emperor Daizong, the chancellor Yuan Zai dominated the imperial government, in association with the eunuch Dong Xiu (董秀). Cui despised Yuan, and on an occasion, when he met with Emperor Daizong, he accused Yuan of being treacherous. Emperor Daizong, defending Yuan, stated:
While Yuan Zai is careless, he made peace among the internal and external officials, and I think he is a good subject.Cui responded:
Peace is only important in association with respect. If one has no respect, what good is peace? The wars have just ended, and it is important for officials to have integrity. Yuan Zai is the chancellor, and he should carry out reforms to send a message throughout the realm. Instead, he uses his power to foster factionalism, destroys the law in the name of flexibility, personally deals out favors in the name of grace, and permits his subordinates to carry out illegal deeds. This is a way to harm the empire and to shame his lord. This is no way to rule.Emperor Daizong became silent and did not respond.
Meanwhile, Cui also served as special emissary for the collection of Qingmiao taxes (青苗, i.e., taxes imposed on newly grown crops), which were used for paying official salaries. It was said that because of requests from the lower officials, he used these taxes not only to pay the higher officials, but also the lower ones. Yuan's associate Zhang Qing (張青) argued that this was inappropriate, and Emperor Daizong had Cui investigated and interrogated. Cui had no response to the accusations and was demoted to be the prefect of Dao Prefecture (道州, in modern Yongzhou, Hunan). He died in 769 and was posthumously honored and given the posthumous name of Yuan (元, meaning "discerning").
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