Guan Bo - During Emperor Daizong's Reign

During Emperor Daizong's Reign

During the Dali era (767-779) of Emperor Suzong's son Emperor Daizong, Guan Bo had a close association with the imperial guard commander Wang Jiahe (王駕鶴) and Wang's wife, who was also named Guan. The chancellor Yuan Zai was displeased about this association, and he sent Guan Bo away from the capital, to serve as an officer at Henan Municipality (河南, i.e., the region of the eastern capital Luoyang). While at Henan, Guan acted as magistrate of several counties and was said to be capable in his governance. When Chen Shaoyou (陳少遊) later served as the governor of Zhedong Circuit (浙東, headquartered in modern Shaoxing, Zhejiang) and then Huainan Circuit, he invited Guan to serve as his secretary. He later acted as the prefect of Chu Prefecture (滁州, in modern Chuzhou, Anhui). When Li Lingyao (李靈曜) rebelled against imperial authority in 776 and seized nearby Biansong Circuit (汴宋, headquartered in modern Kaifeng, Henan), Chen was one of the generals commissioned against Li Lingyao, but as he commanded the troops against Biansong, the bandits in his own circuit were rampaging. Guan mobilized the prefectural militia to defend against the bandits, and also was said to be a simple but effective governor. After Yang Guan and Chang Gun became chancellors in 777 to replace Yuan, they recommended Guan to be Duguan Yuanwailang (都官員外郎), a low-level official at the ministry of justice (刑部, Xingbu).