Liu Hun - During Emperor Daizong's Reign

During Emperor Daizong's Reign

Early in the Dali era (767-779) of Emperor Suzong's son Emperor Daizong, Wei Shaoyou (魏少遊), the governor of Jiangxi Circuit, requested that Liu Zai serve as his secretary. While he was serving under Wei, there was an occasion when the abbot of a Buddhist temple dedicated to Emperor Xuanzong was drinking at night with his disciples, and in their drunkenness, the temple suffered a fire. They blamed it on the deaf servant guarding the door, however, and bribed the military officer Wei put in charge of the investigation to submit a report indicating such. Wei believed the report and was set to punish the servant, and while many people knew of the servant's innocence, no one dared to speak. Liu and his colleague Cui Youfu, however, stepped in and reported this to Wei. Wei was surprised, and after he interrogated the abbot further, the abbot confessed. Wei thanked them and stated, "Except for you two gentleman, this old man would have committed a wrong." Later, after Lu Sigong (路嗣恭) succeeded Wei, Lu made Liu the deputy commander of the circuit militia (團練副使, Tuanlian Fushi). In 778, Liu was made the prefect of Yuan Prefecture (袁州, in modern Yichun, Jiangxi).