Background

Wei Siqian was born in 611, and it was known that his family was from Zheng Prefecture (鄭州, roughly modern Zhengzhou, Henan). At some point, he passed the imperial examination and thereafter was made the magistrate of Yingcheng County (應城, in modern Xiaogan, Hubei). After serving for more than a year, he was up for performance review to be considered for a higher position. The reviews, conducted by the ministry of civil service affairs, were initially not positive, as Wei was said to have allowed some of his official business to be delayed and was unfamiliar with old regulations. The minister of civil service affairs, Gao Jifu, however, commented, "Since I took over the ministry, I have only met this one man who is truly talented. How can I abandon his great virtues on account of small faults?" He promoted Wei to be a censor, and Wei became known after this selection. While serving as censor, he once commented, "If a censor leaves the capital to investigate cases), he would be amiss in his duties if he did not shake the mountains and shock the prefectures and counties."

During Emperor Gaozongs reign

In 650, Wei Siqian accused the powerful chancellor Chu Suiliang of forcing a government interpreter to sell his land to Chu. Initially, the deputy chief judge of the supreme court, Zhang Ruice, ruled that Chu had broken no laws because he had paid compensation to the interpreter, but Wei pointed out to Emperor Gaozong that Chu had paid just the amount of compensation equal to government condemnation of the property, not fair market value, and Emperor Gaozong demoted Chu to the post of prefect of Tong Prefecture (同州, roughly modern Weinan, Shaanxi). However, Emperor Gaozong respected Chu and recalled him to be a chancellor again in 652, after which Wei could not be promoted and was at one point demoted to the post of magistrate of Qingshui County (清水, in modern Tianshui, Gansu). Despite this, however, he commented:

At one point, the official Huangfu Gongyi (皇甫公義) became the secretary general for Emperor Gaozong's son Li Xian the Prince of Pei, and he invited Wei to serve as Li Xian's treasurer. He stated to Wei, "You, sir, are not just a small fish in the pond, but I would like to ask you to serve for a few years to watch out for the foundation of this princely mansion." Eventually, he was promoted to be a secretary at the executive bureau of government (尚書省, Shangshu Sheng).

Early in Emperor Gaozong's Yongchun era (682–683), Wei served as Shangshu Zuo Cheng (尚書左丞), one of the two secretaries general of the executive bureau, and then as imperial censor. At that time, the general Tian Renhui had a dispute with Wei's subordinate Zhang Renyi and falsely accused Zhang of crimes. Emperor Gaozong personally interrogated Zhang, and Zhang, fearful of the emperor, was unable to respond coherently. Wei instead spoke:

Wei's subsequent defense of Zhang was eloquent, and Emperor Gaozong was impressed. While he served as censor, he would not bow to princes or dukes, and when some people pointed out that this might bring him trouble, he stated: "Eagles used as a symbol of censors to show that their functions are to look out for illegalities) are not friends of all birds. Why should I bow to them to ingratiate them? Further, officials who serve as ears and eyes of the emperor should be independent of others."

During Empress Dowager Wus regency

Emperor Gaozong died in 683 and was succeeded by his son Li Zhe the Crown Prince (as Emperor Zhongzong), but power was in the hands of Emperor Gaozong's wife Empress Wu (later known as Wu Zetian), as empress dowager and regent. In 684, when Emperor Zhongzong showed signs of independence, she deposed him and replaced him with his brother Li Dan the Prince of Yu (as Emperor Ruizong), but thereafter held onto power even more firmly. Early in her regency, Wei Siqian was made the minister of imperial clan affairs, and later in 684, when she divided the imperial censor's office into two—one in charge of reviewing central government affairs and one in charge of reviewing local government affairs—Wei was made the imperial censor in charge of reviewing local government affairs. Based on tradition, the imperial censors and their assistant censors would accept each other's greetings, as equals, but after Wei's commission, he stopped greeting his subordinates as equals, and when asked why, he stated, "The imperial government has its proper structure, and I am their superior. Why should I follow tradition just because it is tradition?" In 685, he was created the Baron of Bochang, and he was also given the designation Tong Fengge Luantai Sanpin (同鳳閣鸞臺三品), making him a chancellor de facto. In 686, he became Nayan (納言) -- the head of the examination bureau of government and a post considered one for a chancellor—taking over for Su Liangsi. In 687, he requested retirement on account of old age. Empress Dowager Wu agreed and allowed him to retire, bestowing on him the honorific title Taizhong Daifu (太中大夫). He died at his home in 689.

Sons

Besides the two sons who would become chancellors in future, Wei had a third son named Wei Shu (韦淑), who served as Military Governor of An (安州都督).

Notes and references

• Old Book of Tang, vol. 88.http://ef.cdpa.nsysu.edu.tw/ccw/02/tan10.htm

• New Book of Tang, vol. 116.http://ef.cdpa.nsysu.edu.tw/ccw/02/ntan16.htm

• Zizhi Tongjian, vols. 199, 203, 204.

家世

韋思謙屬京兆韋氏小逍遙公房，祖上向南遷徙客居襄陽，後來又遷徙到鄭州陽武。韋思謙中進士，得補授幽州昌平縣尉，被燕王府長史杜楚克推薦任為安州應城縣令。任滿後，他面臨決定他是否能夠升官的考核。負責考核的吏部起初因為他在公事上有過失，考績名列最下等，對他評價不高，一直未予升遷。吏部尚書高季輔卻說：「我接手吏部以來，只發現這麼一個真正有才幹的人，我怎麼能夠因為他有小過失而拋棄他的大德呢？」于是擢升韋思謙為監察御史，他也因此為世人所知名。任監察御史期間，韋思謙曾說：「如果御史離開都城（去查案），不能動搖山嶽，震懾州縣，那麼他就不稱職。」

唐高宗年間

永徽元年（650年）十月，韋思謙彈劾當權宰相中書令褚遂良迫使一名中書譯語人將土地賤賣給他。大理少卿張叡冊認為褚遂良已經賠償了那名譯語人，判他無罪，但韋思謙向唐高宗指出褚遂良的賠償僅和這塊地要負擔的徵稅等量，並未按市價賠償，更稱張叡冊欺下罔上罪當誅。高宗遂貶褚遂良為同州刺史、張叡冊循州刺史。但高宗敬重褚遂良，三年（652年）又將他召回重新拜相。自此韋思謙不得晉升，更被貶為秦州清水縣令。但他卻不以為意，說：「我性格狂鄙，一旦有了權，就會爆發，這足夠為我帶來災禍。但大丈夫在應當堅定的時候，必須明目張胆，以報國恩，終不能為了保全妻兒去當一個碌碌無為的臣子。」

後來，左肅機皇甫公義在皇子沛王李賢府任檢校長史，邀請韋思謙任李賢的倉曹參軍。他對韋思謙說：「您豈是池中之物，但我想委屈您幾年照顧此王府。」韋思謙屢獲升遷，歷任殿中侍御史、侍御史。高宗以他為賢，常召他說話，即使很疲倦也靠著欄桿說上數刻才作罷。又多參與裁決疑難案件。又改任殿中丞，最後任尚書省右司郎中。武候將軍田仁會與御史張仁禕有隙，誣陷張仁禕有罪。高宗因此當廷訊問張仁禕，張仁禕因懦弱害怕皇帝，語無倫次。韋思謙說：「我和張仁禕共事有些日子了，知道事情的緣由。張仁禕怯懦，不能為自己辯護。如果田仁會眩惑陛下，彈劾張仁禕犯了非常之罪，那說明我沒有對陛下盡職。請讓我對質。」隨後他很流利地為張仁禕辯護，打動了高宗。

唐高宗永淳年間（682年-683年），韋思謙升任尚書左丞，說：「陛下為官擇人，得不到人選就空置。今不惜美錦，令臣處理此事，這說明陛下知臣之深，也是微臣盡命的時候。」振舉綱目，朝廷肅然。又任御史大夫。他正直敢言，神色莊重不可侵犯，見王公從不行拜禮，有人勸他時，他說：「雕、鶚、鷹、鸇（常用于象徵負責監督違法犯罪的御史）難道是所有禽類的朋友嗎，為什麼我要向他們下拜討好他們？而且，我們作為皇帝的耳目之官，應該獨立行事。」

後來唐昭宗授吏部侍郎徐彥若御史中丞時，亦舉韋思謙以鵰鶚自許、不狎公卿的例子。

武后攝政年間

弘道元年（683年），唐高宗駕崩。韋思謙抱病入宮臨喪，眼淚凝結了須髯，俯伏號哭氣絕。太子李哲繼位為唐中宗，武后（即後來的武則天）以太后攝政，掌握實權。中宗詔令派人攙扶侍候。嗣聖元年（684年），中宗意圖獨立執政，武后將他廢黜，改立皇弟豫王李旦為唐睿宗，進一步掌握權柄。光宅元年（684年）九月，武后侄武承嗣、武三思屢勸武后尋事誅殺皇室近支韓王李元嘉、魯王李靈夔等以絕宗室之望，韋思謙和中書侍郎劉禕之都因害怕，唯唯諾諾無言，只有中書令裴炎堅持力爭以為不可。武后攝政初期，韋思謙任宗正卿，因官名變更，改稱司屬卿，同年又因官制變革改任右肅政大夫。當時大夫和御史有相互致意行對等之禮的傳統，但韋思謙上任後，只接受下屬致意，並不回禮，被問及原因時，他說：「國家官制自有上下之分，我是他們的長官，為什麼僅僅因為是傳統，我就要遵守呢？」垂拱元年（685年）二月，他被授同鳳閣鸞臺三品、兼知左台事，成為政事堂宰相。次年六月，代蘇良嗣守納言，封博昌縣開國男。韋思謙以病辭官，不獲准，詔肩輿上朝，許子孫侍候。三年（687年）三月，再上表告老致仕，獲准，加太中大夫。永昌元年（689年）九月二十八日，韋思謙在洛陽承義里家中去世，年七十九。贈使持節幽州都督。

唐德宗年間，韋思謙得以續圖凌煙閣。

評價

• 《舊唐書》史臣曰：韋思謙始以州縣，奮于煙霄，持綱不避于權豪，報國能忘于妻子。自強不息，剛毅近仁，信有之矣！高季輔、皇甫公義，可謂知人矣！且福善餘慶，不謂無徵，二子構堂，俱列相輔，文皆經濟，政盡明能。加以承慶方危，染翰而曾非恐悚；嗣立見用，襲封而罔墜逍遙。無忝父風，寧慚祖德，謚溫謚孝，何愧易名？

家族

曾祖父

• 韋量，南梁中書、黃門侍郎、司農卿、汝南縣開國子

祖父

• 韋弘瑗，北周冬官司金上士，隋朝光州定城縣、廬州慎縣、絳州高梁縣、滎陽郡陽武縣四縣縣令

父母

• 韋德倫，唐瀛州任丘縣令

• 隴西李夫人

夫人

• 清河崔氏，唐朝亳州刺史崔神鼎之女

• 王婉

子女

• 韋承慶，元配崔氏所生

• 韋嗣立，繼妻王婉所生

• 韋淑，王婉所生

• 韋氏，嫁萊州長史宇文嶠

延伸閱讀

注釋及參考文獻