家世

齊抗生于唐玄宗年間的740年，是定州義豐人，認祖春秋戰國姜齊公室。祖父齊澣為唐玄宗年間名臣，官至平陽太守，父齊翱卻官位低微，只做到左龍武倉曹參軍，後因齊抗顯貴，累贈國子祭酒。

早年

齊抗年幼時，正值安史之亂席捲唐帝國北方，齊抗奉母隱居會稽剡中，就在那裡讀書。他善于作文，長于箋奏。曾師從獨孤及。唐代宗大曆年間（766年－779年），壽州刺史張鎰闢齊抗為判官。齊抗明習吏事，敏于文學，張鎰很看重他。

唐德宗年間

唐德宗建中（780年－783年）初年，張鎰任江西觀察使，齊抗隨他于幕府。三年（782年），張鎰在宰相任上被任為鳳翔節度使，奏齊抗為監察御史，仍為自己的賓佐。當時張鎰的軍事籌畫，多出于齊抗。齊抗也作為張鎰的幕僚參與了建中四年（783年）唐朝與吐蕃的清水之盟。遷殿中侍御史。

四年十月，京城長安發生兵變，迫使德宗出奔奉天，因奉天城小，德宗想進一步逃到鳳翔。張鎰聞訊，籌劃迎駕。齊抗和自己曾推薦的行軍司馬齊映指出後營將李楚琳為兵變首領朱泚舊部，難以控制，建議張鎰先除去李楚琳。張鎰沒有聽從，命李楚琳出屯隴州。李楚琳假託有事，沒有即時出發。張鎰一心迎駕，以為李楚琳已經走了。當夜李楚琳就和黨羽作亂，攻張鎰，張鎰與二子縋城逃跑，都被候騎所擒，都被李楚琳殺死。齊抗在佣人背負下與齊映都逃到奉天，德宗任齊抗為侍御史，十天後改戶部員外郎。宰相蕭複為江淮宣慰使，以齊抗為工部員外郎、判官。齊抗推薦盧邁。

興元元年（784年），亂平，德宗還京，天下旱蝗，國用盡竭。鹽鐵轉運使元琇認為齊抗有才，奏授倉部郎中，條理江淮鹽務。貞元初年，為水陸運副使，督江淮漕運以供給京師。遷兵部郎中兼御史中丞，又任諫議大夫，為朝廷要員所不容，因姻親有小過，貶為處州刺史。《唐會要》卷五十載五年（789年）八月處州刺史齊黃的奏文，疑即齊抗。六年（790年），因舊州治屢遭水災，北移四里到高原上。《全唐詩》收錄有路應、李縝、戴公懷《仙岩四瀑布即事寄上秘書包監侍郎七兄吏部李侍郎十七兄婺州趙中丞處州齊諫議明州李九郎十四韻》。又歷任蘇州刺史，八年（792年）二月轉潭州刺史、湖南都團練觀察使。同年，宰相中書侍郎同平章事陸贄推薦齊映為江西觀察使，有人指出齊映、齊抗互為本家，同任相鄰方鎮不妥，需要重新商議，陸贄上疏指出二齊是同姓別房，非五服之親，不需要避嫌。入為給事中，十年（794年）二月又為河南尹，捕得劫轉運絹賊人郭鵠、朱瞿曇等七人及贓絹，使被冤枉為劫匪的原東都留守將令狐運冤情得雪（但令狐運沒有被赦免，死于貶所）。十二年（796年），上疏言兩稅法之弊，無果。呂溫曾作《上族叔齊河南書》，稱齊抗為「大尹叔父閣下」，因呂、齊二氏同出自姜姓齊國，故稱齊抗為族叔。齊抗歷任秘書監、太常卿。十四年（798年）十二月，奏請依開元禮，戶部尚書以下于南班再拜後隨上公升階東向站立，准儀注奏事，以補舊儀。

貞元十六年（800年）九月，以中散大夫、守太常卿、上柱國、賜紫金魚袋代被貶的鄭餘慶為中書侍郎、同中書門下平章事，為宰相，散官勛賜如故。十二月，齊抗認為吏部選的官員已是精選過的，中書省、門下省再複查是浪費時間，奏請廢止複查，獲准。當時禮部侍郎主管科舉，其親故都能考功，被稱為「別頭舉人」，此事早在貞元十年（794年）也因齊抗所奏而罷。齊抗又奏裁減諸州府別駕、田曹、司田官及判司之雙曹者及中書省驅使官及諸胥吏，而以為朝官。不久，以中散大夫、守中書侍郎、同中書門下平章事、上柱國、賜紫金魚袋加修國史。齊抗讓中書舍人權德輿上表辭讓。

齊抗雖然讀書，卻沒有遠略，過度在意細節上求精，有挑剔苛刻之名。十九年（803年），因病請辭，七月，罷為太子李誦賓客，已病得不能朝謝。貞元年間他與賈耽同修《時政記》，也因病罷而中止。二十年（804年）四月卒，贈戶部尚書，又賜家絹二百匹。謚成。

作品

• 《齊抗集》二十卷

• 《元日朝班儀注奏》

• 《更定祭日奏》

評價

• 《舊唐書》

　• 史臣曰：而損（崔損）、抗之比，夫何足雲，遽汙台槐，蓋時主之容易耳。

　• 贊曰：竇（竇參）阿齊佞，偏詖斯同。

家族

• 曾祖：齊知玄，仕至淄州長山縣令

• 曾祖：齊澣，給事中、吏部侍郎

• 父親：齊翧，右龍武兵曹參軍

妻

• 河南獨孤氏，某官之女，賢明，早亡

• 蘭陵蕭氏，駙馬都尉蕭衡孫女，梓州別駕蕭戡第二女

子孫

• 齊餗，嗣子，官至東都留守府推官、洛陽主簿，娶贊善大夫、鄂州別駕河南源清寰之女

　• 齊酄，會稽縣尉

　　• 齊祐

　　• 齊藥師

　　• 二女

注釋及參考文獻

Background

Qi Kang was born in 740, during the reign of Emperor Xuanzong. His family was from Ding Prefecture (定州 Dìng Zhōu, in modern Baoding, Hebei). and claimed ancestry from the royal Jiang house of the Spring and Autumn period state Qi. His grandfather Qi Huan (齊澣 Qí Huǎn) was a well-known commandery governor during Emperor Xuanzong's reign, although his father Qi Ao (齊翱 Qí Áo) was described to have served in an insignificant position.

In Qi Kang's youth, the Anshi Rebellion swept over the northern parts of the Tang empire, and he took his mother and fled to Kuaiji (present-day Shaoxing in Zhejiang), where he spent his time studying. It was said that he was good at writing, particularly when it came to reports on various matters.

During Emperor Daizongs reign

During the Dali era (766-779) of Emperor Xuanzong's grandson Emperor Daizong, Zhang Yi the prefect of Shou Prefecture (壽州 Shòu Zhōu, in modern Lu'an, Anhui) invited Qi Kang to serve as an assistant. It was said that Qi was capable administratively and literarily, and Zhang respected him.

During Emperor Dezongs reign

Early in the Jianzhong era (780-783) of Emperor Daizong's son Emperor Daizong, Zhang Yi became the governor of Jiangxi Circuit (江西 Jiāngxī, headquartered in modern Nanchang, Jiangxi), and Qi Kang followed him and continued to serve on his staff. After Zhang later served a stint as chancellor and was made the military governor (Jiedushi) of Fengxiang Circuit (鳳翔 Fèngxiáng, headquartered in modern Baoji, Shaanxi) in 782, he invited Qi to serve on his staff again. It was said that most of the military tactics that Zhang used at the time were suggested by Qi.

In fall 783, when a mutiny at the capital Chang'an forced Emperor Dezong to flee to Fengtian (奉天 Fèngtiān, in modern Xianyang, Shaanxi), as Fengtian was a small city, Emperor Dezong considered further heading to Fengxiang. Meanwhile, Zhang, hearing of the mutiny and of Emperor Dezong's considering visiting Fengxiang, began undertaking preparations for the emperor's arrival. Qi Kang and fellow staff member Qi Ying pointed out that one of the military officers, Li Chulin (李楚琳 Lǐ Chǔlín), was previously a subordinate of the mutiny leader Zhu Ci and would be difficult to control. Zhang thus issued an order that Li report to Long Prefecture (隴州 Lǒng Zhōu, in modern Baoji). Li, giving excuses, did not report immediately, and Zhang, concentrating on welcoming the emperor, never followed up on whether Li left for Long Prefecture. That night, Li and his associates mutinied and attacked Zhang's headquarters. Zhang and two of his sons climbed over the city walls and tried to flee but were captured by the mutineers and killed. Qi Kang and Qi Ying both fled to Fengtian, and Emperor Dezong made Qi Kang an imperial censor with the title Shiyushi (侍御史 Shìyùshǐ).

After the rebellions were quashed in 784 and Emperor Dezong returned to Chang'an, the treasury was drained, and a major part of the empire was laid waste. At that time, the official Yuan Xiu (元琇 Yuán Xiù), who was in charge of the state salt and iron monopolies, believed that Qi Kang was capable and recommended him as Cangbu Langzhong (倉部郎中 Cāngbù Làngzhōng), a supervisorial official at the ministry of census (戶部 Hùbù), to be in charge of the salt monopoly in the Yangtze River-Huai River region. Qi was also soon made the deputy director of the supplies, in charge of supplying Chang'an with food from the Yangtze-Huai region. Soon, for minor faults that are lost to history, he was demoted to be the prefect of Chu Prefecture (處州, in modern Lishui, Zhejiang). He later served as the prefect of Su Prefecture (蘇州, in modern Suzhou, Jiangsu) before becoming the governor (觀察使, Guanchashi) of Hunan Circuit (湖南, headquartered in modern Changsha, Hunan) was well as the prefect of its capital Tan Prefecture (in modern Changsha, Hunan). He was later recalled serving as imperial attendant (給事中, Jishizhong) and then the mayor of Henan Municipality (河南, i.e., the region of the eastern capital Luoyang). He later successively served as Mishu Jian (秘書監), the director of the Palace Library and then the minister of worship (太常卿, Taichang Qing).

In 800, Qi was made Zhongshu Sheren (中書舍人), a mid-level official at the legislative bureau of government (中書省, Zhongshu Sheng) and given the designation Tong Zhongshu Menxia Pingzhangshi. This made him a chancellor, replacing the recently demoted Zheng Yuqing. While serving as chancellor, Qi suggested the abolition of the system where, after the ministry of civil service affairs (吏部, Lìbu) selected officials to be commissioned, the officials from the legislative bureau and the examination bureau (門下省, Menxia Sheng) would reexamine the proposed list — reasoning that after the ministry of civil service affairs had carefully selected the officials, it would be a waste of time to reexamine. This suggestion was accepted. Per the customs of the time, as the deputy minister of rites was in charge of the imperial examinations, his relatives and friends would be given a separate imperial examination; under Qi's suggestion, that examination was also abolished. Also, per Qi's suggestions, various local officials were also given titles of corresponding central government officials. Emperor Dezong also gave Qi the responsibilities of editing the imperial histories.

It was said that while Qi was well-learned, he did not have long-term plans, but overly paid attention to details such that he became known for pickiness and harshness. In 803, after he became ill and offered to resign, he was made an advisor to Emperor Dezong's crown prince Li Song, and it was said that due to the illness, he was unable to thank Emperor Dezong in person. He died in 804 and was given posthumous honors. He was also given the posthumous name of Cheng (成, meaning "successful").

Notes and references

• Old Book of Tang, vol. 136.

• New Book of Tang, vol. 128.

• Zizhi Tongjian, vols. 228, 235, 236.