Xu Yanruo
Xu Yanruo (徐彥若) (died 901), courtesy name Yuzhi (俞之), formally the Duke of Qi (齊公), was an official of the Chinese Tang Dynasty, serving as a chancellor during the reign of Emperor Zhaozong. Background and early career It is not known when Xu Yanruo was born. He was a sixth-generation descendant of Xu Yougong (徐有功), a famed judge during the reign of Wu Zetian. His family claimed to be originally descended from mythical Xia Dynasty judge Gao Yao and traced its ancestry through a line of officials of Qin Dynasty, Han Dynasty, Cao Wei, Jin Dynasty (266–420), Liu Song, Southern Qi, Liang Dynasty, Chen Dynasty, and Tang Dynasty. His grandfather Xu Zai (徐宰) served as a judge at the supreme court (大理寺, Dali Si), and his father Xu Shang was a chancellor during the reign of Emperor Yizong. Xu Yanruo had at least four younger brothers, Xu Rensi (徐仁嗣), Xu Renju (徐仁矩), Xu Renfan (徐仁範), and Xu Renxu (徐仁勗). Xu Yanruo passed the imperial examinations in the Jinshi (進士) class in 872, during Emperor Yizong's reign. Late in the reign of Emperor Yizong's son Emperor Xizong, he became a low-level official at the executive bureau of government (尚書省, Shangshu Sheng) but was given the responsibility of drafting edicts. He was later made Zhongshu Sheren (中書舍人), a mid-level official at the legislative bureau (中書省, Zhongshu Sheng). During Emperor Zhaozong's reign Before chancellorship Emperor Xizong died in 888 and was succeeded by his brother Emperor Zhaozong. Emperor Zhaozong made Xu Yanruo the deputy chief imperial censor (御史中丞, Yushi Zhongcheng). In 891, after a failed imperial campaign against the warlord Li Keyong the military governor of Hedong Circuit (河東, headquartered in modern Taiyuan, Shanxi), chancellors Zhang Jun and Kong Wei, who advocated for the campaign, were removed from their positions. Xu was made chancellor with the designation Tong Zhongshu Menxia Pingzhangshi (同中書門下平章事), along with Cui Zhaowei, to replace them. Xu was also made the deputy minister of census (戶部侍郎, Hubu Shilang). As chancellor As of 893, the warlord Li Maozhen the military governor of Fengxiang Circuit (鳳翔, headquartered in modern Baoji, Shaanxi) had defeated another warlord, Yang Shouliang the military governor of Shannan West Circuit (山南西道, headquartered in modern Hanzhong, Shaanxi). He submitted a petition to Emperor Zhaozong, offering to be the military governor of Shannan West—fully expecting that Emperor Zhaozong would allow him to be the military governor of both Fengxiang and Shannan West. Instead, Emperor Zhaozong, who wanted to take back some of the territory for the imperial government, issued an edict making Li Maozhen the military governor of Shannan West and neighboring Wuding Circuit (武定, also headquartered in modern Hanzhong), while naming Xu Yanruo the military governor of Fengxiang. Li Maozhen, disappointed, refused to obey the edict. In fall 893, Emperor Zhaozong put Li Sizhou (李嗣周) the Prince of Qin in command of a newly conscripted imperial army to escort Xu to Fengxiang. Li Maozhen and his ally Wang Xingyu the military governor of Jingnan Circuit (靜難, headquartered in modern