Liu Ye

Liu Ye (died January 24, 881?), courtesy name Hanfan, was an official of the Chinese Tang Dynasty, serving as a chancellor during the reigns of Emperor Yizong and Emperor Yizong's son Emperor Xizong. Background It is not known when Liu Ye was born. His family was from Run Prefecture (潤州, in modern Zhenjiang, Jiangsu), and his father Liu Sanfu was a long-time staff member of Li Deyu when Li was a regional governor. Later, when Li became a powerful chancellor during the reign of Emperor Wuzong, Liu served under Li in the imperial government, eventually reaching the post of deputy minister of justice. It was after a petition by Liu Sanfu that Lady Pei, the wife of the deceased military governor Liu Congjian, whose adoptive son (and biological nephew) Liu Zhen rebelled against the imperial government, was put to death, apparently at Li's behest, in 844. It was shortly after Liu Sanfu's petition regarding Lady Pei that he himself died of illness. As it is not known when Liu Ye was born, it is unknown how old he was when Liu Sanfu died. However, it was immediately stated that Liu Ye was able to recite poems even when he was just five or six years old and that Li took pity on him — implying that that was, in fact, his age at the time of Liu Sanfu's death. Li took him into the household and had him study under the same teachers that Li's own sons were studying under. After Li lost power and was exiled after Emperor Wuzong's death and succession by his uncle Emperor Xuānzong in 846, Liu Ye lost his support, and became a traveling author in the Yangtze River-Qiantang River region, writing to support himself. It was said that his writing ability became well known in the region. Early career Later, when the official Gao Shaoyi served as the governor of Shanguo Circuit (陝虢, headquartered in modern Sanmenxia, Henan), he invited Liu Ye to serve as his assistant in his capacity as the military prefect (團練使, Tuanlianshi). He later continued to serve under Gao when Gao was transferred to Zhenguo Circuit (鎮國, headquartered in modern Weinan, Shaanxi). Liu was later recalled to the capital Chang'an to serve as a copyeditor (校書郎, Xiaoshu Lang) at the Palace Library.