[4] Dou Yizhi passed the imperial examination in the Mingjing (明經) class, and was made a copywriter (校書郎, Xiaoshu Lang) at the Palace Library.
He later passed a special imperial examination in judging cases, and was made the sheriff of Lantian County (藍田, in modern Xi'an).
In 818, Dou was made the governor of Xuanshe Circuit (宣歙, headquartered in modern Xuancheng, Anhui), as well as the prefect of its capital Xuan Prefecture (宣州).
[6] He was thereafter replaced by Li Deyu and recalled to Chang'an to serve as the deputy minister of civil service affairs (吏部侍郎, Libu Shilang).
If his acquaintances were talented but he abandoned them because he knew them, then this could not be said to be fair, either.In 828, by which time Wenzong was emperor (after Emperor Jingzong was assassinated around the new year 827),[7] Dou Yizhi was relieved of his chancellor post and made the military governor of Shannan East Circuit (山南東道, headquartered in modern Xiangfan, Hubei) as well as the prefect of its capital Xiang Prefecture (襄州), although he retained the Tong Zhongshu Menxia Pingzhangshi title as an honorary title.
In 831, he was recalled to Chang'an to serve as Zuo Pushe (左僕射), one of the heads of the executive bureau (尚書省, Shangshu Sheng), as well as acting minister of worship (太常卿, Taichang Qing).