His family was from the Tang dynasty capital municipality Jingzhao (京兆, in modern Xi'an, Shaanxi) – i.e., the Chang'an region.
[4] Wei Wan served as a staff member for a military governor (Jiedushi) of Jingnan Circuit (荊南, headquartered in modern Jingzhou, Hubei).
When the chancellor Pei Ji was put in charge of editing imperial history, Pei retained him to participate in the project in addition to his regular office, and while doing so, he went through serving as the sheriff of Xianyang County (咸陽, in modern Xi'an) and then You Shiyi (右拾遺), a low-level consultant at the legislative bureau of government (中書省, Zhongshu Sheng).
Wei was also made Jianyi Daifu (諫議大夫), and later Zhongshu Sheren (中書舍人), a mid-level official at the legislative bureau, while retaining his status as deputy imperial scholar.
[6] At that time, Emperor Muzong's favorite official Zhang Pingshu (張平叔) advocated that the state-supervised salt monopoly be further converted into a state-run business (with even stricter control by the state), believing that this would have great economic benefits.
[2] Later in the year, after Emperor Jingzong was shocked that the warlord Wang Tingcou (the military governor of Chengde Circuit (成德, headquartered in modern Shijiazhuang, Hebei)) had slaughtered the family of the deceased general Niu Yuanyi (牛元翼), who had remained loyal to the imperial government and who had resisted Wang, Wei pointed out that the former chancellor Pei Du, then serving as the military governor of Shannan East Circuit (山南東道, headquartered in modern Xiangfan, Hubei), had great contributions in Emperor Xianzong's campaigns against warlords and should have been allowed to remain chancellor.
[2] Soon thereafter, Wei was made deputy minister of defense, and when he met Emperor Jingzong, who was then spending much time in feasts and games, to thank him, stated, "Your subject has committed a great crime.
How can I not risk my own life now?Emperor Jingzong appreciated his advice and awarded him with colored silk and silver vessels.
When Wei pointed this out, Emperor Jingzong revised the edict to allow such movements, and Li Shen thus was moved closer to the capital, from his then-post as the military advisor to the prefect of Duan Prefecture (端州, in modern Zhaoqing, Guangdong), to serve as the secretary general of Jiang Prefecture (江州, in modern Jiujiang, Jiangxi).
[2] He was also put in charge of editing the imperial history, given the honorary title Yinqing Guanglu Daifu (銀青光祿大夫), and created the Duke of Lingchang.
[3] Emperor Wenzong, initially, was diligent in listening to the advice of the imperial officials, but he was indecisive, and it was often the case that after he had made a decision, he would change it.
Emperor Wenzong ordered the nearby circuits to contribute soldiers to the campaign, but Shi Xiancheng the military governor of Weibo Circuit (魏博, headquartered in modern Handan, Hebei), one of whose children was married to a child of Li Quanlüe's, was secretly aiding Li Tongjie with food supplies.
Pei Du, who was by then again chancellor, was unaware of this and believed Shi to be faithful, but on one occasion when Shi sent a messenger to Chang'an, Wei stated to the messenger:[2] The Duke of Jin [(i.e., Pei)] swore the faithfulness of your military governor by the 100 lives of his household, but I, Wei Chuhou, do not believe you.
He focused on commissioning officials with talent, such that he was willing to overlook character flaws or past inappropriate behavior — and for this was both praised and criticized.
As the lead editor of the imperial histories, he began the project of chronicling Emperor Xianzong's reign, and while he did not see it to its completion, it was said that he laid the framework.