Wei Yifan (韋貽範) (died December 16, 902[1][2]), courtesy name Chuixian (垂憲), was an official of the Chinese Tang dynasty, who briefly served as chancellor in 902, while Emperor Zhaozong was under the physical control of the warlord Li Maozhen the military governor (Jiedushi) of Fengxiang Circuit (鳳翔, headquartered in modern Baoji, Shaanxi) and Li's eunuch allies, led by Han Quanhui.
[4] After then-reigning Emperor Zhaozong was forcibly taken from Chang'an to Fengxiang Circuit in late 901 by the powerful eunuchs, led by Han Quanhui,[5] Wei Yifan, along with another demoted prefect, Su Jian, went to Fengxiang and was made an imperial attendant (給事中, Jishizhong).
[4] Shortly after, in spring 902, apparently at the insistence of the eunuchs' ally, Fengxiang's military governor Li Maozhen,[4] Wei was made the deputy minister of public works (工部侍郎, Gongbu Shilang) and a chancellor, with the designation Tong Zhongshu Menxia Pingzhangshi (同中書門下平章事).
Pursuant to Confucian principles, he left governmental service to observe a mourning period,[6] traditionally for three years.
[7] However, both Wei and his close associate Liu Yanmei (劉延美) soon ran into trouble with creditors whom he had borrowed money from with the promises that he would give them official positions — which, as he was not chancellor at that point any more, he was unable to fulfill.