A Chinese Biographical Dictionary/Ch'ang-sun Wu-chi

1758399A Chinese Biographical Dictionary — Ch'ang-sun Wu-chiHerbert A. Giles

142 Ch'ang-sun Wu-chi 長孫無忌 (T. 輔幾). Died A.D. 659. A native of Lo-yang, and comrade in arms in early youth of Li Shih-min, who married his sister. When Li Shih-min came to the throne in 627 as second Emperor of the T'ang dynasty, Chiang-sun was made President of the Board of Civil Office, and was entrusted with revision of the criminal code. In 633 he was appointed to the Board of Works, and in 643 was made Senior Preceptor to his nephew, the Heir Apparent, whose guardian he became, conjointly with Ch'u Sui-liang, upon the Emperor's death in 649. In 654 he refused offers of heavy bribes to aid in the elevation of the Empress Wu Hou; the result being that in 659 he was accused of treason, stripped of his honours, banished to confinement in Ssŭch'uan, and ere long put to death and his family exterminated.