家世

關播生于唐玄宗開元七年（719年），是衛州汲縣人氏，三國時蜀漢名將關羽裔孫。玄宗天寶（742年—756年）末年中進士。唐肅宗年間鄧景山歷任青齊、淮南節度使，闢關播為從事。關播累授衛佐評事，遷右補闕。他善于闡述哲學、玄學，尤其精通佛教哲學。

唐代宗年間

唐代宗大曆年間（766年—779年），神策軍使王駕鶴妻也姓關，夫婦倆與關播關係密切。宰相元載對此不悅，出關播為河南府兵曹。關播歷次在數個縣任職，都表現出政治才能，政績考核出色。後陳少游歷任浙東、淮南節度使，闢關播為判官。又任檢校金部員外，十一年（776年）遷攝滁州刺史。當年李靈曜反叛朝廷，奪取與淮南相鄰的汴宋軍，陳少游與諸將一同受命對抗之，但當他統兵戰汴宋時，自己的治所卻盜賊蜂起。關播調州兵御賊，儲備財物供給軍需，為政清淨簡惠，百姓得安。楊綰、常袞于次年（777年）代元載為相，都與關播交好，薦關播為都官員外郎。

唐德宗年間

十四年（779年）唐代宗崩，唐德宗繼位。德宗初年，有一群以王國良為首的盜賊，占據湖南的山洞，劫掠州縣。德宗派關播前去宣撫。關播出發前，德宗在別殿召關播對話，問及理政之要，關播奏稱應該訪求有道賢人，及招撫王國良、一旦不成就發州兵剪除之策，打動了德宗。關播回來後，德宗任他為兵部員外郎，又遷河中少尹。

河中少尹張鎰入相後，建中二年（781年）七月，召時任河中尹的關播回長安為給事中。他建議讓士人掌管原由胥吏掌管的各庫房，號為「掌庫」，獲准，造福了國家。轉刑部侍郎、迎奉皇太后副使。德宗寵信的宰相盧杞認為關播脾氣溫和易制，屢屢推薦。關播後遷禮部侍郎，轉刑部尚書，知刪定。

建中三年（782年）十月，時為德宗獨相的盧杞知道德宗必定會按例至少再任命另一名宰相，就推薦了關播，說可用他的儒厚鎮住藩鎮。德宗任時為吏部侍郎的關播為中書侍郎，授同中書門下平章事，為實質宰相，拜銀青光祿大夫、集賢殿崇文館大學士、修國史。盧杞主政，關播不參與決策。一次德宗召見宰相，關播聽到一件事認為不妥，起立想表示反對，盧杞看了他一眼，他便沒有說。會後，盧杞對他說：「我是因為足下端愨少言，才推薦你到這個位子，剛才你為什麼敢開口想說話？」關播從此幾乎不說話了。

盧杞早年與陳少游同在僕固懷恩幕府，關播又曾是陳少游幕僚，于是陳少游突然得加檢校左僕射，賜實封三百戶，加同中書門下平章事。

關播缺乏知人之明，與李元平、陶公達、張愻、劉承誡等自吹自擂者交好且親信他們。關播拜相當月，淮西節度使李希烈反叛朝廷，關播屢屢上奏推薦好論兵的李元平。汝州地近淮西，德宗因而加李元平檢校吏部郎中、汝州別駕，知汝州事。右散騎常侍柳渾認為李元平是銜著玉賣石頭的人，去了一定被俘，不可能阻攔叛軍。李元平到任後，立刻組織加強城防，卻沒認識到所招募的勞工中有數百人是李希烈所派的。建中四年（783年）正月李希烈攻城時，這些人作為內應綁縛了李元平，使得汝州陷于李希烈之手。李元平見到李希烈，嚇得大小便失禁。李希烈說：「瞎了眼的宰相竟然派你來抵擋我，也太輕視我了！」當關播得知李元平被擒，還相信李元平將有辦法推翻李希烈，左右都引為笑談。因李元平之事，關播的其他近臣未被德宗重用。

七月，關播與宰相李忠臣、盧杞、右僕射崔寧、工部尚書喬琳、御史大夫于頔、太府卿張獻恭、司農卿段秀實、少府監李昌夔、京兆尹王翃、左金吾衛將軍渾瑊等與吐蕃宰相區頰贊等會盟于京城西的壇所，關播跪讀盟文。

十月，在長安等待東征的涇原兵因給賞未達預期而兵變。德宗只帶了部分家眷和宦官左右逃到奉天。盧杞和關播在亂中跳中書省牆垣而出，追及德宗車駕。涇原軍推太尉朱泚為首，朱泚很快稱帝，建國號秦，圍奉天。十一月，靈武留後杜希全、鹽州刺史戴休顏、夏州刺史時常春會合渭北節度使李建徽合兵萬人入援奉天，等候朝廷指示其入城路線。關播和京畿、渭南、北、金商節度使渾瑊建議讓援軍越過唐高宗乾陵，占有更好的戰略位置。盧杞卻說這會驚動陵寢，建議走漠谷，儘管渾瑊反對稱這將使援軍暴露在秦軍的大弩進攻下。德宗同意盧杞的意見，隨後，援軍遭到伏擊，損傷慘重，不曾趕到奉天就被迫撤退。朔方、邠寧節度使李懷光來援奉天使其免于陷落後，在其他官員支持下要求罷免盧杞、都知兵馬使白志貞、戶部侍郎趙贊，十二月，德宗被迫同意。朝野又認為作為盧杞同僚宰相的關播不宜再為相，于是當月德宗改任關播為刑部尚書，罷相。但大臣太子少保韋倫等卻為此在朝堂哭道：「宰相不能為皇帝謀劃、輔助，以至今日，卻還位居尚書，怎麼治理天下？痛心啊！」

貞元元年（785年）九月，關播與吏部侍郎班宏為校內外官考使。後又知刪定使。先前上元年間，唐肅宗曾下詔挑選十位名將送進姜太公廟中受祭，仿照孔門十哲在孔夫子廟中那樣。二年（786年）二月，關播奏稱：「姜太公是古代的賢臣，現在卻稱在他之下的為亞聖。而且孔門十哲都是孔子當時的弟子，而十位名將所處的朝代不同，臣請求罷去他們的這項待遇。」德宗下詔同意了。

朱泚之亂被平定後，四年（788年）回紇合骨咄祿可汗藥羅葛頓莫賀達幹與唐朝結盟，求娶唐朝公主。德宗同意了，十一月派關播以本官加檢校右僕射、兼御史大夫，持節充送咸安公主兼冊回鶻（即回紇，已被改名）可汗使，送嫁皇女咸安公主于回紇可汗，並冊封藥羅葛頓莫賀達幹為汩咄祿長壽天親毘伽可汗（長壽天親可汗）、公主為智惠端正長壽孝順可敦。以給事中趙憬兼御史中丞為副，太常博士張薦及張式為判官。關播于路清儉謹慎，給回鶻人留下了好印象。回朝後，德宗遷他為兵部尚書，他稱病請辭。德宗改任他為太子李誦的少師，許他致仕。關播致仕後減少僮僕車騎，安靜度日，因而為士人君子所重。貞元十三年（797年）正月卒，朝廷為此廢朝一日，贈太子太保。

唐德宗後來與宰相李泌論及盧杞，李泌舉盧杞排擠罪不至死的楊炎而以關播為相等例子論盧杞之奸惡。

評價

• 《舊唐書》

　• 史臣曰：播居位取容，舉人敗事。皆非國器，咸歷台司，失人者亡，國其危矣。

　• 贊曰：（王）璵、（李）泌、（崔）造、播，俱非相材。

• 《新唐書》贊曰：關播舉李元平守汝州，賊縛而臣之。宰相不知人，果可敗國，德宗不以是責宰相，幾喪天下。

注釋及參考文獻

Background

Guan Bo was born in 719, during the reign of Emperor Xuanzong. His family was from Wei Prefecture (衛州, in modern Puyang, Henan) and claimed ancestry from the late Han Dynasty general Guan Yu. Late in Emperor Xuanzong's Tianbao era (742-756), Guan Bo passed the imperial examinations. During the subsequent reign of Emperor Xuanzong's son Emperor Suzong, when the general Deng Jingshan (鄧景山) served as the military governor (Jiedushi) of Huainan Circuit (淮南, headquartered in modern Yangzhou, Jiangsu), Deng invited Guan to serve as a secretary under him. Guan subsequently returned to the capital Chang'an to serve in the imperial guard corps, and then as You Bujue (右補闕), a low-level official at the legislative bureau of government (中書省, Zhongshu Sheng). He was said to be well-versed in philosophy and metaphysics, particularly Buddhist philosophy.

During Emperor Daizongs reign

During the Dali era (767-779) of Emperor Suzong's son Emperor Daizong, Guan Bo had a close association with the imperial guard commander Wang Jiahe (王駕鶴) and Wang's wife, who was also named Guan. The chancellor Yuan Zai was displeased about this association, and he sent Guan Bo away from the capital, to serve as an officer at Henan Municipality (河南, i.e., the region of the eastern capital Luoyang). While at Henan, Guan acted as magistrate of several counties and was said to be capable in his governance. When Chen Shaoyou later served as the governor of Zhedong Circuit (浙東, headquartered in modern Shaoxing, Zhejiang) and then Huainan Circuit, he invited Guan to serve as his secretary. He later acted as the prefect of Chu Prefecture (滁州, in modern Chuzhou, Anhui). When Li Lingyao (李靈曜) rebelled against imperial authority in 776 and seized nearby Biansong Circuit (汴宋, headquartered in modern Kaifeng, Henan), Chen was one of the generals commissioned against Li Lingyao, but as he commanded the troops against Biansong, the bandits in his own circuit were rampaging. Guan mobilized the prefectural militia to defend against the bandits, and also was said to be a simple but effective governor. After Yang Guan and Chang Gun became chancellors in 777 to replace Yuan, they recommended Guan to be Duguan Yuanwailang (都官員外郎), a low-level official at the ministry of justice (刑部, Xingbu).

During Emperor Dezongs reign

Emperor Daizong died in 779 and was succeeded by his son Emperor Dezong. Early in Emperor Dezong's reign, there was a group of bandits who occupied caves in Hunan Circuit (湖南, headquartered in modern Changsha, Hunan), led by Wang Guoliang. Emperor Dezong sent Guan to try to persuade Wang to submit. Before Guan's departure, Emperor Dezong and he had a conversation in which Guan impressed Emperor Dezong with words about finding capable officials. Upon Guan's return from the mission, Emperor Dezong made him Bingbu Yuanwailang (兵部員外郎), a low-level official at the ministry of defense (兵部, Bingbu). He was then made the deputy mayor of Hezhong Municipality (河中, in modern Yuncheng, Shanxi).

In 781, Guan was recalled to Chang'an to serve as imperial attendant (給事中, Jishizhong). While serving at that post, he suggested that learned officials be put in charge of the various treasuries, which had previously been overseen by unlearned technicians; it was said that this change was followed later to the benefit of the state. He then served as deputy minister of justice (刑部侍郎, Xingbu Shilang). As Emperor Dezong's trusted chancellor Lu Qi viewed Guan as mild in temperament and easy to control, he repeatedly recommended Guan, who successively served as the minister of civil service affairs (吏部侍郎, Libu Shilang) and minister of justice (刑部尚書, Xingbu Shangshu).

In 782, with Lu then serving as the only chancellor but knowing that Emperor Dezong, by custom, would want to commission at least one more chancellor, he recommended Guan to be chancellor. Emperor Dezong thereafter made Guan Zhongshu Shilang (中書侍郎), the deputy head of the legislative bureau, and gave him the designation Tong Zhongshu Menxia Pingzhangshi, making him a chancellor de facto. He also gave Guan the honorific title Yinqing Guanglu Daifu (銀青光祿大夫), made him an imperial scholar, and put him in charge of editing the imperial history. It was said, however, that Lu dominated the government, and Guan did not participate in the decision-making. On one occasion, when Emperor Dezong was meeting with the chancellors, Guan heard a proposal that he considered inappropriate, and was ready to rise and speak against it, Lu gave him a look that caused him to hesitate. After the meeting was over, Lu told him, "I recommended you, sir, because you are solemn and quiet. How would you dare to open your mouth and speak?" Thereafter, Guan rarely spoke.

It was also said, however, that Guan lacked judgment in the characters of others, and he endeared himself to a number of junior officials who bragged about their own abilities, including Li Yuanping (李元平), Tao Gongda (陶工達), Zhang Sun, and Liu Chengjie. With Li Xilie the military governor of Huaixi Circuit (淮西, headquartered in modern Zhumadian, Henan) then posturing against the imperial government, Guan repeatedly recommended Li Yuanping, who had particularly bragged about his military strategies and impressed Guan. Emperor Dezong thus made Li Yuanping the acting prefect of Ru Prefecture (汝州, in modern Pingdingshan, Henan), as Ru Prefecture was close to Huaixi Circuit. When Li Yuanping arrived there, he immediately began reinforcing the defenses — but not realizing that of the laborers that he hired, many were agents that Li Xilie had sent. When Li Xilie attacked, those laborers turned against Li Yuanping, causing Ru Prefecture to fall to Li Xilie. Li Xilie's soldiers seized Li Yuanping and took him to Li Xilie. Li Yuanping, when meeting Li Xilie in fear, could not control his own body, and he defecated and urinated involuntarily. Li Xilie responded, "How does that blind chancellor think lightly of me, that he sent you to try to defend against me!" When Guan heard that Li Yuanping was captured, he still believed that Li Yuanping would find some way to overthrow Li Xilie, even though none of his subordinates believed it. As a result of what happened to Li Yuanping, none of Guan's other associates were given important offices by Emperor Dezong.

In fall 783, soldiers from Jingyuan Circuit (涇原, headquartered in modern Pingliang, Gansu), at Chang'an to await deployment to the east, mutinied after not receiving awards that they believed they deserved. Emperor Dezong fled to Fengtian (奉天, in modern Xianyang, Shaanxi), initially taking only his family members and a small group of eunuchs and imperial guards with him. Lu and fellow chancellor Guan Bo, in the confusion, had to jump over the walls of the office of chancellors, located at the legislative bureau (中書省, Zhongshu Sheng), to catch up with Emperor Dezong. The Jingyuan soldiers supported the general Zhu Ci as their leader, and Zhu soon declared a new state of Qin as its emperor. He put Fengtian under siege. A Tang aid force, commanded by the generals Du Xiquan (杜希全), Dai Xiuyan (戴休顏), Shi Changchun (時常春), and Li Jianhui (李建徽), was approaching Fengtian and requesting imperial instructions on which way to advance into the city. Guan and the general Hun Jian suggested having the aid force march over Qianling — the hill containing the tomb of Emperor Dezong's ancestor Emperor Gaozong — so that they would have better tactical position. Lu, arguing that doing so was disrespectful, suggested having the aid force march through a valley, despite Hun's protestations that doing so would expose the aid force to catapult attacks by Qin forces. Emperor Dezong agreed with Lu, and subsequently, the aid force was ambushed and, after suffering heavy losses, was forced to withdraw without ever reaching Fengtian. After the major general Li Huaiguang arrived and saved Fengtian from falling, Li Huaiguang demanded the removals of Lu, Bai Zhizhen (白志貞), and Zhao Zan — demands that were supported by other officials — and Emperor Dezong was forced to agree. Subsequently, the popular sentiment also opined that Guan, as fellow chancellor to Lu during this disaster, should not be allowed to remain as chancellor, and Emperor Dezong made Guan the minister of justice (刑部尚書, Xingbu Shangshu) instead, no longer chancellor. Still, officials such as Wei Lun (韋倫) were distressed that Guan remained an important minister, and they wailed, "The chancellor was unable to plan and assist the emperor properly, leading to this situation, but he is allowed to still be minister. This is distressing."

After Zhu's rebellion was suppressed, in 788, Huige's Heguduolu Khan Yaoluoge Dunmohe, who had entered an alliance with Tang, requested permission to marry a Tang princess. Emperor Dezong agreed and sent Guan to escort Emperor Dezong's daughter Princess Xian'an to Huige (which was subsequently renamed Huigu) to marry the khan and to bestow the title of Changshoutianqin Khan (or Tianqin 天親 Khan, "related to heaven" in short) on Yaoluoge Dunmohe. Guan was said to be quiet and not lavish on the way, impressing the people of Huigu. After he returned, Emperor Dezong wanted to make him the minister of defense (兵部尚書, Bingbu Shangshu), but he declined on account of illness and offered to resign. Emperor Dezong made him an advisor to the crown prince Li Song, and allowed him to retire. After his retirement, Guan retained few servants and reduced his numbers of horses and wagons, and he spent his retirement in quietness. For this, he was respected by the officials. He died in 797 and was publicly mourned.

Notes and references