Cui Yuanshi (å´Âå Âå¼Â) (died 848?) was an official of the Chinese Tang dynasty, serving briefly as chancellor during the reign of Emperor XuÃÂnzong.
It is not known when Cui Yuanshi was born. He was from "The elder house of Boling" of the prominent Cui clan of Boling (Ã¥ÂÂéµ, in modern Hengshui, Hebei), which claimed ancestry from the ruling Jiang house of the Spring and Autumn period state Qi. Cui Xuan's traceable ancestors included officials of the Qin dynasty, Han dynasty, Jin dynasty (266âÂÂ420), Northern Wei, and the Tang dynasty. His father Cui Jing (å´ÂÃ¥ÂÂ) served as a secretary general of the executive bureau of government (å°Âæ¸çÂÂ, Shangshu Sheng). His older brother Cui Yuanlüe (å´Âå ÂçÂÂ¥) was a prominent official during the reigns of Emperor Xianzong, Emperor Xianzong's son Emperor Muzong, and Emperor Muzong's sons Emperor Jingzong and Emperor Wenzong. Cui Yuanlüe was considered a potential chancellor at times but was never chancellor. Cui Yuanlüe's son Cui Xuan, however, served as a chancellor before Cui Yuanshi did, and would again after Cui Yuanshi. Other than Cui Yuanlüe, Cui Yuanshi also had at least one older brother, Cui Yuanshou (å´Âå ÂÃ¥ÂÂ), and one younger brother, Cui Yuanru (å´Âå ÂÃ¥ÂÂ); all of these Cui brothers known in history, including Cui Yuanshi passed the imperial examinations in the Jinshi class.
Cui Yuanshi himself served on the staffs of regional governors early in his career. He was eventually himself made the governor (è§Âå¯Â使, Guanchashi) of Hunan Circuit (æ¹ÂÃ¥ÂÂ, headquartered in modern Changsha, Hunan).
In 843, during the reign of Emperor Wuzong, Cui Yuanshi was made the military governor of Hezhong Circuit (æ²³ä¸Â, headquartered in modern Yuncheng, Shanxi), as well as the mayor of its capital Hezhong Municipality. In 844, he was made the military governor of Hedong Circuit (æ²³æ±, headquartered in modern Taiyuan, Shanxi), as well as the mayor of its capital Taiyuan Municipality. In 846, he was recalled to the capital Chang'an to serve as the minister of justice (Ã¥ÂÂé¨å°Âæ¸, Xingbu Shangshu).
Emperor Wuzong died in 846 and was succeeded by his uncle Emperor XuÃÂnzong. Thereafter, in 847, Cui Yuanshi was made the director of finances, and then further made Menxia Shilang (éÂÂä¸Âä¾ÂéÂÂ), the deputy head of the examination bureau of government (éÂÂä¸ÂçÂÂ, Menxia Sheng), as well as chancellor de facto with the designation Tong Zhongshu Menxia Pingzhangshi (Ã¥ÂÂä¸Âæ¸éÂÂä¸Â平章äºÂ). In 848, Cui was removed from his chancellor position and made the minister of census (æ¶é¨å°Âæ¸, Hubu Shangshu), due to illness. He died thereafter, and was given posthumous honors and the posthumous name of Zhuang (èÂÂ, "prevailing").