Wei Chuhou (韋處厚) (773 – January 29, 829), né Wei Chun (韋淳), courtesy name Dezai (德載), formally the Duke of Lingchang (靈昌公), was an official of the Chinese Tang dynasty, serving as a chancellor during the reign of Emperor Wenzong.
Background
Wei Chun was born in 773, during the reign of Emperor Daizong. His family was from the Tang dynasty capital municipality Jingzhao (京兆, in modern Xi'an, Shaanxi) – i.e., the Chang'an region. His family claimed original ancestry from a line of officials of the Han dynasty, Cao Wei, Jin dynasty (266–420), Later Yan, Northern Wei, Northern Zhou, Sui dynasty, and Tang, although Wei Chun's male-line ancestors, for several generations prior to his father Wei Wan (韋萬), were not listed to have any official titles. Wei Wan served as a staff member for a military governor (Jiedushi) of Jingnan Circuit (荊南, headquartered in modern Jingzhou, Hubei).
At some point, Wei Chun changed his name to Wei Chuhou due to naming taboo for Emperor Daizong's great-grandson Emperor Xianzong (Li Chun) – although it is not clear whether Emperor Xianzong was then emperor. It was said that Wei Chuhou was an expressive child, and he was filially pious toward his stepmother. When observing mourning periods when his father and stepmother died, he lived at their tomb. After the mourning period was over, he travelled throughout the Chang'an region. It was said that he was well-learned in the Five Classics and the histories, and that he was talented in writing.
During Emperor Xianzong's reign
Early in Emperor Xianzong's Yuanhe era (806–821), Wei Chuhou passed the imperial examinations in the Jinshi (進士) class, and further passed a special examination for those considered intelligent and upright in their behavior. He was thereafter made Xiaoshu Lang (校書郎), a copyeditor at the Palace Library. 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). While serving in this editing role, he participated in the editing of 50 volumes of historical records of Emperor Xianzong's grandfather Emperor Dezong, and his accounts were considered credibly-written.
Thereafter, Wei Chuhou was promoted to be Zuo Bujue (左補闕), a consultant at the examination bureau (門下省, Menxia Sheng), and then successively as Libu Yuanwailang (禮部員外郎), a low-level official at the ministry of rites (禮部, Lǐbu) and Kaogong Yuanwailang (考功員外郎), a low-level official at the ministry of civil service affairs (吏部, Lìbu, note different tone than the ministry of rites). He was respected by the chancellor Wei Guanzhi. As a result, however, when Wei Guanzhi was demoted in 816 due to his disagreements with Emperor Xianzong on Emperor Xianzong's campaigns against warlords, Wei Chuhou was sent out of the capital to serve the prefect of Kai Prefecture (開州, in modern Chongqing). He was later recalled to serve as Hubu Langzhong (戶部郎中), a supervisorial official at the ministry of census (戶部, Hubu), and thereafter, while serving at that position, became in charge of drafting imperial edicts.