left governmental service to observe a mourning period, traditionally for three years. However, both Wei and his close associate Liu Yanmei () 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. He therefore sent messengers to Li as well as the leading eunuchs daily, begging to be recalled to governmental service. Apparently at Li's demand, less than a month after Wei's mother's death, Emperor Zhaozong agreed to recall Wei to serve as chancellor, but when the task of drafting the edict was assigned to the imperial scholar Han Wo, Han refused — and instead submitted a petition pointing out the extreme impropriety of recalling Wei to governmental service after such a short mourning period. Li initially threatened Han with death, but thereafter relented and instead threatened to send Wei to Bin Prefecture (邠州, in modern Xianyang, Shaanxi). Wei therefore stopped his lobbying for some time. Liu, unable to face the creditors, committed suicide. Less than a month later, however, apparently Li again insisted on Wei becoming chancellor again. This time, the task of drafting the edict was assigned to a different imperial scholar, Yao Ji. In contravention to the usual custom of initially declining the commission and then accepting it, Wei made no efforts to decline, and instead immediately submitted a petition thanking the emperor for the commission. He resumed his chancellor office the next day. He died in late 902. Notes and references New Book of Tang, vol. 182. Zizhi Tongjian, vol. 263. 9th-century births 902 deaths Chancellors under Emperor Zhaozong of Tang Politicians from Xi'an Tang dynasty politicians from Shaanxi Wei clan of Jingzhao