Taiyuan Municipality. It was said that at that time, the Shatuo tribesmen of the region did not obey Tang laws, and the circuit was much disturbed. Cui governed the circuit with both grace and might, and within a span of three years, the circuit had become peaceful. According to his biographies in both the Old Book of Tang and the New Book of Tang, when he was initially set to be transferred to another circuit at that point, the senior residents of the circuit submitted a petition requesting that he remain at Hedong, and Emperor Yizong agreed. During Emperor Xizong's reign Emperor Yizong died in 873 and was succeeded by his young son Emperor Xizong. At that time, one of the chancellors was Zhao Yin, who passed the Jinshi examination in the same year as Cui Yanzhao, and Zhao recommended Cui as having economic abilities. In 874, Cui was recalled from Hedong to serve as the deputy minister of civil service affairs (吏部侍郎, Libu Shilang) and the director of the salt and iron monopolies. Later in the year, when he was referred to as deputy minister of defense (兵部侍郎, Bingbu Shilang) and director of finances, he was made Zhongshu Shilang (), the deputy head of the legislative bureau, and given the designation Tong Zhongshu Menxia Pingzhangshi (), making him a chancellor de facto. As chancellor, Cui assisted his senior colleague Xiao Fang in reforming the chancellors' office (as several recent chancellors, Yang Shou, Lu Yan, and Wei Baoheng, had just recently been exiled and then put to death for their corruption as chancellors). Despite his high status, Cui, who was considered filially pious, and he attended to his mother daily as if he were a civilian. When he became chancellor, however, his mother, fearful that he would punish his cousin Wang Ning, who was then the deputy minister of defense, commented to her maid servant within Cui's earshot, "Make some new socks and shoes for me. Deputy Minister Wang and his mother will surely be exiled to the wilderness. I will leave with my sister." Cui bowed and wept, stating, "I will never do that." Therefore, Wang was not punished. In 876, because of illness, Cui was removed from his chancellor position and made a senior advisor to the Crown Prince. He died thereafter, but when he did so is not known. Notes References Old Book of Tang, vol. 178.