Establishment of a New Administrative System in the Late Tang Dynasty and Its Significance for the Institutional Changes from Tang Dynasty to Song Dynasty

During the later period of Tang Dynasty by the reign of Xianzong(806—820 A.D.),the administrative affairs of the central government were basically operated by a number of emissaries who were specially appointed by the emperor,instead of those officials who served in the traditional organizations such as Shangshu and Qing Jian etc..The change means that a new administrative system was established.It is called emissary system.This system was mainly different from the Early Tang systems and was close to the Song systems.Pattern of the administrative systems during the late Tang Dynasty and early Northern Song Dynasty,which was always changing,was an important link in the evolution of political systems during imperial China.