Chu Suiliang
In 650, Wei Siqian accused the powerful chancellor Chu Suiliang of forcing a government interpreter to sell his land to Chu. Initially, the deputy chief judge of the supreme court, Zhang Ruice (), ruled that Chu had broken no laws because he had paid compensation to the interpreter, but Wei pointed out to Emperor Gaozong that Chu had paid just the amount of compensation equal to government condemnation of the property, not fair market value, and Emperor Gaozong demoted Chu to the post of prefect of Tong Prefecture (同州, roughly modern Weinan, Shaanxi). However, Emperor Gaozong respected Chu and recalled him to be a chancellor again in 652, after which Wei could not be promoted and was at one point demoted to the post of magistrate of Qingshui County (清水, in modern Tianshui, Gansu). Despite this, however, he commented: