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At that time, Li Deyu was the leading chancellor. Emperor Wuzong had long admired Bai Juyi and wanted to make Bai Juyi a chancellor, and he requested Li Deyu's opinion. Li Deyu had long disliked Bai Juyi, and therefore argued that Bai Juyi was old and ill, and thus unsuitable to bear the chancellor responsibilities; instead, he recommended Bai Minzhong, arguing that Bai Minzhong was just as talented in literature as Bai Juyi and also was good understanding of governance. In 842, therefore, Emperor Wuzong made Bai Minzhong an imperial scholar (翰林學士, "Hanlin Xueshi"). He was later made "Zhongshu Sheren" (), a mid-level official at the legislative bureau of government (中書省, "Zhongshu Sheng"), and yet later made the deputy minister of defense (兵部侍郎, "Bingbu Shilang") as well as chief imperial scholar (翰林學士承旨, "Hanlin Xueshi Chengzhi").