十二月，上将幸东都，以璟为刑部尚书、西京留守，令驰驿诣阙，遣内侍、将军杨思勖迎之。璟风度凝远，人莫测其际，在涂竟不与思勖交言。思勖素贵幸，归，诉于上，上嗟叹良久，益重璟。
丙辰，上幸骊山温汤；乙丑，还宫。
闰月，己亥，姚崇罢为开府仪同三司，源乾曜罢为京兆尹、西京留守，以刑部尚书宋璟守吏部尚书兼黄门监，紫微侍郎苏颋同平章事。
璟为相，务在择人，随材授任，使百官各称其积；刑赏无私，敢犯颜正谏。上甚敬惮之，虽不合意，亦曲从之。
突厥默啜自则天世为中国患，朝廷旰食，倾天下之力不能克；郝灵荃得其首，自谓不世之功。璟以天子好武功，恐好事者竞生心徼幸，痛抑其赏，逾年始授郎将；灵荃恸哭而死。
璟与苏颋相得甚厚，颋遇事多让于璟，颋每论事则颋为之助。璟尝谓人曰：“吾与苏氏父子皆同居相府，仆射宽厚，诚为国器，然献可替否，吏事精敏，则黄门过其父矣。”
资治通鉴 · 卷二百一十一 · 唐纪二十七
December, Emperor ascended to the east capital. Jing was appointed as the Minister of Justice and the West Jin Guildsman, ordered to ride on an express post to the palace, and dispatched the imperial eunuch and general Yang Sixi to meet him. Jing was a man of great bearing and distant style, whose character was unpredictable, and he never spoke with Sixi during his travels. When Sixi returned, he complained to the Emperor, who sighed deeply for a long time after hearing the complaint, and he became even more esteemed for this.
December 15, Emperor went to the hot springs at Lushan; December 20, returned back to the palace.
The month of January, Emperor Xuanzong rode to the hot springs at Lushan; December 21, returned back to the palace.
In the last month of the year, Emperor Xuanzong dismissed Yao Chong as the Grand Preceptor of the Department of the Ministry of Personnel and the Governor of the Western Jin City and the Minister of the Ministry of Personnel Jing Jing. Jing Jing was assigned to serve as the Minister of Personnel and also the Secretary-General, while Su Ting was promoted to the position of Viceroy.
Jing Jing served as the minister, always striving to select the right person and assign them according to their abilities, so that everyone in the bureau could perform their duties well. He implemented punishments without bias, dared to speak up about what needed to be changed, and received high respect from Emperor Xuanzong. Even when there were disagreements, he would yield to Emperor Xuanzong’s wishes.
Turkish leader Murakbar had been a problem for Emperor Xuanzong’s rule since the times of Zhuangzhi, and the court spent days worrying about it, spending all their resources but not succeeding. After capturing its leader, Murakbar, they believed it was a generational achievement. But Jing Jing thought that Emperor Xuanzong liked wars and wanted people to compete eagerly for success. He strongly suppressed the rewards for such achievements, and it took a year before Murakbar was finally given a rank of General Officer. Murakbar cried bitterly and died.
Jing and Su Ting got along very well, with Su Ting being more willing to let Jing make decisions. When discussing policies, Su Ting usually supported Jing’s suggestions. Once Jing told people that “I have lived with the Su family for many years and have served as the Minister of Personnel. The Minister is generous and truly capable of serving the state. However, if he could offer suggestions or replace some tasks, the work done by the officials would be more efficient. So, it is true that the Huayang office surpasses his father.”