Xue Ne (, 649–720,
courtesy name
A courtesy name ( zh, s=字, p=zì, l=character), also known as a style name, is an additional name bestowed upon individuals at adulthood, complementing their given name. This tradition is prevalent in the East Asian cultural sphere, particula ...
慎言 ''Shènyán'', formally Duke Zhaoding of Pingyang 平陽昭定公), was a Chinese military general and politician of the
Tang dynasty
The Tang dynasty (, ; zh, c=唐朝), or the Tang Empire, was an Dynasties of China, imperial dynasty of China that ruled from 618 to 907, with an Wu Zhou, interregnum between 690 and 705. It was preceded by the Sui dynasty and followed ...
and of
Wu Zetian
Wu Zetian (624 – 16 December 705), personal name Wu Zhao, was List of rulers of China#Tang dynasty, Empress of China from 660 to 705, ruling first through others and later in her own right. She ruled as queen consort , empress consort th ...
's Zhou dynasty, serving as a
chancellor
Chancellor () is a title of various official positions in the governments of many countries. The original chancellors were the of Roman courts of justice—ushers, who sat at the (lattice work screens) of a basilica (court hall), which separa ...
and major general during the reign of
Emperor Xuanzong.
Background
Xue Ne was a son of the general
Xue Rengui, well known for his service during the reign of
Emperor Gaozong. He was born in 649, around the time that Emperor Gaozong succeeded his father
Emperor Taizong. He started his government service career as a ''Chengmen Lang'' (城門郎) -- an official of the examination bureau of government (門下省, ''Menxia Sheng'') in charge of palace gates.
During Wu Zetian's reign and Emperor Zhongzong's second reign
During the reign of Emperor Gaozong's wife
Wu Zetian
Wu Zetian (624 – 16 December 705), personal name Wu Zhao, was List of rulers of China#Tang dynasty, Empress of China from 660 to 705, ruling first through others and later in her own right. She ruled as queen consort , empress consort th ...
, Xue Ne served as the magistrate of Lantian County (藍田, in modern
Xi'an
Xi'an is the list of capitals in China, capital of the Chinese province of Shaanxi. A sub-provincial city on the Guanzhong plain, the city is the third-most populous city in Western China after Chongqing and Chengdu, as well as the most populou ...
,
Shaanxi
Shaanxi is a Provinces of China, province in north Northwestern China. It borders the province-level divisions of Inner Mongolia to the north; Shanxi and Henan to the east; Hubei, Chongqing, and Sichuan to the south; and Gansu and Ningxia to t ...
). At that time, there was a rich businessman named Ni who was litigating a case over interests—possibly interests on loans made to the government. The deputy chief imperial censor
Lai Junchen, after receiving bribes from Ni, awarded Ni grain from governmental storages as interests. Xue opposed, pointing out that the food storage was in preparation for natural disasters and should not be used to repay debts, and submitted a petition to that effect. Soon thereafter, Lai was convicted of crimes, and Lai's actions were cancelled.
During a later
Göktürk incursion in 698, because Xue was the son of a great general, Wu Zetian made him an acting general to defend the northeastern part of the border. Before departing, Xue told Wu Zetian that the Göktürk leader,
Qapaghan Qaghan
Qapaghan or Qapghan Qaghan (, meaning "the conqueror", , Xiao'erjing: ٿِيًا شًا, Dungan: Чяншан, , also called Bögü Qaghan () in Bain Tsokto inscriptions) was the second khagan of the Second Turkic Khaganate during Wu Zetian's ...
, had used the fact that Wu Zetian had previously exiled her son
Li Xian, formerly an emperor (Emperor Zhongzong), as excuse, and that while Li Xian had recently been restored to
crown prince
A crown prince or hereditary prince is the heir apparent to the throne in a royal or imperial monarchy. The female form of the title, crown princess, is held by a woman who is heir apparent or is married to the heir apparent.
''Crown prince ...
status, there were still doubts. He believed that if Li Xian's position appeared firm, Qapaghan's declarations would be ineffective, and Wu Zetian agreed. After the campaign, Xue was made the commandant at You Prefecture (幽州, roughly
Beijing
Beijing, Chinese postal romanization, previously romanized as Peking, is the capital city of China. With more than 22 million residents, it is the world's List of national capitals by population, most populous national capital city as well as ...
) and
Protectorate General to Pacify the East
The Protectorate-General to Pacify the East () was an administrative division of the Chinese Tang dynasty in Manchuria and the northern part of the Korea, Korean Peninsula. It was established after the Tang dynasty defeated Goguryeo and annexed ...
. Xue continued to serve there throughout the rest of her reign and the reign of Li Xian (who returned to the throne in 705 as Emperor Zhongzong).
[The historical accounts actually indicated that as of 712, Xue had served at that post for "over 20 years," but that was impossible since Xue's term of service started at the earliest in 698, and he was clearly replaced in 712. See ''Zizhi Tongjian'', vol. 210.]
During Emperor Ruizong's second reign
As of 710, by which time another son of Emperor Gaozong's and Wu Zetian's who had also previously been emperor,
Emperor Ruizong, was emperor, Xue was still at You Prefecture, when there was a
Kumo Xī and Xí () incursion. Xue tried to attack the Xī and Xí forces as they withdrew, but could not defeat them.
In 712, one of Xue's subordinates, Li Jin (李璡) the prefect of Yan Prefecture (燕州, in modern Beijing), made false accusations against Xue to the chancellor
Liu Youqiu Liu Youqiu (; 655 – December 6, 715Volume 211 of ''Zizhi Tongjian'' recorded that Liu died on the ''jiashen'' day of the 11th month of the 3rd year of the Kaiyuan era of Tang Xuanzong's reign. This date corresponds to 6 Dec 715 on the Gregorian ca ...
. Liu recommended the general Sun Quan () to replace Xue. Emperor Ruizong thus made Sun the commandant at You Prefecture and moved Xue to be the secretary general at Bing Prefecture (并州, roughly modern
Taiyuan
Taiyuan; Mandarin pronunciation: (Jin Chinese, Taiyuan Jin: /tʰai˦˥ ye˩˩/) is the capital of Shanxi, China. Taiyuan is the political, economic, cultural and international exchange center of Shanxi Province. It is an industrial base foc ...
,
Shanxi
Shanxi; Chinese postal romanization, formerly romanised as Shansi is a Provinces of China, province in North China. Its capital and largest city of the province is Taiyuan, while its next most populated prefecture-level cities are Changzhi a ...
). (The overly aggressive Sun was subsequently defeated and captured by the Xī chief Li Dabu (李大酺), with the loss of nearly the entire army. Li Dabu delivered him to Qapaghan Qaghan, who beheaded him.)
During Emperor Xuanzong's reign
Later in 712, Emperor Ruizong passed the throne to his son
Li Longji the Crown Prince, and Li Longji took the throne as Emperor Xuanzong. In 713, during a major examination of troops, after Emperor Xuanzong ordered the chancellor
Guo Yuanzhen Guo Yuanzhen (郭元振; 656–713), formal name Guo Zhen () but went by the courtesy name of Yuanzhen, was an official, general, and diplomat of Tang and Zhou dynasties of China, serving as a chancellor during the reigns of Emperor Ruizong and ...
exiled and the official Tang Shao (唐紹) for failing to get the armies into proper order during the examination, the generals were shocked and panicking, with the exception of Xue Ne and Jie Wan (解琬). Emperor Xuanzong was impressed with them and praised them greatly.
In 714, Xue proposed an ambitious plan to get the
Khitan, Xī, and Xí to resubmit to Tang—believing that it could be accomplished by defeating the Khitan and reestablishing Liucheng (柳城, in modern
Chaoyang, Liaoning
Chaoyang ( zh, s=朝阳, t=朝陽, p=Cháoyáng) is a prefecture-level city in western Liaoning province, People's Republic of China.
With a vast land area of almost , it is by area the largest prefecture-level city in Liaoning, and borders on ...
). Emperor Xuanzong himself wanted to take vengeance for Sun Quan's defeat, and despite opposition by the chancellor
Yao Chong
Yao Chong (; 650 – September 28, 721), born Yao Yuanchong (姚元崇), known 700s–713 by the courtesy name Yuanzhi (), formally Duke Wenxian of Liang (), was an official of the Chinese Tang dynasty and Wu Zetian's Wu Zhou dynasty, serving as ...
, Emperor Xuanzong approved of Xue's plan. Further, he granted Xue the status of ''Tong Ziwei Huangmen Sanpin'' (同紫微黃門三品), making him a chancellor ''de facto'', and commissioned him with 60,000 men to attack the Khitan, assisted by Du Binke (杜賓客) and Cui Xuandao (崔宣道). Xue launched the attack in summer 714, despite Du's warnings that the summer heat made it a difficult time for soldiers to be wearing armor and bearing heavy food burdens. As Xue advanced, he fell into a Khitan trap, and Khitan forces crushed Tang forces, at an 80-90% casualty rate. Xue was able to flee with some cavalry soldiers, and Khitan soldiers insulted him by referring to him as "Grandmother Xue." After the defeat, Xue blamed the defeat on Cui and eight non-
Han officers; Emperor Xuanzong ordered them executed at You Prefecture, but spared Xue and only removed him from all of his offices. Only Du was not punished.
In fall 714, forces of the
Tibetan Empire
The Tibetan Empire (,) was an empire centered on the Tibetan Plateau, formed as a result of expansion under the Yarlung dynasty heralded by its 33rd king, Songtsen Gampo, in the 7th century. It expanded further under the 38th king, Trisong De ...
under the generals Bod da rgyas (, ) and
We Trisig Shangnyen attacked Lan Prefecture (蘭州, roughly modern
Lanzhou
Lanzhou is the capital and largest city of Gansu province in northwestern China. Located on the banks of the Yellow River, it is a key regional transportation hub, connecting areas further west by rail to the eastern half of the country. His ...
,
Gansu
Gansu is a provinces of China, province in Northwestern China. Its capital and largest city is Lanzhou, in the southeastern part of the province. The seventh-largest administrative district by area at , Gansu lies between the Tibetan Plateau, Ti ...
). Emperor Xuanzong commissioned Xue as an acting general and had him defend against the Tibetan attack, assisted by the general Guo Zhiyun (郭知運) and the official
Wang Jun. Xue engaged Tibetan forces at Wujie (武街, in modern
Dingxi
Dingxi ( zh, c=定西 , p=Dìngxī), also known as Longyou ( zh, c=陇右, p=Lǒngyòu) is a prefecture-level city in the southeast of Gansu province, People's Republic of China. As of the 2020 census, its population was 2,524,097 inhabitants, of ...
,
Gansu
Gansu is a provinces of China, province in Northwestern China. Its capital and largest city is Lanzhou, in the southeastern part of the province. The seventh-largest administrative district by area at , Gansu lies between the Tibetan Plateau, Ti ...
), and defeated Tibetan forces. Emperor Xuanzong restored Xue's general rank and created him the Duke of Pingyang. In 715, Emperor Xuanzong further made Xue the commandant at Liang Prefecture (涼州, roughly modern
Wuwei, Gansu
Wuwei ( zh, c=武威 , p=Wǔwēi) is a prefecture-level city in northwest central Gansu province. In the north it borders Inner Mongolia, in the southwest, Qinghai. Its central location between three western capitals, Lanzhou, Xining, and Yinc ...
), to prepare for potential attacks from Ashina Mochuo. Emperor Xuanzong soon also commissioned Xue as the commanding general of the soldiers in the
Shuofang
Shuofang () was an ancient Chinese commandery, situated in the Hetao region in modern-day Inner Mongolia near Baotou. First founded by Emperor Wu of Han in the wake of the successful reconquest of the area from Xiongnu tribes, it was dissolved d ...
region (朔方, roughly modern
Yinchuan
Yinchuan is the capital of the Ningxia, Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region, China, and was the capital of the Tangut people, Tangut-led Western Xia, Western Xia dynasty. It has an area of and a total population of 2,859,074 according to the 2020 C ...
,
Ningxia
Ningxia, officially the Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region, is an autonomous region in Northwestern China. Formerly a province, Ningxia was incorporated into Gansu in 1954 but was later separated from Gansu in 1958 and reconstituted as an autonomous ...
), assisted by Du and the official Lü Yanzuo (呂延祚), to attack the
Göktürks
The Göktürks (; ), also known as Türks, Celestial Turks or Blue Turks, were a Turkic people in medieval Inner Asia. The Göktürks, under the leadership of Bumin Qaghan (d. 552) and his sons, succeeded the Rouran Khaganate as the main powe ...
, although whether the army was actually launched or not was unclear.
After Qapaghan Qaghan was killed in an attack against the Bayegu tribe (拔野古) in 716, many Göktürk vassals surrendered to Tang, and Göktürk fell into a state of confusion. Thereafter, however, Qapaghan's nephew became
Bilge Khagan
Bilge Qaghan (; ; 683 – 25 November 734) was the fourth khagan, Qaghan of the Second Turkic Khaganate. His accomplishments were described in the Orkhon inscriptions.
Names
As was the custom, his personal name and the name after assuming the t ...
, and as
khagan
Khagan or Qaghan (Middle Mongol:; or ''Khagan''; ) or zh, c=大汗, p=Dàhán; ''Khāqān'', alternatively spelled Kağan, Kagan, Khaghan, Kaghan, Khakan, Khakhan, Khaqan, Xagahn, Qaghan, Chagan, Қан, or Kha'an is a title of empire, im ...
tried to restrengthen the Göktürk state. In winter 716, some of the Göktürk who surrendered to Tang rebelled and fled back north, under the leadership of Xiedie Sitai (𨁂跌思泰) and Axilan (阿悉爛). Emperor Xuanzong commissioned Xue to give chase, but before Xue could arrive, Wang and Guo already defeated the rebels in battle, although the rebels were nevertheless able to disengage and get back to Göktürk. Soon thereafter, Xue retired. He died in 720.
Notes and references
* ''
Old Book of Tang
The ''Old Book of Tang'', or simply the ''Book of Tang'', is the first classic historical work about the Tang dynasty, comprising 200 chapters, and is one of the Twenty-Four Histories. Originally compiled during the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdo ...
''
vol. 93
* ''
New Book of Tang
The ''New Book of Tang'', generally translated as the "New History of the Tang" or "New Tang History", is a work of official history covering the Tang dynasty in ten volumes and 225 chapters. The work was compiled by a team of scholars of the So ...
''
vol. 111
* ''
Zizhi Tongjian
The ''Zizhi Tongjian'' (1084) is a chronicle published during the Northern Song dynasty (960–1127) that provides a record of Chinese history from 403 BC to 959 AD, covering 16 dynasties and spanning almost 1400 years. The main text is ...
'', vols.
206
Year 206 ( CCVI) was a common year starting on Wednesday of the Julian calendar. At the time, it was known as the Year of the Consulship of Umbrius and Gavius (or, less frequently, year 959 ''Ab urbe condita''). The denomination 206 for this y ...
,
207
Year 207 (Roman numerals, CCVII) was a common year starting on Thursday of the Julian calendar. At the time, it was known in Rome as the Year of the Consulship of Maximus and Severus (or, less frequently, year 960 ''Ab urbe condita''). The deno ...
,
210,
211
Year 211 ( CCXI) was a common year starting on Tuesday of the Julian calendar. At the time, in the Roman Empire it was known as the Year of the Consulship of Terentius and Bassus (or, less frequently, year 964 ''Ab urbe condita''). The denomin ...
.
{{DEFAULTSORT:Xue Ne
649 births
720 deaths
Chancellors under Emperor Xuanzong of Tang
Tang dynasty generals at war against the Göktürks
Tang dynasty generals at war against Tibet