Xue Ping

Xue Ping (薛平) (c. 753? – February 25, 832 ), courtesy name Tantu (坦途), formally the Duke of Han (韓公), was a general of the Chinese Tang dynasty, whose father Xue Song ruled Zhaoyi Circuit (昭義, then-headquartered in modern Anyang, Henan) semi-independently from the imperial government. After Xue Song's death, Xue Ping declined the soldiers' request for him to take over Zhaoyi Circuit and fled to imperial territory. Subsequently, he had a long career as a general of the imperial armies.

Background and career under Emperors Daizong, Dezong, and Shunzong Xue Ping was born in 753, during the reign of Emperor Xuanzong. When he was 11, during the reign of Emperor Xuanzong's grandson Emperor Daizong, he was made the prefect of Ci Prefecture (磁州, in modern Handan, Hebei), one of the prefectures then under the rule of his father Xue Song, the military governor (jiedushi) of Zhaoyi Circuit, a former general of the rebel Yan state of the Anshi Rebellion who submitted to Tang dynasty rule in the aftermaths of Yan's collapse but who thereafter ruled Zhaoyi Circuit semi-independently from the imperial government.

When Xue Song died in 773, the soldiers demanded that Xue Ping inherit the command of the circuit. Xue Ping initially pretended to agree, but then yielded the command to his uncle Xue E and, in the middle of the night, took his father's casket and fled back to his father's ancestral home of Jiang Prefecture (絳州, in modern Yuncheng, Shanxi). Xue E subsequently was unable to stand against the attacks by the neighboring warlord Tian Chengsi the military governor of Weibo Circuit (魏博, headquartered in modern Handan) and forced to flee; part of Zhaoyi Circuit was merged into Weibo Circuit and part was merged with the imperially-controlled Zelu Circuit (澤潞, headquartered in modern Changzhi, Shanxi), with the newly constituted circuit still named Zhaoyi. By 812, Xue was referred to as a major general of the imperial guards, when he was made the military governor of Yicheng Circuit (義成, headquartered in modern Anyang, Henan) in the aftermaths of the death of the warlord Tian Ji'an (Tian Chengsi's grandson) the military governor of Weibo, as part of the imperial maneuvering to try to control Weibo. (Subsequently, Tian Ji'an's relative Tian Xing (who was later renamed Tian Hongzheng) seized control of Weibo from Tian Ji'an's son Tian Huaijian and submitted to the imperial government.)

While Xue Ping was at Yicheng, he dealt with the issue of Yellow River flooding his circuit—as Yicheng's capital Hua Prefecture was just two li (about one kilometer) away from the Yellow River and often suffered from catastrophic floods. Xue Ping conducted surveys and found traces of the old Yellow River bed. After a joint petition he made with Tian Hongzheng (who became the military governor of Weibo), they dug into the old river route for 14 li (about seven kilometers) to divert some of the water from then-route of the Yellow River, and thus decreasing the threat of flooding for Yicheng. Xue was at Yicheng for six years before being recalled to again serve as a general of the imperial guards, but was soon sent back to Yicheng to again serve as military governor. as well as the official in charge of relations with Silla and Balhae. As a result, Emperor Muzong gave Xue the honorary title of You Pushe and created him the Duke of Wei. He was recalled in 830 to serve as senior advisor to the Crown Prince. He requested retirement in 831 and was allowed to do so. He died in 832 and was given posthumous honors.

Notes and references

Old Book of Tang, vol. 124. New Book of Tang, vol. 111. Zizhi Tongjian, vols. 224, 238, 241, 242.