Follow the history encyclopedia editor to explore the real Xue Na in history.
Xue Dingshan’s Expedition to the West “is a well-known historical novel, but there is no such person as Xue Dingshan in history. However, Xue Rengui did have a son who once marched to the West, and that person was Xue Ne. Previously, we introduced that Emperor Xuanzong of Tang sent Xue Ne to lead troops northward, but was surrounded by the Khitan and almost completely annihilated. Xue Na was not only dismissed from his post, but also contemptuously referred to as “Xue Po” by the Khitan people. So, how did Xue Na prove herself again?
In June of the second year of Kaiyuan, Xue Ne’s army was defeated by Luanhe and he was dismissed as a commoner by Emperor Xuanzong of Tang. But in October of that year, Xue Na once again stepped onto the battlefield. Originally, in August of the same year, Tubo generals Pandayan and Qilixu led a group of 100000 to invade the northwest region of the Tang Dynasty and ‘plundered the herds and fled’. Emperor Xuanzong of Tang had no choice but to use Xue Ne again, allowing him to act as the deputy commander of the Left Feather Forest and the defense commissioner of Longyou, with the identity of a white man, and “lead troops to invite and attack him with the Grand Servant and Young Minister Wang Hao”.
The war with Tubo is very important because it not only concerns whether Xue Na can turn the tide, but also a revenge war for the Xue family. Originally, 44 years ago, in the first year of Xianheng during the reign of Emperor Gaozong of Tang, Xue Ne’s father Xue Rengui, as the main general, led tens of thousands of troops to conquer Tubo. As a result, the entire army was destroyed in the Battle of Dafeichuan, and his lifelong reputation was ruined here. For the Xue family, the Battle of Dafeichuan was a shame, and it was the Tubo people who caused the shame!
In October of that year, the Tubo army launched another attack on Weiyuan. Emperor Xuanzong of Tang had already prepared himself for the imperial expedition, deploying over 100000 troops and 40000 horses. At this moment, good news came from the front line, as Xue Na defeated the Tibetan army and killed tens of thousands of enemies. Emperor Xuanzong of Tang was overjoyed and decided to stop his personal expedition. He rewarded the front-line generals and appointed Xue Ne as the Grand General of the Left Feather Forest Army, reinstated him as the Duke of Pingyang County, and still appointed Zichang Chaosan Dafu.
So how did Xue Na win this war? In October, Xue Ne led his troops to Weiyuan and met the Tubo army at Wujie Post. During the confrontation between the Tubo army and Xue Na, the eunuch Wang Xuan selected 700 elite soldiers, put on Tubo military uniforms, and launched a night attack. At the same time, many drums and horns were set up in the rear. “When the front army encountered the enemy, they shouted loudly, and later generations played drums and horns in response. The Tubo army thought they were the main force of the Tang army and fell into chaos, “killing each other and losing tens of thousands of lives”.
After hearing the news, Xue Na immediately led his army to join forces and jointly attacked the Tubo army, achieving a great victory. Xue Na led his troops all the way to the Tao River and fought against the Tubo army at the Great Wall Fort. The Tang army also achieved victory. In this war, the Tang army led by Xue Ne achieved a resounding victory, “killing tens of thousands of people in front and behind”, “capturing their general Mihong from Liuzhi Township, collecting all the sheep and horses they looted, and obtaining their weapons, countless.
Afterwards, Xue Na served as the commander-in-chief of Liangzhou Town, with “Chishui, Jiankang, and Heyuan Border States all under the jurisdiction of Jiedu” and stationed in the northwest region. In the fourth year of Kaiyuan, Xue Na, who was already 68 years old, resigned from his position and returned home in old age. Four years later, Xue Na died of illness at the age of 72. Emperor Xuanzong of Tang issued an edict posthumously conferring upon Xue Ne the title of Taichangqing, with the posthumous title of “Zhaoding”. History books have an evaluation of Xue Na, saying that he is usually quiet and reserved, but he is brave when facing enemies.
Xue Na had three sons, Xue Hui, Xue Zhi, and Xue Chang, who held positions as General Zuo Jinwu, Governor of Suizhou, and General Zuo Yulin. Although Xue Na’s branch is not very wealthy, it is relatively stable, and most of his grandchildren have served as governors. In history, the prototype of Xue Gang was Xue Song, his father was Xue Chuyu, and Xue Chuyu was Xue Ne’s younger brother.
