For those who are very interested in Xue Lu, the History Encyclopedia editor brings detailed articles for your reference.
In Chinese history, there were many generals surnamed Xue, such as Xue Andu during the Southern Dynasties and Xue Rengui during the Tang Dynasty. In the Ming Dynasty, there was also a famous general surnamed Xue, named Xue Lu. He went through five dynasties, saved Zhu Di’s life twice, and defended the Ming Dynasty for eight consecutive generations. He was an admirable hero.
Xue Lu was a native of Qingdao (with ancestral roots in Shaanxi), born in the late Yuan Dynasty, when Shandong was still under the rule of the Yuan Dynasty. One day, it rained heavily. Two Yuan Dynasty generals passed by a farmhouse and dismounted to knock on the door, intending to enter the house to take shelter from the rain. But there was a parturient giving birth inside the house, and the two generals were unable to enter, so they had to settle under the eaves. The rain was getting heavier and heavier, and suddenly they saw a group of magpies flying over, covering a leaking hole on the roof with their wings. Such a situation is unheard of. After a while, the man from the Xue family returned home and the two generals entered the room, only to find out that a newborn baby had just been born in the family, named Xue Lu. The two generals exclaimed, “When this child was born, magpies sheltered him from the rain, and two generals guarded him. He must be a noble son
Pu Songling recorded the story of Xue Lu’s birth in “Strange Tales from a Chinese Studio”:
The rain suddenly arrived, and the second commander used his way to avoid it. In the shelter, he saw a cluster of magpies on the house, covering the leak with their wings… because of the production. The commander said, “It’s extremely expensive
Xue Lu is the sixth child of the Xue family, hence he is known as “Xue Liu”. Although he was born as a sign of being a “noble son”, Xue Lu was very messy and had an ugly appearance from a young age. When Zhu Yuanzhang established the Ming Dynasty, Xue Lu was only 10 years old. When Xue Lu turned 18, the court went to Shandong to recruit soldiers. There were many boys in the Xue family who needed to contribute one conscription quota. The boys of the Xue family were unwilling to go, but Xue Lu volunteered to join the army and was assigned to the command of Yan King Zhu Di. Following Zhu Di, Xue Lu became a capable general who was skilled in warfare.
In the first year of Jianwen, the Battle of Jingnan broke out, and Zhu Di rose up and marched south. Xue Lu followed Zhu Di and in the Battle of Zhending, Xue Lusheng captured the enemy’s left general, making his first contribution. In the second year, Zhu Di was defeated in Dongchang and surrounded by enemy forces. Xue Lu led more than 50 people to charge overnight, risking their lives to attack the enemy, and gave his warhorse to Zhu Di before rescuing him. In the same year, Zhu Di, Sheng Yong, and Tie Xuan fought a decisive battle in Jinan. Tie Xuan feigned surrender and designed to use the iron gate on the city gate to smash Zhu Di to death. At a critical moment, Xue Lu stepped forward and pulled Zhu Di out of the hands of the Grim Reaper. Xue Lu saved Zhu Di’s life twice. After Zhu Di ascended the throne, Xue Lu was appointed as the commander-in-chief.
After Zhu Di ascended the throne, he launched five northern expeditions against Mongolia and appointed Xue Lu to accompany him. In the process of conquering Mongolia, Xue Lu was the vanguard and made great military achievements. In the 18th year of Yongle, after Zhu Di moved the capital to Beijing, he conferred the title of Yangwu Marquis upon Xue Lu. The History of Ming Dynasty states:
During the Yongle period, those who rose up in Beiping and later accumulated merits to become generals, and those who did not recognize the “Jingnan” merit as Marquis Bo, Xue Lu… were among five people.
That is to say, Zhu Di had many famous generals under his command, but only Xue Lu and five others were granted the title of “Marquis” not because of their contributions in the Battle of Jingnan, but because they followed Zhu Di to conquer Mongolia in the later period. It can be seen that Xue Lu’s achievements lie in the state (resisting foreign enemies), not in the Jingnan (internal strife).
After Zhu Di’s death, Emperor Ming Renzong ascended to the throne, and the northern nomadic tribes were eager to move. At this time, Emperor Mingren appointed Xue Lu as the Grand General of Zhenshuo, leading troops to patrol northern Xinjiang, which prevented chaos from arising.
After Emperor Xuanzong ascended the throne, Zhu Gaoxu rebelled. Emperor Xuanzong personally led the expedition, with veteran Xue Lu serving as the vanguard, and the rebellion was successfully suppressed. Later, Xue Lu sent troops to attack Wala and defeated the enemy. Xue Lu died in the fifth year of the Xuande reign at the age of 73 and was posthumously conferred the title of Duke. Xue Lu went through five dynasties and made outstanding military achievements. Therefore, the title bestowed upon the Xue family by Emperor Xuanzong of the Ming Dynasty can be inherited and replaced. (The following picture shows the record of Xue Lu in the Complete Library of Siku):
After Xue Lu’s death, the title of Yangwu Marquis was passed down for seven generations, and all seven generations participated in the war to defend the Ming Dynasty. The second Yangwu Marquis, Xue Qiao, died in the Battle of Luchuan. The third generation Yangwu Marquis Xue Cong once participated in the “Beijing Defense War” with Yu Qian. In 1645 AD, Li Zicheng captured Beijing and Emperor Chongzhen hanged himself. The eighth generation of Yangwu Marquis, Xue Lian, was killed by Li Zicheng for defending the capital. Since then, Yangwu Marquis has not been passed down.
The Xue family of the Ming Dynasty, known as the Yangwu Marquis, originated in the 18th year of the Yongle reign and lasted for 8 generations until the end of the Chongzhen reign. From the first generation of Yangwu Marquis Xue Lu to the bloody battlefield of the Ming Dynasty, to the last generation of Yangwu Marquis being killed by Li Zicheng, eight generations have proven to history with their blood what a loyal family is. Nowadays, in Qingdao, Shandong, there are still many descendants of Xue Lu, and more stories about Xue Lu are passed down in their families.
