Wei Qing

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Wèi Qīng (Chinese: 衛青; Wade-Giles: Wei Ch'ing, d. 106 BC), born in Linfen, Shanxi, was a great general during Han Dynasty of China, whose campaigns against Xiongnu (匈奴) earned him great acclaim. He was the younger half-brother of Empress Wei Zifu (衛子夫) and the uncle of Huo Qubing (霍去病).

1 Family background and early career
2 Career as general
3 Involvement in Li Guang's death
4 Late career and death
5 Notes

[edit] Family background and early career

Wei was born from humble means, as an illegitimate child from an adulterous relationship. His father Zheng Ji (鄭季) was a low level official for Pingyang County (平陽縣, in modern Linfen, Shanxi) and was commissioned to serve at the estate of Cao Shou (曹壽), the Marquess of Pingyang (平陽侯), and his wife Princess Pingyang (平陽公主). There, he met and had a relationship with a female servant named Wei, and their relationship produced a son, Wei Qing, who took his mother's family name because of the illegitimacy (Wei Zifu was similarly born in illegitimacy, but of a different father). As an illegitimate child, the young Wei Qing was detested by his stepmother, father and half-siblings, and was made to live the life of lowly servants ^[1]. Unable to tolerate the maltreatment, Wei Qing eventually ran away back to his mother's side during his early teenage years, and served as a horsekeeper in the marquess's estate of Pingyang ^[2].

After Princess Pingyang offered the singer/dancer Wei Zifu to Emperor Wu (漢武帝) as a concubine circa 139 BC, Wei Qing followed as an accompanying gift to serve as a palace horsekeeper. However, as his sister gained the Emperor's love, near disaster would strike for Wei. The powerful Grand Princess Liu Piao (劉嫖), the mother of Empress Chen Jiao (陳嬌), angry that Consort Wei had siphoned off the imperial favor that her daughter had previously enjoyed, kidnapped Wei Qing, and wanted to kill him. However, Wei was rescued at the last moment by his friends, led by Gongsun Ao (公孫敖) ^[3]. In response, Emperor Wu made Wei Qing the head official of the household at Jianzhang Palace ^[4], away from where the princess might be able to harm him, and awarded Wei Qing with great wealth.

[edit] Career as general

Great wealth would not be all that Wei would have. Emperor Wu saw qualities in him that he believed would make a great general -- brilliant horsemanship, archery, bravery, as well as excellent leadership qualities, including the ability to sympathize with his soldiers and obtain their loyalty. Emperor Wu would promote Wei Qing to be his closest consul/lieutenant for the next few years, until he had secured all the power of his throne.

In 129 BC, when Xiongnu attacked the Commandery of Shanggu (上谷, roughly modern Zhangjiakou, Hebei), Emperor Wu dispatched Wei Qing (with the title General Cheqi (車騎將軍)), Gongsun Ao, Gongsun He (公孫賀) and Li Guang (李廣) against Xiongnu, each leading 10,000 men. Li Guang and Gongsun Ao suffered major losses at Xiongnu's hands, while Gongsun He failed to engage the enemy. Wei, however, distinguished himself by raiding Xiongnu's holy site Longcheng (龍城), killing over 700 Xiongnu soldiers in the process. As a reward for the victory (the first proper victory against Xiongnu in Han history), Wei was promoted to a higher command and created an acting marquess (關內侯).

In 128 BC, Wei would have a larger victory against Xiongnu, killing or capturing thousands of Xiongnu soldiers.

In 127 BC, Wei had a major victory against Xiongnu's Princes of Loufan (樓煩王) and Baiyang (白羊王) after totally outmaneuvering and surrounding the Xiongnu forces, killing thousands of Xiongnu soldiers and capturing Xiongnu over a million cattles ^[5]. This forced the Princes of Loufan and Baiyang to withdraw from their occupied territories, the fertile Hetao region (河套, modern western central Inner Mongolia centering Ordos), and dealt devastating blow to the economy of these Xiongnu tribes. The city of Shuofang (朔方城) was built, and would later become a key stronghold from which campaigns against Xiongnu would be launched. For his achievement, Wei was created the Marquess of Changping (長平侯), and his subordinates Su Jian (蘇建) and Zhang Cigong (張次公) were also created marquesses ^[6].

In 124 BC, Wei would be the vital part of the greatest Han victory over Xiongnu to date. When Xiongnu's Prince of Youxian (右賢王, literally meaning "Wise Prince of the Right") made harassing raids against Shuofang, Wei and the other generals surprised them by launching a night assault on Xiongnu's main base from the rear ^[7]. Not only did they sent Prince Youxian running for his life from his drunken sleep, they also took about 15,000 captives, including large numbers of Xiongnu princes, and great herds of cattles ^[8]. At this compaign, his nephew Huo Qubing distinguished himself in battle and was given his own command. For this victory, Wei was made the Grand Commander of all armed forces (大將軍), and his march was enlarged. His three young sons Wei Kang (衛伉), Wei Buyi (衛不疑), and Wei Deng (衛登) were also made marquesses (a offer later refused by Wei Qing), as were seven generals under Wei's command.

In 123 BC, Wei would fight a relatively inconclusive battle. After initially killing or capturing thousands of Xiongnu soldiers, part of his vanguard force, commanded by Generals Su Jian and Zhao Xin (趙信), was surprised and surrounded by the forces led by Xiongnu's Chanyu Yizhixie (伊稚斜單于), and nearly annihilated at the loss of 3,000 men. Zhao defected, while Su escaped. Showing compassion on Su, Wei spared him even though some advocate advised that Su be executed on the spot after court martial.

Despite his great honor and power, Wei remained humble in many ways. Because of the great favor Emperor Wu showed him, all of the other officials at court flattered him, except for Ji An (汲黯), who treated him as an equal. Wei was impressed by Ji's integrity in face of pressure and respected Ji greatly, often requesting Ji's opinion on important matters. Throughout his career, he refused to hire scholars to praising him and create favorable public opinions, and tried to maintain a relative low-profile fashion of life. Despite his humble way of life, Wei's status in the Han army made him a distinguished figure in the country, attracting admiration, jealousy and hostility alike. Emperor Wu's uncle, Prince Huainan (淮南王) Liu An (劉安), who had been conspiring military coup for a long time, saw Wei as his prime political obstacle that must be removed ^[9].

[edit] Involvement in Li Guang's death

In 119 BC, Wei, as the Grand Commander of the armed forces, would be involved in a controversial battle leading to the death of another famous general, Li Guang. In this engagement, Emperor Wu broke the normal pattern of reaction against Xiongnu attacks by making a major excursion against Xiongnu's headquarters. Wei and Huo were in command of the two main armies. Under Wei's command were generals Li, Gongsun He, Zhao Yiji (趙食其), and Cao Xiang (曹襄). Contrary to the arrangements promised to Li by Emperor Wu, where he would command the advance division, Wei, after the army had already departed, merged Li's forces with Zhao's and ordered them to take a side route through a barren region; According to Sima Qian, Wei had done this to give his old friend Gongsun Ao, who had recently been stripped of his title, a chance to win a major battle and be re-promoted. Wei's army unexpectedly encountered on Chanyu Yizhixie's main forces, who was waiting in anticipation of ambushing the Han army. Despite being outnumbered and fatigued after the long journey, Wei was able to counter Xiongnu's cavalry charge with archery defence created by armored chariots arranged in ring formations, reinforced with cavalry counter-offensives ^[10] (a defence that would be evaluated as one of the most effective against cavalry by many Chinese tacticians later, including Yue Fei). Late into the battle, seizing the moment of a sandstorm, Wei launched flanking attack with his cavalries ^[11], shattering the Chanyu's line, nearly capturing him and completely overrunning his forces, killing over 19,000 Xiongnu soldiers ^[12]. The Han army pursued all the way to the modern Ulanbator region, destroying the Xiongnu stronghold Zhao Xin Castle (趙信城) before returning in triumph.

Meanwhile, Li and Zhao got lost in the desert and failed to arrive in time for battle ^[13], despite meeting little Xiongnu resistance. As the battle ends, Li and Zhao were both summoned for court martial on the charge of failure to accomplish orders. Feeling humiliated and frustrated over missing his final chance at martial glory, Li committed suicide rather than facing the court ^[14]. Many people blamed Wei for causing Li's death, and this included historian Sima Qian, as well as Li's younger son Li Gan (李敢), who would went to Wei's home asking for trouble, injuring Wei in the process ^[15]. This incidence resulted in Li Gan's superior Huo Qubing later killing Li Gan personally for insulting his uncle ^[16].

[edit] Late career and death

After the 119 BC battle, Wei would see little combat action himself, largely remaining at the capital Chang'an (長安) to advise Emperor Wu on military and sometimes political matters as the Chief Defence Minister (大司馬大將軍), and also to assist his nephew Crown Prince Liu Ju (劉據) in governing the state when Emperor Wu was away. He died in 106 BC and was buried at large tomb built to be a model of Mount Lu (盧山), a mountain in Xiongnu-occupied territory. The tomb was connected to that of his nephew Huo Qubing, who had died in 117 BC, and the future tomb for Emperor Wu. Wei would not live to see the destruction of his clan, as well as the fate of his sister and nephew the crown prince, during the political catastrophe in 91 BC.