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 (城门郎) -- an official of the examination bureau of government (门下省, Menxia Sheng) in charge of palace gates.

During Wu Zetians reign and Emperor Zhongzongs second reign

During the reign of Emperor Gaozong's wife Wu Zetian, Xue Ne served as the magistrate of Lantian County (蓝田, in modern Xi'an, Shaanxi). 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, 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 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) and Protectorate General to Pacify the East. 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).

During Emperor Ruizongs 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 (霫) 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 recommended the general Sun Quan (孙佺) 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, Shanxi). (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 Xuanzongs 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 exiled and the official Tang Shao (唐绍) 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). Emperor Xuanzong himself wanted to take vengeance for Sun Quan's defeat, and despite opposition by the chancellor Yao Chong, Emperor Xuanzong approved of Xue's plan. Further, he granted Xue the status of Tong Ziwei Huangmen Sanpin (同紫微黄门三品), making him a chancellor de facto, and commissioned him with 60,000 men to attack the Khitan, assisted by Du Binke (杜宾客) 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 under the generals Bod da rgyas (, 坌达延) and We Trisig Shangnyen attacked Lan Prefecture (兰州, roughly modern Lanzhou, Gansu). Emperor Xuanzong commissioned Xue as an acting general and had him defend against the Tibetan attack, assisted by the general Guo Zhiyun (郭知运) and the official Wang Jun. Xue engaged Tibetan forces at Wujie (武街, in modern Dingxi, Gansu), 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 (凉州, roughly modern Wuwei, Gansu), to prepare for potential attacks from Ashina Mochuo. Emperor Xuanzong soon also commissioned Xue as the commanding general of the soldiers in the Shuofang region (朔方, roughly modern Yinchuan, Ningxia), assisted by Du and the official Lü Yanzuo (吕延祚), to attack the Göktürks, 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 Götürk vassals surrendered to Tang, and Götürk fell into a state of confusion. Thereafter, however, Qapaghan's nephew became Bilge Khagan, and as khagan tried to restrengthen the Götürk state. In winter 716, some of the Götürk who surrendered to Tang rebelled and fled back north, under the leadership of Xiedie Sitai (𨁂跌思泰) and Axilan (阿悉烂). 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 Götürk. Soon thereafter, Xue retired. He died in 720.

Notes and references

• Old Book of Tang, vol. 93.

• New Book of Tang, vol. 111.

• Zizhi Tongjian, vols. 206, 207, 210, 211.

生平

唐太宗贞观二十三年（649年）生，薛仁贵的长子。薛讷从城门郎为起家官，后为蓝田县令，有一倪姓富商在御史台整理私人债务，贿赂中丞来俊臣。来俊臣私自拿出义仓米粮数千石给倪富商，薛讷不惧来俊臣威势，反对道：「义仓本备水旱，以为储蓄，安敢绝众人之命，以资一家之产？」坚持不给。后来俊臣犯事下狱，这件事也就罢休了。圣历元年（698年）后突厥可汗默啜入侵河北，武则天以薛讷将门虎子，提拔其为左武威卫将军、安东道经略。临行前，武则天在同明殿召见薛讷，薛讷道：「丑虏恁凌，以卢陵为辞。今虽有制升储，外议犹恐未定。若此命不易，则狂贼自然款伏。」武则天非常赞同其观点。不久拜其为幽州都督兼安东都护。转并州大都督府长史，兼检校左卫大将军。镇守边疆多年，累有功勋。

开元元年（713年），唐玄宗在新丰讲武，薛讷当时为左军节度。唐军军容不整，玄宗震怒，流放兵部尚书郭元振，杀给事中、知礼仪事唐绍。各路军马震惊失措，队形散乱，只有薛讷和朔方道大总管解琬二人所领兵马岿然不动。玄宗派遣轻骑宣召薛讷，企图进入薛讷军营。但薛讷治军严整，严禁使者随意进入军营。玄宗大加赞赏，特意慰勉，盛赞薛讷有周亚夫之风。契丹及奚与突厥连和为边患，开元二年（714年）薛讷奏请进击契丹，复置营州，玄宗赞同。夏，薛讷与左监门将军杜宾客、定州刺史崔宣道等率兵20万出檀州讨伐。杜宾客认为正值酷夏，天气炎热，将士们披甲执戈，携带粮草深入敌境，恐怕很难获胜。中书令姚元崇也赞同杜宾客的意见。然而薛讷却说：「夏月草茂，羔犊生息之际，不费粮储，亦可渐进。一举振国威灵，不可失也。」群臣商议，都认为不宜出兵。玄宗即位之初，欲威服四夷，采纳薛讷意见，令薛讷同紫微黄门三品，总督兵马征讨奚、契丹。六月，唐军在滦河遭遇契丹军，诸将统率不协调，交战不利，死者十分之八九。薛讷与数十骑突围得免，被契丹人嘲笑为「薛婆」。战后，薛讷归罪于崔宣道、李思敬等8人，唐玄宗下制将其全部在幽州处死。敕薛讷免死，削官为民，同时赦免杜宾客之罪。同年八月，吐蕃大将坌达延、乞力徐等率众十万进攻临洮军，又进攻兰州及渭州的渭源县，掠夺牧马而去。为对抗吐蕃，玄宗再度起用薛讷，以白衣摄左羽林将军，为陇右防御使，与太仆少卿王晙等率兵邀击吐蕃军队。十月，吐蕃再次进攻渭源。十月初二，玄宗下诏准备御驾亲征，并发兵10万，马四万匹，迎击吐蕃。十月初十，薛讷在武阶驿（今甘肃临洮东）大败吐蕃军，坌达延率残部向洮水（今甘肃临潭西北）逃窜，薛讷指挥唐军紧追不舍，双方激战于长城堡（在今甘肃临洮境），唐军再次大败吐蕃军，斩首一万七千馀，缴获牛羊一百二十万头。吐蕃军背水一战，誓死抗争。薛讷军先锋、太子右卫率丰安军使郎将王海宾陷入重围，唐军诸将嫉其战功，迟迟不发兵增援，致使王海宾力战而死。薛讷率主力赶到，趁势猛攻，吐蕃军死伤数万，生擒吐蕃将领六指乡弥洪，尽收其所掠羊马，并且缴获无数器械，唐朝取得了十几年来对吐蕃作战的巨大胜利。玄宗听闻薛讷等大获全胜，大悦，于是停止亲征。追赠王海宾为左金吾卫大将军，赐物三百段、粟三百石，赐王海宾之子名为王忠嗣，拜朝散大夫。命紫微舍人倪若水赶赴前线，记录诸将功勋。

战后，薛讷以功，拜左羽林军大将军，复封平阳郡公。又拜其子薛畅为朝散大夫。开元三年（715年）授凉州镇军大总管，统领赤水（在今甘肃武威西南）诸军，驻守凉州（治姑臧，今甘肃武威）；又以左卫大将军郭虔瓘为朔州镇大总管，统兵驻守并州，东西配合，防备突厥可汗默啜。后突厥默啜可汗进攻西突厥葛逻禄、胡禄屋、鼠尼施部落，屡破其众。五月，玄宗敕令北庭都护汤嘉惠、左散骑常侍解琬率兵援救。九月，玄宗拜薛讷为朔方道行军大总管，太仆卿吕延祚、灵州刺史杜宾客为副总管，征讨默啜。开元四年（716年）六月，默啜被拔曳固颉质略袭杀，拔曳固、回纥、同罗、霫、仆固五部皆来归降，唐朝北部边境暂时解除危机。不久，薛讷以年老致仕，回家休养。唐玄宗开元八年（720年），薛讷去世，终年七十多岁（《新唐书 薛讷传》载：「卒，年七十二」），赠太常卿，谥号昭定。

子孙

据《新唐书·宰相世系表》记载，薛讷生三子：薛徽，左金吾将军。薛直，绥州刺史。薛畅，左羽林将军。

薛徽三子：薛揖，相州刺史。薛振。薛拚，歙州刺史。

薛直二子：薛坚，邢州刺史。薛干，洺州刺史。