Xue Juzheng | |
|---|---|
| 薛居正 | |
 from an 18th-centurygenealogy book | |
| Chief minister of theSong dynasty | |
| In office October 17, 973[1] – July 12, 981 | |
| Monarchs | Emperor Taizu,Emperor Taizong |
| Personal details | |
| Born | c. 912[2] Xunyi County,Kaifeng,Later Liang |
| Died | July 12, 981(981-07-12) (aged 68–69)[3] Kaifeng,Song Empire |
| Children | Xue Weiji (薛惟吉), adopted son |
| Parent |
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| Xue Juzheng | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chinese | 薛居正 | ||||||||
| |||||||||
| Xue Ziping | |||||||||
| Chinese | 薛子平 | ||||||||
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Xue Juzheng (c. 912 – 12 July 981;courtesy nameZiping) was ascholar-official who successively served theLater Jin,Later Han,Later Zhou andSong dynasties. He was one of thechief ministers of the Song dynasty from 973 until his death.
Xue is best known today for being the lead author of the monumental history bookOld History of the Five Dynasties (974).
Born during theLater Liang, Xue Juzheng was said to be studious and ambitious from a young age. In 934 during theLater Tang Xue failed theimperial examination and wrote "An Essay to Dispel Sorrows" (遣愁文), which was much praised. He passed the imperial examination the following year.[2]
After theLater Jin destroyed the Later Tang in 937, Xue served on the staff of Liu Suining (劉遂凝), themilitary governor ofHua Prefecture. In 941, he was recommended by Liu Suining's older cousin Liu Suiqing (劉遂清) and became a patrolling inspector for theSalt Monopoly. In 944, he served as a judge in theBureau of General Accounts. WhenLi Song became the director for the Salt Monopoly, Xue served on his staff. Xue also received a position in theCourt of Judicial Review, and subsequently he was made a reminder official in theSecretariat. In 946, whenSang Weihan was made the prefect ofKaifeng, Xue joined him as an administrative assistant.[2]
During theLater Han, Xue once saved a commoner from execution. The man was accused of violating salt laws, but Xue found the evidence unconvincing. After further questioning he discovered bad blood between the defendant and the accuser, a minor government functionary who eventually admitted to making false accusations.[2]
AfterLater Zhou's founding in 951, Xue was made vice director of theBureau of Review, also in charge of all judges in theState Finance Commission.
When the Song dynasty replaced the Later Zhou in 960, Xue took service with the newdynasty as he had with dynasties prior to the new rulers of northernChina. During the first two decades of the Song, Xue set about to compiling a history of the Five Dynasties.
EntitledFive Dynasties History, the main purpose of the work was to reinforce the claim of the Song to the Mandate of Heaven from theTang dynasty through the Five Dynasties to the reigning Song.
Xue did not live much longer than after compilation of theFive Dynasties History in 974, dying in 981. However, his legacy of writing a history of a previous era ofChinese history for the purpose of bolstering the current patron dynasty would be repeated later in Chinese history, notably with theYuan dynasty’s writing of theHistory of Liao.
