Xue Lang
Encyclopedia
Xue Lang (d. March 14, 888) was a military officer of the Chinese
dynasty Tang Dynasty
, who controlled a portion of Zhenhai Circuit (鎮海, headquartered in modern Zhenjiang
, Jiangsu
) for most of 887 after the Zhenhai soldiers overthrew the military governor (Jiedushi
) Zhou Bao
. Xue was himself captured by Qian Liu
in late 887 and executed in early 888.
. The first historical reference to him was in spring 887, when he was serving as a collector under Zhou Bao
the military governor (Jiedushi
) of Zhenhai Circuit, in Zhou's role as deputy director of salt and iron monopolies. By that point, Zhou was said to be devoting his time to pleasure, not paying attention to governance. He was also conscripting the laborers to build outer walls for the circuit capital Run Prefecture (潤州), as well as an eastern addition to his mansion. The people resented the heavy labor. To protect himself, he organized a new corps, known as the Rear Tower Corps (後樓都), paying them twice the salary of regular troops, and this caused much resentment among the regular troops. Once, when Zhou was feasting with his staff, staff members expressed to him their concerns about the regular troops' resentment. Zhou responded, "If they dare to create disturbances, execute them." When his staff member Xue Lang informed this to Xue's friend, the officer Liu Hao (劉浩) to warn Liu, Liu stated, "We can only escape death if we mutiny." That night, Liu started a mutiny with his soldiers and attacked Zhou's mansion. Zhou woke up and tried to summon the Rear Tower Corps to fight the mutineers, but soon found out that the Rear Tower Corps had joined the mutineers. He could not think of another way to counter the mutiny, so he took his family members and fled on foot to Chang Prefecture to join Ding Congshi. Liu killed many of Zhou's staff members, took over the headquarters, and supported Xue as the acting military governor. Because Zhou was previously the deputy director of the monopolies, he had much wealth stored away, and it all fell into the mutineers' hands.
the prefect of Hang Prefecture (杭州, in modern Hangzhou
, Zhejiang
), did not recognize Xue and launched an army under the command of his subordinates Du Leng (杜稜), Ruan Jie (阮結), and Cheng Ji (成及) to attack Xue. In winter 887, Ruan captured Zhenhai's capital Run Prefecture (潤州) and seized Xue; he took Xue back to Hang Prefecture. In spring 888, Qian executed Xue and cut out his heart to sacrifice it to Zhou Bao (who had died a few months earlier).
History of China
Chinese civilization originated in various regional centers along both the Yellow River and the Yangtze River valleys in the Neolithic era, but the Yellow River is said to be the Cradle of Chinese Civilization. With thousands of years of continuous history, China is one of the world's oldest...
dynasty Tang Dynasty
Tang Dynasty
The Tang Dynasty was an imperial dynasty of China preceded by the Sui Dynasty and followed by the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms Period. It was founded by the Li family, who seized power during the decline and collapse of the Sui Empire...
, who controlled a portion of Zhenhai Circuit (鎮海, headquartered in modern Zhenjiang
Zhenjiang
Zhenjiang is a prefecture-level city in the southwest of Jiangsu province in the eastern People's Republic of China . Sitting on the southern bank of the Yangtze River, it borders the provincial capital of Nanjing to the west, Changzhou to the east, and Yangzhou across the river to the north.Once...
, Jiangsu
Jiangsu
' is a province of the People's Republic of China, located along the east coast of the country. The name comes from jiang, short for the city of Jiangning , and su, for the city of Suzhou. The abbreviation for this province is "苏" , the second character of its name...
) for most of 887 after the Zhenhai soldiers overthrew the military governor (Jiedushi
Jiedushi
The Jiedushi were regional military governors in China during the Tang Dynasty and the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms Period. Originally set up to counter external threats, the jiedushi were given enormous power, including the ability to maintain their own armies, collect taxes, and pass their...
) Zhou Bao
Zhou Bao
Zhou Bao , courtesy name Shanggui , formally the Prince of Ru'nan , was a general of the Chinese dynasty Tang Dynasty who, for two years, controlled Zhenhai Circuit as its military governor .- Background and early career :Zhou Bao was born in 807, during the reign of Emperor...
. Xue was himself captured by Qian Liu
Qian Liu
Qian Liu , courtesy name Jumei , nickname Poliu , formally King Wusu of Wuyue with the temple name of Taizu , was founder and first king of the Kingdom of Wuyue during the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms Period, ruling over roughly modern Zhejiang on the east coast of China.- Background :Qian...
in late 887 and executed in early 888.
Background and seizure of Zhenhai Circuit
Little is known about Xue Lang's background, as there was no biography for him in any of the official historiesTwenty-Four Histories
The Twenty-Four Histories is a collection of Chinese historical books covering a period from 3000 BC to the Ming Dynasty in the 17th century. The whole set contains 3213 volumes and about 40 million words...
. The first historical reference to him was in spring 887, when he was serving as a collector under Zhou Bao
Zhou Bao
Zhou Bao , courtesy name Shanggui , formally the Prince of Ru'nan , was a general of the Chinese dynasty Tang Dynasty who, for two years, controlled Zhenhai Circuit as its military governor .- Background and early career :Zhou Bao was born in 807, during the reign of Emperor...
the military governor (Jiedushi
Jiedushi
The Jiedushi were regional military governors in China during the Tang Dynasty and the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms Period. Originally set up to counter external threats, the jiedushi were given enormous power, including the ability to maintain their own armies, collect taxes, and pass their...
) of Zhenhai Circuit, in Zhou's role as deputy director of salt and iron monopolies. By that point, Zhou was said to be devoting his time to pleasure, not paying attention to governance. He was also conscripting the laborers to build outer walls for the circuit capital Run Prefecture (潤州), as well as an eastern addition to his mansion. The people resented the heavy labor. To protect himself, he organized a new corps, known as the Rear Tower Corps (後樓都), paying them twice the salary of regular troops, and this caused much resentment among the regular troops. Once, when Zhou was feasting with his staff, staff members expressed to him their concerns about the regular troops' resentment. Zhou responded, "If they dare to create disturbances, execute them." When his staff member Xue Lang informed this to Xue's friend, the officer Liu Hao (劉浩) to warn Liu, Liu stated, "We can only escape death if we mutiny." That night, Liu started a mutiny with his soldiers and attacked Zhou's mansion. Zhou woke up and tried to summon the Rear Tower Corps to fight the mutineers, but soon found out that the Rear Tower Corps had joined the mutineers. He could not think of another way to counter the mutiny, so he took his family members and fled on foot to Chang Prefecture to join Ding Congshi. Liu killed many of Zhou's staff members, took over the headquarters, and supported Xue as the acting military governor. Because Zhou was previously the deputy director of the monopolies, he had much wealth stored away, and it all fell into the mutineers' hands.
Defeat and death
However, Xue Lang's takeover of the circuit was not uncontested. Qian LiuQian Liu
Qian Liu , courtesy name Jumei , nickname Poliu , formally King Wusu of Wuyue with the temple name of Taizu , was founder and first king of the Kingdom of Wuyue during the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms Period, ruling over roughly modern Zhejiang on the east coast of China.- Background :Qian...
the prefect of Hang Prefecture (杭州, in modern Hangzhou
Hangzhou
Hangzhou , formerly transliterated as Hangchow, is the capital and largest city of Zhejiang Province in Eastern China. Governed as a sub-provincial city, and as of 2010, its entire administrative division or prefecture had a registered population of 8.7 million people...
, Zhejiang
Zhejiang
Zhejiang is an eastern coastal province of the People's Republic of China. The word Zhejiang was the old name of the Qiantang River, which passes through Hangzhou, the provincial capital...
), did not recognize Xue and launched an army under the command of his subordinates Du Leng (杜稜), Ruan Jie (阮結), and Cheng Ji (成及) to attack Xue. In winter 887, Ruan captured Zhenhai's capital Run Prefecture (潤州) and seized Xue; he took Xue back to Hang Prefecture. In spring 888, Qian executed Xue and cut out his heart to sacrifice it to Zhou Bao (who had died a few months earlier).