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Wei Qing (, d. 106 BC), born in Linfen, Shanxi, was a great general during Han Dynasty of China, whose campaigns against Xiongnu earned him great acclaim. He was the brother of Empress Wei Zifu and the uncle of Huo Qubing.
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, and his wife Princess Pingyang. 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.)
After Wei Zifu was taken by Emperor Wu as a concubine circa 139 BC, near disaster would strike for Wei Qing. The powerful Princess Liu Piao, the mother of Empress Chen Jiao, angry that Consort Wei has siphoned off the imperial favor that her daughter had previously enjoyed, kidnapped Wei Qing, who was then a servant at a marquess' estate, and wanted to kill him. However, Wei was rescued by his friends, led by Gongsun Ao (公孫敖). In response, Emperor Wu made Wei Qing the head of the household at Jianzhang Palace, away from where the princess might be able to harm him, and awarded him with great wealth.
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 -- including horsemanship, archery, and bravery, as well as excellent leadership qualities, including the ability to sympathize with his soldiers and receiving their loyalty. 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, and Li Guang (李廣) against Xiongnu. Li and Gongsun suffered large losses at Xiongnu's hands, but Wei distinguished himself, killing or capturing 700 Xiongnu soldiers, and was promoted to a larger 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), killing or capturing thousands of Xiongnu soldiers and forcing the Princes of Loufan and Baiyang to withdraw from their settled territories, Xuofang region (modern western central Inner Mongolia centering Ordos). The city of Xuofang was built, and would later become a key post from which attacks against Xiongnu would be launched. For this victory, Wei was created the Marquess of Changping (長平侯), and his subordinates Su Jiang (蘇建) and Zhang Cigong (張次公) were also created marquesses.
In 124 BC, Wei would be part of the greatest Han victory over Xiongnu to date. When Xiongnu's Prince of Youxian (右賢王) made harassing raids against Xuofang, Wei and the other generals surprised them by attacking them from the rear and took about 15,000 captives, including some Xiongnu princes -- and at this battle, his nephew Huo Qubing distinguished himself in battle and was given his own command. For this victory, Wei was made the 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, as were seven generals under Wei.
In 123 BC, Wei would fight a relatively inconclusive battle. After initially killing or capturing thousands of Xiongnu soldiers, part of his 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 cost of 3,000 men. Zhao surrendered, while Su escaped. Showing compassion on Su, Wei spared him even though some advocated 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.
Involvement in Li Guang's death
In 119 BC, Wei, as the 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 roke the normal pattern of reacting 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 (公孫賀), Zhao Yiji (趙食其), and Cao Xiang (曹襄). Contrary to the original arrangements, where Li 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 region that lacked food and water; 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 regain the title. Wei's main force was able to make a direct assault on Chanyu Yizhixie's forces, nearly capturing him and nearly annihilating his forces, reaching all the way to the modern Ulanbator region. Meanwhile, Li and Zhao were lost in the desert and court martialed. Li committed suicide rather than facing the charges, and many people blamed Wei for Li's death.
Late career and death
After the 119 BC battle, Wei would see little combat action himself, largely remaining at the capital Chang'an to advise Emperor Wu on military and sometimes political matters, and also to assist his nephew, Crown Prince Liu Ju 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 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 that of his sister and nephew the crown prince, in 91 BC.
"Wei Qing"