Wei Qing - Career As General

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 and 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 of the Chariots and Cavalry 車騎將軍), Gongsun Ao, Gongsun He (公孫賀) and Li Guang against Xiongnu, each leading 10,000 cavalries. Li Guang and Gongsun Ao suffered major losses at Xiongnu's hands, while Gongsun He failed to encounter and engage the enemy. Wei, however, distinguished himself by raiding Xiongnu's holy site Longcheng (龍城), killing over 700 Xiongnu soldiers guarding the place 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 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 over a million Xiongnu cattle. According to record from Shiji and Hanshu, the battle was so swift and one-sided that the Han forces "returned with all warriors intact" (全甲兵而還), implying a near-zero casualty rate. The Han recapture of the territory forced the two Xiongnu clans to withdraw from the fertile Hetao region (modern western central Inner Mongolia centered on 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 offensive and defensive 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, father of the great Han patriot Su Wu) and Zhang Cigong (張次公) were also created marquesses.

In 124 BC, Wei would be the vital part of the greatest Han victory over Xiongnu to date. When Xiongnu's Worthy Prince of the Right (右賢王, literally meaning "Wise King of the Right") made harassing raids against Shuofang, Wei and his other generals surprised them by launching a crushing night assault on Xiongnu's main camp, surrounding them from the rear. Not only did they send the Worthy Prince running for his life from his drunken slumber (with only his own concubine following), they also took about 15,000 captives, including large numbers of Xiongnu princes and nobles, and great herds of cattle. At this campaign, his nephew Huo Qubing distinguished himself in battle and was given his own command. For this victory, Wei was made the Grand General of All Armed Forces (大將軍, the Han equivalent of chief Generalissimo), 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 (an offer later refused by Wei Qing), as were seven generals under Wei's command.

In 123 BC, Wei would fight a relatively inconclusive battle. Although he was able to kill or capture more than 19,000 of Xiongnu soldiers, part of his vanguard forces, a 3,000-strong regiment commanded by Generals Su Jian and Zhao Xin, was surprised and surrounded by the forces led by Xiongnu's Chanyu Yizhixie (伊稚斜單于), and was almost annihilated. Zhao defected, while Su escaped after losing all his men in the desperate fighting. Showing compassion on Su, Wei spared him even though some advocates advised that Su be executed on the spot after court martial to enforce Wei's commanding authority.

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 praise him and create favorable public opinions, and tried to maintain a relatively low profile. 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, the Prince of Huainan Liu An, who had been conspiring a military coup for a long time, saw Wei as his prime political obstacle that must be removed.