page_title: Wei Qing
section_title: Military campaigns
hierarchical_section_title: Wei Qing / Military campaigns
caption_attribution_description: English: Map showing the expansion of Han dynasty in 2nd century BC.
context_page_description: Wei Qing, courtesy name Zhongqing, born Zheng Qing in Linfen, Shanxi, was a famous Western Han military general acclaimed for his campaigns against the Xiongnu, and his rags to riches life. He was a consort kin of Emperor Wu of Han as the younger half-brother of Emperor Wu's wife Empress Wei Zifu, and later the third husband of Emperor Wu's older sister Eldest Princess Yangxin. He was also the maternal uncle of Huo Qubing, another decorated Han general who participated in the war against the Xiongnu.
context_section_description: In 129 BC, Xiongnu attacked the Shanggu Commandery (上谷郡, roughly modern-day Zhangjiakou, Hebei).  Emperor Wu promoted Wei Qing as the General of Chariots and Cavalry (車騎將軍) and dispatched him with Gongsun Ao, Gongsun He (公孫賀), and Li Guang in four separate columns against Xiongnu, each leading 10,000 cavalry. Li Guang (the most seasoned commander out of the four) and Gongsun Ao suffered major losses at the Xiongnu's hand, while Gongsun He failed to encounter and engage any enemy.  Wei Qing, the least experienced out of the four, distinguished himself with a successful long-distance raid of the Xiongnu's holy site Longcheng (龍城), killing over 700 Xiongnu soldiers in the process. As a reward for the victory (the first proper victory against Xiongnu in Han history), Wei Qing was promoted to a higher command and created an acting Marquess of Guannei (關內侯), with a march of several hundred households.
  In 128 BC, Consort Wei Zifu gave birth to Emperor Wu's first son, Liu Ju, and was created Empress very soon after.  Later that year, Wei Qing, who was now officially a trusted member of Emperor's extended family, led 30,000 cavalry from Shanwu (near present-day Youyuxian, Shanxi) in Yanmen Commandery, killing thousands of Xiongnu soldiers.
  In 127 BC, Wei Qing led a 40,000-strong cavalry from Yunzhong Commandery (雲中郡, modern-day Togtoh County, Inner Mongolia), then maneuver to Gaoque (高闕, modern-day Urad Rear Banner) to Longxi region (modern-day Gansu), and totally outflanking and surrounding the forces of Xiongnu's Princes of Loufan (樓煩王) and Baiyang (白羊王), killing 2,300 and capturing 3,017 Xiongnu soldiers as well as over a million 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. This earned Wei Qing a further promotion to the Marquess of Changping (長平侯), with a march of 3,800 households.  His subordinates Su Jian (蘇建, father of the great Han patriot Su Wu) and Zhang Cigong (張次公) were also created marquesses. The Han recapture of this territory forced the two Xiongnu tribes to withdraw from the fertile Hetao region (the Ordos steppe), and dealt devastating blow to their economy.  The city of Shuofang (朔方城) was built, and later became a key stronghold for offensive and defensive campaigns against Xiongnu.
  In 124 BC, Wei Qing would be the vital part of the greatest Han victory over Xiongnu to date.  When Xiongnu's Right Worthy Prince (右賢王) made harassing raids against outskirts of Shuofang, Wei Qing launched a crushing long-distance night assault from Gaoque with 30,000 cavalrymen, completely surprising and surrounding the Worthy Prince's main camp.  Not only did the Han forces 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, among them a dozen Xiongnu nobles, and millions of cattle. For this victory, Wei Qing was made the "Grand General" (大將軍) of All Armed Forces, and his march was enlarged by 8,700 households. 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 well as seven generals under his command.
  In 123 BC, Wei Qing set off from Dingxiang (定襄) and returned with several thousand enemy kills.  A month later, Wei Qing again launched from Dingxiang, but would fight a relatively inconclusive battle.  Although he was able to kill/capture more than 10,000 Xiongnu soldiers, part of his vanguard forces, a 3,000-strong regiment commanded by generals Su Jian and Zhao Xin (a surrendered Xiongnu prince), encountered a Xiongnu force led by Chanyu Yizhixie (伊稚斜單于), and was outnumbered and annihilated. Zhao Xin defected on the field with his 800 ethnic Xiongnu subordinates, while Su Jian escaped after losing all his men in the desperate fighting. Showing compassion on Su Jian, Wei Qing spared him even though some advocates advised him to execute Su on the spot after court martial to enforce his commanding authority. Du
caption: Expansion of Han dynasty. Wei Qing's campaigns against Xiongnu is shown in red arrows.
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