Five Dynasties · Official

Xue Wenyu 薛文遇

Xuē Wényù

Attested AD 936

Passages: 3
Chapters: 1
Histories: 1

Overview

Xue Wenyu was an official.

Life and dates

Attested activity

AD 936 清泰三年五月
Dated from the passage context · Old History of the Five Dynasties 48, passages 72-73, 75

Places and affiliations

Polity Later Tang 後唐 · Relation Served
Strongly inferred · Old History of the Five Dynasties 48, passage 72

Works and attributed material

Shi Jingtang will rebel either way; strike first
Speech · Speaker · With Emperor Mo (末帝)
Directly stated · Old History of the Five Dynasties 48, passage 73

Events and relationships

Urged preemptive action against Shi Jingtang
Political · Advisor
Directly stated · Old History of the Five Dynasties 48, passage 73

Assessments and attributes

Assessment suspected by emperor to be the prophesied worthy counselor · Mode historian-judgment
Directly stated · Old History of the Five Dynasties 48, passage 75

References in the histories

Old History of the Five Dynasties, Chapter 48Volume 48 Book of Later Tang 24: Later Emperors Annals 3 · 3 passages

會薛文遇獨宿於禁中，帝召之，諭以太原之事。 It happened that Xue Wenyü was lodging alone within the palace precincts. The Emperor summoned him and spoke to him about the Taiyuan affair.

文遇奏曰：「臣聞作舍於道，三年不成，國家利害，斷自宸旨以臣料之，石敬瑭除亦叛，不除亦叛，不如先事圖之。」 Wenyü replied: "I have heard that building a house in the middle of the road takes three years and still is not finished. The welfare of the state rests on Your Majesty's decision. In my judgment, whether Shi Jingtang is removed or left in place, he will rebel either way. It would be better to strike first."

先是，有人言國家明年合得一賢佐主謀，平定天下，帝意亦疑賢佐者屬在文遇，即令手書除目，子夜下學士院草制。 Earlier someone had said that the next year the state would gain a worthy counselor to direct strategy and pacify the realm. The Emperor also suspected that this worthy counselor was meant to be Wenyü. He immediately wrote out the appointment list himself and at midnight sent it to the Hanlin Academy to draft the edict.