Author: CHUNG Yoon Ngan
Date: 01-28-12 15:06
一根筷子吃豆腐, ---Yi gen kuai4 zi3 chi dou4 fu3,
全盤給他弄壞了.---Quan2 pan2 gei3 ta nong4 huai4 le.
Eating beancurd with one chopstick,
He massed up the whole plate.
------------------------------------------
The 76th most common Chinese surname Xue 薛 (076)
Xue means: a kind of wild grass called Lai Hao (藾蒿)
The surname Xue is about 2,400 years old.
The surname Xue originated in an area referred to during the Qin Dynasty
(秦朝 221BC to 207BC) as the Hedong prefecture (河東郡). The present day
location of Hedong prefecture is in Xia county (夏縣 111.2 degree East and
35.1 degree North on the world map) in Shanxi province (山西省).
According to the historical records, during the Xia Dynasty (夏朝 2205BC
to 1766BC), a descendant of Huang Di (黃帝) or the Yellow Emperor called
Ren Xizhong (任奚仲) was appointed by the Xia King as a Chezheng (車正)
whose duty was to supervise the production of carts in the country. Ren
Xizhong proved himself an excellent Chezheng and the King rewarded his performance
by appointing him to rule a settlement called Xue (薛 the present day county
of Teng 滕縣 in Shandong province 山東省).
In 1122BC, Zhou King Wu (周武王) destroyed the Shang Dynasty (商朝1783BC
to 1134BC) and established the Zhou Dynasty (周朝 1134BC to 256BC). The
leader of Xue settlement was a member of the alliance that Zhou King Wu
lead, which resulted in the defeat of the wicked and cruel Shang King Zhou
(商紂王) and the destruction of the Shang Dynasty. Zhou Wu King rewarded
the leader of Xue the inheritable title of Hou (侯) or the Marquis. The
settlement of Xue was renamed as the State of Xue (薛國) and its leader came
to be known as Xue Hou (薛侯).
In 497BC, during the Spring and Autumn Period (春秋時代 722BC to 481BC)
the aristocrats of Xue killed their ruler, Ren Bi (任比); historical records
do not record the motivation for the assassination. The Xue aristocrats
then arranged for Ren Bi's son Ren Yi (任夷) to be installed as the new
ruler of Xue. Ren Yi eventually died in 485BC and after his death a struggle
ensued for power among his sons; Xue was in turmoil and was without a ruler.
The State of Chu (楚 the present day county of Jiangling 江陵縣 in Hubei
province 湖北省), was a powerful neighbouring State. The ruler of was Xiong
Zhang (熊章), the 29th ruler of the State of Chu, who took over the administration
of the State of Xue. Eventually Xue became a protectorate State of Chu.
Xiong Zhan appointed Ren Deng (任登), who was one of the sons of Ren Yi,
as the new ruler of Xue. Ren Deng proclaimed that his children and his future
descendants would adopt XUE (薛) as their surname.
In 279BC, during the period of Warring States (戰國時間 453BC to 221BC)
war broke out between the States of Chu and Qin (秦國 the present day county
of Fengxiang 鳳翔縣 in Shaanxi province 陜西省). Chu was too busy fighting
the Qin and neglected the defence of Xue; in fact, for all events and purposes
there was no defence of Xue. The State of Qi (齊國 the present day county
of Linzi 臨淄縣 in Shandong province) and the State of Zhao (趙國 the present
day county of Handan 邯鄲縣 in Hebei province 河北省) took advantage of the
defenceless of Xue and conquered it. That was the end of the State of Xue
which disappeared from history and after being in existence for a thousand
years, but the offspring of Ren Deng continued to use XUE (薛) as the surname.
The couplet of surname Xue
三箭定天下,---San jian4 ding4 tian xia4,
一箋傳古今.---Yi jian2 chuan2 gu3 jin.
Three arrows decided the Tang Dynasty,
And his deed lived forever.
..............................................
Prominent persons produced by the Xue clan.
(1) Xue Rengui (薛仁貴 614AD to 683AD)
將軍三箭定天山,---Jiang jun san jian4 ding4 Tianshan,
壯士長歌入漢關.---Zhuang4 shi4 chang2 ge ru4 Hanguan.
With three arrows the general pacified the Tianshan,
The warriors marched in the gate of Hanguan singing.
Xue Rengui, a famous general, was born in Jiang Zhou Long Men (絳州龍門)
in Shanxi province (山西省) during the Tang Dynasty (唐朝 618AD to 907AD).
When he was a boy his family was very poor because his father was only just
an ordinary poor farmer. When he grew up he joined the army.
In 645AD, Emperor Tai Zong Li Shimin (太宗皇帝李世民 627AD to 649AD) personally
led an expeditionary force to conquer Korea (高麗). Xue Rengui was an ordinary
soldier in the expeditionary force. The ruler of Korea congregated an army
of 200,000 men to encounter the Tang Army. Xue Rengui fought bravely. When
the mission was completed Xue Rengui had risen to the rank of a general.
Emperor Tai Zong died in 649AD and was succeeded by his 9th son Li Zhi (李
治) who was crowned as Emperor Gao Zong (高宗 650AD to 683AD). In 663AD,
Xue Ren Gu led an expeditionar force to conquer Tuguhun (吐谷渾 the present
day province of Qinghai 青海省). With three arrows Xue Rengui shot dead
three generals of the Tuguhun Army. The Tuguhun was easily conquered and
absolved into the Tang Empire. In 670AD, Xue Rengui led another expeditionary
force to conquer Tufan (吐番 the present day Xizang province 西藏省) which
was merged into the Tang Empire. Emperor Gao Zong bestowed upon him the title
of Duke Ping Yang (平陽郡公).
.....................................................
(2) Xue Lundao (薛論道 Xue Lundao 約1531 to 1600 during Ming Dynasty)
Xue Lundao was born in the county of Dingxing (定興縣) in Hebei province
(河北省) during the Ming Dynasty (明朝 1368AD to 1911AD). When he was a
boy he became crippled due to an accident that injured one of his legs.
He was a young man of great learning and he loved to talk about military
affairs. He joined the army. Although he was a disable man yet he stayed
in the army for more than 30 years.
........................................................
(3) Xue Ying (薛塋)
He was born during the Tang Dynasty and he was a poet. His famous poem
is:
秋日湖上 Qiu Ri Hu Shang
(On the lake in autumn day)
日落五湖遊,---Ri4 luo4 wu3 hu2 you2,
煙波處處愁;---Yan bo chu4 chu4 chou2.
浮沈千古事,---Fu2 shen2 qian gu3 shi4,
誰與問東流.---Shui2 yu4 wen4 dong liu2.
The explanations in plain Chinese and English.
(1) 太陽落下來的時候, 我到太湖裏去遊玩,
When the sun sets I tour the Taihu[*1A],
(2) 那湖上的煙霧和波浪, 到處都惹入愁悶的.
The mist and the waves on the surface of the lake cause the gloomy atmosphere.
(3) 人如水一樣的浮沈, 試看千古以來的事情,都沒有一定的,
Since time immemorial, it has remained virtually unchanged that man has
been like water either he floats or sinks.
(4) 滔滔的盡付東流, 卻有那一個人同我去問他呢?
It is like the rivers endlessly flowing towards the east [*2B] and who should
go with me to go and ask why?
[*1A]
Taihu (太湖) was called Wuhu (五湖) during the Kingdoms of Wu (吳國) and
Yue (越國) during the Warring States Period (戰國時代 475BC to 221BC) of
the Zhou Dynasty (周朝 1134BC to 256BC). The total area of the lake was
five hundred square lis (里) and people called it Wuhu (The Five Lakes)
which is in the provinces of Zhejiang (浙江省) and Jiangsu (江蘇省).
[*2B]
The four biggest rivers in China all flow eastwards. The Chinese, therefore,
prefer that the rivers in China always flow toward the east, endlessly.
-------------------------------------
Posted to Overseas Chinese Forum at asiawind.com
By CHUNG Yoon-Ngan (鄭永元)
All rights reserved
|
|
The Asiawind forums are provided to you by
InTechTra Inc.
