Wei Xiaokuan - During Emperors Xuan and Jing's Reigns

During Emperors Xuan and Jing's Reigns

Emperor Wu died in 578, and his son Yuwen Yun the Crown Prince succeeded him (as Emperor Xuan). In 579, Emperor Xuan passed the throne to his young son Yuwen Chan the Crown Prince (as Emperor Jing), although he held onto power as retired emperor (with the atypical title of "Emperor Tianyuan" (天元皇帝, Tianyuan Huangdi). Later that year, Emperor Xuan made Wei Xiaokuan in charge of Xu Province (徐州, roughly modern Xuzhou, Jiangsu) and the surrounding provinces, and Wei subsequently participated in the campaign against rival Chen Dynasty that allowed Northern Zhou to seize the region between the Yangtze River and Huai River from Chen. Wei's contribution was in capturing the important city of Shouyang, and when Emperor Xuan's cousin Yuwen Liang (宇文亮) the Duke of Qi, angry and fearful that Emperor Xuan had recently raped his daughter-in-law Yuchi Chifan, tried to ambush Wei to seize his troops to further act against Emperor Xuan, Wei defeated Yuwen Liang. For these achievements, one of Wei's sons was created the Duke of Hua.

In 580, Emperor Xuan died, and Emperor Xuan's father-in-law Yang Jian the Duke of Sui—the son-in-law of Wei's great friend Dugu Xin—became regent. Yang, suspicious that the general Yuchi Jiong (Yuchi Chifan's grandfather), in charge of Xiang Province (相州, roughly modern Handan, Hebei) and the surrounding regions, tried to replace Yuchi with Wei. Yuchi, however, was suspicious that Yang was intending to usurp the throne, decided to rise against Yang. When Wei approached Xiang Province, he realized this, and he pretended to be ill, and instead tried to flee to Luoyang—on the way, leaving instruction to each post to give feasts to Yuchi's soldiers if they gave chase. Yuchi indeed sent soldiers after Wei, but the soldiers were slowed by the feasts given to them, and were not able to track Wei down. Once Wei reached Luoyang, he carefully guarded the city, and although the ethnically Xianbei soldiers in the city considered rising in support of Yuchi, they ultimately did not do so.

Yang then put Wei in charge of the army against Yuchi. He first defeated Yuchi's general Xue Gongli (薛公禮), who was attacking Huai Province (懷州, roughly modern Zhengzhou, Henan), and then crossed the Yellow River north. He defeated Yuchi's son Yuchi Dun (尉遲惇) near Yuchi's headquarters at Yecheng and then put Yecheng under siege. The city soon fell, and Yuchi Jiong committed suicide. Wei slaughtered the core troops that remained loyal to Yuchi to the end. Wei returned to Chang'an victoriously, and died a month later.