Wei Xiaokuan - During Northern Wei

During Northern Wei

Wei Xiaokuan was born in 509, during Western Wei's predecessor Northern Wei (which Western Wei and its rival Eastern Wei were divided from) -- specifically, during the reign of Emperor Xuanwu. His clan was a prominent one in the Sanfu (三輔, greater Chang'an) region, and both his grandfather Wei Zhishan (韋直善) and Wei Xu (韋旭) were commandery governors during Northern Wei. Wei Xiaokuan's given name was actually Wei Xiaoyu, but for reasons lost to history, he became known to others largely by his courtesy name of Xiaokuan.

In Wei Xiaokuan's youth, he was described to be studious and calm. When the general Xiao Baoyin rebelled in 527 and seized the Chang'an region, he was at the capital Luoyang, and he volunteered to serve in the army against Xiao. He served as an officer under Zhangxun Chengye (長孫承業) the Duke of Fengyi and contributed to the army's success, and he was given a post as a teacher at the national university in Luoyang, and then an acting commandery governor. He later served under the prominent official Yang Kan (楊侃), guarding the Tong Pass, when Yang, impressed by him, gave a daughter to him in marriage. Wei became a general during the reign of Emperor Xiaozhuang (528-530) and was created the Baron of Shanbei. During the subsequent reign of Emperor Jiemin (531-532), he served under the official Yuan Zigong (源子恭), the governor of Jing Province (荊州, modern southern Henan) as a commandery governor. It was at this time he became friends with fellow general Dugu Xin (獨孤信), who was also a commandery governor in Jing Province.

In the subsequent reign of Emperor Xiaowu (532-535), Wei was given the task of defending Jing Province, although he was not then governor. Subsequently, when Emperor Xiaowu, seeking to evade the influence of the paramount general Gao Huan, fled west to Chang'an, then controlled by Yuwen Tai, in 534, the empire became divided into Western Wei (with Emperor Xiaowu as emperor) and Eastern Wei (with Emperor Xiaojing of Eastern Wei, whom Gao declared emperor, as emperor). It is unclear when or how, but Wei eventually joined the Western Wei regime in Chang'an, but it is not clear whether that happened before or after Emperor Xiaowu's death (probably by Yuwen's orders) in 535 and replacement by his cousin Emperor Wen of Western Wei.