Duan Xiushi - During Emperor Xuanzong's Reign

During Emperor Xuanzong's Reign

Duan Xiushi was born in 719, during the reign of Emperor Xuanzong. His family was from Long Prefecture (隴州, roughly modern Qingyang, Gansu), as the family settled there after his great-grandfather Duan Shijun (段師濬) served as the prefect of Long Prefecture. Both his grandfather Duan Da (段達) and father Duan Xingchen (段行琛) served as military officers. It was said that Duan Xiushi was filially pious in his childhood, and when he was five, when his mother fell ill, he was so distressed that he could not eat or drink for seven days; only after his mother got better did he resume eating and drinking. After he grew, he was said to be silent and decisive. His friends wanted to recommend him for the imperial examinations -- specifically, for the Mingjing (明經) examinations, which required study of one of the Five Classics. Duan responded, "Looking through the book and memorizing sentences is not a great achievement," and he refused to sit for the examination.

Duan later came to serve under the military governor (Jiedushi) of Anxi Circuit (安西, headquartered in modern Aksu Prefecture, Xinjiang), Fumeng Lingcha (夫蒙靈詧), and after he distinguished himself in a Fumeng-commanded campaign against Humi (護蜜, centered around modern Faizabad, Uttar Pradesh) in 745, he was made a key officer in the Anxi army. After Gao Xianzhi replaced Fumeng in 748, Duan continued to serve under Gao. He participated in Gao's campaign to the west in 751 that culminated in the Battle of Talas against Abbasid forces, which saw Gao's forces defeated by Abbasid forces. In the aftermaths of the defeat, Gao's deputy Li Siye suggested full retreat by Gao—abandoning some of the soldiers who had become lost after the battle. Duan rebuked Li Siye, stating, "Fleeing in light of your fear of the enemy is no bravery, and sparing yourself to allow others to be trapped is no kindness." Li Siye was embarrassed, and he and Duan subsequently made an attempt to gather the scattered troops to organize them into an orderly retreat. After the army returned to Anxi, Li Siye recommended Duan to Gao to serve as the circuit's secretary. In 753, when Gao's successor Feng Changqing attacked Greater Bolü (大勃律, centering modern Gilgit, Pakistan), after the initial successes, Feng was set to pursue the Greater Bolü king, when Duan pointed out that the king's flight might be a trap—and at Duan's suggestion, Feng made a thorough search in the area of the battle, finding many Greater Bolü soldiers who had hidden themselves, ready for a surprise attack. This allowed Feng to finish the victory over Greater Bolü. Duan was thereafter promoted in rank.