Xue Ying

Historical Record

Xue Ying, styled Daoyan, was the son of Xue Zong. He first served as a Gentleman of the Palace Secretariat in the Secret Storehouse. After Sun Xiu ascended the throne, Xue Ying was appointed Cavalier Regular Palace Attendant. Some years later he resigned his post due to illness. In the early years of Sun Hao's reign, he returned to office as Left Law Enforcer, and was later promoted to Master of Writing of the Selection Bureau. After the crown prince was established, Xue Ying additionally held the post of Junior Tutor ^c:3260. In the third year of Jianheng, Sun Hao recalled with admiration the surviving writings of Xue Ying's father, Xue Zong, and ordered Xue Ying to continue composing. Xue Ying thereupon presented poems ^c:3260.

In the fourth year of Tianji, the Jin army's commanders campaigned against Sun Hao, and Sun Hao presented letters of surrender to Sima Zhou, Wang Hun, and Wang Jun; this document was composed by Xue Ying ^c:6220. After Xue Ying arrived at Luoyang, he was specially granted a priority audience and put to use, serving as Cavalier Regular Attendant. In responding to inquiries, he handled matters appropriately and with clear reasoning ^c:6220. According to Gan Bao's Annals of Jin, Emperor Wu once leisurely asked Xue Ying: "What was the reason Sun Hao perished?" Xue Ying replied: "When the Marquis of Returned Allegiance, your servant Hao, ruled Wu, he kept close to petty men, inflicted punishments recklessly, and placed no trust in his great ministers and great generals; everyone felt himself in peril and unable to keep himself safe—the roots of the state's downfall and ruin truly arose from this." Emperor Wu then asked about the surviving and the perished, the worthy and the foolish, among Wu's men, and Xue Ying answered each in full detail ^c:6220. In the third year of Taikang, Xue Ying died. He authored the New Discourses in eight chapters ^c:6220. According to Wang Yin's Book of Jin, Xue Ying's son Xue Jian, styled Lingchang, was pure and unadorned in conduct and possessed of a noble bearing; his reputation and standing were like those of a man of the central states, not resembling the people of Wu. He successively served as Chief Clerk of the two palaces and of the chancellor. After Emperor Yuan ascended the throne, Xue Jian was repeatedly promoted to Intendant of Danyang and Master of Writing, and later held the post of Junior Tutor of the Crown Prince. From Xue Zong to Xue Jian, three generations of the Xue family all served as tutors of the Eastern Palace ^c:6220.

In the Novel

In Romance of the Three Kingdoms, no independent literary portrayal is given to the figure of Xue Ying, nor are his specific deeds or words mentioned. Therefore, in the novel, Xue Ying's image is absent, and his life and contributions are not incorporated into the novel's narrative system. As there is no related record in the novel material, no deviation from the historical record can be pointed out.

Key Relationships

* Xue Zong (parent_of): Xue Ying was the son of Xue Zong ^c:3260. Both father and son were literary men; Sun Hao recalled with admiration Xue Zong's surviving writings and ordered Xue Ying to continue them ^c:3260. From Xue Zong to Xue Jian, three generations of the Xue family all served as tutors of the Eastern Palace, showing the family's standing and influence in Wu and even in the Jin dynasty ^c:6220.
* Sun Xiu (serves): After Sun Xiu ascended the throne, Xue Ying served as Cavalier Regular Palace Attendant ^c:3260.
* Sun Hao (serves): In the early years of Sun Hao's reign, Xue Ying returned to office as Left Law Enforcer, was later promoted to Master of Writing of the Selection Bureau, and additionally held the post of Junior Tutor of the Crown Prince ^c:3260. On the eve of Wu's fall, the letter of surrender that Sun Hao presented to the Jin army was composed by Xue Ying ^c:6220. Before Emperor Wu of Jin, Xue Ying gave a profound analysis of the reasons for Sun Hao's loss of his state, pointing out that "keeping close to petty men, inflicting punishments recklessly, placing no trust in his great ministers and great generals" was the fundamental cause of the downfall ^c:6220.
* Sima clan (defected_to): After Wu fell, Xue Ying surrendered to the Jin dynasty along with Sun Hao. After arriving at Luoyang, he was received and given important employment by Emperor Wu of Jin, being appointed Cavalier Regular Attendant ^c:6220. His responses before Emperor Wu of Jin displayed his talent and clarity of reasoning.

Signature Scenes

* Composing the letter of surrender for Sun Hao: In the fourth year of Tianji, the Jin army campaigned against Sun Hao, who presented a letter requesting surrender, and this crucial letter of surrender came from Xue Ying's hand ^c:6220. This not only reflects Xue Ying's literary talent but also marks his last political act as an important civil official of Wu, as well as the end of Wu's history.
* Audience with the sovereign at Luoyang, analyzing the causes of Wu's fall: After arriving at Luoyang, Xue Ying was received by Emperor Wu of Jin. The Emperor leisurely asked the reasons for Sun Hao's loss of his state, and Xue Ying gave an incisive analysis, directly pointing to Sun Hao's misgovernance—keeping close to petty men, inflicting punishments recklessly, and distrusting his great ministers ^c:6220. This scene displays Xue Ying's political insight and forthright character, and left to later ages an authoritative interpretation of the causes of Wu's fall.