Background

Xue Ji was born in 649, the first year of the reign of Emperor Gaozong of Tang. He was a great-grandson of Xue Daoheng (薛道衡), an important official of the preceding Sui dynasty. Xue Yuanchao – a chancellor during Emperor Gaozong's reign – was a cousin to his grandfather Xue Xingcheng (薛行成). Xue Xingcheng was a county magistrate, and Xue Ji's father Xue Renwei (薛仁偉) was not recorded with any official titles. However, it is known that Xue Ji's mother was a daughter of the famed chancellor Wei Zheng. Xue Ji passed the imperial examinations at one point, although the date is not known. Late in the reign of Emperor Gaozong's wife Wu Zetian, he served as an imperial attendant, along with her lovers Zhang Yizhi and Zhang Changzong and several officials with literary talents, including Ji Xu, Tian Guidao (田歸道), Li Jiongxiu, and Yuan Banqian (員半千).

During Emperor Zhongzongs second reign

As of the second reign of Emperor Gaozong's and Wu Zetian's son Emperor Zhongzong (705-710), Xue Ji was serving as Zhongshu Sheren (中書舍人), a mid-level official at the legislative bureau of government (中書省, Zhongshu Sheng). At that time, his second cousin Xue Yao (薛曜) was serving at the examination bureau (門下省, Menxia Sheng), and both of them were known for their literary talent. Later in Emperor Zhongzong's reign, he served as Jianyi Daifu (諫議大夫), an imperial advisor, and also served as an imperial scholar at Zhaowen Pavilion (昭文館). As his grandfather Wei Zheng's household held many important literary and artistic works, he had access to many calligraphic works of Yu Shinan and Chu Suiliang, and he, following their style, was a well-known calligrapher himself. He was also an accomplished painter. At that time, Emperor Zhongzong's brother Li Dan the Prince of Xiang was also a calligrapher, and he became acquainted with Xue. As part of this relationship, he married his daughter Princess Xianyuan to Xue's son Xue Boyang (薛伯陽).

During Emperor Shangs reign and Emperor Ruizongs second reign

In 710, Emperor Zhongzong died suddenly—a death traditional historians believed to be a poisoning carried out by his powerful wife Empress Wei and her daughter Li Guo'er the Princess Anle, so that Empress Wei could become "emperor" like Wu Zetian, and Li Guo'er could become crown princess. Meanwhile, Emperor Zhongzong's son by a concubine, Li Chongmao the Prince of Wen, was named emperor (as Emperor Shang), but Empress Wei retained power as empress dowager and regent. Less than a month later, Emperor Zhongzong's sister Princess Taiping and nephew Li Longji the Prince of Linzi (Li Dan's son) rose in rebellion and killed Empress Dowager Wei and Li Guo'er. Li Dan, himself a former emperor, was restored to the throne (as Emperor Ruizong), displacing Emperor Shang. One of the chancellors that Emperor Ruizong commissioned was Zhong Shaojing, whose support to Li Longji was instrumental during the coup. However, Zhong was not from a prominent clan and had been a low level official previously, and this drew resentment from officials from established clans.

Xue, who had been made deputy minister of worship (太常少卿, Taichang Shaoqing) and had been in charge of drafting imperial edicts, along with Su Ting, suggested to Zhong that he demonstrate modesty by offering to resign—something often done when high level officials are commissioned and mostly done ceremonially—and when Zhong did, Xue entered the palace and persuaded Emperor Ruizong to accept the resignation. Subsequently, Xue was made Zhongshu Shilang (中書侍郎), the deputy head of the legislative bureau, given the designation Canzhi Zhengshi (參知政事), making him a chancellor de facto. Soon, however, he repeatedly argued with another chancellor, Cui Riyong—with Xue accusing Cui of flattering Wu Sansi, and Cui accusing Xue of flattering Zhang Yizhi and Zong Chuke. Emperor Ruizong, tired of their bickering, removed both of them from their chancellor posts, with Xue becoming Zuo Sanqi Changshi (左散騎常侍), a senior advisor at the examination bureau.

During Emperor Xuanzongs reign

Meanwhile, the government became divided between the parties of Princess Taiping and Li Longji, to whom Emperor Ruizong passed the throne in 712 and who took the throne as Emperor Xuanzong. After Emperor Xuanzong's enthronement, however, his struggles with Princess Taiping continued, as she continued to influence politics through Emperor Ruizong, who retained power as Taishang Huang (retired emperor).

By 713, it was said that Princess Taiping, Dou Huaizhen, Cen Xi, Xiao Zhizhong, Cui Shi, Xue; along with other officials Li Jin (李晉) the Prince of Xinxing (a grandson of Li Deliang (李德良), a cousin of Tang's founder Emperor Gaozu), Li You (李猷), Jia Yingfu (賈膺福), Tang Jun (唐晙); the generals Chang Yuankai (常元楷), Li Ci (李慈), and Li Qin (李欽); and the monk Huifan (惠範), were plotting to overthrow Emperor Xuanzong. It was further said that they discussed, with the lady in waiting Lady Yuan, poisoning the gastrodia elata that Emperor Xuanzong routinely took as an aphrodisiac. When this alleged plot was reported to Emperor Xuanzong by Wei Zhigu, Emperor Xuanzong – who had already received advice from Wang Ju (王琚), Zhang Shuo, and Cui Riyong to act first – did so. He convened a meeting with his brothers Li Fan (李範) the Prince of Qi, Li Ye (李業) the Prince of Xue, Guo Yuanzhen, along with a number of his associates — the general Wang Maozhong (王毛仲), the officials Jiang Jiao (姜皎) and Li Lingwen (李令問), his brother-in-law Wang Shouyi (王守一), the eunuch Gao Lishi, and the military officer Li Shoude (李守德) — and decided to act first. On July 29, Emperor Xuanzong had Wang Maozhong take 300 soldiers to the imperial guard camp to behead Chang and Li Ci. Then, Jia, Li You, Xiao, and Cen were arrested and executed as well. Dou and Princess Taiping committed suicide. Emperor Ruizong yielded powers to Emperor Xuanzong and no longer actively participated in policy decisions thereafter. Xue was arrested and imprisoned at the jail of Wannian County (萬年, one of the counties making up the capital Chang'an) and ordered to commit suicide. His son Xue Boyang was spared on the basis that he was the emperor's brother-in-law, but was exiled, and he committed suicide in exile.

Notes and references

• Old Book of Tang, vol. 73.https://web.archive.org/web/20071011073112/http://ef.cdpa.nsysu.edu.tw/ccw/02/tan09.htm

• New Book of Tang, vol. 98.https://web.archive.org/web/20080210053058/http://ef.cdpa.nsysu.edu.tw/ccw/02/ntan14.htm

• Zizhi Tongjian, vols. 206, 209, 210.

生平

出身官宦世家，是詩人薛道衡曾孫，魏徵外孫，薛曜堂弟。

武則天朝舉進士。景龍中，任昭文館學士。唐睿宗立，授中書侍郎，官至太子少保，禮部尚書，以翊贊功封晉國公。人稱「薛少保」。工書畫，魏徵家富圖籍，多有虞世南、褚遂良墨跡，而薛稷的書法主要師法王羲之、歐陽詢、歐陽通、褚遂良與唐兄薛曜，時稱：想買褚遂良的書法，結果得到薛稷的墨跡，是不掉價的。。薛稷傳世作品極希，可靠作品只有早年書《涅盤經》、《昇仙太子碑》題記，以及最廣為人知之晚年傑作《信行禪師碑》，《涅盤經》與《昇仙太子碑》題記並沒有刻意亦步亦趨地仿褚，而《信行禪師碑》之書風則甚接近褚遂良《房玄齡碑》，兩碑部份相同字之結體甚至如同影印，亦有個別字是將《房玄齡碑》字加強筆力並將結體完美化，薛稷此舉似為顯示自己的功力已超越褚遂良。薛稷亦為一代繪畫大師，窮年模寫，能畫人物、佛像、樹石、花鳥，尤以畫鶴著名，直到五代黃筌以前，薛稷畫鶴無人能及。清代吳荷屋云：「用筆之妙，雖青瑣瑤台合意之作亦不過是過。」與歐陽詢、虞世南、褚遂良並稱初唐四大書家。傳世作品有《涅盤經》、《昇仙太子碑》題記、《杳冥君之銘》（偽）、《信行禪師碑》。

先天二年（713年）牽連進太平公主、竇懷貞謀反一案，賜死在萬年獄中。存詩十四首。

家族

子薛伯陵、薛伯陽。薛伯陽官居左千牛將軍，先後娶唐睿宗女荊山公主和涼國公主（兩位公主可能是一人），其子薛談為衛尉卿，娶唐玄宗女常山公主。