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Pei Xingjian came from a prominent family and belonged to the middle branch of the Hedong Pei family.

His ancestors were from the Ying clan and were descendants of Boyi, a descendant of the emperor.

His father, Pei Renji, was the Zuo Guanglu doctor of the Sui Dynasty. During the chaotic period at the end of the Sui Dynasty, he and his eldest son Pei Xingyan were killed in Luoyang by Wang Shichong.

The Tang Dynasty posthumously awarded him the title of Governor of Yuanzhou and the posthumous name of "Zhong".

When Pei Xingjian was young, he was able to enter the Hongwenguan as a student through the influence of his family.

In the middle period of the Zhenguan period, he took part in the imperial examination and was selected to enter the official career as a Mingjing. He initially served as a military officer of the Zuotunwei Cangcao, where he was valued by General Su Dingfang and was able to learn his military tactics.

Later, he was transferred to Yongzhou as an official, and was successively promoted to the positions of Yuwenlang of the Ministry of Finance and Yuwenlang of the Ministry of Revenue.

"In the second year of Xianqing, he was promoted to the magistrate of Chang'an County."

"When Emperor Gaozong Li Zhi deposed Queen Wang and enthroned Wu Zhaoyi, Pei Xingjian discussed the matter privately with Taiwei Changsun Wuji and Shangshu Zuo Pushe Chu Suiliang, believing that the country's troubles would inevitably start from here."

"The Dali Temple Minister Yuan Gongyu reported the matter to Wu Zhaoyi's mother, Yang, and Pei Xingjian was demoted to the position of Chief Clerk of the Western Province Military Governor's Office."

"He was later appointed as the Deputy Protector General of Jinshan. In the second year of Linde, he was promoted to the Grand Protector General of Anxi. He served in the Western Regions for seven or eight years, focusing on education, economic development and national unity. The Western Regions countries admired his righteousness and chose to submit to the Tang Dynasty."

"Due to his outstanding political achievements, Pei Xingjian was recalled to the capital by Emperor Gaozong Li Zhi and promoted to Tongwen Shaoqing. Soon after, he was promoted to Silie Shaochangbo."

"In the early years of Xianheng, he restored the old title of Libu Shilang, and was in charge of selecting officials together with Li Jingxuan and Ma Zai. He was known as a capable official and was called Pei Li and Pei Ma by people."

"In the early Tang Dynasty, the old and new systems coexisted, and the officialdom was in a state of chaos. Pei Xingjian was bold in innovation and carried out personnel system reforms, creating methods such as the long name list and the Quanzhu system."

"The criteria for the promotion and seniority of county officials were set to select officials. This method was used by later generations and had a far-reaching impact."

"In the third year of Shangyuan, Tubo attacked the border of the Tang Dynasty, and Pei Xingjian was appointed as the commander of the left second army of Taozhou Road."

"Soon after, he was appointed as the commander of the Right Army of Qinzhou and accepted the unified command of Marshal Zhou Wang."

"In the second year of Yifeng, the Ten-Surname Khan Ashina Buyan Duzhi and Li Zhafu united with the surrounding ethnic minority tribes to attack Anxi and formed an alliance with Tubo."

"The imperial court was preparing to send troops to attack. Pei Xingjian wrote a letter to Emperor Gaozong Li Zhi suggesting that he take advantage of the fact that the Persian prince Ni Neshi was being escorted back to his country to launch a surprise attack on the way. This would be a great success without much effort."

"So Emperor Gaozong Li Zhi ordered Pei Xingjian to escort the Persian prince Ni Neshi back to his country to inherit the throne and serve as an ambassador of appeasement."

"When we passed through the Moheyan Desert, the sky was covered with flying rocks, the guide got lost, and the soldiers were hungry and exhausted."

"Pei Xingjian ordered the escort team to set up camp and pray devoutly, telling the soldiers that the water source was not far away."

"Soon, the clouds dispersed and the wind died down. After walking a few hundred steps, we arrived at a place with abundant water and grass."

"When Pei Xingjian passed through Xizhou, where he had served before, officials and common people lined the streets to welcome him. Pei Xingjian summoned more than a thousand heroes and young men to accompany him."

"They also claimed that the weather was too hot and they would wait until it was cooler before heading west. When the Ten-Surname Khan Ashina Duzhi learned of this, he did not set up defenses."

"So Pei Xingjian summoned the chieftains of the four towns of Qiuci, wanting to go hunting together, and nearly 10,000 men were willing to follow."

"Pei Xingjian pretended to hunt and reorganized the team, and then he sped up his movement after a few days."

"When they were more than ten miles away from Ashina Duzhi's camp, they sent people close to Ashina Duzhi to greet them, pretending to be very relaxed and not coming to attack, and sent people to summon Ashina Duzhi to meet them again."

"Ashina Duzhi had agreed with Li Zhaifu to fight against the Tang Dynasty envoys together in August. Now that the Tang Dynasty envoys have arrived, there is nothing he can do, so he personally led the leader and 500 cavalrymen to pay homage, and Pei Xingjian captured them all."

"Then use Ashina Duzhi's command arrow to summon the chieftains of each tribe to come, capture them all and take them to Suiye City together."

"Select elite cavalry and march lightly day and night to launch a surprise attack on the Li Zhafu tribe."

"On the way, the envoys of Ashina Duzhi and Li Zhaifu were captured. Pei Xingjian released Li Zhaifu's envoy and asked him to return and inform Li Zhaifu that Ashina Duzhi had been captured. After learning about this, Li Zhaifu also chose to surrender."

"The soldiers erected a monument in Suiye City to commemorate Pei Xingjian's achievements. Pei Xingjian captured Ashina Duzhi and Li Zhafu and returned to the capital."

"Emperor Gaozong Li Zhi highly praised Pei Xingjian, saying that he was both civil and military, and because of his merits, he was awarded the title of Minister of Rites and Inspector of the Right Guard General."

Su Shi: Pei Xingjian, whose courtesy name was Shouyue, was born in Wenxi County, Jiangzhou in the Tang Dynasty.

He was born into a noble family, the Hedong Pei clan. His father was Pei Renji, the Zuo Guanglu doctor of the Sui Dynasty, and his elder brother, Pei Xingyan, was famous for his bravery and fighting skills.

During the Zhenguan period of Emperor Taizong of Tang, he took the Mingjing examination and won the top spot, and was appointed as a military officer of the Zuotunwei Cangcao.

He was talented and quick-witted, showing his extraordinary military talent and gaining the favor of the God of War Su Dingfang.

After a fierce competition, Su Dingfang believed that he had the talent to inherit his military wisdom, so he accepted him as his disciple and taught him his lifelong skills.

Pei Xingjian's family background and personal talent made him highly appreciated by the Guanlong Group represented by Zhangsun Wuji, and he was quickly promoted.

However, not long after, Wu Zetian became the empress, and all the important officials in the court who offended her were hit. Zhangsun Wuji and Chu Suiliang resigned and left, and Xing Jian was not spared and was exiled to the Western Regions.

But he stayed in the Western Regions for only one year before many countries that did not obey the rule of the Tang Dynasty began to submit.

Pei Xingjian was promoted to Anxi Protectorate for quelling the rebellion in the Western Regions.

Faced with the complex and diverse ways to enter officialdom at that time, Pei Xingjian boldly innovated and introduced a personnel management system.

Pei Xingjian's evaluation of the literati of his time was quite insightful. He regarded the Four Talents of the Early Tang Dynasty as people of outstanding talent.

But at the same time, it was foreseen that Wang Bo, Lu Zhaolin and Luo Binwang would inevitably be a little arrogant and impatient because of their excessive talents.

He clearly pointed out that unless Yang Jiong was qualified to be the county magistrate, the other three would be lucky enough to live the rest of their lives in peace.

Sure enough, as expected, Wang Bo died in a shipwreck, Lu Zhaolin died of illness, and the only one who had a good end was Yang Jiong. The unfortunate facts confirmed Pei Xingjian's prediction.

The Western Turkic tribes launched an agitation, which attracted responses from other subordinate tribes.

Pei Xingjian was ordered to lead a strong team to the front line.

Although he encountered sandstorms on the way, his guide got lost, and his men were starving, he successfully found water and revitalized the army with his decisive decision-making and firm belief in the future.

He also used strategies to win the decisive battle against the Tibetan coalition forces.

The leader of the Tuyuhun tribe stationed near today's Qinghai Lake was killed by his subordinates, which immediately triggered a chain reaction. The Western Turkic tribe took the opportunity to plan a rebellion and attempted to unite with Tubo to fight against the Tang Dynasty. Faced with a complicated situation, Pei Xingjian appeared again and led 300,000 troops to attack the rebels, and the situation took a sharp turn for the worse.

Afterwards, he adopted the strategy of capturing the leader first, and in less than two years, he completely suppressed the rebellion, leaving the rebel leader Ashina Duzhi with no way to escape.

In addition to being brave and good at fighting, Pei Xingjian also had outstanding strategic vision and tactical skills.

One day, he led his troops to the unfathomable Black Mountain and saw a high hill there.

Faced with the questioning of his exhausted soldiers, Pei Xingjian insisted on continuing the migration and launched a surprise attack on the rebels, achieving a major victory.

However, Pei Xingjian, who had made great achievements, suffered an undeserved blow when he was in glory.

He once applied to the emperor to appoint some capable people to help govern the country, but was envied by Pei Yan, the minister in charge of personnel.

Pei Yan persuaded Emperor Gaozong of Tang to kill the entire group of surrendered Turkic leaders. Although these suggestions were not ultimately implemented, this incident had a great impact on Pei Xingjian. From then on, he refused to attend court meetings and chose to recuperate at home.

"In the first year of Tiaolu, the Turkic leaders Ashidewenfu and Ashina Fengzhi raised an army and established Ashina Nishufu as Khan. The 24 states under the jurisdiction of the Chanyu Protectorate responded."

"Xiao Siye, the governor of the Shanyu Protectorate, led his army to fight and was defeated. Emperor Gaozong Li Zhi appointed Pei Xingjian as the chief commander of the Dingxiang Road Army, commanding 180,000 Tang troops led by Li Siwen, the junior minister of the Imperial Household, and Zhou Daowu, the governor of Yingzhou."

"At the same time, he commanded the Western Army led by Cheng Wuting, the Eastern Army led by Li Wenliang, and others, and together they led 300,000 Tang troops to attack the Turks."

"When Pei Xingjian led his army to Shuozhou, he learned that the Turks had previously robbed the military rations transported by Shanyu Duhu Xiao Siye, which led to the great defeat of the Tang army."

"So they disguised 300 grain transport carts, hid five strong men in each cart, armed with Mo Dao and powerful crossbows, sent hundreds of weak Tang soldiers to escort them, and ambushed elite soldiers in dangerous places to wait for the Turks to come."

"When the Turks came to seize the grain carts, the Tang army abandoned them and fled;"

"When the Turks pulled their carts to the spring, unsaddled their horses and prepared to move the food, the Tang army hidden in the carts rushed out, and the ambushed Tang army rushed forward and almost killed all the Turks;"

"After that, the Turks no longer dared to approach the Tang army's grain transport vehicles."

"The Tang army reached the north of the Shanyu Mansion. It was getting dark and they set up camp there. The trenches around them were all dug, but Pei Xingjian ordered them to move to Chonggang."

"The Tang army thought that the army had already set up camp and should not be disturbed, but Pei Xingjian urged the Tang army to move quickly."

"That night, a heavy rainstorm hit the camp, and the water was more than ten feet deep. All the soldiers of the Tang army were amazed."

"The Tang army fought against the Turkic army in Heishan. Pei Xingjian led the Tang army to victory after victory, killing and wounding countless enemy troops;"

"The Turkic general killed Khan Ashina Nishufu and surrendered with his head;"

"Then the Tang army captured the Turkic leader Ashina Fengzhi, and the remaining Turkic forces fled to Yilang Mountain."

"After Pei Xingjian returned to the capital, the Turkic leader Ashina Funian proclaimed himself Khan and joined forces with Ashide Wenfu to raise an army again and summon the remaining Turkic forces."

"The following year, Pei Xingjian led his troops to attack the Turks again and stationed them at Xingkou in Daizhou. He cleverly used a sowing of dissension to make Ashina Funian and Ashide Wenfu suspicious of each other."

"Ashina Funian left his wife, children and baggage at Jinya Mountain and led his light cavalry to launch a surprise attack on Cao Huaishun, the general of the Right Guard;"

"Pei Xingjian sent his general He Jiami to advance from Tongmo Road, and his general Cheng Wuting to attack Jinya Mountain from Shidi Road."

"After signing a contract with General Cao Huaishun of the Right Guard, Ashina Funian returned to Jinya Mountain and found that his wife, children and baggage had all been captured, and the soldiers in the army were also infected with the disease, so he led his troops to flee north."

"Pei Xingjian sent his deputy general Liu Jingtong and Cheng Wuting to lead troops to pursue and kill him. Ashina Funian requested to capture Ashide Wenfu to save himself, but he was still hesitant, thinking that the Tang army was far away, so he neglected to take precautions;"

"Tang general Liu Jingtong led his troops to launch a surprise attack. Ashina Funian fled in a panic. Then he captured Ashide Wenfu and sent people to ask Pei Xingjian for surrender."

"Pei Xingjian did not disclose the matter and sent someone to deliver a secret letter to Ashina Funian. A few days later, smoke and dust were billowing outside the Tang army camp. Pei Xingjian sent an envoy to comfort them. Ashina Funian captured Ashide Wenfu and surrendered. Thus, the remaining Eastern Turks were completely wiped out."

"Emperor Gaozong Li Zhi sent Minister of Revenue Cui Zhiti to comfort the Tang army. The Minister of the Court Pei Yan was jealous of Pei Xingjian's military exploits, so he did not report his military exploits to Emperor Gaozong Li Zhi, and beheaded Ashina Funian who surrendered;"

"Pei Xingjian did not approve of killing the surrendered, so he retired due to illness, and Emperor Gaozong Li Zhi conferred upon him the title of Duke of Wenxi County."

"In the first year of Yongchun, Chebo, the Khan of the Ten Clans of the Turkic people, raised an army. Emperor Gaozong Li Zhi appointed Pei Xingjian as the Grand Administrator of the Jinya Road and led the army to attack the Turkic people again."

"But before the army set out, Pei Xingjian died of illness in his home in Yanshouli, Chang'an, in April. He was 64 years old."

"Emperor Gaozong Li Zhi posthumously awarded him the title of Governor of Youzhou and the posthumous title of Xian;"

"He also ordered Crown Prince Li Xian to send a sixth-rank official from the capital to handle his family affairs until his descendants were able to become independent."

"In October, Pei Xingjian was buried in Dongliangyuan, Wenxi County."

"After Emperor Zhongzong of Tang, Li Xian, ascended the throne, he was again posthumously awarded the title of Grand Commander of Yangzhou;"

"During the reign of Emperor Xuanzong of Tang, Li Longji, his youngest son Pei Guangting was promoted to the position of Shizhong, so he was posthumously awarded the title of Taiwei as a precedent."

Xin Qiji: Pei Xingjian was born into the Pei family of Wenxi in Hedong, a prominent family, so he naturally had no shortage of good education.

His father, Pei Renji, was a minister of the Sui Dynasty and later served under Wang Shichong;
His elder brother Pei Xingyan was known for his courage and extraordinary martial arts skills.

When he was young, he became a student of Hongwen with the help of his father. Later, he took the Mingjing examination and passed it. He was appointed as a military officer of the Zuotunwei Cangcao.

His superior Su Dingfang was very optimistic about him and thought that he could pass on his skills, so he taught many of his own skills to Pei Xingjian.

Su Dingfang liked to use surprise tactics when employing military tactics. This was also one of the reasons why Pei Xingjian later achieved great success in the Western Regions, as he was influenced by his teacher.

Later, he was transferred to be the magistrate of Chang'an County. Because he shared the same political demands as Zhangsun Wuji and others, they all opposed making Wu Zetian the empress.

As a result, he suffered the jealousy of Wu Zetian and was demoted to the position of Chief Clerk of the Western Region Military Governor's Office, and began to govern the Western Regions.

Because he was good at mediating disputes and had a reputation for benevolence and righteousness, he gained the trust of many countries in the Western Regions, and many small countries were willing to submit to the Tang Dynasty. In addition, he was good at selecting and appointing people to the right positions, and trained generals such as Heichi Chang Zhifeng. Later, he was briefly transferred back to Chang'an to serve until the rebellion of the Western Turks.

At that time, the nobles of Western Turkic joined forces with Tubo and wanted to rebuild Western Turkic. After the information was passed back to Chang'an, court officials suggested sending troops to attack.

However, some ministers refused the proposal on the grounds that they had just fought a war and did not want to waste people's money and resources.

Therefore, Pei Xingjian's strategy was adopted. After Emperor Gaozong agreed, Pei Xingjian and Wang Fangyi set out from Chang'an in the name of escorting the Persian prince back to his country. When they passed by the residence of the Western Turkic noble, they captured him alive and put down a rebellion without bloodshed. This shows Pei Xingjian's wisdom. (End of this chapter)