衛青出身與早年戰功
Wei Qing's Origins and Early Campaigns
大將軍衛青者,平陽人也。其父鄭季,為吏,給事平陽侯家,與侯妾衛媼通,生青。青同母兄衛長子,而姊衛子夫自平陽公主家得幸天子,故冒姓為衛氏。字仲卿。長子更字長君。長君母號為衛媼。媼長女衛孺,次女少兒,次女衛子夫。後子夫男弟步、廣皆冒衛氏。
青為侯家人,少時歸其父,其父使牧羊。先母之子皆奴畜之,不以為兄弟數。青嘗從入至甘泉居室,有一鉗徒相青曰:「貴人也,官至封侯。」青笑曰:「人奴之生,得毋笞罵即足矣,安得封侯事乎!」
青壯,為侯家騎,從平陽主。建元二年春,青姊子夫得入宮幸上。皇后,堂邑大長公主女也,無子,妒。大長公主聞衛子夫幸,有身,妒之,乃使人捕青。青時給事建章,未知名。大長公主執囚青,欲殺之。其友騎郎公孫敖與壯士往篡取之,以故得不死。上聞,乃召青為建章監,侍中,及同母昆弟貴,賞賜數日間累千金。孺為太僕公孫賀妻。少兒故與陳掌通,上召貴掌。公孫敖由此益貴。子夫為夫人。青為大中大夫。
元光五年,青為車騎將軍,擊匈奴,出上谷;太僕公孫賀為輕車將軍,出雲中;大中大夫公孫敖為騎將軍,出代郡;衛尉李廣為驍騎將軍,出雁門:軍各萬騎。青至蘢城,斬首虜數百。騎將軍敖亡七千騎;衛尉李廣為虜所得,得脫歸:皆當斬,贖為庶人。賀亦無功。
元朔元年春,衛夫人有男,立為皇后。其秋,青為車騎將軍,出雁門,三萬騎擊匈奴,斬首虜數千人。明年,匈奴入殺遼西太守,虜略漁陽二千餘人,敗韓將軍軍。漢令將軍李息擊之,出代;令車騎將軍青出雲中以西至高闕。遂略河南地,至於隴西,捕首虜數千,畜數十萬,走牡羊、樓煩王。遂以河南地為朔方郡。以三千八百戶封青為長平侯。青校尉蘇建有功,以千一百戶封建為平陵侯。使建築朔方城。青校尉張次公有功,封為岸頭侯。天子曰:「匈奴逆天理,亂人倫,暴長虐老,以盜竊為務,行詐諸蠻夷,造謀藉兵,數為邊害,故興師遣將,以征厥罪。詩不云乎,」薄伐玁狁,至於太原「,」出車彭彭,城彼朔方「。今車騎將軍青度西河至高闕,獲首虜二千三百級,車輜畜產畢收為鹵,已封為列侯,遂西定河南地,按榆谪舊塞,絕梓領,梁北河,討蒲泥,破符離,斬輕銳之卒,捕伏聽者三千七十一級,執訊獲醜,驅馬牛羊百有餘萬,全甲兵而還,益封青三千戶。」其明年,匈奴入殺代郡太守友,入略雁門千餘人。其明年,匈奴大入代、定襄、上郡,殺略漢數千人。
其明年,元朔之五年春,漢令車騎將軍青將三萬騎,出高闕;衛尉蘇建為游擊將軍,左內史李沮為彊弩將軍,太僕公孫賀為騎將軍,代相李蔡為輕車將軍,皆領屬車騎將軍,俱出朔方;大行李息、岸頭侯張次公為將軍,出右北平:鹹擊匈奴。匈奴右賢王當衛青等兵,以為漢兵不能至此,飲醉。漢兵夜至,圍右賢王,右賢王驚,夜逃,獨與其愛妾一人壯騎數百馳,潰圍北去。漢輕騎校尉郭成等逐數百里,不及,得右賢裨王十餘人,眾男女萬五千餘人,畜數千百萬,於是引兵而還。至塞,天子使使者持大將軍印,即軍中拜車騎將軍青為大將軍,諸將皆以兵屬大將軍,大將軍立號而歸。天子曰:「大將軍青躬率戎士,師大捷,獲匈奴王十有餘人,益封青六千戶。」而封青子伉為宜春侯,青子不疑為陰安侯,青子登為發乾侯。青固謝曰:「臣幸得待罪行間,賴陛下神靈,軍大捷,皆諸校尉力戰之功也。陛下幸已益封臣青。臣青子在啢褓中,未有勤勞,上幸列地封為三侯,非臣待罪行間所以勸士力戰之意也。伉等三人何敢受封!」天子曰:「我非忘諸校尉功也,今固且圖之。」乃詔御史曰:「護軍都尉公孫敖三從大將軍擊匈奴,常護軍,傅校獲王,以千五百戶封敖為合騎侯。都尉韓說從大將軍出窳渾,至匈奴右賢王庭,為麾下搏戰獲王,以千三百戶封說為龍嵒侯。騎將軍公孫賀從大將軍獲王,以千三百戶封賀為南窌侯。輕車將軍李蔡再從大將軍獲王,以千六百戶封蔡為樂安侯。校尉李朔,校尉趙不虞,校尉公孫戎奴,各三從大將軍獲王,以千三百戶封朔為涉軹侯,以千三百戶封不虞為隨成侯,以千三百戶封戎奴為從平侯。將軍李沮、李息及校尉豆如意有功,賜爵關內侯,食邑各三百戶。」其秋,匈奴入代,殺都尉硃英。
其明年春,大將軍青出定襄,合騎侯敖為中將軍,太僕賀為左將軍,翕侯趙信為前將軍,衛尉蘇建為右將軍,郎中令李廣為後將軍,右內史李沮為彊弩將軍,鹹屬大將軍,斬首數千級而還。月餘,悉復出定襄擊匈奴,斬首虜萬餘人。右將軍建、前將軍信並軍三千餘騎,獨逢單于兵,與戰一日餘,漢兵且盡。前將軍故胡人,降為翕侯,見急,匈奴誘之,遂將其餘騎可八百,餎降單于。右將軍蘇建盡亡其軍,獨以身得亡去,自歸大將軍。大將軍問其罪正閎、長史安、議郎周霸等:「建當云何?」霸曰:「自大將軍出,未嘗斬裨將。今建棄軍,可斬以明將軍之威。」閎、安曰:「不然。兵法」小敵之堅,大敵之禽也「。今建以數千當單于數萬,力戰一日餘,士盡,不敢有二心,自歸。自歸而斬之,是示後無反意也。不當斬。」大將軍曰:「青幸得以肺腑待罪行間,不患無威,而霸說我以明威,甚失臣意。且使臣職雖當斬將,以臣之尊寵而不敢自擅專誅於境外,而具歸天子,天子自裁之,於是以見為人臣不敢專權,不亦可乎?」軍吏皆曰「善」。遂囚建詣行在所。入塞罷兵。
是歲也,大將軍姊子霍去病年十八,幸,為天子侍中。善騎射,再從大將軍,受詔與壯士,為剽姚校尉,與輕勇騎八百直棄大軍數百里赴利,斬捕首虜過當。於是天子曰:「剽姚校尉去病斬首虜二千二十八級,及相國、當戶,斬單于大父行籍若侯產,生捕季父羅姑比,再冠軍,以千六百戶封去病為冠軍侯。上谷太守郝賢四從大將軍,捕斬首虜二千餘人,以千一百戶封賢為眾利侯。」是歲,失兩將軍軍,亡翕侯,軍功不多,故大將軍不益封。右將軍建至,天子不誅,赦其罪,贖為庶人。
General-in-Chief Wei Qing was from Pingyang. His father Zheng Ji was a minor official who had an affair with a concubine of the Marquis of Pingyang, Lady Wei, producing Qing. Qing's half-sister Wei Zifu entered the imperial harem from the Princess of Pingyang's household and won the emperor's favor — hence the Wei surname. Qing grew up as a household servant, shepherding livestock. His stepbrothers treated him as a slave. A fortune-teller once said he would become a marquis; Qing laughed: "A slave's son would be content just to avoid being beaten."
When Wei Zifu became pregnant, the jealous Empress Chen had Qing arrested with intent to kill him. His friend Gongsun Ao and some warriors rescued him. In 129 BC, Qing led his first campaign out of Shanggu against the Xiongnu, reaching Longcheng and capturing several hundred. Of four armies sent simultaneously, only Qing achieved any success — Li Guang was captured, Gongsun Ao lost 7,000 men, and Gongsun He accomplished nothing.
Over subsequent campaigns, Qing conquered the Hetao region south of the Yellow River (establishing Shuofang Commandery), defeated the Xiongnu Right Worthy King and captured over 15,000 people and millions of livestock. The emperor enfeoffed him as Marquis of Changping with 11,800 households and also enfeoffed his three infant sons as marquises. Qing humbly declined the sons' honors, saying: "My sons are still in swaddling clothes and have done nothing." The emperor replied: "I have not forgotten the other officers' merits — I will address them in time."
Notes
Wei Qing (衛青, d. 106 BC) rose from slave status to become the most successful Han general against the Xiongnu, winning seven major campaigns and opening the Hetao region. His sister Wei Zifu became Empress, but Wei Qing's promotions were primarily earned through military achievement.
Shuofang (朔方) Commandery, established in 127 BC in the Ordos Loop of the Yellow River (modern northern Shaanxi/Inner Mongolia), was one of the most strategically important conquests of Emperor Wu's reign, creating a buffer zone against Xiongnu incursions.
