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Wei Gao

Tang military governor of Jiannan West Circuit under Emperor Dezong, who held Shu for twenty-one years, won Nanzhao over and repeatedly defeated Tibet, was made Prince of Nankang, and took the poet Xue Tao into his staff.

Also known as Zi Chengwu · Prince of Nankang

Wei Gao, courtesy name Chengwu, of Wannian near the capital, was a leading Tang statesman. Appointed military governor of Jiannan West Circuit in 785, he held Shu for twenty-one years, brought Nanzhao back into allegiance to the Tang and defeated the Tibetans many times, rising to acting Grand Commandant and Secretariat Director and Prince of Nankang. He died in office in 805 and was posthumously named Grand Preceptor with the posthumous name Zhongwu. He took the poet Xue Tao into his staff for her verse, and tradition holds that he asked for her the title of collator (jiaoshu lang), the origin of her name 'the female collator'. His biographies are in both Tang histories.

Life and times

  1. 745 CEBornTang
  2. 785Poetry Paper at Huanhua StreamTook partage 40Xue Tao won renown in Chengdu for her poetry under the Jiannan governor Wei Gao and, living by Huanhua Stream, had the small poem sheets made that are known as Xue Tao paper.
    1. Xue Tao, Female Collator of JiannanWhen Wei Gao governed Shu, he summoned Xue Tao to compose verse at his banquets, and she became known as the Female Collator.
  3. 805 CEDied