Xue Jixuan

Life

He was the son of Xue Huiyan and was orphaned young. At seventeen, he was recruited by his father-in-law, Sun Ruyi, the commander of Jingnan, as a secretary handling military affairs, and studied under Yuan Gai. Yuan Gai had studied with Cheng Yi and transmitted Cheng's learning to him. Xue's entry into office included recruitment as a staff member and appointment through hereditary privilege, described as enyin or yinbu.

At the end of the Shaoxing era under Emperor Gaozong, he became magistrate of Wuchang in Ezhou, organizing the local baowu units and the people while strengthening defenses against Jin forces; he later served as assistant judicial administrator in Wuzhou and magistrate of Changshu. He was summoned as a secretary in the Dali Court and appointed its senior judge, then became prefect of Huzhou and was transferred to Changzhou, but died before taking up the latter post. In 1172 he held the ranks of You Fengyilang and You Tongzhilang. He died in the ninth year of the Qiandao era (1173), aged forty, and was posthumously named Wenxian.

Thought and influence

Xue's learning emphasized substance and opposed empty discussion of principle; he focused on land taxes, military institutions, terrain, water control, and other practical affairs, and was well versed in ancient systems of feudal organization, the well-field system, the xiang and sui institutions, and the Sima Fa. In later life he associated with Zhu Xi and Lü Zuqian, engaging in extensive discussion while giving equal weight to practical statecraft. Chen Fuliang and Ye Shi later successively carried on his ideas; Yongjia learning consequently became a distinct school, and his thought marked the beginning of the Yongjia statecraft school.

Works

His works include 《書古文訓》, 《詩性情說》, 《論語直解》, 《春秋經解旨要》, 《大學解》, 《中庸解》, and 《浪語集》. 《春秋經解旨要》 is also written as 《春秋經解指要》. Other works attributed to him include 《尚書隸古定經文二卷》, 《資治通鑑約說》, 《漢兵志》, 《九州圖志》, 《武昌土俗編》 in two juan, 《地理叢考》 in one juan, and 《十國紀年通譜》.