Xue Xuanzhen

Xue Xuanzhen, the senior ancestor of Xue Bozhong, a minister of the Tang Dynasty, was a good Taoist in his youth, and did not seek fame or government, but traveled among the clouds and springs, and gained the way to immortality. He often lived and rested among the mountains and hills. Whenever he met people, he said, “The Nine Doubts and the Five Ridges are the convergence of the immortals, where the mountains and waters are elegant and peculiar, and the smoke and haze are beautiful and different from the earth. Like the peaks in Yangshuo, the caves in Boluo are so beautiful and quiet that they are unforgettable. Therefore, Zhurong is in Hengfu, Yu Shun is in Cangwu, Huxu is in Qianfeng, and Huang Di is in Dinghu. The rest of the high real listed immortal, human minister auxiliary phase, ascending free, which famous mountain and no they. What is the reason for this? The mountain is secluded and spiritual, the water is deep and clear, the pine and bamboo are intertwined, and the clouds are far away, which is not loved by the world of mortal bones and dusty hearts; not to mention the deep cave, which is open to heaven and earth, where the jasmine cream drips milk and the spiritual herbs show germs, which cannot be seen by mortal eyes and trampled by earthly people? It is a pleasure to get the way to prolong one’s Life and to visit those famous mountains and resorts at ease!”

In the last year of the Tang Dynasty, Zheng Yuqing was relegated to Chenzhou as the chief historian. One of his officials came from a faraway place to visit Zheng Yuqing and stayed in a store about ten miles away from Chenzhou to rest and met Xue Xuanzhen. Xue Xuanzhen, who was only 23 or 24 years old, was very handsome, and talked about archaeology, often mentioning the events of the Kaiyuan and Linde years, as if he had witnessed them. He also said that in February of next year, Zheng Yuqing should be reinstated and return to the court to serve. The rest of the words are very amazing. When he was asked his surname three or five times, he did not answer. Later, when he was sincerely asked, he said, “I have the ambition to be in Linquan, and I have been away from my hometown and homeland for a long Time, so I don’t want my flesh and blood to know what I am doing here. My surname is Xue and my name is Xuanzhen.” The doorkeeper later told Zheng Yuqing what he had seen. Zheng Yuqing sent his men to look for him, but there was no sign of him.

In February of the next year, Zheng Yuqing was called back to the court. When he arrived at Chang’an, he talked about the amazing story of Xue Xuanzhen, and Xue Bo Gao, a minister, said to Zheng Yuqing with tears in his eyes, “Xue Xuanzhen was my senior ancestor.

(Source: Taiping Guangji)