Zhangsun Song 長孫嵩

Zhangsun Song 長孫嵩 (358-437) was a high minister of the Northern Wei dynasty 北魏 (386-534). He was of Xianbei 鮮卑 (Taɣbač) ethnicity and had the original name Baba Song 拔拔嵩. He was the son of Zhangsun Ren 長孫仁, Grand Master of Southern Tribes (nanbu dafu 南部大人) of the state of Dai 代 (315-376).

In 376, he commanded an army subduing Liu Kuren 劉庫仁 (d. 384), the leader of the Dugu tribe 獨孤 of the Xiongnu 匈奴. Shortly thereafter, he accepted the suzerainty of Tuoba Gui 拓跋珪 (Emperor Daowu 魏道武帝, r. 376/386-408), the most powerful Xianbei leader. When Tuoba Gui became King of Dai, Zhangsun Song officially inherited the post of his father. In 397, he commanded a unit under Tuoba Gui during the attack on the region of Zhongshan 中山. For his military achievements, Zhangsun was made regional inspector (cishi 刺史) of the province of Jizhou 冀州 and was invested as Duke of Julu 鉅鹿. In 398, he was made Minister of the Masses (situ 司徒) and was given the title of palace attendant (shizhong 侍中). He was then appointed regional inspector of Xiangzhou 相州 and invested as Duke of Nanping 南平.

Under the reign of Emperor Mingyuan 北魏明元帝 (r. 409-423), Zhangsun was one of the eight eminent politicians, along with Xi Jin 奚斤 (369-448), An Tong 安同 (d. 429) and Cui Hong 崔宏 (d. 418).

In 417, when the Jin 晉 (265-420) general Liu Yu 劉裕 (Emperor Wu 宋武帝, r. 420-422, of the Liu-Song dynasty 劉宋, 420-479) assailed the empire of Later Qin 後秦 (384-417), Zhangsun Song attacked the invader, but he was defeated in the battle of Pancheng 畔城 (modern Liaocheng 聊城, Shandong) and withdrew to Pingcheng 平城. In 432, when Emperor Taiwu 北魏太武帝 (r. 423-451) was enthroned, Zhangsun was invested as King of Beiping 北平王 and appointed as educational rectifier (zhongzheng 中正) of the province of Sizhou 司州.

In the military field, Zhangsun successfully fought against the steppe federation of the Rouran 柔然, but he could not vanquish the Xia empire 夏 (407-431). He was, nonetheless, given the honorific title of Defender-in-Chief (taiwei 太尉), and later Pillar of State and General-in-chief (zhuguo da jiangjun 柱國大將軍). Whenever Emperor Taiwu carried out a military campaign, Zhangsun Song acted as resident regent in the capital. His posthumous title is King Xuan 北平宣王.