Xue Tao was a female poet in the Tang Dynasty, with the courtesy name Hongdu. She was born in Chang’an (now Xi’an, Shaanxi). Her father Xue Yun was an official in Sichuan. After his death, his wife and daughter lived in Sichuan. Xue Tao was beautiful and intelligent. She could write poems at the age of 8, had a deep understanding of music, and had many talents. She was famous for a time. During the Zhenyuan period of Emperor Dezong (785-804), Wei Gao was appointed as the governor of Jiannan and Xichuan. He summoned her to compose poems and drink wine, and she was included in the music register. Later, Yuan Zi, Liu □, Gao Chongwen, Wu Yuanheng, Li Yijian, Wang Bo, Duan Wenchang, Du Yuanying, Guo Zhao, and Li Deyu successively governed Sichuan. She entered and left the shogunate as a singer and a guest. Wei Gao once proposed to ask the court to grant her the title of proofreader of the Secretariat, but it was not realized due to the old rules. However, people often called her “female proofreader”. It was from her that later generations called singers “proofreaders”. The year of Xue Tao’s birth is unknown. The year of her death should be during the period when Duan Wenchang was in charge of Sichuan again, that is, between the sixth year of the Dahe era (832) and the ninth year of the Dahe era (835). The old saying that she had a relationship with Gao Pian, but Gao Pian was appointed governor of Sichuan in the first year of the Qianfu era (874) of Emperor Xizong, the time periods are far from the same, which is obviously wrong.
薛涛，唐代女诗人，字洪度。长安（今陕西西安）人。父薛郧，仕宦入蜀，死后，妻女流寓蜀中。薛涛姿容美艳，性敏慧，8岁能诗,洞晓音律，多才艺，声名倾动一时。德宗贞元(785～804)中，韦皋任剑南西川节度使，召令赋诗侑酒，遂入乐籍。后袁滋、刘□、高崇文、武元衡、李夷简、王播、段文昌、杜元颖、郭钊、李德裕相继镇蜀，她都以歌伎而兼清客的身份出入幕府。韦皋曾拟奏请朝廷授以秘书省校书郎的官衔，格于旧例，未能实现，但人们往往称之为“女校书”。后世称歌伎为“校书”就是从她开始的。薛涛生年不详。其卒年当在段文昌再度镇蜀期间，即大和六年(832)至九年(835)之间。旧说她和高骈有交往，考高骈任四川节度，在僖宗乾符元年(874)，时代远不相及，显误。
《金灯花》 薛涛
阑边不见蘘蘘叶，砌下惟翻艳艳丛。
细视欲将何物比，晓霞初叠赤城宫。
Golden Lantern Flower
Xue Tao
Beside the banisters the foliage are of absence,
And under the doorsteps alone the garish clusters presence.
Whereto does the floret, viewed scrupulously, bear resemblance?
Overlapped morrow sunglow over Chicheng Palace(1) in outward appearance.
1. Chicheng Palace refers to Mt. Chicheng in the vicinity of Mt. Tiantai. Its soil is tinged with red, bearing resemblance to cloud and sunglow.
