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bookofjin · 6 years

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Biography of Shi Le (Weishu)

A brief history of Later Zhao. I feel like this post should have some kind of content warning. From Weishu 095.

The Jie Hu Shi Le, courtesy name Shilong, had the child name Fule. His ancestors were a separate section of the Xiongnu which divided off to live among the Jie families in Wuxiang in Shangdang [?]. For that reason he is titled a Jie Hu. [Jie羯 also means “castrated ram”.]

His grandfather Xieyiyu and his father Zhouhezhu, also written Qiyijia, were both minor leaders of section groups. Zhouhezhu was by nature brutal and course, and was not adhered to by the crowd of Hu. Le was large and strong, had brave schemes, and excelled at riding and shooting. Zhouhezhu always made him replace himself in supervising and administering the section Hu. The section Hu were fond of and trusted him.

The Inspector of Bing province, Sima Teng, seized various Hu, and sold them East of the Mountains to fill army supplies. A pair of Hu [shared] a single cangue. Le likewise was among [them]. Arriving in Pingyuan, he was originally sold to Mr. Shi as a slave. In the neighbourhood of the Shi family there were horse shepherd. Le and the shepherd leader Ji Sang came and went supporting each other. He thereupon summoned ans assembled Wang Yang, Kui An, Zhi Xiong, Ji Bao, Wu Yu, Liu Ying, Tao Bao, Lu Ming, Guo Ao, Liu Bao, Zhang Yi, Huyan Mo, Guo Heilüe, Zhang Yue, Kong Tun, Zhao Lu, Zhi Quliu and others. They went east to the Red Dragon and Thoroughbred Pastures, drove the pasture horses and turned around to plunder silk and treasures to accordingly present to Ji Sang.

At the deposing of the King of Chengdu, Ying, Ying's former general, Dong Shi Fan of Yangping and others called himself General, and rose with troops in Zhao and Wei. The multitudes reached several ten thousands. Le and Ji Sang led the shepherds, driving the pasture horses, several hundred cavalry, to accordingly go to him. And so Sang first instructed Le to use Shi as his family, and use Le as his personal name. Fan designated him as Controller of the Van Unit.

Fan was defeated in battle and himself died. Le and Ji Sang absconded to hide within the pastures. Ying's generals went north of the He. Ji Sang used Le to crouch at night at the Serrated Gates. He led the shepherds to coerce and plunder the commanderies and counties' bound convicts. He gathered an army to respond to him, garrisoning at Pingshi.

Sang called himself Great General and advanced the army to attack Ye. He used Le as Chief Commandant of the Vanguard. He attacked Ye and overcame it. A short while after he was defeated by the Jin general Gou Xi.

Le went to follow Liu Yuan, He designated him General who Assists Han and King who Pacifies Jin. Liu Cong was established. He used Le as Great General who Conquers the East, Inspector of Bing province and Duke of Ji commandery.

Liu Can attacked Luoyang. Le detained the Senior Clerk Diao Ying to control 90 000 footsoldiers, moved the supply wagons to Zhongmen, led 20 000 light cavalry to meet with Can at Taiyang, and greatly defeated Jin's Army Overseer Pei Miao at Mianche. Thereupon he arrived in the Luo river lands.

Le set out for Chengdao, and besieged Jin's Chief Commandant of Chenliu, Wang Zan, at Cangyuan. He was defeated by Zan.

He garrisoned Wenshi ford, wanting to attack northward against Jin's Inspector of You province, Wang Jun. It happened that Jun's general Wang Jia just then led more than 10 000 cavalry of the Liaoxi Xianbei to defeat Liu Cong's Great General who Calms the North, Zhao Gu to the north of the ford. Le therefore burnt the ships and abandoned the encampment, and pulled the army towards Baimen. He greeted the supply wagons from Zhongmen, joined [with them] at Shimen and crossed.

He attacked southward against Jin's Inspector of Yu province, Feng Song, in Chen commandery, but did not overcome. He advanced to attack the Chief Commandant of Xiangcheng, Cui Guang, at Fanchang, and beheaded him.

Before this, drifting people from Yong province, Wang Ru, Hou Tuo, Yan Yi and others, rose with troops between the Jiang and Huai, and received office and rank from Liu Yuan. They heard of Le's coming, and were afraid. They dispatched a multitude of 100 000 to resist at Xiangcheng. Le strike and defeated them, and fully captured their multitudes.

Le arrived in Nanyang, and garrisoned the mountains north of Wan. Wang Ru dispatched envoys to discuss peace. Le advanced to attack Wan, took it, beheaded Hou Tuo, took the surrender of Yan Yi, fully [capturing] both their multitudes.

He moved south to Xiangyang, attacking and taking more than 30 ramparts, and had ambitions of occupying [the land between] Jiang and Han. Le's Senior Clerk of the Right, Zang Bin considered it to be impossible, so he withdrew the army and went north.

Jin's Grand Tutor, the King of Donghai, Yue, led the multitudes of Luoyang, more than 200 000, to punish Le. Yue passed away in the field. The people of the army pushed forward the Grand Commandant Wang Yan as master, to lead the army and go east.

Le pursued and struck, routing them in Ku county. Le distributed cavalry to surround and shoot the,, [the dead?] piled up on each other like a mountain. He killed Wang Yan, Jin's King of Xiangyang, Fan, and others, 100 000 people. Yue's Heir Pi heard Yue had passed away, and set out from Luoyang, the followers poured out of the city [?]. Le confronted Pi at Weicang, and routed him. He seized Pi and 16 kings of the Jin imperial house and also the various ministers and gentlemen, and killed them all.

He together with Wang Mi and Liu Yao attacked and captured Luoyang, turning the merit over [?] to Mi and Yao. Thereupon he set out for Huanyuan. He captured Jin's Great General Gou Xi, and used him as Marshal of the Left. Liu Cong conferred on Le Great General who Garrisons the Army and Inspector of You province, acting as Inspector of Bing province.

He employed Zhang Bin's plan, and undertook himself from Ge Slope [?] to move his seat north to Xiangguo. He invaded You province, caught Wang Jun, and killed him. Liu Cong added to Le Earl of Xiadong, to manage on his own conquests and attacks, and to enfeoff and designate Inspectors, Generals, Wardens and steward, and arrangement of marquises, annually to comprehensively compile and send up [?].

When Liu Can was killed by Jin Zhun, Le led the multitudes to hurry to Pingyang. Yao claimed the venerated title. He conferred on Le Great Marshal, Great General, and additionally the Nine Bestowments. He added to his fief 10 commandiers, together with the preceding, 13 commanderies, and advanced him to be Duke of Zhao.

Le arrived at Pingyang. Jin Lang set out to battle with Le, Le greatly routed him. He dispatched Combined Senior Clerks of the Left, Wang Xiu, and the Master of Accounts, Liu Mao, to present the victory to Yao. Lang led the multitudes of Pingyang in flight to Yao. Yao proceeded west to Suyi. Le burnt Pingyang's palaces houses, set up border guards and returned. He moved the whole ritual and musical receptacles to Xiangguo.

Yao dispatched envoys to confer on Le Grand Steward, acting as Great General, and advanced his noble rank to King of Zhao, adding to his fief 7 commanderies, together with the preceding, 20 commanderies, when setting out and entering the guards to clear way, his crown to have 12 strings, to drive the Gold Root chariot, the carriage to have six horses, like in the old affairs when Wu of Wei assisted Han.

Wang Xiu's retainer, Cao Pingle stayed to serve at Yao's court. He talked to Yao, saying:

[When] the Great Marshal dispatched Xiu and others to come, he on the outside showed extreme reverence but on the inside [wanted to] spy out strength or weakness.

Yao truly was withered and wasted, and feared Xiu would make public about him [?]. Greatly angered, he dispatched to turn back the recorded instructions, and beheaded Wang Xiu.

Liu Mao escaped and returned, and told the circumstances of Xiu's death. Le was greatly angered, and executed Cao Pingle's father and elder brother, and eradicated his three kindred. He also made known to retroactively put stop to the conferrals of Grand Steward and King of Zhao, angrily saying:

The rise of Emperors and Kings, again how are they regular? King of Zhao, Emperor of Zhao, Your Orphan himself will take it. Fame and titles great and small, why are they measured by you?

Le therefore declared himself Great Commander-in-Chief, Great General, Great Shanyu and King of Zhao, using 24 commanderies as the state of Zhao, and declared it to be the Inaugural Year of the King of Zhao. It was the 3rd Year of Pingwen [319 AD].

Le dispatched envoys to seek peace, requesting to be brothers. Beheaded his envoys to thereby terminate it. From then at court assemblies, he regularly pretended to the rites and music of the Son of Heaven, accordingly hosting the crowd of subjects.

1st Year of Emperor Lie [329 AD], Le again dispatched envoys to request peace. The Emperor accepted it.

2nd Year [330 AD], Le usurped to declare [himself] August Emperor and set up the hundred officials., the era titled Jiangping [“Establishing Peace”, 330 – 333]. Even though the seat was at Xiangguo, he also constructed palaces at Ye. The builders were several hundred thousand followers, combining accordingly day and night.

5th Year [333 AD], Le died. His son Daya was falsely established.

Daya's name violates the temple taboo of Xianzu [I.e Emperor Xianwen of Wei, Tuoba Hong.] Daya was established, titling the era Yanxi [“Extended Radiance”, 334 AD]. Shi Hu deposed Daya to be King of Haiyang and falsely established [himself]. Soon after he killed him.

Hu, courtesy name Jilong, was Le's nephew. His grandfather was named Fuxie and his father was named Koumi. Koumi had seven sons, Hu was the fourth. Le's father. Le's father from he was an infant treated him as a son. For that reason some speaks of him as Le's younger brother.

In the middle of Jin's Yongxing [304 – 306], he and Le lost each other.

5th Year of Yongjia [311 AD], Liu Kun sent off Le's mother, Ms. Wang, and Hu to Ge slope. At the time he was 17 years old.

He was by nature ruthless and cruel, wandering and hunting without measure, able to shoot left and right. He excelled at using the pellet crossbow to shoot people. Within the army they were considerably vexed by him. Le made clear to his mother, saying:

This boy is brutal, violent and unreliable. [If I] make people in the army kill him, [my] fame and renown might decline. [I] ought to eliminate him myself.

Wang said:

A fast ox when he is a calf, is often able to destroy the chariot. Have after all a little endurance and do not let go of him.

When he became 18 years old, he was 7 chi, 5 cun tall, with bows and horses he was quick and nimble, in bravery he was at the head of the time period. Generals, subordinates, relatives and friends could not but respect in dread, Le deeply praised him.

Yet his brutal murdering was beyond proportions. Within the army there were those whose were large and strong, and because of that when [they during] hunting amused [themselves] with jokes [?], he immediately killed them. Arriving at the surrenders of cities and captures of ramparts, he did not then judge and separate good and evil, but buried and beheaded gentlemen and women, and rarely omitting anyone [?].

He managed the multitudes strict and orderly, [so they] did not dare commit crimes. When he directed and conferred attacks and punishments [of the enemy], in that direction there were nobody in front [of him]. For that reason Le's favour and trust were extensive and abundant, relying upon him accordingly sole for appointments for conquests.

Liu Cong used Hu as Grand Warden of Wei commandery, headquartered at Ye's Three Terraces. He was also enfeoffed Marquis of Fanyang, with a revenue estate of 3 000 households. Le became King of Zhao. He used Hu as General of Chariots and Cavalry, concurrently Palace Attendant and Opening Office, and advanced his fief to Duke of Zhongshan. Le claimed the venerated title. He became Grand Commandant and Warden Prefect of the Masters of Writing, enfeoffed King of Zhongshan, with a revenue estate of 10 000 households.

Le died. Hu on his own executed the Brilliantly Blessed Grandee of the Right, Chang Xia, and the Prefect of the Palace Writers, Xu Guang. He dispatched his son Sui to led troops and enter Daya's palace. The duty guard and civil and martial officials all ran and scattered. Daya was greatly afraid, affirmed himself to be inexperienced and inferior, and yielded the throne to Hu. Hu said:

Suppose [you] are incapable, Under Heaven must itself have great righteousness. How is it sufficient to comfortably discuss [?].

Thereupon he compelled to establish him.

Hu [used] himself as Imperial Chancellor and King of Wei. Hu, due to Le's civil and military officials [being] old subjects, always filled vacancies with appointments from Imperial Chancellor's pen [?]. His office companions were old intimates, and everyone stayed at the Terraces scrutinizing restrictions and demands [?].

He changed Le's Heir Apparent Palace to be named the Chongxun [“Esteemed Teachings”] Palace, and moved Le's wife Ms. Liu and below to live there. He chose their beautiful and gentle, and the control of [?] chariots, horses and clothes, everything reverted to Hu's mansion. Ms. Liu spoke to her King of Pengcheng, Shi Kan, saying:

The Imperial Chancellor readily assents to transgress and step on, [I] fear the extermination of the state's blessings will not again wait for long. It can truly be said to be raising a tiger [hu] to harm yourself. King, might [I] ask [your] designs for it?

Kan said:

The Former Emperor's old subjects are all outside due to dismissals. The multitudes' journeys do not again make use of [our] people]. Inside of the palace halls is a burial plan for destruction [?].

Your Subject requests to set out and flee for Yan province, occupy Linqiu, support the King of Nanyang, Hui, as Master of the Covenant, proclaim the Empress Dowager's decree to the various shepherds and wardens, [Generals who] Conquers and Garrisons, order each to lead righteous troops to just now punish the evil rebel. They will not but aid.

Ms. Liu made it so. But then Kan's plan did not come to fruit. Hu roasted [?] and killed him, and also killed Ms. Liu. Shi Sheng was formerly headquartered at Chang'an, Shi Lang was headquartered at Luoyang. Both rose with troops to punish Hu, and were wiped out by Hu.

Hu thereupon established himself as King of Great Zhao, titled the year Jianwu [“Establishing the Martial”, 335 – 348 AD], and moved from Xiangguo to reside at Ye. He therefore killed Daya and his mother Ms. Cheng, and all of Daya's various younger brothers.

Earlier, Hu was wearing ceremonial dress and crown and was about to sacrifice at the southern suburbs, when his reflection in the mirror had no head. He was greatly afraid and terrified, and did not dare to make claim to August Emperor. Therefore he lowered himself to be King.

He made his Heir-Apparent Sui scrutinize and admit the memorials and affairs of the Masters of Writing. Only [if the topic was] the selection for the shepherds and wardens, sacrifices at the suburbs and temples, conquests and attacks, punishments and dismissals, he then personally inspected them. Hu again changed to claim [himself] Heavenly King of Great Zhao. [When] Sui used affairs to submit to him, he indignantly said:

These are minor matters, how are they sufficient to submit!

At times when he had questions, he also angrily said:

Why did you not submit!

He criticized and called him to account, and struck him with a cane, for a length of two or three months. Sui was considerably resentful and vengeful, and privately spoke to the Palace Cadet Li Yan and others, saying:

The public house is difficult to esteem. I desire to act on the affairs of Moudun. Sirs, do you follow me?

Yan and others in the circumstances did not dare to reply. Hu heard and was greatly angered. He killed Sui and his 26 sons and daughters, and buried them only in a coffin. He executed his palace subjects and supporting faction, more than 200 people. He established his second son Xuan as Heir-Apparent.

Hu erected at Ye more than forty towers, and constructed palaces at Chang'an and Luoyang. The builders were more than 400 000 people. He also desired to erect a gallery way from Ye reaching until Xiangguo.

He commanded the four provinces south of the He to draw up preparations of the host; Bing, Shuo, Qin, Yong and Yan嚴 in the west to provide supplies for a punishment [campaign]; Qing, Ji and You to send out three of five as troops. The various provinces prepared 500 000 armoured soldiers. He disturbed and laboured the common people, people numerously lost their patrimony. He obtained from the mulberry farmers from ten houses he had three [?]. Of sailors there were 17 000 people. Those drowned in the water or murdered by Hu [or “tigers”] were one out of three.

When examining or calling into account summoned soldiers five people [were to bring] one chariot, two oxen, 15 hu rice each and 10 bolts of tabby silk [?]. In the various service movements [if] there were those who did not get ready, he always used beheading as sentence. Destitute people for the most part often sold children to accordingly fill army regulations [?]. And if still insufficient, they hanged themselves on the roads and paths. The dead looked at each other, as if seeking to send out without end.

The Grand Martial Hall was completed, with illustrations picturing loyal subjects, filial sons, zealous gentlemen and chaste women, all altered to be in the shape of the Hu, the heads receding into the shoulders. Hu greatly detested them.

He dispatched the Minister of Gamekeeping [?] and Commander of the Palace Gentlemen, Jia Ba, to lead 4 000 labourers and artisans to build in the hills and mountains of Dongping 1 000 hunting chariots. [With?] the shafts they were 3 zhang long, the height was 1 zhang 8 chi, the nets were 1 zhang 7 chi tall. They laid out forty of Hu's chariots, erecting moving two storey buildings on top of them [?]. To the south they reached Xingyang, to the east Jiyang commandery, he made the Imperial Clerks oversee and direct.

Within them there were birds and beasts, those of the people who trespassed were punished as great criminals. The Imperial Clerks because of it arrogating making power and fortune [?]. [If] people had pretty women or excellent oxen and horses, and they demanded but did not get them, they readily made false accusations using the sentencing for trespassing on the beasts. Those of the people who died succeeded each other, between the sea and Mount Dai, the He and the Ji, people had no aspirations for tranquility.

He also sent out the people's oxen, more than 20 000 animals, allotted to the Shepherd of Shuo province's officials. He added to the interior officials 24 grades, to the Eastern Palace 12 grades. The various dukes and marquises, more than 70 sets, all were to set up women officials in 9 grades.

Before this, he greatly sent out the people's women, [those] twenty and below, and thirteen and above, more than 30 000 people, to be ranking in three grades, and accordingly divided and allotted them. Commanderies and counties having hopes and aims applied themselves to the beautiful and gentle, the snatched wives were more than 9 000 people. Wives of the people with a beautiful appearance, and the prominent and powerful because of that then threatening them, led many to kill themselves. The Heir-Apparent and the various Dukes privately ordered to gather those sent out, likewise close to 10 000.

9th Year of Jianguo [346 AD], Hu dispatched envoys to court with tribute.

He made his Heir-Apparent Xuan and Xuan's younger brother, the Duke of Qin, Tao on alternative days scrutinize and admit the memorials and affairs of the Masters of Writing. Xuan detested that Tao was equal to himself and spoke to his favourites, Yang Ke, Mou Cheng and others, saying:

[If] you all kill Tao, and I enter the Western Palace, [I] will use the estates of Tao's state to divide the fief [among] you all. When Tao is dead, the Sovereign will surely personally preside. Following that [I will] act out the great affair, it will not but succeed.

Ke and others promised and assented. Therefore at night they entered Tao's mansion and killed him. Hu wanted to set out and preside over Tao's mourning, his Minister of Works, Li Nong, remonstrated, and he therefore desisted.

Next day, there was a person who told about it. Hu was greatly angered. He used iron rings to pierce Xuan's jaw and shackled him. He made a wooden trough of several dou, blending accordingly stews as meals, using the methods of pigs and dogs to feed him. He took the blades and weapons that murdered Tao [for Xuan] to lick the blood on top of them, the sound of the cries and shouts shook and moved the palace halls.

He stored up firewood north of the city, planting a guidepost on top of it. At the end of the guidepost he set up a lifting pulley, boring through it using a rope. He sent off Xuan to the place of the guidepost, and made Tao's personal eunuchs, Hao Ya and Liu Ling, pull out his hair, take out his tongue, and use ropes through his jaws for the pulley to winch him up with. Liu Ling chopped off his hands and feet, cleaved the eyes and scattered the stomach, like Tao's wounds. They let loose the fire on four sides, the smoke and flames reaching the sky. Hu, accompanied by the Bright and Decorous [a concubine rank] and below, several thousand people, climbed the Middle Terrace to accordingly observe it. The fire extinguished, he took the ashes to distribute and set up at the various gates and road junctions.

He killed his wives and children, 29 people, executed his four Leaders [of the guard] and below, 300 people, and eunuchs, 50 people. All were torn apart by chariots until the joins loosened, and dumped into the Zhang river. He defiled his Eastern Palace, using it to rear pigs and oxen.

12th Year [349 AD], Hu declared himself August Emperor, titling the year Taining [“Grand Tranquility”, 349 AD].

Hu died, his youngest son Shi was falsely established. Hu's foster grandson Min killed Shi, and used Shi's elder brother Zun as the ruler. Zun used Min as Great General Assisting the Government.

When Zun had been established for seven days there was a great storm, with thunderclaps, day became night [?]. Flames and water came down together, causing calamity at the Grand Martial Hall, extending to reach inside of the palace, offices and storehouses, reaching until the Main [changhe] Gate. It burned for the remainder of the month and then was extinguished.

Zun's elder brother Jian also killed Zun and established himself, titling the year Qinglong [“Blue-green Dragon”. Jian's younger brother Bao together with the Hu Zhang Cai, Sun Fudu and others planned to kill Min, did not overcome and died. From the Fengyang Gate to the Kunhua Hall, the piled up corpses were like hills, the flowing blood complete ponds.

Min understood the Hu people could not be employed by himself, and therefore closed the four gates of Ye City, completely killing the various Hu. Of those the Jin people who resembled the Hu many likewise excessively died. Min then killed Jian and established himself, and completely exterminated the Shi clan.

[Interestingly 晉人 here seems to be used in an ethnic sense.]

Min's original family name was Ran, he therefore restored it as his family name. He declared himself Great Wei, titling the year Yongxing [“Eternal Fostering”, 350 – 352] Soon after he was caught by Murong Jun.

#ws095

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