In the second year of Taixing, Shi Le proclaimed himself King of Zhao, declared a general amnesty, and pardoned all crimes punishable by less than death. He also halved the land rent for the common people and awarded varying amounts of cloth and silk to orphans and widows who were filial to their parents, diligent in farming, and willing to sacrifice for the country. Each elderly widow and impoverished citizen received three sheng of grain, and lavish celebrations were held for seven days.
Following the practice of the vassal states in the Spring and Autumn Period and the early Han vassal kings, each generation used the character "元" to denote the years. Therefore, Shi Le adopted the title of King of Zhao Yuan. He began to build altars for the gods and ancestral temples, as well as two palaces in the east and west. He appointed Pei Xian, Fu Chang, and Du Gu as sacrificial officials for the classics, Xu Xian and Yu Jing as sacrificial officials for the law, and Ren Bo and Cui Jun as sacrificial officials for history. Zhong Lei Zhixiong and General Wang Yang were appointed as sacrificial officials of the gate, specifically tasked with handling legal cases involving the Hu people. Zhang Li, Zhang Liang, Liu Qun, Liu Mo, and others were appointed as chief students, responsible for managing the entry and exit of the Hu people in the palace, strictly enforcing the law, and forbidding them from insulting Han officials. Shi Le referred to the Hu people as "the citizens of the nation." He also sent messengers to inspect various prefectures and counties, encouraging the development of agriculture and sericulture.
Shi Le promoted Zhang Bin to Grand Chief of Law Enforcement, placing him in charge of court affairs, making him the highest-ranking official. He appointed Shi Jilong as the Grand Assistant of the Chanyu, Commander of all military matters; appointed General Li Han to be in charge of military power, and trained students at the National University in horseback riding, spear fighting, battle formations, and archery. He also ordered the recording officers Zhuo Mingkai and Cheng Ji to compile the "Chronicles of Shangdang State," gentlemen such as Fu Biao, Jia Pu, and Jiang Gui to compile the "Daily Records of the Grand General," and the military officers Shi Tai, Shi Tong, Shi Qian, and Kong Long to compile the "Records of the Grand Chanyu." From then on, the court's ceremonial meetings followed the emperor's ceremonial etiquette, marked by solemnity and grandeur.
The ministers suggested rewarding based on merit; however, Shi Le said, "Since I raised my troops, it has been sixteen years. Both civil and military officials, as well as soldiers, have followed me into battle, facing gunfire and hardships. Especially in the Battle of Gebei, their contributions were exceptional and should be prioritized for rewards. If they have died in battle, their widows and orphans will receive additional rewards to comfort the living and the dead, to express my sentiments." He also ordered that retaliation against sisters-in-law during the mourning period be prohibited and that marriages during the mourning period be prohibited, while cremation customs continued in accordance with local traditions.
Kong Chang captured all eleven camps of Shao Xu. Shao Xu was later captured by Shi Jilong and escorted to Xiangguo. Liu Yao's generals Yin An and Song Shi occupied Luoyang and surrendered to Shi Le.
It is said that Cai Bao, the Inspector of Xuzhou in the Jin Dynasty, defeated Xu Gang, who then sent an envoy to Shi Le with a strategy to deal with Cai Bao. Shi Le sent the general Wang Bu as the vanguard against Xu Gang, and Zhang Jing followed with cavalry. When Zhang Jing arrived in Dongping, Xu Gang suspected an ambush and killed Wang Bu and his over three hundred men, then surrendered to the Jin Dynasty. Shi Le was furious and ordered Zhang Jing to secure the strategic position in Dongping.
During that period, heavy rainfall occurred, especially in Zhongshan and Changshan areas, causing the waters of the Huluo River to rise and wash away the valleys, uprooting large trees that floated down the river to Bohai Sea, filling the low-lying plains with piles of tree trunks and mud resembling mountains.
Kong Chang captured over ten camps belonging to Wen Yang, but he was unprepared for a defense, which allowed Wen Yang to launch a nighttime counterattack and defeat Kong Chang, who fled in defeat.
At this time, Shi Le began to organize luxurious court music and dance, such as the Ba Yi dance, and even created imperial vehicles and banners, establishing a complete system of rites and music. It was truly a grand affair! Shi Le sent Shi Jilong with forty thousand troops to attack Xu Gan. Xu Gan sent his Chief Clerk Liu Xiao to see Shi Le and request surrender, and even sent his wife and children as hostages. Shi Le accepted the surrender. At that time, Cai Bao was stationed in Qiao City. Shi Jilong attacked Cai Bao, who made a midnight escape. Shi Jilong subsequently surrounded Fengqiu City before pulling back. Shi Le relocated three hundred households of officials, their subordinates, and prominent families to Chongren Village in Xiangguo, appointing a public official to oversee them. As soon as Shi Le's palace and city gates were completed, he enacted extremely strict laws, particularly strict on the Hu people. One day, a drunken Hu man rode his horse into the palace's carriage entrance. Shi Le was furious and demanded to know from the gatekeeper, Feng Zhu, why he had not reported it. Feng Zhu, terrified, replied that he had tried to stop the drunken Hu man, but he wouldn't listen. Shi Le chuckled and let it go, noting that Hu people were hard to communicate with. Shi Le then dispatched Shi Jilong to assault the Tuo Hou tribe, led by Jueduona, winning a significant victory in northern Qian, capturing more than two hundred thousand cattle and horses.
After Shi Le became a fifth-rank official, he appointed Zhang Bin to be in charge of selecting officials and then established a system of nine ranks for officials. He appointed Zhang Ban as the Left Chief Law Officer and Meng Zhuo as the Right Chief Law Officer, responsible for managing the gentry and assisting in the selection process. He also ordered all officials and various states and counties to recommend one talented person each year who excelled in scholarship, filial piety, integrity, virtue, outspokenness, and bravery. Additionally, he established the Du Bu Department in various departments and state capitals, with a rank equivalent to that of a two-thousand-stone official, holding power comparable to that of the Prime Minister and the Minister of Justice.
Shi Le ordered, "Last year, there was abundant rainfall and a bountiful harvest of timber, with piles of wood everywhere. This is probably a sign from heaven for me to build a palace! Let's build the De Palace according to the scale of the Taiji Palace in Luoyang!" He then sent Wang Ren, the Director of the Palace Attendants, to lead five thousand craftsmen for timber harvesting. Chen Wu from Liyang had a wife who gave birth to triplets and a daughter. Chen Wu brought his wife to Xiangguo to report this matter. After reading the memorial, Shi Le saw it as a sign of harmony between yin and yang, a good omen, so he granted their family a nursemaid, one hundred stones of grain, and forty pieces of silk.
Shi Jilong attacked Duan Pidi at Yanci, and Kong Chang broke through the cities under Duan Pidi's jurisdiction. Duan Pidi's army was defeated, and he had no option but to surrender along with his family. Shi Jilong sent him to Xiangguo and appointed Duan Pidi as the General of Champions, while his brother Duan Wenyang and the general Wei Lin were appointed as Left, Right, and Middle Commanders respectively, each given a golden seal and purple ribbon. Shi Le also resettled over thirty thousand households of refugees, enabling them to return to their previous way of life, and assigned officials to manage and support them. As a result, the rebellions in Jizhou, Bingzhou, Youzhou, Liaoxi, and Baxi were successfully quelled.
At that time, General Zuti of the Jin Dynasty was stationed in Qiao County, preparing to pacify the Central Plains. Zuti was skilled at winning over the people, so many who had originally surrendered to Shi Le returned to the Jin Dynasty. Shi Le was quite wary of this and did not dare to attack easily, so he wrote a letter to Zuti saying, "General Zuti has repeatedly caused border troubles; you are the hope of the northern people! If you have the intention to surrender, I am willing to send people to repair the Zuti family tomb in Youzhou and arrange for two households to guard the tomb. I hope you can show gratitude and cease your aggression, just as Zhao She did." Zuti was very happy to hear this and sent the army officer Wang Yu to pay a visit to Shi Le, presenting gifts and expressing a willingness to reconcile. Shi Le warmly welcomed the envoy and sent the Left Attendant Dong Shu to reciprocate the visit, presenting one hundred horses and fifty catties of gold. From then on, the people in Yanzhou, Yuzhou, and Qingzhou were able to recover.
The Attendant Officer Liu Ao was beheaded because the wooden structure of the well in the De Temple was unstable. Shi Le later regretted it and posthumously promoted him to the position of Grand Minister.
The Commandant Wang He found a stone inscribed with: "Weights and Measures Stone, weighing four catties, crafted by the Xin family." Everyone discussed and couldn't figure out what this stone was for; some believed it was an omen. The army officer Xu Xian said, "This is from the time of Wang Mang." Having just endured war and chaos, the standards for weights and measures had been lost, so an order was issued for the ritual officials to establish new standards. Later, a tripod was found, capable of holding four sheng, containing thirty large coins, inscribed with: "A hundred counts as a thousand, a thousand counts as ten thousand." The tripod had thirteen characters inscribed in seal script, which were not deciphered, so it was first stored in the Yongfeng granary.
Due to this situation, Shi Le ordered everyone to use new money, but the common people were unhappy about it. So Shi Le switched to using government-issued cloth in exchange for the new money, stipulating 1,200 pieces of top-grade cloth and 800 pieces of medium-grade cloth. Consequently, the common people secretly purchased 4,000 pieces of medium-grade cloth and 2,000 pieces of low-grade cloth. Those clever individuals bought private currency at a low price, then sold it at a high price to the government officials. Ultimately, over ten people were executed, and the new money still failed to circulate widely. Later, Shi Le moved the statues of Weng Zhong and the bronze horses from Luoyang to Xiangguo, placing them at the Yongfeng Gate.
Zu Ti's general, Tong Jian, rebelled, killed Zhou Mi, the Governor of Xincai, and then sent someone to surrender to Shi Le. Shi Le executed Tong Jian and sent his head to Zu Ti, saying, "All the evils in the world are the same! Traitors and deserters are my enemies, and General, you too are my enemy." Zu Ti sent someone to thank Shi Le. From then on, Shi Le did not accept any of the rebels from Yanzhou and Yuzhou, resulting in many people from these two provinces surrendering to him.
Shi Le ordered the gentry from Wuxiang to come to Xiangguo. After the gentry arrived, Shi Le shared drinks and stories with them, reminiscing about old times. It turned out that Shi Le and Li Yang were neighbors, and they would fight every year over the hemp fields, driving each other off. At this time, Shi Le said to the gentry, "Li Yang, he's a tough guy, why hasn't he come? Fighting over hemp fields is a squabble of the poor. I now rule the world. Why should I bother with a commoner?" So he sent someone to invite Li Yang. When Li Yang arrived, Shi Le drank and chatted with him with great enthusiasm, grabbing Li Yang's arm and saying, "I used to despise your old punches, and you endured my vicious blows." Then he rewarded Li Yang with the best armor and appointed him as a military commander. Shi Le also ordered, "Wuxiang is my hometown, just like Liu Bang's Fengpei. After I die, my soul will return here, so it must prosper for three generations." Because the common people were just starting to resume production and had not saved enough, Shi Le issued a ban on private brewing of alcohol. The wine for sacrifices in ancestral temples should be brewed by the government. After several years of this, no one brewed alcohol privately anymore. Shi Le appointed Shi Jilong as the General of Chariots and Cavalry, leading thirty thousand troops to Lishi to attack the Xianbei Yu Zhou tribe. The result was a great victory, capturing over a hundred thousand cattle and horses. Yu Zhou fled to the Wuhuan people, and the Wuhuan surrendered as well.
Earlier, the eldest son of Shi Le, Shi Xing, died. At that time, Shi Le appointed Shi Hong as his heir and made him the commander of the central army. Later, Shi Le sent Shi Jilong to lead forty thousand elite soldiers to attack Xu Gan. Xu Gan refused to engage in battle, so Shi Le constructed fortifications to lay siege to him. Xu Gan simply returned home to tend to his farm. At the same time, Liu Wei, the General of the Northern Garrison of the Jin Dynasty, surrendered to Shi Le and was appointed as the General of the Southern Garrison and a Marquis. Later, Shi Jilong broke through Xu Gan's defenses, captured him, and brought him to Xiangguo. Shi Le locked him up in a hundred-foot-high building and then killed him. Even more cruelly, he killed all of Xu Gan's subordinates' families, dug out their flesh to eat, and killed three thousand surrendered soldiers. Liu Xia, the Inspector of Yanzhou in the Jin Dynasty, was fearful and retreated from Zoushan to Xiapi. Sun Mo, the Interior Minister of Langye, also surrendered to Shi Le with Langye. Many garrisons between Xuzhou and Yanzhou all requested surrender one after another, and Shi Le appointed them all as local officials.
Zhang Pi, a resident of Qinghe, served as Cheng Xia's Chief of Staff, and Cheng Xia trusted him very much. Later, he promoted Zhang Bin to the position of assistant, enabling him to take part in political matters. However, Cheng Xia felt that Zhang Pi had too much power and became suspicious of him, also disliking Zhang Bin's growing influence. Shi Hong, Shi Le's eldest son, was Cheng Xia's nephew. He believed he had backing and wanted to establish prestige in the court. He had his mother falsely accuse Zhang Pi and Zhang Bin, claiming they were rogues with many followers and high prestige, which posed a detriment to the state. Shi Le believed it to be true. Zhang Pi was urgently summoned but did not arrive on time, so Shi Le had him killed. Realizing the rift between Cheng Xia and him, Zhang Bin dared not request promotion again. Not long after, Shi Le promoted Cheng Xia to the Chief of the Right, entrusting him with authority over political affairs. From then on, the court ministers grew increasingly fearful of the Cheng family and sought to ingratiate themselves with them.
At this point, Zu Di passed away, and Shi Le began to raid the border. Shi Le's general, Shi Ta, defeated the Jin army and captured the General of the Northern Expedition of the Jin Dynasty, Wei Rong. Jin's Northern Expedition General, Zu Yue, was filled with fear and retreated to Shou Chun. A large-scale epidemic broke out in Shi Le's territory, killing many people, about seventy to eighty percent of the population. Therefore, Shi Le ordered the suspension of construction on Huiwen Hall. He also sent General Wang Yang to station in Yuzhou, with the intention of monitoring the Central Plains. Consequently, the turmoil continued, and the people of Liangzhou and Zhengzhou were in a state of panic.
Shi Le then sent Shi Jilong to lead forty thousand troops to attack Cao Yi's forces. Earlier, Cao Yi planned to move to the sea and rely on Guanyu Mountain to protect himself, but he encountered a serious epidemic before he could carry out his plan. Shi Jilong laid siege to Guanggu, and the Taishou of Donglai, Liu Ba, and the Taishou of Changguang, Lv Pi, both surrendered. Shi Le also appointed Shi Ta as the Eastern Expedition General to lead an expedition against the Qiang and Hu in Hexi. Shi Ting led troops to support Guanggu, and Cao Yi surrendered, where he was escorted to Xiangguo. Shi Le ruthlessly executed him and ordered the massacre of his thirty thousand soldiers.
Shi Le planned to kill all of Cao Yi's people. At this time, the Inspector of Qingzhou, Liu Zheng, said, "Leave Liu Zheng here to manage the people; if no one manages, Liu Zheng will also escape." Shi Le then left seven hundred men, women, and children to Liu Zheng to oversee Guanggu. The city defenses across various counties in Qingzhou were completely breached.
Shi Le sent the governor of Sizhou, Shi Sheng, to attack Jin Dynasty's General Guo Song in Yangzhai. After failing to capture Yangzhai, he went on to attack Xiangcheng, capturing over a thousand people before returning. Shi Le noticed that the staff officer Fan Tan was very poor, so he promoted him to be the Intendant of Zhangwu. When Fan Tan was about to take up his new post, Shi Le was surprised to see his worn-out clothes and said, "How can Staff Officer Fan be so poor?" Fan Tan, an honest and simple man, replied calmly, "Recently, my family’s wealth was completely taken by the brutal Jie bandits." Shi Le laughed and said, "The Jie bandits are so brutal in their plundering! I should compensate you now." Fan Tan was extremely frightened, kowtowing and tearfully thanking him. Shi Le said, "My rule is to guard against greedy commoners; it doesn’t apply to you learned scholars." He then rewarded him with carriages, horses, clothes, and three hundred thousand silver coins, in order to motivate those greedy common people.
Shi Le sent Captain Shi Zhan to attack Xiapi, defeating Jin Dynasty's General Liu Chang, then went on to attack Lanling, defeating Liu Xu, the Intendant of Pengcheng. Zhu Zhen, the Prefect of Dongguan, and Xiao Dan, the Prefect of Donghai, also surrendered to Shi Le with their counties. Shi Le personally visited schools of all sizes, examining the students' understanding of the classics. For students who excelled in their studies, he rewarded them with various amounts of silk. Shi Le had a great fondness for literature, and even in the military camp, he often had Confucian scholars read historical texts to him, commenting on ancient emperors' virtues and vices based on his own understanding. The court officials and scholars praised him for his perspectives. When someone read the "Book of Han" to him, he was shocked by Li Shi's suggestion to establish six states, saying, "This approach is bound to fail; how can it bring order to the world?" However, when he heard Liu Hou's counsel, he exclaimed, "Thank goodness for this!" His intelligence and acumen were evident in these instances.
First, Shi Le gathered the troops from Xuzhou and Yangzhou, meeting Shi Zhan at Xiapi. Liu Xia, fearing for his life, fled from Xiapi to the banks of the Sishui River.
Shi Le dispatched Shi Sheng to attack Yin Ping, the Prefect of Henei, resulting in Yin Ping's death. Shi Sheng also captured over ten fortresses and more than five thousand households before returning. From that point on, animosity between Liu Yao and Shi Le intensified, which led to frequent battles in the Hedong and Hongnong regions, inflicting great suffering on the local populace.
To promote agriculture, the court appointed Huo Hao as the Agricultural Adviser, along with Zhu Biao, the Agricultural Commissioner, and Lu Chong, the Agricultural Supervisor, to inspect different regions, verify household registrations, and promote agricultural production. Those who excelled in agricultural production would receive the title of Wudafu from the court.
Shi Le ordered Shi Sheng to command troops from Yanshou Pass to attack Xuchang and Yingchuan, capturing over ten thousand individuals, with another twenty thousand choosing to surrender. Shi Sheng even captured Kangcheng. General Guo Song of the Jin Dynasty pursued Shi Sheng but was defeated, resulting in the deaths of over a thousand soldiers. Shi Sheng regrouped his remaining troops and stationed them in Kangcheng. Upon hearing of Shi Sheng's defeat, Shi Cong, the Internal Historian of Jizhou, quickly led troops to rescue him, while also engaging Guo Mo and capturing over two thousand men and women. Shi Cong also defeated the Jin generals Li Ju and Guo Mo.
One day, Shi Le was hunting in the outskirts. His chief clerk, Cheng Lang, advised him, saying, "Liu Yao, Ma Ji, and others are all assassins. There are rebellious armies everywhere, and the situation may change at any time. Even the emperor can only rely on himself. Shouldn't we learn from the lesson of Sun Ce? Moreover, even dead wood can be harmful. Too much fighting will eventually bring harm. This is a lesson from ancient times." Shi Le became enraged and retorted, "I know my own abilities. I can control the situation. Just stick to your paperwork and don't get involved in these matters!" That day while hunting, Shi Le's horse crashed into a tree and died, and he narrowly escaped with his life. At that moment, he admitted, "Not listening to the advice of loyal ministers was my mistake!" So, Shi Le rewarded Cheng Lang with official court robes and fine brocade, and appointed him as Marquis of Guannei. From that point on, court officials eagerly rushed to offer their counsel.
The commandant of the Jin Dynasty, Lu Qian, defected and surrendered to Shi Le, fleeing to Xuchang. Shi Zhan, one of Shi Le's subordinates, captured and killed Tan Bin, the Inspector of Yanzhou, at Zoushan, where Tan Bin died in battle. Shi Le's General of Western Yi, Wang Sheng, attacked Cui Kun, the Inspector of Bingzhou, and Wang Shan, Shangdang's Interior Minister. Bingzhou also rebelled and surrendered to Shi Le. Prior to this, Shi Le attacked Liu Yue, a general of Liu Yao, at Shiliang. Shiliang fell, Liu Yue was captured, and sent to Xiangguo. Shi Le then attacked Wang Sheng and killed him. When Li Ju heard of Liu Yue's defeat, he was extremely fearful and fled from Xingyang. Li Ju's Chief of Staff, Cui Xuan, led Li Ju's two thousand soldiers to surrender to Shi Le. Consequently, Shi Le gained full control over the Yanzhou region, with many counties in Xuzhou, Yuzhou, Binzhou, and Huaizhou also surrendering to him.
Shi Le ordered the sundial from Luoyang to be moved to Xiangguo and placed in the courtyard of the Chanyu's residence. He engraved the names of thirty-nine distinguished officials on a stone tablet and placed it in front of Jiande Hall. He also built a Sangzi Garden in Xiangguo.
One night, Shi Le disguised himself and privately inspected the camp's defenses. He tried to bribe the soldiers guarding the gate with silk and gold to let him pass. The gatekeeper Wang Jia pretended to want to arrest him, but Shi Le's attendants arrived, and Wang Jia relented. The next day, Shi Le summoned Wang Jia and appointed him as Commandant of Loyalty, granting him the title of Marquis of Guannei. Later, Shi Le went to Yuanxiang and summoned the army clerk Xu Guang, but Xu Guang was drunk and did not go. Shi Le had always disliked Xu Guang and felt that Xu Guang always had opinions about him, so he was very angry this time and demoted Xu Guang to a gatekeeper position. Shi Le returned to Ye City from Yuanxiang, with Xu Guang serving by his side. Xu Guang looked displeased, rolled up his sleeves, and glared at him without making eye contact. Shi Le disliked him even more and asked Xu Guang, "What did I do to make you so unhappy?" He then imprisoned Xu Guang and his wife together.
Shi Le planned to build a palace in Ye City and wanted his son Hongzhen to guard the city, so he secretly discussed this with Cheng Xia. Shi Le believed he had made great contributions and considered Ye City as his stronghold, so he had no intention of leaving. After building three platforms and relocating his family, Shi Le became very resentful towards Cheng Xia. He sent dozens of men to sneak into Cheng Xia's house at night, assaulted his wife and daughters, stole their belongings, and fled. Shi Le assigned his son Hongzhen to guard Ye City, with ten thousand imperial guards and fifty-four camps under the command of the cavalry, as well as the Xiongqilingleader, Menchen Jijiu Wang Yang, leading six foreign troops to assist him.
Shi Cong attacked Shouchun, failed to capture it, and then attacked Quanqiu and Fuling, killing more than five thousand people, which sent shockwaves through the capital.
Liu Kai, the governor of Jinan, and General Zhang He rebelled, killed Xiahou Jia, the Interior Minister of Xiapi, and then Xiapi surrendered to Shi Sheng. Shi Zhan attacked the governor of Henan, Wang Xian, in Zhu, defeated Wang Xian, and captured the city. General Wang Guo of Longxiang also switched sides, leading Nanjun to surrender to Shi Le. Liu Xu, the Interior Minister of Pengcheng during the Jin Dynasty, took back Lanling and Shicheng, but was later attacked by Shi Zhan.
Shi Le ordered each state and county to investigate anyone who left graves open and hold them accountable, and to prepare coffins and burial shrouds for any exposed bones. He promoted Wang Bo, the General of the Teeth Gate, to military secretary, responsible for organizing various schools of thought, and began to establish an examination system for scholars and filial candidates.
Shi Huan, the magistrate of Chiping County, caught a black rabbit and offered it to Shi Le. Cheng Xia and others claimed this was a good omen for Shi Le's "dragon flying revolution." They explained that rabbits are yin creatures and black is the color of water, suggesting that His Highness should quickly heed the people's will. Therefore, Shi Le decreed a general amnesty and changed the calendar from Xianhe to Taihe.
Shi Kan attacked Zu Yue, the Yuzhou Inspector during the Jin Dynasty, in Shou Chun, with his army stationed by the Huai River. Wang Guo, the Longxiang General from the Jin Dynasty, defected again with Nanjun and surrendered to Shi Kan. Dong You, the Nanyang Commandant, also switched sides, leading the army of Xiangyang to surrender to Shi Kan. Zu Yue's subordinates and officials secretly sent people to join Shi Le. Shi Cong and Shi Kan crossed the Huai River together, took Shou Chun, and Zu Yue fled to Liyang. Over 20,000 households in Shou Chun were captured by Shi Cong.
Liu Yao defeated Ji Long and then laid siege to Luoyang. The Prefect of Yingyang near Luoyang, Yin Ju, the Prefect of Yewang, Zhang Jin, and others surrendered to Liu Yao, causing panic in Xiangguo. Ji Long planned to personally rescue Luoyang, but his Chief of Staff, Guo Ao, and others strongly advised against it, saying, "Liu Yao is currently in a strong position; it is difficult to confront him head-on. Luoyang has sufficient food supplies and cannot be taken down in a short time. Liu Yao's army is far from the rear and cannot support for long. You must not personally go out; the risk is too great. If you fail, everything will be lost!" Ji Long became angry upon hearing this, drew his sword, pointed at them, and drove them out.
Then Ji Long pardoned Xu Guang, called him over, and said, "Liu Yao, riding high on his recent victory over Ji Long, has laid siege to Luoyang. Most would see him as invincible. However, Liu Yao has brought a hundred thousand troops and has been besieging the city for a hundred days without success. His troops are worn out; our morale is high now, and we can catch him off guard and capture him in a single strike. If Luoyang cannot be held, Liu Yao will definitely run to Jizhou, and then march south from north of the Yellow River, and we will be doomed. Cheng Xia and the others did not let me go out in person; what do you think?" Xu Guang replied, "Although Liu Yao is riding high on his victory, he has not been able to take Xiangguo; instead, he went to besiege Luoyang, which shows he is not capable. His army has been far from the rear for a long time, without the advantage of winning battles. If Your Majesty leads the army in person, Liu Yao's army will definitely be in disarray. The opportunity to take over the world is right in front of us; this is a heaven-sent opportunity, and we must seize it, otherwise disaster will come." Ji Long smiled and said, "Xu Guang is right!" Fotu Cheng also told Ji Long, "If the army goes out, they will definitely capture Liu Yao." Ji Long was even more pleased and ordered martial law nationwide; anyone who dares to oppose him will face execution.
He ordered Shi Kan, Shi Cong, and Yuzhou's governor, Tao Bao, to each lead their troops to gather in Xingyang. He sent Shi Jilong to occupy Shimen and ordered the Left Guard Shi Sui to lead the central army. He himself led his forty thousand infantry and cavalry to Luoyang, crossing the river at Daye. Previously, there were many floating ice pieces and strong winds in the river. When the army arrived, the ice had melted, and the weather had warmed. After crossing the river, more floating ice appeared. Jilong believed this was divine intervention and named the crossing Lingchang. Jilong turned to him and said, "If Liu Yao sets up defenses at Chenggao Pass, that would be the best strategy; if he blocks the Luo River, that would be second best; if he stubbornly defends Luoyang, he's just asking to be captured!" All the troops gathered at Chenggao, totaling sixty thousand infantry and twenty-seven thousand cavalry. Jilong was delighted to find that Liu Yao had not stationed troops for defense. He pointed at the sky and then at his forehead, saying, "It's fate!" He then ordered the troops to march discreetly, taking small paths to bypass through Gong County and Zi County. He knew that Liu Yao had deployed over a hundred thousand troops west of the city, which only added to his delight. He said to those around him, "We can celebrate victory!" Jilong led his forty thousand infantry and cavalry into Luoyang through Xuanyang Gate and ascended the Taiji Hall. His thirty thousand infantry attacked Liu Yao's central army from the north, while Shi Kan, Shi Cong, and others each led eight thousand elite cavalry to attack Liu Yao's vanguard from the west, resulting in a fierce battle at Xiyang Gate. Jilong personally led the charge, emerging from the palace gates to flank Liu Yao's forces. Liu Yao's army was defeated, and Shi Kan captured him, parading him through the troops and beheading over fifty thousand soldiers, leaving corpses covering the fields. Jilong ordered, "We aimed to capture just one person, and we've succeeded. Order the soldiers not to pursue further, and give them a way out." He then returned to court and sent General Shi Sui and others to escort Liu Yao north.
Wow, Zu Yue rebelled and ended up failing, surrendering to Shi Le. Shi Le scolded Wang Bo on his behalf: "You've rebelled to this extent, only surrendering when you've reached a dead end. Do you think our court is a refuge for fugitives? Do you have the nerve to show your face?" Then Shi Le showed him the earlier decree against Zu Yue and ultimately pardoned him.
Next, Liu Xie's son Liu Xi fled Chang'an with a group of people and made his way to Shanggui. Shi Le sent Shi Jilong to pursue them.
At this time, Shi Le was touring the various counties of Jizhou. He specifically met with the elderly, respectful sons, hardworking farmers, and educated individuals, rewarding them with food and cloth according to their needs. He also ordered local officials to announce to their territories that they could speak their minds freely, without hiding anything, to let everyone know that the court was eagerly seeking talents and desired to hear various opinions.
Shi Jilong captured Shanggui, and the registrar Zhao Feng presented the imperial seal, golden seal, and prince's seal to Shi Le. Afterwards, Shi Jilong went to attack the Jumu and Qiang people in Hexi, winning battles and capturing tens of thousands of enemy soldiers, pacifying both Qinzhou and Longzhou. The Governor of Liangzhou, Zhang Jun, was alarmed and quickly sent envoys to pledge allegiance and offer tribute, relocating 150,000 Di and Qiang civilians to Sizhou and Jizhou.
Shi Le's ministers believed that he had made great contributions and restored peace to the realm, so they suggested changing the reign title to meet the expectations of the people. Therefore, Shi Jilong and others presented the emperor's jade seal and seal of authority to Shi Le, wanting to crown him as emperor. However, Shi Le declined the offer. After repeated requests from the ministers, Shi Le finally declared himself emperor in the fifth year of Xianhe, naming himself Zhao Tianwang and taking charge of imperial affairs. He also posthumously honored his grandfather Xie with the title of Xuanwang, his father Zhou with the title of Yuanwang, his wife, Lady Liu, as empress, and his son Hong as crown prince.
Then, Shi Le conferred official titles and ranks on his other sons: his son Hong was conferred as the King of Qin, with the official positions of Grand Commandant, Cavalry Commandant, Commander-in-Chief of all military forces, General of Chariots and Cavalry, and Great Chanyu; the General of the Left Guard, Bin, was conferred as the King of Taiyuan; his son Hui was conferred as the General of State Affairs and King of Nanyang; Duke of Zhongshan, Shi Jilong, was conferred as Grand Commandant, Minister of the Imperial Secretariat, and King of Zhongshan; Shi Sheng was conferred as the King of Hedong; Shi Kan was conferred as the King of Pengcheng; Jilong's son Sui was conferred as the Inspector of Jizhou, King of Qi, with additional titles of Cavalry Commandant and General of Martial Guards; Xuan was conferred as the General of the Left; Ting was conferred as Palace Attendant and King of Liang. He also appointed the Chief Clerk of the Left, Guo Ao, as the Supervisor of the Left of the Imperial Secretariat, the Chief Clerk of the Right, Cheng Xia, as the Supervisor of the Right and concurrently the Minister of Personnel, the Marshal of the Left, Kui An, the Marshal of the Right, Guo Yin, the Attendant Officer, Li Feng, and the former Chief of the Palace Gentlemen, Pei Xian, as the Minister of the Imperial Secretariat, and appointed the Military Advisor, Xu Guang, as the Prefect of the Palace Library and concurrently the Director of the Imperial Secretariat. In short, in this act of rewarding merit, many founding meritorious officials were ennobled as Marquis, Counts, Viscounts, and Barons.
The Palace Attendant Ren Bo and others held discussions and decided that the color representing the Zhao State should be gold, symbolizing the virtue of water; the flag should be black, the sacrificial livestock should be white, and the sacrificial dates should be chosen from the months of Zi, Chou, Yin, and Mao. Shi Le agreed to these suggestions. Shi Le also decreed, "In the future, when encountering major difficult matters, the eight officials and appointed deputy officers should bring their memorials to the Eastern Hall, where I will carefully review and make decisions. If urgent military and state affairs need to be reported, the Prefects and Chief Clerks should report immediately, regardless of the weather or time of day."
Shi Le believed that his ancestor Shi Yue was disloyal to the former dynasty, so he killed Shi Yue and over a hundred of his relatives and descendants.
The ministers kept urging Liu Le to quickly ascend to the throne, and Liu Le boldly took the position of emperor, granting a general amnesty and changing the era name to Jianping. He moved the capital from Xiangguo to Linzhang. He posthumously honored his great-grandfather with the title of Emperor Shun, his grandfather as Emperor Wei, his father as Emperor Shizong Yuan, and his mother as Empress Yanzhao. Civil and military officials were rewarded according to their merits. He appointed his wife as Empress Liu and established positions for consorts and ladies, equivalent to dukes; noble concubines and noblewomen, equivalent to marquises; court ladies and court maids, equivalent to earls; virtuous ladies and virtuous maids, equivalent to viscounts; and beauties, equivalent to barons. The selection of these palace concubines emphasized virtue, with no limit on their number.
Liu Le urgently instructed Guo Jing, the military commander of Jingzhou, and Dong You, the Colonel of the Southern Barbarians, to attack Xiangyang. Liu Le sent orders to Guo Jing, instructing him to withdraw his troops and station them in Fancheng, reminding him to hide the banners and act as if no one was present. If the enemy sent scouts, he should tell them, "Hold your ground well, the main army will arrive in seven or eight days, and by then, you won't be able to escape!" Guo Jing had his men wash the horses continuously at the ferry crossing. The scouts reported this situation to Zhou Fu, the General of the South, who thought that Liu Le's main army had indeed arrived and hastily fled to Wuchang. Guo Jing successfully entered Xiangyang, and the army did not engage in any looting, so the local populace felt secure. Wei Xia, brother of Wei Gai, General of the Northern Expedition of the Jin Dynasty, and others led Wei Gai's subordinates to surrender to Guo Jing from Shicheng. Guo Jing razed Xiangyang and relocated the inhabitants to the north bank of the Mian River, stationing troops in Fancheng to defend the area.
The King of the Xiu Tu Wang Qiang tribe in Qinzhou rebelled, and the governor Lin Shen sent Sima Guang to lead the provincial army to suppress them, but they were defeated by the Qiang. The Longyou region was in chaos, and the Di and Qiang tribes all rebelled. Liu Le dispatched Shi Sheng to seize Longcheng. Shi Sheng bribed the nephew of the Xiu Tu Wang Qiang, who held a grudge against his uncle, and together they attacked the Qiang. The Qiang were defeated and retreated to Liangzhou. Liu Le relocated over five thousand noble Qiang households from Qinzhou to Yongzhou.
Le issued a decree, stating, "From now on, all methods of dealing with people must be in accordance with the law. If I have made a punishment decision out of anger in the past, if the other party holds a high position, they should not be punished again; or those orphans and widows who died for the country, if they accidentally violate the law, you, my subordinates, must report the details of the situation, and I will carefully consider before making a decision."
In the hall, there was a man named Chen Zhu, whose wife gave birth to triplets. Le rewarded them with clothing, provisions, a wet nurse, and exempted them from corvée for three years. At this time, Goguryeo and Sushen sent finely crafted arrows, and Yuwen Wugou also presented good horses to Le. The Governor of Liangzhou, Zhang Jun, sent Chief Secretary Ma Shen with maps to visit locations such as Gaochang, Yutian, Shanshan, and Dawan, and presented local specialties. Tao Kan, the Governor of Jingzhou in the Jin Dynasty, sent the acting chief secretary Wang Fu to meet Le, bringing treasures and rare animals from Jiangnan. Qinzhou sent white beasts and white deer, Jingzhou sent white guans and white rabbits, and the Jiyin region witnessed intertwined trees and sweet dew falling in Yuanxiang.
Because these auspicious signs appeared one after another, distant countries also submitted one after another. He pardoned the minor crimes committed over the past three years and exempted the people from last year's overdue taxes. In particular, he pardoned the death penalty offenders in Liangzhou, promoted the Liangzhou accounting officials to the rank of Langzhong officials, and rewarded each of them with ten pieces of silk and ten jin of cotton. During the ceremony of offering sacrifices to Heaven in the southern suburbs, he saw white mist rising straight up from the altar into the sky, which made him very happy. After returning to the palace, he pardoned the minor crimes committed over the past four years. He also sent envoys to appoint Zhang Jun as the Duke of Wuwei, granting him the right to collect taxes from all the counties in Liangzhou. He personally plowed the fields, and after returning, he pardoned the minor crimes committed over the past five years, rewarding his officials with gold and silk according to their ranks.
Due to a solar eclipse, he avoided the main hall for three days and ordered all officials to submit their opinions in writing. He also ordered the prohibition of unofficial ancestral temples in the states and counties, only permitting the reconstruction of temples that could summon rain and benefit the people, planting auspicious trees according to the ranks of mountains, rivers, and streams.
Legend has it that Cao Rui, the son of Cao Cao, wanted to build a luxurious palace in Ye City. However, the senior minister Xu Xian advised him against it in a memorial. Cao Rui became angry and said, "If I don't get rid of this old man, my palace won't be built!" He then ordered the imperial censor to arrest Xu Xian.
At this time, Xu Guangjin, the Minister of the Central Secretariat, hurriedly came out to mediate, saying, "Your Majesty is wise and intelligent, wiser than Yao and Shun, but now you do not want to listen to the advice of loyal ministers. What is the difference between this and Xia Jie and Shang Zhou? Those words, use those that can be used, and tolerate those that cannot be used. How can you execute a court minister just because he spoke the truth?" Cao Rui sighed when he heard this and said, "As an emperor, I can't be so arbitrary! Don't I understand that he was speaking honestly? I was just joking with him earlier! He has hundreds of pieces of cloth and still wants to buy another house, not to mention that I own the entire world and am a supreme ruler! This palace will get built eventually. However, for now, let's stop construction and let my ministers feel encouraged." Then, Cao Rui rewarded Xu Xian with 100 pieces of silk and 100 bushels of rice. He also ordered that every year, officials recommend one virtuous, upright, outspoken, talented, filial, and honest person, who will be appointed as junior, middle, or senior officials if they pass the examination. These individuals can also recommend each other, broadening the channel for selecting talent. Next, Cao Rui began the construction of Mingtang, Biyong, and Lingtai in the west of Xiangguo City. At this time, by divine intervention, a heavy rain fell and flooded the northwestern area of Zhongshan, bringing along millions of giant trees that piled up by Mingtang. Cao Rui was thrilled and said to his ministers, "Do you know? This is heaven telling me to build the capital!" He then appointed Ren Wang, the Minister of Finance, and Zhang Jian, the Water Commissioner, to supervise the construction of the capital and personally oversee the planning of the project. The tribes of Zitong, Jianping, and Hangu in Shu also submitted to Cao Rui. Feeling that Chengzhou had good feng shui and was the old capital of the Han and Jin dynasties, Cao Rui started thinking about moving the capital. He then designated Luoyang as the southern capital and set up a government office and appointed imperial historians in Luoyang.
The envoys of Goguryeo and the Yuwen clan came, and everyone drank together. As they drank, Gao Huan pointed at Xu Guang and asked, "Since I began my journey, what kind of monarch do you think I am?" Xu Guang flattered him, saying, "Your Majesty, you are wise and martial, with strategies that surpass those of Emperor Gaozu of Han and talents that exceed those of Emperor Wu of Wei. You even outshine the Three Sovereigns and Five Emperors. You are truly the successor of the Yellow Emperor!" Gao Huan laughed, "Don't you know what kind of person you are? That’s a bit much. If I were to meet Emperor Gaozu Liu Bang, I’d definitely serve him respectfully and fight for the country alongside Han Xin and Peng Yue. If I encountered Emperor Guangwu Liu Xiu, we’d face off in the Central Plains, and who would win would be anyone’s guess! A real man should act with integrity, shining bright like the sun and moon, and absolutely not deceive or resort to underhanded tactics like Cao Cao and his son Sima Yi to take power. I’m probably somewhere between Emperor Gaozu and Emperor Guangwu, nowhere near the Yellow Emperor!" Once Gao Huan finished speaking, all the officials and generals bowed and shouted "Long live!" General Zhao Yin of the Jin Dynasty took Matou, and General Han Yong was sent by Shi Kan to rescue them, but he was too late. Han Yong then attacked Nansha and Haiyu, capturing over five thousand people. Legend has it that after Guo Jing retreated to Fancheng, the imperial army was stationed at Xiangyang. At this point, Guo Jing captured Xiangyang, left his troops there, and headed back.
A violent storm struck, with lightning striking the main gate of Jiande Palace and the west gate of Xiangguo City, killing five people. Hail fell on the other side of Xihe Jieshan, the hailstones were as large as eggs, accumulating to three feet deep on flat ground, and even more than ten feet in low-lying areas. Countless people and animals froze to death, and disaster affected an area spanning over a thousand miles, including Taiyuan, Leping, Wuxiang, Zhaojun, Guangping, and Julu, with trees uprooted and crops failing completely.
Shi Le summoned Le Zheng to the eastern hall and asked Xu Guang, "Has such a great disaster ever happened in history?" Xu Guang replied, "The Zhou, Han, Wei, and Jin dynasties have all experienced such calamities. While such disasters are not uncommon, a wise ruler should always respond accordingly, to show respect for the anger of the heavens. Last year's cancellation of the Cold Food Festival; Jie Zitui is the god of the Jin state, revered by generations. Perhaps canceling the Cold Food Festival was ill-advised. When someone sighs, it can undermine the king's virtue, not to mention the gods' resentment, which could anger the heavens! Even if the whole country cannot restore the Cold Food Festival, the area near Jieshan was, after all, the place where Jin Wengong was enfeoffed, so the locals should be permitted to honor him."
Shi Le ordered, "The Cold Food Festival is an old custom in Bingzhou. I have celebrated this festival since I was young, and it can't be changed. Some people have said that Jie Zitui was a subject of the nobles, and the emperor should not be superstitious about him, so the Cold Food Festival was canceled. Could it be that this led to the disaster? Even though Jie Zitui is revered as a local deity, illegal worship is still unacceptable. Quickly check the old records, discuss it, and then report your findings to me." The relevant authorities reported that Jie Zitui has been venerated throughout history, requesting the restoration of the Cold Food Festival. They also proposed planting precious trees for him on Jieshan, building a shrine, and allocating household registrations for offerings. Shi Le had the palace attendant Wei Jiao argue against this, saying, "According to the 'Spring and Autumn Annals,' if ice is not stored properly, the release of yin energy can cause hail. How was hail caused before Jie Zitui? This is all due to the imbalance of yin and yang. Furthermore, Jie Zitui was a virtuous man; how could he cause such a disaster? This certainly cannot be attributed to him. Although ice cellars have been built now, I am worried that the ice in the cellars is not placed in a cold enough place. Many ice cellars are located next to mountains and rivers, causing the leakage of yin energy and resulting in hail. If we allow sacrifices to be made between Mianshan and Jieshan because of Jie Zitui's loyalty and virtue, it will not be beneficial for the whole country." Shi Le listened to Wei Jiao's advice and moved the ice cellars to colder places, and Bingzhou restored the Cold Food Festival. Shi Le ordered his crown prince, Shi Sui, to have the report from the Ministry of Personnel reviewed by the eunuch Yan Zhen, who would verify the accuracy of the report. Only military campaigns, punishments, and major events were to be directly reported to him. From then on, Yan Zhen's power surpassed that of the prime minister. Nets for catching birds could be set up on Shi Le's door, which caused Shi Le to grow increasingly displeased.
Guo Jing marched south to raid Jiangxi. As a result, Huan Xuan, the General of the South of the Jin Dynasty, seized the chance to launch a surprise attack on the unguarded Fan City and captured all the inhabitants of the city. Guo Jing quickly returned with his forces to save Fan City, and the two armies clashed at the Nie River. Guo Jing's vanguard suffered a crushing defeat, and Huan Xuan's forces also took significant losses. Ultimately, Huan Xuan gathered all the spoils and withdrew. Later, Huan Xuan continued south to capture Xiangyang, leaving the army to garrison there.
Upon arriving in Ye City, Shi Le went to the residence of Shi Jilong and said to him, "You can't have both achievement and enjoyment at the same time. After the palace is built, I will build a mansion for you. Don't let your current simple living situation get you down." Shi Jilong removed his hat in gratitude. Shi Le said, "We are conquering the world together, why are you thanking me!" Just then, a meteor streaked across the sky, the size of an elephant, with a tail like a serpent, lighting up the ground. Finally, it fell into the river, and its sound echoed for over nine hundred miles. A black dragon surfaced in Ye City's well, which delighted Shi Le. He called his ministers to gather in Ye City.
He ordered schools to be established in every county and state, with two scholars and two priests assigned to each county, and 150 students per county. After passing three exams, they could move up to positions in the central government. He promoted five students from the Imperial College to be assistant writers, to document current events. At that time, a severe drought was gripping the land. Shi Le personally inspected the prisoners in the jail, commuting the sentences of those with five years or less and releasing them. Those with longer sentences received food and drink, were allowed to bathe, and would be re-evaluated in the autumn. Just before he reached the palace, heavy rain started to pour.
Shi Le arrived at Fengshui Palace, but his illness worsened, so he returned. He summoned Shi Jilong, his crown prince Hong, the Grand Chamberlain Yan Zhen, and others to the palace to tend to his illness. Shi Jilong falsely issued an imperial decree and killed Crown Prince Hong, along with all the ministers, both inside and outside the palace, and their relatives. No one knew how serious Shi Le's illness really was. He then feigned summoning Shi Hong and Shi Kan back to Xiangguo. Shi Le's condition improved a bit, and when he saw Shi Hong, he said, "Qin Wang, why have you come? I left you to guard the borders for exactly this kind of situation. Did someone send you? If someone sent you, you should kill them!" Shi Jilong, startled, replied, "Qin Wang just wanted to come back to see; I will send him back now." A few days later, Shi Le inquired again, and Shi Jilong replied, "He’s already halfway back." Shi Le told Shi Hong to stay outside, but in the end, he didn’t send him off.
Speaking of Shi Le, he faced a locust plague and secretly sent his son Shi Sui with three thousand cavalry to patrol the locust-infested area. At that time, strange phenomena appeared in the sky: Mars was positioned in the heart, and stars were falling sixty miles northeast of Ye City. At first, there were red, black, and yellow clouds, like a curtain, stretching for dozens of yards, intertwined, with a sound like deafening thunder. When the clouds hit the ground, it felt like fire, with dust flying and obscuring the sky. A farmer went to check it out and found the ground still steaming and boiling, and saw a green stone about a foot in size, light as a feather, that chimed when struck.
Shi Le's illness worsened. Before his death, he left a will: "He should be buried three days later. After the funeral for all officials is over, mourning clothes should be removed. There should be no prohibitions on marriage, sacrifices, drinking, or eating meat. Officials from various regions, towns, and military garrisons must not leave their posts to attend the funeral. They should wear ordinary clothes and use common vehicles, and no accompanying burial goods of gold, silver, treasures, or precious items. Dàyǎ (Shi Hong) is still young and might not fully grasp my intentions. All officials under the King of Zhongshan must strictly adhere to my orders. Dàyǎ and Shi Bin must support each other, take the lessons from the Sima family as a warning, and must ensure they live in harmony. King of Zhongshan, you should reflect carefully on the stories of Zhou Gong and Huo Guang; do not give future generations any reason to criticize." Shi Le passed away in the seventh year of the Xianhe era, at the age of sixty, having reigned for fifteen years. He was secretly buried in a valley under the cover of night, and only a grand funeral was held publicly, which was referred to as the Gaoping Mausoleum. He was posthumously honored as the Ming Emperor and given the temple name Gaozu. Shi Hong, whose courtesy name was Dàyǎ, was Shi Le's second son. He showed filial piety from a young age, humble and prudent, studying Confucian classics under Du Gu and legalism under Xu Xian. Shi Le said, "The world is not peaceful now; we cannot just teach him to read." So he had Liu Zheng and Ren Bo instruct him in military strategy, and Wang Yang teach him horseback riding and archery skills. Later, he appointed him as Crown Prince, then as the Commander of the Central Army, and later as the Guard General, tasked with overseeing the government and ultimately stationed in Ye City.
The emperor passed the throne to the crown prince, who is humble, loves literature, and is surrounded by Confucian scholars. The crown prince said to Xu Guang, "This doesn’t seem like the heir of a military family; he’s too refined." Xu Guang replied, "Emperor Gaozu of Han conquered the world on horseback, while Emperor Xiaowen used peaceful methods to defend the country. The descendants of sages will surely grow stronger with each generation; that’s the natural order." The crown prince was quite pleased to hear this. Xu Guang continued, "The crown prince is kind, just, filial, cultured, and refined, while the King of Zhongshan is fierce and cunning. If the emperor were to pass away, I’m worried that the country could be in danger. We should gradually weaken the power of the King of Zhongshan and let the crown prince get involved in court affairs sooner." The crown prince took his advice.
Cheng Xia said to the Crown Prince again: "The King of Zhongshan is brave, astute, and no minister can match his prowess. Apart from the Emperor, he holds everyone else in contempt. He has held military power for many years, with influence both inside and outside, and is cruel, ruthless, and utterly devoid of integrity. His sons have all grown up and are involved in military and political affairs. While the Emperor is alive, it is fine, but I fear he may harbor discontent, which would complicate supporting the Crown Prince. He should be dealt with sooner rather than later for the greater good." The Crown Prince said, "The realm is still unsettled, and the war continues; the Crown Prince is still young and needs strong support. The King of Zhongshan is a founding hero, close to the states of Lu and Wei, and should be entrusted with important tasks. How could it be as you claim? You’re worried about losing control over the Emperor’s uncle’s power while assisting the Crown Prince. I will appoint you as a chief minister, so do not worry excessively." Cheng Xia cried and said, "I speak the truth, yet the Emperor dismisses me based on personal sentiments. Is this the behavior of a wise Emperor who encourages open discussion and loyal ministers fulfilling their duties? Although the King of Zhongshan was raised by the Empress Dowager, he is not the Emperor's biological son and cannot be measured by family ties. Your Majesty is wise and formidable; a mere display of authority would suffice. You have already bestowed much grace and honor upon him and his sons, that should be more than sufficient. Wei Guo's heavy reliance on Sima Yi and his son ultimately led to the country's downfall. What potential benefits could the King of Zhongshan possibly offer in the future, given this lesson? I am fortunate to have the trust of the Eastern Palace. If I do not tell the Emperor these words, who else will? If the Emperor does not act against the King of Zhongshan, I fear the kingdom will meet its doom!" The Crown Prince did not listen to him. After leaving, Cheng Xia said to Xu Guang, "The Emperor's words just now, the Crown Prince is definitely in danger; what are we going to do?" Xu Guang said, "The King of Zhongshan has always harbored hatred towards us both; it’s not just the state that’s at risk; our family is in jeopardy too. We should consider the safety of the country and the family, and not sit idly by."
Xu Guang privately said to the Crown Prince again, "The Emperor has pacified the eight provinces and gained control of the entire world; why does he look so troubled?" The Crown Prince replied, "The Kingdom of Wu and the Kingdom of Shu have still not been pacified, and the systems are still not unified. The Sima family still has influence in the Danyang area. I am afraid that future generations will think I do not conform to the mandate of heaven. Whenever I think of these things, I can't help but frown." Xu Guang said, "I think what the Emperor should worry about is internal troubles, not the minor issues! Why do I say this? The Wei Kingdom inherited the rule of the Han Dynasty and is the rightful emperor. Although Liu Bei has occupied Ba Shu, we can't say the Han Dynasty has truly fallen. Although Wu has occupied Jiangdong, how can that be said to threaten Wei's interests? The Emperor has already occupied two capital cities and is the Emperor of China. What makes that Sima kid any different? Liu Bei and Sun Quan are the same; their power doesn’t come from the Emperor—can it still be attributed to them? These are all just minor issues. The King of Zhongshan relies on the Emperor's guidance, and everyone says he is brave, second only to the Emperor, but he's cruel and treacherous, always putting profit over loyalty, and does not have the loyalty of Yi Yin or Huo Guang. He and his sons hold high positions and power that surpass the royal family. Just look at him; he always seems dissatisfied. Recently at the banquet in the Eastern Palace, he even looked down on the Crown Prince. Your Majesty, if you keep letting him slide, I worry that a hundred years from now, the ancestral temple will be choked with weeds. This is a serious internal threat, Your Majesty, and you need to do something about it." The Crown Prince remained silent and ultimately did not heed the advice.
After Shi Le had killed the Later Zhao Emperor Shi Hong, he immediately called Shi Hong's younger brother Shi Xuan to meet with him, and then ordered the arrest of Cheng Xia and Xu Guang, and sent them to the Ministry of Justice to face charges. At the same time, he had Shi Hong's son Shi Sui lead troops into the palace to be in charge of palace security. This frightened the court officials, causing both civil and military officials to scatter in panic. Shi Hong, terrified, quickly handed the throne over to Shi Le. Shi Le said, "The Emperor has passed away, the Crown Prince should inherit the throne, how could I possibly rebel!" Shi Hong insisted on stepping down, tears in his eyes, and Shi Le angrily said, "If he cannot be Emperor, there will naturally be other voices out there; we don’t need to talk about that right now!" In the seventh year of Xianhe, Shi Le forced Shi Hong to abdicate, renamed the era Yanxi, and promoted all civil and military officials one rank. Then, he had Cheng Xia and Xu Guang executed. Before his death, Shi Hong named Shi Le Prime Minister, King of Wei, and Grand Chanyu, and bestowed upon him the Nine Bestowments, and made him the ruler of thirteen counties, giving him control over the court.
Shi Le initially declined, but eventually accepted these rewards after a while. He granted a general amnesty, pardoning all criminals sentenced to less than death. He appointed Shi Le's wife Zheng Shi as the Queen of Wei, his son Shi Sui as the Crown Prince of Wei, granting him many important positions such as Imperial Protector, Palace Attendant, Grand Commander of Military Affairs, Grand General, and Minister of the Imperial Secretariat. Shi Le's brother Shi Xuan was appointed as Imperial Protector, Grand General of Chariots and Cavalry, and Governor of Jizhou, being titled King of Hejian; Shi Tao was appointed as Vanguard General, Colonel-Director of Retainers, and titled King of Le'an; Shi Zun was titled King of Qi; Shi Jian was titled King of Dai; Shi Bao was titled King of Leping; the former Prince of Taiyuan, Shi Bin, was renamed King of Zhangwu. Shi Le arranged for the civil and military ministers of the late Shi Hong to serve in minor roles within the Prime Minister's office, while his own trusted aides were appointed to important positions. He also renamed the Crown Prince's Palace to Chongxun Palace and moved Shi Hong's wife Liu Shi and other members of the palace to Chongxun Palace. Shi Le also transferred the beautiful women from Shi Hong's palace, along with his vehicles, treasures, clothes, and other valuables to his own residence. Lastly, Shi Le appointed Kui An as Left Minister and Guo Yin as Right Minister.
Mrs. Liu asked Shi Kan, "The royal dynasty is on the verge of collapse; what do you intend to do?" Shi Kan replied, "The former officials of the late emperor have been pushed to the fringes, the military refuses to take our orders, and the palace is utterly powerless. I intend to flee to Yanzhou and seize Linqiu, proclaim the Prince of Nanyang as our leader, and then use the empress dowager's edict to rally the governors and generals from across the land to unite against these treacherous rebels. We will surely succeed!" Mrs. Liu said, "The situation is urgent; you should set off immediately. If you delay, the situation may change." Shi Kan agreed, disguised himself, and hurried to Yanzhou. However, he delayed too long and failed, forcing him to flee south to Qiaocheng. Shi Le dispatched his generals, including Guo Tai, to track him down, captured Shi Kan in Chengfu, took him to Xiangguo, where he was executed by burning. Shi Le subsequently recalled Shi Hui to Xiangguo. Mrs. Liu's scheme was uncovered, and she too was executed by Shi Le. Shi Le conferred the title of Empress Dowager upon Shi Hong's mother, Lady Cheng.
Shi Sheng defended the pass, Shi Lang guarded Luoyang, and they both rebelled in their respective garrisons. Shi Le left his son Shi Sui to guard Xiangguo and led seventy thousand infantry and cavalry to attack Shi Lang in Luoyang. The city of Luoyang was breached; after having his toes amputated, Shi Lang was executed. Shi Le's forces pressed on towards Chang'an, appointing Shi Ting as the vanguard commander. Shi Sheng sent General Guo Quan to lead twenty thousand Xianbei troops as the vanguard to resist, while he himself led the main army to follow and stationed at Puban. The vanguard forces clashed fiercely with Shi Ting at Tongguan but were ultimately defeated, with Shi Ting and Chancellor Liu Wei both killed. Shi Le retreated to Mianchi, with corpses littering the landscape for over three hundred miles along the way. The Xianbei secretly conspired with Shi Le, betraying Shi Sheng in their attack. At that time, Shi Sheng was still at Puban and did not know that Shi Ting had died in battle. Terrified, he rode alone on horseback towards Chang'an. Guo Quan gathered three thousand soldiers and cavalry to confront Shi Guang at the Wei River. Eventually, Shi Sheng left Chang'an and took refuge in Jitou Mountain. General Jiang Ying defended Chang'an. Upon hearing that Shi Sheng had fled, Shi Le led his troops into Guanzhong, attacking Chang'an. Over ten days later, Chang'an was breached, and Jiang Ying and others were killed. Shi Le then stationed troops in Qian County and declared a general amnesty, hinting to Shi Hong to establish a Wei administration, following the model of assisting the Han Dynasty like the Wei Kingdom. Guo Quan survived by surrendering and subsequently occupied Shanggui before submitting to the court. The court appointed Guo Quan as the General of the West and the Inspector of Qinzhou, with the regions of Jingzhao, Xinping, Fufeng, Fengyi, and Beidi rallying to his side. Shi Guang, Shi Le's General of the West, engaged Guo Quan in battle but was defeated.
Shi Le sent Guo Ao and his son Guo Bin with forty thousand troops to attack Guo Quan, and the army camped in Huayin. The nobles of Shanggui had Guo Quan killed and then surrendered to Shi Le. Shi Le relocated over thirty thousand households in Qinzhou to various counties in Qingzhou and Bingzhou. The leaders of the Di tribe in the south, such as Yang Nandi, surrendered Ren Tong to Shi Le. Chen Liangfu from Chang'an fled to the Black Qiang, colluding with the Northern Qiang's king, Bo Judada, and others, to harass Beidi and Fengyi while confronting Shi Bin. Shi Tao and others led cavalry to attack the rear of Bo Judada, flanking Shi Bin, and defeated Bo Judada, forcing him to flee to Malan Mountain. Guo Ao and others pursued but were defeated by the Qiang people, losing roughly one-seventeenth of their forces. Guo Bin and others withdrew to San Cheng.
Shi Le was furious upon hearing this and sent someone to kill Guo Ao. Shi Hong voiced his grievances, prompting Shi Le to imprison him. Shi Hong took the emperor's jade seal and seal and personally went to see Shi Le, implying his desire to abdicate the throne. Shi Le said, "The people's opinions should be determined by themselves. Why are you discussing this here?" Shi Hong returned to the palace, weeping to his mother, "The late emperor really left nothing!" Not long after, Shi Le sent Prime Minister Guo Yin with the symbols of authority into the palace, deposed Shi Hong, and reduced him to the King of Haiyang. Shi Hong calmly got on the carriage, with a calm face, and said to the courtiers, "I cannot bear the heavy responsibility of inheriting the throne, instead disappointing everyone's expectations. This is simply fate. What else is there to say?" All the officials couldn't help but cry, and the palace attendants wept bitterly.
In the first year of Xiankang, Shi Le imprisoned Shi Hong and the brothers Cheng Shi, Shi Hong, and Shi Hui in Chongxun Palace, and soon after killed them all. Shi Hong reigned for two years before dying at the age of twenty-two.
Zhang Bin, courtesy name Mengsun, was from Zhongqiu in Zhaojun. His father, Zhang Yao, was the Prefect of Zhongshan. Zhang Bin loved learning from a young age, broadly studying the classics and historical texts, but he was not confined to literal interpretations. He had a broad mind and strong principles. He often remarked to his family and friends, "I believe that my wisdom, strategy, and knowledge are not inferior to Zhang Liang; it's just that I lacked the fortunate timing of Liu Bang." He once served as a commander under the King of Zhongqiu, but he didn't enjoy this position and resigned due to illness.
During the chaotic Yongjia period, Shi Le was appointed as the Assistant Han General by Liu Yuanhai and led his army southward. Zhang Bin said, "I have seen many generals; only General Hu (referring to Shi Le) has the potential to achieve great things alongside him." So, he took a sword and ran to the camp gate, shouting to see Shi Le. Initially, Shi Le did not see anything remarkable about him.
Later, Zhang Bin gradually began to offer Shi Le advice and strategies, and Shi Le began to value him, treating him as his military adviser. Zhang Bin's plans were always spot on, and Shi Le was able to establish his foundation thanks to Zhang Bin's contributions. Later, Zhang Bin was appointed as the Right Chief Historian, Grand Law Enforcement Officer, and Marquis of Puyang, holding a high position and great prestige. Yet he remained humble and approachable, treating all scholars equally, regardless of their abilities, allowing everyone to speak freely. He held himself to high standards, remaining honest and upright, avoiding cliques and personal gain. He always spoke frankly in court and always spoke highly of others in private.
Shi Le valued him greatly, personally helping Zhang Bin with his attire and simplifying his language every morning, addressing him as "Right Marquis" rather than by his name. Under Shi Le's command, no one could compare to Zhang Bin.
After Zhang Bin passed away, Shi Le personally went to mourn for him. The people around him were so sad that they shed tears as well. Shi Le posthumously appointed Zhang Bin as a Cavalier Attendant of the Scattered Cavalry, Right Grand Minister of Rites, and Yitong Sansi, and posthumously granted him the title "Jing." When it was time for the burial, Shi Le sent Zhang Bin's coffin to Zhengyang Gate. As he looked at the coffin, tears streamed down his face, and he turned to the people around him and said, "Is heaven trying to thwart my ambitions? Why did it take away my Right Marquis so early!" Later, Cheng Xia took over Zhang Bin's position as Right Chief Historian. Every time Shi Le discussed matters with Cheng Xia and they disagreed, he would sigh and say, "The Right Marquis has left me, making me work with these people. Isn't that just cruel?" He would then cry endlessly, lost in his grief all day long.
