Real Histories
Murong Hui, with the courtesy name Yiluogui, was a Xianbei native of Changli Jicheng. His ancestors were descendants of the Xiong clan, residing for generations in the northern frontier, establishing villages in the Zimeng region, referred to as Donghu. Later, they grew powerful like the Xiongnu, with over two hundred thousand skilled archers, sharing customs and official titles similar to those of the Xiongnu. After being defeated by the Xiongnu during the Qin and Han dynasties, they retreated to the Xianbei Mountains and came to be known as such. His great-grandfather Mo Huba, during the early Wei Dynasty, led various tribes to migrate to the west of Liaoning, followed Emperor Xuan in defeating the Gongsun clan, was granted the title of King of Shuaiyi, and founded a state north of Jicheng. At that time, many people in the Yan and Dai regions donned steppe caps, which Mo Huba admired, prompting him to cut his hair and wear the cap. The various tribes referred to him as Buyao, which later evolved into Murong. Some say he adopted the surname Murong out of admiration for the virtues of Yin and Yang, reflecting the balance of heaven and earth. His grandfather Muyan was the Left Virtuous King, and his father Shegui was elevated to Xianbei Chanyu due to his merits in defending Liucheng, and he relocated the capital to the northeast of the Liao River, gradually approaching Central Plains culture.
Murong Hui grew up tall, strong, and handsome, standing eight feet tall, with a heroic and dignified character. General Zhang Hua of Anbei was renowned for his ability to judge character. When Murong Hui was still a child, he went to visit him, and Zhang Hua was greatly impressed, saying, "You will surely become a remarkable talent when you grow up, capable of supporting the state and saving the day!" He then gifted Murong Hui his hat and hairpin before bidding him farewell. Later, after Murong Shegui died, his brother Nai seized the throne and wanted to kill Murong Hui, so Murong Hui secretly fled to escape the impending danger. Eventually, the people overthrew Nai and crowned Murong Hui as king.
At first, Murong Hui had some grudges against Yuwen Xianbei in his heart, thinking of avenging his grandfather, so he requested the court to send troops to attack. However, Emperor Wu refused. In anger, Murong Hui led his troops to invade Liaoxi, resulting in many deaths. The Emperor sent troops from Youzhou to fight against Murong Hui, and the two armies clashed at Feiru, with Murong Hui suffering a disastrous defeat. He then went to plunder Changli County almost every year. He also led a large army to march east to attack the Fuyu Kingdom, where the Fuyu King, fearing defeat, contemplated suicide. Murong Hui destroyed the cities of Fuyu and captured over ten thousand people. The Eastern Yi Chief, He Gan, sent Du Hu Jia Shen to meet the son of the Fuyu King and help him reclaim the throne. Murong Hui sent his general Sun Ding with cavalry to intercept them. Jia Shen fought hard, killed Sun Ding, and thus the Fuyu Kingdom was restored. Murong Hui discussed with his subordinates, stating, "Our ancestors have served the Central Plains dynasty for generations, and our Xianbei customs are different from those of the Han people. How can we oppose the Jin Dynasty? Why hurt our own people instead of living in harmony?" He subsequently sent envoys to offer his surrender. The Emperor was very pleased and appointed him as the Commander of the Xianbei. Murong Hui went to the Eastern Yi Prefecture to meet He Gan, dressed in simple attire for the visit, observing the customs of a scholar. He Gan arranged a military formation to receive him, so Murong Hui donned his armor before entering. When asked why he did this, Murong Hui said, "If the host is discourteous, why should the guest adhere to formality?" He Gan felt ashamed and more respectful towards Murong Hui. At that time, the Eastern Hu Yuwen Xianbei Duan clan saw Murong Hui's growing power and feared being swallowed up by him, resulting in constant harassment and plundering of the border. Murong Hui employed humble words and generous gifts to placate them.
In the tenth year of Taikang, Murong Hui moved the capital to the Qing Mountain by the Tuhe River. Murong Hui believed Dajicheng to be the ancient territory of Emperor Ku. He did not move here until the fourth year of Yuankang. He taught the people to farm and raise silkworms, and the legal system mirrored that of the Central Plains. During the Yongning period, a major flood occurred in the Yan region. Murong Hui opened the granaries to provide relief for the victims, and the people of Youzhou received relief. The emperor was very pleased to hear about this and rewarded him with clothing and official robes. During the Taian period, Yuwen Mogui sent his brother Qu Yun to attack the border cities. Furious, Qu Yun led the general Su Yan to attack and plunder various tribes. Murong Hui personally led the troops to defeat them. Su Yan, feeling angry, led a hundred thousand troops to besiege Dajicheng. Everyone was frightened, and morale was low. Murong Hui said, "Although Su Yan has many soldiers in numbers comparable to dogs, sheep, and ants, their army lacks discipline, which I expected. As long as we all fight hard, we’ve got nothing to worry about." He then personally put on his armor, charged out, and defeated Su Yan. Murong Hui pursued them for over a hundred li, capturing and killing tens of thousands of enemy soldiers. In the early years of Yongjia, Hui (pronounced yáo) proclaimed himself the Grand Chanyu of the Xianbei. Pang Ben, the Governor of Liaodong, killed Colonel Li Zhen of the Eastern Yi out of personal grudges. He then conspired with Xianbei leaders such as Suli and Mujin, under the pretense of avenging Li Zhen, but actually plotting to rebel. They attacked and captured several county towns, massacring civilians everywhere. Governor Yuan Qian suffered defeats in multiple battles, and Colonel Feng Shi, feeling fearful, requested peace talks.
For several consecutive years, the Xianbei people have been raiding, resulting in widespread unemployment among the common people, and refugees have been flocking in daily seeking shelter. Hui's son Han said to Hui, "If you want to gain support from the princes, the best way to gain support is to be loyal to the court. Since ancient times, successful rulers have relied on this to accomplish their ambitions. Now, with Suli and Mujin so brazenly arrogant, the imperial forces have faced one defeat after another, and the common people are being slaughtered. How can we tolerate this! They claim to be fighting against Pangben, but in reality, they are exploiting the chaos as bandits. The officials who requested to attack Pangben and seek peace have only exacerbated the situation. The Liao Dong region is on the brink of collapse; this turmoil has persisted for nearly two years, and the Central Plains are in constant turmoil, with the armies of the states suffering repeated defeats. Now is the opportune moment to demonstrate loyalty to the court and uphold justice! The Chanyu should demonstrate the might of your nine victories, save the people of Liao Dong who are in imminent danger, bring Suli and Mujin to justice for their crimes, and rally righteous forces to eliminate them. This will restore order in Liao Dong from the top down, showcasing your loyalty while benefiting our nation. This will be the beginning of our path to greatness, eventually gaining the support of the princes."
Hui followed his son's advice. That day, he led cavalry to attack Suli and Mujin, achieving a resounding victory and slaying them, and both tribes surrendered. Hui resettled them in Jicheng, reestablished the Liao Dong commandery with renewed authority, and then he returned.
The emperor was trapped in Pingyang. Wang Jun acted unilaterally and appointed Ran Min as Imperial Attendant, General of Chariots and Cavalry, Grand Commander of the Vanguard, and Grand Chanyu, but Ran Min declined. During the Jianxing period, Emperor Min appointed Ran Min as General Who Guards the Army, Duke of Changli, and Duke of Liaodong. In the early Jianwu years, Emperor Yuan acted unilaterally and appointed Ran Min as Acting General, Imperial Attendant, Commander of Various Troops in Liaozuo, General of the Dragon Riders, Grand Chanyu, and Duke of Changli, but Ran Min still declined. General Lu Chang told Ran Min: "Now both capitals have fallen, the emperor is in exile, and Prince Langye holds great power in Jiangdong. This is a significant matter that affects everyone's fate! General, you command the northern coast, but many tribes still depend on their numbers and resist submission, mainly because your official position is not appointed by the emperor himself, and they believe they are strong. We should send someone to Langye to convince him to take the throne, and then you can follow orders to suppress those rebels. Who would dare to disobey then?" Ran Min agreed with Lu Chang's assessment and sent his Chief of Staff, Wang Ji, to persuade Langye. After Prince Langye took the throne, the envoy Tao Liao reiterated the earlier orders, bestowing upon Ran Min the titles of general and chanyu, but Ran Min firmly rejected the title of duke.
At that time, both capitals had fallen, and Youzhou and Jizhou had been captured. Ran Min enforced strict laws in the region and was open to advice. Many refugees came to him with their families seeking shelter. Ran Min set up counties to oversee these refugees, including Jiyang County for the people of Jizhou, Chengzhou County for the people of Yuzhou, Yingqiu County for the people of Qingzhou, and Tangguo County for the people of Bingzhou. He promoted talented individuals to manage government affairs, including Pei Yu from Hedong, Lu Chang from Daijun, and Yang Dan from Beiping as his chief strategists; Feng Xian from Beihai, You Sui from Guangping, Xi Fangqian from Beiping, Feng Chou from Bohai, Song Shi from Xihe, and Pei Kai from Hedong as his key assistants; Feng Yi from Bohai, Song Gai from Pingyuan, Huang Fu Ji from Anding, and Miao Kai from Lanling, these outstanding scholars held significant positions; Zhu Zuochen from Kuaiji, Hu Wuyi from Taishan, and Kong Zuan from Lugu, Ran Min treated these highly respected individuals as guests and friends; Liu Zan from Pingyuan was appointed as the head of the Eastern Institute, where his son Ran Huang and other noble youths studied as well. In addition to handling governmental affairs, Ran Min personally listened to the opinions of the people, resulting in praise for him being heard everywhere, and the social atmosphere became increasingly respectful and harmonious. The Inspector of Pingzhou and Colonel of Dongyi, Cui Bi, believed he had significant prestige in the south and attempted to rally the refugees, but none showed up. Frustrated, Cui Bi secretly conspired with Goguryeo, Yuwenguo, Duanguo, and others to plot against Murong Hui and divide his territory.
During the Taixing period, the three kingdoms joined forces to attack Murong Hui. Murong Hui said, "They believe Cui Bi's nonsense, seeking short-term benefits, just a disorganized mob. They have no unified command internally and do not obey each other; I will definitely defeat them. However, they've just come together and are quite formidable in battle, so I need to resolve this quickly. If I counterattack, I'll be playing right into their hands. I should watch the situation quietly, letting them sow doubts and suspicions among themselves. On one hand, they will suspect that I am colluding with Cui Bi and turn against them; on the other hand, they will suspect that someone in the three kingdoms has a secret agreement with me. When their morale is weakened, then attacking them will be a sure victory."
So, the armies of the three kingdoms attacked Jicheng. Murong Hui kept the city gates closed and did not engage in battle, instead sending people to offer cattle and wine to reward the Yuwen army, openly stating, "Cui Bi sent envoys here a few days ago!" This made the Yuwen and Duan kingdoms suspect that Yuwen and Murong Hui were in cahoots, so they withdrew their troops. General Xidu Guan of the Yuwen kingdom, however, said, "Although the other countries have withdrawn, do I really need anyone else for that?" So, he concentrated all his forces to launch a fierce assault on Jicheng, pushing forward thirty miles. Murong Hui selected elite soldiers to be commanded by Murong Huang to lead the vanguard into battle; Murong Han led elite cavalry as a surprise attack force, breaking through the enemy camp from the side; Murong Hui led the main army in a frontal attack. Xidu Guan, relying on his large numbers, did not prepare for defense, and when he saw Murong Hui's army approaching, he hastily led his troops to resist. As soon as the vanguard engaged in battle, Murong Han had already entered the enemy camp, setting the camp ablaze. The enemy army was in complete disarray, not knowing what to do, and ultimately faced a crushing defeat. Xidu Guan escaped alone, while the rest were captured. In the enemy camp, the imperial seal, featuring three knobs, was discovered, and Murong Hui sent Chief Historian Pei Yu to take it to Jianye.
Cui Bi was afraid of Murong Hui's retaliation, so he sent his nephew Cui Tao to feign congratulations to Murong Hui. Coincidentally, envoys from the Three Kingdoms also came to seek peace, saying, "That was never our intention; it was all instigated by Cui Pingzhou!" Murong Hui called Cui Tao over, pointing to the traces of the siege, and sternly questioned, "Your uncle instigated the Three Kingdoms to destroy me, but you came pretending to congratulate. What does this mean?" Cui Bi, feeling fearful, surrendered willingly. Murong Hui sent Cui Tao back to persuade Cui Bi: "Surrender is the best option; escape is the worst," and sent troops in pursuit. Cui Bi, with dozens of cavalry, left his family behind and fled to Goguryeo. Murong Hui incorporated Cui Bi's army, relocated Cui Tao and Gao Zhan and others to Jicheng, and treated them well. Shortly thereafter, Goguryeo invaded Liaodong, and Murong Hui sent troops to defeat them.
After Pei Yu returned from Jianye, the emperor sent envoys to appoint Murong Hui as the military commander of Pingzhou, the General of Anbei, and the governor of Pingzhou, also increasing his land grant by two thousand households. Shortly thereafter, the emperor promoted him to the title of Imperial Commissioner, Commander of Military Affairs of the Eastern Yi in Youzhou, General of Chariots and Cavalry, and Governor of Pingzhou, and granted him the title of Duke of Liaodong County with a land grant of ten thousand households. He also retained his previous titles of Palace Attendant and Chanyu; he was awarded a red book and an iron voucher, enabling him to independently manage affairs in the Haidong region, appoint officials himself, and establish the prefect of Pingzhou.
Duan Mobo had just begun to control his own country, but he failed to take proper precautions, so Murong Hui sent Murong Huang to attack him, invaded Lingzhi City, plundered his prized horses and treasures, and returned.
Shi Le sent envoys to negotiate peace with Murong Kai, but he refused and sent Shi Le's envoys to Jianye City. Shi Le was furious and sent Yuwen Qi to attack Murong Kai. Murong Kai sent Murong Huang to resist. He appointed Pei Yi as the right commander, led Suo Tou as the right wing, and let his youngest son Murong Ren depart from Pingguo and rush to Bolin as the left wing to attack Yuwen Qi. They won the battle, captured all enemy troops, pursued them, captured their cities, seized countless treasures, and relocated tens of thousands of families.
After Emperor Cheng ascended to the throne, he promoted Murong Kai to the position of attendant with the rank of Special Grandee. In the fifth year of Xianhe, the emperor wanted to appoint him as the governor of the palace with equal ceremonial rites, but he firmly declined.
Murong Kai once casually said, "Judging cases involves people's lives and should never be taken lightly. Virtuous people and gentlemen are the foundation of the country and must not be neglected. Agricultural production is the foundation of the country and must not be ignored. Wine, lust, wealth, and extravagance are great enemies of morality and must not be taken lightly." He then wrote a several thousand-word "Family Instructions" to explain his views.
He also sent envoys to write a letter to the Grand Commandant Tao Kan, which read: "Respected Sir under the same sky: Your virtue and prestige have brought stability to all directions, your efforts in civil and military affairs have kept the army in good order. I have long held you in high regard, and my respect for you increases with each passing day. The distance between us is far, separated by Yan and Yue; whenever I look out over the shores of the Yangtze River, I miss you even more."
Heaven is truly blind; disasters keep coming one after another, our homeland has been lost, now under the control of the Hu people. The emperor had to lead us all to flee, seeking temporary refuge in the states of Wu and Chu. Since the founding of the Great Jin Dynasty, the country has enjoyed enduring prosperity, and the signs of good fortune are clear. Therefore, those brave heroes are all burning with indignation. Even though I have no accomplishments, I have received special favor from the court. Yet, I am powerless to eliminate the Hu people above, nor can I personally take to the battlefield to fight the enemy. Instead, I find myself tolerating those treacherous officials who keep encroaching on the capital. First, Wang Dun caused chaos, and later, Su Jun committed his own atrocities, more brutal than Dong Zhuo, more vicious than Jue and Si. Everyone across the land is furious! I truly cannot understand why those civil and military officials, who bask in the glory and wealth of the court, cannot defeat the enemies of the Central Plains and wash away the shame of our nation.
You have firmly established yourself in Jiangyang, with a reputation that resonates throughout Jingzhou and Hengshan. You wield the power of Lord Ye and embody the loyalty and righteousness of Bao Xu in your heart. However, tyrants like Bai Gong and Wu Yuan have thrived, which makes me feel ashamed on behalf of the Spring and Autumn historian Qiu Ming! The small state of Chu, with people like Zi Zhong, still feels ashamed of the weakness of the ruler and the inferiority of the ministers to their ancestors. They hold themselves to strict standards, caution others, and thus govern the states of Chen and Zheng effectively. Even Fan Li from Yue managed to assist Goujian and achieve dominance at Huang Chi; moreover, with so much talent emerging in Wu today, they fail to assist the emperor or launch a northern campaign to reclaim lost territories. If you could raise your voice for justice against those barbaric tyrants, call upon the former subjects, and appease those who wish to return to their homeland, wouldn't it be like a gust of wind sweeping away fallen leaves, moving forward with the speed of a rolling wheel? Furthermore, when the Sun family came to prominence, they used the troops of Changsha to defeat Dong Zhuo, with the aim of supporting the Han dynasty. Although they encountered setbacks along the way and their ideals were not realized, their sincere heart and disregard for personal safety are admirable. Later on, they occupied Yangzhou and Yuezhou, backed by Zhou Yu, Zhang Zhao, Lu Su, and Lu Xun, defeating Cao Cao at Chibi and taking Xiangyang. Since then, the successive rulers of the Sun family have been able to invade Xuzhou and Yuzhou, keeping the state of Wei on high alert. Why are the heroes of Jiangdong hiding their talents and courage now? Are they to surpass the achievements of Lu Meng and Ling Tong? Moreover, the barbarians are particularly brutal and ruthless now, and the people of the Central Plains are in a difficult situation, their peril is even greater than that of precariously stacked eggs. The barbarians are merely bluffing, and their unity has already begun to fracture, making them easy to defeat. Wang Lang and Yuan Shu, who also declared themselves emperors, had weak foundations and soon fell. These are all truths you have witnessed, sir.
Wang Situ is a man of integrity and few desires, takes great care of himself, much like the historical figure Cao Can, having reached a level of mastery akin to "drawing one." Duke Yu, the Emperor's uncle, holds a high position, occupying an important role like Shen Bo, and is detached from worldly affairs, very wise and powerful. However, in times of crisis, he deeply felt that he was in a remote place, unable to lend his strength to the Great Jin Dynasty, only able to watch from a distance, filled with frustration. Now the entire nation is counting on you. You are the pivotal figure who can sway the balance between Chu and Han. If you can rally the people of the Central Plains and secure the borders of Yanzhou and Yuzhou, persuading those who lean towards justice to lay down their arms and rally to your cause, then the Jie tribes and bandits can surely be defeated, and the stain of national shame can be erased. I will do everything in my power at the frontier. However, if a lone force advances recklessly, it won't be enough to instill fear in the enemy, and those nostalgic for the old dynasty will be unable to coordinate. Thus, I wrote a letter to outline the situation, but I was unable to finish my thoughts.
Regrettably, the envoy dispatched by General Hui was caught in a storm and lost at sea. Subsequently, General Hui composed another letter and dispatched over thirty individuals, including Colonel Feng Chou of the Eastern Yi and Minister Han Jiao from Liaodong, to deliver the letter to Kanfu. The letter stated:
Throughout history, nations and families alike have faced cycles of rise and fall. Since the Great Jin Dynasty's ascent, following the pacification of Shanmeng and Kuaiji, demonstrating martial prowess that surpassed all prior eras. By the end of Emperor Hui's reign, infighting among factions had escalated within the court, and calamities began to plague the capital, even the royal family found themselves entangled, ultimately enabling the Jie tribes and bandits to exploit the chaos, overthrowing the Central Plains dynasty. The old capital fell, and the imperial tombs were desecrated; both mortals and deities mourned, while heaven and earth raged. While the Xianyun and Xiongnu were formidable forces in their time, they were never as cruel as the Jie tribes are today, trampling over the Central Plains and audaciously declaring themselves emperors.
During the Jin Dynasty, Murong Hui, this young lad, rose to the rank of general while still in his youth. He was loyal to the court, upright and humble, constantly dreaming of making contributions to his country. At that time, the world was in turmoil, forcing the emperor to relocate frequently. It wasn't easy for Emperor Yuan to restore the dynasty, and Emperor Su Zong then pacified Jiangnan. Even though Murong Hui was cut off by mountains and seas and besieged by the Jie tribe, he worried day and night about the court, longing to give his life for his country. He paid tribute year after year, with a constant flow of ships, never delaying, always doing his best.
Now the Jie tribe is growing increasingly arrogant, exploiting their numbers to seize the lands of Zhao and Wei, and encroaching on the territories of Yan and Qi. Although Murong Hui led the righteous army to fight against these rebels, he couldn't help but recall Guan Zhong aiding Duke Huan of Qi, where it was said that the rewards were insufficient. Furthermore, Murong Hui helped the court and played a vital role in stabilizing the country, yet his official rank was low and his title insignificant. He hadn't even been granted the title of Nine Lives Official. How does this reflect the rewards and recognition for heroes on the frontier?
The imperial decree isn't being delivered at all now. The journey is too long, and it takes at least a year for the messenger to go back and forth. The old territory of Yan State is now occupied by enemies, from the Zhou Dynasty's desert in the north, to Le Lang in the east, to Dai Shan in the west, and Ji Zhou in the south. It's no longer our territory. My subordinates think we should follow the examples set by the Zhou and early Han Dynasties, and promote Murong Hui to King of Yan while also appointing him Grand General. This way, he can lead the various armies and reclaim the land taken by the enemy, bringing the people of Ji Zhou back under imperial rule. If Murong Hui accepts the decree, he can unite different factions, quell the rebels, and achieve great feats like Duke Huan of Qi and Duke Wen of Jin, which would be a huge boon for the country. However, Murong Hui is too humble. Every time the court tries to reward him, he turns it down for years, and none of us, his subordinates, can persuade him. I'm speaking up this time not to flatter him, but out of genuine concern for the country.
The report roughly states: "General Cheqi, deeply concerned for the country and the people, has exhausted himself in service; his tribute gifts have even blocked the roads. The Jie bandits sought peace, and the general even sent envoys to send them back. He subdued the Duan kingdom in the west, defeated enemies outside the border in the north, and even the distant barbarians from Sotou came to pay tribute. The northern region is the only one that has not fully submitted, and the general has led multiple military expeditions. Regarding the officials in the east, their ranks are mixed and lack a clear hierarchy, lacking the authority to promote or demote, nor do they receive corresponding treatment. Therefore, there is a proposal to make General Cheqi the King of Yan and grant him a royal title." This is a time-honored tradition of rewarding merit! Although General Cheqi did not manage to fully subdue those officials, he was loyal and dedicated! He should be promoted and granted a title without delay—let's make him the King of Yan! However, there was no agreement within the court, and after eight years, General Cheqi passed away, and the matter remained unresolved. He lived to the age of sixty-five and served for forty-nine years. The emperor posthumously appointed him as Grand General and conferred the title of Xiang. Later, after Shi Le proclaimed himself emperor, he posthumously honored him with the title of Emperor Wuxuan.
Pei Yi, style name Wenji, was from Wenxi of Hedong. His father, Pei Chang, was a Colonel of the Imperial Secretariat. Pei Yi was upright and talented, rising through the ranks to become a Minister of the Imperial Secretariat, then later serving as an Attendant Gentleman of the Yellow Gate and the Prefect of Xingyang. During a time of great chaos, Pei Yi's elder brother, Pei Wuxian, was appointed as the Prefect of Xuanwu, so Pei Yi requested to be appointed as the Changli Prefect. After arriving in Changli and spending some time there, his brother passed away. The court summoned him back to the capital, and he brought his brother's son, Pei Kai, with him on the journey south for the funeral. Along the way in Liaoxi, the roads were blocked, so he and Pei Kai sought refuge with Murong Xuan. Many scholars who were stranded outside saw that Murong Xuan had just started a rebellion and were considering whether to join him. Pei Yi was the first to step forward and declare his allegiance, leading the others to do the same. Murong Xuan was delighted and appointed Pei Yi as his Chief of Staff, entrusting him with military and state affairs. Later, when Xi Duguan besieged the city with his troops, chaos erupted inside and outside the city. Murong Xuan sought advice from Pei Yi, who suggested selecting elite troops to catch the enemy off guard. Murong Xuan followed his advice, resulting in the defeat of the enemy. Murong Xuan's prestige greatly increased as a result, and he planned to send someone to report the victory to Jianye. He carefully selected an envoy and tasked Pei Yi with delivering the message to Jianye.
At first, the court thought that Murong Hui, the King of Liaodong, was in a remote and desolate place and viewed him as just a local warlord. However, when Pei Yu arrived in Liaodong, he praised Murong Hui's talent and prestige, stating that many talents from all over the world were serving him, which shifted the court officials' perspective. When Pei Yu was about to return to the capital, the emperor wanted him to stay and monitor the situation, but Pei Yu declined, saying: "My family has received imperial grace for generations, and I have served in the court and was assigned to a distant place for official duties. Now that the world is peaceful, I have the opportunity to meet the emperor and have been granted permission to return to the capital. If I stay in the capital, it would be a great favor to me personally. However, the imperial palace has been relocated, the imperial tomb has been desecrated, General Murong Longxiang remains loyal to the royal family and is currently stabilizing the Central Plains, preparing to welcome the emperor's return. Therefore, he sent envoys from afar to express his loyalty. If I stay now, Murong Hui will definitely think that the court is underestimating him, doubting his loyalty, and causing him to feel disheartened. So I would rather risk my own safety to return quickly and report." The emperor said, "You are right." So he let Pei Yu go back. Murong Hui later told his subordinates, "Pei Changshi is well-known in the court, yet he willingly serves under me. Isn't this a sign from above to aid me?" As a result, Murong Hui appointed Pei Yu as the Prime Minister of Liaodong and later promoted him to Prefect of Lelang.
Gao Zhan, courtesy name Ziqian, was a native of Cixian in Bohai. He was handsome and talented when he was young, standing at eight feet two inches tall. During the Guangxi period, he was appointed as Shangshu Lang. After the Yongjia Rebellion broke out, he returned to his hometown and held discussions with the local elders, saying, "Now that the court is weak and there is constant warfare, our county is fertile, surrounded by mountains and rivers. If there is war or famine, it will definitely become a target for enemies and not a safe place to settle. Wang Jun's ancestors once held territories in Yan and Dai, with a strong army and wealth, so we could seek refuge with him. What do you all think?" Everyone agreed with his idea. So he and his uncle led several thousand households to migrate north to Youzhou. Later, due to the frequent changes in Wang Jun's policies, he joined Cui Bi and went to Liaodong with him.
It is said that Cui Bi, in consultation with the leaders of the Three Kingdoms, was discussing attacking the Xianbei leader Hui. Zhan strongly advised against the attack, but Bi disregarded his counsel. As a result, Bi was defeated and fled, and Zhan surrendered to Hui along with the others. Hui appointed Zhan as a general, but Zhan feigned illness, claiming he could not get out of bed.
Hui greatly admired Zhan's temperament and appearance, visited him many times, and even held his hand, saying, "Your illness is not in the body, but in the heart! Now the emperor is in exile, the world is divided, and the common people are in misery, not knowing what to do. I am thinking of joining you generals to restore the imperial family, eliminate the rebels likened to whales and wild boars, bring the emperor back to Wu and Kuaiji, pacify the world, and achieve extraordinary feats; all of which are my wishes! You come from a prominent family in the Central Plains, a talent of the country's pillar; you should be deeply troubled and always prepared for battle. Why hold resentment simply because of our different ethnic backgrounds? Besides, Great Yu was from the Western Qiang people, and King Wen was from the Eastern Yi people; we should focus on their talents and strategies; can’t we unite despite our different customs?" Zhan continued to insist he was gravely ill, which left Hui feeling quite discontented. Zhan had a conflict with Song Gai, who secretly urged Hui to kill him. Upon learning this, Zhan grew increasingly anxious and ultimately succumbed to his worries.
In the third year of Yonghe, Shi Le personally plowed the fields in his hometown Sangziyuan, while his wife Du Shi held a ritual for the God of Silkworms outside the city. Afterwards, Shi Le then went to Xiangguo to pay respects at his own tomb. At that time, the names of Shi Le, Shi Zun, Shi Jian, and Ran Min were well-known.
Shi Le appointed Shi Ning to be the General for the Western Expedition, leading more than 20,000 soldiers to support Ma Qiu. Zhang Chonghua surrendered with his 20,000 households. In the Hexi region, over ten thousand Di and Qiang tribes coordinated with Zhang Xu, which made Ma Qiu too afraid to advance. The Prefect of Jincheng, Zhang Chong, also surrendered to Shi Ning. Ma Qiu later arrived at Quliu, while Liu Ning and Wang Zhuo attacked Jinxing Wujie. Zhang Chonghua's generals, including Yang Kang, clashed with Liu Ning at Shafu, and Liu Ning retreated back to Jincheng after losing. Wang Zhuo captured Wujie, seized Zhang Chonghua's guards Cao Quan and Hu Xuan, and relocated over 7,000 households to Yongzhou. Shi Le then appointed Sun Fudu as the General of the Western Expedition, leading 30,000 infantry and cavalry to cross the Yellow River with Ma Qiu to attack Changzhou. Zhang Chonghua was very afraid and sent Xie Ai to fight, resulting in the defeat of Shi Le's army, forcing Ma Qiu to retreat back to Jincheng.
Shi Le and his father were both never satisfied and had no regard for etiquette. They occupied the territory of ten provinces, with countless treasures—gold, silver, precious stones, pearls, and exotic artifacts from foreign lands—yet they still felt it was not enough. They dug up the tombs of past emperors and sages just to loot their treasures. On the west side of Handan City, there was a tomb of Zhao Jianzi on Shizigang, which Shi Le ordered to be excavated. Initially, they dug up charcoal over ten feet deep, followed by a foot-thick wooden board, and then eight feet of thick wooden board before reaching spring water, which was incredibly refreshing. They used a winch and oxhide water bags to draw water, but after a month, the water still hadn't been exhausted, so they had no choice but to stop. He even sent people to excavate the tomb of Qin Shihuang and extract the bronze pillars to cast into objects.
There was a monk named Wu Jin, who said to Shi Le, "The fortunes of the Hu people are waning, the Jin Dynasty is going to be restored; we should harshly exploit the people of the Jin Dynasty and grind down their spirit." When Shi Le heard this, he ordered the official Zhang Qun to conscript 160,000 people from nearby provinces and ten thousand carts to transport soil to build the Hualin Garden and the Great Wall north of Ye City, covering an area of dozens of miles in length and width!
This made Zhao Lan, Shen Zhong, and Shi Pu anxious. They quickly wrote a letter to Shi Le, claiming that the signs in the heavens were ominous and the people were struggling to get by. They also advised Shi Le in person, speaking earnestly. When Shi Le heard this, he was enraged and bellowed, "This wall will be built today and collapse tomorrow; I won’t regret it!" He then forced Zhang Qun to work day and night, even working by candlelight at night. Three towers were built, with four gates, three of which were connected to the Zhang River, and the gates were made of iron. Unfortunately, when a storm hit, tens of thousands perished.
Meanwhile, Yangzhou also sent five large geese, with necks reaching a yard in length and voices that could be heard over ten miles away. Shi Le released them into Xuanwu Lake. Sixteen qilins and seven white deer were also sent from various places. Shi Le ordered the official Zhang Hezhu to properly train these exotic creatures, planning to harness them for pulling carts and showcasing them in the palace courtyard. He also had workers dig a waterway in the northern part of the city to bring water to the Hualin Garden. Ultimately, the city wall collapsed, crushing more than a hundred people.
Shi Xuan organized a large hunting event to pray for blessings from the mountains and rivers. The entourage was grand, in a carriage fit only for the emperor, adorned with feathered banners and imperial flags, accompanied by sixteen military units and eighteen hundred soldiers, setting off from Jinming Gate. While Shi Jilong brought his concubines to Lingxiao Pavilion, he watched from a distance and laughed heartily, saying, "Our father and son are living so comfortably; unless the sky falls, what is there to worry about? Let's just wait to enjoy our grandchildren and live happily!"
Shi Xuan's hunting activities dragged on endlessly, constructing temporary palaces everywhere, enclosing the prey within a hundred-mile radius, and capturing them all together at night. Civil and military officials had to kneel or stand guard, with watchtowers that shone like daylight. Shi Xuan even ordered over a hundred cavalrymen to hunt inside. Shi Xuan and his favored concubine, Xian De Meiren, watched from their carriage, enjoying themselves until every last bit of prey was caught. If any prey escaped, the pursuers would face punishment: officials would lose their horses and be forced to walk for a day, while non-officials would receive a hundred lashes. These strict rules terrified the officials and soldiers, leading to over ten thousand starving or freezing to death or suffering injuries. Shi Xuan's bows, horses, clothing, food, and shelter were all designated as "imperial property," and anyone who disrupted this order would face punishment for violating the ban. As he traveled through three provinces and fifteen counties, all the resources were plundered, leaving nothing in their wake.
Shi Jilong asked Shi Tao to embark on a hunting expedition from Bingzhou to Qin and Jin territory. Shi Xuan had long harbored a dislike for Shi Tao's favoritism, and this hunting trip deepened his jealousy. A eunuch named Zhao Sheng, who was favored by Shi Xuan but held in disdain by Shi Tao, secretly persuaded Shi Xuan to get rid of Shi Tao. Thus, their conspiracy to eliminate Shi Tao took shape.
Ma Qiu launched an attack against Zhang Mao, a general under Zhang Chonghua, defeating him in the Hedong and Shaanxi regions and beheading more than three thousand soldiers. Li Kui, the protector of Fuhan, surrendered along with seven thousand troops to Shi Jilong. South of the Yellow River, the Di and Qiang tribes surrendered.
Shi Tao built a grand hall named Xuanguang Hall in the office of the Grand Commandant, featuring a beam that measured nine zhang in length. Shi Xuan, upon seeing this, was enraged and ordered the execution of the craftsmen, even cutting the beam short. In retaliation, Shi Tao extended the beam by an additional ten zhang. Hearing of this, Shi Xuan's fury intensified, and he informed his trusted confidants, Yang Bei and Mou Cheng, "Shi Tao is far too arrogant, daring to challenge my authority! If you can kill him, I will inform the emperor that I shall grant you all of Shi Tao's territory. When Shi Tao is dead, the emperor will undoubtedly come to pay his respects, and we can seize the opportunity to succeed!" Yang Bei and the others readily agreed.
That day, a large area of yellow and black clouds appeared in the southeast, as large as several acres. Slowly, it split into three pieces, shaped like a piece of cloth, crossing the sky, dark and bluish in color. At sunset, it passed in front of the sun, and after the sun set, it split into seven paths, each spaced several dozen yards apart, with white clouds resembling fish scales interspersed in between. It disappeared only at midnight. Shi Taopin was knowledgeable about astronomy. Seeing this strange phenomenon, he felt very uncomfortable and said to the people around him, "This is no minor omen. There will definitely be assassins appearing in the capital. I wonder who will be in trouble?" That night, Shi Tao hosted a banquet for his subordinates at Dongming Temple, playing music and drinking. When the wine was flowing, he suddenly sighed and said, "People may not be around one day; parting is easy, but reuniting is hard. Everyone, please raise a glass to me, drink to my health, and make sure to get drunk. Who knows if we can meet again in the future? How can we not drink?" With that, he began to cry, and the people around him followed suit, ending up staying at the Buddhist temple. Shi Xuan sent Yang Pei, Mou Pi, Mou Cheng, Zhao Sheng, and others to climb into Shi Tao's residence using a makeshift rope ladder, killed Shi Tao, then removed the knives and arrows. The next day, Shi Xuan reported this to the emperor. When Shi Jilong heard the news, he was so terrified that it took him a while to regain his composure. He originally wanted to go and see for himself, but Sikong Li Nong advised him, "The one who killed Lord Qin is likely still in the palace. The situation is unclear now, so it's best not to go out." Shi Jilong then dispelled the idea. A lavish funeral was conducted at Taiwu Hall. Shi Xuan, sitting in a plain carriage with a thousand people, went to pay tribute to Shi Tao. However, he showed no signs of grief, merely laughing, and asked to open the coffin to see the corpse. After glancing at the body, he burst into laughter and walked away. Then, he arrested the Chief General's secretary, Zheng Jing, Yin Wu, and others, planning to shift the blame onto them.
Shi Le suspected that Xuan Wang had killed Tao Kan and wanted to summon him, but was afraid he wouldn't come, so he faked his mother’s critical illness. Xuan Wang never expected to be suspected, so he entered the palace and was taken into custody by Shi Le. During the Jianxing period, a man named Shi Ke testified: "On the night Tao Kan died, Xuan Wang stayed at Yang Pei's house in the East Palace. That night, Yang Pei and five others returned from outside and said to each other, 'The big plan has been set in motion; we only hope everyone can live a long life. What do we have to fear when wealth and honor are assured?' After speaking, they went inside. Shi Ke was hiding in the shadows and didn’t see Yang Pei. Shi Ke later made a secret escape. Shortly after, Yang Pei and two others came out searching for Shi Ke but found no trace of him. Yang Pei said, 'The people staying at the inn heard their conversation and must silence him for good. Now that he has escaped, the plan is about to come to fruition.' Shi Le quickly dispatched his men to apprehend them, capturing Yang Pei, Mou Pi, Zhao Sheng, and others. Yang Pei and Mou Pi soon managed to escape, while Zhao Sheng was captured and interrogated, ultimately confessing everything.
Shi Le was even more angry, locked Xuan Wang in the stockade, pierced his chin with an iron ring lock, and constructed a large wooden trough filled with gruel, feeding him like livestock. Shi Le also licked the blood from the knife and arrows that had slain Tao Kan, crying and shouting, his voice echoing throughout the palace. He piled up firewood on the north side of Ye City, erected a pole on top, and placed a Lu Dao blade atop the pole, tying it with a rope. He climbed up the ladder on the firewood pile and sent Xuan Wang to the pole. Tao Kan's trusted eunuchs, Hao Zhi and Liu Baba, removed his hair, cut off his tongue, hauled him up the ladder, and laid him atop the firewood pile. Hao Zhi tied his chin with a rope and strangled him with the Lu Dao, while Liu Baba severed his hands and feet, gouged out his eyes, and slit open his belly, just like the injuries Tao Kan had suffered. Fires were set ablaze on all sides, the flames reaching high into the sky. Shi Le and thousands of people, including the empress, climbed to the middle platform to watch. After the fire was extinguished, the ashes were scattered on the road in front of the palace gate. Nine people, including Xuan Wang's wife, were also killed. Xuan Wang's young son was merely a child, and Shi Le, deeply pained, held him close and wept. The child cried out, "This isn't my fault!" Shi Le wished to spare him, but the ministers opposed it, so he killed the child in his arms. The child clung to Shi Le's clothes, screaming. In that moment, no one could hold back their tears, and Shi Le fell ill from the ordeal.
Shi Le once again executed three hundred officials of lower ranks than Xuan Wang and fifty eunuchs; all of them were dismembered and thrown into the Zhang River. He defiled the Eastern Palace and used it to raise pigs and cows. More than one hundred thousand guards of the Eastern Palace were all dispatched to Liangzhou to serve on the frontier. Previously, the Cavalier Attendant Zhao Lan had warned Shi Le that there would be changes in the Central Palace and he should be on guard. After Xuan Wang executed Tao Kan, Shi Le suspected that he was aware of it but had not informed him, so he also killed him. Xuan Wang's mother, Lady Du, was demoted to commoner status. The noble consort, Lady Liu, daughter of the Minister of Works, was especially favored for her beauty and talent. Because her two brothers were favored by Xuan Wang and were also killed, Shi Le, captivated by her beauty, also took another daughter of Minister Qi into the Hualin Garden.
Shi Le (Ji Long) was considering the matter of establishing a crown prince. His Grand Commandant, Zhang Ju, suggested, "The Duke of Yan, Shi Bin, and the Duke of Pengcheng, Shi Zun, are both talented in civil and military affairs! Your Majesty, your health has declined, and the world has not yet been completely unified. Why not choose one of these two to be the crown prince?" Years ago, when Shi Le's general Zhang Chai attacked Shanggui, he captured Liu Yao's youngest daughter, who was just twelve and extraordinarily beautiful. Shi Le took her as a concubine and had a son named Shi Shi, who was appointed as the Duke of Qi.
At this time, Zhang Chai saw that Shi Le was getting older and often ill, so he considered making Shi Shi his successor, proposing that Lady Liu become the Empress Dowager, and he himself could control the power. He advised Shi Le, "Your Majesty, the crown princes you appointed previously all came from humble origins, which is why there were constant troubles. Now, you should choose a mother of noble status and a son who is filial to be the crown prince." Shi Le said, "Don't mention this for now; I already have someone in mind for the crown prince."
Later, Shi Le discussed the matter with his ministers in the East Hall, saying, "I want to cleanse my insides with three buckets of pure lime. My belly is dirty; that's why I ended up with such a vicious son. This kid wants to kill ministers before he even hits his twenties. Now Shi Shi is only ten years old; by the time he turns twenty, I expect I'll be old." So, Shi Le discussed with Zhang Ju and Li Nong and ordered the officials to write petitions to name Shi Shi as the crown prince. However, the Grand Minister of Agriculture, Cao Mo, refused to sign. Shi Le sent Zhang Chai to ask him the reason. Cao Mo knelt and said, "This is a major national issue; we can't appoint a child as emperor, so I can't sign." Shi Le said, "Cao Mo is a loyal minister, but he hasn't grasped my intent. Zhang Ju and Li Nong understand my intention; you go and explain to Cao Mo." In the end, Shi Le appointed Shi Shi as the crown prince and Liu Shi as the empress. Shi Le also summoned Tai Chang Tiao You and Guanglu Xun Du Gu to say, "I ask the two of you to assist the crown prince. I hope he can reform himself. I entrust the crown prince to you; you must teach him well." Then, Shi Le appointed Tiao You as the Grand Tutor and Du Gu as the Junior Tutor. Shi Le's illness improved later on, and in the fifth year of Yonghe, he proclaimed himself emperor in the southern suburbs, declared amnesty across the realm, and changed the era name to Taining. All officials were promoted by one rank, and his sons were all elevated to the rank of dukes. He also appointed the Minister Zhang Liang as the Right Deputy. Speaking of the soldiers in the Eastern Palace who were exiled, like Gao Li and others, there were more than ten thousand of them, who were to be sent to Liangzhou to guard the border. When they reached Yong City, they were not on the list of amnesty issued by the court, and the Governor of Yongzhou, Zhang Mao, received orders to send them over. This old man Zhang Mao was ruthless; he confiscated their horses, forcing them to walk and push the supply carts all the way to the border.
Gao Li, Liang Du, and their crew saw that the soldiers were seething with resentment, so they covertly planned to rebel and return to the east. They secretly sent the Hu messenger Xieduluwei to inform the soldiers guarding the border, and when the soldiers heard the news, they were ecstatic and cheering loudly. Liang Du declared himself the "Grand General of Jin Conquering the East," led the charge to capture Xianbian, compelled Zhang Mao to take on the roles of Grand Commandant and Grand Marshal, and even had him whisked away in a lavish carriage. General Liu Ning from Anding deployed troops to attack them but suffered a crushing defeat. The cities and garrisons between Qinzhou and Yongzhou were all captured, and many officials of 2,000 stones were slain as they advanced eastward. Gao Li and his crew were all formidable warriors with excellent archery skills, each capable of taking on a dozen opponents. Although they didn't have proper weapons, they seized whatever they could find and used large axes from the common people with handles extended to a yard in length, fighting like gods, invincible in battle. The border guards rallied behind them, and when they reached Chang'an, their army had grown to 100,000 strong. King Shi Bao of Yueping was defending Chang'an and deployed all his elite troops to resist, but they were swiftly defeated in a single clash. Liang Du then advanced east from Tongguan, heading straight for Luochuan.
Shi Le (Ji Long) appointed Li Nong as the Grand Commander, acting Generalissimo, to lead General Zhang He Du of the Wei, Expedition General Zhang Liang, Expedition General Shi Min, and others, commanding one hundred thousand infantry and cavalry to attack Liang Du. The two sides fought a battle in Xin'an, and Li Nong's army suffered defeats. They fought another battle in Luoyang and lost again, so they had to retreat to Chenggao County. Liang Du then raided the counties of Xingyang, Chenliu, and others to the east. Shi Le was alarmed and appointed Yan Wang Shi Bin as the Grand Commander, overseeing military affairs both inside and outside, leading ten thousand elite cavalry, along with Yao Yizhong, Fu Hong, and others to the east of Xingyang to engage Liang Du and ultimately defeat him, decapitating him and bringing his head back. They then pursued and wiped out the remaining followers of Liang Du.
Not long after, General Wang Gan of the Jin Dynasty captured Pei County. Ma Xu from Shiping rebelled in Luoshi Gegu and declared himself a general. Shi Bao launched an attack and defeated him, resulting in the deaths of over three thousand families.
It is said that the planet Mars (known as Yinghuo in Chinese) first collided with the "Corpse Accumulation" star, then with the "Mao" star and the moon, and finally ran to the north to collide with the "He Gu" star. Shortly thereafter, Shi Hu's (Ji Long) health deteriorated. He quickly appointed Shi Zun as the Grand General to defend the Guanzhong region; Shi Bin was appointed as the Prime Minister and also responsible for the Ministry of Personnel; Zhang Chai was appointed as the Grand General of the Guards, the General of the Army, and the Minister of Personnel, all of whom were entrusted by Shi Hu to assist in governance.
Liu Shi (the Empress of Shi Hu) was afraid that Shi Bin's regency would endanger her son, the Crown Prince, so she conspired with Zhang Chai to get rid of Shi Bin. At that time, Shi Bin was in Xiangguo, and Liu Shi sent someone to trick him, saying, "The Emperor is sick; you like hunting, so take a break." Shi Bin, who was lazy and had a particular fondness for drinking and hunting, immediately went to have fun upon hearing this. Liu Shi then falsely claimed to issue an imperial decree, accusing Shi Bin of disloyalty and unfilial behavior, stripped him of his position, and sent him back to his hometown, while also sending Zhang Chai's brother Zhang Xiong with five hundred Longteng soldiers to guard him. Shi Zun arrived in Ye City from Youzhou, accepted the imperial appointment, and was assigned thirty thousand troops from the Forbidden Army, but he left in tears.
On that day, Shi Hu's condition slightly improved, and he asked, "Has Shi Zun arrived?" The people around him said he had already left. Shi Hu said, "What a pity, I didn't get to see him." Shi Hu held court in the West Pavilion, with over two hundred Dragon Soaring generals and Central Commanders kneeling before him. Shi Hu asked, "What are your requests?" Some said that since the Emperor's health was poor, the Prince of Yan (Shi Bin) should be permitted to enter the palace to serve and lead the military; others requested that the Prince of Yan be named Crown Prince. Not knowing that Shi Bin had already lost his title, Shi Hu angrily demanded, "Is the Prince of Yan not in the palace? Bring him here!" The people around him said that the Prince of Yan was ill and could not enter the palace. Shi Hu said, "Quick, send a carriage to get him; I want to hand over the jade seal and imperial seal to him!" But no one went. Shortly afterwards, Shi Hu passed out.
Zhang Chai took the opportunity to have his younger brother Zhang Xiong and others falsely relay an order from Shi Hu to kill Shi Bin. Liu Shi then falsely conveyed an imperial edict, promoting Zhang Chai to Grand Protector, Commander-in-Chief of all forces, and Chief Minister, and also giving him a thousand soldiers and a hundred cavalry, mirroring Huo Guang's role in assisting the Han Dynasty. Privy Counsellor Xu Tong sighed and said, "A great disaster is coming, and I am powerless to stop it." After speaking, he took poison and committed suicide. Not long after, Shi Hu also died. Shi Hu reigned as emperor from the first year of Xiankang to the sixth year of Taihe, for a total of fifteen years.
So, at that time, everyone pretended to accept the situation, recognizing Liu Shi as Empress Dowager and granting her authority to rule, and promoting Zhang Chai to Prime Minister. Zhang Chai also suggested that Shi Zun and Shi Jian be made Left and Right Prime Ministers to keep them content, and Liu Shi agreed.
Then, Zhang Chai and Zhang Ju plotted to take out Li Nong. However, Zhang Ju had a good relationship with Li Nong, so he informed Li Nong of Zhang Chai's plan. Upon hearing this, Li Nong was frightened and quickly fled to Guangzong with more than a hundred cavalrymen, taking along tens of thousands of families to find refuge in Shangbai. Liu Shi then sent Zhang Ju and his troops to surround Li Nong with elite forces. Zhang Chai promoted Zhang Li to Garrison General, Overseer of all military affairs, and Colonel of the Imperial Guard, as his deputy. At that time, Ye City was overrun with thieves, looting and creating chaos everywhere.
Shi Zun heard that Ran Min had died, so he set up camp in Henei. Yao Yizhong, Fu Hong, Shi Min, Liu Ning, as well as the military guards Wang Luan, Wang Wu of Ningxi, Shi Rong, Wang Tie, and General Liyi Duan Qin, after pacifying Qinzhou and Luoyang, returned to the court and met Shi Zun in Li City. They said to Shi Zun, "Your Highness, you are old and wise; the late emperor held you in high regard. It's just that the late emperor became muddled in his final years and was deceived by Zhang Hai. Now the emperor and Zhang Hai are deadlocked, and the capital's defenses are vulnerable. If we bring Zhang Hai's crimes to light and march under the banner to attack him, who wouldn't open the city gates to welcome Your Highness?" Shi Zun listened to their advice. Governor Liu Guo of Luozhou and others also led the army from Luoyang to Li City. Shi Zun sent a letter to Ye City, which sent a chill down Zhang Hai’s spine. He quickly recalled the army supporting the emperor. Shi Zun arrived at Dangyin with an army of ninety thousand, with Shi Min at the forefront. Zhang Hai originally wanted to go out and resist, but the veteran Jie tribesmen said, "The emperor's son has come to mourn; we should go out to meet him. We can’t defend the city just for Zhang Hai!" They all scaled the walls and exited the city, and Zhang Hai couldn't stop them. Zhang Li led two thousand Longteng soldiers to open the city gates to welcome Shi Zun. Liu, feeling fearful, summoned Zhang Hai and cried, "The late emperor hasn’t even been buried yet, and disasters are happening one after another. Now the emperor is still young, entrusted to you, General, what’s your plan? If you give Shi Zun a higher rank, maybe it can calm this chaos." Zhang Hai was so scared he was at a loss, and could only nod in agreement. Liu then ordered the appointment of Shi Zun as Prime Minister, Grand Marshal, Grand Commander of the Armies, and Recorder of the Imperial Secretariat, granting him the Yellow Battle-axe, Nine Tails, and an increase of ten counties in his fiefdom, entrusting him with all the power.
Shi Zun arrived at the Anyang Pavilion. Zhang Chai, feeling afraid, came out to greet him, and Shi Zun ordered the arrest of Zhang Chai. Thus, Shi Zun, clad in armor, led his army into the palace through Fengyang Gate and came to the front of Taiwu Hall, weeping uncontrollably, expressing his sorrow before retreating to the East Pavilion. Zhang Chai was executed in Pingle Market, and his entire family was exterminated. The Liu family falsely claimed to transmit an imperial edict, stating, "The emperor is too young; the late emperor had privately designated him as his successor. The throne is too significant, and he is unfit to bear it. Let Shi Zun inherit the throne." Shi Zun feigned reluctance twice, but the ministers strongly urged him, and he accepted the throne, usurping the title of emperor from Taiwu Hall. He granted amnesty to the realm and halted the siege on the emperor. Shi Shi was appointed as the Prince of Qiao, with a fief of ten thousand households, treated him with the respect due to a subject, deposed the Liu family from their positions as empress dowager, and shortly after, executed them all. Shi Shi’s reign as emperor lasted only thirty-three days.
After Li Nong returned and offered his apologies, Shi Zun restored his official position and treated him as he had before. He honored Li Nong's mother, Lady Zheng, by naming her empress dowager, and his wife, Lady Zhang, as the empress. He appointed Shi Bin's son, Shi Yan, as the crown prince, Shi Jian as the attendant, Shi Chong as the grand guardian, Shi Bao as the grand marshal, Shi Kun as the grand general, and Shi Min as the grand general of internal and external military affairs, and assistant to the state, allowing him to assist in state governance. On that day, a sudden fierce wind arose, uprooting trees, and deafening thunder echoed across the sky, while hail the size of basins fell. Taiwu Hall and Huihua Hall caught fire; the palace's doors, windows, and loft were destroyed, and most vehicles, clothing, and belongings were incinerated. The flames soared, melting even gold and stone, burning for over a month before finally being extinguished. In Ye City, it rained blood.
At that time, Shi Chong was stationed in Jizhou. When he heard that Shi Zun had killed the emperor and declared himself emperor, he said to his subordinates, "Shi Shijie received the late emperor's order, but Shi Zun deposed and killed him, committing a heinous crime. I must declare a state of martial law throughout the city; I will personally march to attack him!" So, he left Ningbeishu to defend Youzhou and led fifty thousand troops to march from Jizhou to attack Shi Zun. Along the way, he issued proclamations of attack to Yan and Zhao, and the local armies rallied to his call. By the time they reached Changshan, the army had swelled to over one hundred thousand troops. When they reached Yuanxiang, Shi Chong received a pardon letter from Shi Zun. He said to those around him, "After all, he is my brother; the dead cannot be brought back to life. Why continue to kill each other? I plan to go back." His general Chen Xian advised him, "Shi Zun usurped the throne, killed his brother, and proclaimed himself emperor, committing a great crime. Although you plan to return north with the army, I will go south first to pacify the capital, capture Shi Zun, and then bring you back to the court." Shi Chong followed his advice. Shi Zun quickly dispatched Wang Zhuo with letters to persuade Shi Chong, but Shi Chong did not listen. Shi Zun appointed Shi Min as the commander of the attack, giving him the authority to lead one hundred thousand elite soldiers to attack Shi Chong. The two armies clashed at Pingji, and Shi Chong's forces suffered a devastating defeat. Shi Chong himself was captured at Yuanshi and put to death, and his over thirty thousand soldiers were also massacred. Shi Jilong was buried, and his tomb was named Xianyuan Tomb. He was posthumously honored with the title of Emperor Wu and the temple name Taizu. Wang Jia, the governor of Yangzhou under Shi Zun, oversaw the Huainan region's surrender to him. Chen Kui, the General of the Western Zhonglang of the Jin Dynasty, occupied Shou Chun. The General of the Northern Campaign, Chu Pou, led the army to attack Shi Zun. Upon reaching Xiapu, Shi Zun appointed Li Nong as the commander of the southern campaign, leading twenty thousand cavalry to intercept them. Chu Pou could not advance, so he retreated and stationed at Guangling. Upon hearing this, Chen Kui was filled with fear, so he burned the military supplies in Shou Chun, demolished the city walls, and fled.
Shi Bao was stationed in Chang'an at that time, planning to lead the army of Guanzhong to attack Ye City. However, his Left Chief Clerk, Shi Guang, and Sima Cao Yao strongly advised against it. Shi Bao was furious upon hearing their advice and immediately executed over a hundred of them. Shi Bao, a greedy and incompetent man, was looked down upon by the powerful and influential figures in Yongzhou. They knew he would not succeed, so they sent word to Sima Xun, the Inspector of Liangzhou in the Jin Dynasty.
After receiving the news, Sima Xun quickly mobilized his troops and set up camp at Xuangou, which was located about two hundred miles from Chang'an. He also sent Liu Huan, the Zhongzheng, to attack the Prefect of Jingzhao, Liu Xiu, and directly killed him. In the surrounding areas of Chang'an, those with power and influence executed local officials and took control of their fortresses, with more than thirty of them, forming a combined force of fifty thousand, all rallying to Sima Xun's call. Seeing this situation, Shi Bao was forced to abandon his plans to attack Ye City and dispatched Ma Qiu, Yao Guo, and their cavalry to confront Sima Xun.
Consequently, Sima Zun sent Wang Lang, the General of Chariots and Cavalry, to lead twenty thousand elite cavalry. Officially, it was a campaign against Sima Xun, but in reality, the goal was to capture Shi Bao. Wang Lang captured Shi Bao and immediately delivered him to Ye City. Sima Xun found himself blocked by Wang Lang and was forced to abandon the camp at Xuangou, instead capturing Wancheng. It was only after eliminating Yuan Jing, the Prefect of Nanyang, that he returned with his troops.
Initially, when Shi Zun returned from Li Cheng, he said to Shi Min, "Keep it going! If things work out, I will appoint you as the crown prince or prime minister." However, later, Shi Yan was appointed as the crown prince, which left Shi Min deeply disappointed. He believed he had played a significant role and sought to seize control of the court, but Shi Zun was wary of him and did not dare to trust him. Shi Min was appointed commander, gaining control over the nation's military. He won over the generals and soldiers in the palace and the former guards of the Eastern Palace, probably more than 10,000 people, by promoting them, granting them palace maids, and winning their loyalty. Shi Zun remained oblivious and instead chose to criticize them in official documents to suppress them, leading to widespread discontent. Later, Shi Zun fell for the schemes of Meng Zhun, the Minister of the Interior, and Wang Luan, the Left Guard General, growing increasingly suspicious of Shi Min and gradually weakening his military power. Shi Min's dissatisfaction grew, and Meng Zhun and the others advised Shi Zun to kill Shi Min. Shi Zun summoned Shi Jian and others to discuss matters in front of Empress Dowager Zheng. Everyone was in favor of killing Shi Min. Empress Dowager Zheng said, "If it hadn't been for Shi Min's efforts during the battle at Li Cheng, how could we be in our current situation? He is just a bit arrogant; we shouldn't kill him lightly." After Shi Jian left, he dispatched the eunuch Yang Huan to inform Shi Min. Shi Min then took Li Nong and the Right Guard General Wang Ji captive and secretly plotted to overthrow Shi Zun. He had Generals Su Hai and Zhou Cheng lead thirty soldiers to arrest Shi Zun at Ruyi Pavilion. At that moment, Shi Zun was playing chess with his wife and asked Zhou Cheng and the others present, "Who is rebelling?" Zhou Cheng said, "Prince of Yiyang, Shi Jian, wants to become emperor." Shi Zun replied, "Given my current situation, how long do you think you can support Shi Jian?" Thus, Shi Zun was killed in Kunhua Hall, and Empress Dowager Zheng, Crown Prince Shi Yan, Shangguo Zhang Fei, Minister of the Interior Meng Zhun, Left Guard General Wang Luan, and others were also executed. Shi Zun's reign lasted a mere one hundred and eighty-three days.
After Shi Jian seized power, he granted amnesty to the whole country. He appointed Shi Min as the Grand General and bestowed upon him the title of King of Wude; Li Nong as the Grand Marshal, and was also involved in managing the affairs of the Ministry of Personnel; Lang Kai as the Minister of Works; Qinzhou Governor Liu Qun as the Left Deputy of the Ministry of Personnel; and Lu Chen as the Minister of the Palace Library. Shi Jian sent Shi Bao, as well as the Minister of the Palace Library Li Song, and General Zhang Cai to Kunhua Palace at night to kill Shi Min and Li Nong, but they failed, resulting in chaos within the palace. Shi Jian, fearing Shi Min's rebellion, pretended not to know and killed Li Song and Zhang Cai at the West Zhonghua Gate at night, and also killed Shi Bao.
This scoundrel Shi Zhi colluded with Yao Yizhong, Fu Hong, and others in Xiangguo, and conspired to send letters to assassinate Min and Nong. Emperor Shi Jian then appointed Shi Kun as the Grand General, leading Zhang Ju and Hu Yan Sheng with seventy thousand infantry and cavalry to suppress Shi Zhi and his group. As a result, Shi Cheng, Shi Qi, and former Governor of Hedong, Shi Hui, who served under Shi Jian, also planned to kill Min and Nong, but were killed by Min and Nong instead.
General Longxiang Sun Fudu and Liu Zhu and others, with three thousand Jie soldiers concealed in Hutian, also wanted to kill Min and Nong. Meanwhile, Shi Jian remained in the imperial palace. Sun Fudu and more than thirty people wanted to rush into the palace to rebel. Shi Jian saw that Sun Fudu had destroyed the passage of the palace and inquired about the situation. Sun Fudu said, "Li Nong and others have rebelled and are now at the East Yemo Gate. I am prepared with my men, just coming to inform you." Shi Jian said, "You are a loyal subject; serve the court well. I am observing you from the palace; no need to worry about rewards." So Sun Fudu and Liu Zhu led their troops to attack Min and Nong, but were unsuccessful and instead stationed at Fengyang Gate. Min and Nong, with thousands of troops, smashed through the Jinming Gate and stormed into the palace.
Shi Jian was afraid that Min and Nong would kill him, so he quickly sent people to summon Min and Nong into the palace, opened the city gates to welcome them in, and said, "Sun Fudu has rebelled; you need to deal with him quickly!" Min and Nong led their troops to slaughter Sun Fudu and his followers, from Fengyang Gate to Kunhua Gate, the bodies piled up like mountains, and blood flowed like a river. Shi Jian ordered that any of the Six Yi (ethnic minorities) who dared to take up arms would be executed! Some of the Hu people burst through the city gates and fled, so many that they were uncountable. Shi Jian then sent the officials Wang Jian and Wang Yu, along with thousands of soldiers, to protect them at the Imperial Dragon Pavilion, providing them with food. He then ordered in the city, "Those who are loyal to the court may stay, while those who are not can leave freely!" The city gates were no longer monitored. People from within a radius of a hundred miles all streamed into the city, blocking the city gates as Hu and Jie people fled.
Min and Nong realized that the Hu people completely disregarded them, so they ordered all Zhao people in the city to bring the head of a Hu person to Fengyang Gate. Civil officials would be promoted three ranks, while military officials would be appointed as generals of the Tooth Gate. In just one day, tens of thousands of heads were severed. Min and Nong personally led the Zhao people in slaughtering the Hu and Jie, sparing neither gender nor age. Over two hundred thousand people perished, their bodies piled outside the city and devoured by wild dogs and jackals. Troops stationed throughout the region also received Min and Nong's orders to execute them. At that time, many of the high-nosed, bearded Hu people perished.
Once upon a time, Zhao Lu, General Zhang Ju, Commander Zhang Chun, Shi Yue, Shi Ning, and Zhang Ji, along with a host of other nobles and officials, fled to Xiangguo together with over ten thousand soldiers. Shi Kun proclaimed himself king in Jizhou, Shi Shen was stationed at Fukou, Zhang Heduo occupied Shidu, Duan Qin occupied Liyang, Yang Qun stationed troops at Sangbi, Liu Guo occupied Yangcheng, Duan Kang occupied Chenliu, Yao Yizhong occupied Hunqiao, and Fu Hong occupied Fangtou, each commanding tens of thousands of troops. Wang Lang and Ma Qiu subsequently fled from Chang'an to Luoyang. Ma Qiu received a secret imperial edict and executed several thousand Hu soldiers under Wang Lang. Wang Lang then fled to Xiangguo, while Ma Qiu led his troops to join Fu Hong.
Shi Kun, Zhang Ju, and Wang Lang mustered a combined army of 70,000 soldiers to attack Ye City, where Shi Min had only a little over a thousand cavalry to face them in the city's northern outskirts. Holding two long spears, Shi Min charged into the enemy's formation, throwing their ranks into disarray and killing over three thousand enemy soldiers right then and there. Shi Kun and his allies suffered a crushing defeat and retreated to Jizhou.
Shi Min and Li Nong mustered thirty thousand cavalry to confront Zhang Heduo, but Shi Jian secretly sent eunuchs to deliver a message to Zhang Shen and others, hoping to coordinate their attack on Ye City. The eunuchs informed Shi Min and Li Nong of this plan, which prompted them to hastily return to Ye City. They deposed Shi Jian, executed him, and wiped out all thirty-eight grandsons of Shi Jilong, effectively obliterating the Shi clan. Shi Jian's reign lasted a mere 103 days!
Shi Hun, the youngest son of Shi Jilong, fled to the capital with a few wives and concubines in the eighth year of Yonghe. The emperor ordered the court officials to hand them over, and shortly afterwards, they were killed in the bustling streets of Jiankang. Shi Jilong had thirteen sons in total, five of whom were killed by Ran Min, and the remaining eight killed each other. Shi Hun is now dead as well. It was predicted that the one destined to destroy the Shi clan would belong to the "Ling" generation, and later Shi Min was appointed as the Duke of Lanling. Shi Jilong became fearful upon hearing this and promptly changed Lanling to Wuxing County, but in the end, he ultimately fell to Shi Min. Shi Jilong declared himself emperor in the third year of Xianhe and was destroyed in the fifth year of Yonghe, having witnessed the reign of two emperors and the loss of four sons, he ended up with nothing to show for it. Min Yongceng, also known as Jinyu, was Shi Jilong's foster grandson. His father, Ran Zhan, style name Hongwu, originally surnamed Ran, named Liang, was from Neihuang, Wei County. His ancestors served as the Cavalry Commander of Liyang in the Han Dynasty, holding the position of Yamen official for generations. When Ran Zhan was young, Shi Le attacked Chenwu and captured the then twelve-year-old Ran Zhan, taking him in as an adopted son. Ran Zhan was brave and skilled in battle, with immense strength, always leading the charge. He later held the positions of General of Left Wing Archers and Marquis of Xihua. Min Yongceng had always been decisive and brave since childhood, and Shi Jilong treated him like his own grandson. As he grew up, he stood eight feet tall, adept at strategy and outstanding in martial arts. He was appointed as the General of Righteousness and later became the Marquis of Xiucheng, gradually rising in ranks to become the General of the Northern Central Army and the General of the Guard. When Shi Jilong was defeated in Changli, only Min Yongceng's army returned unscathed, and from then on, his reputation skyrocketed. After Shi Jilong's defeat in Liangdu, Min Yongceng's reputation became even more illustrious, and the veteran generals of the Hu and Xia dynasties regarded him with caution.
In the sixth year of Yonghe, Min Yongzeng killed Shi Jian. His ministers Shen Zhong, Lang Kai, and forty-eight others submitted a memorial to honor him as emperor. Min Yongzeng adamantly declined, recommending Li Nong instead. Li Nong insisted and pressured Min Yongzeng into usurping the throne in the southern suburbs, proclaiming himself emperor, granting a general amnesty, changing the era name to Yongxing, renaming the state as Da Wei, and restoring the Ran surname. He posthumously honored his ancestors as Emperor Longyuan, his father Ran Zhan as Emperor Gao, his mother Wang as Empress Dowager, his wife Dong as Empress, and his son Ran Zhi as Crown Prince. He appointed Li Nong as Grand Preceptor, Commander-in-Chief, and Chief Secretary, bestowing upon him the title of King of Qi, and Li Nong's sons as county dukes. He also enfeoffed his own sons Ran Yin, Ran Ming, and Ran Yu as kings. All civil and military officials were promoted by three ranks, each receiving different titles. He sent envoys to pardon the rebel armies in various regions, but received no replies.
Upon hearing of Shi Jian's death, Shi Zhi proclaimed himself emperor in Xiangguo, and the other six barbarian tribes occupying states and counties with military power all rallied to his cause. Min Yongzeng sent envoys to the Yangtze River to the Jin Dynasty, saying, "The barbarians have caused chaos in the Central Plains, which I have now subdued. If you are willing to join forces to suppress them, you can send troops." The Jin Dynasty offered no response. Later, Min Yongzeng killed Li Nong and his three sons, as well as the Governor Wang Mo, Palace Attendant Wang Yan, Palace Attendant Yan Zhen, Zhao Sheng, and others. The Jin Dynasty's governor of Lujiang, Yuan Zhen, attacked his stronghold at Hefei, captured the Nanman Colonel Sang Tan, relocated the inhabitants of Hefei, before withdrawing his troops.
Shi Zhi dispatched his prime minister Shi Kun with an army of one hundred thousand to attack Ye City, first seizing Handan. Shi Zhi himself was stationed in Nanliu State, where he planned to rendezvous with Shi Kun from Fanyang. Consequently, Ran Min inflicted a crushing defeat on Shi Kun at Handan, resulting in the deaths of tens of thousands of soldiers. Shi Zhi then withdrew to Fanyang. At this time, Fu Jian entered Guanzhong from Fangtou. Zhang Heduo, Duan Qin, and Shi Zhi, alongside Jin Tun from Nanliu State, convened in Changcheng to prepare for a joint assault on Ye City. Ran Min appointed Liu Qun as the chief commander, who commanded Wang Tai, Cui Tong, Zhou Cheng, and others in leading a combined force of one hundred and twenty thousand infantry and cavalry to provide support from Huangcheng. Ran Min himself led eighty thousand elite soldiers to follow up, and the two sides clashed at Cangting. Zhang Heduo and his forces were decisively defeated, suffering twenty-eight thousand casualties, and Jin Tun was chased to Yin'an Township and beheaded, with all soldiers captured. Ran Min then made his way back to the capital. This time, Ran Min's army, numbering over three hundred thousand, with flags and drums extending for over a hundred miles, eclipsed even the height of the Shi family's power. "With over three hundred thousand troops, flags, drums, and banners stretching over a hundred miles," the spectacle was truly breathtaking! After returning triumphantly from Cangting, Ran Min held a grand victory banquet, restructured the nine schools of thought in accordance with established etiquette, appointed officials based on merit, leading to the promotion of many Confucian scholars. At that time, the social climate underwent a complete transformation, and people felt that the situation was similar to the early years of Wei and Jin. Murong Min led an army of one hundred thousand infantry and cavalry to assault Shi Zhi in Xiangguo, even appointing his son, Taiyuan Wang Yin, as the Grand Chanyu and the General of Cavalry, and assigning a thousand Xianbei soldiers as his subordinates. Wei You, the Gentleman of the Palace, strongly cautioned against it, but Murong Min flew into a rage and had Wei You and his entire family executed.
Murong Min attacked Xiangguo for more than a hundred days, building earthen mounds, digging tunnels, and even constructing houses to create the illusion of farming. Shi Zhi was so scared that he quickly relinquished his title as emperor and instead took on the title of King of Zhao, sending envoys to seek assistance from Murong Jun and Yao Yizhong. At this time, Shi Kun arrived from Jizhou to support Shi Zhi, and Yao Yizhong also sent his son Yao Xiang with thirty-eight thousand cavalry from Getou. Murong Jun sent General Yue Wan with thirty thousand troops from Longcheng, totaling more than one hundred thousand soldiers. Murong Min dispatched General Hu Mu to ambush Shi Zhi at Changlu and General Sun Wei to ambush Shi Kun at Huangqiu. Both were defeated, with nearly all of their forces wiped out; only Hu Mu and Sun Wei managed to escape.
As Shi Kun's army was about to arrive, Murong Min wanted to charge out to battle. General Wang Tai advised him, saying, "A strong bow is at the end of its tension; they are now relying on reinforcements. Now that the reinforcements have arrived, if you charge out to battle, won't you be caught in a pincer movement? You should defend the city and wait to see the situation, to diminish their morale. If His Majesty leads the troops personally, it could spell disaster! Absolutely do not go out to battle; let me lead the troops to destroy them!" Murong Min was inclined to heed his advice, but then a Taoist priest named Fa Rao suddenly appeared and said, "The Taibai Jingmao, it is time to strike down the Hu King; one battle can win a hundred battles, this opportunity must not be missed!" Murong Min rolled up his sleeves and proclaimed loudly, "I have decided to go to battle; anyone who dares to advise me again will face execution!" Thus, he committed all his forces.
Yao Xiang, Yue Wan, and Shi Kun surrounded Murong Min from three sides, while Shi Zhi attacked from behind, leading to a crushing defeat for Murong Min's forces. Murong Min sneaked away to the Xiangguo Palace and escaped to Ye City with a dozen cavalrymen. The surrendered Hu leaders, including Litekang, captured Ran Yin and Left Deputy Liu Qi, and they were all executed. Sikong Shipu, Shangshu Ling Xu Ji, Chariot and Cavalry General Hu Mu, Shizhong Li Lin, Zhongshu Jian Lu Chen, Shao Fu Wang Yu, Shangshu Liu Qin, Liu Xiu, and many other generals and soldiers perished, resulting in devastating casualties of over a hundred thousand people! Thieves roamed freely as famine gripped Sizhou and Jizhou, leading people to resort to cannibalism. After the death of Shi Jilong, Murong Min continued to squander the national treasury to win hearts, engaging in endless wars with the Qiang and Hu people, with battles almost every month. The refugees from Qingzhou, Yongzhou, Youzhou, and Jingzhou, along with millions of Di, Qiang, Hu, and other barbarian tribes, fought and robbed each other along the way. Coupled with hunger and plague, only about 20% of them made it home alive. The world had descended into chaos, and farming had come to a standstill. Murong Min was filled with regret, having Fa Rao and his son dismembered, and posthumously promoting Wei Jiao to Grand Minister of State. Shi Zhi dispatched Liu Xian with an army of seventy thousand to besiege Ye City. By that time, Min Zhan had already returned, but no one knew, creating panic both inside and outside the city, as everyone believed Min Zhan had perished. The Chief of Archery Zhang Ai advised Min Zhan to go outside the city to make offerings and soothe the people's fears, and Min Zhan followed his advice, calming the rumors.
Liu Xian's army was stationed at Mingguang Palace (Bright Palace), 23 miles away from Ye City. Min Zhan felt a great sense of fear, so he summoned General Shi Ning of the Valiant Cavalry, Wang Tai, to discuss countermeasures. Wang Tai was angry because Min Zhan had not listened to his suggestions before and pretended to be seriously injured, refusing to give any suggestions. Min Zhan went to ask him personally, but Wang Tai still insisted that he was very ill. Min Zhan was very angry, returned to the palace, and said to the people around him, "Banu (referring to Wang Tai), do I have to rely on you to make decisions? We must first eliminate those barbarians, and then kill Wang Tai!" So, he led all the troops into battle, defeated Liu Xian's army, pursued them to Yangping, where he beheaded over 30,000. Liu Xian was afraid and secretly sent someone to request surrender, saying he was willing to kill Shi Zhi to show loyalty. Min Zhan then withdrew his troops back to the city.
At this time, someone accused Wang Tai of recruiting Qin people and preparing to escape to Guanzhong. Min Zhan was furious, killed Wang Tai, and wiped out his entire family. Liu Xian indeed killed Shi Zhi and his Grand Preceptor Zhao Lu, along with more than ten others, sending their heads to Ye City, pleading with Min Zhan for mercy. General Shi Ning escaped to the Bairen. Min Zhan ordered that Shi Zhi's head be burned in the busy marketplace.
Liu Qi, Min Zhan's Inspector of Yanzhou, surrendered with Juancheng. Liu Xian led his army to attack Ye City again, but Min Zhan defeated him once more. Upon returning to Xiangguo, Min Zhan declared himself emperor and assumed the title of honor. Zhou Cheng, Inspector of Xuzhou, Wei Tong, Inspector of Yanzhou, Ran Yu, Governor of Yuzhou, and Le Hong, Inspector of Jingzhou, all surrendered with their cities. General Gao Chong of Pacification in the South and General Lu Hu, who Conquers the Barbarians, captured Zheng Xi, Inspector of Luozhou, and surrendered with the Sanhe region. Murong Biao seized Zhongshan, killed Min Zhan's General of Ningbei, Bai Tong, and Inspector of Youzhou, Liu Zhun, then surrendered to Murong Jun.
At that time, a yellow-red cloud appeared in the sky, rising from the northeast, stretching over a hundred feet. A white bird flew from the clouds towards the southwest, and fortune tellers predicted this was an ominous sign.
Liu Xian marched his forces to besiege Changshan, and the governor of Changshan, Su Hai, hurriedly sought assistance from Shi Min. Shi Min left his general Jiang Gan and others behind to assist Prince Zhi in defending Ye City and personally led eight thousand cavalry to rescue. Liu Xian's Grand Marshal, Prince Ning of Qinghe, surrendered to Shi Min in Zaoqiang. Shi Min integrated the remaining forces of Prince Ning, then attacked Liu Xian, defeated him and pursued him all the way to Xiangguo. Liu Xian's general Cao Fujv opened the city gate and surrendered, allowing Shi Min to enter the city, where he executed Liu Xian and over one hundred of his officials, and burned down the palaces of Xiangguo, forcibly relocating the common people to Ye City. Liu Xian's general Fan Lu commanded over a thousand troops and broke through the pass to escape to Fangtou.
By this time, Murong Jun had already conquered Youzhou and Jizhou, expanding his influence to Jizhou. Shi Min led his cavalry to intercept him and encountered Murong Ke at Weichang City. Shi Min's general Dong Run and cavalry general Zhang Wen counseled Shi Min, stating, "The Xianbei are currently formidable opponents; it's not easy to deal with them. We might as well avoid them first, allow their momentum to wane, and then attack again to achieve victory." Shi Min angrily replied, "I have already led troops to expedition, ready to pacify Youzhou and kill Murong Jun. Now that I have encountered Murong Ke, avoiding him will only invite scorn from others!" So he fought with Murong Ke and suffered ten defeats. Murong Ke used iron chains to tether the horses together, selected five thousand Xianbei soldiers who excelled in archery but lacked courage, and formed a square formation to charge. Shi Min rode a red steed named Zhu Long, which could travel a thousand miles a day. With a double-bladed spear in his left hand and a hook spear in his right hand, he charged forward, riding the wind, slaying over three hundred Xianbei soldiers.
Before long, a large contingent of cavalry from the Yan Kingdom arrived and surrounded Shi Min in multiple layers. Outnumbered, Shi Min broke through the encirclement and fled east on horseback. He ran over twenty miles before his horse collapsed. He was captured by Murong Ke, along with Dong Run, Zhang Wen, and others, who were also taken to Ji Zhou. Murong Jun brought Shi Min before him and asked, "You’re just a lowly servant by birth; what gives you the right to call yourself an emperor?" Shi Min replied, "The world is in chaos, and you barbarians—human in appearance but beasts at heart—still seek to seize power. I am a hero of my time; why shouldn’t I be emperor?" Furious, Murong Jun whipped Shi Min three hundred times before sending him to Longcheng to pay respects at the ancestral temples of Hui and Huang.
Murong Ping surrounded the city of Ye with his forces. Liu Ning and his younger brother Liu Chong escaped to Jinyang with three thousand cavalry, while Su Hai abandoned Changshan and fled to Xinxing. Many people starved to death in Ye City, and some even resorted to eating human flesh. At that time, almost all the concubines in Shi Hu's palace had been consumed. Since Ran Min was still young, Jiang Gan sent the attendant Miao Song and the official Liu Yi to surrender to the Jin Dynasty and requested troops to come to the rescue. The Governor of Puyang, Dai Shi, intercepted Liu Yi at Cangyuan and demanded the imperial seal. Liu Yi sent Miao Song back to Ye City to deliver a message, while Jiang Gan hesitated. Dai Shi then led over a hundred warriors into Ye City to assist in defending the Three Towers, tricking Jiang Gan into surrendering the imperial seal. Dai Shi claimed to send an escort to meet the grain convoy but secretly dispatched the imperial seal to the capital. Chief Commandant Ma Yuan of Changshui and General Tian Xiang of Longxiang opened the city gates and submitted to Murong Ping. Dai Shi, He Rong, and Jiang Gan all managed to escape from the city wall and fled to Cangyuan. Murong Ping captured Shi Min's wife, Dong Shi, the Crown Prince, Shi Zhi, the Grand Commandant, Shen Zhong, the Minister of Works, Tiao You, the Director of the Imperial Secretariat, Nie Xiong, the Commandant of the Imperial Guard, Ji Pi, the Prefect of the Imperial Secretariat, Li Yuan, and other royal ministers to Ji City. The Prefect of the Masters of Writing, Wang Jian, the Left Deputy Director, Zhang Qian, and the Right Deputy Director, Lang Su, all took their own lives.
Shi Zun sent Shi Min to Longcheng, but was ultimately killed at Exing Mountain. The grass and trees within a seven-mile radius of Exing Mountain withered, locusts swarmed in abundance, and there was no rain from May all the way to December. Shi Zun sent people to conduct sacrifices for Shi Min, bestowing upon him the posthumous title of Martial Mourning Heavenly King, and on that day, heavy snow fell. This was in the eighth year of Yonghe.
Historical records state: Saving people from peril is the duty of an emperor; extreme cruelty and brutality are the hallmarks of barbarians. These chaotic figures have been a concern since ancient times. Even though they are kept at bay by the Great Wall, there is still fear of invasion. Moreover, they now dwell in the Central Plains, eyeing our court, capitalizing on our nation's turmoil, and seizing the opportunity presented by our nation's peril, they are responding one after another, picking up weapons, and disturbing social order!
Shi Le was a member of the Qiang ethnic group, and he was remarkably unattractive. However, Sima Jizi, the Prefect of Shangdang, recognized his extraordinary potential; Wang Yan in Luoyang also predicted his future rebellion. Later, during the reign of Emperor Hui, Sima Zhong, the country was divided, and Shi Le gathered a band of unruly followers, taking advantage of the chaos to attack and capture Luoyang, harming the people. At that time, Luoyang was in chaos, akin to a ship at sea facing monstrous waves stirred by a whale; the nobles and ministers found themselves in misfortune, like lost souls wandering in the desert. Could it be that heaven has forsaken the virtues of the Jin Dynasty, allowing this monster to rise?
However, just look at how Shi Le stays calm and collected on the battlefield, strategizing, brave in battle, coming up with clever tactics frequently, and radiating confidence. He has more charisma than Cao Cao and is more suave than Liu Kun. He killed Yuan Chao in Kuxian, accusing him of misgovernment; he killed Peng Zu in Xiangguo, accusing him of lacking loyalty to the emperor. In this way, he conquered Yan and Zhao, absorbed Han and Wei, seized the throne with his outstanding abilities, took over the old capital, and opposed the royal family. He shed his barbarian attire, donned Han clothing, abandoned military attire, and established schools. Neighboring countries feared his power and offered tributes for peace, while remote regions also followed suit. From the perspective of founding a country, who could compare to him? Although he was cruel and ruthless, he was definitely a standout figure of his time. Unfortunately, he chose the wrong heir, resulting in no one to take over, ultimately leading to his death and the destruction of his state, with his territory taken by others, which really shows how crucial it is to choose the right people.
Shi Le was ruthless, immoral, reckless from a young age, a wolf in sheep's clothing, a ruthless schemer. He harbored grudges and eventually seized power. He indulged in extravagance, went on a building spree, oppressed the people, perpetuated wars, enforced harsh laws, often resorting to executions, leaving ordinary folks suffering and with no way to seek justice; the savagery of the barbarians was downright terrifying! Later, suspicion between father and son, brothers turned enemies, led to infighting and became a laughingstock. Before the graves were even dry, calamity struck, with Zhang Chai rising in rebellion, Ran Min exterminating the Jie tribe, long-standing grudges turning into hatred, ultimately resulting in self-destruction, showing how karma works!
Go with the flow of nature, and you'll thrive; go against it, and you'll face destruction. Evil deeds will be punished; it's like a cycle. Shi Le harmed the people of the Jin Dynasty and eventually faced retribution; Ran Min killed the Jie people and also destroyed the Jie tribe. Evil deeds will not go unpunished; that's what they call karma!
Once upon a time, in this chaotic world, the Central Plains were in disarray, while the barbarians fought among themselves, causing darkness to envelop the sky and dust to blanket the earth. The dust was so thick that even the three stars in the sky were barely visible. That guy, Shi Le, was incredibly cunning, exploiting his powerful forces to commit all manner of atrocities. Leading bandits, burning, killing, and plundering, he committed heinous acts, conquering cities and territories—a true disaster for humanity. At first, he was merely the leader of a group of bandits, but later he claimed to be fighting for justice, deceiving the people. Despite his numerous wrongdoings, many people of the time viewed him as a hero.
It is said: The Central Plains were in disarray, while the barbarians fought among themselves. Dust flies over the Five Sacred Mountains, and mist covers the Three Peaks. Shi Le was cunning, exploiting chaos and overextended forces. Disaster and tyranny spread, plundering towns and slaughtering cities.
This guy, Shi Le, later usurped the throne and became emperor, leading a life of luxury and debauchery, notorious for his cruelty. And what was the outcome? He died, his country fell, all of it brought upon himself, receiving his just deserts!
Beginning as a mere bandit, ending with a tarnished reputation. Don’t dismiss him as wicked; he was also hailed as a hero of his time. Ji Long usurped the throne, spreading his tyranny. With his demise, the nation fell, all as a result of his own misdeeds.
Shi Jilong is Shi Le's cousin. Because his name violated the taboos associated with the ancestral temple, everyone referred to him as "Zi." His grandfather was named Shi Xie, and his father was named Shi Koumi. Shi Le's father died when he was young, and Shi Jilong was born when Shi Le was very young, so some people regarded him as Shi Le's younger brother. When he was six or seven years old, a fortune teller said, "This child looks unique, with strong bones, and will be rich and noble in the future." During the Yongxing period, he became separated from Shi Le. Later, Liu Kun sent Shi Le's mother, Wang Shi, and Shi Jilong to Gebei. At that time, Shi Jilong was seventeen years old.
He was naturally cruel, enjoyed hunting, roamed everywhere, had no stable lifestyle, especially excelled in archery, often using living targets for practice, and was considered a menace in the army. Shi Le told Wang Shi that he wanted to kill him, but Wang Shi said, "Even a strong young bull can pull a broken cart." By the age of eighteen, Shi Jilong had become somewhat more restrained. He was seven and a half feet tall, agile, and skilled in riding and archery, unrivaled at that time. Generals and relatives both respected and feared him, and Shi Le held him in high regard, appointing him as the General for Conquering Barbarians. He also arranged for him to marry General Guo Rong's sister.
But Shi Jilong was infatuated with his male lover Zheng Yingtao, and even killed Guo Shi, then married a daughter of the Cui family from Qinghe. As a result, Zheng Yingtao falsely accused her, leading to her execution. He was extremely cruel in his actions. As long as there were brave and talented people in the army who were similar to him, he would go to great lengths to eliminate them, and he killed numerous people. During the siege and conquest, he did not distinguish between good and bad, and killed soldiers and civilians in batches, leaving almost no survivors. Although Shi Le repeatedly admonished and advised him, he continued to act on his own whims. However, he maintained strict control over the army with ease, and no one dared to disobey him. He commanded the battles and was invincible, which led Shi Le to trust him increasingly and entrusted him with the power of war.
Shi Le first served as an official in Xiangguo, and was later appointed as the Prefect of Wei County, stationed at the San Tai of Yecheng. Later, he was also appointed as the Marquis of Fanyang. Subsequently, Shi Le became the Grand Chanyu and King of Zhao, and was appointed as the deputy of the Chanyu, commanding the Imperial Guard. He was then promoted to the position of Zhongshu Shilang and Kaifu, and finally granted the title of Duke of Zhongshan. After Shi Le declared himself emperor, he was appointed as the Grand Commandant and Prefect of the Masters of Writing, and was enfeoffed as a king with a fief of ten thousand households.
Shi Jilong thought he had made great contributions and believed that after Shi Le declared himself emperor, the title of Grand Chanyu was rightfully his, only to find it was given to Shi Le's son, Shi Hong. Shi Jilong harbored deep resentment and privately told his son, Shi Sui: "Since the emperor declared himself in Xiangguo, he has always calmly followed the advice of others, while I have always been in the thick of battle, risking my life. For more than twenty years, I have pacified Liu Yue in the south, repelled Suo Tou in the north, pacified Qilu in the east, and pacified Qinyong in the west, thirteen provinces in total. I was the one who established the Great Zhao. The position of Grand Chanyu should rightfully belong to me, yet it was handed to that young upstart. Thinking about it keeps me up at night and ruins my appetite. After the emperor's death, the entire Shi Le family won't survive!"
In the first year of Xiankang, Shi Jilong deposed Shi Hong, the son of Shi Le, and the ministers in the court advised him to proclaim himself emperor. Shi Jilong issued a decree saying, "The royal family has faced many difficulties, Haiyang (referring to Eastern Jin) has abandoned the country, and the great cause of the world is heavy, so I have no choice but to accept everyone's recommendation. I have heard that those who are in harmony with the Dao of heaven and earth are called emperor, and those who embody the virtues of both gods and men are called emperor. I dare not use the title 'emperor', so let’s call it 'King of Zhao' in response to the mandate of heaven and the expectations of the people." He then granted amnesty throughout the country and changed the era name to Jianwu. He appointed Kui An as the Grand Commandant and Minister of Writing, Guo Yin as Minister of Works, Han Xi as Supervisor of the Left of the Masters of Writing, Wei Gai, Feng Mo, Zhang Chong, and Cao Xian as Masters of Writing, Shen Zhong as the attendant, Lang Kai as the Grand Master of Ceremonies, Wang Bo as Minister of the Palace Library, and other civil and military officials were also given rewards. He appointed his son Shi Sui as the crown prince. Shi Jilong believed that the emperor should come from the northeast according to prophecies, so he prepared a ceremonial procession and returned from the capital to fulfill the prophecies, and set up a waystation in Liuxiang, Yingtao in Tangtao. In Xuzhou, Shi Jilong's subordinate Zhu Zong killed the Inspector of Xuzhou, Guo Xiang, and led Pengcheng to surrender to Shi Jilong. Shi Jilong sent General Wang Lang to attack him, and Zhu Zong fled to Huainan. After becoming emperor, Shi Le neglected state affairs and spent all his time on extravagant palace construction. He couldn’t be bothered to handle matters like receiving reports from officials, selecting local officials, and performing sacrifices at the ancestral temples, only personally overseeing warfare and sentencing. Once, the birdwatching platform he had built collapsed, and he even killed Ren Wang, the steward responsible for the construction. He then had it rebuilt, making it twice as large as before.
Once, Shi Le personally led his troops south to attack Liyang, but retreated upon reaching the Yangtze River, which caused a great panic in the capital, Luoyang. He then sent Shi Yu to attack Zhonglu, followed by surrounding Huan Xuan, who was stationed in Xiangyang. Mao Bao, Wang Guo, Wang Qianqi, and others led the Jingzhou army to provide assistance, setting up camp at Zhangshan. After attacking for over a month, Shi Yu's army faced famine and disease outbreaks, forcing them to retreat.
Shi Le collected substantial taxes, and transporting grain was troublesome. He ordered that the national treasury must receive one million hu (a traditional Chinese measure of grain) each year, with the rest stored near water.
Jin Dynasty general Chunyu An attacked Shi Le's troops in Langye Fei County, capturing many soldiers and horses before returning.
Shi Le's favored concubine, Liu Zhi, also known as Shi Sui, initially won Shi Le's favor through witchcraft, and later raised Shi Sui, gaining Shi Le's favor. She accepted bribes, intervened in politics, and amassed considerable power, introducing many high-ranking officials. Eventually, Shi Le appointed her as the Lady of Yicheng.
Shi Le ordered that those who committed crimes could atone for their crimes with money or grain, to be delivered to the waterfront warehouse at market prices. Eight counties in Jizhou were struck by hail, resulting in severe crop damage. Feeling a sense of responsibility, Shi Le ordered the warehouses to be opened and distributed the grain to allow the people to replant. In areas that were particularly hard-hit by the disasters, he even waived taxes for a year.
Shi Le planned to move to Yecheng, and the minister suggested that the Grand Minister go and worship the ancestral temple. Shi Le said, "In ancient times, when doing great things, one must worship the ancestral temple, but there is no need to worship the state deities. The minister can study it carefully and then tell me." So the ministers suggested that the Grand Commandant go and worship the state deities, and Shi Le agreed. When they arrived at the palace in Yecheng, there happened to be a heavy rain, and Shi Le was very happy, so he pardoned criminals below the death penalty. The Director of Ceremonial invented a compass chariot, and Shi Le thought his design was clever, so he granted him the title of Marquis of Guannei and rewarded him with many things. He also stipulated that officials above the rank of Cavalier Attendant could ride in carriages, while nobles could ride in secondary chariots, driving four horses with dragon flags, each with eight streamers, and they could also ride in carriages during the monthly court meetings.
At that time, the Qiang tribe leader, Bao Judayou, had yet to surrender, so Shi Le sent his son Prince Zhanwu Bin to lead twenty thousand elite soldiers, along with the armies of Qinzhou and Yongzhou, to attack him. Shi Le inspected Changle and Weiguo and found that there were fields lying fallow and mulberry trees unattended, so he demoted the local officials responsible.
In 336 AD, Shi Hu sent his tooth gate general Zhang Mi to transport five bronze statues from Luoyang to Yecheng, including Zhong Ju, Jiu Long, Weng Zhong, Tong Tuo, and Fei Lian. One of the large bronze bells sank into the river, so three hundred people were recruited to dive into the water, tied with bamboo ropes and pulled up by a hundred oxen and several deer. In order to transport them, a giant ship was specially made, and special four-wheeled carts with tracks that were four feet wide and two feet deep were used to transport these bronze statues to Yecheng. Shi Hu was particularly pleased, so he declared a general amnesty lasting two years and rewarded officials with provisions and textiles, and the people were all elevated one rank.
Shi Hu also issued a decree, stating: the assessment conducted every three years for promotions or demotions is a rule set by ancient sage kings, and it is crucial for the success of national governance. Wei was the first to implement the Nine Rank System of officials, conducting a review every three years; although it was not perfect, it served as a standard for selecting officials based on moral character. Since then, this system has been used without change. When the late emperor ascended the throne, he reaffirmed this system with a yellow paper. During the selection of officials, the role of the officials responsible for selections became crucial. It has been three years since the last review, so orders were given for relevant departments to conduct a new selection, ensuring transparency and fairness, so that officials at all levels can be properly appointed. The Ministry of Personnel may use the Nine Rank System from the Jin Dynasty as a lasting standard for selecting officials. After the selection process, it must be reviewed by the Secretariat and the Chancellery before being executed with the approval of the Three Departments. This decree must be codified into law, and if the officials selected do not fulfill their duties, the Imperial Censor can impeach them.
Suo Tou Yuju led thirty thousand soldiers to surrender to Shi Hu, who ennobled Yuju and thirteen others as marquises, assigning their subordinates to six states including Jizhou and Qingzhou. At that time, various corvées were heavy, wars were ongoing, and prolonged drought led to soaring food prices, where one jin of gold could only be exchanged for two dou of rice. The common people could not eat or dress properly, resulting in a very harsh existence. Shi Hu also accepted Feiqiao's suggestion to build a stone bridge on the river south of Ye City, which cost a huge sum but was never completed, which led to the starvation of many laborers, forcing the project to be halted. Shi Hu then ordered local officials to lead young adults to gather acorns in the mountains and fish in the water to support the elderly and weak, but these resources were confiscated by the powerful, leaving the common people without any benefits. He also ordered wealthy families to support the poor and officials below the rank of courtiers to provide food relief for disaster victims, but corrupt officials embezzled the aid, leaving the people without relief; despite the facade of assistance, it ultimately had no real impact.
Finally, Shi Hu changed the official title of "Zhidang" to "Longteng" and stipulated wearing red hats. According to reports, Shi Le built the Taiwu Palace in Xiangguo and also constructed the East and West Palaces in Ye City, which were now completed. The foundation of the Taiwu Palace stood two zhang and eight chi high, decorated with beautiful stones, and a cellar was dug underneath, housing five hundred guards. The hall measures seventy-five steps in length from east to west and sixty-five steps in length from north to south, featuring a roof of lacquered tiles, golden tiles, silver pillars, and jade walls adorned with pearl curtains, truly exquisite and luxurious. He also built nine Lingfeng platforms behind the Xianyang Hall, specifically for housing selected women from the common folk. There are over ten thousand women in the harem surrounded by treasures, and eighteen levels of female officials are set up in the palace to instruct the palace maids in astronomy and archery. A female imperial astronomer was also appointed on the Lingfeng platform to observe celestial phenomena and validate the male imperial astronomer's findings. In addition, there are female music bands, ceremonial guards, and various skilled craftsmen in the harem, matching the scale of the external forces. He also ordered the prohibition of private study of astrology and divination in various counties and states, with death as the penalty for violators!
Next, the Left Colonel Cheng Gongduan constructed a towering torch at the end of Chonggang, over ten zhang high, featuring fire basins atop and people standing below, connected by ropes. Shi Le tested it and was quite pleased. At this time, his Grand Guardian Kuian and others, including five hundred civil and military officials, urged Shi Le to proclaim himself emperor and ascend the throne. As they were entering the palace, oil from the courtyard torch suddenly spilled onto those below, resulting in the deaths of seven individuals. Shi Le was enraged and had Cheng Gongduan killed at the Changhe Gate.
Then, Shi Le imitated the systems of the Yin and Zhou dynasties, proclaimed himself the Great Zhao Heavenly King in the third year of Xiankang, held a grand coronation ceremony in the southern outskirts, and granted a general amnesty. He also posthumously honored his ancestor Shi Beibao as Emperor Wu, and his father Shi Koudao as Emperor Taizong Xiaohuang. He appointed his wife Zheng Shi as Empress Tianwang, and his son Shi Sui as Crown Prince Tianwang. The original princes were downgraded to dukes of counties, and the vassal kings were demoted to county marquises, with other officials' ranks also adjusted.
Finally, over five hundred households in Taiyuan rebelled and sought refuge with the Black Qiang. On the outskirts of Wuxiang County, there was a man named Han Qiang who accidentally unearthed a dark jade seal while digging. This jade seal measured only four inches and seven tenths, featuring a turtle-shaped knob and engraved with gold inscriptions. Han Qiang presented this treasure to Shi Le in Ye City.
Shi Le was overjoyed and promptly appointed Han Qiang as the Cavalry Captain, elevating his entire family’s status. Kui An and others then began to persuade Shi Le to declare himself emperor, saying, "We have closely analyzed the destiny of the Great Zhao. This dark turtle symbolizes the essence of water, and jade is the most precious material in stones. The size of this jade seal, four inches and seven tenths, symbolizes the seven policies (sun, moon, five stars), and the size specifications also conform to the standards of the four poles (heaven and earth in all directions). This is a divine mandate for you, and there can be no further delay! Please quickly have the historiographers select an auspicious day, prepare the ceremony, and we implore you at the risk of our lives to accept the title of emperor!"
Upon receiving this memorial, Shi Le wrote back, saying, "You are praising me too much, making me feel quite embarrassed. This is something I never expected. Please cease this discussion at once! It is now the start of the spring planting season, and celebrations are not allowed outside the capital." Then, Wang Bo, the Minister of the Central Secretariat, composed a poem titled "Ode to the Dark Seal" to extol this jade seal. Shi Le was well aware that this jade seal had been created during Shi Hong's reign, and Han Qiang just happened to find it.
Shi Sui has been immersed in alcohol and women since he became the head of the officials, indulging in extravagance and debauchery, behaving lawlessly. Sometimes he would go to the fields to play, leaving his official seal hanging on a tree; sometimes he would sneak out of the palace at night to assault the wives and concubines of ministers. If he found any of the beautiful palace maids unsatisfactory, he would have them beheaded, cleaned, and displayed on a plate for all to see. He would also engage in affairs with the beautiful nuns in the palace, then kill them, cook their flesh along with beef and mutton, and share the meal with those around him, wanting them to savor the taste. He was very fond of He Jian Gong Shi Xuan and Le An Gong Shi Tao, which made Shi Sui extremely resentful, wishing to eliminate them as soon as possible. Shi Le was immersed in the pleasures of the harem, and his punishments had spiraled out of control. Shi Sui believed that these matters should be reported to Shi Le, so he reported these matters. Shi Le angrily said, "These are just trivial matters; what's there to report?" Later, when Shi Le heard some bad news, he angrily asked Shi Sui, "Why didn't you report this?" He then rebuked him and struck him with a cane several times a month. Shi Sui, filled with resentment, privately confided in his confidants Wu Qiong, Chang Sheng, and Li Yan, "Emperor Shi Le is behaving terribly; I want to follow the example of Modu Chanyu, are you with me?" Li Yan and the others were too scared to answer. Shi Sui pretended to be sick and did not attend court, taking more than five hundred civil and military officials from the palace to Li Yan's villa to drink. He told Li Yan and the others, "I want to go to Jizhou to kill Shi Xuan; whoever doesn't comply will be executed!" After walking a few miles, the cavalry scattered in all directions. Li Yan knelt and pleaded, but Shi Sui, being drunk, chose to return. When Shi Sui's mother Zheng heard about this, she discreetly sent someone to reprimand him. In a fit of rage, Shi Sui killed the messenger. When Shi Le heard that Shi Sui was sick, he dispatched his trusted female secretary to check on him. Shi Sui called the female secretary, spoke with her, then suddenly drew his sword and killed her.
Shi Le was furious and interrogated Li Yan and the others. Li Yan explained the whole story. Shi Le executed over thirty people, including Li Yan. Shi Le imprisoned Shi Sui in the East Palace but later pardoned him and allowed him to visit the East Hall. After Shi Sui attended court, he immediately left without even offering thanks. Shi Le sent someone to inquire of Shi Sui, "The Crown Prince should be present at court; why did you leave so quickly?" Shi Sui left without looking back. Shi Le was enraged, deposed Shi Sui as Crown Prince, and demoted him to a commoner. That night, Shi Le killed Shi Sui, his wife Zhang, and their twenty-six children, burying them in a single coffin. He also killed more than two hundred of Shi Sui's trusted followers in the palace. Shi Le demoted Zheng to the position of East Sea Empress, appointed Shi Xuan as Crown Prince, and Shi Xuan's mother Du Zhaoyi as Empress Dowager.
Next, let’s discuss Hou Ziguang from Anding. When he was young, he was quite handsome and claimed to be the son of the Buddha, who came from the Great Qin Kingdom to become the king of a minor Qin Kingdom. Later, he changed his name to Li Ziyang, joined the ranks of the Red Eyebrow Army, and the leader of the Red Eyebrow Army found his mysterious demeanor quite intriguing, believing he had signs of prophecy. The leader of the Red Eyebrow Army believed in him and even married his two daughters to him. Together, they manipulated people and incited widespread panic.
Next, Fan Jing, Zhu Long, Yan Chen, Xie Lezi, and others from Jingzhao gathered thousands of followers at Mount Dunan. Li Ziyang proclaimed himself the "Great Yellow Emperor" and changed the era name to "Longxing." The leader of the Red Eyebrow Army became the Left and Right Prime Minister, Zhu Long and Yan Chen became the Left and Right Grand Marshal, and Xie Lezi became the Grand General. Later, General Zhenxi Shi Guang killed Li Ziyang. Strangely, no blood flowed from Li Ziyang's neck, and even after more than ten days, his face still looked like that of a living person.
On the other side, Shi Le (Ji Long) was preparing to attack Duan Liao of the Xianbei in Liaoxi. He recruited thirty thousand elite soldiers and generals, all appointed as Dragon Rising Commanders. Duan Liao sent his brother Qu Yun to attack Youzhou, causing Youzhou's governor Li Meng to flee to Yijing. Shi Le appointed Tao Bao as General of Henghai, Wang Hua as General of Crossing the Liao, commanding a hundred thousand naval troops from Piaoyu Crossing; Zhi Xiong as Grand General of Longxiang, Yao Yizhong as Champion General, leading a hundred thousand infantry and cavalry as vanguard, all attacking Duan Liao together. Shi Le's army arrived at Jintai, and Zhi Xiong launched a direct assault on Jicheng, with over forty cities surrendering to Shi Le, including Ma Bao, the Prefect of Fuyang, Daixiang Zhang Mu, Beiping Xiang Yang Yu, and Shanggu Xiang Hou Gan. Zhi Xiong attacked Anci and killed their chief Nalouqi. Fearing for his safety, Duan Liao abandoned Yingcheng and fled to Miyun Mountain. Duan Liao's left and right historians Liu Qun, Lu Chen, and Sima Cui Yue sealed the treasury and sent envoys to surrender. Shi Le sent generals Guo Tai and Ma Qiu to lead twenty thousand light cavalry to chase Duan Liao, caught up with them, fought in Miyun, captured Duan Liao's mother and wife, killing over three thousand of his men. Duan Liao alone fled into the rugged mountains and sent his son Qite Zhen with a letter of surrender and valuable horses, which Shi Le accepted. Then, Shi Le relocated over twenty thousand households of Duan Liao to four provinces of Yongzhou, Sizhou, Yanzhou, and Yuzhou, promoting capable individuals. Prior to this, the Northern Chanyu Yihui had been ousted by the Xianbei leader Dunna. After securing Liaoxi, Shi Le dispatched Li Mu to defeat Dunna and restore Yihui. Shi Le entered the palace of Liaoguo, rewarding everyone based on their contributions.
Murong Huang and Duan Liao had a bit of a disagreement, so they sent someone to swear allegiance to Shi Le, claiming that Duan Liao should be dealt with, hoping that Shi Le would bring troops to attack together. When Shi Le's army arrived at Lingzhi, Murong Huang did not send troops, so Shi Le wanted to attack him. At that moment, the Indian monk Fotudeng advised Shi Le, stating, "The Yan Kingdom is a country blessed by the heavens and should not be invaded." Shi Le angrily said, "With my forces, what city could possibly withstand me? Who can resist my army? That little Murong Huang, where can he possibly escape to?" The Grand Historian Zhao Lan strongly urged Shi Le, warning that "The Yan Kingdom is protected by the Year Star; sending troops will definitely not be beneficial and will surely bring disaster." Shi Le became furious, struck Zhao Lan, and demoted him to the position of Feirudang County magistrate. Shi Le continued to attack Jicheng, but after over ten days, he still hadn’t taken it. Murong Huang sent his son Murong Ke to issue a challenge at dawn, and it seemed as if dark clouds were gathering from every direction. Shi Le was taken aback and fled in a panic, leaving his helmet and armor behind. So Shi Le called Zhao Lan back to reclaim his position as Grand Historian. On his way back from Lingzhi, Shi Le passed through Yijing and sensed that the city was well-fortified, so he ordered it to be razed. Then, he went to Shi Le's tomb to pay his respects, summoned his officials in front of Jiande Hall in Xiangguo, and rewarded them based on the merits of both civil and military officials. After returning to Ye City, Shi Le threw a lavish banquet and distributed the captives among the officials.
Shi Le planned to attack Changli and sent Cao Fu to lead the Qingzhou army across the Liao River to station at Tadun City. However, due to a lack of water, they were forced to retreat and ultimately settled on an island. Shi Le supplied them with over three million hu of grain. He also used three hundred ships to carry three hundred thousand hu of grain to Goguryeo and sent Wang Dian, the Zhong Lang Jiang of Dian Nong, to lead over ten thousand people in farming by the seaside. He ordered Qingzhou to build one thousand ships. Shi Le then dispatched Shi Xuan with twenty thousand troops to attack Humo Tou, the Xianbei leader of Shuofang, defeated them, and beheaded over forty thousand.
Eight counties in Jizhou were struck by a severe locust plague, and the officials requested that the local officials be punished. Shi Le said, "This is a result of my mismanagement—my fault—but I won't shift the blame onto the local officials. Isn't that the opposite of taking responsibility, like Great Yu and King Tang did? The officials did not provide timely and correct advice, did not assist my work properly, yet blamed innocent people, which only increased my responsibility. Therefore, you will be stripped of your official position but will continue to serve as officials!"
Shi Le appointed his son Situ Tao as a high-ranking official, bestowed upon him a golden bell and a yellow battle-axe, and allowed him to ride in the nine-dragons carriage.
Previously, Shi Le sent Xiangcheng Gong Shegui and Shangyong Gong Rigui to lead the army to guard Chang'an. These two Gui family officials reported to General Zhenxi, Shi Guang, that Shi Guang was secretly associating with a faction and plotting something nefarious. Shi Le was furious, pursued Shi Guang to Ye City, and had him killed.
Duan Liao pulled a fast one in Miyun Mountain, sending men to feign surrender. Shi Le believed it to be true and sent General Ma Qiu to meet Duan Liao in Miyun. He specifically instructed Ma Qiu, "Treat the person pretending to surrender with the same caution as you would an enemy; be careful, General!" Duan Liao also sent someone to tell Murong Huang, "Shi Le is both greedy and dim-witted. I am pretending to surrender now; he will not suspect. If you ambush him with heavy troops, you can easily take him down." Murong Huang then had his son Murong Ke ambush in Miyun. Ma Qiu led thirty thousand troops to meet Duan Liao but was blindsided by Murong Ke, losing nearly seventy percent of his troops, and Ma Qiu himself fled in embarrassment. Upon hearing this, Shi Le was both shocked and furious. He was eating at the time and spat out his food, then removed Ma Qiu from his post.
Following this, Shi Le ordered the appointment of Confucian scholars in various counties and states. Earlier, he had established scholars across various schools, and now he added national scholars and assistants. Shi Le used the method of selecting officials from the Ministry of Personnel to push respected elders out to remote areas, while the children from powerful families could land good positions at a young age. He even demoted the Imperial Physician Wei, whose full name is uncertain. He also appointed his son Shi Xuan as the Grand Chanyu and hoisted the imperial banner for him.
Shi Le appointed Kui An as the Grand Commander of the campaign, leading five generals and seventy thousand infantry and cavalry to attack Jingzhou, Yangzhou, and the northern border areas. Shi Min defeated Shi Le's forces at Mianyin, and General Cai Huai died. Zhu Bao, a subordinate of Shi Xuan, defeated Shi Le's forces at Baishi, resulting in the deaths of tens of thousands. Shi Le's general Zhang Heduo captured Zhu Cheng, defeated Jin General Mao Bao to the west of Zhu Cheng, and killed tens of thousands of people. Kui An subsequently captured Hutin, and Jin generals Huang Chong and Zheng Jin surrendered to him. Kui An finally plundered the belongings of seventy thousand households before making his return.
At that time, Shi Le's relatives were arrogant and corrupt, openly accepting bribes. Shi Le found this troubling and promoted Li Ju, an imperial censor, to Deputy Imperial Censor, whom he trusted. From that point on, all officials became fearful, and the states and counties became more disciplined. Shi Le said, "I heard that good officials are like ferocious beasts, striding confidently down the streets, making even jackals and wolves cower. This is indeed true!"
Zhenyuan Wang reported that some noble families in Yongzhou and Qinzhou had been fulfilling military service since their relocation to the east. As distinguished families, they should be exempt from military service. Shi Le agreed. From then on, people from seventeen surnames including Huang, Hu, Liang, Wei, Du, Niu, and Xin were granted exemption from military service and restored to their original status. They were appointed based on their abilities, and those who wished to return to their hometowns were allowed to do so. This exemption did not extend to others.
Shi Le's son, Shi Hu, sent Li Nong to guard Lingshi, appointing him as the Imperial Commissioner, overseeing military affairs in the northwest of Liaoxi, as well as the General Conqueror of the East and the Governor of Yingzhou. He held several significant official positions!
At that time, there happened to be a severe drought, and a rare phenomenon of a white rainbow arching the sun appeared in the sky. Emperor Shi Hu issued a decree, saying, "I have been the emperor for six years, but have failed to respond to celestial phenomena and have failed to show kindness to the people, which has led to these unusual celestial signs. Therefore, let all officials submit petitions, lift the ban on the Western Mountains, and except for the required annual payment of reeds and fish salt, no other resources are allowed to be exploited! Dukes and marquises are not allowed to encroach on the mountains and valleys privately or seize the interests of the people!" He also issued a decree saying, "Previously, in order to develop the iron industry in Fengguo and Minchi, some criminals were sent to serve as laborers as a temporary measure. But this has become a norm, leading to public discontent. From now on, all exiles of criminals must be approved by me and cannot be arranged arbitrarily! All prisoners in the capital's prison, as long as they are not murderers, should be released!" As soon as he finished issuing the decree, it started raining.
Shi Hu planned to attack Murong Huang, so he ordered the provinces of Sizhou, Jizhou, Qingzhou, Xuzhou, Youzhou, Bingzhou, and Yongzhou to gather fifty thousand troops in Ye City, prepare ten thousand ships to transport 1,100,000 hu of grain to Anle City for war. He also relocated ten thousand households from Liaoxi, Beiping, and Yuyang to Yanzhou, Yuzhou, Yongzhou, and Luozhou.
After Shi Hu became emperor, all appointments of officials had to be approved by the Ministry of Personnel before being reported to the emperor for a decision. If suitable candidates were not found, the blame would fall on the reviewing official, while the secretaries and advisors were exempt from accountability. The Minister of Personnel, Liu Zhen, felt this was wrong and against the principle of selecting talents, so he spoke out. Shi Hu was very angry upon hearing this, but in the end, he promoted Liu Zhen, appointed him as Grand Minister of Splendor, and rewarded him with a gold seal and purple ribbon.
Shi Hu arrived at Wanyang and held a grand military review at Yaowu Field.
As a result, Murong Huan took the opportunity to attack Youzhou and Jizhou, plundering over 30,000 households before making his escape. Due to poor command, the governor of Youzhou, Shi Guang, was recalled and questioned. Shi Hu also rewarded the recruit Xin Mi with several items, including a few staffs, clothes, and 500 hu of grain, and ordered the construction of a mansion for him in Pingyuan. At first, Li Shou sent Li Hong from the Jin court to find Shi Le, and even wrote a letter to Shi Le pleading for leniency, with the letter addressed to "Prince Zhao Shi Jun." Shi Le was quite displeased about this and brought the matter before his ministers for discussion, but their opinions varied. The Minister of the Secretariat, Wang Bo, said: "Now Li Hong is vowing to die. If he is allowed to return to Shu Han, he will definitely lead his family to surrender to us and integrate into our rule. If that’s the case, we could seize Liangzhou and Yizhou without a single soldier, able to attack when necessary and defend as needed. Why should we worry about someone desperate to escape? Li Shou claims to be as mighty as the sun and moon, even dominating a region. If we issue an edict to him now, would he dare go against us? It would make us a laughingstock among other ethnic groups. We should write him a reply and send him some arrows to show him that our strength from afar will surely reach him." So Shi Le sent Li Hong back, giving him plenty of supplies. Then, Shi Le appointed Shi Tao as the Grand Commandant, and Crown Prince Xuan alternated with him in receiving reports from the Imperial Secretaries. From Youzhou to Bailang Mountain, efforts were made to cultivate the land.
Zhang Jun feared Shi Le's might, so he sent his subordinate Ma Sheng to pay a visit to Shi Le. Shi Le was initially happy, but after reading Ma Sheng's memorial, he found the tone overly arrogant and wanted to kill him. The attendant Shi Pu quickly said, "What worries His Majesty is the Eastern Jin (referring to the Eastern Jin Dynasty); what does Zhang Jun's territory in Hebei even matter! If Ma Sheng is killed now, we will definitely have to go to fight Zhang Jun, splitting the southern expeditionary forces into two fronts, and the rulers and officials of Jianye (the capital of the Eastern Jin Dynasty) will be able to live a few more years. Winning a battle isn't a true measure of skill; losing will be laughed at by other minority groups. It's better to treat him well. If he changes his mind and apologizes, and lets his officials submit, what more could we possibly want? If he remains stubborn, there's still time to launch an attack." Shi Le then relented.
After Li Hong arrived in Shu Han, Li Shou wanted to show off, so he ordered, "An envoy from the Jie people has come to pay tribute and presented a bow." Shi Le was very angry upon hearing this, stripped Wang Bo of his rank and reduced him to a commoner, but allowed him to continue serving as the Director of the Palace, now dressed in plain white.
Shi Le, the emperor of Later Zhao, was hell-bent on waging war, but there were few horses in his country. As a result, he ordered a ban on private horse breeding by the populace. Anyone caught hiding horses faced immediate execution! Consequently, he confiscated over forty thousand horses from the populace to strengthen his military. He also vigorously built palaces, constructing over forty pavilions in Ye City, as well as building palaces in Chang'an and Luoyang, employing over four hundred thousand workers! He also ordered the four prefectures of Henan to prepare for military action in the south, while Bingzhou, Shuozhou, Qinzhou, and Yongzhou readied supplies for a western campaign. The provinces of Qingzhou, Jizhou, and Youzhou even mobilized thirty to fifty thousand soldiers, with around five hundred thousand people engaged in arms production across these provinces! The nobles and officials jumped into the fray, preoccupied with making money while the populace was left with no means to survive. Seven out of every ten families were living in poverty. To make matters worse, one hundred seventy thousand boatmen lost their lives to floods and wild animals, with almost a third perishing! A man named Li Hong, sensing the mounting resentment, claimed to be the fulfillment of a prophecy, formed a faction, and appointed himself to numerous official positions, but when his scheme was exposed, he was executed, resulting in the punishment of thousands of families.
Shi Le was particularly fond of hunting, going out early every day and returning late at night. He often went incognito to personally inspect the progress of the projects. Under his command was an advisor named Wei Xiao, who advised him: "I heard that children from wealthy families dare not sit under the eaves, let alone you being the emperor; you should not go to dangerous places. Although you are talented and have the world under your control, heaven is on your side, so there's no need to worry. However, even the Dragon King has been trapped, and the Sea God has suffered. I beg you to stay in the palace less, think more about these risks, do not forget the safety of the people, and do not always think about building palaces. If one day a madman rebels, even if you are powerful, you will not have time to react; even the smartest strategies won't help! Since ancient times, wise monarchs have built palaces during the idle farming season, without delaying the farming season. But now you are carrying out construction during the busy farming season; the people can’t farm, and complaints are widespread. This isn’t how a benevolent ruler should behave! Emperor Ming of the Han Dynasty was also a wise monarch, and Zhongli stopped the labor in Deyang with just a few words. Although I do not have such great abilities, I still want to give you some advice. You are more powerful than previous emperors; you should consider these issues." After hearing this, Shi Le felt it made sense and rewarded Wei Xiao with food and cloth. But he went on with his large-scale construction projects anyway.
Zhang Li, that old bastard, became the Minister of War, in charge of the military power of the entire nation, but he was currying favor with that bastard Shi Xuan. He said to Shi Xuan, "Now those princes and ministers have too many troops at their disposal. We should cut down their forces and concentrate our power to assert dominance over the world." Shi Xuan, who had always disapproved of Shi Tao's power, found this particularly appealing and ordered Zhang Li to submit a memorial to reduce the officials and soldiers of those princes and ministers. The princes of Qin, Yan, Yiyang, and Le Ping had 197 officials and 200 soldiers immediately cut. The military strength of the other princes and ministers was slashed by two-thirds, and the remaining 50,000 soldiers were all reassigned to the Crown Prince's Eastern Palace. This infuriated the princes, marking the start of a major disaster!
Next, General Zhang Ju was sent to Yanmen Pass to campaign against Suo Touyuju, and he won the battle. The court ordered, "For each conscript, they must be provided with supplies for five people, one carriage, two oxen, fifteen hu of rice, and ten bolts of silk. If the conscription task is not completed, there will be executions!" This is clearly in preparation for the southern expedition to Jiangnan! The common people were so impoverished they could barely afford food. They sold their children to meet the quotas, but it still wasn't enough. Many people starved to death on the way, with people dying daily, and the conscription seemed endless. At this time, a strange event occurred in Qingzhou, where the stone statue from the north of Pingling City in Jinan ran overnight to Shanshigou in the southeast of the city, leaving behind the footprints of thousands of wolves and foxes, forming a path with their footprints. When Shi Le heard this, he was overjoyed and said, "This stone statue is me! Running from the north of the city to the southeast, this is a divine sign that I am destined to pacify Jiangnan! It cannot be violated; next year all the troops from the states and counties will be gathered for me, and I will personally lead the southern expedition to fulfill this good omen!" The ministers all congratulated him, and more than 170 people even wrote a song of praise called "Huang De Song." During that time, there were many strange occurrences, such as a large stone on Mount Tai burning for eight days before extinguishing; a large stone in the East China Sea standing up on its own, with blood flowing from the side; the stones in the western mountains of Ye City also bleeding from the cracks, with a length of over ten meters and a width of over two meters; the ancient sages depicted in the Taiwu Hall murals all took on the appearance of barbarians, and after more than ten days, their heads shrank into their shoulders. Shi Le was furious, and Fotu Cheng was so frightened that he broke down in tears. Liu Ning captured the cities of Wudu and Didao. Shi Xuan also led the troops to defeat the Xianbei Hu Gutu, beheading thirty thousand enemies.
Shen Bian, this guy, has won the trust and favor of Shi Le (Jilong), and Shi Xuan is also closely tied to him. Shen Bian is smart, capable, and eloquent, and he has taken control of military and state affairs. Shi Le hardly reviews memorials anymore; Shi Xuan is caught up in wine and women, while Shi Tao is into hunting. Life-and-death decisions hinge entirely on Shen Bian's word. As a result, his power is immense; everyone, both inside and outside, has to heed him. Most provincial governors and officials below the rank of Nine Ministers owe their positions to him. They have to bow to him respectfully when they see him, and only about a dozen people, including Zheng Xi, Wang Mo, Lu Chen, and Cui Yue, dare to treat him as an equal.
Shi Le also requisitioned over 14,000 war horses from the provinces and distributed them to the troops at Yaowu Pass, and the original owners won't be able to get them back for a year. General Yu Wen Gui of Zhenbei sent Duan Liao's son, Duan Lan, to surrender and brought tens of thousands of fine horses. Shi Le appointed General Zhang Fudu of Pingxi as the commander to lead 30,000 troops in an attack on Liangzhou. After crossing the Yellow River, his army clashed fiercely with General Xie Ai of Zhang Jun in the western region, resulting in a crushing defeat for Zhang Fudu.
Although Shi Le was foolish, cruel, and unreasonable, he had some interest in Confucianism. He sent scholars to Luoyang to transcribe the stone inscriptions and had them proofread the scriptures stored in the Secretariat. National Teacher Nie Xiong annotated the "Gu Liang Chunqiu" and promoted it among the scholars. The Yan Duke Shi Bin was obsessed with wine, women, and hunting, often riding into the palace drunk. The General of the Northern Expedition Zhang He Du believed that border defense should be strengthened and advised Shi Bin several times. Shi Bin became furious and humiliated Zhang He Du. When Shi Le heard about this, he was furious and ordered Shi Bin to receive one hundred lashes, sending the Chief of Ceremonies to supervise him. Shi Bin still acted recklessly, but the Chief of Ceremonies enforced the laws strictly to keep him in check. In a fit of rage, Shi Bin murdered the Chief of Ceremonies. Shi Bin also wanted to kill Zhang He Du, so Zhang He Du quickly bolstered his defenses, reported to Shi Le, and Shi Le sent the Secretary Zhang Li to lead the cavalry to capture Shi Bin. Shi Bin was whipped three hundred times, stripped of his official title, sent home, and over ten of his confidants were executed. In the early years of Jianyuan, Shi Le hosted a banquet for his ministers in the front hall of Taiwu, where hundreds of white geese landed south of the horse trail. Shi Le ordered them to be shot, but not a single one was struck. At that time, Shi Le was about to campaign in all directions, with millions of troops from various states coming. The Imperial Historian Zhao Lan privately advised Shi Le, "The white geese are landing in the palace courtyard; it would be unwise to go to war!" Shi Le believed his words and lifted the state of readiness after a grand military parade at Xuanwu Pavilion. Duke Bin was appointed as the Commissioner, Privy Councilor, Grand Marshal, and Secretary of the Secretariat. Left and Right Generals of Rongzhao and Yao Wu were appointed, with their ranks above those of the Left and Right Guards. The East Palace also appointed Left and Right Commanders, whose ranks were higher than those of the Four Commanders. In addition, Upper and Middle Grand Masters of Splendid Happiness were established, with ranks higher than those of the Left and Right Grand Masters of Splendid Happiness. A Garrison General was also appointed, with a rank higher than that of the Cavalry General.
At that moment, Shi Xuan became more and more arrogant and tyrannical, but no one dared to speak up to Shi Le. General Wang Lang addressed Shi Le, "It is the dead of winter with heavy snowfall, but the Crown Prince has ordered the felling of timber for the palace to be transported to the Zhang River, which involves tens of thousands of workers. The common people are in an uproar! Your Majesty should seize the chance to put a stop to this while you’re out enjoying yourself." Shi Le listened to his words and acted accordingly. Later, when Shi Xuan learned of Wang Lang's report, he was furious and plotted to kill him, but couldn’t find a valid excuse.
Coincidentally, during a celestial event, Zhao Lan took the opportunity to advise Shi Le, "The Maostar is associated with the Zhao clan, and the presence of Venus foretells disaster for its master. The Fangstar symbolizes the emperor, so this disaster is significant! A court minister with the surname Wang should be chosen to bear this misfortune." Shi Le asked, "Who can bear it?" Zhao Lan pondered for a long moment before answering, "There is no one of higher rank than General Wang." Shi Le was hesitant to harm Wang Lang but harbored suspicions against him, so he said, "Name someone of lesser rank." Zhao Lan said, "The only other candidate is Wang Bo, the Minister of the Central Secretariat." Shi Le then ordered an investigation into Wang Bo’s prior recommendations to dispatch Li Hong and his mishandling of the Ku Shi incident, had him executed, and tossed him and his four sons into the Zhang River to appease the misfortune foretold by the celestial event. Later, Shi Le believed that Wang Bo had been wronged, posthumously promoted him to Minister of Works, and granted his grandson the title of marquis.
General Yin Nong besieged Fancheng, the city of Murong Huang, but withdrew without capturing it. Shi Le subsequently demoted Yin Nong to commoner status.
It is said that suddenly a white rainbow appeared in the sky, coming out from Taishé, passing through Fengyang Gate, extending southeast all the way to the horizon, and it took more than ten quarters of an hour to disappear. Shi Le (Ji Long) ordered a decree to be written, saying: "In ancient times, a wise ruler governed the world, first and foremost with fairness and justice in governance, fundamentally governing based on benevolence; only then will the world be peaceful, and the people will live in contentment. My abilities are limited, yet I must govern the many nations, every day with great care and effort, striving to learn from the virtues of ancient wise rulers. Therefore, I have issued orders multiple times to reduce taxes and forced labor, allowing the common people to rest and recover, hoping for their peace and contentment, also hoping for the blessings of heaven. However, since my middle age, disasters have increased, astronomical anomalies, abnormal climate, all due to the people's grievances; heaven has sent calamities! Although it is due to my poor governance, it is also because the various ministers have not assisted me. In the past, the Prime Minister of the State of Chu governed wisely, and the floods quickly receded; the Minister of the State of Zheng enforced the rule of law, and disasters naturally disappeared. These are all wise and virtuous officials; they were able to resolve crises, while you ministers each have your own ideas, putting the country and its people at risk, watching the country’s rise and fall while doing nothing. How can I rely on you ministers and officials! You all need to share your opinions honestly and openly, without concealing anything!" Then, he ordered Fengyang Gate to be closed, only to be opened on New Year's Day. He also established two sacrificial sites at Lingchang Crossing, offering sacrifices to heaven, earth, and the five cardinal directions. Li Shou led the surrender of Jiànníng, Shàngyōng, Hàngù, Bāzhēng, and Zǐtóng prefectures to Shi Le.
Previously, Shi Le attempted to build a river bridge in Lingchangjin, using stones as bridge piers. Regardless of the size of the stones, once they were placed in the river, they would float away with the water flow. Despite spending more than five million in manpower and resources, the bridge was never finished. Shi Le sent people to make offerings to the river god by sinking a jade bi into the river. As a result, shortly after, the jade bi that had sunk actually floated back to the riverbank, followed by an earthquake. The river water surged, and the viewing platform on the bridge collapsed, crushing around a hundred people to death. Furious, Shi Le ordered the execution of all the craftsmen, which finally brought the work to a halt.
Shi Xuan and Shi Tao were appointed by Shi Le to important positions, and the two of them reported directly to Shi Le every day about matters of life and death, with Shi Le not inquiring at all. Situ Shenzhong advised, stating, "Reward and punishment, and criminal law, are powers that only the emperor can wield. This title and authority are crucial and must never be delegated to others. This is done to prevent evil and eradicate the seeds of calamity, and also to set an example. The crown prince is the heir to the country, serving by the emperor's side every day, and has no time to attend to state affairs at all. There are countless examples of common people causing failures due to meddling in state affairs; the lessons from the Yin and Shang dynasties are clear for us to see. We should learn from them and not repeat the mistakes. Moreover, if power is too widely distributed, chaos can easily ensue. The rebellion of Zi Tui during the Zhou dynasty and the disaster of Shu Duan in Zheng were all stemming from favoritism towards the wrong people, which ultimately led to chaos in the country and suffering for families. I hope Your Majesty will heed this warning!" However, Shi Le did not listen at all.
Prince Zhanshi Sun Zhen asked Shizhong Cui Yue, "I have an eye ailment; is there any way to cure it?" Cui Yue and Sun Zhen were on good terms, so he joked, "Just soak your eyes in water, and you'll be fine." Sun Zhen said, "How can eyes be soaked in water?" Cui Yue replied, "Your eyes are big and bright, perfect for soaking in water!" Sun Zhen got really mad and went to tell Shi Xuan about it. Shi Xuan, the son of Shi Le, who bore the least resemblance to him and had deep-set eyes, was furious when he heard about this and ordered the execution of Cui Yue and his son. Sun Zhen, who was favored by Shi Xuan, often took part in court politics. After Cui Yue was killed, the court ministers both feared and resented him.
Shi Le's son, the Duke of Yiyang, Shi Jian, was stationed in Guanzhong at the time. He imposed heavy taxes that caused unrest in the region. His friend Li Song advised Shi Jian, suggesting that long-haired officials should pluck their hair to make tassels for their hats, and the leftover hair could be used by palace maids. The Chief Historian reported this to Shi Le, and he was furious. He sent Zhang Li to Guanzhong to investigate and confirmed the truth, recalled Shi Jian back to Ye City, arrested Li Song and threw him in prison, and then sent Shi Bao to guard Chang'an. Shi Le also mobilized 160,000 soldiers from Yongzhou, Luozhou, Qinzhou, and Bingzhou to construct the Weiyang Palace in Chang'an.
Shi Le originally liked hunting. Later, as he became increasingly overweight and could no longer ride horses, he built a thousand hunting carts. The cart pole was three zhang long, the cart body was eight chi high, and the net, a type of hunting tool, stood seven chi high. There were also forty carts specifically used to capture prey. He even constructed a multi-story building on the carts, with two stories and three levels, and scheduled a time for large-scale hunts. Officials were dispatched to oversee the hunting from Lingchang in Jinan to Xingyang, east to Yangdu. Anyone who dared to violate the hunting range would face the death penalty. The officials exploited the situation, falsely accusing people of breaking the hunting ban to seize their beautiful women and prized horses. As a result, hundreds of families were executed, and the people in the Haidai and Heji regions were suffering immensely.
Shi Le also sent two hundred and sixty thousand people to construct the Luoyang Palace. He also requisitioned over twenty thousand cattle for the use of officials in Shuozhou.
He also increased the ranks of female officials. The Crown Prince's Eastern Palace established twelve ranks, and over seventy countries ruled by the nobles also established nine ranks of female officials. He had previously mobilized over thirty thousand young women between the ages of thirteen and twenty, divided into three ranks, and then distributed them to various places. In order to please him, local counties and prefectures desperately sought beautiful young women, even forcibly taking over nine thousand married ones. If the wives of commoners were attractive, powerful individuals would threaten them, which drove many to take their own lives. Shi Xuan and other officials also secretly conscripted nearly ten thousand individuals. These people were eventually sent to the palace in Ye City. Shi Le personally selected these women in the palace, delighted, and even appointed twelve envoys as marquises. From the beginning of the mobilization to Ye City, the total number of individuals who were killed by their husbands or abducted and subsequently murdered by Shi Le exceeded three thousand. Rebellions erupted throughout Jingzhou, Chuzhou, Yangzhou, and Xuzhou. Over fifty local officials who failed to quell the unrest were arrested and executed. Lu Ming, a high-ranking official, was executed for advising Shi Le. Since then, court officials fell silent, focused solely on preserving their positions and salaries. Shi Le frequently took a thousand women on horseback tours. They all wore purple headscarves, bright satin trousers, belts with gold and silver inlays, and colorful boots, playing and watching horse races. At the horse racing events, colorful edicts were displayed in the mouths of wooden phoenixes, spinning and soaring as if in flight. He also dispatched Ma Qiu, the Inspector of Liangzhou, and others to launch an attack on Zhang Chonghua.
Zhu Gui, the Minister of Rites, had a strained relationship with the Imperial Secretary Yan Sheng. On a day when there was a torrential downpour that caused road collapses, Yan Sheng took the opportunity to report Zhu Gui to the Emperor, accusing him of not properly repairing the roads and badmouthing court affairs. As a result, Shi Le, known as Ji Long, became angry and had Zhu Gui killed.
Afterwards, Shi Le implemented a series of new laws, criminalizing private discussions and casual remarks. Any reports from subordinates about their superiors or servants about their masters were taken seriously and met with harsh punishment. This resulted in rampant abuse of power, causing fear among the court officials, who grew increasingly cautious and stopped speaking out. No one dared to report any significant matters anymore.
When Zhu Gui was arrested, Champion General Fu Hong stepped forward to advise Shi Le, saying, "I've heard that wise rulers lead their realms with simplicity, simple palaces, frugal lifestyles, and minimal reliance on punishment. In contrast, rulers of fallen empires had extravagant palaces, indulged in extravagance, frequently killed their officials, and harmed the people, which led to their swift demise. The palaces in Xiangguo and Yecheng are already opulent enough, so what are the palaces in Chang'an and Luoyang? You are consumed by hunting and indulgence, echoing the reasons for the downfall of past dynasties! You've even amassed thousands of hunting vehicles, maintained tens of thousands of hunting beasts, seized the wives and daughters of the common people, and filled the harem with countless concubines! Minister Zhu Gui was a loyal and devoted official by your side, and yet you want to punish him with torture just because the roads weren't repaired properly. This is a failure in your governance! Look, it has been raining heavily for seventy days and only stopped for two days. Even with a million ghost soldiers, the roads can't be fixed, let alone by mere mortals! How will history judge you for your misuse of power? What will the people think of you? I urge you to halt these wasteful projects that burden the people, cut back on the number of concubines in the harem, pardon Zhu Gui, and align with the people's will!"
After Shi Le heard Fu Hong's words, although he felt unhappy, he was somewhat intimidated by Fu Hong's influence. As a result, he merely pretended to ignore him, didn't take any action against Fu Hong, and he only halted the projects in both capitals.
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.
Shi Le, whose courtesy name was Shilong, was from Wuxiang, Shangdang, and belonged to the Jie people. His ancestors were descendants of the Qiangqu of the Xiongnu. His grandfather was named Ye Yiyu, and his father was named Zhou Hezhu, also known as Qiyijia; both were minor leaders in the tribe. When Shi Le was born, the room was filled with red light, and a white mist rose straight up into the middle of the courtyard, which was seen as strange by those who witnessed it.
At the age of fourteen, he went to Luoyang with people from his village to do business. He was whistling at the east gate, with an air of confidence. At that time, a renowned minister named Wang Yan saw him and thought he was extraordinary. He said to the people around him, "That Hu child I just saw, his demeanor is unusual; I fear he may bring calamity to the world in the future!" Wang Yan immediately sent someone to catch him, but Shi Le had already run away. As Shi Le grew up, he grew strong, brave, and full of courage, and enjoyed horseback riding and archery. His father Zhou Hezhu was hot-tempered and rude, disliked by the Hu people, so he often let Shi Le manage tribal affairs instead. The Hu people trusted and liked him very much. They lived at the foot of Beiyuan Mountain in Wuxiang, where the vegetation was as resilient as iron cavalry. Ginseng even grew in their courtyard, with lush leaves that resembled human forms. The village elders and fortune-tellers said, "This child is strange, with extraordinary ambitions and demeanor. His future achievements are immeasurable!" They advised the villagers to treat him well.
At that time, many people did not believe in him; only Guo Jing from Wu County and Ning Qu from Yangqu believed in him and frequently offered assistance. Shi Le was deeply grateful to them and worked diligently in the fields to repay their kindness. Sometimes he heard the sound of weapons and told his mother, who replied, "You're just tired; your ears are ringing. It's not an omen of misfortune."
During the Tai'an years, there was a famine in Bingzhou, creating a mess. Shi Le and some other Hu people fled together and eventually returned to find refuge in Ningqu. However, the North Ze Commandant Liu Jian wanted to catch him and sell him, so he tried to hide him to deal with him quietly. Shi Le managed to slip away.
Later, Shi Le quietly surrendered to Commander Li Chuan. On the way, he met Guo Jing, who cried and collapsed to the ground, saying he was hungry and cold. Guo Jing also shed tears and used his belt as collateral to get him some food, and gave him clothes to wear. Shi Le said to Guo Jing, "I am starving to death now; I really can't hold on. The other Hu people are also very hungry. Why don't we try to lure the army from Jizhou here to take the food, then capture them and sell them, so we can all make it?" Guo Jing thought his idea was good.
Just then, General Yan Cui suggested to Ma Teng, the governor of Bingzhou and the East Yung Company, to capture those Hu people and sell them in Shandong to serve in the army. Ma Teng sent Generals Guo Yang and Zhang Long to arrest the leaders of those Hu people and take them to Jizhou. During the arrest, several Hu people were tied together in one chain. Shi Le, who was in his twenties at the time, was one of those captured, and Zhang Long often made fun of him. Because Guo Jing had entrusted Shi Le to Guo Yang and his nephew Guo Shi (Guo Yang being Guo Jing's clan brother), they often spoke up for Shi Le, and if he got hungry or sick on the way, it was also thanks to their help.
Later, Shi Le was sold as a slave to the Chi Ping people. An old man told Shi Le, "There are already four fish-dragon patterns on your forehead. You're definitely gonna be a ruler someday. In the year of Jiaxu, you can plot against Wang Pengzu (meaning usurping the throne)." Shi Le said, "If what you say is true, I won't forget your kindness." After speaking, the old man just vanished.
Shi Le usually worked in the fields and often heard the sound of drums and bugles. He told the other slaves, who also heard it, and he said, "I often heard such sounds at home when I was young." The slaves went back and told Shi Huan, who also thought Shi Le was remarkable in appearance, so he let him go.
I had a good relationship with my neighbor, who was a horse trainer, and often walked with him and Ji Sang from Wei County. Since I had a talent for horse handling, I joined Ji Sang. Once, while working for someone in Wuan, near the river, I was captured by bandits. Just then, a group of deer ran by, and the bandits went after them, so I seized the chance to escape. Shortly after, I encountered an old man who said to me, "Those deer were transformed by me. You will become the master of Zhongzhou in the future, so I saved you." I bowed to him and accepted his prophecy.
Then I started to gather people and horses and recruited Wang Yang, Kui An, Zhi Xiong, Ji Bao, Wu Yu, Liu Ying, Tao Bao, and Lu Ming, forming a small band of outlaws. Later, Guo Ao, Liu Zheng, Liu Bao, Zhang Yipu, Hu Yanmo, Guo Heilue, Zhang Yue, Kong Tu, Zhao Lu, and Zhi Qu six joined us, and the group swelled to eighteen members. We called ourselves the "Eighteen Riders." We even went to royal horse farms like Chilong Yuan and Luji Yuan, stole horses, and robbed silk and jewelry, then gave these things to Ji Sang as a gesture of gratitude.
King Ying of Chengdu was defeated at Dangyin and forced the emperor to flee to Ye Palace. Wang Jun felt that Ying had insulted the emperor, so he sent Xianbei warriors to attack him. Ying was afraid and fled south with Emperor Hui to Luoyang. As a result, the emperor was again forced by Zhang Fang to move to Chang'an. Rebellions erupted across the eastern regions, all under the banner of killing Ying. Hebei King Yong was afraid of the powerful eastern army and wanted to unite with them, so he submitted a petition to the court to depose Ying.
This year, Liu Yuanhai was proclaimed Han King in Liting. Before this, former generals like Gong Shi Fan from Yangping and others proclaimed themselves generals and rebelled in the states of Zhao and Wei, amassing tens of thousands of troops. Gong Shi Fan and Ji Sang led a few hundred horsemen to support them. Ji Sang initially changed Shi Le's name. Gong Shi Fan appointed Shi Le as the vanguard commander, and they attacked Pingchang Gong Mo in Ye City together. Gong Mo sent General Feng Song to confront them, but he was defeated. Gou Xi, the Prefect of Puyang, campaigned against Gong Shi Fan and killed him. Shi Le and Ji Sang fled to the Yuan region to take refuge. Ji Sang had Shi Le guard at night, raid counties, and capture prisoners, while also recruiting fugitives from the mountains and wilderness. Many people rallied to Shi Le, who led them in support of Ji Sang. Ji Sang declared himself Grand General, claiming to avenge Chengdu King Ying and to avenge himself on East Sea King Yue and East Ying Gong Teng. Ji Sang appointed Shi Le as the vanguard, who achieved many military successes and was granted the title of General of Scouting and the Marquis of Zhongmingting.
Jisang marched to attack Ye City, with Shi Le serving as the vanguard commander, defeating Feng Song, a general of Teng, before marching straight into Ye City. They killed Teng and many others, looted women and treasures before departing. Jisang departed from Yanjin, heading south to attack Yanzhou. The Prince of Donghai, Yue, was fearful and sent Gou Xi, Wang Zan, and others to attack them. Jisang and Shi Le attacked Shi Shao, the Inspector of Youzhou, at Leling, where Shi Shao died in battle. Qihuo army leader Tian Yin led fifty thousand troops to rescue Shi Shao, but Shi Le defeated Tian Yin. They then confronted Gou Xi and others in Pingyuan and Yangping for several months, engaging in over thirty battles with varying outcomes. Yue, fearing defeat, took position at Guandu and sent Gou Xi to support. Jisang and Shi Le were defeated by Gou Xi, suffering tens of thousands of casualties. They regrouped to flee to Liu Yuanhai. Ding Shao, the Inspector of Jizhou, intercepted them at Chiqiao and defeated them. Jisang fled to Mamu, while Shi Le fled to Leping. The imperial army ultimately killed Jisang in Pingyuan. At that time, the Hu leaders Beibao Du and Feng Motu established camp with several thousand troops in Shangdang, refusing to submit to the court. Shi Le was invited by them and quickly formed a friendship. Shi Le told Beibao Du, "Liu Chanyu has rebelled against the Jin Dynasty. If you don’t join him, how do you expect to survive on your own?" Beibao Du replied, "No." Shi Le continued, "Since you can't, your troops must find a backing. Now that Chanyu has bought off and recruited many of your people, with many already planning to betray you and join Chanyu, you should plan ahead!" Beibao Du and his men, lacking the strength to resist, feared their subordinates' rebellion and secretly followed Shi Le back to Yuanhai.
Yuan Hai bestowed the title of Prince of Han upon Bei Bao, appointed Feng Motu as the Grand Commander, and elevated Shi Le to the position of Assistant General of Han and Prince of Pingjin, leading them. Shi Le acknowledged Bei Bao as his elder brother, gave him the surname Shi, and named him Shi Hui, in memory of their encounter. The Wuhuan leader Zhang Fulidu also arrived with two thousand soldiers and camped in Le Ping, but despite Yuan Hai's repeated attempts to persuade him to surrender, he remained steadfast. Shi Le feigned an error and deliberately sought refuge with Zhang Fulidu. Zhang Fulidu was delighted and swore brotherhood with Shi Le, allowing him to raid far and wide, winning every battle. The other Huns feared him and followed him loyally. Once everyone had pledged their allegiance to him, Shi Le seized the opportunity to capture Shi Hui and asked the other Huns, "Now, who is more suitable to be the leader, me or Shi Hui?" All the Huns chose Shi Le as their chief. Shi Le then released Shi Hui and led his troops to join Yuan Hai. Yuan Hai elevated Shi Le to lead the military campaigns in Shandong and put Zhang Fulidu's army under his command.
Yuan Hai dispatched Liu Cong to assault Hu Pass, ordering Shi Le to lead seven thousand soldiers as the vanguard. Liu Kun sent the guard Huang Xiu and others to rescue Hu Pass, but Shi Le overcame Huang Xiu at Bai Tian, resulting in Huang Xiu's death and the fall of Hu Pass. Later, Yuan Hai ordered Shi Le, along with Liu Ling, Yan Pi, and seven other generals, to lead thirty thousand troops to attack the fortresses in Wei and Dunqiu, capturing many strongholds. Shi Le designated the surrendered fortress owners as generals and captains, recruited fifty thousand able-bodied young men as soldiers, and ensured that the elderly, weak, women, and children could live peacefully. The army was strictly forbidden from looting, and the populace expressed deep gratitude towards him.
Once upon a time, Yuan Hai proclaimed himself emperor and sent a messenger to deliver a ceremonial staff to Shi Le, appointing him Grand General of the East and retaining his other titles like Colonel, Commander, and King. Shi Le led his army to attack Ye City, which fell almost immediately. Yu, terrified, fled to the State of Wei. Shi Le captured Wang Cui, the Prefect of Wei County, at Santai. He then attacked Zhao County, killing Feng Chong, the Commandant of the western part of Jizhou. In Zhongqiu, he took Qihuo Sheting and killed Tian Yin. Yuan Hai promoted Shi Le once more, making him Grand General of the East and granting him the authority to establish positions like Left and Right Chief Historians, Commandant, and Central Army Officer.
Shi Le continued his campaign against Julu and Changshan, defeating the defenders of both counties. He seized over a hundred cities and fortresses across Jizhou, growing his army to more than a hundred thousand men. He gathered men of status to form what was called the "Gentleman Camp." Shi Le appointed Zhang Bin as his military strategist, initially giving him the role of Military Secretary. He trusted Diao Ying and Zhang Jing as his closest advisors, Kuian and Kong Chang as his henchmen, and appointed Zhi Xiong, Hu Yanmo, Wang Yang, Tao Bao, Lu Ming, and Wu Yu as his generals. He sent his general Zhang Si to lead cavalry to various counties in the northern mountains of Bingzhou to persuade the Xiongnu and Jie peoples, explaining the benefits of joining him. The Xiongnu heard of Shi Le's reputation, and many of them were frightened, deciding to join him.
Shi Le continued his march to Changshan, sending his subordinates to attack counties such as Zhongshan, Boling, and Gaoyang, leading to tens of thousands of surrenders.
Wang Jun sent his general Qi Hong with over a hundred thousand Xianbei cavalry to attack Shi Le. This resulted in a decisive victory for Qi Hong at Feilong Mountain, resulting in the deaths of over ten thousand of Shi Le's troops. Shi Le retreated to Liyang and then sent his subordinates to attack those who had not surrendered or rebelled, seizing over thirty strongholds and appointing officials to manage these areas and pacify the people. Later, Shi Le attacked Xindu and killed the Governor of Jizhou, Wang Bin.
In response, the General of Chariots and Cavalry Wang Kan and the Northern General Pei Xian led troops from Luoyang to punish Shi Le. Shi Le set fire to his camp and supplies, then established his camp at Huangnoulei. The Prefect of Weijun, Liu Ju, surrendered Weijun to Shi Le, who then appointed Liu Ju to lead the troops at Huangnoulei as the left wing of his central army. When Shi Le reached Liyang, Pei Xian deserted his troops and fled to Huainan, while Wang Kan retreated to a fortress. Later, Yuan Hai conferred upon Shi Le the title of Grand General of the East, awarded him the title of Duke of Jizhou, and allowed him to hold military command as before. However, Shi Le adamantly refused the title of Duke of Jizhou.
Together with Yan Pi, Shi Le launched assaults on and captured the strongholds of Quan and Yuan Shi. Yan Pi was shot and killed during the battle, and Shi Le took over his army. Shi Le stealthily crossed the Yellow River at Shiqiao, captured Baima, and executed over three thousand men, women, and children in the city. He then launched an attack on Juancheng to the east, killing the Inspector of Yanzhou, Yuan Fu. Next, he attacked Cangyuan, broke through, and killed Wang Kan. He then crossed the Yellow River again, attacked Guangzong, Qinghe, Pingyuan, Yangping, and other counties, with over ninety thousand troops surrendering to him. He then crossed south over the Yellow River, and the Prefect of Xingyang, Pei Chun, made his escape to Jianye.
At this time, Liu Cong launched an attack on Henei, and Shi Le led his cavalry to support him, jointly assaulting Wude, where Champion General Liang Ju was stationed. The Jin Huai Emperor dispatched troops to aid Liang Ju. Shi Le left his generals behind to defend Wude, and he and Wang Sang pursued Liang Ju in Changling. Liang Ju wanted to surrender, but Shi Le refused to accept, so Liang Ju climbed over a wall to escape, but was captured by soldiers. Shi Le quickly returned to Wude, ordered the execution of over 10,000 surrendered soldiers, then enumerated Liang Ju's crimes before executing him. The Jin army retreated, leaving the various forts in Hebei in a state of fear, all requesting to surrender and pledge allegiance to Shi Le.
After Yuan Hai's death, Liu Cong designated Shi Le as Grand General of the East, Inspector of Bingzhou, Duke of Ji County, granting him authority and command, with the same official titles as previously held. Shi Le firmly declined the position of general, and Liu Cong relented.
Liu Can commanded an army of forty thousand to assault Luoyang, leaving the logistics at Chongmen, leading an additional twenty thousand cavalry to rendezvous with Liu Can in Dayang. They achieved a decisive victory against the court army at Mianchi, pushing forward to Luochuan. Liu Can emerged from Huanyuan and subsequently launched an attack on Chenggao Pass, laying siege to Wang Zan, the Prefect of Chenliu, at Cangyuan, but was ultimately defeated by Wang Zan, forcing him to retreat to Wenshijin. He intended to march north to confront Wang Jun, but Wang Jun's general Wang Jia led over ten thousand Xianbei cavalry to defeat Zhao Gu in the north of the ferry, thus, Liu Le was compelled to burn his camp, abandon his ships, and retreat towards Baimen to secure the logistics at Chongmen. Upon reaching Shimen, he crossed the Yellow River and launched an attack on Cui Kuang, the Prefect of Xiangcheng, ultimately killing him in Fanchang.
Previously, Wang Ru, Hou Tuo, Yan Yi, and others who had fled Yongzhou rebelled in the Jianghuai region. Hearing that Liu Le was coming, they were terrified, so they sent 10,000 troops to defend Xiangcheng. Liu Le defeated them, capturing all their soldiers. Liu Le arrived in Nanyang and camped at Wannorth Mountain. Wang Ru feared that Liu Le would assault Xiangcheng, so he sent treasures to reward his troops and also became sworn brothers with Liu Le, which Liu Le gladly accepted. Wang Ru was at odds with Hou Tuo, so he advised Liu Le to attack Hou Tuo. That night, Liu Le ordered his army to march at dawn, and at daybreak, they attacked the gates of Wancheng; after a siege lasting over ten days, they broke through. Yan Yi led his troops to rescue Hou Tuo, but arrived too late and was forced to surrender to Liu Le. Liu Le killed Hou Tuo and imprisoned Yan Yi, sending them to Pingyang and significantly strengthening his own forces.
Liu Le headed south to attack Xiangyang, capturing over thirty camps in Jiangxi, leaving Diao Ying to guard Xiangyang while he personally led thirty thousand elite soldiers to attack Wang Ru. Fearing Wang Ru's strength, he hurried to Xiangcheng. When Wang Ru found out, he sent his brother Wang Li to lead twenty-five thousand cavalry, pretending to reward the troops but actually planning to ambush Liu Le. Liu Le counterattacked, destroying Wang Li's army, and then stationed in Jiangxi, likely aiming to dominate the Jianghan region. Zhang Bin believed this strategy was flawed and advised Liu Le to return north, but Liu Le ignored the advice and appointed Zhang Bin as a military officer, while also taking on the role of secretary, with a rank above that of a Sima, to oversee military operations.
The emperor was worried that Shi Le would continue to cause trouble in the south, so he sent Wang Dao to lead troops to attack him. Shi Le's army lacked supplies, and many people died from the plague. He adopted Zhang Bin's strategy, burned their supplies, moved swiftly, crossed the Mian River, and attacked Jiangxia. Yang Ju, the governor of Jiangxia, took off without a second thought. Later, Shi Le attacked Xinchai and killed Sima Que, the ruler of Xinchai. A number of officials surrendered to Shi Le, including Lord Langling He Xi, Lord Guangling Chen Zhen, Governor of Shangdang Yang Zong, Governor of Guangping Shao Zhao, and others. Shi Le advanced all the way to Xuchang and killed General Wang Kang.
Earlier, Prince Sima Yue of Donghai led more than 200,000 troops from Luoyang to attack Shi Le, but Sima Yue died in the army. Everyone elected Grand Commandant Wang Yan as the leader and continued to lead the army eastward in retreat. Shi Le pursued with light cavalry. Wang Yan sent General Qian Duan to fight Shi Le, but Qian Duan was defeated and killed, and Wang Yan's army fell apart. Shi Le surrounded them and rained arrows down on them, and no one escaped. Shi Le captured Wang Yan, as well as Prince Xiangyang Sima Fan, Prince Rencheng Sima Ji, Prince Xihe Sima Xi, Prince Liang Sima Xi, Prince Qi Sima Chao, and others, and questioned them about the state of the Jin Dynasty. Wang Yan and Sima Ji, fearing for their lives, desperately pleaded, only Sima Fan remained calm and composed, even rebuking Shi Le. Shi Le found him intriguing. Later, Shi Le took these princes and officials outside and killed them, leading to numerous deaths. Shi Le found Wang Yan eloquent and Sima Fan extraordinary, so he couldn't bring himself to execute them. That night, he ordered the walls to be torn down and buried them alive.
Left Guard He Lun and Right Guard Li Yun heard that Sima Yue had died, so they escorted Sima Yue's wife Pei Shi and Sima Yue's son Sima Pi out of Luoyang. Shi Le intercepted Sima Pi at Weicang; the army was defeated again and captured Sima Pi along with other royal ministers, leading to a high number of casualties. Then, Shi Le led thirty thousand elite soldiers into Luoyang through Chengao Pass. Just as Liu Yao and Wang Mi were attacking Luoyang, after the city was breached, Shi Le attributed the credit to Liu Yao and Wang Mi, then departed from Huan Yuan and set up camp in Xuchang. Liu Cong appointed Shi Le as General of the Eastern Conquest, but Shi Le firmly refused the position.
Li Hong from Pingyang had a few thousand troops stationed in Wuyang, and Gou Xi took advantage of Li Hong's power to become the Governor of Yongzhou. Then, Shi Le led troops to attack Guyang, killed Champion General Wang Zi, and then defeated Wang Zan, capturing him in Yangxia and appointing him as an Attendant. Afterwards, Shi Le launched a surprise attack on Grand General Gou Xi in Mengcheng and defeated him, capturing Gou Xi and appointing him as Left Sima. Finally, Liu Cong appointed Shi Le as General of the Eastern Conquest and Governor of Youzhou, but Shi Le refused the general's position.
First, Wang Mi fell for Liu Lun's scheme and planned to eliminate Shi Le first, then take over Qingzhou for himself. He even sent Liu Lun to attack the Qi general Cao Yi. As a result, Shi Le's cavalry captured Liu Lun and seized letters exchanged between Wang Mi and Cao Yi. Shi Le then killed Liu Lun and started thinking about how to deal with Wang Mi. At this time, Wang Mi's general Xu Miao left him with his troops, weakening Wang Mi's power. Later, Shi Le captured Gou Xi, which greatly displeased Wang Mi. He then put on a humble front and said to Shi Le, "General, you captured Gou Xi but let him go. You are truly extraordinary! Let Gou Xi be your right-hand man, and I’ll be your left-hand man. Isn't it easy to conquer the world?" Shi Le said to Zhang Bin, "Although Wang Mi has a high status, he speaks humbly. I’m concerned he might be up to something behind my back." Zhang Bin said, "I think Wang Mi wants to occupy Qingzhou; that's just human nature, isn’t it? General, don’t you want to occupy Bingzhou? Wang Mi hasn’t acted yet because he’s afraid you might outshine him later. He has long wanted to deal with you; he just hasn’t found the right moment yet. Now's the time to take him out; otherwise, Cao Yi may come again, and if they team up, it’ll be too late to backtrack! Xu Miao has already left, Wang Mi's forces have weakened, but he still has his sights set high. We can manipulate him and then eliminate him." Shi Le thought Zhang Bin made sense.
At that time, Shi Le was engaged in battle against Chen Wu in Pengguan, while Wang Mi was also fiercely fighting Liu Rui. Wang Mi sought help from Shi Le, but Shi Le did not agree. Zhang Bin said, "General, you have always been worried about not getting the chance to deal with Wang Mi, and now the opportunity has come to you! Chen Wu is just a minor figure and not a threat; Wang Mi is the one we should be concerned about, as he will eventually become our enemy." Shi Le then turned to attack Liu Rui and killed him. Wang Mi was overjoyed, believing that Shi Le genuinely supported him and no longer doubted him. Shi Le led his troops to attack Chen Wu in Feize. Li Tou, the Prefect of Shangdang under Chen Wu, said to Shi Le, "General, you are naturally brave and should pacify the world. The people look to you, hoping you can save them from danger. If someone is vying for the world with you and you don't deal with him early, instead coming to attack us common people, eventually our fellow villagers will support you. Why force us?" Shi Le found this reasoning compelling and withdrew his troops the next day.
Shi Le feigned an invitation to Wang Mi for a banquet at Yiwu. Wang Mi's Chief of Staff, Zhang Song, advised Wang Mi not to go, fearing there might be an assassination like Zhu Zhu or Sun Jun, but Wang Mi did not listen. After Wang Mi went, after three rounds of toasts, Shi Le personally killed Wang Mi and absorbed his army, then reported to the court that Wang Mi had rebelled. The court appointed Shi Le as the Grand General of the Eastern Garrison, Supervisor of Military Affairs in Youzhou and Yanzhou, Governor of Bingzhou, and other titles, with his rank remaining unchanged.
Gou Xi and Wang Jun plotted to assassinate Le, but Le eliminated them instead. He then appointed Zuo Fusu as the Vanguard Captain, leading troops to raid and pillage various counties in Yuzhou. After reaching the Yangtze River, they returned and stationed at Gebei, capturing the barbarians and defectors from the Chu region. He appointed officials holding the rank of two thousand stones and collected their food supplies for the army.
Initially, Shi Le was sold to the plains and became separated from his mother, Lady Wang. At this time, Liu Kun sent Zhang Ru to deliver Shi Le's mother to him and wrote him a letter, saying: "General, you have risen to prominence in the Hebei region, swept through Yanzhou and Yuzhou, horses drink from the Yangtze and Huai rivers, and your army's might reverberates along the Hanshui and Mianshui rivers. Even the ancient famous generals cannot compare to you. However, you cannot maintain control over the people in the cities you conquer, nor can you control the land you occupy; you gather many people at once, only to scatter them later. General, do you not see the reason for this? The key to survival is in choosing the right leader, and the key to success lies in choosing the right object of attachment; choosing a just master is righteous, while aligning with rebels is akin to banditry. Even if the righteous fail, their contributions will ultimately be recognized; even if the bandits succeed, they will eventually be eliminated. The reason why the Red Eyebrow Army and Yellow Turban Army quickly failed in the past was that their uprising had no justification; they rebelled just for the sake of rebellion. General, given your exceptional talent and the fame you have garnered across the land, you should choose to attach yourself to virtuous people, adapt to the times, and submit to them. Your achievements and virtuous actions will shine brightly, and you will enjoy a long-lasting prestigious position. Betraying wise men will eliminate disaster, while attaching to a wise lord will bring happiness. You should heed my advice, change your thinking; what in the world cannot be settled? What is a small rebellion in comparison? I now bestow upon you the titles of Palace Attendant, Grand General of Chariots and Cavalry, Commander of the Xiongnu Guards, and Duke of Xiangcheng, overseeing both internal and external affairs, bearing the titles of both the Han Chinese and barbarians, appointing you as Duke of a great commandery to recognize your exceptional abilities. General, please accept this; it will also fulfill the expectations near and far. Throughout history, no barbarian has ever ascended to the throne, but there have been many renowned officials who have accomplished great feats. I am advising you in this way because the world is in chaos and needs someone with your talents and strategies. I have heard that your sieges and field battles are well-timed; even if you do not consult military texts, you are following the strategies of Sun Wu. This truly embodies the concept of 'those who are born knowledgeable'! As long as you can get five thousand elite soldiers, with your abilities, what place cannot be conquered by you! All I have said comes from the heart, and Zhang Ru can attest to this."
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Shi Le replied to Liu Kun, saying, "The way we achieve success is different, something that scholars cannot understand. You should perform well in the court, I have my own plans, and it's not easy for me to serve you." Then Shi Le gave Liu Kun some famous horses and treasures, warmly received his envoy, and declined his invitation as a way to sever ties with Liu Kun.
Shi Le built houses in Gebei, trained farmers to build ships, and prepared to attack Jianye. As a result, heavy rain fell for three months without stopping, so Emperor Yuan ordered all the generals to assemble their armies in Shouchun. Shi Le's army suffered from hunger and plague, resulting in the deaths of over half of its soldiers. Imperial orders continued to arrive, and Shi Le summoned the generals to discuss. Right Chief Historian Diao Ying advised him to first offer tribute to the emperor, request to pacify the Hebei region, and think of a way slowly after the army withdrew. Shi Le sighed and let out a long sigh after hearing this.
Mid-level officer Kui An advised Shi Le to find higher ground to escape the flood. Shi Le said, "General, what's wrong with you? Why so timid?" Kong Chang, Zhi Xiong, and more than thirty generals stood up and said, "While the Wu army hasn't assembled yet, we ask each general to take three hundred infantry, board more than thirty ships at night, climb the city walls, kill the Wu generals, seize the city, and take their supplies. This year, we must break through Danyang, pacify Jiangnan, and capture all the young Sima heirs!" Shi Le chuckled and replied, "This is the strategy of brave generals!" So he rewarded each of them with a set of armor and a war horse.
Shi Le asked Zhang Bin again, "What strategy do you have?" Zhang Bin said, "General, if you capture the imperial capital, imprison the emperor, kill the nobles, and plunder the concubines, even if you were to pull out every single hair on your head, your sins cannot be counted. How can you ever go back to being a subject? After you executed Wang Mi last year, you shouldn't have built fortifications here. Such heavy rain has fallen, flooding hundreds of miles around; this is a hint that you should not stay here! Ye City has three solid strongholds, connected to Pingyang in the west, surrounded by mountains and water; it's in a highly strategic location. You should move north and station there. Once the Hebei region is pacified after suppressing the rebellion and calming the people, no one will be more powerful than you, General. The reason why the Jin Dynasty stationed troops in Shou Chun was because they were afraid of you attacking. Now that they suddenly hear you want to withdraw, they'll be pleased to hear the enemy is retreating; they will not expect you to use a surprise attack. The supplies can go north; the army can first advance on Shou Chun. After the supplies pass through, the army can slowly retreat; are you afraid of having no room for maneuver?"
Shi Le rolled up his sleeves, stroked his beard, and said, "Bin's plan is good!" Then he reprimanded Diao Ying, saying, "You should assist each other and plan for the success of the great cause together; how can you advise me to surrender! In theory, you should be executed. But you are timid and afraid of trouble, so I will spare you." He then dismissed Diao Ying from his general position, promoted Zhang Bin to Right Chief Historian, and appointed him as the General of the Central Barracks, titled "Right Marquis."
It is said that Shi Le set out from Gebei and sent Shi Jilong with two thousand cavalry to attack Shou Chun. Coincidentally, the boats from Jiangnan carrying dozens of ships filled with rice and cloth arrived. The soldiers all rushed to grab them, completely neglecting their battle preparations. As a result, the ambushed troops from the Jin army suddenly emerged and defeated Shi Jilong at Julingkou, with over five hundred soldiers drowning in the river. The remaining troops fled over a hundred miles before finally reaching Shi Le's main army.
The army was thrown into chaos, believing that the main force of the Jin army was arriving, and quickly lined up to prepare for battle. The Jin army, fearing an ambush, retreated from Shou Chun. Along the way, the civilians had cleared the area, leaving nothing behind to loot. The army began to suffer from famine, and the soldiers resorted to cannibalism. Upon reaching the border of Dong Yan, word came that Xiang Bing, the Prefect of Ji County, had led thousands of troops to build a camp at Fangtou. Shi Le planned to cross the river at Jijin, but was worried about an ambush by Xiang Bing, so he gathered his generals to strategize.
Zhang Bin suggested, "I heard that all of Xiang Bing's ships are still in the river and haven't been moved to the camp at Fangtou yet. We can select a thousand strong and brave soldiers to secretly cross the river from a hidden path, attack and seize his ships, and then use these ships to ferry the troops across. Once the army crosses the river, Xiang Bing will definitely be captured!" Shi Le accepted his suggestion and sent Zhi Xiong, Kong Chang, and others to secretly make the crossing from Wenshijin using bound rafts, while he himself led the army from Suanzao to Jijin.
Upon hearing that Shi Le's army had arrived, Xiang Bing tried to bring the ships to shore. However, Zhi Xiong and his men had already made the crossing, seized control of the entrance to Xiang Bing's camp, captured over thirty ships to transport their troops, and even sent the registrar Xian Yu Feng out to issue a challenge, while secretly ambushing three groups of soldiers to await Xiang Bing. Enraged, Xiang Bing immediately led his troops into battle, but was attacked from all sides, losing his supplies, which boosted the morale of Shi Le's troops. Shi Le pressed on with his campaign, attacking Ye City and the three strongholds defended by General Liu Yan of the North, who, along with his generals Lin Shen and Mou Mu, surrendered to Shi Le along with tens of thousands of troops.
At that time, it was said that all the generals were discussing how to capture San Tai and then claim it for themselves. Zhang Bin stood up and said, "There are still thousands of troops under Liu Yan, and San Tai is of strategic importance. It is difficult to seize in the short term. We might as well give it up and let them fall apart on their own. Wang Pengzu and Liu Yueshi are the true formidable foes! We should take advantage of their unpreparedness, quietly plan to take Hancheng, transport a large supply of food and supplies, request assistance from Pingyang to the west, clear out Bingzhou and Jizhou, and achieve the same feats as Emperor Huan Wen. Furthermore, now that the world is in turmoil, the war has just begun, everyone is running around, people's hearts are unsettled, gaining absolute control over the world is very challenging. As the saying goes, 'those who gain land thrive, while those who lose land perish.' Handan and Xiangguo were the ancient capitals of the Zhao Kingdom, situated near mountains and rivers, boasting a superior geographical location. We can choose these two places as our capitals, then order the generals to attack everywhere, formulate unique battle strategies, defeat the enemy, strengthen our own power, and dismantle them one by one, so we can remove those treacherous ministers and establish our rule." Le listened and replied, "The Marquis of the Right (Zhang Bin's official title) is right!" So they moved to Xiangguo. Zhang Bin said to Le again, "Now that we’ve set our capital here, Yueshi and Pengzu will surely be cautious. They may come to challenge us before our city is fully fortified. I've heard that the autumn harvest in Guangping and nearby areas is plentiful, so we can send generals to gather supplies. We also need to send envoys to Pingyang to explain why we need to be based here." Le agreed. So they sent a report to Liu Cong, sent generals to assault the counties of Jizhou, constructed fortifications, and many places surrendered, with supplies sent to Le. Liu Cong appointed Le as the Envoy, Cavalry Attendant, Commander of the four provinces of Ji, You, Bing, and Yi, Commander of various military operations, Governor of Jizhou, and also elevated him to Duke of Shangdang County, with a fief of fifty thousand households, while retaining his previous titles of Governor of Youzhou and Colonel of Dongyi.
Shi Le, the Prefect of Guangping, had You Lun and Zhang Chai under his command, leading tens of thousands of troops and occupying Yuanxiang with false orders from Wang Jun. Shi Le ordered seven generals, including Kui An and Zhi Xiong, to attack them, breaching the outer fortifications. Wang Jun then sent Commander Wang Chang, as well as Xianbei generals Duan Jiuliu, Mo Bai, and Pi Di, leading over 50,000 soldiers to attack Shi Le. At that time, the city walls were still under construction, so Shi Le constructed temporary walls and barricades in Xiangguo, establishing defensive positions to await the enemy.
Duan Jiuliu and his troops were stationed in Zhuyang. Shi Le sent his generals to challenge them in rotation, but they were consistently defeated by Duan Jiuliu. Shi Le learned that the enemy was mass-producing siege weaponry, so he addressed his generals, "Now the enemy is drawing nearer; they outnumber us. I'm afraid we won't be able to win the siege battle, there are no reinforcements outside, and the food in the city is running out. Even if Sun Wu were to rise again, we still couldn't hold out! I want to choose elite soldiers and formidable generals to engage them in a decisive battle; what are your thoughts?" The generals replied, "We should hold our ground, wear down the enemy's strength, and wait for them to tire before striking; we can surely defeat them!"
Shi Le asked Zhang Bin and Kong Chang again, "What do you think?" Zhang Bin and Kong Chang both said, "I've heard that the Six Guardians will be executed in the first ten days of next month in the northern city. Their army has come from far away and has been engaged in continuous fighting and defense for several days. They must think that our forces are weak and dare not engage in battle, so they must be feeling relaxed. The soldiers of the Duan clan are very brave now, especially Mo Bei, who is the fiercest. The most elite soldiers are under Mo Bei's command. We can hold off on fighting for now and intentionally appear weak. Let’s quickly dig out over twenty passages in the northern city wall. When the enemy has set up their formation and their defense isn’t stable yet, we’ll catch them off guard and charge straight at Mo Bei's camp. The enemy will definitely freak out and won’t have time to react; this is what they call 'swift as lightning.' Once we capture Mo Bei, then we’ll have our time figured out." Shi Le smiled and accepted their suggestion, immediately appointing Kong Chang as the commander of the attack, and started digging passages on the northern city.
The Xianbei army entered the northern camp and set up their base. Before their formation had stabilized, Shi Le personally led the soldiers to shout and cheered from the city walls. At this time, Kong Chang urged the ambush troops at each passage to launch a coordinated attack, capturing Mo Bei, causing the armies of Liu Ju and his allies to scatter. Kong Chang pursued the victory, with bodies piling up for over thirty li, capturing five thousand war horses and armor. Liu Ju regrouped the remnants of the defeated soldiers, stationed at Zhuyang, and sent envoys to negotiate peace, along with armor, war horses, and gold and silver. He took Mo Bei's three younger brothers as hostages, requesting the release of Mo Bei. The generals advised Shi Le to execute Mo Bei to weaken the enemy, but Shi Le said, "The Xianbei in Liaoxi is a powerful country. We originally had no grievances; we were merely pawns of Wang Jun. Killing one person now will make an enemy of a country, which is not a good idea. Let him go; he will surely be grateful to us, and he will not serve Wang Jun again in the future." So Shi Le accepted the hostages, sent Shi Jilong and Liu Ju to ally at Zhuyang, and became sworn brothers, and Liu Ju and others retreated. Shi Le sent his staff officer, Yan Zong, to report the victory to Liu Cong.
Then You Lun and Zhang Chai requested to surrender and pledge allegiance. Shi Le planned to attack Youzhou, but needed to recuperate, so he temporarily accepted their request and appointed them as generals. Later, Shi Le dispatched troops to attack Xindu, killing Wang Xiang, the Inspector of Jizhou. Wang Jun then appointed Shao Ju as the Inspector of Jizhou and stationed him in Xindu.
In 313 AD, Shi Le attacked the three platforms of Ye City, which fell. Liu Yan fled to Bingqiu. Generals Xie Xu, Tian Qing, Lang Mu, and others surrendered to Shi Le with the people of the three platforms. Shi Le appointed Tao Bao as the Prefect of Weijun to pacify the local people. He also adopted Duan Mobei as his son, appointing him as General of Pacification, General of the North, and Duke of Beiping, and sent him back to Liaoxi. Duan Mobei was grateful for Shi Le's kindness, bowing south three times along the way, and from then on, the Duan family fully submitted to Shi Le, and Wang Jun's influence gradually diminished.
Shi Le continued to attack Yuan Township, captured You Lun, and made him his clerk. Later, he attacked Li Yun, the leader of the Qihuo Army, at Shangbai, killed him, and was about to kill all the surrendered soldiers when he saw Guo Jing. Recognizing him, he said, "Isn't it fate that we meet today!" Guo Jing bowed and said, "Yes." Shi Le dismounted, held his hand, and cried, saying, "Isn't it fate that we meet today!" He rewarded Guo Jing with garments, chariots, and horses, appointed him as a general, pardoned all surrendered soldiers, and let them follow Guo Jing. Shi Le's general Kong Chang attacked Dingling and killed the inspector of Yanzhou, Tian Zheng. The Wuhuan leader Bo Sheng captured Liu Ji, the Governor of Bohai, and surrendered to Shi Le with five thousand households. Liu Cong appointed Shi Le as the Palace Attendant, Grand General of the East, with no change in other positions, and also appointed Shi Le's mother, Lady Wang, as the Lady of Shangdang, and his wife, Lady Liu, as the Lady of Shangdang, rewarding them with decorations identical to those given to Lady Wang.
Duan Mohe's brother escaped back to Liaoxi, infuriating Shi Le, who ordered all county officials along the way to kill him. The Wuhuan leaders Shen Guang, Jian Shang, and Hao Xi betrayed Wang Jun, secretly sent envoys to surrender to Shi Le, who welcomed them warmly. Jizhou and Sizhou gradually stabilized, and the people began to pay taxes. Shi Le also established an academy, selecting officials proficient in classics and calligraphy as literary officials, and educating three hundred children of generals and officials. Shi Le's mother, Lady Wang, passed away, and he secretly buried her in a valley, with no one knowing the exact location. Later, in accordance with the Nine Rites, he constructed a tomb for his mother in the south of Xiangguo City.
Shi Le asked Zhang Bin, "Ye City is the old capital of Wei, and I plan to build a palace there. However, the local customs are intricate, and we need a person of high virtue and reputation to pacify the people. Who do you think would be suitable?"
Zhang Bin replied, "Before the Jin Dynasty, the Prefect of Donglai, Zhao Peng from Nanyang, was loyal, honest, diligent, and efficient in his work. He is a good official who can assist in the current situation. If the General appoints him, he will definitely be able to carry out your plans very well." So Shi Le sent someone to invite Zhao Peng and appointed him as the Prefect of Weijun. After Zhao Peng arrived in Ye City, he cried and resigned to Shi Le, saying, "I was registered in the Jin Dynasty before, receiving the salary of the Jin Dynasty. Just like a loyal dog or horse serves its master, I truly cannot forget it. Although I know the ancestral shrines of the Jin Dynasty lie in ruins, like the waters of a great river flowing eastward, never to return again. You have received the Mandate of Heaven, which is a tremendous opportunity. But accepting others' favors and serving two masters again is something I cannot do, and I'm afraid it's something you wouldn't want to see either. If you would allow me to live out my remaining years in peace and grant me a small wish, it would be a tremendous act of kindness." Shi Le fell silent upon hearing this. Zhang Bin continued, "Since the arrival of the General's banner, not a single person of high status has remained loyal. No one has been able to prioritize righteousness and act freely. Someone as virtuous as Zhao Peng sees you as the founding emperor and himself as one of the four ministers assisting the founding emperor, which reflects the mutual understanding between a ruler and his subjects. This could lead to unparalleled success for you, so why stick to official positions?" Shi Le was very pleased and said, "You, Lord You, have expressed exactly what I was thinking!" He then rewarded Zhao Peng with a lavish carriage and four fine horses, provided him with a minister's salary, and appointed his son Zhao Ming as a military officer. Later, Shi Le appointed Shi Jilong as the Prefect of Weijun, assigning him to oversee the three towers of Ye City. This marked the beginning of Shi Jilong's usurpation.
Wang Jun became an official and started to live extravagantly, acting high-handed and indulging in luxury, with ambitions of seizing power. He first sent people to investigate the situation. Everyone suggested, "We should correspond like Yang Hu and Lu Kang did." At that time, Zhang Bin fell ill, and Shi Le summoned him for a discussion. Zhang Bin said, "Wang Jun, leveraging the strength of three armies, proclaimed himself emperor. Although he claims to be a vassal of the Jin Dynasty, in reality, he has long been thinking of rebellion, certainly trying to recruit talented individuals for his grand ambitions. General, your reputation is far-reaching; your presence or absence is crucial for our survival, and your location will dictate the balance of power. Wang Jun wants to win you over, just like the State of Chu did with Han Xin. Now he sends people to probe with no genuine intent. If any doubts arise or his schemes are uncovered, even the most brilliant plans will come to nothing. Those aspiring to greatness must start with humility and should present themselves as vassals; why wouldn’t he trust it? I believe what Yang Hu and Lu Kang did is not the way to go." Shi Le said, "Your plan, Right Marquis, is spot on."
Therefore, Shi Le sent his aides Wang Zichun, Dong Zhao, and others, bringing many treasures and a written decree, proclaiming Wang Jun as the emperor. The decree stated: "I, Shi Le, was originally a humble Hu man, born into the Rongdi tribe. As the Jin Dynasty declined, famine spread across the land, displacing the people. I fled to Jizhou, where we came together to survive. Now, the Jin Dynasty has fallen apart, with its power now confined to the Wu Hui region. The Central Plains lack a leader, leaving the people helpless. I have heard of Your Highness's esteemed reputation throughout the provinces; you are admired by all. Who else could possibly be worthy of the throne but you? I have risked my life and raised an army to clear the path for Your Highness. I hope you will ascend the throne as destiny intends. I will support you as if you were my own parent, and I hope you will recognize my sincerity and treat me as your own son." Shi Le also penned a letter to Zao Song, along with many gifts.
Wang Jun said to Wang Zichun and others, "Shi Le was once brave, occupying the old capital of Zhao and establishing a tripod-like power. Why would he submit to me? Is this believable?" Wang Zichun replied, "General Shi is indeed as valiant as the imperial edict describes. But you are well-known across the provinces, come from a prestigious lineage, guard the borders, and have a reputation that extends far and wide. The barbarians and Yue people admire your demeanor; the northern tribes sing your praises. What small official would dare not bow to you? Did Chen Ying look down on the princes who didn’t claim kingship? Did Han Xin disdain being emperor without being proclaimed as such? They only knew that the emperor's throne can't be won through cleverness alone. General Shi honors you as emperor, like a dim star next to the sun, or rivers next to the ocean. The failures of Xiang Yu and Ziying are evident; this is General Shi's understanding. Moreover, while there have been skilled ministers among the barbarians, none have ever become emperor. General Shi didn’t give up the throne because he disliked being emperor, but because the position of power in the world isn't determined by fate. I hope you do not doubt." Wang Jun was very pleased and appointed Wang Zichun and others as marquises, sending envoys to inform Shi Le and deliver some gifts.
Wang Jun's general, Sima You Tong, was stationed in Fanyang at the time, secretly betraying Wang Jun and sending envoys to surrender to Shi Le. Shi Le killed the envoys and sent their bodies to Wang Jun to demonstrate his sincerity. Although Wang Jun chose not to punish Sima You Tong, he grew even more convinced of Shi Le's loyalty and no longer doubted him.
Shi Le sent a messenger to meet Wang Jun, secretly hiding elite troops and deliberately presenting a façade of weakness to Wang Jun. Then they bowed northward in reverence to the messenger, accepting Wang Jun's letter. Wang Jun sent a deer tail to Shi Le, and Shi Le feigned reluctance to accept it, hanging it on the wall and bowing to it every morning and evening, saying, "Though I cannot meet the Duke in person, seeing the items he sent is just like meeting him." Shi Le also sent Dong Zhao with a memorial to see Wang Jun, indicating that he would soon visit Youzhou in person to present a title. He also wrote to Zao Song, requesting to be appointed as the Governor of Bingzhou and the Duke of Guangping, to demonstrate his sincerity.
Shi Le planned to deal with Wang Jun, so he discussed it with Zichun. Zichun said, "Last year, there was a flood in Youzhou, and the common people were starving. Wang Jun hoarded a million stones of grain, yet he refused to provide any relief. His laws were harsh, taxes were heavy, he harmed the virtuous, executed advisors, and the people could no longer endure it and began to flee and rebel. The Xianbei and Wuhuan tribes were also disloyal, Zao Song, Tian Jiao, and other officials were greedy and cruel, the people's morale was shattered, and the soldiers were exhausted. But Wang Jun still built high towers and pavilions, projecting an image of a fully staffed administration, even boasting that he surpassed both Emperor Gaozu of Han and Emperor Wu of Wei. Moreover, ominous rumors circulated throughout Youzhou, and everyone who heard them was filled with fear, yet Wang Jun was still very pleased, not afraid at all; this is clearly a sign of his impending downfall!" Shi Le laughed and said, "This old man Wang Jun, he can really be caught!"
When the messenger sent by Wang Jun arrived in Youzhou, he reported in detail to Wang Jun about Shi Le's feeble power and sincere intentions. Wang Jun was thrilled to hear this and believed that Shi Le was genuinely surrendering.
Shi Le was preparing to lead his troops to attack Wang Jun, but he was having second thoughts, worried that Liu Kun and the Xianbei and Wuhuan tribes might be plotting against him, so he hesitated to take action. Zhang Bin stepped forward and said, "In battle, you need to catch the enemy off guard and strike only when your troops are at the city gates. The army is all prepared, so why delay, regardless of any enemies behind us?" Shi Le said, "Yes, what should we do then?" Zhang Bin said, "Peng Zu secured his position in Youzhou with the support of three armies. Now, these three armies have all turned against him and become enemies. This means that there is no external help for Youzhou to resist us. Youzhou is now poor and hungry, the people are reduced to eating wild vegetables, morale is low, and the army is weak, meaning there is no strong army inside Youzhou to resist us. If our army advances, Youzhou will definitely collapse immediately. Although the three sides have not been pacified yet, General, you can lead a light and fast attack on Youzhou, which will take less than twenty days for a round trip. Even if the three sides do make a move, we can pull back in time. So we should seize the opportunity, take immediate action, and not delay!" "Furthermore, although Liu Kun and Wang Jun both hold positions in the Jin Dynasty, they are actually archenemies. If we send a letter to Liu Kun along with hostages to show goodwill, Liu Kun will certainly be happy to have us on his side and will be pleased to see Wang Jun destroyed. He certainly won’t come to Wang Jun's rescue, much less attack us." Shi Le said, "I've been struggling to understand something all along, but you’ve helped me see it clearly, Right Marquis. So what’s left to hesitate about?"
Shi Le easily captured Youzhou with his troops and set the city on fire in the middle of the night. Upon arriving in Bairin County, he executed the registrar You Lun because his brother You Tong was in Fanyang, and he feared that You Lun would betray military secrets. Shi Le also sent Zhang Lu to write a letter to Liu Kun, saying that he deeply regretted his sins and wanted to redeem himself by attacking Wang Jun. Liu Kun, who already harbored a dislike for Wang Jun, ordered all states and counties to declare that Wang Jun must recognize his wrongdoings. He should now reclaim Youzhou to atone for his misdeeds. He agreed to Shi Le's request and allowed him to suppress the rebellion.
When Shi Le's army reached the Yishui River, Wang Jun's guard, Sun Wei, hurriedly dispatched someone to intercept Shi Le, and You Tong also attempted to stop him. Wang Jun's generals all requested to attack Shi Le, but Wang Jun angrily said, "Shi Gong is here to make me submit to him. Whoever dares to talk about fighting will be killed!" He then ordered a feast to entertain Shi Le. Early in the morning, Shi Le arrived at Jicheng and shouted, and the defenders opened the gates. Suspecting an ambush, Shi Le first sent several thousand cows and sheep as a deceptive tribute, intending to block the streets and prevent Wang Jun's army from coming out. Wang Jun was visibly anxious, alternating between sitting and standing. Shi Le entered Wang Jun's official residence, commanded his soldiers to seize Wang Jun and bring him before him, and had Xu Guang accuse Wang Jun, saying, "You occupy a high position as Yuan Tai and hold the title of Shang Gong, controlling the rich land of Youzhou, the elite cavalry of Yan State, and commanding a powerful army. Yet you watched the capital being breached without going to rescue the emperor, but instead wanted to declare yourself king. You have employed treachery, executed loyalists, indulged your personal desires, and brought suffering to the people of Yan State. You have brought this upon yourself!" He then dispatched Wang Luo to escort Wang Jun to Xiangguo for execution in the marketplace.
Next, Shi Le sent the exiles back to their hometowns, promoted Xun Chuo and Pei Xian to higher positions, and provided them with carriages, horses, and clothing. Shi Le also executed Zhu Shuo, Zao Song, Tian Jiao, and others for corruption and misrule, and killed You Tong for disloyalty to Wang Jun. Shi Le relocated the Wuhuan leaders Shen Guang, Jian Shang, Hao Xi, Jin Shi, and others to Xiangguo and set fire to Wang Jun's palace. Shi Le appointed Liu Han, the Shangshu of the Jin Dynasty, as the General of Ning Shuo, acting governor of Youzhou, stationed at Jicheng, and after arranging for good defenders, he returned. Shi Le also appointed his East Cao Yuan Fu Gu as the Left Changshi and delivered Wang Jun's severed head to Liu Cong. After returning to Xiangguo, Liu Han betrayed Shi Le and sought refuge with Duan Pidi. Xiangguo suffered from famine, where two liters of grain cost two catties of silver, and one catty of meat cost one tael of silver. Liu Cong appointed Shi Le as the Grand Commander of the Shaanxi Military, the General of Cavalry, the Eastern Chanyu title, the Attendant, Imperial Envoy, Kaifu, Colonel, and Governor of two provinces, retaining the same titles, and added a golden gong, a yellow axe, and two sets of musical bands, as well as twelve more fiefdoms. Shi Le firmly declined, accepting just two fiefdoms. Shi Le appointed the Left Changshi Zhang Jing and eleven others as nobles, sons, and counts, and officials were promoted based on their merits. Shi Le led his troops to attack Liu Yan but was defeated by Liu Yan at Linqiu. Liu Yan sent his subordinates Han Hong and Pan Liang to launch a surprise attack on Dunqiu and killed the prefect Shao Pan, whom Shi Le had appointed there. Shi Le pursued Han Hong and his men and defeated Pan Liang in Linqiu. Liu Kun sent Jiao Qiu, the Prefect of Leping, to assault Shi Le's forces in Changshan and killed Shi Le's prefect, Xing Tai. Liu Kun's Sima Wen Qiao went west to attack the Mountain Hu, and Shi Le's general, Lu Ming, intercepted him and defeated Wen Qiao at Lucheng.
Shi Le felt that Youzhou and Jizhou were nearly pacified, so he began counting the population and wealth of the prefectures and counties. Each household was required to pay two bolts of cloth and two measures of grain. Shi Le's general, Chen Wu, rebelled in Xunyi, betraying him. Lu Ming attacked Ninghei and subdued it at Chiping, then defeated the army of Dong Yan at Guanzao, bringing back more than 20,000 surrendered households to Xiangguo. Shi Le sent his general Ge Bo to attack Puyang, capturing it and killing the governor Han Hong.
Liu Cong sent his messenger Fan Gan to deliver orders to Shi Le, along with bows and arrows, promoting Shi Le to the title of Earl of Shandong, granting him the authority to wage war independently, appointing him as governor, general, magistrate, and marquis, and mandating that he report to the court annually. Shi Le's eldest son, Shi Xing, was named the heir of Shangdang State, promoted to Wing Army General, and appointed as the deputy to the General of Chariots and Cavalry.
Liu Kun sent Wang Dan to attack Zhongshan, driving away the governor Qin Gu, who had been placed there by Shi Le. Shi Le's general Liu Wen confronted Wang Dan, defeating and capturing him at Wangduguan. Shi Le then launched a surprise attack against Shao Xu in Leling. Shao Xu fought fiercely with all his forces but was ultimately defeated and fled in disgrace.
Wang Shen of Zhangwu rebelled at Kedoulei, disrupting Shi Le's authority in Hejian, Bohai, and other regions. Shi Le appointed Yang Wu and Zhang Yi as governors of Hejian and Bohai, respectively, sending three thousand infantry and cavalry to restore order. He also stationed Cheng Xia, the governor of Changle, in Changting to bolster morale.
Finally, Shi Le relocated over 30,000 households from the Wuhuan tribe and other tribes from Pingyuan to Xiangguo.
Shi Le sent Shi Jilong to Liangcheng to attack King Liu Ping of the Qihuo faction, but he was defeated and returned in disgrace. He then turned his attention to attacking Liu Yan in Lingqiu. Meanwhile, Zhi Xiong and Lu Ming defeated Ning Hei in Dongwuyang, which drove Ning Hei to commit suicide by jumping into the river. They also relocated more than 10,000 soldiers loyal to Ning Hei to Xiangguo. Shao Xu sent Wen Yang to rescue Liu Yan, so Shi Jilong ran to Luguanjin to avoid Wen Yang. Wen Yang had no option but to set up camp in Jingteng. Some local warlords from Yanzhou and Yuzhou, such as Zhang Ping, also organized troops to rescue Liu Yan.
Shi Jilong secretly withdrew his camp in the middle of the night, set up an ambush outside, and deliberately shouted loudly that he was going back to Hebei. Zhang Ping and others believed it to be true, so they ran into the empty camp. Shi Jilong launched a counterattack, decisively defeating them and capturing Lingqiu. Liu Yan fled to Wen Yang's army, while Shi Le managed to capture Liu Yan's brother, Liu Qi, and sent him to Xiangguo. It's worth noting that this Liu Yan is the nephew of Liu Kun. In gratitude for Liu Kun's past kindness to his mother, Shi Le treated Liu Yan well, rewarded Liu Qi with land and a house, and arranged for a scholar to educate him.
At that time, a locust plague struck, which was particularly severe in Zhongshan and Changshan. The Dingling tribe leader Zhai Shu exploited the chaos to rebel against and attack Zhongshan and Changshan. Shi Le personally led his cavalry to quell the rebellion, capturing both Zhai Shu's mother and wife. Zhai Shu fled to Xuguan and ultimately fled to Daijun.
Shi Le attacked Han Ju, the Governor of Le Ping, which resulted in Han Ju being trapped in Dian City. Liu Kun sent General Ji Dan with over 100,000 troops to attack Shi Le. Liu Kun himself was stationed in Guangmu to support Ji Dan. Shi Le's generals advised him, "Ji Dan's army is strong and formidable; we should dig deep trenches and build high walls to sap their morale. This will change the situation of offense and defense, and we will definitely succeed!" However, Shi Le said, "Ji Dan's army has come from a faraway place; they are tired and weak, like a disorganized group, their orders are not unified. We can easily win a battle and capture them! The enemy is almost upon us; how can we give up the fight? Once the army is in motion, how can we easily turn back? If I retreat, Ji Dan will pursue, and we won't have time to build defenses! This would be like inviting our own destruction without even fighting!" After he finished speaking, Shi Le executed the advising general. Shi Le then appointed Kong Chang as the vanguard commander, ordering that anyone who retreats last from the three armies will be beheaded. He set up decoy troops on the mountain and ambushed two more units. Shi Le himself engaged in battle with Ji Dan using light cavalry, pretending to retreat north. Seeing this, Ji Dan quickly led his troops in pursuit. As a result, Shi Le's pre-arranged troops ambushed Ji Dan's army from both sides, leading to a crushing defeat for Ji Dan, and Shi Le captured tens of thousands of war horses. Ji Dan fled to Dai Jun, while Han Ju fled to Liu Kun. Li Hong, Liu Kun's Chief of Staff, surrendered to Shi Le, and Liu Kun was forced to flee to Duan Pidi. Shi Le relocated the residents of Yangqu and Le Ping to Xiangguo, appointed officials before withdrawing his troops. Kong Chang kept pursuing Ji Dan, chasing him all the way to the Sanggan River. Shi Le then sent his Chief of Staff, Zhang Fu, to inform Liu Cong of the victory.
When Shi Le attacked Leping, the southern part of Leping, along with Zhao Ling, the leader from He, united with thousands of households from Guangchuan, Pingyuan, and Bohai and joined the rebellion, defecting to Shao Xu. Xing Jia from Hejian had been summoned multiple times but failed to appear, and he gathered hundreds of followers in rebellion. Shi Le inspected various counties in Jizhou and appointed Cheng Xia as the General of Ning Shuo, responsible for the military affairs of the seven counties in Jizhou.
Shi Le's brother-in-law, General Guangwei Zhang Yue, was playing cards with other generals when Shi Le went to see for himself. Zhang Yue cracked a joke that rubbed Shi Le the wrong way, causing him to fly into a rage. He ordered his executioner to break Zhang Yue's legs and then have him killed.
Kong Chang attacked Daijun County and died in battle. At that time, tens of thousands of refugees from Sizhou, Jizhou, Bingzhou, and Yanzhou were in Liaoxi, plotting together, and the common folk were unable to live peacefully. Kong Chang and his forces besieged Mayan and Fengba for a long time but failed to capture them. Shi Le turned to Zhang Bin for advice, and Zhang Bin said: "Mayan and Fengba are not your archenemies. The refugees in Liaoxi all want to go back. Now we should withdraw our troops, regroup, select outstanding commanders, and let them operate like Gong Sui did, not be bound by convention, show generosity, and assert authority. The bandits in Youzhou and Jizhou will behave, and the refugees in Liaoxi will gradually return." Shi Le said, "The strategy of the Right Marquis (Zhang Bin's title) is very good." So he summoned Kong Chang and his forces back, appointed Li Hui, the county governor of Wusui, as the Governor of Yibei, General Zhenwu, and Prefect of Gaoyang. Many of Mayan's soldiers were originally from Li Qian. Li Hui used to be the Chief Secretary of Li Qian's mansion, and everyone knew Li Hui's prestige, so many people defected from Mayan to join him. Mayan, seeing his soldiers leave him, was terrified and fled to Youzhou, where he ultimately drowned. Fengba and his troops surrendered to Shi Le. Li Hui relocated to Yijing, and thousands of refugees surrendered each year. Shi Le was very happy and appointed Li Hui as Yiyangzi, with a land grant of three hundred households. He also bestowed upon Zhang Bin a land grant of one thousand households, promoting him to the position of General, but Zhang Bin firmly declined the offer. A massive locust plague struck the Hebei region. The locusts initially emerged from the ground and within twenty days morphed into cocoons. After seven to eight days of inactivity, they shed their skin and flew up, covering the sky and devastating the land everywhere. They notably avoided eating soybeans, adzuki beans, and sesame seeds, especially in Bingzhou and Jizhou, which were hit the hardest.
Shi Jilong crossed the Changshou River and attacked the Liang Kingdom, killing Neishi Xun He. Liu Kun, together with Duan Pidi, She Fuchen, Ji Liujuan, Duan Mopei, and others, gathered in Gu'an to prepare to attack Shi Le. Shi Le sent his army officer Wang Xu to bribe Duan Mopei with gold and silver treasures to create discord among them. Duan Mopei, caught between wanting to repay Shi Le's kindness and his own greed, persuaded She Fuchen and others to withdraw their troops. Liu Kun and Duan Pidi also withdrew to Jicheng.
Shao Xu dispatched his nephew Shao Ji to assault Shi Le's territory in Bohai and captured over three thousand people. Liu Cong's general Zhao Gu led the army of Luoyang and surrendered to Shi Le. Fearful of Shi Le's attack, he sent a letter through army officer Gao Shao praising Shi Le and requesting him to attack Liu Cong. Shi Le declined out of a sense of righteousness, which infuriated Zhao Gu, prompting him and Guo Mo to raid Henan and Ji counties.
Duan Mopei killed the Xianbei Chanyu Jiefu Zhen and supported Hulubalang to become the new Chanyu. Duan Pidi led troops from Youzhou to attack Duan Mopei but was caught off guard and fled back to Youzhou. Furious, Pidi even conspired to assassinate Grand Commandant Liu Kun. Liu Kun's subordinates all surrendered to Duan Mopei.
Duan Mopei then sent his brother Qidu to chase after Duan Pidi in Youzhou. Duan Pidi, with several thousand troops, tried to escape to Shao Xu but was intercepted by Duan Mopei's general Shi Yue in Yanshan. After suffering a major defeat, he had no choice but to retreat to Youzhou. During this battle, Shi Yue was killed by a stray arrow, and Duan Mopei held a mourning ceremony for him that lasted three months, posthumously honoring him with the title General of Pingnan, demonstrating how important he was to him.
At first, Cao Yi occupied Qingzhou; he betrayed Liu Cong and declared himself a vassal to the Southern Dynasties' emperor. However, Jianye was far too distant from Qingzhou, and support from the Southern Dynasties could not reach him at all. Cao Yi was afraid that Duan Mohe would come to attack him, so he sent envoys to negotiate peace with Duan Mohe. Duan Mohe gave Cao Yi an impressive title—Grand General of Dongzhou, Governor of Qingzhou, and also bestowed upon him the title of Duke of Langye, which pacified him.
Liu Cong fell seriously ill and hastily dispatched envoys to urgently request Shi Le to become the Grand General to serve as regent. Shi Le firmly declined, prompting Liu Cong to send someone with the imperial staff to formally appoint Shi Le as the Grand General, granting him military power, while allowing him to continue holding the positions of Palace Attendant, Colonel, Governor of two provinces, and Duke, along with an additional ten counties. Yet, Shi Le still refused.
Upon Liu Cong's death, his son Liu Can ascended to the throne. General Jin Zhun then assassinated Liu Can in Pingyang. Shi Le ordered Zhang Jing to lead five thousand cavalry as vanguard to attack Jin Zhun, while he himself led fifty thousand elite soldiers to follow, establishing his camp on the northern plains of Xiangling. A large number of Qiang and Jie tribesmen surrendered to Shi Le, amounting to over forty thousand. Jin Zhun challenged Shi Le several times, but Shi Le held his ground and refrained from engaging in battle, thus defeating Jin Zhun's morale.
Liu Yao made his way from Chang'an to establish himself in Puban, declaring himself emperor! He then appointed Shi Le as Grand Marshal and Grand General, bestowing upon him the Nine Treasures honor, along with an additional ten counties, totaling thirteen counties, and elevating his rank to Duke of Zhao. Shi Le attacked the small city of Pingyang that Jin Zhun was defending, and the magistrate Zhou Zhi and others surrendered to Shi Le, bringing with them six thousand civilian households. The forces from Bazhou and other Qiang and Jie tribes, numbering over a hundred thousand, surrendered to Shi Le, who then resettled them in various counties of Sizhou.
Jin Zhun sent Bu Tai with the emperor's imperial entourage and attire to seek peace. Shi Le and Liu Yao both wanted to win over Bu Tai, so Shi Le gave Bu Tai to Liu Yao to inform Liu Yao that the people of Pingyang City had no intention of surrendering, with the aim of undermining Liu Yao's morale. To Shi Le's surprise, Liu Yao secretly allied with Bu Tai and sent him back to Pingyang to appease the Xianbei people. Shi Le suspected that Bu Tai and Liu Yao had a conspiracy and wanted to compel Jin Zhun to surrender. However, his generals argued, "If we kill Bu Tai now, Jin Zhun will surely refuse to surrender. It would be wiser to allow Bu Tai to announce the alliance with the Han Dynasty in the city, so that we can all launch a joint attack on Jin Zhun. Jin Zhun will undoubtedly be intimidated and surrender swiftly!" After considerable deliberation, Shi Le ultimately consented to his generals' proposal and allowed Bu Tai to depart.
Butai arrived in Pingyang, and along with Jin Zhun's subordinates, Qiao Tai, Ma Zhong, and others, they rose up in arms to attack Jin Zhun, killed him, and proclaimed Jin Ming as their leader. They then sent Butai and Buxuan with the imperial seal to present to Liu Yao. Shi Le, furious, sent Shi Yangsheng to Pingyang to question Jin Ming about Jin Zhun's death. In his rage, Jin Ming killed Yangsheng. Shi Le became even angrier and personally led his troops to attack Jin Ming. Jin Ming engaged in battle but was defeated by Shi Le, with bodies piled up for two miles across the battlefield. Jin Ming quickly retreated into the city to defend it and did not dare to fight again. Shi Le sent his Chief Historian Wang Xiu to report the victory to Liu Yao. Zhou Jian, the Interior Minister of Pengcheng during the Jin Dynasty, killed Zhou Mo, the Interior Minister of Pei County, and then surrendered both Pengcheng and Pei County to Shi Le. Shi Jilong led the troops from Youzhou and Jizhou to assist Shi Le in his attack on Pingyang. Liu Yao sent General Liu Chang to rescue Jin Ming. Shi Le ordered to temporarily abandon the attack on Pingyang and stationed at Puban. Jin Ming led the Pingyang army to flee to Liu Yao, who then fled west to Suyi. Shi Le set the palace in Pingyang ablaze, then sent Pei Xian and Shi Hui to restore the tombs of Liu Yuanhai and Liu Cong, burying over a hundred bodies, among them Liu Can, and finally relocated the celestial globe and musical instruments to Xiangguo.
Liu Yao sent his envoy Guo Si to present the edicts to the Grand Commandant, appointing him Grand General, promoting him to King of Zhao, and expanding his fief to seven more commanderies, in addition to the previous twenty. When he traveled, he had an escort, wore a twelve-tassel crown, rode a golden-axle chariot, and drove six horses, just as Cao Cao did while assisting the Han Dynasty. His wife was entitled Queen, and his son was entitled Crown Prince. Cao Pingle of the Le She remained behind to serve Liu Yao and informed him, "The Grand Marshal sent Wang Xiu to you, appearing very respectful, but in reality, probing the strength of your army. It’s likely that after Wang Xiu returns, he will recklessly strike at your entourage." By that time, Liu Yao’s power had definitely waned, and he was afraid that Wang Xiu would report back.
Liu Yao was very angry when he heard this, so he quickly chased Guo Si and the others back, killed Wang Xiu at Suyi, and stopped the appointment of Grand Chancellor. Liu Mao fled back and told Liu Le about Wang Xiu's death. Liu Le was furious and exterminated the entire Cao Pingle clan, posthumously honoring Wang Xiu with the title of Grand Minister. He also found out that the special rituals and official appointments had been stopped, which made him very angry. He ordered, "My brothers and I have been loyal to the Liu family and have fulfilled our duties as subjects. If it weren't for us, how could you have become emperor in the south! The foundation has been laid, and now you want to plot against me. The heavens do not help evildoers, and you will fall into Jin Zhun's hands. I am loyal to the monarch and should emulate the filial piety of Emperor Shun serving the blind musician. Therefore, I once again support and respect the monarch, seeking reconciliation as before. I did not expect you to be so wicked, killing the messengers who came to welcome me sincerely. The rise of an emperor makes no sense! The titles of King Zhao and Emperor Zhao were both earned by me. How can you limit the size of titles!" He then established the Bureau of Imperial Physicians, the Bureau of Ceremonials, and the Imperial Household, appointing the military advisor Chao Zan to oversee the repair of Zhengyang Gate. Not long after, the city gate collapsed, and Liu Le, in great anger, killed Chao Zan. Later, Liu Le regretted the hasty execution and posthumously honored him with a coffin and mourning clothes, appointing him as Grand Master of Ceremonies. General Zuti attacked Chen Chuan at Pengguan, and Shi Jilong went to rescue Chen Chuan. Zuti retreated to Liangguo to be stationed, and Shi Jilong sent Yangwu Left Attendant Su to attack him. Liu Le also established more than ten elementary schools such as Xuanwen, Xuanjiao, Chongru, and Chongxun near the four gates of Xiangguo, selecting over a hundred generals, aides, and sons of wealthy families to study there, and arranging guards to protect them. He also set up the Bureau of Pottery and Ceramics and minted a large quantity of currency.
The Xianbei rebel Riliuyan in Hexi was defeated by Shi Jilong in Shuofang, resulting in 20,000 enemy soldiers killed, over 30,000 captured, and more than 100,000 cattle and horses seized. At the same time, Kong Chang pacified the rebellions in various counties of Youzhou. Meanwhile, Duan Pidi's soldiers dispersed due to hunger, forcing him to abandon his wife and children and flee to Shao Xu. Cao Yi sent envoys to propose a marriage alliance with Shi Le, bringing numerous gifts and requesting to establish a boundary along the Yellow River. Tao Bao arrived at Pengguan, prompting Zu Ti to retreat to Huainan. Shi Le also relocated over 5,000 households from Chenchuan to Guangzong.
Shi Le, together with Zhang Jing, Zhang Bin, and over 100 other generals, urged him to proclaim himself emperor. In response, Shi Le wrote a letter stating, "My conduct is shallow, and I have received such great favor. I am cautious every day and do not dare to proclaim myself emperor lightly, inviting ridicule from everyone! Although the power of King Wen of Zhou was strong, he still submitted to the Yin Dynasty; even if Duke Huan of Qi dominated one region, he still respected the Zhou Dynasty. Moreover, the current situation of our country is better than that of the Yin and Zhou dynasties. How dare I compare myself to King Wen and Duke Huan! Stop this discussion immediately and do not make a fuss! Whoever dares to mention this matter again will be mercilessly killed!" Thus, the matter of proclaiming emperor was dropped.
Shi Le issued a decree saying, "After the great chaos in the world, the laws are too complex. Important laws should be sorted out and simplified into easy-to-implement regulations." He ordered the legal historian Guan Zhi to compile the "Xinhai System," totaling 5,000 words, which was in effect for over a decade before the new laws were officially adopted. Additionally, Xu Gan, the Prefect of Tai Shan in the Jin Dynasty, defected and surrendered to Shi Le.
Shi Jilong and the other 129 people, including officials like Zhang Jing, Zhang Bin, Zhang Qu Liu, and Cheng Xia, jointly submitted a memorial, stating: "We have heard that in order to achieve remarkable achievements, one must have extraordinary strategies; in order to achieve remarkable achievements, one must do extraordinary things. Therefore, the decline of the Xia, Shang, and Zhou dynasties, the rise and fall of the Five Hegemons during the Spring and Autumn period, and the difficulty of maintaining a peaceful and prosperous era show that only those monarchs who have accomplished great deeds can be compared to enlightened rulers. We believe Your Highness is born wise and has fulfilled destiny. Your governance of the realm and support of the imperial cause have led to a thriving and auspicious environment under your reign, just like the alternating sun and moon. Everyone is eager for you to replace the Liu clan and ascend the throne as emperor, with at least a 90% approval among the populace. Now that the world is peaceful, with no unusual celestial signs and the southern barbarians submitting, both heaven and man await your ascension. It's time for you to ascend the throne as emperor and allow your followers to reap the rewards. We suggest you emulate Liu Bei in Shu and Cao Cao in Ye by establishing the state of Zhao, which comprises eleven counties such as Henei, Weijun, Jijun, Dunqiu, Pingyuan, Qinghe, Julu, Changshan, Zhongshan, Changle, and Leping, along with thirteen counties from the former Zhao kingdom, including Guangping, Yangping, Zhangwu, Bohai, Hejian, Shangdang, Dingxiang, Fanyang, Yuyang, Wuyi, Yan, and Leling, totaling twenty-four counties with a population of 290,000. The original fiefdoms will still serve as internal territories, in accordance with the standards set forth in the 'Tribute of Yu' and Cao Cao's restoration of the Jizhou territory, extending south to Mengjin, west to Longmen, east to the Yellow River, and north to the borderlands. Appoint the Grand Chanyu to oversee the various southern tribes. Cancel the provinces of Bingzhou, Shuozhou, and Sizhou, and set up appropriate departments to oversee them. We humbly urge you to heed the will of heaven and fulfill the people's wishes!" Then, five individuals facing west declined, while four facing south also declined, and all officials bowed and pleaded, before Shi Le ultimately agreed.
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