1
克讓，武皇之仲弟也。 少善騎射，以勇悍聞。 咸通中，從討龐勳，以功為振武都校。 乾符中，王仙芝陷荊、襄，朝廷征兵，克讓率師奉詔，賊平，以功授金吾將軍，留宿衛。 初，懿祖歸朝，憲宗賜宅於親仁坊，自長慶以來，相次一人典衛兵。 武皇之起雲中，殺段文楚，朝議罪之，命加兵於我，懼，將逃歸，天子詔巡使王處存夜圍親仁坊捕克讓。 詰旦兵合，克讓與紀綱何相溫、安文寬、石的曆十餘騎彎弧躍馬，突圍而出。 官軍數千人追之，比至渭橋，死者數百。 克讓自夏陽掠船而濟，歸於雁門。 明年，武皇昭雪，克讓復入宿衛。 黃巢犯闕，僖宗幸蜀，克讓時守潼關，為賊所敗，以部下六七騎伏於南山佛寺，夜為山僧所害。
Ke Rang was Li Keyong's second younger brother. From youth he was skilled in horsemanship and archery, and his reputation rested on bold, ferocious fighting. In the Xiantong era he took part in the suppression of Pang Xun and, for his service, was appointed metropolitan commandant of Zhenwu. In the Qianfu era, after Wang Xianzhi overran Jing and Xiang, the court mobilized troops. Ke Rang led his forces as ordered, and when the rebels were crushed he was made general of the Golden Guard and kept on palace guard duty. When the founding ancestor Li Guochang first submitted to the Tang court, Emperor Xianzong granted the family a residence in Qinren Ward. From the Changqing reign onward, a member of the clan in each generation held command of the palace guard. When Li Keyong rose in Yunzhong and killed Duan Wenchu, the court condemned him and ordered troops sent against the clan. Fearing arrest, he prepared to flee north, and the emperor ordered the commissioner Wang Chucun to surround Qinren Ward by night and capture Ke Rang. At daybreak the encircling force closed in. Ke Rang, with his officers He Xiangwen, An Wenkuan, Shi Deli, and a dozen horsemen, strung their bows, spurred their mounts, and charged out of the trap. Several thousand government troops gave chase, and by the time the pursuit reached Wei Bridge, several hundred men lay dead. Ke Rang commandeered boats at Xiayang, crossed the river, and made his way back to Yanmen. The following year, after Li Keyong was cleared of the charges against him, Ke Rang returned to palace guard service. When Huang Chao stormed the capital and Emperor Xizong fled to Shu, Ke Rang was holding Tong Pass. Routed by the rebels, he took refuge with only six or seven riders in a temple on South Mountain, where mountain monks killed him that night.
2
克讓既死，紀綱渾進通冒刃獲免，歸於黃巢。 中和二年冬，武皇入關討賊，屯沙苑。 黃巢遣使米重威齎賂修好，因送渾進通至，兼擒送害克讓僧十人。 武皇燔偽詔，還其使，盡誅諸僧，為克讓發哀行服，悲慟久之。
After Ke Rang's death, his officer Hun Jintong fought through the blades and survived, then went over to Huang Chao's side. In the winter of Zhonghe 2, Li Keyong marched through the passes against the rebels and encamped at Shayuan. Huang Chao sent Mi Chongwei with gifts to sue for peace, returned Hun Jintong with the embassy, and also delivered up the ten monks who had murdered Ke Rang. Li Keyong burned Huang Chao's forged edict, sent the envoy away, had all the monks executed, and for Ke Rang observed mourning and wore funeral dress, grieving for a long while.
3
克修，字崇遠，武皇從父弟也。 父德成，初為天寧軍使，從獻祖討龐勳，以功授朔州刺史。 克修少便弓馬，從父征討，所至立功，武皇節制雁門，以克修為奉誠軍使，從入關為前鋒，破黃揆於華陰，敗尚讓於梁田坡，蹙黃巢於光順門，每戰皆捷，勇懾諸軍。 賊平，以功檢校刑部尚書，為左營軍使。 其年十月，潞州牙將安居受來乞師，請復昭義軍，武皇遣大將賀公雅、李筠、安金俊等以兵從。 與孟方立戰於銅鞮，不利，武皇乃令克修將兵繼進。 是月，平潞州，斬其刺史李殷銳，乃表克修為昭義節度使。 光啟二年九月，克修出師山東，收復邢、洺。 十一月，拔故鎮。 孟方立遣將呂臻來援，戰於焦崗，大敗之，擒呂臻，俘斬萬計，進拔武安、臨洺諸屬縣，乘勝進圍邢州。 方立求援於鎮州，王鎔出師三萬援之，克修軍退。 及李罕之來歸，武皇授以澤州刺史，與克修合勢進攻河陽，連歲出師，以苦懷、孟。 文德元年十月，孟方立遣將奚忠信將兵三萬襲我遼州，克修設伏於遼之東山，大敗賊軍，擒忠信以獻。 龍紀元年，武皇大舉以伐邢、洺，及班師，因撫封於上黨。 克修性儉嗇，不事華靡，供帳饔膳，品數簡陋。 武皇怒其菲薄，笞而詬之，克修慚憤發疾； 明年三月，卒於潞之府第，時年三十一。 莊宗即位，追贈太師。
Ke Xiu, styled Chongyuan, was Li Keyong's younger cousin. His father Decheng had first served as military commissioner of Tianning. He followed the Offering Ancestor against Pang Xun and, for his service, was made prefect of Shuozhou. Ke Xiu was skilled with bow and horse from youth. On his father's campaigns he distinguished himself wherever he fought. When Li Keyong took command of Yanmen, he appointed Ke Xiu commissioner of the Fengcheng Army. Marching into the passes as vanguard, Ke Xiu defeated Huang Kui at Huayin, routed Shang Rang at Liangtian Slope, and drove Huang Chao back at Guangshun Gate. He won every engagement, and his boldness overawed the other armies. After the rebels were crushed, he was made acting minister of justice and commander of the Left Camp Army for his achievements. In the tenth month of that year, the Lu garrison officer An Jushou came to request aid in restoring the Zhaoyi command. Li Keyong sent the senior generals He Gongya, Li Jun, An Jinjun, and others with an army in support. The allied force fought Meng Fangli at Tongdi without success, so Li Keyong ordered Ke Xiu to advance with reinforcements. That month Luzhou was taken, its prefect Li Yinrui was executed, and Ke Xiu was recommended for appointment as military commissioner of Zhaoyi. In the ninth month of Guangqi 2, Ke Xiu took the field east of the Taihang range and recovered Xing and Ming. In the eleventh month he took Guzhen. Meng Fangli sent Lü Zhen to the rescue. Ke Xiu met him at Jiaogang and won a crushing victory, capturing Lü Zhen and killing or taking prisoner tens of thousands. He then seized Wu'an, Linming, and the other subordinate counties and, riding the momentum, laid siege to Xingzhou. Fangli appealed to Zhenzhou for help. Wang Rong marched out thirty thousand men to relieve him, and Ke Xiu's army fell back. When Li Hanzhi defected to Li Keyong, he was made prefect of Zezhou and joined Ke Xiu in a combined offensive against Heyang. Campaigning year after year, they wore down the Huai and Meng factions. In the tenth month of Wende 1, Meng Fangli sent Xi Zhongxin with thirty thousand men to raid Liaozhou. Ke Xiu laid an ambush on East Mountain and routed the enemy, capturing Zhongxin and sending him to headquarters. In Longji 1, Li Keyong mounted a major campaign against Xing and Ming. When the army returned, he rewarded and enfeoffed his followers at Shangdang. Ke Xiu was frugal by nature and shunned display. His quarters and table were spare and plain. Li Keyong, angry at his austerity, had him flogged and berated him. Ke Xiu, mortified and embittered, fell ill; and in the third month of the following year he died at the Lu prefectural residence, aged thirty-one. When Emperor Zhuangzong came to the throne, Ke Xiu was posthumously enfeoffed as Grand Preceptor.
4
克修子二人，長曰嗣弼，次曰嗣肱。 嗣弼初授澤州刺史，曆昭義、橫海節度副使，改海州刺史。 天祐十九年，契丹犯燕、趙，陷涿郡， 〈（《遼史·太祖紀》：十二月癸亥，圍涿州，有白兔緣壘而上，是日破其郛。）〉 嗣弼舉家被俘，遷於幕庭。
Ke Xiu had two sons: the elder, Sibi, and the younger, Sigu. Sibi was first made prefect of Zezhou, then served as deputy commissioner of Zhaoyi and Henghai in turn, and was later transferred to prefect of Haizhou. In Tianyou 19 the Khitan invaded Yan and Zhao and took Zhuo commandery, (From the 《History of Liao·Basic Annals of Taizu》: On the guihai day of the twelfth month they besieged Zhuozhou. A white hare climbed the ramparts, and that same day they breached the outer wall.)〉 Sibi and his whole household were taken captive and removed to the Khitan court.
5
嗣肱，少有膽略，屢立戰功，夾城之役，從周德威為前鋒。 時兄嗣弼為昭義副使，與嗣昭守城，兄弟內外奮戰，忠力威壯，感動三軍。 潞圍既解，以功授檢校左僕射，入為三城巡檢，知衙內事。 天祐七年，周德威援靈、夏，党項阻道，音驛不通。 嗣肱奉命自麟州渡河，應接德威，與党項轉戰數十里，合德威軍。 柏鄉之戰，嗣肱為馬步都虞候。 明年，從莊宗會朱友謙於猗氏，改教練使，與存審援河中，敗汴軍於胡壁堡，獲將龐讓。 十年，與存審屯趙州，擊汴人於觀津。 時梁祖新屠棗強，其將賀德倫急攻蓚縣，率師五萬合勢營於蓚之西。 嗣肱自下博率騎三百，薄晚與梁之樵芻者相雜，日既晡，入梁軍營門，諸騎相合，大噪，弧矢星發，虓闞馳突。 汴人不知所為，營中擾，既暝，斂騎而退。 是夜，梁祖燒營而遁，解蓚縣之圍。 以功特授蔚州刺史、雁門以北都知兵馬使。 從平劉守光。 十二年，改應州刺史，累遷澤、代二州刺史、石嶺以北都知兵馬使。 十九年，新州刺史王鬱叛入契丹。 嗣肱進兵定媯、儒、武等三州，授山北都團練使。 二十年春，卒於新州，時年四十五。
Sigu showed daring and strategic sense from youth and won repeated distinction in battle. In the Jiacheng campaign he served under Zhou Dewei as vanguard. His elder brother Sibi was then deputy commissioner of Zhaoyi and, with Sizhao, held the city. The brothers fought fiercely inside and out, their loyalty and prowess so imposing that they stirred the whole army. After the siege of Lu was raised, he was made acting left vice director of the Imperial Secretariat for his service. He entered the capital as inspector of the Three Cities and took charge of inner yamen affairs. In Tianyou 7, Zhou Dewei marched to relieve Ling and Xia. The Tangut blocked the route, and no word came through the courier network. Sigu was ordered to cross from Linzhou and link up with Dewei. After fighting the Tangut over several tens of li, he joined Dewei's force. At Baixiang, Sigu served as chief controller of horse and foot. The following year he accompanied Emperor Zhuangzong to meet Zhu Youqian at Yishi and was made training commissioner. With Cunshen he marched to relieve Hezhong, defeated the Liang army at Hubi Fort, and captured the general Pang Rang. In the tenth year he encamped at Zhaozhou with Cunshen and attacked the Liang forces at Guanjin. The Liang founder had just slaughtered the population of Zaoqiang. His general He Delun was pressing the attack on Suo county and had brought fifty thousand men to encamp west of the city in a combined force. Sigu led three hundred horsemen from Xiabo. Near dusk he mixed in with Liang men out gathering firewood and fodder. In the late afternoon he rode through the Liang camp gate. His horsemen closed up, raised a deafening uproar, loosed arrows in a storm, and charged roaring through the encampment. The Liang troops did not know what had hit them, and the camp fell into chaos. After dark he gathered his riders and withdrew. That night the Liang founder burned his camp and fled, lifting the siege of Suo. For this exploit he was specially appointed prefect of Weizhou and commander of all forces north of Yanmen. He took part in the campaign that brought down Liu Shouguang. In the twelfth year he was made prefect of Yingzhou and was later promoted in turn to prefect of Ze and Dai and commander of all forces north of Shiling Pass. In the nineteenth year Wang Yu, prefect of Xinzhou, rebelled and defected to the Khitan. Sigu advanced and pacified Gui, Ru, and Wu, and was appointed regimental commissioner of the Northern Mountains. In the spring of the twentieth year he died at Xinzhou, aged forty-five.
6
克恭，武皇之諸弟也。 龍紀中，為決勝軍使。 大順初，潞帥李克修卒，克恭代為昭義節度使。 性驕橫不法，未閑軍政。 潞人素便克修之簡正，惡克恭之恣縱，又以克修非罪暴卒，人士離心。 時武皇初定邢、洺三州，將有事於河朔，大搜軍實。 潞州有後院軍，兵之雄勁者，克恭選其五百人獻於武皇，軍使安居受惜其兵。 不悅。 克恭令裨校李元審、安建、紀綱、馮霸部送太原，行次銅鞮縣，馮霸劫眾謀叛，殺都將劉杲、縣令戴勞謙，循山而南，比及沁水，有眾三千。 武皇令李元審將兵擊之，與霸戰於沁水，不利，元審戰傷，收軍於潞。 五月十五日，克恭視元審於孔目吏劉崇之第。 是日，州將安居受引兵仗攻克恭，因風縱火，克恭、元審並遇害，州民推居受為留後。 初，孟方立之亂，居受以澤、潞歸於武皇，至是孟遷以邢、洺納降，復任為牙將，居受懼其圖己，乃叛，殺克恭以結汴人。 居受遣人召馮霸於沁水，霸不受命。 居受懼，將奔歸朝廷，至長子，為野人所殺，傳首馮霸軍。 霸乃引軍據潞州，自稱留後，求援於汴。 武皇令康君立討之，汴將葛從周來援霸。 九月，李存孝急攻潞州，汴軍夜遁，獲霸等誅之，武皇乃以康君立為昭義節度使。
Ke Gong was one of Li Keyong's younger brothers. During the Longji era he served as commissioner of the Decisive Victory Army. Early in the Dazhun era, after the Lu commander Ke Xiu died, Ke Gong succeeded him as military commissioner of Zhaoyi. He was arrogant, lawless, and wholly unversed in military administration. The people of Lu had long valued Ke Xiu's plain, upright rule and resented Ke Gong's excesses. Ke Xiu's sudden death, though he was innocent of wrongdoing, also alienated the gentry and commoners. Li Keyong had just secured Xing, Ming, and the third prefecture and was preparing for operations in Hebei, so he made a sweeping levy of military supplies. Lu maintained a Rear Court Army of its toughest troops. Ke Gong selected five hundred of them and sent them to Li Keyong. The army commissioner An Jushou resented losing his best men. He was deeply displeased. Ke Gong ordered the subordinate officers Li Yuanshen, An Jian, the escort officers, and Feng Ba to march the detachment to Taiyuan. At Tongdi county Feng Ba incited a mutiny, killed the commander Liu Gao and the magistrate Dai Laoqian, and led his men south along the mountains until, by the time they reached Qinshui, he had three thousand followers. Li Keyong ordered Li Yuanshen to attack them. Yuanshen fought Feng Ba at Qinshui without success, was wounded, and withdrew to Lu. On the fifteenth day of the fifth month Ke Gong went to visit the wounded Yuanshen at the home of the clerical officer Liu Chongzhi. That same day the prefectural officer An Jushou led armed men against Ke Gong, set fires with the wind at his back, and killed both Ke Gong and Yuanshen. The people of the prefecture made Jushou acting commissioner. During Meng Fangli's rebellion Jushou had surrendered Ze and Lu to Li Keyong. Now Meng Qian surrendered Xing and Ming and was reappointed a garrison officer. Fearing that Meng Qian would move against him, Jushou rebelled, killed Ke Gong, and sought an alliance with the Liang. Jushou sent men to summon Feng Ba at Qinshui, but Feng Ba refused to obey. Terrified, Jushou set out to flee to the Tang court. At Changzi he was killed by local bandits, and his head was sent to Feng Ba's camp. Feng Ba then seized Luzhou, declared himself acting commissioner, and appealed to the Liang for help. Li Keyong ordered Kang Junli to suppress him. The Liang general Ge Congzhou marched to Feng Ba's relief. In the ninth month Li Cunxiao pressed the attack on Luzhou. The Liang army fled by night, Feng Ba and his fellows were captured and executed, and Li Keyong appointed Kang Junli military commissioner of Zhaoyi.
7
克寧，武皇之季弟也。 初從起雲中，為奉誠軍使，赫連鐸之攻黃花城也，克寧奉武皇及諸弟登城，血戰三日，力盡備竭，殺賊萬計。 燕軍之攻蔚州，克寧昆仲嬰城拒敵，晝夜輟寢食者旬餘。 後從達靼入關，逐黃寇。 凡征行無不衛從，於昆弟之間，最推仁孝，小心恭謹，武皇尤友愛之。 及鎮太原，授遼州刺史，累至雲州防禦使。 乾寧初，改忻州刺史，從入關討王行瑜，充馬步軍都將，以功授檢校司徒。 天祐初，授內外都製置、管內蕃漢都知兵馬使、檢校太保，充振武節度使，凡軍政皆決於克寧。
Ke Ning was Li Keyong's youngest brother. He had followed Li Keyong from the first rising in Yunzhong and served as commissioner of the Fengcheng Army. When Helian Duo attacked Huanghua Fort, Ke Ning helped Li Keyong and his brothers onto the walls. For three days they fought hand to hand until strength and supplies were spent, killing rebels by the tens of thousands. When the Yan army besieged Weizhou, Ke Ning and his brothers held the city and went more than ten days and nights with scarcely any sleep or food. Later he marched through the passes with the Tatar allies and drove off Huang Chao's forces. On every campaign he marched at Li Keyong's side. Among the brothers he was the most noted for kindness and filial devotion, careful and deferential in manner, and Li Keyong cherished him above the rest. When Li Keyong held Taiyuan, Ke Ning was made prefect of Liaozhou and later promoted to defender of Yunzhou. Early in the Qianning era he was made prefect of Xinzhou. He followed Li Keyong through the passes against Wang Xingyu as commander-in-chief of horse and foot and, for his service, was appointed acting minister of education. Early in the Tianyou era he was made overall commissioner for inner and outer affairs, commander of all Tangut and Chinese forces in the circuit, acting grand guardian, and military commissioner of Zhenwu. Military and civil affairs alike were left to Ke Ning's decision.
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五年正月，武皇疾篤，克寧等侍疾，垂泣辭訣。 克寧曰：「王萬一不諱，後事何屬？」 因召莊宗侍側，謂克寧、張承業曰：「亞子累公等。」 言終棄代。 將發哀，克寧紀綱軍府，中外無嘩。 初，武皇獎勵軍戎，多畜庶孽，衣服禮秩如嫡者六七輩，比之嗣王，年齒又長，各有部曲，朝夕聚謀，皆欲為亂。 莊宗英察，懼及於禍，將嗣位，讓克寧曰：「兒年孤稚，未通庶政，雖承遺命，恐未能彈壓大事。 季父勳德俱高，眾情推伏，且請製置軍府，候兒有立，聽季父處分。」 克寧曰：「亡兄遺命，屬在我兒，孰敢異議者！ 兒但嗣世，中外之事，何憂不辦。」 視事之日，率先拜賀。 莊宗嗣位，軍民政事，一切委之，權柄既重，趣向者多附之。 李存顥者，以陰計幹克寧曰：「兄亡弟及，古今舊事，委父拜侄，理所未安，富貴功名，當宜自立，天與不取，後悔無及。」 克寧曰：「公毋得不祥之言！ ，我家世立功三代，父慈子孝，天下知名，苟吾兄山河有托，我亦何求！ 公無復言，必斬爾首以徇。」 克寧雖慈愛因心，而日為凶徒惑亂。 群凶之妻復以此言幹克寧妻孟夫人，說激百端，夫人懼事泄及禍，屢讓克寧，由是愈惑。 會克寧因事殺都虞候李存質，又請兼領大同節度，以蔚、朔為屬郡，又數怒監軍張承業、李存璋； 由是知其有貳。 近臣史敬鎔素與存顥善，盡知其事。 敬鎔告貞簡太后曰：「存顥與管內太保陰圖叛亂，俟嗣王過其第即擒之，並太后子母，欲送於汴州。 竊發有日矣。」 莊宗召張承業、李存璋謂曰：「季父所為如此，無猶子之情，骨肉不可自相魚肉，吾即避路，則禍亂不作矣。」 承業曰：「老夫親承遺托，言猶在耳。 存顥輩欲以太原降賊，王乃何路求生？ 不即討除，亡無日矣。」 因令吳珙、存璋為之備。 二月二十日，會諸將於府第，擒存顥、克寧於坐。 莊宗垂泣數之曰：「兒初以軍府讓季父，季父不忍棄先人遺命。 今已事定，復欲以兒子母投畀豺虎，季父何忍此心！」 克寧泣對曰：「蓋讒夫交構，吾復何言！」 是日，與存顥俱伏法。 克寧仁而無斷，故及於禍。 〈（案《新唐書·宰相世係表》：嗣昭，國昌有子四人：克恭、克儉、克用、克柔。 薛史《李嗣昭傳》云：武皇母弟代州刺史克柔之假子也。 是克柔為武皇母弟。 《新唐書·沙陀傳》：武皇有弟克勤，《通鑒》引《紀年錄》有兄克儉，而薛史俱無傳，疑有闕文。）〉
In the first month of the fifth year Li Keyong fell gravely ill. Ke Ning and the others kept vigil at his bedside, weeping as they bade him farewell. Ke Ning said, "If anything should happen to you, my lord, who is to take charge of what follows?" He then had Emperor Zhuangzong brought to his side and said to Ke Ning and Zhang Chengye, "Yazi will be a burden on you all." With those words he died. As mourning was proclaimed, Ke Ning took command of the military government, and neither within the yamen nor outside it was there any disturbance. Li Keyong had long rewarded his officers by raising many sons by concubines. Six or seven of them were dressed and honored like legitimate heirs. They were older than the designated successor and each commanded his own following. Day and night they met to plot rebellion. Emperor Zhuangzong was sharp-witted and feared for his life. As he was about to succeed, he offered the position to Ke Ning, saying, "I am young and alone, with no experience of government. Though I have my father's last command, I doubt I can hold the great affairs together. Your merit and standing are high, and everyone looks to you. Please take charge of the military government for now. When I am fit to rule, I will leave everything to you, uncle." Ke Ning replied, "My late brother's last command placed everything in my nephew's hands. Who would dare object! Nephew, take the succession. Affairs within and without the realm will be managed—have no fear of that." On the day Zhuangzong took office, Ke Ning was the first to bow in congratulation. After Zhuangzong succeeded, he entrusted all military and civil affairs to Ke Ning. As Ke Ning's power grew, ambitious men flocked to his side. Li Cunhao secretly urged Ke Ning, saying, "When the elder brother dies the younger brother succeeds—that is the old way of the world. For an uncle to bow to his nephew is unnatural. You should seize fortune and rank for yourself. If heaven offers and you refuse, you will regret it when it is too late." Ke Ning said, "Do not speak such ill-omened words! Our house has served with distinction for three generations, father and sons loving and filial, known throughout the realm. If my brother's heir holds the realm in trust, what more could I want! Say no more of this, or I shall behead you as a warning to others." Though Ke Ning was by nature loving and kind, day by day the conspirators led him further astray. The conspirators' wives used the same arguments on Ke Ning's wife, Lady Meng, pressing her from every angle. Fearing exposure and ruin, she repeatedly urged Ke Ning to act, and he grew only more unsettled. Ke Ning then killed the chief controller Li Cunzhi on a pretext, asked to take the Datong commission as well with Wei and Shuo as subordinate prefectures, and repeatedly provoked the army supervisors Zhang Chengye and Li Cunzhang; and from this they knew he was turning disloyal. The close attendant Shi Jingrong was an old friend of Cunhao's and knew the whole plot. Jingrong told Empress Dowager Zhenjian, "Cunhao and the circuit grand guardian are secretly plotting rebellion. They mean to seize the heir when he passes their residence, and send you and your son to Bianzhou as well. The rising is only days away." Zhuangzong summoned Zhang Chengye and Li Cunzhang and said, "My uncle has acted as though he felt no bond between us. Kin must not tear one another apart. I will step aside at once, and the realm will be spared this disaster." Chengye replied, "I received your father's last charge in person, and his words are still in my ears. Cunhao and his fellows mean to hand Taiyuan over to the enemy. What path to safety remains for you, my lord? Unless you strike at once, ruin will come within days." He then ordered Wu Gong and Cunzhang to prepare. On the twentieth day of the second month he assembled his generals at the residence and seized Cunhao and Ke Ning where they sat. Zhuangzong wept as he rebuked them, saying, "I first offered the military government to you, uncle, and you would not set aside my father's last command. Now that all is settled, you would cast me and my mother to the wolves. Uncle, how could you bring yourself to this!" Ke Ning wept in reply, "Slanderers set us at odds. What more can I say!" That day he and Cunhao were both executed. Ke Ning was kind-hearted but indecisive, and so came to ruin. (According to the 《New Book of Tang·Tables of Chancellor Lineages》: Sizhao—Guochang had four sons: Ke Gong, Ke Jian, Ke Yong, and Ke Rou. The Xue History 《Biography of Li Sizhao》 says he was the adopted son of Li Keyong's younger uterine brother Ke Rou, prefect of Daizhou. Thus Ke Rou was Li Keyong's younger uterine brother. The 《New Book of Tang·Biography of the Shatuo》 records a younger brother Ke Qin. The 《Comprehensive Mirror》 cites the 《Chronicle Record》 as mentioning an elder brother Ke Jian, yet the Xue History has biographies for neither; text may be missing.)〉
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史臣曰：昔武皇發跡於陰山，莊宗肇基於河朔，雖奄有天下，而享國日淺，眷言枝屬，空秀棣華，固未及推帝堯敦敘之恩，廣成王封建之義。 自克讓而下，不獲就魯、衛之封，懋間、平之德也。 況夭橫相繼，亦良可悲哉！
The historiographer writes: The Martial Emperor rose from the Yin Mountains and Emperor Zhuangzong founded his rule in Hebei. Though they briefly held the realm, their dynasties were short-lived. Their kinsmen bloomed like catalpa blossoms yet bore no fruit—they never attained Emperor Yao's generous ordering of kin or the enfeoffment principles of King Guangcheng. From Ke Rang downward, none received fiefs like the states of Lu and Wei, nor did they show the virtue of Kings Wen and Wu of Zhou. To make matters worse, violent early deaths followed one after another—a truly lamentable fate!