Volume 95: Liu Cong of the Xiongnu, Shi Le of the Jie People, Liu Hu of the Tiefu, Murong Hui of the Tuhe, Fu Jian of the Linwei Di, Yao Chong of the Qiang, Lu Guang of the Lüeyang Di

匈奴劉聰羯胡石勒鐵弗劉虎徒何慕容廆臨渭氐苻健羌姚萇略陽氐呂光

Liu Cong of the Xiongnu, Shi Le of the Jie, Liu Hu of the Tiefu, Murong Hui of the Tuhe, Fu Jian of the Linwei Di, Yao Chang of the Qiang, and Lu Guang of the Lüeyang Di

夫帝皇者，配德兩儀，家有四海，所謂天無二日，土無二王者也。三代以往，守在海外，秦吞列國，漢并天下。逮桓靈失政，九州瓦裂，曹武削平寇難，魏文奄有中原，於是偽孫假命於江吳，僭劉盜名於岷蜀。何則？戎方椎髻之帥，夷俗斷髮之魁，世崇凶德，罕聞王道，扇以跋扈，忻從放命。加以中州避地，華士違讎，思託號令之聲，念邀風塵之際。因虞候隙，仍相君長，偷名竊位，脅息一隅。至乃指言井絡，假上帝之祉；妄說黃旗，云人君之氣。論土不出江漢，語地僅接褒斜，而謂握皇符，秉帝籍，三分鼎立，比蹤王者。溺人必笑，其在茲乎？若是鱉靈可擬於周王，夫差容比於漢祖，尉他定黃屋之尊，子陽成綰璽之貴，豈其然哉？及鍾會一將之威，士治偏師之勢，而使騾車西至，侯蓋北首，天人弗許，斷可知焉。

An emperor is one whose virtue matches heaven and earth and whose domain embraces the four seas — as the saying goes, heaven permits but one sun, and the land but one sovereign. From the Three Dynasties onward the heartland lay beyond the seas; Qin consumed the warring states, and Han brought the realm under one rule. By the time of the Huan and Ling emperors the Nine Provinces lay in ruins; Cao Wu suppressed rebellion and Wei Wen held the Central Plains — yet the pretender Sun claimed legitimacy south of the Yangtze, and the rebel Liu usurped a title in Shu. Why was this so? These were chieftains of the borderlands — Rong lords with topknots, Yi leaders with cropped hair — who for generations revered violence and scarcely knew the kingly way, yet were roused to insolence and took pleasure in defying authority. Moreover, as people fled the central provinces and scholars escaped their foes, they yearned for the voice of imperial command and sought their chance amid the chaos of war. When the dynasty showed weakness they watched for openings, set themselves up as lords, stole titles and seized rank, and clung to power in some remote corner. Some even invoked the Jingluo stars and claimed the blessing of Heaven; they prattled of yellow banners and called it the qi of a true sovereign. Though their domains barely reached the Jiang and Han or touched Baoxie, they claimed the imperial seal and the registers of rule, styled themselves one leg of a tripod kingdom, and measured themselves against true kings. Whoever would drown another must expect to be laughed at — and is that not exactly this? If Bieling could be likened to a Zhou king, Fuchai to Han Gaozu, Zhao Tuo to one who wears the yellow canopy, and Ziyang to one who binds the imperial seal — could any of that be true? When even Zhong Hui with a general's authority and Shi Zhi with a detached army could not prevent the mule-cart from heading west or the marquis canopy from turning north, Heaven and men alike refused their claim — the outcome was plain.

晉年不永，時逢喪亂，異類羣飛，姦凶角逐，內難興於戚屬，外禍結於藩維。劉淵一唱，石勒繼響，二帝沉淪，兩都傾覆。徒何仍釁，氐羌襲梗，夷楚喧聒於江淮，胡虜叛換於瓜涼，兼有張赫山河之間，顧恃遼海之曲。各言應曆數，人謂遷圖鼎。或更相吞噬，迭為驅除；或狼戾未馴，俟我斧鉞。

The Jin did not long endure; the times fell into chaos. Barbarian peoples rose in swarms, villains contended for power, trouble broke out among the imperial kin, and disaster entangled the frontier princes. Liu Yuan sounded the first call and Shi Le answered; the two Jin emperors were lost and both capitals fell. The Tuhe renewed their raids; Di and Qiang blocked the roads; Yi and Chu roared along the Jiang and Huai, Hu forces rebelled in Guan and Liang; Zhang Bin held sway between the mountains and rivers, and Gu relied on the coast of the Liao. Each declared that the calendar and mandate were his; men said the tripod would change hands. Some tore one another apart in succession, each expelling the next; others remained savage and unbroken, waiting for our axe and halberd.

太祖奮風霜於參合，鼓雷電於中山，黃河以北，靡然歸順矣。世祖叡略潛舉，靈武獨斷，以夫僭偽未夷，九域尚阻，慨然有混一之志。既而戎車歲駕，神兵四出，全國克敵，伐罪弔民，遂使專制令、擅威福者，西自流沙，東極滄海，莫不授館於東門，懸首於北闕矣。唯夫窮髮遺虜，未拔根株；徼垂殘狡，尚餘栽蘖。而北踰翰漠，折其肩髀；南極江湖，抽其腸胃。雖骸骨僅存，脂膏咸盡；視息纔舉，魂魄久遊。高祖聖敬時乘，遷居改作，日轉雲移，風行電掃。辮髮之渠，非逃則附；卉服之長，琛賮繼入。猶以侍子不至，取亂乘機，五牛一指，六師騁路，馘其武臣驍帥，傾其湯池石城。向使時無穀塘之禍，民無鼎湖之思；北可焚穹廬，收服匿，削引弓之左衽，苑龍荒以牧馬；南則罺鼃黽，暴鯨鯢，變水處之文身，化鳥言於人俗矣。尋以壽春內款，華陽稽服，蕞彼江陰，憂於繫頸。肅宗以沖年踐祚，俄則母后當陽，務崇寬政，取和朝野，置荒遐於度外，譬蠻夷於雞肋。而黠狄淪胥，種落離貳，虜帥飄然，窮而歸我，矜其眼目，愍厥顛亡，反之於故庭，復之以保塞。

Taizu stirred wind and frost at Canhe and thunder at Zhongshan; north of the Yellow River, all bowed in submission. Emperor Shizu quietly pursued his strategy and decided alone on military action; seeing the usurpers still unrested and the nine domains still divided, he burned with the will to reunify the realm. Then year after year the war-chariots rolled out and armies marched on every side; the state conquered its foes, punished the guilty and succored the people — until every tyrant who seized command and arrogated power, from the western deserts to the eastern sea, either surrendered at the eastern gate or lost his head at the northern gate. Only the last barbarian holdouts of the far wilderness still had their roots in the ground; the wily survivors at the frontier still had shoots and sprouts remaining. Yet when the armies crossed the desert to the north, their shoulders and thighs were broken; and when they reached the rivers and lakes in the south, their guts were torn out. Though only their bones remained and every drop of fat was drained away; they barely drew breath, and their souls had long since fled. Emperor Gaozu, sage and reverent, seized the hour, moved the capital and rebuilt the realm — the world turned like clouds shifting, swept clean as by wind and lightning. Chiefs with braided hair either fled or submitted; leaders in barbarian dress sent tribute one after another. Yet when the hostage princes failed to arrive, he seized the moment of their disorder; with five oxen to guide the way and six armies on the march, he slew their fierce commanders and toppled their fortified cities. Had there been no calamity at Gutang and the people had not grieved at Dinghu; to the north he could have burned their tents, rounded up the hidden, stripped the bowmen of their left lapels, and pastured horses in the dragon wilderness; to the south he could have netted frogs and turtles, exposed whales and crocodiles, changed the tattooed water-dwellers, and turned bird-speech into human speech. Before long Shouchun surrendered from within and Huayang submitted; tiny Jiangyin trembled as though a halter were at its throat. Emperor Suzong came to the throne as a child; soon the empress dowager held the reins, pursued a lenient policy, sought harmony throughout court and country, set the far wilderness outside her cares, and treated the barbarians as mere chicken ribs. Yet the crafty Di fell, their tribes divided and wavered; their chieftain, adrift and ruined, came back to us — we valued his loyalty and pitied his fall, returned him to his old seat, and restored his frontier garrison.

魏道將虧，禍出權幸，事僻於中，民驚於外，疆埸崩騰，藩籬傾駭，陰朔委命之倫，雲蒸霧合。上失其道，下極其難，政亂如風草，師亡猶彈丸，十數年間，中區殄悴。而江湄巨狡，窺覦上國，蛇虺肆毒，竊我邊鄙。氈裘相率，馬首南向，白山、灅水，狐鼠羣遊。魏德雖衰，天命未改，援墜扶危，齊武電發，屈身宰世，大濟橫流。和戎略遠，用謀急病，輶軒四指，喻以德音。爾乃舟車接次，駝驢銜尾，烽柝不警，尉候空設。而水鄉大猾，好利忘信，納我逋叛，共為舉斧，遂有寒山之戰，渦陽。〈闕〉 [1]糾合傖楚，覆其巢穴，衍以餧卒，綱實鴆死。獯虜那瓌，尋亦殲殪。

As the Wei Way neared collapse, disaster arose from the favorites at court; affairs went wrong at the center and the people panicked without — the borders erupted, the frontier defenses crumbled; men of the northern marches who gave up their lives gathered thick as clouds. The ruler lost the Way and the people reached the limit of hardship; government swayed like grass in the wind, armies vanished like sling-stones — within a dozen years the heartland was ruined. Meanwhile the great villain along the river watched and coveted the upper kingdom; serpents and vipers spread poison and raided our borders. Men in fur coats followed one another, horses turned south; on White Mountain and the Shui River, foxes and rats scurried in packs. Though Wei virtue had waned, Heaven's mandate had not changed; supporting the fallen and righting the endangered, Emperor Wu of Qi struck like lightning, bowed himself to govern the age, and greatly stemmed the flood of chaos. He made peace with the barbarians and planned for the long term, using strategy against urgent danger; envoys went out in every direction, instructing them with words of virtue. Then boats and carts followed one after another, camels and donkeys nose to tail; beacon:beacon fires stayed unlit and frontier posts stood idle. Yet the great villain of the water country, greedy for gain and forgetful of faith, harbored our fugitive rebels and joined them in raising the axe — thus came the battle of Hanshan, [and at] Woyang. 〈Text missing〉 [1] He rallied the Cang and Chu, overturned their nest, supplied grain to the troops, and Gang was in truth poisoned to death. The Xiongnu Na Rui was soon destroyed as well.

自二百許年，僭盜多矣，天道人事，卒有歸焉，猶眾星環於斗極，百川之赴溟海。今總其僭偽，列於國籍，俾後之好事，知僭盜之終始焉。

For some two hundred years usurpers were many; yet in the end Heaven and human affairs found their return — as the stars circle the Pole Star and the hundred streams flow to the sea. Now I gather their usurpations and record them in the dynastic registers, so that later readers may know how rebellion and theft begin and end.

匈奴劉聰，字玄明，一名載，冒頓之後也。漢高祖以宗女妻冒頓，故其子孫以母姓為氏。祖豹，為左賢王。及魏分匈奴之眾為五部，以豹為左部帥。豹雖分屬五部，然皆家于晉陽汾澗之濱。

Liu Cong of the Xiongnu, styled Xuanming and also called Zai, was a descendant of Modu. Han Emperor Gaozu gave a princess of the imperial clan to Modu in marriage; his descendants therefore took their mother's surname as their clan name. His grandfather Bao served as Left Wise King. When Wei divided the Xiongnu into five divisions, Bao was made commander of the Left Division. Though Bao belonged to one of the five divisions, all of them made their homes on the banks of the Fen at Jinyang.

父淵，形容偉壯，膂力過人。晉初為任子，在洛陽。豹卒，淵代之。後改帥為都尉，以淵為北部都尉。楊駿輔政，以淵為建威將軍、五部大都督，封漢光鄉侯。後坐部民叛出塞，免官。永寧初，成都王穎表淵行寧朔將軍，監五部軍事。

His father Yuan was imposing in build and surpassing in physical strength. In early Jin he served as a hostage at Luoyang. When Bao died, Yuan succeeded him. Later the title of division commander was changed to commandant, and Yuan was made Northern Commandant. While Yang Jun held power, Yuan was made General Who Establishes Might and Grand Commander of the Five Divisions, and enfeoffed as Marquis of Hanguang Township. Later, because tribesmen rebelled and fled beyond the frontier, he was dismissed from office. At the beginning of the Yongning era, the Prince of Chengdu, Ying, recommended Yuan as General Who Pacifies the North to oversee the five divisions' military affairs.

及齊王冏、長沙王乂與穎等自相誅滅，北部都督劉宣等竊議反叛，謀推淵為大單于。時淵在鄴，乃使呼延攸以此謀告之。淵請歸會葬，穎不許。穎為皇太弟，以淵為太弟屯騎校尉。晉惠帝之伐穎也，以淵為輔國將軍、都督北城守事。及惠帝敗，以淵為冠軍將軍，封盧奴伯。既而并州刺史司馬騰、幽州刺史王浚，起兵伐穎，穎師戰敗。淵謂穎曰：「今二鎮跋扈，眾踰十萬，恐非宿衞及近郡士民所能禦之。淵當為殿下還說五部，鳩合義眾，以赴國難。」穎悅，拜淵為北單于，參丞相軍事。

When the Prince of Qi Jiong, the Prince of Changsha Ai, and Ying destroyed one another, the Northern Commander Liu Xuan and others secretly plotted rebellion and planned to install Yuan as Grand Chanyu. Yuan was then at Ye; he sent Huyan You to inform him of the plot. Yuan asked to return for the funeral; Ying refused. Ying was heir apparent, and Yuan was made Colonel of the Heir Apparent's Mounted Guard. When Emperor Hui of Jin attacked Ying, Yuan was made General Who Supports the State and put in command of the defense of the northern city. After Emperor Hui was defeated, Yuan was made General Who Establishes Triumph and enfeoffed as Baron of Lunu. Soon after, Bingzhou Inspector Sima Teng and Youzhou Inspector Wang Jun raised troops against Ying, and Ying's army was defeated. Yuan said to Ying: 'The two provinces are insubordinate now; their forces number more than a hundred thousand — I fear the palace guard and the people of the nearby commanderies cannot hold them off. I will return for Your Highness and rally the five divisions, gathering loyal men to meet the crisis of the state.' Ying was pleased and appointed Yuan Northern Chanyu, with a post in the chief minister's army.

淵至左國城，劉宣等上大單于之號，二旬之間，眾便五萬，都於離石。淵謂宣等曰：「帝王豈有常哉，當上為漢高，下為魏武。然晉人未必同我，漢有天下世長，恩德結於民心，吾又漢氏之甥，約為兄弟，兄亡弟紹，不亦可乎？今且可稱漢，追尊後主，以懷民望。」乃遷於左國城，自稱漢王，置百官，年號元熙，追尊劉禪為孝懷皇帝。攻擊郡縣。

When Yuan reached Zuoguo City, Liu Xuan and the others proclaimed him Grand Chanyu; within twenty days his force reached fifty thousand, and he made Lishi his capital. Yuan said to Xuan and the others: 'Emperors are not fixed in number — one may aim to be Han Gaozu in greatness and Wei Wu in power. Yet the Jin may not follow us. Han ruled the realm for generations; its grace bound the people's hearts. I am also a nephew of the Han house; we were pledged as brothers — when the elder dies the younger succeeds; is that not fitting? For now let us call ourselves Han, posthumously honor the Later Lord, and thereby win the people's hopes.' He then moved to Zuoguo City, styled himself King of Han, established the full bureaucracy, took the era name Yuanxi, and posthumously honored Liu Shan as Emperor Xiaohuai. He attacked commanderies and counties.

桓帝十一年，晉并州刺史司馬騰來乞師，桓帝親率萬騎救騰，斬淵將綦母豚，淵南走蒲子。語在序紀。

In the eleventh year of Emperor Huan, Jin Bingzhou Inspector Sima Teng came requesting aid; Emperor Huan personally led ten thousand horsemen to rescue Teng, beheaded Yuan's general Qimu Tun, and Yuan fled south to Puzi. The account is given in the Basic Annals.

聰猿臂善射，彎弓三百斤。晉新興太守郭頤辟為主簿，任以郡事。舉良將，為驍騎別部司馬。齊王冏以為國中尉。出為左部司馬，尋遷右部尉。太宰、河間王顒表為赤沙中郎將。以淵在鄴，懼為成都王穎所害，亡奔穎，穎甚悅，拜右積弩將軍，參前鋒戰事。隨還左國。淵稱大號，拜大司馬，封楚王。及僭位，年號光興。聰遣王彌、劉曜攻陷洛陽，執晉懷帝，改年為嘉平。

Cong had long ape-like arms and was skilled at archery; he could draw a bow of three hundred jin. Jin Xinxing Administrator Guo Yi recruited him as chief clerk and entrusted him with the affairs of the commandery. Recommended as an able commander, he was made Separate Commandant of the Valiant Cavalry. The Prince of Qi, Jiong, made him Commandant of the Interior. He went out as Left Division Marshal and was soon transferred to Right Division Commandant. Grand Preceptor and Prince of Hejian Yong recommended him as General of the Red Sand. Because Yuan was at Ye, Cong feared harm from the Prince of Chengdu Ying, fled to Ying, and Ying was greatly pleased and made him General of the Right Accumulated Crossbows with duties in the vanguard. He followed Yuan back to Zuoguo. When Yuan assumed the great title, Cong was made Grand Marshal and enfeoffed as Prince of Chu. When he usurped the throne, the era name was Guangxing. Cong sent Wang Mi and Liu Yao to capture Luoyang, seized Jin Emperor Huai, and changed the era name to Jiaping.

聰於是驕奢淫暴，殺戮無已，誅翦公卿，旬日相繼。納其太保劉殷二女為左右貴嬪，又納殷孫女四人為貴人，六劉之寵，傾於後宮。聰希復出外，事皆中黃門納奏，左貴嬪決之。其都水使者襄陵王攄以魚蟹不供，將作大匠望都公靳陵以營作遲晚，並斬於東市。聰遊獵無度，晨出暮歸，觀魚於汾，以燭繼晝。其弟乂及子粲輿櫬切諫，聰怒曰：「吾豈桀紂幽厲乎，而汝等生來哭人也！」

Cong then grew arrogant, extravagant, lecherous, and cruel; killings never ceased, and within ten-day spans he executed high ministers one after another. He took Grand Guardian Liu Yin's two daughters as Left and Right Honored Consorts, and also took Yin's four granddaughters as Noble Ladies — favor for the six Lius filled the inner palace. Cong rarely went out; all business was submitted through palace eunuchs, and the Left Honored Consort decided it. His Director of Waterways, Prince of Xiangling Shu, because fish and crabs were not supplied, and his Master of Works, Duke of Wangdu Jin Ling, because construction was delayed — both were beheaded at the eastern market. Cong hunted without limit, leaving at dawn and returning at dusk; he watched fish in the Fen and used torches to extend the day. His younger brother Yi and his son Can carried coffins on carts and remonstrated urgently; Cong angrily said: 'Am I Jie, Zhou, You, or Li — that you were born to weep at me!'

先是，劉琨來告難，穆帝親率大眾，令長子六脩擊粲等，大破之。語在序紀。

Earlier, Liu Kun came reporting disaster; Emperor Mu personally led a great army and ordered his eldest son Liuxiu to attack Can and the others, inflicting a great defeat. The account is given in the Basic Annals.

聰與羣臣飲讌，逼晉帝行酒。晉光祿大夫庾珉等謀以平陽應劉琨，於是害晉帝，誅珉等。改嘉平為建元。平陽地震，聰崇明觀陷為池，水赤如血，赤氣至天，有赤龍奮迅而去。流星起于牽牛，入紫微，龍形委蛇，其光照地，落於平陽北十里。視之則肉，長三十步，廣二十七步，臭達於平陽。肉旁常有哭聲，晝夜不止。聰惡之。劉后產一蛇一虎，各害人而走，尋之不得，須之見在隕肉之旁。

Cong feasted with his ministers and forced the Jin emperor to serve wine. Jin Grand Master of Splendor Yu Min and others plotted to respond to Liu Kun from Pingyang; Cong therefore killed the Jin emperor and executed Min and his co-conspirators. He changed the era name from Jiaping to Jianyuan. An earthquake struck Pingyang; Cong's Chongming Observatory sank into a pool, the water turned blood-red, red vapor rose to the sky, and a red dragon leapt away. A meteor rose from Niuniu, entered Ziwei, coiled like a dragon, lit the ground, and fell ten li north of Pingyang. Seen up close it was flesh, thirty paces long and twenty-seven wide; the stench reached Pingyang. Beside the flesh there was constant weeping, day and night without end. Cong was revolted by it. Empress Liu gave birth to a snake and a tiger; each killed people and fled, and though men searched they could not be found — soon both appeared beside the fallen flesh.

聰遣劉曜攻陷長安，執晉愍帝，改建元為麟嘉。其武庫陷，入地一丈五尺。聰自去冬至是，遂不受朝賀，立市於後庭，與宮人讌戲，積日不醒。立上皇后樊氏，樊氏是聰張后之侍婢也。時稱后者四人，佩皇后璽綬者七人。阿諛日進，貨賄公行，後宮賞賜，動至千萬。有豕著進賢冠，犬冠武弁帶綬，並昇聰座，俄而鬬死，宿衞之人無見入者。平文二年，聰死。

Cong sent Liu Yao to capture Chang'an, seized Jin Emperor Min, and changed the era name from Jianyuan to Linjia. The armory sank one zhang and five chi into the ground. From the winter solstice onward Cong refused court congratulations; he opened a market in the rear palace and feasted and played with palace women, staying drunk for days. He made Fan Senior Empress — Fan had been a serving maid to Cong's Empress Zhang. At the time four women were styled empress, and seven wore the empress seal and sash. Flattery grew daily, bribes flowed openly, and rewards from the inner palace often reached tens of millions. A pig wore the cap of advancing worthies and a dog wore the martial cap with sash; both climbed Cong's seat, then fought and died — yet no guard saw anyone enter. In the second year of Emperor Pingwen, Cong died.

子粲，襲位，號年漢昌。粲荒耽酒色，遊蕩後庭，軍國之事，決於大將軍靳準。準勒兵誅粲，劉氏男女無少長皆殺之。準自號漢王，置百官。尋為靳明所殺，眾降淵族子曜。

His son Can succeeded to the throne, taking the era name Hanchang. Can abandoned himself to wine and women and roamed the rear court; military and state affairs were decided by Grand General Jin Zhun. Zhun led troops to kill Can; every man and woman of the Liu clan, young and old, was slain. Zhun styled himself King of Han and established the full bureaucracy. Soon he was killed by Jin Ming; the army surrendered to Yuan's clansman Yao.

曜，字永明。少孤，見養於淵。頗知書計，志性不恒。拳勇有膂力，鐵厚一寸，射而洞之。坐事當誅，亡匿朝鮮，客為縣卒，會赦得還。聰之末年，位至相國，鎮長安。靳準之誅粲也，曜來赴之，次於赤壁。遂僭尊號，改年光初。靳明既降於曜，曜還都長安，自稱大趙。

Yao, styled Yongming. Orphaned in youth, he was raised by Yuan. He knew something of writing and reckoning, but his temperament was unstable. Bold and strong, he could shoot an arrow through iron an inch thick. Condemned to death for a crime, he fled to Korea and served as a county conscript; when amnesty came he returned. In Cong's last years he rose to Chancellor and governed at Chang'an. When Jin Zhun killed Can, Yao marched to the rescue and halted at Chibi. He then usurped the imperial title and changed the era name to Guangchu. After Jin Ming surrendered to Yao, Yao returned to Chang'an as his capital and styled himself Great Zhao.

曜西通張駿，南服仇池，窮兵極武，無復寧歲。又發六百萬功，營其父及妻二塚，下洞三泉，上崇百尺，積石為基，周回二里，發掘古塚以千百數，迫督役徒，繼以脂燭，百姓嘷哭，盈於道路。又更增九十尺。冢前石人有聲言「慎」。封其子胤為南陽王，以漢陽十三郡為國。立單于臺於渭城，置左右賢王已下，[2]皆以雜種為之。曜得黑兔，改年為太和。

Yao opened relations with Zhang Jun in the west and subdued Chouchi in the south; he exhausted the realm with warfare and knew no year of peace. He also mobilized six million laborers to build tombs for his father and wife — three springs below, a hundred chi above, stone foundations two li around; he opened thousands of ancient tombs, driving the laborers on by torchlight until the people's wailing filled the roads. He added another ninety chi. Before the tomb a stone man spoke the word "Shen" — "Caution." He enfeoffed his son Yin as Prince of Nanyang, granting him the thirteen commanderies of Hanyang. He established the Chanyu Platform at Weicheng and installed the Left and Right Wise Kings and those below; [2] all were drawn from mixed tribes. Yao obtained a black hare and changed the era name to Taihe.

羯胡石勒，字世龍，小字匐勒。其先匈奴別部，分散居於上黨武鄉羯室，因號羯胡。祖邪弈于，父周曷朱，一字乞翼加，並為部落小帥。周曷朱性凶粗，不為羣胡所附。勒壯健，有膽略，好騎射，周曷朱每使代己督攝部胡，部胡愛信之。

Shi Le of the Jie, styled Shilong, with the childhood name Fule. His ancestors were a branch of the Xiongnu scattered at Jieshi in Wuxiang, Shangdang — hence the name Jie Hu. His grandfather was Yediyu; his father Zhouhezhu, also called Qiyijia — both were minor tribal chiefs. Zhouhezhu was fierce and coarse and won no following among the Hu tribes. Le was strong, bold, and resourceful, fond of mounted archery; Zhouhezhu often had him supervise the tribal Hu in his place, and the tribes loved and trusted him.

并州刺史司馬騰執諸胡，於山東賣充軍實，兩胡一枷，勒亦在中。至平原，賣與師氏為奴。師家隣於馬牧，勒與牧帥汲桑往來相託，遂招集王陽、夔安、支雄、冀保、吳豫、劉膺、姚豹、[4]逯明、郭敖、劉徵、劉寶、張曀僕、呼延莫、郭黑略、張越、孔豚、趙鹿、支屈六等，東如赤龍、騄驥諸苑，乘苑馬還掠繒寶以賂汲桑。成都王穎之廢也，穎故將陽平人公師藩等自稱將軍，起兵趙魏，眾至數萬，勒與汲桑率牧人，乘苑馬數百騎以赴之。於是桑始命勒以石為姓，以勒為名。藩拜為前隊督。藩戰敗身死，勒與汲桑亡潛苑中。穎之將如河北也，汲桑以勒為伏夜牙門，率牧人劫掠郡縣繫囚，合軍以應之，屯于平石。桑自號大將軍，進軍攻鄴，以勒為前鋒都尉。攻鄴，克之。尋為晉將苟晞所敗。

Bingzhou Inspector Sima Teng seized the various Hu and sold them east of the mountains to fill military stores — two Hu in one cangue — and Le was among them. At Pingyuan he was sold to the Shi family as a slave. The Shi household neighbored the horse pastures; Le and pasture chief Ji Sang entrusted affairs to each other, then gathered Wang Yang, Kuai An, Zhi Xiong, Ji Bao, Wu Yu, Liu Ying, Yao Bao, [4] Lu Ming, Guo Ao, Liu Zheng, Liu Bao, Zhang Yipu, Huyan Mo, Guo Heilue, Zhang Yue, Kong Tun, Zhao Lu, Zhi Quliu, and others; they went east to the Red Dragon and Lüer pastures, took the pasture horses, and returned to plunder silks and treasures to bribe Ji Sang. When the Prince of Chengdu Ying was deposed, Ying's former general Gongshi Fan of Yangping and others styled themselves generals, raised troops in Zhao and Wei until their force reached tens of thousands; Le and Ji Sang led the herdsmen on several hundred pasture horses to join them. Thereupon Sang first ordered him to take Shi as surname and Le as given name. Fan appointed him Vanguard Commander. Fan was defeated and killed; Le and Ji Sang fled and hid in the pastures. When Ying was about to go to Hebei, Ji Sang made Le Night Guard of the Hidden Teeth, led the herdsmen to raid commanderies and counties and seize prisoners, combined forces to respond, and encamped at Pingshi. Sang styled himself Grand General, marched to attack Ye, and made Le Vanguard Commandant. They attacked Ye and captured it. Soon after they were defeated by Jin general Gou Xi.

勒往從劉淵，拜為輔漢將軍、平晉王。劉聰立，以勒為征東大將軍、并州刺史、汲郡公。劉粲攻洛陽，勒留長史刁膺統步卒九萬，徙輜重于重門，率輕騎二萬會粲於太陽，大敗晉監軍裴邈于澠池，遂至洛川。勒出成臯，圍晉陳留太守王譖於倉垣，為譖所敗。屯文石津，將北攻晉幽州刺史王浚。會浚將王甲始率遼西鮮卑萬餘騎敗劉聰安北大將軍趙固于津北，勒乃燒船棄營，引軍向柏門，迎重門輜重，合于石門而濟。南攻晉豫州刺史馮嵩于陳郡，不克，進攻襄城太守崔廣於繁昌，斬之。

Le went to join Liu Yuan and was appointed General Who Assists Han and Prince Who Pacifies Jin. When Liu Cong came to the throne, Le was made Grand General Who Conquers the East, Inspector of Bingzhou, and Duke of Jijun. When Liu Can attacked Luoyang, Le left Chief Clerk Diao Ying to command ninety thousand foot soldiers, moved the baggage train to Chongmen, led twenty thousand light cavalry to join Can at Taiyang, greatly defeated Jin Inspector-General Pei Miao at Mianchi, and reached Luochuan. Le went out through Chenggao and besieged Jin Chenliu Administrator Wang Zhan at Cangyuan, but was defeated by Zhan. He encamped at Wenshi Ford and prepared to march north against Jin Youzhou Inspector Wang Jun. When Jun's general Wang Jia first led more than ten thousand Liaoxi Xianbei cavalry to defeat Liu Cong's Grand General Who Pacifies the North Zhao Gu north of the ford, Le burned his boats, abandoned camp, marched toward Baimen, received the Chongmen baggage train, combined at Shimen, and crossed. He attacked south against Jin Yuzhou Inspector Feng Song at Chen commandery but failed; he advanced to attack Fanchang Administrator Cui Guang at Xiangcheng and beheaded him.

先是，雍州流民王如、侯脫、嚴嶷等，起兵江淮間，受劉淵官位。聞勒之來也，懼，遣眾一萬拒於襄城，勒擊敗之，盡俘其眾。勒至南陽，屯于宛之北山。王如遣使通好。勒進攻宛，克之，斬侯脫，降嚴嶷，盡并其眾。南至襄陽，攻克江西三十餘壘，有據江漢之志。勒右長史張賓以為不可，引軍而北。

Earlier, Yongzhou displaced people — Wang Ru, Hou Tuo, Yan Ni, and others — had raised troops between the Jiang and Huai and received office from Liu Yuan. When they heard Le was coming they were afraid; they sent ten thousand men to resist at Xiangcheng, but Le defeated them and captured the entire force. Le reached Nanyang and encamped on the northern hills of Wan. Wang Ru sent envoys proposing friendship. Le advanced on Wan, captured it, beheaded Hou Tuo, and Yan Ni surrendered; he absorbed all their forces. Marching south to Xiangyang, he captured more than thirty fortresses west of the river and harbored the ambition to hold the Jiang and Han. Le's Senior Clerk on the Right Zhang Bin said this could not be done and led the army north.

及劉粲為靳準所殺，勒率眾赴平陽。曜稱尊號，授勒大司馬、大將軍，加九錫，增封十郡，并前十三郡，進為趙公。勒至平陽，靳明出與勒戰，勒大破之，遣兼左長史王脩、主簿劉茂獻捷於曜。明率平陽之眾奔曜，曜西如粟邑。勒焚平陽宮室，置戍而歸，徙渾儀樂器於襄國。曜遣使授勒太宰，領大將軍，進爵趙王，增封七郡，并前二十郡。出入警蹕，冕十有二旒，乘金根車，駕六馬，如魏武輔漢故事。王脩舍人曹平樂留仕曜朝，言於曜曰：「大司馬遣脩等來，外表至虔，內覘強弱。」曜實殘弊，懼脩宣之，大怒，追還策命而斬王脩。劉茂逃歸，言脩死狀。勒大怒，誅曹平樂父兄，夷其三族。又知追停太宰、趙王之授，怒曰：「帝王之起，復何常也？趙王、趙帝，孤自取之，名號大小，豈爾所節乎！」勒乃自稱大都督、大將軍、大單于、趙王，以二十四郡為趙國，號為趙王元年，平文三年也。

When Liu Can was killed by Jin Zhun, Le led his host to Pingyang. Yao assumed the imperial title and appointed Le Grand Marshal and Grand General, added the Nine Bestowments, increased his fief by ten commanderies to thirteen in all, and advanced him to Duke of Zhao. Le reached Pingyang; Jin Ming came out to fight and Le inflicted a great defeat; he sent Acting Senior Clerk on the Left Wang Xiu and Registrar Liu Mao to report victory to Yao. Ming led the Pingyang host to flee to Yao; Yao went west to Suyi. Le burned the Pingyang palaces, set garrisons, and returned; he moved the celestial observatory instruments to Xiangguo. Yao sent envoys to appoint Le Grand Preceptor with rank of Grand General, advancing him to Prince of Zhao and increasing his fief by seven commanderies to twenty in all. When going out and returning he had the imperial guard; his crown bore twelve tassels; he rode the golden-root chariot drawn by six horses — following the precedent of Wei Wu assisting Han. Wang Xiu's retainer Cao Pingle remained to serve in Yao's court and said to Yao: "The Grand Marshal sent Xiu and the others — outwardly most reverent, inwardly to spy on our strength." Yao was in truth exhausted and weakened; fearing Xiu would report this, he was enraged, recalled and revoked the appointment, and beheaded Wang Xiu. Liu Mao fled back and reported Xiu's death. Le was enraged; he executed Cao Pingle's father and elder brother and exterminated all three clans. Learning that the appointment as Grand Preceptor and Prince of Zhao had been revoked, he angrily said: "The rise of emperors and kings — is it ever fixed? Prince of Zhao, Emperor of Zhao — I take these titles myself; whether great or small, how is that for you to regulate!" Le then styled himself Grand Commander, Grand General, Grand Chanyu, and Prince of Zhao, with twenty-four commanderies as the Zhao state — the first year of the Prince of Zhao, which was the third year of Emperor Pingwen.

勒遣使求和，請為兄弟，斬其使以絕之。自是朝會，常僭天子禮樂，以饗羣臣。烈帝元年，勒又遣使求和，帝許之。

Le sent envoys seeking peace and asking to become brothers; Yao beheaded the envoys to break off relations. From then on at court assemblies he often usurped the Son of Heaven's ritual and music to feast his ministers. In the first year of Emperor Lie, Le again sent envoys seeking peace, and the Emperor permitted it.

二年，勒僭稱皇帝，置百官，年號建平。雖都襄國，又營鄴宮，作者數十萬人，兼以晝夜。五年，勒死，子大雅僭立。

In the second year, Le usurped the title of emperor, established the full bureaucracy, and took the era name Jianping. Although his capital was at Xiangguo, he also built the Ye palace; several hundred thousand laborers worked day and night. In the fifth year, Le died; his son Daya usurped the throne.

大雅，名犯顯祖廟諱。大雅立，號年延熙。石虎廢大雅為海陽王而僭立，尋殺之。

Daya — the name violated the taboo of the Founder's temple. When Daya came to the throne, he took the era name Yanxi. Shi Hu deposed Daya as Prince of Haiyang and usurped the throne himself; soon he killed him.

虎，字季龍，勒之從子也。祖曰匐邪，父曰寇覓。寇覓有七子，虎第四。勒父幼而子之，故或謂之為勒弟也。晉永興中，與勒相失。永嘉五年，劉琨送勒母王氏及虎於葛陂，時年十七矣。性殘忍，遊獵無度，能左右射，好以彈彈人，軍中甚患之。勒白母曰：「此兒凶暴無賴，使軍人殺之，聲名可惜，宜自除也。」王曰：「快牛為犢子時，多能破車。為復小忍，勿却之。」至年十八，身長七尺五寸，弓馬迅捷，勇冠當時。將佐親戚，莫不敬憚，勒深嘉之。而酷害過差，軍中有壯健與己齊者，因獵戲謔，輒殺之。至於降城陷壘，不復斷別善惡，坑斬士女，尠有遺類。御眾嚴整，莫敢犯者，指授攻討，所向無前。故勒寵信彌隆，仗以專征之任。

Hu, styled Jilong, was Le's nephew. His grandfather was called Fuye; his father was called Koumi. Koumi had seven sons; Hu was the fourth. Le's father raised him from childhood as a son; therefore some called him Le's younger brother. In Jin's Yongxing era he was separated from Le. In the fifth year of Yongjia, Liu Kun sent Le's mother Lady Wang and Hu to Gebei; Hu was then seventeen. By nature he was cruel; he hunted without limit, could shoot with either hand, and liked to shoot people with pellets — the army greatly suffered from him. Le told his mother: "This boy is fierce and unruly; have the soldiers kill him — it would be a pity for the family name; you should remove him yourself." Lady Wang said: "Even a fast ox was known to wreck carts when it was still a calf. For now show a little patience — do not cast him out." By eighteen he stood seven chi five cun tall, was swift with bow and horse, and his courage surpassed all others of the day. Generals, aides, and kinsmen all respected and feared him, and Le held him in high esteem. Yet his cruelty knew no bounds: if a soldier in the ranks matched him in strength, he would kill him during a hunt or in jest. When cities surrendered or fortresses fell, he no longer spared the innocent from the guilty — men and women were massacred by the pitful, and almost none survived. He kept his troops in iron discipline that none dared breach, and in battle his orders carried all before them. Le's favor and trust in him only deepened, and he entrusted him with sole command of the field armies.

劉聰以虎為魏郡太守，鎮鄴三臺；又封繁陽侯，食邑三千戶。勒為趙王，以虎為車騎將軍，加侍中、開府，進封中山公。勒稱尊號，為太尉、守尚書令，封中山王，食邑萬戶。

Liu Cong made Hu Administrator of Wei Commandery and posted him to garrison the Three Platforms at Ye; He was also enfeoffed as Marquis of Fanyang with a fief of three thousand households. When Le became King of Zhao, he appointed Hu General of Chariots and Cavalry, added Palace Attendant and Privy Tent, and advanced him to Duke of Zhongshan. When Le took the imperial title, Hu became Grand Commandant and Acting Director of the Masters of Writing, enfeoffed as King of Zhongshan with a fief of ten thousand households.

勒死，虎擅誅右光祿大夫程遐、中書令徐光，遣子邃率兵入大雅宮，直衞文武皆奔散。大雅大懼，自陳弱劣，讓位于虎。虎曰：「若其不堪，天下自當有大義，何足豫論。」遂逼立之。虎自為丞相、魏王。虎以勒文武舊臣，皆補丞相閑任，其府僚舊昵，悉居臺省禁要。改勒太子宮曰崇訓宮，徙勒妻劉氏已下居之，簡其美淑及車馬服御，皆歸虎第。劉氏謂其彭城王石堪曰：「丞相便相凌蹈，恐國祚之滅不復久矣。真可謂養虎自殘者也。王將何以圖之？」堪曰：「先帝舊臣，皆以斥外，眾旅不復由人，宮殿之中，亡所厝計。臣請出奔兗州，據廩丘，扶南陽王恢為盟主，宣太后詔於諸牧守、征鎮，令各率義兵同討惡逆，蔑不濟也。」劉氏然之。既而，堪計不果，虎炙而殺之，又殺劉氏。石生先鎮長安，石朗鎮洛陽，並起兵討虎，為虎所滅。

After Le's death, Hu executed Right Grand Master of Splendor Cheng Xia and Director of the Masters of Writing Xu Guang on his own authority, then sent his son Sui with troops into the Daya Palace; the palace guards and every civil and military official fled. Daya was terrified; he declared himself unfit and offered the throne to Hu. Hu said: "If he cannot rule, Heaven and earth will settle the matter — what need is there to debate it now?" Even so, he forced Daya to take the throne. Hu made himself Chancellor and King of Wei. Hu relegated Le's veteran civil and military officials to empty posts under the Chancellor, while his own old intimates from princely service took every key post in the central ministries. He renamed Le's Heir Apparent Palace the Chongxun Palace, moved Le's wife Lady Liu and her household there, picked out the fairest women along with chariots, horses, and finery, and took them all to his own residence. Lady Liu said to her son, the Prince of Pengcheng Shi Kan: "The Chancellor already treads us underfoot — I fear the dynasty will not long survive. Truly we have reared a tiger to devour ourselves. Prince, what will you do?" Kan said: "The late emperor's old ministers have all been cast out, the armies no longer obey anyone we can reach, and within the palace there is no place to act. I ask leave to flee to Yan Province, seize Linqiu, raise the Prince of Nanyang Shi Hui as covenant leader, and proclaim the empress dowager's edict to every governor and frontier commander, calling on each to muster righteous troops and join in punishing this villain — the plan cannot fail." Lady Liu agreed. Before long the plot failed; Hu had Kan roasted alive and killed him, then killed Lady Liu as well. Shi Sheng, who had garrisoned Chang'an, and Shi Lang, who held Luoyang, both raised armies against Hu and were destroyed by him.

虎遂自立為大趙王，號年建武，自襄國徙居於鄴。乃殺大雅及其母程氏，并大雅諸弟。初，虎衣袞冕，將祀南郊，照鏡無首，大恐怖，不敢稱皇帝，乃自貶為王。使其太子邃省可尚書奏事，唯選牧守、祀郊廟、征伐、刑斷，乃親覽之。虎又改稱大趙天王。邃以事呈之，恚曰：「此小事，何足呈也！」時有所問，復怒曰：「何以不呈！」誚責杖捶，月至再三。邃甚慍恨，私謂中庶子李顏等曰：「官家難稱，吾欲行冒頓之事，卿從我乎？」顏等伏不敢對。虎聞而大怒，殺邃及其男女二十六人，一棺埋之，誅其宮臣支黨二百餘人。立次子宣為太子。

Hu then proclaimed himself Great King of Zhao, took the era name Jianwu, and moved his court from Xiangguo to Ye. He then killed Daya, his mother Lady Cheng, and all of Daya's younger brothers. Once, as Hu donned imperial robes and cap to sacrifice at the Southern Suburb, he looked in a mirror and saw himself headless. Terrified, he dared not call himself emperor and demoted himself to king. He had his heir Sui review and present memorials from the Masters of Writing; only the appointment of governors, sacrifices at the suburban altars, military campaigns, and capital sentences did he examine himself. Hu then restyled himself Great Heavenly King of Zhao. When Sui brought him business, Hu would rage: "Trifles like these — why bother me with them!" Yet if he later asked about the same matter, he would fume again: "Why did you not report it!" He scolded, blamed, and beat him with rods two or three times every month. Sui burned with resentment and secretly told Palace Companion Li Yan and the others: "The old man is impossible to serve. I mean to do what Modu did — will you follow me?" Yan and the others prostrated themselves and did not dare answer. When Hu learned of it he was enraged; he killed Sui and twenty-six of his sons and daughters, buried them in a single coffin, and executed more than two hundred palace officials and their associates. He made his second son Xuan heir apparent.

虎於鄴起臺觀四十餘所，營長安、洛陽二宮，作者四十餘萬人。又欲自鄴起閣道，至于襄國。敕河南四州具南師之備，并、朔、秦、雍嚴西討之資，青、冀、幽州三五發卒。諸州造甲者五十萬人。擾役黎元，民庶失業，得農桑者十室而三。船夫十七萬人，為水所沒，為虎所害，三分而一。課責征士，五人車一乘、牛二頭、米各十五斛、絹十匹。諸役調有不辦者，皆以斬論。窮民率多鬻子以充軍制，而猶不足者，乃自經于道路。死者相望，猶求發無已。太武殿成，圖畫忠臣、孝子、烈士、貞女，皆變為胡狀，頭縮入肩。虎大惡之。

At Ye Hu built more than forty towers and pavilions, and raised palaces at Chang'an and Luoyang — more than four hundred thousand laborers were employed. He also planned an elevated gallery-road from Ye all the way to Xiangguo. He ordered the four provinces south of the Yellow River to ready a southern campaign, Bing, Shuo, Qin, and Yong to stock supplies for a western expedition, and Qing, Ji, and You to draft troops again and again. Five hundred thousand men across the provinces were set to forging armor. Corvée labor crushed the people; families lost their livelihoods, and only three in ten households could still farm or raise silkworms. One hundred seventy thousand boatmen were conscripted; a third were drowned or killed on Hu's orders. Conscripts were levied supplies on this scale: for every five men, one cart and two oxen; fifteen hu of grain and ten bolts of silk per man. Anyone who failed to meet any corvée quota was sentenced to death. The poor mostly sold their children to satisfy the draft quotas; when even that was not enough, they hanged themselves along the roads. The dead lay one after another, yet the levies never ceased. When the Taiwu Hall was finished, the painted loyal ministers, filial sons, martyrs, and chaste women all changed into Hu likenesses, their heads drawn down into their shoulders. Hu was revolted.

遣司虞中郎將賈霸率工匠四千，於東平岡山造獵車千乘，轅長三丈，高一丈八尺，罝高一丈七尺；格虎車四十乘，立行樓二層於其上。南至滎陽，東極陽都，使御史監司。其中禽獸，民有犯者罪至大辟。御史因之，擅作威福，民有美女、好牛馬，求之不得，便誣以犯獸論，民死者相繼，海岱、河濟之間，民無寧志矣。又發民牛二萬餘頭，配朔州牧官。增內官二十四等，[5]東宮十二等，諸公侯七十餘國，皆為置女官九等。先是，大發民女二十已下、十三已上三萬餘人，為三等之第，以分配之。郡縣有希旨，務於美淑，奪人婦者九千餘人。民妻有美色，豪勢因而脅之，率多自殺。太子、諸公私令採發者，亦垂一萬。

He sent Palace Herdsman Central Gentleman-General Jia Ba with four thousand craftsmen to Dongping Gangshan to build a thousand hunt carts — shafts three zhang long, bodies one zhang eight chi high, and net frames one zhang seven chi high; forty tiger-catching carts, each bearing a two-story mobile tower. The hunt ran south to Xingyang and east to Yangdu, with censors sent to oversee it. The grounds were stocked with game; any commoner who trespassed was sentenced to death. The censors used the hunt to tyrannize the land: if they coveted a man's beautiful wife or fine cattle and horses and could not get them, they accused him of trespassing on the hunt — corpses piled up one after another, and from the eastern sea to Mount Tai and from the Yellow River to the Ji River the people knew no peace. He also seized more than twenty thousand oxen from the people for the Governor of Shuo Province. He added twenty-four ranks of inner-palace officials, [5] twelve ranks for the Eastern Palace, and for more than seventy states held by dukes and marquises he established nine ranks of female officials. Earlier he had seized more than thirty thousand commoners' daughters between thirteen and twenty, graded them in three classes, and distributed them as rewards. Commanderies and counties, eager to please him, competed for the fairest women; more than nine thousand wives were taken from other men. When a commoner's wife was beautiful, the powerful forced themselves upon her — most often she killed herself. The heir apparent, the princes, and private requisitions by officials added nearly ten thousand more.

建國九年，虎遣使朝貢。

In the ninth year of Jianguo, Hu sent envoys bearing tribute.

虎使其太子宣及宣弟秦公韜遞日省可尚書奏事。宣惡韜侔己，謂嬖人楊柯、[6]牟成等曰：「汝等殺韜，吾入西宮，當以韜之國邑分封汝等。韜既死，上必親臨，因行大事，亡不濟矣。」柯等許諾，乃夜入韜第而殺之。虎將出臨韜喪，其司空李農諫，乃止。翌日，有人告之，虎大怒，以鐵鐶穿宣頷而鎖之，作數斗木槽，和以羹飯，以猪狗法食之。取害韜刀仗，舐其上血，號叫之聲，震動宮殿。積柴城北，樹標其上，標末置鹿盧，穿之以繩。送宣於標所，使韜所親宦者郝雅、劉靈拔其髮，抽其舌，以繩貫其頷，鹿盧絞上之。劉霸斷其手足，斫眼潰腹，如韜之傷。四面縱火，煙焰際天，虎從昭儀已下數千人，登中臺以觀之。火滅，取灰分置諸門交道中。殺其妻子二十九人，誅其四率已下三百人、宦者五十人，皆車裂、節解，棄之漳水。洿其東宮，以養猪牛。

Hu had his heir Xuan and Xuan's younger brother, the Duke of Qin Tao, review memorials from the Masters of Writing on alternate days. Xuan resented Tao as his rival and told his favorites Yang Ke, [6] Mou Cheng, and the others: "Kill Tao for me. When I enter the Western Palace I will divide Tao's fief among you. Once Tao is dead the emperor will surely come in person; then strike — we cannot fail." Ke and the others agreed, and that night they entered Tao's residence and killed him. Hu was about to go out to attend Tao's funeral when his Minister of Works Li Nong dissuaded him, and he stayed. The next day an informer came forward; Hu was furious. He ran an iron ring through Xuan's jaw and chained him, built a trough several dou wide, filled it with gruel and rice, and fed him like a pig or dog. He had the weapons that killed Tao brought forth and made Xuan lick the blood from them; his screams shook the palace halls. North of the city he piled firewood and raised a stake upon it; at the top he fixed a capstan and ran rope through it. He brought Xuan to the stake and had Tao's personal eunuchs Hao Ya and Liu Ling tear out his hair, pull his tongue, run rope through his jaw, and hoist him on the capstan. Liu Ba severed his hands and feet, gouged out his eyes, and ripped open his belly — wounds matching Tao's own. Fire was lit on all four sides until smoke and flame filled the sky. Hu, with several thousand women from the Ladies of Handsome Fairness on down, mounted the Central Platform to watch. When the flames died, the ashes were gathered and scattered at every gate and crossroads. He killed twenty-nine of Xuan's wives and children and executed three hundred men from the rank of Four Commanders on down and fifty eunuchs — all dismembered by chariot, joint by joint, and thrown into the Zhang River. He desecrated the Eastern Palace and turned it into a pigsty and cattle pen.

十二年，虎自稱皇帝，號年太寧。

In the twelfth year Hu proclaimed himself emperor and took the era name Taining.

虎死，少子世僭立。虎養孫閔殺世，以世兄遵為主。遵以閔為大將軍輔政。遵立七日，大風、雷震、晝昏，火水俱下，災其太武殿，延及宮內府庫，至于閶闔門。火月餘乃滅。

When Hu died, his youngest son Shi seized the throne. Hu's adopted grandson Min killed Shi and set up Shi's elder brother Zun as ruler. Zun made Min Grand General and regent. Seven days after Zun took the throne, violent wind and thunder darkened the day; fire and water fell together, destroying the Taiwu Hall and spreading through the inner palace storehouses to the Changhe Gate. The fire burned for more than a month before it was extinguished.

遵兄鑒，又殺遵而自立，號年青龍。鑒弟苞與胡張才、孫伏都等謀殺閔，不克而死。自鳳陽門至琨華殿，積屍如丘，流血成池。閔知胡人不為己用，乃閉鄴城四門，盡殺諸胡，晉人貌似胡者多亦濫死。閔乃殺鑒而自立，盡滅石氏。

Zun's elder brother Jian killed Zun in turn and proclaimed himself ruler, taking the era name Qinglong. Jian's younger brother Bao joined the Hu Zhang Cai, Sun Fudu, and others in a plot to kill Min; they failed and were killed. From the Fengyang Gate to the Kunhua Hall, corpses piled like hills and blood stood in pools. Min saw that the Hu would not follow him; he closed the four gates of Ye and slaughtered every Hu — and many Jin people who looked Hu were killed indiscriminately as well. Min then killed Jian and took the throne himself, wiping out the entire Shi clan.

閔本姓冉，乃復其姓。自稱大魏，號年永興。尋為慕容儁所擒。

Min's birth surname was Ran, and he restored it. He proclaimed himself Great Wei and took the era name Yongxing. Before long he was captured by Murong Jun.

鐵弗劉虎，南單于之苗裔，左賢王去卑之孫，北部帥劉猛之從子，居於新興慮虒之北。北人謂胡父鮮卑母為「鐵弗」，因以為號。猛死，子副崙來奔。虎父誥升爰代領部落。誥升爰一名訓兠。誥升爰死，虎代焉。虎一名烏路孤。始臣附於國，自以眾落稍多，舉兵外叛。平文與晉并州刺史劉琨共討之，虎走據朔方，歸附劉聰，聰以虎宗室，拜安北將軍、監鮮卑諸軍事、丁零中郎將。復渡河侵西部，平文逆擊，大破之，虎退走出塞。昭成初，虎又寇西部，帝遣軍逆討，又大破之。虎死，子務桓代領部落，遣使歸順。

Liu Hu of the Tiefu was a descendant of the Southern Chanyu, grandson of the Left Wise Prince Qubei, and nephew of the Northern Marshal Liu Meng; his people lived north of Xinxing Lüsi. Northerners called a man with a Hu father and Xianbei mother a "Tiefu," and from that came the clan name. When Meng died, his son Fulun came to submit. Hu's father Gaosheng'ai succeeded him as head of the tribe. Gaosheng'ai was also known as Xundou. When Gaosheng'ai died, Hu succeeded him. Hu was also called Wulugu. At first he submitted to the [Northern Wei] state, but when he judged his following had grown large enough he took up arms in rebellion. Emperor Pingwen and Jin Bingzhou Inspector Liu Kun jointly attacked him; Hu fled to Shuofang and submitted to Liu Cong, who, because Hu was of the imperial clan, appointed him General Who Pacifies the North, Overseer of Xianbei Military Affairs, and Central Leader of the Dingling. Hu again crossed the river to raid the western marches; Emperor Pingwen met him in battle, routed his force, and drove him back beyond the frontier. Early in the reign of Emperor Zhaocheng, Hu raided the west once more; the emperor sent troops against him and again won a crushing victory. After Hu died, his son Wuhuan took over the tribe and sent envoys to declare submission.

務桓，一名豹子。招集種落，為諸部雄。潛通石虎，虎拜為平北將軍、左賢王。

Wuhuan, also called Baozi. He rallied the clans and rose to preeminence among the tribal leaders. He opened secret contact with Shi Hu, who appointed him General Who Pacifies the North and Left Worthy King.

務桓死，弟閼陋頭代立。密謀反叛，語在序紀。後務桓子悉勿祈逐閼陋頭而自立。悉勿祈死，弟衞辰代立。

Wuhuan died, and his younger brother Eloutou took his place. He plotted rebellion in secret; the full account appears in the Annals. Later Wuhuan's son Xiwuqi expelled Eloutou and set himself up as chief. Xiwuqi died, and his younger brother Weichen succeeded him.

衞辰，務桓之第三子也。既立之後，遣子朝獻，昭成以女妻衞辰。衞辰潛通苻堅，堅以為左賢王。遣使請堅，求田內地，春來秋去，堅許之。後掠堅邊民五十餘口為奴婢以獻於堅，堅讓歸之。乃背堅，專心歸國，舉兵伐堅，堅遣其建節將軍鄧羌討擒之。

Weichen was the third son of Wuhuan. Once established in power, he sent his son to court with tribute, and Emperor Zhaocheng gave him a princess in marriage. Weichen maintained secret ties with Fu Jian, who appointed him Left Worthy King. He sent envoys asking Jian for land to farm in the interior, entering in spring and withdrawing in autumn, and Jian agreed. Later he abducted more than fifty of Jian's frontier subjects as slaves and presented them to him; Jian reproved him and ordered their release. He then broke with Jian, devoted himself to submission to Wei, and took up arms against Jian; Jian sent his General Who Carries the Staff of Authority, Deng Qiang, to capture him.

堅自至朔方，以衞辰為夏陽公，統其部落。衞辰以堅還復其國，復附於堅，雖於國貢使不絕，而誠敬有乖。帝討衞辰，大破之，收其部落十六七焉。衞辰奔苻堅，堅送還朔方，遣兵戍之。昭成末，衞辰導苻堅來寇南境，王師敗績。堅遂分國民為二部，自河以西屬之衞辰，自河以東屬之劉庫仁。語在燕鳳傳。堅後以衞辰為西單于，督攝河西雜類，屯代來城。

Jian went in person to Shuofang, made Weichen Duke of Xiayang, and restored him to command of his tribe. Once Jian had restored his domain, Weichen submitted to him again; he still sent tribute envoys to Wei, but his loyalty and deference were lacking. The emperor marched against Weichen, routed him, and absorbed six or seven tenths of his tribes. Weichen fled to Fu Jian, who returned him to Shuofang and posted troops to guard him. Near the end of Emperor Zhaocheng's reign, Weichen led Fu Jian in a raid on the southern frontier, and the imperial army was defeated. Jian then split the tribal population in two, assigning those west of the Yellow River to Weichen and those east of it to Liu Kuren. The full account is given in the Biography of Yan Feng. Later Jian appointed Weichen Western Chanyu, put him in charge of the mixed peoples west of the river, and stationed him at Dailai.

慕容永之據長子，拜衞辰使持節、都督河西諸軍事、大將軍、朔州牧，居朔方。姚萇亦遣使結好，拜衞辰使持節、都督北朔雜夷諸軍事、大將軍、大單于、河西王、幽州牧。累為寇害。

While Murong Yong held Changzi, he invested Weichen as Bearer of the Staff of Authority, Supervisor of Military Affairs for Hexi, Grand General, and Governor of Shuozhou, with his seat at Shuofang. Yao Chang likewise sent envoys to court him and appointed Weichen Bearer of the Staff of Authority, Supervisor of Military Affairs for the Northern Shuofang Mixed Peoples, Grand General, Grand Chanyu, King of Hexi, and Governor of Youzhou. He repeatedly raided and plundered the frontier.

登國中，衞辰遣子直力鞮寇南部，其眾八九萬，太祖軍五六千人，為其所圍。太祖乃以車為方營，並戰並前，大破之於鐵岐山南，直力鞮單騎而走，獲牛羊二十餘萬。乘勝追之，自五原金津南渡，逕入其國，居民駭亂，部落奔潰，遂至衞辰所居悅跋城。衞辰父子驚遁，乃分遣諸將輕騎追之。陳留公元虔南至白鹽池，虜衞辰家屬；將軍伊謂至木根山，擒直力鞮，盡并其眾。衞辰單騎遁走，為其部下所殺，傳首行宮，獲馬牛羊四百餘萬頭。先是，河水赤如血，衞辰惡之，及衞辰之亡，誅其族類，並投之於河。衞辰第三子屈孑，亡奔薛干部帥太悉伏。 [7]

In the Dengguo period, Weichen sent his son Zhilidi to raid the south with eighty or ninety thousand men; Emperor Taizu had only five or six thousand troops and was surrounded. Emperor Taizu formed a wagon fort, fought as he advanced, and routed the enemy south of Mount Tieqi; Zhilidi fled alone, and the Wei army captured more than two hundred thousand head of cattle and sheep. Pursuing the victory, he crossed south from Jinfu ford in Wuyuan and marched straight into Weichen's territory; the people panicked, the tribes broke and fled, and the army reached Yueba, where Weichen lived. Weichen and his son fled in terror, and Taizu sent his generals after them with light cavalry. Prince of Chenliu Yuan Qian pushed south to Baiyan Pool and captured Weichen's family; General Yi Wei reached Mount Mugen, seized Zhilidi, and absorbed his entire following. Weichen fled alone and was killed by his own men; his head was sent to the imperial camp, and the army took more than four million horses, cattle, and sheep. The river had earlier run red as blood, an omen Weichen dreaded; after his fall, Taizu executed his clansmen and threw them all into the river. Weichen's third son Quzi fled to Taishifo, chieftain of the Xuegan tribe. [7] On 'fled to Taishifo, chieftain of the Xuegan tribe': various editions write the cited text as the cited text. Jin Shu 130 and Zizhi Tongjian 107 both have the cited text; the text is corrected accordingly, cf. collation note [6] in juan 2.

屈孑，本名勃勃，太宗改其名曰屈孑，屈孑者，卑下也。太悉伏送之姚興，興高平公破多羅沒弈于妻之以女。屈孑身長八尺五寸，興見而奇之，拜驍騎將軍，加奉車都尉，常參軍國大議，寵遇踰於勳舊。興弟濟南公邕言於興曰：「屈孑天性不仁，難以親育，寵之太甚，臣竊惑之。」興曰：「屈孑有濟世之才，吾方收其藝用，與之共平天下，有何不可？」乃以屈孑為安遠將軍，封陽川侯，使助沒弈于鎮高平，議以義城、朔方雜夷及衞辰部眾三萬配之，以候邊隙。邕固諫以為不可，興曰：「卿何以知其氣性？」邕曰：「屈孑奉上慢，御眾殘，貪暴無親，輕為去就，寵之踰分，終為邊害。」興乃止，以屈孑為持節、安北將軍、五原公，配以三交五部鮮卑二萬餘落，鎮朔方。

Quzi had originally been named Bobo; Emperor Taizong renamed him Quzi, meaning 'base' or 'lowly.' Taishifo sent him to Yao Xing, who had Moyiyu, Duke of Gaoping, give Quzi a daughter in marriage. Quzi stood eight feet five inches tall. Yao Xing was struck by his appearance, made him General of Courageous Cavalry and Director of the Imperial Equipage, had him take part in major state councils, and treated him with greater favor than his veteran ministers. Yao Xing's brother, Prince of Jinan Yong, said to him, "Quzi is cruel by nature and unsafe to keep close. Your excessive favor fills me with misgiving." Yao Xing replied, "Quzi has the talent to serve the age. I mean to employ his abilities and work with him to pacify the realm — what is wrong with that?" He then appointed Quzi General of Pacifying the Distance, enfeoffed him as Marquis of Yangchuan, and sent him to assist Moyiyu at Gaoping, assigning him thirty thousand mixed peoples from Yicheng and Shuofang together with the remnants of Weichen's tribes to watch the frontier. Yong pressed his objection, but Yao Xing asked, "How can you know his character?" Yong answered, "Quzi is insolent to his superiors, brutal with his followers, greedy and ruthless, and quick to change sides. Excessive favor will make him a scourge on the frontier." Yao Xing relented and appointed Quzi Bearer of the Staff of Authority, General Who Pacifies the North, and Duke of Wuyuan, assigning him more than twenty thousand households of the three-jiao five-bu Xianbei to hold Shuofang.

太祖末，屈孑襲殺沒弈于而并其眾，僭稱大夏天王，號年龍昇，置百官。興乃悔之。屈孑耻姓鐵弗，遂改為赫連氏，自云徽赫與天連；又號其支庶為鐵伐氏，云其宗族剛銳如鐵，皆堪伐人。

Near the end of Emperor Taizu's reign, Quzi murdered Moyiyu, absorbed his troops, declared himself Great Heavenly King of Xia, adopted the era name Longsheng, and set up a full court. Yao Xing soon came to regret his decision. Ashamed of the surname Tiefu, Quzi changed it to Helian, declaring that the name meant splendor joined with Heaven; and he styled his collateral line the Tiefa clan, saying his kin were hard as iron and fit to cut men down.

劉裕攻長安，屈孑聞而喜曰：「姚泓豈能拒裕，裕必滅之。待裕去後，吾取之如拾遺耳。」於是秣馬厲兵，休養士卒。及裕擒泓，留子義真守長安，屈孑伐之，大破義真，積人頭為京觀，號曰「髑髏臺」。遂僭稱皇帝於灞上，號年為昌武，定都統萬。勒銘城南，頌其功德。以長安為南都。

When Liu Yu attacked Chang'an, Quzi rejoiced and said, "Yao Hong cannot hold out against Liu Yu. Yu is bound to destroy him. Once Yu withdraws, I shall seize it as easily as picking up something left on the road." He then fed his horses, sharpened his weapons, and rested his troops. After Liu Yu captured Yao Hong, he left his son Yizhen to hold Chang'an; Quzi attacked, routed Yizhen, piled the dead into a skull mound, and named it the Skull Platform. He then declared himself emperor at Bashang, adopted the era name Changwu, and made Tongwan his capital. He had his achievements inscribed on a stele south of the city. He designated Chang'an as the southern capital.

性驕虐，視民如草芥。蒸土以築都城，鐵錐刺入一寸，即殺作人而并築之。所造兵器，匠呈必死，射甲不入即斬弓人，如其入也便斬鎧匠，凡殺工匠數千人。常居城上，置弓劍於側，有所嫌忿，手自殺之。羣臣忤視者，鑿其目；笑者，決其脣；諫者，謂之誹謗，先截其舌，而後斬之。

Arrogant and savage by nature, he treated the people like weeds. To build his capital he steamed earth for the walls; if an iron spike sank an inch into the rammed earth, he killed the worker and built his body into the wall. Every craftsman who presented a finished weapon was put to death. If an arrow failed to pierce armor, the bow-maker was executed; if it did pierce, the armor-maker was executed. He killed several thousand craftsmen in this way. He lived on the city wall with bow and sword at hand, killing with his own hands whenever anger moved him. Ministers who looked at him wrongly had their eyes gouged out; those who laughed had their lips cut; those who remonstrated, whom he called slanderers, had their tongues cut out before they were beheaded.

議廢其長子璝，璝自長安起兵攻屈孑，屈孑中子太原公昌破璝，殺之。屈孑以昌為太子。始光二年，屈孑死，昌僭立。

A move was afoot to depose his eldest son Gui; Gui raised an army from Chang'an against Quzi, but Quzi's second son Chang, Prince of Taiyuan, defeated and killed him. Quzi named Chang his heir. In the second year of Shiguang, Quzi died, and Chang seized the throne.

昌，字還國，一名折，屈孑之第三子也。既僭位，改年永光。 [8]世祖聞屈孑死，諸子相攻，關中大亂，於是西伐。乃以輕騎一萬八千濟河襲昌。時冬至之日，昌方宴饗，王師奄到，上下驚擾。車駕次於黑水，去城三十餘里，昌乃出戰。世祖馳往擊之，昌退走入城，未及閉門，軍士乘勝入其西宮，焚其西門。夜宿城北。明日，分軍四出，略居民，殺獲數萬，生口牛馬十數萬，徙萬餘家而還。

Chang, courtesy name Huanguo, also called Zhe, was Quzi's third son. Once enthroned, he changed the era name to Yongguang. [8] Hearing that Quzi was dead and his sons were at war, throwing Guanzhong into chaos, Emperor Shizu marched west. With eighteen thousand light horsemen he crossed the river and fell upon Chang by surprise. On the winter solstice Chang was feasting when the imperial army appeared without warning and threw his court into panic. The emperor halted at Heishui, a little over thirty li from the city, before Chang finally came out to fight. Emperor Shizu charged; Chang fled back into the city, but before the gates could shut, Wei troops burst into the western palace and set the western gate ablaze. That night the army camped north of the city. The next day he sent four columns to raid the countryside, killing and capturing tens of thousands, seizing livestock by the hundred thousand, and relocating more than ten thousand households before withdrawing.

後昌遣弟定與司空奚斤相持於長安，世祖乘虛西伐，濟君子津，輕騎三萬，倍道兼行。羣臣咸諫曰：「統萬城堅，非十日可拔，今輕軍討之，進不可克，退無所資，不若步軍攻具，一時俱往。」世祖曰：「夫用兵之術，攻城最下，不得已而用之。如其攻具一時俱往，賊必懼而堅守，若攻不時拔，則食盡兵疲，外無所掠，非上策也。朕以輕騎至其城下，彼先聞有步軍而徒見騎至，必當心閑，朕且羸師以誘之，若得一戰，擒之必矣。所以然者，軍士去家二千里，復有黃河之難，所謂置之死地而後生也。以是決戰則有餘，攻城則不足。」遂行。次于黑水，分軍伏於深谷，而以少眾至其城下。

Later Chang sent his brother Ding to face Minister of Works Xi Jin at Chang'an; Emperor Shizu seized the moment, crossed at Junzi ford, and drove west with thirty thousand light horsemen at forced march. His ministers all urged caution: "Tongwan is strong and will not fall in ten days. A light force cannot take it if we advance, and we have no base if we retreat. Better send infantry and siege engines together." The emperor replied, "In war, storming cities is the worst option, used only when one must. If we bring up siege engines all at once, the enemy will fear us and hold fast; if we fail to take the city quickly, our food will run out, the army will tire, and we will have nothing to forage — that is no good plan. I shall appear before the walls with light cavalry alone. They will have heard of infantry coming, then see only horsemen — their guard will drop. I shall feign weakness to draw them out; one battle will be enough to take them. My men are two thousand li from home, with the Yellow River at their backs — the classic case of death ground where men fight to live. For a decisive battle this is more than enough; for a siege it is not." And he marched. He halted at Heishui, hid troops in a deep ravine, and appeared before the walls with a small force.

昌將狄子玉來降，說：「昌使人追其弟定，定曰：『城既堅峻，未可攻拔，待擒斤等，然後徐往，內外擊之，何有不濟。』昌以為然。」世祖惡之，退軍城北，示昌以弱。遣永昌王健及娥清等分騎五千，西掠居民。會軍士負罪，亡入昌城，言官軍糧盡，士卒食菜，輜重在後，步兵未至，擊之為便。昌信其言，引眾出城，步騎三萬。司徒長孫翰等言：「昌步陳難陷，宜避其鋒，且待步兵，[9]一時奮擊。」世祖曰：「不然。遠來求賊，恐其不出，今避而不擊，彼奮我弱，非計也。」遂收軍偽北，引而疲之。昌以為退，鼓譟而前，舒陳為翼。行五六里，世祖衝之，賊陳不動，稍復前行。會有風起，方術宦者趙倪勸世祖更待後日，崔浩叱之。世祖乃分騎為左右以掎之。世祖墜馬，賊已逼接，世祖騰馬，刺殺其尚書斛黎，又殺騎賊十餘人，[10]流矢中掌，奮擊不輟。昌軍大潰，不及入城，奔於上邽，遂克其城。

Chang's officer Diziyu defected and reported, "Chang sent for his brother Ding. Ding replied, 'The walls are strong and cannot be rushed. Wait until Xi Jin is taken, then come slowly and strike from both sides — how could we fail? Chang agreed." The emperor disliked this plan, pulled back north of the city, and feigned weakness before Chang. He sent Wang Jian of Yongchang and E Qing with five thousand horsemen to raid the western countryside. A condemned soldier fled into Chang's city and claimed the imperial army was out of grain, the men were eating vegetables, the baggage was far behind, and the infantry had not come — now was the time to attack. Chang believed him and marched out with thirty thousand foot and horse. Minister of Works Zhangsun Han urged, "Chang's infantry line is hard to break. We should avoid his edge, wait for our infantry, [9] and then attack together." The emperor said, "No. We came far to find this enemy and feared he would not come out. If we shrink back now, he grows bold while we look weak — that is folly." He drew his troops back in feigned retreat and wore the enemy down. Chang took it for a real retreat and advanced with drums and shouts, extending his wings. After five or six li the emperor charged, but the enemy line held firm, so he pressed forward again. Then the wind rose. The diviner-eunuch Zhao Ni urged waiting another day; Cui Hao rebuked him. The emperor split his cavalry into left and right wings to take the enemy in flank. The emperor was thrown from his horse with the enemy upon him, but he remounted, killed their minister Huli, and cut down more than ten horsemen; [10] a stray arrow pierced his palm, yet he never stopped fighting. Chang's army collapsed in rout. Unable to reach the city in time, he fled to Shanggui, and the city fell.

初，屈孑性奢，好治宮室。城高十仞，基厚三十步，上廣十步，宮牆五仞，其堅可以礪刀斧。臺榭高大，飛閣相連，皆彫鏤圖畫，被以綺繡，飾以丹青，窮極文采。世祖顧謂左右曰：「蕞爾小國，而用民如此，雖欲不亡，其可得乎？」

From the first, Qujie had been extravagant by nature and loved to build palaces. The city walls rose ten ren, with foundations thirty paces thick and ten paces wide at the top; the palace walls stood five ren, hard enough to hone blades and axes upon. Terraces and pavilions towered high, linked by galleries in flight — all carved, painted, hung with brocade silk, and finished in lacquer and gilding, ornament pushed to its limit. Emperor Shizu turned to his attendants and said, "A petty little realm, yet it exploits its people like this — could it hope to escape destruction?"

後侍御史安頡擒昌，世祖使侍中古弼迎昌至京師，舍之西宮門內，給以乘輿之副，又詔昌尚始平公主，假常忠將軍、會稽公，封為秦王。坐謀反，伏誅。

Later, Attendant Censor An Jie captured Chang. Emperor Shizu sent Palace Attendant Gu Bi to escort him to the capital, lodged him within the West Palace Gate, and supplied the secondary imperial carriage. He also ordered Chang to marry Princess Shiping, granting him the provisional titles General Who Displays Loyalty and Duke of Kuaiji, and enfeoffed him as Prince of Qin. He was executed for plotting rebellion.

昌弟定，小字直獖。屈孑之第五子，凶暴無賴。昌敗，定奔於平涼，自稱尊號，改年勝光。定登陰槃山，望其本國，泣曰：「先帝以朕承大業者，豈有今日之事乎！使天假朕年，當與諸卿建季興之業。」俄而有羣狐百數鳴於其側，定命射之，無所獲。定惡之，曰：「此亦大不臧，咄咄天道，復何言哉！」與劉義隆連和，遙分河北，自恒山以東屬義隆，恒山以西屬定。遣其將寇鄜城，[11]始平公隗歸討破之。定又將數萬人東擊歸。世祖親率輕騎襲平涼，定救平涼，方陳自固。世祖四面圍之，斷其水草。定不得水，引眾下原。詔武衞將軍丘眷擊之，眾潰。定被創，單騎遁走，收其餘眾，乃西保上邽。神䴥四年，為吐谷渾慕璝所襲，擒定，送京師，伏誅。

Chang's younger brother Ding, known by the childhood name Zhiben. He was Qujie's fifth son — cruel, violent, and utterly unrestrained. After Chang's defeat, Ding fled to Pingliang, proclaimed an imperial title, and adopted the era name Shengguang. Ding climbed Yinpan Mountain, looked out over his homeland, and wept, saying, "The late emperor set me to inherit this great legacy — how could it have come to this? If Heaven grants me more years, I shall with you all raise up our house again." Soon afterward, a hundred foxes raised their cries at his side. Ding ordered them shot, but not one was hit. Ding took this as an evil omen and said, "This too is a dire ill sign. Alas for Heaven's decree — what more can be said?" He then made peace with Liu Yilong and agreed to divide Hebei between them — the territory east of Mount Heng would belong to Yilong, and that west of the mountain to Ding. He sent a general to raid Fucheng. [11] Wei Gui, Duke of Shiping, attacked and routed him. Ding then marched east with tens of thousands of men to attack Gui. Emperor Shizu personally led light cavalry in a surprise strike on Pingliang. Ding hurried to relieve the city and was still forming his battle lines. Emperor Shizu surrounded him on all sides and cut off his water and forage. With no water to be had, Ding led his troops down from the plateau. An order went out for Martial Guard General Qiu Juan to attack; Ding's army broke and fled. Wounded, Ding fled alone on horseback, rallied what troops he could, and withdrew west to hold Shanggui. In the fourth year of Shenju, Murong Mugui of Tuyuhun attacked him, captured Ding, and sent him to the capital, where he was executed.

徒何慕容廆，字弈洛瓌，其本出於昌黎。曾祖莫護跋，魏初率諸部落入居遼西，從司馬宣王討平公孫淵，拜率義王，始建國於棘城之北。祖木延，從毋丘儉征高麗有功，加號左賢王。父涉歸，以勳進拜鮮卑單于，遷邑遼東。涉歸死，廆代領部落。以遼東僻遠，徙於徒何之青山。穆帝之世，頗為東部之患，左賢王普根擊走之，乃修和親。晉愍帝拜廆鎮軍將軍，昌黎、遼東二國公。平文之末，廆復侵東部，擊破之。王浚稱制，以廆為散騎常侍、冠軍將軍、前鋒大都督、大單于。廆以非王命所授，拒之。廆死，子元真代立。

Murong Hui of the Tuhe, courtesy name Yiluogui, came originally from Changli. His great-grandfather Mo Hubo, in the early Wei period, led his tribes into Liaoxi. He followed Sima Yi in the campaign against Gongsun Yuan and was named King Who Leads Righteousness; the state was first established north of Jicheng. His grandfather Mu Yan accompanied Wuqiu Jian on the Goguryeo campaign and earned distinction; he was granted the additional title Left Worthy King. His father Shegui, rewarded for his service, was appointed Chanyu of the Xianbei and moved the seat to Liaodong. After Shegui's death, Hui took command of the tribes. Finding Liaodong too remote, he relocated to Qing Mountain in Tuhe. During Emperor Mu's reign he became a serious menace on the eastern frontier until Left Worthy King Pugen drove him back; friendly relations were then restored. Emperor Min of Jin appointed Hui General Who Guards the Army and Duke of both Changli and Liaodong. Near the end of Emperor Pingwen's reign, Hui raided the eastern territories once more and routed the defenders. When Wang Jun claimed regency, he offered Hui the posts of Palace Attendant at Large, Champion General, Grand Vanguard Commander-in-Chief, and Grand Chanyu. Hui refused, since these posts had not come by imperial decree. When Hui died, his son Yuanzhen succeeded him.

暐，字景茂，儁之第三子也。既僭立，號年建熙。暐政無綱紀，時人知其將滅。有神降於鄴，自稱「湖女」，有聲，與人相接，數日而去。僭晉將桓溫率眾伐暐，至於枋頭，暐叔父垂擊走之。垂有大功，暐不能賞，方欲殺之，垂怒，奔苻堅。堅遣將王猛伐鄴，擒暐，封新興侯，後拜尚書。

Wei, courtesy name Jingmao, was the third son of Jun. After proclaiming himself ruler, he adopted the era name Jianxi. Wei's rule lacked all discipline, and people of the time knew his state was doomed. A spirit appeared at Ye, naming itself "Lady of the Lake." It spoke with a human voice, mingled with the people for several days, then vanished. The Jin general Huan Wen marched against Wei and reached Fangtou, but Wei's uncle Chui routed his army. Chui had won a great victory, yet Wei could neither reward him nor resist the urge to kill him. Enraged, Chui fled to Fu Jian. Fu Jian sent Wang Meng against Ye, captured Wei, and enfeoffed him as Marquis of Xinxing; he later held the post of Minister of the Masters of Writing.

太祖之七年，苻堅敗於淮南，垂叛，攻苻丕於鄴。暐弟濟北王泓，先為北地長史，聞垂攻鄴，亡奔關東，收諸馬牧鮮卑，眾至數千，還屯華陰。暐乃潛使諸弟及宗人起兵於外。堅遣將軍張永步騎五千擊之，為泓所敗。泓眾遂盛，自稱使持節、大都督、陝西諸軍事、大將軍、雍州牧、濟北王，推垂為丞相、都督陝東諸軍事、領大司馬、冀州牧、吳王。堅遣子鉅鹿公叡伐泓。泓弟中山王沖，先為平陽太守，亦起兵河東，有眾二萬。泓大破叡軍，斬叡。沖為堅將竇衝所破，棄其步眾，率鮮卑騎八千奔於泓軍。泓眾至十餘萬。遣使謂堅曰：「秦為無道，滅我社稷。今天誘其衷，秦師傾敗，將欲興復大燕。吳王已定關東。可速資備大駕，奉送乘輿并宗室功臣之家，泓當率關中燕人翼衞皇帝，還返鄴都。與秦以虎牢為界，分王天下，永為鄰好，不復為秦之患也。」堅怒責暐曰：「卿雖曰破滅，其實若歸，奈何因王師小敗，猖悖若是！泓書如此，卿欲去者，朕當相資。」暐叩頭流血，涕泣陳謝。堅久之曰：「此自三豎之罪，非卿之過。」復其位，待之如初。命暐以書招喻垂及泓、沖，使息兵還長安，恕其反叛之咎。而暐密遣使謂泓曰：「今秦數已終，社稷不輕，勉建大業。可以吳王為大將軍，領司徒，承制封拜。 [13]聽吾死問，汝便即尊位。」泓於是進向長安，年號燕興。

In the seventh year of Taizu, Fu Jian was defeated at Huainan. Chui rebelled and besieged Fu Pi at Ye. Wei's younger brother Hong, Prince of Jibei, had been chief clerk of Beidi. When he heard that Chui was attacking Ye, he fled east of the Pass, rallied Xianbei herdsmen from the horse pastures until his force numbered several thousand, and encamped at Huayin. Wei secretly sent his brothers and kinsmen to raise armies beyond the capital. Fu Jian sent General Zhang Yong with five thousand foot and horse to attack him, but Hong defeated him. Hong's army swelled. He proclaimed himself Bearer of the Staff of Authority, Commander-in-Chief, Overseer of Military Affairs for Shaanxi, Grand General, Governor of Yong Province, and Prince of Jibei, and set up Chui as Chancellor, Overseer of Military Affairs east of Shaanxi, Acting Grand Marshal, Governor of Ji Province, and Prince of Wu. Fu Jian sent his son Rui, Duke of Julu, against Hong. Hong's younger brother Chong, Prince of Zhongshan, had been Administrator of Pingyang. He too raised an army in Hedong with twenty thousand men. Hong smashed Rui's army and killed him. Chong was beaten by Fu Jian's general Dou Chong. He abandoned his infantry and rode with eight thousand Xianbei cavalry to join Hong. Hong's force grew to more than one hundred thousand. Hong sent an envoy to Fu Jian, saying, "Qin has ruled without justice and destroyed our altars of state. Now Heaven has turned its favor to us; Qin's armies lie broken. We mean to restore Great Yan. The Prince of Wu has already secured the east. Prepare the imperial train at once, send the emperor's carriage together with the imperial clan and the households of your meritorious ministers. Hong will lead the Yan people of the Guanzhong region to escort the emperor home to Ye. Let Hulao mark the border between us. We shall divide the realm, live as neighbors in peace, and trouble Qin no more." Fu Jian angrily rebuked Wei: "Though they call you destroyed, you are in truth as one who has come home. How dare you grow so reckless and defiant over one small setback of the royal army! This is what Hong writes. If you wish to go, I will give you whatever you need." Wei kowtowed until blood ran from his forehead, weeping as he begged forgiveness. After a long silence Fu Jian said, "The blame lies with those three rascals, not with you." He restored Wei to his post and treated him as before. He ordered Wei to write urging Chui, Hong, and Chong to lay down arms and return to Chang'an, promising to forgive their rebellion. But Wei secretly sent word to Hong: "Qin's day is done and the altars of state weigh heavily upon us. Press on and build the great enterprise. Make the Prince of Wu Grand General and Acting Minister of Works, with power to appoint and enfeoff at will. [13] When word of my death reaches you, take the throne at once." Hong then marched on Chang'an and proclaimed the era Yanxing.

泓謀臣高蓋、宿勤崇等以泓德望後沖，且持法苛峻，乃殺泓，立沖為皇太弟，承制行事，置百官。沖去長安二百里，堅遣子平原公暉拒之，沖大破暉軍，進據阿房。初，堅之滅燕，沖姊清河公主年十四，有殊色，納之，寵冠後庭。沖年十二，亦有龍陽之姿，堅又幸之。姊弟專寵，宮人莫進，長安歌之曰：「一雌復一雄，雙飛入紫宮。」咸懼為亂。王猛切諫，堅乃出沖。及其母卒，葬之以燕后之禮。長安又謠曰：「鳳皇，鳳皇，止阿房。」堅以鳳皇非梧桐不栖，非竹實不食，乃蒔梧竹數十萬株于阿房城，以待鳳皇之至。沖小字鳳皇，至是終為堅賊，入止阿城焉。

Hong's advisers Gao Gai and Suqin Chong, among others, judged that Hong's standing fell short of Chong's and that his laws were excessively harsh. They killed Hong, set up Chong as Imperial Younger Brother Heir, assumed regency, and appointed a full roster of officials. When Chong was two hundred li from Chang'an, Fu Jian sent his son Hui, Duke of Pingyuan, to block him. Chong routed Hui's army and seized Epang. Earlier, when Fu Jian conquered Yan, he took in Chong's elder sister, Princess Qinghe, then fourteen and surpassingly beautiful. Her favor outshone every woman of the inner palace. Chong, too, at twelve possessed a beauty that stirred desire, and Fu Jian favored him as well. Brother and sister held exclusive favor, and no other palace woman could approach the throne. Chang'an sang: "One hen and one cock — wing to wing they enter the Purple Palace." All feared that chaos would follow. Wang Meng pleaded fiercely against it, and Fu Jian sent Chong away from court. When their mother died, he buried her with the rites owed a Yan empress. Chang'an sang again: "Phoenix, phoenix — alight at Epang!" Fu Jian, recalling the saying that the phoenix alights only on the parasol tree and eats only bamboo seeds, planted hundreds of thousands of parasol trees and bamboo at Epang, waiting for the phoenix to come. Chong's childhood name was Phoenix — and now, at last, he came as Fu Jian's foe and made his stand at Epang.

暐入見堅，稽首謝曰：「弟沖不識義方，孤背國恩，臣罪應萬死。陛下垂天地之容，臣蒙更生之惠。臣二子昨婚，明當三日，愚欲暫屈鑾駕，幸臣私第。」堅許之。暐出，術士王嘉曰：「椎蘆作籧篨，不成文章；會天大雨，不得殺羊。」言暐將殺堅而不果也。堅與羣臣莫之能解。是夜大雨，晨不果出。初，暐之遣諸弟起兵於外也，謀欲伏兵請堅殺之。時鮮卑在城者猶有千餘人，暐令其帥悉羅騰、屈突鐵侯等潛告之曰：「官今使吾外鎮，聽舊人悉隨。可於某日會集某處。」鮮卑信之。北部人突賢之妹，為堅左將軍竇衝小妻，賢與妹別，妹請衝留其兄。衝馳入白堅，堅大驚，召騰問之，騰具首服。乃誅暐父子及其宗族，城內鮮卑無少長男女皆殺之。廆弟運，運孫永。

Wei came before Fu Jian, kowtowed, and said, "My brother Chong knows no duty. I alone have betrayed the state's kindness — a crime deserving death ten thousand times over. Yet Your Majesty has shown the forbearance of heaven and earth, and I have been granted life anew. My two sons were married yesterday, and tomorrow marks the third day of the wedding feast. I humbly ask that Your Majesty deign to visit my home." Fu Jian agreed. As Wei left, the diviner Wang Jia said, "Reeds pounded into a rush mat will never take pattern; and when heaven sends down great rain, no sheep can be slaughtered." He meant that Wei intended to kill Fu Jian but would not succeed. Neither Fu Jian nor his ministers could make sense of it. That night it poured, and in the morning the visit never took place. When Wei had first sent his brothers to raise armies outside the capital, the plan had been to lay an ambush and lure Fu Jian to his death. More than a thousand Xianbei still lived in the city. Wei sent their leaders, Siruo Teng and Qutu Tiehou, to tell them secretly, "The court is posting me outside the capital. All you old comrades may come with me. Gather at such-and-such a place on such-and-such a day." The Xianbei believed him. Tu Xian of the north had a sister who was the concubine of Left General Dou Chong. When Xian was about to leave, his sister begged Chong to keep her brother behind. Chong rode in at once to warn Fu Jian. Greatly alarmed, Fu Jian summoned Teng and interrogated him; Teng confessed everything. Fu Jian then executed Wei, his sons, and their entire clan. Every Xianbei man and woman in the city, old or young, was put to death. Hui had a younger brother named Yun; Yong was Yun's grandson.

永，字叔明。暐既為苻堅所并，永徙於長安，家貧，夫妻常賣靴於巿。及暐為堅所殺也，沖乃自稱尊號，以永為小將。沖與左將軍苟池大戰於驪山，永力戰有功，斬池等數千級。堅大怒，復遣領軍將軍楊定率左右精騎二千五百擊沖，大敗之，俘掠鮮卑萬餘而還，堅悉坑之。又敗沖右僕射慕容憲於灞滻之間。定果勇善戰，沖深憚之，納永計，穿馬埳以自固。遷永黃門郎。

Yong, courtesy name Shuming. After Fu Jian absorbed Wei, Yong was moved to Chang'an. His family was poor, and he and his wife often sold boots in the market. After Fu Jian executed Wei, Chong proclaimed himself emperor and made Yong a junior general. At Mount Li, Chong fought a great battle with Left General Gou Chi. Yong fought with distinction and slew Gou Chi and several thousand of his men. Fu Jian was furious. He sent Camp Commandant General Yang Ding with twenty-five hundred crack cavalry against Chong, routed him, and returned with more than ten thousand Xianbei captives — all of whom Fu Jian had buried alive. He again defeated Murong Xian, Right Vice Director under Murong Chong, between the Ba and Chan rivers. Yang Ding was truly brave and skilled in battle; Murong Chong deeply feared him, took Murong Yong's advice, and dug horse traps to fortify his position. Murong Yong was promoted to Gentleman of the Yellow Gate.

沖敗，其左僕射慕容恒與永潛謀，襲殺段隨，立宜都王子覬為燕王，號年建明，率鮮卑男女三十餘萬口，乘輿服御、禮樂器物，去長安而東，以永為武衞將軍。恒弟護軍將軍韜，陰有貳志，誘覬殺之于臨晉，恒怒，去之。永與武衞將軍刁雲率眾攻韜，韜遣司馬宿勤黎逆戰，永執而戮之。韜懼，出奔恒營。恒立慕容沖子望為帝，號年建平。眾悉去望奔永，永執望殺之，立慕容泓之子忠為帝，改年建武。忠以永為太尉，守尚書令，封河東公。至聞喜，[14]知慕容垂稱尊號，託以農要弗集，築燕熙城以自固。刁雲等又殺忠，推永為大都督、大將軍、大單于、雍秦梁涼四州牧、河東王，稱藩於垂。永以苻丕至平陽，恐不能自固，乃遣使求丕假道還東。丕不許，率眾討永，永擊走之，進據長子。永僭稱帝，號年中興。

When Murong Chong was defeated, his Left Vice Director Murong Heng secretly conspired with Murong Yong, launched a surprise attack and killed Duan Sui, installed Prince Qi of Yidu as King of Yan with the era name Jianming, led more than three hundred thousand Xianbei men and women together with imperial carriages, ceremonial regalia, ritual vessels, and musical instruments away from Chang'an toward the east, and made Murong Yong General Who Guards the Military. Heng's younger brother Tao, General Who Protects the Army, secretly harbored treacherous intentions, lured Qi and killed him at Linjin; Heng in fury left them. Murong Yong and General Who Guards the Military Diao Yun led their forces against Tao; Tao sent his Major Suqin Li to give battle, and Yong captured and executed him. Tao, in fear, fled to Heng's camp. Heng installed Murong Chong's son Wang as emperor, with the era name Jianping. The people all abandoned Wang and rallied to Murong Yong; Yong seized Wang and killed him, installed Murong Hong's son Zhong as emperor, and changed the era name to Jianwu. Zhong appointed Murong Yong Grand Commandant, Acting Director of the Masters of Writing, and enfeoffed him as Duke of Hedong. On reaching Wenxi, learning that Murong Chui had claimed imperial title, he pleaded that pressing agricultural work was unfinished and built Yanxi City to hold his ground. Diao Yun and the others again killed Zhong and installed Murong Yong as Grand Commander, Grand General, Grand Chanyu, Governor of the Four Provinces of Yong, Qin, Liang, and Liang, and Prince of Hedong, acknowledging Chui as suzerain. When Fu Pi reached Pingyang, Murong Yong feared he could not hold out and sent envoys asking Pi for leave to pass through and return east. Pi refused, led an army against Murong Yong; Yong defeated and drove him off, then advanced to occupy Changzi. Murong Yong usurped the title of emperor, with the era name Zhongxing.

垂攻丁零翟釗於滑臺，釗請救於永，永謀於眾。尚書郎勃海鮑遵曰：「徐觀其弊，卞莊之舉也。」中書侍郎太原張騰曰：「強弱勢殊，何弊之有！不如救之，成鼎峙之勢。可引兵趣中山，晝多疑兵，夜倍其火，彼必懼而還師。我衝其前，釗躡其後，此天授之機，不可失也。」永不從。釗敗降永，永以釗為車騎大將軍、東郡王。歲餘，謀殺永，永誅之。

Murong Chui attacked Zhai Zhao of the Dingling at Huatai; Zhao asked Murong Yong for help, and Yong took counsel with his officers. Director of Masters of Writing Bao Zun of Bohai said, "Wait and watch them wear each other down — that is Bian Zhuang's stratagem." Central Secretariat Attendant Zhang Teng of Taiyuan said, "Their strength differs vastly — what exhaustion is there to speak of! Better to rescue him and establish a three-way balance of power. Lead troops toward Zhongshan — deploy decoy units by day and double the campfires at night — and they will surely panic and withdraw. We strike from the front while Zhao presses from the rear — this is a heaven-sent chance that must not be missed." Murong Yong did not follow this advice. Zhao was defeated and surrendered to Murong Yong; Yong made him General of Chariots and Cavalry and Prince of Dongjun. More than a year later Zhao plotted to kill Yong; Yong executed him.

垂遣其龍驤將軍張崇攻永弟武鄉公友於晉陽，永遣其尚書令刁雲率眾五萬屯潞川。垂停鄴，月餘不進，永乘詭道伐之，乃攝諸軍還於太行軹關。垂進師，入自木井關，攻永從子征東將軍小逸豆歸、鎮東將軍王次多於臺壁。永遣其從兄太尉大逸豆歸救次多等，垂將平規擊破之。永率眾五萬與垂戰於臺壁南，為垂所敗，奔還長子，嬰城固守。大逸豆歸部將潛為內應，垂勒兵密進，永奔北門，為前驅所獲，垂數而戮之，并斬永公卿已下刁雲、大逸豆歸等三十餘人。永所統新舊民戶，及服御、圖書、器樂、珍寶，垂盡獲之。

Murong Chui sent his Flying Dragon General Zhang Chong to attack Murong Yong's younger brother the Duke of Wuxiang, You, at Jinyang; Yong sent his Director of the Masters of Writing Diao Yun with fifty thousand men to encamp at Luchuan. Murong Chui halted at Ye for more than a month without advancing; Yong marched against him by an unexpected route, whereupon Chui gathered his armies and pulled back to Zhigu Pass in the Taihang. Murong Chui advanced, entered through Mujing Pass, and attacked Yong's nephew the General Who Conquers the East Xiao Yidougui and General Who Guards the East Wang Ciduo at Taibi. Murong Yong sent his cousin the Grand Commandant Da Yidougui to rescue Ciduo and the others; Murong Chui's general Ping Gui routed them. Murong Yong led fifty thousand men to fight Murong Chui south of Taibi, was defeated, fled back to Changzi, and shut himself inside the walls. A subordinate of Da Yidougui secretly acted as an inside agent; Murong Chui led his troops forward in secret; Yong fled toward the north gate and was seized by the vanguard; Chui reviewed his crimes and executed him, and also beheaded more than thirty of Yong's ministers and officials below the rank of duke, including Diao Yun and Da Yidougui. All the old and new households under Yong's rule, together with robes and carriages, books, musical instruments, and treasures — Chui seized them all.

垂，字道明，元真第五子也。甚見寵愛，常目而謂諸弟曰：「此兒闊達好奇，終能破人家，或能成人家。」故名霸，字道業，恩遇踰於儁，故儁不能平之。及即王位，以垂墜馬傷齒，改名為𡙇，外以慕郤𡙇為名，內實惡之。尋以讖記之文，乃去夬，以垂為名焉。

Murong Chui, styled Daoming, was Yuanzhen's fifth son. Deeply favored, Murong Hui would often gaze at him and tell his brothers, "This boy is open-minded and restless — in the end he will either destroy a house or perhaps raise one up." Therefore he was named Ba, styled Daoye; the favor shown him surpassed that shown Jun, and Jun could not accept it. When Murong Wei ascended the throne, because Chui had fallen from a horse and broken his teeth, he changed Chui's name to Guai — outwardly claiming to admire Xi Guai, but inwardly because he detested him. Soon, because of prophetic texts, the guai radical was dropped and he was given the name Chui (the cited text).

年十三，為偏將，所在征伐，勇冠三軍。儁平中原，垂為前鋒，累戰有大功。及僭尊號，拜黃門郎，出為安東、冀州牧，封吳王。以侍中、右禁將軍，錄留臺事，鎮龍城，大收東北之和。歷位鎮東、平州、征南大將軍、荊兗二州牧、司隸校尉。以車騎大將軍敗桓溫於枋頭，威名大震。不容於暐，西奔苻堅。堅甚重之，拜冠軍將軍，封賓都侯。

At thirteen he became a lieutenant general; in every campaign his bravery topped the Three Armies. When Jun pacified the Central Plains, Chui served as vanguard and won repeated great victories. When Wei usurped imperial title, Chui was appointed Gentleman of the Yellow Gate, sent out as Commander Who Pacifies the East and Governor of Jizhou, and enfeoffed as Prince of Wu. As Palace Attendant and Right Forbidden General he oversaw the Eastern Capital, garrisoned Longcheng, and brought the northeast largely under control. He held successive posts as General Who Guards the East, Governor of Pingzhou, Grand General Who Conquers the South, Governor of the two provinces of Jing and Yan, and Colonel of the Capital District. As Grand General of Chariots and Cavalry he defeated Huan Wen at Fangtou, and his martial fame resounded throughout the realm. Finding no place under Murong Wei, he fled west to Fu Jian. Fu Jian held him in high esteem, appointed him General Who Conquers All, and enfeoffed him as Marquis of Bintou.

垂遣使朝貢。三年，太祖遣九原公儀使於垂，垂又遣使朝貢。四年，太祖遣陳留公虔使於垂，又遣使朝貢。五年，又遣秦王觚使於垂，垂留觚不遣，遂絕行人。

Murong Chui sent envoys bearing tribute. In the third year, Taizu dispatched Prince of Jiuyuan Yi as envoy to Chui, and Chui again sent envoys bearing tribute. In the fourth year, Taizu dispatched Prince of Chenliu Qian as envoy to Chui, and Chui again sent envoys bearing tribute. In the fifth year, he again dispatched Prince of Qin Gu as envoy to Chui; Chui detained Gu and refused to release him, and thereafter cut off all communication.

垂議討慕容永，太史令靳安言於垂曰：「彗星經尾箕之分，燕當有野死之王，不出五年，其國必亡，歲在鶉火，必克長子。」垂乃止。安出而謂人曰：「此眾既并，終不能久。」安意蓋知太祖之興也，而不敢言。

When Murong Chui deliberated on attacking Murong Yong, Grand Astrologer Jin An said to him, "A comet has passed through the Tail and Winnowing Basket asterisms — Yan will have a king who dies in the wild; within five years the state will perish; in the year of the Fire Star it will surely take Changzi." Murong Chui thereupon desisted. When Jin An went out he told others, "Once these masses are united, they cannot endure long." Jin An's meaning was surely that he knew Taizu would rise, yet he did not dare say so.

先是，丁零翟遼叛垂，後遣使謝罪，垂不許，遼怒，遂自號大魏天王，有眾數萬，屯於滑臺，與垂相擊。遼死，子釗代之，及垂征克滑臺，釗奔長子。垂議征長子，諸將咸諫，以永國未有釁，連歲征役，士卒疲怠，請待他年。垂將從之。垂弟司徒、范陽王德固勸垂征。垂曰：「司徒議與吾同，二人同心，其利斷金。吾計決矣。且吾投老，叩囊底智足以克之，不復留逆賊以累子孫。」垂率步騎七萬伐永，克之。

Earlier, Zhai Liao of the Dingling had rebelled against Chui; afterward he sent envoys to apologize, but Chui would not accept; Liao in anger styled himself Grand Heavenly King of Great Wei, mustered forces numbering in the tens of thousands, encamped at Huatai, and clashed with Chui. When Liao died, his son Zhao replaced him; when Chui conquered Huatai in campaign, Zhao fled to Changzi. When Murong Chui deliberated on campaigning against Changzi, all the generals remonstrated, saying Yong's state had given no cause for war, that year after year of campaigns had exhausted the troops, and asking that they wait another year. Murong Chui was about to follow their advice. Murong Chui's younger brother the Minister of Works and Prince of Fanyang, De, firmly urged him to campaign. Murong Chui said, "The Minister of Works agrees with me — when two minds are as one, their strength can cut metal. My decision is made. Moreover, I am old now; tapping the last wisdom in my bag is enough to overcome him — I will not leave this rebel to burden my descendants." Murong Chui led seventy thousand foot and horse to attack Yong and conquered him.

十年，垂遣其太子寶來寇。時太祖幸河南宮，乃進師臨河，築臺告津，奮揚威武，連旌沿河，東西千有餘里。是時，陳留公虔五萬騎在河東，要山截谷六百餘里，以絕其左；太原公儀十萬騎在河北，以承其後；略陽公遵七萬騎塞其南路。太祖遣捕寶中山行人，一二盡擒，馬步無脫。寶乃引船列兵，亦欲南渡。中流，大風卒起，漂寶船數十艘泊南岸，擒其將士三百餘人。太祖悉賜衣服遣還。始寶之來，垂已有疾，自到五原，太祖斷其行路，父子問絕。太祖乃詭其行人之辭，令臨河告之曰：「汝父已死，何不遽還！」兄弟聞之，憂怖，以為信然。於是士卒駭動，往往間言，皆欲為變。初，寶至幽州，其所乘車軸，無故自折，占工靳安以為大凶，固勸令還，寶怒不從。至是問安，安對曰：「今天變人事，咎徵已集，速去可免。」寶逾大恐。安退而告人曰：「今皆將死於他鄉，尸骸委於草野，為烏鳥螻蟻所食，不復見家矣。」

In the tenth year, Murong Chui dispatched his crown prince Bao to invade. At that time Taizu was at Henan Palace; he therefore advanced his army to the river, built a platform to announce the crossing, displayed his martial might, and strung banners along the river for more than a thousand li east and west. At this time Prince of Chenliu Qian with fifty thousand cavalry was in Hedong, blocking mountains and cutting valleys for more than six hundred li to cut off their left flank; Prince of Taiyuan Yi with one hundred thousand cavalry was north of the river to receive them from behind; Prince of Lüeyang Zun with seventy thousand cavalry blocked their southern route. Taizu dispatched [troops] to capture travelers from Zhongshan with Bao — not one or two but all were seized; neither horse nor foot escaped. Bao thereupon drew up his boats in battle array, intending also to cross south. Midstream, a great wind suddenly arose; dozens of Bao's boats were driven ashore on the south bank, and more than three hundred of his officers and soldiers were captured. Taizu fully clothed them and sent them back. From the time Bao first came, Chui was already ill; from the time he reached Wuyuan, Taizu had cut off his route, and father and son lost all contact. Taizu thereupon falsified the words of the captured travelers and had them announced at the river, saying, "Your father is already dead — why not return at once!" When the brothers heard this, they were anxious and terrified and believed it true. Thereupon the soldiers were shaken with alarm; whispered talk spread everywhere, and all wished to mutiny. Earlier, when Bao reached Youzhou, the axle of the carriage he rode suddenly broke of itself; diviner Jin An regarded it as a great omen of disaster and firmly urged him to return, but Bao in anger would not follow. At this time he questioned An; An replied, "Heaven's changes and human affairs — the signs of calamity have all gathered; swift departure can bring escape." Bao grew ever more terrified. When An withdrew he told others, "Now all will die in a foreign land; their corpses will lie scattered in the wild grass, food for crows and ants — they will never see home again."

冬十月，寶燒船夜遁。是時，河冰未成，寶謂太祖不能渡，故不設斥候。十一月，天暴風寒，冰合。太祖進軍濟河，留輜重，簡精銳二萬餘騎急追之，晨夜兼行，暮至參合陂西。寶在陂東，營於蟠羊山南水上。靳安言於寶曰：「今日西北風勁，是追軍將至之應，宜設警備，兼行速去，不然必危。」寶乃使人防後。先不撫循，軍無節度，將士莫為盡心，行十餘里，便皆解鞍寢臥，不覺大軍在近。前驅斥候，見寶軍營，還告。其夜，太祖部分眾軍相援，諸將羅落東西，為掎角之勢。約勒士卒，束馬口，銜枚無聲。昧爽，眾軍齊進，日出登山，下臨其營。寶眾晨將東引，顧見軍至，遂驚擾奔走。太祖縱騎騰躡，大破之，有馬者皆蹶倒冰上，自相鎮壓，死傷者萬數。寶及諸父兄弟，單馬迸散，僅以身免。於是寶軍四五萬人，一時放仗，斂手就覊矣。其遺迸去者不過千餘人。生擒其王公文武將吏數千，獲寶寵妻及宮人，器甲、輜重、軍資雜財十餘萬計。

In the tenth month of winter, Bao burned his boats and fled by night. At this time the river ice had not yet formed; Bao supposed Taizu could not cross and therefore set no scouts. In the eleventh month heaven sent sudden violent cold, and the ice joined. Taizu advanced his army across the river, left the baggage train behind, selected more than twenty thousand elite cavalry to pursue in haste, marched day and night without pause, and by evening reached the west of Canhe Marsh. Bao was east of the marsh, encamped on the water south of Panyang Mountain. Jin An said to Bao, "Today the northwest wind blows strong — this is the sign that pursuing troops are about to arrive; you should set guards and also march swiftly away, or disaster is certain." Bao thereupon sent men to guard the rear. Having earlier failed to comfort and discipline the troops, the army lacked discipline; officers and soldiers gave no full effort; after marching more than ten li they all unslung their saddles and lay down to sleep, unaware that the great army was near. The vanguard scouts saw Bao's encampment and returned to report. That night Taizu deployed the mass of armies in mutual support; the generals spread out east and west in pincer formation. He ordered the soldiers to bind the horses' mouths and take wooden gags so that none made a sound. At daybreak the mass of armies advanced together; the sun rose as they climbed the mountain and looked down upon the encampment. Bao's masses were about to march east at dawn; looking back they saw the army arrive and thereupon panicked and fled in disorder. Taizu unleashed his cavalry in pursuit and greatly defeated them; those with horses all stumbled and fell on the ice, crushing one another — the dead and wounded numbered in the tens of thousands. Bao and his uncles and brothers, each on a single horse, scattered in flight and barely escaped with their lives. Thereupon forty or fifty thousand men of Bao's army at once cast aside their weapons and submitted with hands bound. Those who fled and escaped numbered no more than a thousand-odd. They captured alive several thousand of his princes, ministers, civil and military officers; they seized Bao's favored consort and palace women, armor and weapons, baggage trains, military supplies, and miscellaneous wealth numbering more than one hundred thousand items.

垂復欲來寇，太史曰：「太白夕沒西方，數日後見東方，此為躁兵，先舉者亡。」垂不從，鑿山開道。至寶前敗所，見積骸如丘，設祭弔之，死者父兄子弟遂皆嘷哭，聲震山川。垂慚忿嘔血，發病而還，死於上谷。寶僭立。

Murong Chui again wished to come invading; the Grand Astrologer said, "Venus at evening sets in the west; several days later it appears in the east — this signifies a rash army; he who strikes first will perish." Murong Chui did not follow this advice and cut through the mountain to open a road. Reaching the place of Bao's earlier defeat, he saw piled bones like hills; he set out offerings and mourned the dead, and the fathers, elder brothers, younger brothers, and sons of the dead thereupon all wailed — the sound shook mountains and rivers. Murong Chui, shamed and enraged, spat blood, fell ill on the return march, and died at Shanggu. Murong Bao declared himself emperor.

寶，字道祐，小字庫勾，垂之第四子也。少而輕果，無志操，好人佞己。及為太子，砥礪自修，朝士翕然稱之，垂亦以為克保家業。垂妻段氏謂垂曰：「寶資質雍容，柔而不斷，承平則為仁明之主，處難則非濟世之雄。今託之以大業，未見克昌之美。遼西、高陽，兒之賢者，宜擇一以樹之。趙王麟，姦詐負氣，常有輕寶之心，恐必難作。此自家事，宜深圖之。」垂弗納。寶聞之，深以為恨。寶既僭位，年號永康。遣麟逼其母段氏曰：「后常謂主上不能繼守大統，今竟能不？宜早自裁，以全段氏。」段氏怒曰：「汝兄弟尚逼殺母，安能保社稷！吾豈惜死，念國滅不久耳。」遂自殺。寶議以后諫廢嫡統，無母后之道，不宜成喪，羣臣咸以為然。寶中書令眭邃執意抗言，寶從而止。

Murong Bao, courtesy name Daoyou and childhood name Kugou, was the fourth son of Murong Chui. From boyhood he was reckless and quick to act, lacked steadfast purpose, and favored men who flattered him. Once he was made crown prince, he applied himself to self-cultivation; officials at court praised him as one voice, and Chui too believed he could safeguard the family inheritance. Chui's wife Lady Duan told him: "Bao's nature is composed and gracious, yet gentle to the point of indecision. In peace he would be a humane and enlightened sovereign, but in crisis he is no hero who could deliver the realm. If you now commit the great inheritance to him, I see no sign that our line will prosper. Liaoxi and Gaoyang are the able ones among your sons. You ought to choose one and set him up in Bao's place. Prince Zhao Lin is deceitful, proud, and quick to take offense. He has long looked down on Bao, and I fear he will surely make trouble. This is a matter within our own house. You should think it through carefully." Chui refused to heed her. When Bao learned of this, he nursed a deep grudge. After Bao had declared himself emperor, his reign era was Yongkang. He sent Lin to force his mother Lady Duan, saying: "The empress dowager often said the sovereign could not uphold the imperial line. Can he do so now? You should take your own life at once, so that the Duan clan may be spared." Lady Duan raged: "You brothers would even drive your own mother to death. How can you hope to preserve the realm! It is not that I fear death. I only see that the state will soon perish." She thereupon killed herself. Bao argued that because the empress dowager had urged the removal of the rightful heir, she had failed the duties of an empress dowager and should not receive full mourning. The ministers all agreed. Bao's Director of the Central Secretariat, Sui Sui, stood firm in opposition, and Bao yielded and abandoned the plan.

皇始元年，太祖南伐。及克信都，寶大懼。太祖軍於栢肆，寶夜來犯營，太祖擊破之。寶走還中山，率萬餘騎奔薊。寶子清河王會，先守龍城，聞寶被圍，率眾赴難，逢寶於路。寶分奪其軍，以授弟遼西王農等。會怒，襲農傷之。農弟高陽王隆，勸寶收會，不獲。會勒兵攻寶，寶走龍城，會追圍之。侍御郎高雲襲敗會，會奔中山。寶命雲為子，封夕陽公。會至中山，為慕容普隣所殺。寶率眾自龍城而南，將攻中山。眾憚征，逃潰。寶還龍城，垂舅蘭汗拒之，寶南走，奔薊。汗遣使誘迎寶，寶殺之。將南奔叔父范陽王德，聞德稱制，退潛辟陽。汗復遣迎寶。寶以汗垂之季舅，子盛又汗之壻也，必謂無二，乃還龍城。汗殺之，及子弟等百餘人。 [15]汗自稱大都督、大單于、昌黎王，號年青龍，以盛子壻，哀而宥之。

In the first year of the Huangshi era, Taizu launched a southern campaign. When Xindu fell, Bao was seized with terror. Taizu encamped at Baixi. Bao attacked the camp by night, and Taizu routed him. Bao fled back to Zhongshan, then led more than ten thousand horsemen in flight toward Ji. Bao's son Prince Qinghe Hui had been holding Longcheng. Hearing that Bao was besieged, he led his forces to the rescue and met Bao on the road. Bao stripped Hui of his troops and reassigned them to his younger brothers Prince Liaoxi Nong and the rest. Hui flew into a rage, attacked Nong, and wounded him. Nong's younger brother Prince Gaoyang Long urged Bao to seize Hui, but they failed to take him. Hui mobilized his army against Bao. Bao fled to Longcheng, and Hui pursued and besieged him there. Attendant Gentleman Gao Yun struck by surprise and defeated Hui. Hui fled to Zhongshan. Bao adopted Yun as his son and enfeoffed him as Duke of Xiyang. When Hui reached Zhongshan, Murong Pulín killed him. Bao led his army south from Longcheng, intending to attack Zhongshan. The soldiers dreaded the campaign and broke and fled. Bao returned to Longcheng, but Chui's maternal uncle Lan Han shut him out. Bao fled south to Ji. Han sent envoys to entice and welcome Bao. Bao had them killed. He was about to flee south to his uncle Prince Fanyang De, but hearing that De had assumed regency, he withdrew and hid at Biyang. Han again sent envoys to welcome Bao. Bao reasoned that Han was Chui's youngest maternal uncle and that his son Sheng was Han's son-in-law, so Han would surely harbor no treachery. He therefore returned to Longcheng. Han killed him, together with more than a hundred of his sons, brothers, and kinsmen. [15] Han styled himself Grand Commander, Grand Chanyu, and King of Changli, with the reign title Youthful Green Dragon. Because Sheng was his son-in-law, he spared him out of pity.

盛，字道運，寶之長子也。垂封為長樂公，歷位散騎常侍、左將軍。寶既僭立，進爵為王，拜征北大將軍、司隸校尉、尚書左僕射。蘭汗之殺寶也，以盛為侍中、左光祿大夫。盛乃間汗兄弟，使相疑害。李旱、衞雙、劉志、張真等，皆盛之舊昵，汗太子穆並引為腹心。盛要結旱等，因汗、穆等酒醉，夜襲殺之。僭尊號，改年為建平，又號年為長樂，盛改稱庶民大王。盛以寶闇而不斷，遂峻極威刑，纖介嫌忌，莫不裁之於未萌，防之於未兆。於是上下震局，人不自安，雖忠誠親戚，亦僉懷離貳。前將軍段璣等，夜潛禁中，鼓譟攻盛。盛聞變起，率左右出戰，眾皆披潰。俄有一賊，闇中擊盛，傷之。遂輦昇殿，申約禁衞，召叔父河間公熙屬之，未至而盛死。

Sheng, courtesy name Daoyun, was Bao's eldest son. Chui enfeoffed him as Duke of Changle. He served in succession as Regular Attendant of the Idle Riders and Left General. After Bao declared himself emperor, Sheng was promoted to prince and appointed General Who Campaigns North, Colonel Director of Retainers, and Left Vice Director of the Ministry of Works. When Lan Han killed Bao, he made Sheng Palace Attendant and Left Grand Master of the Bright Hall. Sheng then set Han's brothers against one another, so that they grew suspicious and turned on each other. Li Han, Wei Shuang, Liu Zhi, Zhang Zhen, and others were all Sheng's old companions. Han's heir apparent Mu brought them in as trusted confidants. Sheng won over Li Han and the rest. When Han, Mu, and the others were drunk, he attacked and killed them by night. He arrogated imperial title, changed the era name to Jianping, and also called the era Changle. Sheng styled himself King of the Common People. Because Bao had been dull and indecisive, Sheng now made punishments harsh to the extreme. The smallest suspicion was cut down before it could sprout and guarded against before it could show any sign. Thereupon the court above and below trembled in fear. No one felt safe, and even loyal kinsmen and relatives all nursed thoughts of defection. Former General Duan Ji and others stole into the palace by night, raised a drum-led uproar, and attacked Sheng. When Sheng heard the revolt had erupted, he led his personal guard out to fight. His followers were all scattered and routed. Before long a rebel in the darkness struck Sheng and wounded him. He was then carried by palanquin to the hall, tightened discipline among the palace guard, and summoned his uncle Prince Hejian Xi to entrust the realm to him. Before Xi arrived, Sheng died.

熙，字道文，小字長生，垂之少子也。羣臣與盛伯母丁氏議，以其家多難，宜立長君，遂廢盛子定，迎熙而立之。熙立，殺定，年號光始。築龍騰苑，廣袤十餘里，役徒二萬人。起景雲山於苑內，基廣五百步，高十七丈。又起逍遙宮、甘露殿，連房數百，觀閣相交。鑿天河渠，引水入宮。又為妻苻氏鑿曲光海、清涼池，季夏盛暑，不得休息，暍死者太半。熙遊于城南，止大柳樹下，若有人呼曰：「大王且止。」熙惡之，伐其樹，下有蛇長丈餘。熙盡殺寶諸子，改年為建始。又為其妻起承華殿，負土於北門，土與穀同價。典軍杜靜，載棺詣闕，上書極諫。熙大怒，斬之。熙妻嘗季夏思凍魚鱠，仲冬須生地黃，皆下有司切責，不得，加之以大辟，其虐也如此。及苻氏死，熙擁其屍而撫之，曰：「體已就冷，命遂斷矣。」於是僵仆絕息，久而乃蘇，悲號擗踴，斬衰食粥。大斂之後，復啟而交接。制百官哭臨，沙門素服，令有司案檢，有淚者為忠孝，無淚者罪之。於是羣臣震懼，莫不含辛以為淚焉。及葬，熙被髮徒跣步從。轜車高大，毀城門而出，長老相謂曰：「慕容氏自毀其門，將不入矣。」中衞將軍馮跋兄弟閉門拒熙，執而殺之。立夕陽公雲為主。

Xi, courtesy name Daowen and childhood name Changsheng, was Chui's youngest son. The ministers consulted with Sheng's aunt by marriage Lady Ding. Because the house had suffered repeated calamities, they should install an elder ruler. They therefore deposed Sheng's son Ding and welcomed Xi to the throne. When Xi took the throne, he killed Ding. His reign era was Guangshi. He built Longteng Park, more than ten li long and wide, with twenty thousand laborers pressed into service. Within the park he raised Mount Jingyun, five hundred paces across at the base and seventeen zhang high. He also built Carefree Palace and Sweet Dew Hall, hundreds of chambers joined together, with galleries and towers woven among them. He cut the Heavenly River canal and brought water into the palace. For his wife Lady Fu he also excavated the Curved Light Sea and Cool Pool. In the fierce heat of midsummer the workers were given no rest, and more than half died of heatstroke. Xi was touring south of the city and stopped beneath a great willow tree. It seemed someone called out: "Great King, wait a moment." Xi took this as an ill omen and had the tree cut down. Beneath it lay a serpent more than a zhang long. Xi killed all of Bao's sons and changed the era name to Jianshi. He also built Chenghua Hall for his wife. Earth was carried in through the North Gate, and earth fetched the same price as grain. Army Supervisor Du Jing brought a coffin to the palace gate and submitted a memorial of the strongest remonstrance. Xi was enraged and had him executed. Xi's wife once in midsummer craved chilled raw fish, and in midwinter demanded fresh rehmannia root. Orders went down to the relevant offices with harsh demands, and when they could not be fulfilled, death was added to the penalty. Such was his cruelty. When Lady Fu died, Xi embraced her corpse and stroked it, saying: "Your body has already gone cold. Life is ended." He then stiffened and collapsed, breathless. Only after a long while did he revive. He wailed and beat his breast in grief, wore hemp mourning, and ate only thin gruel. After the encoffining, he opened the coffin again and lay with her. He ordered all officials to attend the mourning and wail. Monks were to wear plain white robes. He commanded the relevant offices to inspect them: those who wept were judged loyal and filial, those who did not were punished. Thereupon the ministers were stricken with dread, and all chewed hot peppers to force tears. At the burial, Xi went barefoot with hair unbound, walking behind the procession. The funeral carriage was so tall that it destroyed the city gate on the way out. The elders said to one another: "The Murong clan has destroyed its own gate. They will not be able to enter again." Central Guard General Feng Ba and his brothers shut the gate against Xi, seized him, and killed him. They installed Duke of Xiyang Yun as ruler.

雲，寶之養子。復姓高氏，年號正始。跋又殺雲自立。雲之立也，熙幽州刺史、上庸公慕容懿以遼西歸降，太祖以懿為征東將軍、平州牧、昌黎王。後坐反，伏誅。元真少子德。

Yun was Bao's adopted son. He restored the surname Gao and took the era name Zhengshi. Ba then killed Yun and installed himself. When Yun took the throne, Xi's Inspector of Youzhou and Duke of Shangyong Murong Yi surrendered Liaoxi. Taizu made Yi General Who Campaigns East, Governor of Ping Province, and King of Changli. Later he was executed for rebellion. Murong Yuánzhēn's youngest son was De.

德無所據，乃謀於眾。其給事黃門侍郎張華勸德取彭城而據之。其尚書潘聰曰：「青齊沃壤，號曰『東秦』。土方二千里，戶餘十萬，四塞之固，負海之饒，可謂用武之國。宜攻取據之，以為關中、河內也。」德從之，引師克薛城，徐兗之民盡附之。以其南海王法為兗州刺史，鎮梁父。進克莒城，以潘聰為徐州刺史，鎮莒城。北伐廣固，司馬德宗幽州刺史辟閭渾聞德將至，徙民八千餘戶入廣固，遣司馬崔誕率千餘人戍薄荀固，平原太守張豁屯柳泉。誕、豁皆承檄遣子降德。渾懼，攜妻子北走，德追騎斬之。渾少子道秀自歸，請與父俱死。德曰：「渾雖不忠，而子能孝，其特赦之。」德入都廣固，僭稱尊號，號年建平。

De had no foothold left. He sought counsel among his followers. His Attendant Gentleman of the Yellow Gate Zhang Hua urged De to seize Pengcheng and hold it. His Minister of Works Pan Cong said: "Qing and Qi are fertile lands, called 'Eastern Qin. The territory spans two thousand li, with more than one hundred thousand households. It is fortified on four sides and rich from the sea. It may be called a country fit for wielding arms. You should attack it, seize it, and hold it, making it your Guanzhong and Henei." De followed this counsel, led his army, and took Xuecheng. The people of Xu and Yan all rallied to him. He made his Prince of Nanhai Fa Inspector of Yan Province, with his seat at Liangfu. He advanced and took Jucheng, making Pan Cong Inspector of Xu Province, with his seat at Jucheng. Marching north against Guanggu, Sima Dezong's Inspector of Youzhou Pilou Hun, hearing that De was coming, moved more than eight thousand households into Guanggu, sent Marshal Cui Yan with more than a thousand men to garrison Boqiu Fort, and had Pingyuan Administrator Zhang Huo encamp at Liuquan. Yan and Huo both received summons and sent their sons to surrender to De. Hun was terrified, fled north with wife and children, and De's pursuing horsemen beheaded him. Hun's youngest son Daoxiu came forward of his own accord and asked to die together with his father. De said: "Though Hun was disloyal, his son shows filial devotion. Let him be specially pardoned." De entered Guanggu as his capital, arrogated imperial title, and took the era name Jianping.

女水竭，德聞而惡之，因而寢疾。兄子超請祈女水，德曰：「人君之命，豈女水所知。」超固請，終不許。立超為太子。德死，超僭立。

The Nü River dried up. When De heard of it he took it as an evil omen and fell ill. His nephew Chao asked to pray to the Nü River. De said: "A ruler's fate — how would the Nü River know of it?" Chao pressed his request again and again, but De would not consent. He installed Chao as crown prince. When De died, Chao declared himself emperor.

超，字祖明，德兄北海王納之子也。既僭位，號年太上。超青州刺史、北地王鍾，兗州刺史、南海王法等，起兵叛超，超悉平之。超南郊，柴燎焰起，而煙不出。靈臺令張光告人曰：「今火盛而煙滅，國其亡乎？」天賜五年，司馬德宗將劉裕伐超。超將公孫五樓勸超拒之於大峴，超曰：「但令度峴，我以鐵騎踐之，此成擒也。」太尉、桂林王鎮曰：「若如聖旨，必須平原用馬，便宜出峴逆戰，戰而不勝，猶可退守，不宜縱敵，自貽寇逼。臣以為天時不如地利，拒之大峴，策之上也。」超不從。出而告人曰：「主上酷似劉璋。今年國滅，吾必死之。」超收鎮下獄。裕入大峴，超拒之於臨朐，乃赦鎮而謝之。超戰於臨朐，為裕所敗，退還廣固。裕遂圍之。廣固鬼夜哭，有流星長十餘丈，隕于廣固。城潰，裕執超，送建康巿斬之。

Chao, courtesy name Zuming, was the son of De's elder brother Prince of Beihai Na. Once he had declared himself emperor, his reign era was Taishang. Chao's Inspector of Qing Province and Prince of Beidi Zhong, together with Inspector of Yan Province and Prince of Nanhai Fa and others, raised troops in rebellion. Chao suppressed them all. When Chao performed the southern suburban sacrifice, the kindling flames rose but no smoke came forth. Director of the Spirit Terrace Zhang Guang told others: "The fire burns bright yet the smoke is extinguished. Will the state not perish?" In the fifth year of the Tiansi era, Sima Dezong's general Liu Yu marched against Chao. Chao's general Gongsun Wulou urged Chao to hold Liu Yu at Great Xian. Chao said: "Once they cross the pass, I will trample them with iron cavalry. They will be taken alive." Grand Commandant and Prince of Guilin Zhen said: "If it is as Your Majesty intends, we must fight with cavalry on the plain. It would be better to go out to the pass and meet them in battle. If we fail, we can still withdraw and defend. We should not let the enemy advance freely and bring ruin upon ourselves. I hold that terrain outweighs heaven's timing. Holding them at Great Xian is the best plan." Chao would not follow this counsel. When he went out he told others: "Our sovereign is very much like Liu Zhang. This year the state will perish, and I shall die for it." Chao had Zhen thrown into prison. When Liu Yu entered Great Xian, Chao resisted him at Linqu. He then released Zhen and apologized to him. Chao fought at Linqu and was defeated by Liu Yu. He withdrew to Guanggu. Liu Yu then besieged the city. At Guanggu ghosts wailed by night, and a meteor more than ten zhang long fell upon the city. The walls collapsed. Liu Yu captured Chao and sent him to Jiankang to be executed in the marketplace.

臨渭氐苻健，字建業，本出略陽臨渭。祖懷歸，為部落小帥。父洪，字廣世。洪之生也，隴右霖雨，百姓苦之。時有謠曰：「雨若不止，洪水必起。」故名之曰洪。年十二而父死，為部帥。羣氐推以為盟主。劉曜拜洪為寧西將軍、率義侯，徙之高陸，進為氐王。石虎平秦隴，表石勒拜冠軍將軍、涇陽伯，又徙之枋頭。遷光烈將軍，進爵為侯，稍遷冠軍大將軍，進封西平公。討平梁犢，進位車騎大將軍、開府儀同三司、略陽公。冉閔之亂，秦雍徙民西歸，憑洪為主，眾至十餘萬，自稱大將軍、大單于、三秦王。既而為其將麻秋所鴆，臨死，謂健曰：「關中周漢舊都，形勝之國，進可以一同天下，退不失保全秦雍，吾死之後，便可鼓行而西。」健從之。

Fu Jian of the Linwei Di, courtesy name Jianye, originally came from Linwei in Lueyang. His grandfather Huáiguī served as a minor chieftain of the tribe. His father was Hong, courtesy name Guangshi. When Hong was born, unceasing rains fell in Longyou and the people suffered from them. At the time a song ran: "If the rain does not stop, great flood will rise." Therefore he was named Hong. At twelve his father died, and he became chieftain of the tribe. The Di tribes together made him covenant leader. Liu Yao appointed Hong General Who Pacifies the West and Marquis Who Leads in Righteousness, moved him to Gaolu, and promoted him to Di King. When Shi Hu pacified Qin and Long, he memorialized Shi Le to appoint Hong General of the Vanguard and Baron of Jingyang, and moved him again to Fangtou. He was transferred to Glorious Lieutenant General, promoted to marquis, and gradually rose to Grand General of the Vanguard and was enfeoffed as Duke of Xiping. He suppressed Liang Du and was promoted to Grand General of Chariots and Cavalry, Grand Commander with credentials equal to the Three Excellencies, and Duke of Lueyang. In the chaos of Ran Min, the people of Qin and Yong who fled west rallied to Hong as their leader. His followers reached more than one hundred thousand. He styled himself Grand General, Grand Chanyu, and King of the Three Qins. Later he was poisoned by his general Ma Qiu. On the verge of death he told Jian: "Guanzhong was the old capital of Zhou and Han, a land of strategic advantage. Advancing, one can unite the realm; retreating, one can still preserve Qin and Yong. After I die, you may march west at once." Jian followed this counsel.

健，初名羆，字世建，又避石虎外祖張羆之名，故改焉。健便弓馬，善於事人，石虎深愛之，歷位翼軍校尉、鎮軍將軍。

Jian's original name was Pi, courtesy name Shijian. He also changed it to avoid the name of Shi Hu's maternal grandfather Zhang Pi. Jian was skilled with bow and horse and adept at winning men's hearts. Shi Hu loved him deeply, and he rose through the posts of Wing Army Commandant and General Who Guards the Army.

時京兆杜洪竊據長安，關中雄儁皆應之。健密圖關中，懼洪之知也，乃繕宮室於枋頭，課民種麥，示無西意。既而自稱征西大將軍、雍州刺史，盡眾西行。至盟津，起浮橋以濟，遣弟輔國將軍雄率步騎五千入自潼關，兄子揚武將軍菁率眾七千自軹關入河東。執菁手曰：「若事不捷，汝死河北，我死河南，不及黃泉，無相見也。」濟訖，焚橋；自統大眾，繼雄而進。杜洪遣將軍張光逆健于潼關，雄擊破之。洪盡召關中之眾以拒健，健聞而筮之，遇泰之臨。健曰：「小往大來，吉亨。昔往東而小，今還西而大，吉孰大焉。諸君知不？此則漢祖屠秦之機也。」健長驅至長安，杜洪奔司竹，健遂入都。

At that time Du Hong of Jingzhao seized Chang'an, and the strong men of Guanzhong all rallied to him. Jian secretly plotted for Guanzhong. Fearing that Hong would learn of it, he repaired palace halls at Fangtou and set the people to planting wheat, showing no intent to move west. Then he styled himself Grand General Who Campaigns West and Inspector of Yong Province, and marched west with all his forces. When he reached Mengjin he built a pontoon bridge to cross, sent his younger brother Assistant General Xiong with five thousand foot and horse to enter through Tong Pass, and his elder brother's son General Who Displays Martial Prowess Jing with seven thousand men to enter Hedong through Zhiguan. He took Jing by the hand and said: "If matters do not succeed, you die north of the Yellow River and I die south of it. We shall not meet again, even in the Yellow Springs." Once the crossing was done, he burned the bridge; he himself led the main force and advanced after Xiong. Du Hong sent General Zhang Guang to meet Jian at Tong Pass. Xiong defeated him. Hong mustered all the forces of Guanzhong to resist Jian. When Jian heard this he divined and received Lin over Tai. Jian said: "The small goes out and the great comes in — auspicious and prosperous. In the past we went east and were small; now we return west and are great. What fortune could be greater? Do you understand? This is the moment when Han Gaozu overthrew Qin." Jian drove straight to Chang'an. Du Hong fled to Sizhu, and Jian entered the capital.

建國十四年，乃僭稱天王，號年皇始，國號大秦，置百官。健尋自稱皇帝。桓溫率眾伐長安，次于灞上。健弟雄擊溫，破之，溫乃引眾東走。健遣其太子萇追溫，比至潼關，九敗之，萇亦為流矢所中死。關中大飢，蝗虫生於華澤，西至隴山，百草皆盡，牛馬至相噉毛，虎狼食人，行路斷絕。十八年，健死，子生僭立。

In the fourteenth year of founding the state, he arrogated the title of Heavenly King, took the era name Huangshi, styled his state Great Qin, and established the full bureaucracy. Jian soon styled himself emperor. Huan Wen led his forces against Chang'an and halted at Bashang. Jian's younger brother Xiong attacked Wen and defeated him. Wen then led his army east in flight. Jian sent his crown prince Chang to pursue Wen. By the time he reached Tong Pass he had defeated Wen nine times, but Chang was also killed by a stray arrow. Great famine struck Guanzhong. Locusts bred at Huaze and spread west to Longshan; every blade of grass was consumed. Cattle and horses ate one another's hair; tigers and wolves devoured men, and travel on the roads ceased altogether. In the eighteenth year, Jian died, and his son Sheng declared himself emperor.

生，字長生，健之第三子也。幼而粗暴，昏酒無賴，祖洪甚惡之。生無一目，年七歲，洪戲之，問侍者曰：「吾聞瞎兒一淚，信乎？」侍者曰「然」。生怒，引佩刀自刺出血，曰：「此亦一淚也！」洪驚，鞭之，生曰：「性耐刀矟，不堪鞭捶。」洪曰：「汝為爾不已，吾將以汝為奴。」生曰：「可不如石勒也。」洪懼，跣而掩其口。謂健曰：「此兒狂悖，宜早除之，不然，長大必破人家。」健將殺之，雄止之曰：「兒長成自當修改，何至便如此。」健乃止。及長，力舉千鈞，雄勇好殺，手格猛獸，走及奔馬，擊刺騎射，冠絕一時。初，健之長子死，生母強氏意在少子柳，健以讖有「三羊五眼」之言，故立之。

Sheng, courtesy name Changsheng, was Jian's third son. From childhood he was violent and brutal, given to drunkenness and reckless behavior. His grandfather Hong deeply detested him. Sheng had only one eye. When he was seven, Hong teased him and asked his attendants: "I have heard that a one-eyed man sheds but one tear. Is that true?" The attendants said, "It is so." Sheng flew into a rage, drew his belt knife, and stabbed himself until blood flowed, saying: "This too is a tear!" Hong was startled and whipped him. Sheng said: "By nature I can endure blades and spears; I cannot endure whipping." Hong said: "If you go on like this, I shall make you a slave." Sheng said: "I could do no worse than Shi Le." Hong was terrified and ran barefoot to cover his mouth. He told Jian: "This boy is wild and rebellious. He should be removed early. Otherwise, when he grows up he will ruin the family." Jian was about to kill him, but Xiong stopped him, saying: "When the boy grows up he will reform himself. Why go so far as this?" Jian then desisted. When he grew up, his strength could lift a thousand jun. He was fierce and loved killing; he wrestled wild beasts with his hands, ran as fast as galloping horses, and in thrusting, shooting, and mounted archery he surpassed all his contemporaries. At first, when Jian's eldest son died, Sheng's mother Lady Qiang favored her younger son Liu. Jian, however, because a prophecy spoke of "three sheep and five eyes," established Sheng instead.

生既僭立，號年壽光。雖在諒闇，遊飲自若。彎弓露刃，以見朝臣，錘鉗鋸鑿，備置左右。在位未幾，后妃公卿，下至僕隸，殺五百餘人。朝饗羣臣，酣飲奏樂，生親歌以和之。命其尚書令辛牢行酒，既而生怒曰：「何不強酒，猶有坐者！」引弓射牢而殺之。於是百僚大懼，無不引滿，汙服失冠，生以為樂。長安大風，或稱賊至，宮門晝閉，五日乃止。生推告賊者，刳出心胃。生舅強平切諫，生鑿其頂而殺之。虎狼大暴，從潼關至于長安，晝則斷道，夜則發屋，不食六畜，專以害人。自其元年秋，至于二年夏，虎殺七百餘人，民廢農桑，內外忷懼。其臣奏請禳災，生曰：「野獸飢則食人，飽當自止，終不累年為患也。天將助吾行誅，以施刑教，但勿犯罪，何為怨天。」生如阿房，遇人共妹行者，逼令為淫，固執弗從，生怒殺之。其尚書僕射賈玄石，形貌美偉，生與妻樓上望見玄石在庭中，妻曰：「此何人也？」生曰：「汝欲得也。」乃誅玄石。生嘗夜食棗過多，至旦病，使太醫程延診脉，延曰：「陛下食棗多，無他疾也。」生曰：「嘻，汝非聖人，焉知吾食棗？」乃殺之。常從輿上溲便，輦者謂之天雨。生既眇其目，所諱者不足、不具、少無缺傷殘毀偏隻之言，皆不得道，左右忤旨而死者，不可勝紀。太白犯東井，其臣奏曰：「東井，秦也，太白罰星，必有暴兵起於京師。」生曰：「星入井者，必將渴耳，何所怪乎？」初，生夢大魚食蒲，又長安謠曰：「東海大魚化為龍，男便為王女為公。問在何所，洛門東。」是月，生以謠夢之故，誅太師魚遵父子一十八人。東海，苻堅封也，時為龍驤將軍，宅在洛門之東。又謠曰：「百里望空城，鬱鬱何青青。瞎人不知法，仰不見天星。」於是悉壞諸空城以禳之。「法」，是苻法也。

Once Sheng had declared himself emperor, his reign era was Shouguang. Though still in mourning for his father, he went about feasting and drinking as before. He received court officials with bow drawn and blade bared. Hammers, pincers, saws, and chisels were all kept at hand. Within a short time after taking the throne, he killed more than five hundred people, from empresses and consorts and high ministers down to servants. At court feasts with his ministers he drank deeply while music played. Sheng himself sang in accompaniment. He ordered his Director of the Ministry of Works Xin Lao to pass the wine. Then Sheng raged: "Why do you not force them to drink? Some are still sitting sober!" He drew his bow and shot Lao dead. Thereupon the hundred officials were terrified. None failed to drain his cup. Their clothes were soaked and their caps knocked awry, and Sheng took this as amusement. A great wind struck Chang'an. Some cried that bandits had come, and the palace gates were shut by day for five days before the alarm ceased. Sheng tracked down those who had spread the alarm and cut out their hearts and stomachs. Sheng's maternal uncle Qiang Ping remonstrated forcefully. Sheng bored open the top of his skull and killed him. Tigers and wolves ran wild from Tong Pass to Chang'an, blocking the roads by day and breaking into houses by night. They would not eat livestock but preyed on men alone. From the autumn of his first year to the summer of his second, the tigers killed more than seven hundred people. The people abandoned farming and silkworm raising, and fear spread inside and outside the court. His ministers memorialized asking that the calamity be averted by ritual. Sheng said: "When wild beasts are hungry they eat men. When they are full they will stop of themselves. They will not plague us for years on end. Heaven will aid me in carrying out punishments and teaching through severity. Only do not commit crimes — why blame Heaven?" When Sheng went to Epang he met a man walking with his younger sister. He forced them to commit incest; when they steadfastly refused, Sheng killed them in a rage. His Vice Director of the Ministry of Works Jia Xuanshi was handsome and imposing. Sheng and his wife looked down from a tower and saw Xuanshi in the courtyard. His wife said: "Who is that man?" Sheng said: "Do you want him?" He then executed Xuanshi. Sheng once ate too many jujubes at night and fell ill by dawn. He had the imperial physician Cheng Yan examine his pulse. Yan said: "Your Majesty ate too many jujubes. There is no other illness." Sheng said: "Ha! You are no sage — how would you know that I ate jujubes?" He then killed him. He often urinated from his carriage. The carriage attendants called it heavenly rain. Because Sheng was blind in one eye, he forbade any mention of words such as insufficient, incomplete, lacking, missing, damaged, ruined, partial, or single. Anyone in attendance who violated this and was put to death are beyond counting. When Venus invaded the Well constellation, his ministers memorialized: "The Well is Qin, and Venus is the star of punishment. Violent armies will surely rise in the capital." Sheng said: "When a star enters the Well, it must be thirsty. What is there to wonder at?" Earlier, Sheng had dreamed that a great fish ate reeds, and a song in Chang'an ran: "The great fish of the Eastern Sea turns into a dragon; the man becomes king and the woman a duke. If you ask where—east of Luomen Gate." That same month, on account of the prophecy and his dream, Sheng executed Grand Tutor Yu Zun and his sons—eighteen men in all. The Eastern Sea was Fu Jian's fief. At the time he held the post of General of Dragon Might, and his residence stood east of Luomen Gate. Another prophecy ran: "Gazing a hundred li at an empty city—how lush and green it is. The blind man knows not Fa; looking up, he cannot see the stars of heaven." Thereupon he had every empty city torn down to avert the omen. "Fa" referred to Fu Fa.

生耽湎於酒，無復晝夜。其臣朝謁，漏盡請見，生曰：「日知盡乎？須待飲訖。」因醉問左右曰：「吾統天下已來，汝等何所聞乎？」或對曰：「聖明宰世，子育百姓，罰必有罪，賞必有功，天下唯歌太平，未聞有怨。」生曰：「汝媚吾也。」引而斬之。他日，又問，或對曰：「陛下刑罰微過。」生曰：「汝謗吾也。」亦殺之。使宮人與男女裸交於殿前，引羣臣臨而觀之。或生剝牛羊驢馬，活燖雞豚鵝鴨，數十為羣，放之殿下。剝人面皮，令其歌舞。勳舊親戚，殺害略盡，王公在者以疾告歸，得度一日如過十年。至於截脛刳胎、拉脅鋸頸者，動有千數。生夜對侍婢曰：「阿法兄弟，亦不可信，明當除之。」旦而侍婢以告，法與弟堅率壯士數百人入雲龍門，宿衞者皆捨仗歸堅。廢生為越王，俄而殺之。

Sheng drowned himself in wine, making no distinction between day and night. When his ministers came to audience at daybreak and the water clock had run dry, they asked to be received. Sheng said, "Does the day know when it ends? Wait until I have finished drinking. Wait until I have finished drinking." While drunk he asked those around him, "Since I have ruled the realm, what have you heard?" Some answered, "Your sage brilliance governs the age; you nurture the people as your children. Punishment always falls on the guilty, reward always on the meritorious. The realm sings only of peace—no word of resentment has been heard." Sheng said, "You are flattering me." He had them dragged out and beheaded. On another day he asked again; someone answered, "Your Majesty's punishments are slightly excessive." Sheng said, "You are slandering me." He killed that man as well. He made palace women and men copulate naked before the hall and summoned the ministers to watch. Sometimes he would flay cattle, sheep, donkeys, and horses alive, or scald chickens, pigs, geese, and ducks while still living—dozens at a time—and release them below the hall. He flayed men's faces and made them sing and dance. Meritorious veterans and kinsmen were slaughtered almost to the last man; princes and nobles who survived pleaded illness and went home, counting one day as ten years. Those whose shins were cut off, whose wombs were gouged out, whose ribs were torn or whose necks were sawn through numbered in the thousands. At night Sheng said to a serving maid, "Brother A-Fa and the rest cannot be trusted either; tomorrow I shall remove them." At dawn the maid reported it. Fa and his brother Jian led several hundred stalwarts into the Cloud Dragon Gate; the night guards all cast aside their weapons and went over to Jian. They deposed Sheng as Prince of Yue and soon killed him.

堅，字永固，一字文玉，雄第二子也。既殺苻生，以位讓其兄清河王法，法固以推堅。於是去皇帝之號，僭稱天王，號年永興。以法為丞相、東海公，尋以疑忌殺之。改年為甘露，時建國二十二年也。堅從弟晉公柳反於蒲坂，魏公庾反於陝，燕公武反於安定，堅弟趙公雙反於上邽，皆討平之。慕容垂奔於堅，王猛勸堅殺之，堅不從。

Jian, styled Yonggu, also known as Wenyu, was Xiong's second son. After killing Fu Sheng, he offered the throne to his elder brother, the Prince of Qinghe, Fa; Fa firmly pressed it back on Jian. Thereupon he cast off the title of emperor and presumptuously styled himself Heavenly King, with the era name Yongxing. He made Fa chief minister and Duke of the Eastern Sea, but soon killed him out of suspicion. He changed the era name to Ganlu; it was the twenty-second year of the state's founding. Jian's cousin, the Duke of Jin, Liu, rebelled at Puban; the Duke of Wei, Yu, at Shan; the Duke of Yan, Wu, at Anding; and Jian's brother, the Duke of Zhao, Shuang, at Shanggui—all were suppressed. Murong Chui fled to Jian. Wang Meng urged Jian to kill him, but Jian refused.

三十八年，改為建元。堅遣使牛恬朝貢。使尚書令王猛伐鄴，堅親率大眾以繼之。克鄴，擒慕容暐。堅使其右將軍楊安攻克漢中，仍平蜀；又遣其武衞將軍苟萇西伐涼州，降張天錫；遣其子長樂公丕攻克襄陽。堅觀其史書，見母苟氏通李威之事，慚怒，乃焚其書。

In the thirty-eighth year he changed the era name to Jianyuan. Jian sent the envoy Niu Tian to pay tribute. He sent the Director of the Masters of Writing, Wang Meng, to attack Ye, and Jian personally led a great host in support. Ye was taken and Murong Wei captured. Jian had his Right General Yang An capture Hanzhong and then pacify Shu; he also sent his Martial Guard General Gou Chang west to attack Liangzhou and received Zhang Tiansi's surrender; and he sent his son, the Duke of Changle, Pi, to capture Xiangyang. Jian read the dynastic records and saw that his mother, Lady Gou, had had relations with Li Wei. Ashamed and enraged, he burned the books.

堅南伐司馬昌明，戎卒六十萬，騎二十七萬，前後千里，旗鼓相望。堅至項城，涼州兵始達咸陽，蜀漢之軍，順流而下，幽冀之眾，至于彭城，東西萬里，水陸齊進，運漕萬艘，自河入石門，達于汝潁。堅弟陽平公融攻壽春，克之。融馳使白堅曰：「賊少易俘，但懼越逸，宜速進軍。」堅大悅，捨大軍于項城，輕騎八千，兼道赴之。堅與融登城，望昌明將謝石軍，又望八公山上草木皆類人形，顧謂融曰：「此亦勁敵也，何謂少乎！」憮然有懼色。謝石欲戰，苻融陳逼肥水，石遣使謂融曰：「君若小退師，令將士周旋，僕與君公緩轡而觀之，不亦美也？」融於是麾軍却陳，欲因其濟，覆而取之。軍遂奔退，制之不可止。融馬倒見殺，軍遂大敗。謝石乘勝追擊，至于青岡，死者相枕。堅單騎遁還淮北。初，謠言曰：「堅不出項。」羣臣勸堅停項，為六軍聲鎮，堅不從。諸軍悉潰，唯其冠軍慕容垂一軍獨全，堅以千餘騎赴之。收集離散，比至洛陽，眾十餘萬。

Jian marched south against Sima Changming with six hundred thousand infantry and two hundred seventy thousand cavalry; for a thousand li front and rear, banners and drums faced one another. When Jian reached Xiangcheng, the Liangzhou troops had only just reached Xianyang; the Shu-Han army came downstream; the You-Ji forces reached Pengcheng. For ten thousand li east and west, land and water advanced together. Ten thousand transport boats, entering the Yellow River through Shimen, reached the Ru and Ying. Jian's brother, the Duke of Yangping, Rong, attacked Shouchun and took it. Rong sent a fast messenger to report to Jian, "The enemy are few and easy to capture, but I fear they may slip away. Your Majesty should advance quickly." Jian was greatly pleased. He left the main army at Xiangcheng and with eight thousand light cavalry hurried by forced marches to join Rong. Jian and Rong mounted the wall and looked out on the army of Changming's general Xie Shi, and also on the trees and grass of Mount Bagong, all resembling human forms. Turning to Rong he said, "These too are formidable foes—why call them few!" He looked suddenly fearful. Xie Shi wished to give battle. Fu Rong drew up his lines pressing the Fei River. Shi sent a messenger to Rong saying, "If you would withdraw your forces a little and let the soldiers on both sides maneuver, your servant and my lord might slacken our reins and watch—would that not be fine?" Rong thereupon waved his army to fall back from the formation, intending to strike them as they crossed and overturn them. The army then broke and fled; he could not stop it. Rong's horse fell and he was killed; the army suffered a great defeat. Xie Shi pursued in victory as far as Qinggang; the dead lay piled one upon another. Jian fled alone on horseback back to the north of the Huai. Earlier a prophecy had said, "Jian will not leave Xiang." The ministers urged Jian to halt at Xiang as a stabilizing presence for the six armies, but he would not listen. The armies all collapsed; only the army of Champion Murong Chui remained intact. Jian went to him with a little over a thousand horsemen. He gathered the scattered troops, and by the time he reached Luoyang his force numbered more than a hundred thousand.

行未及關，垂有貳志，說堅請巡撫燕代，并求拜墓，許之。垂遂殺堅驍騎將軍石越、鎮軍將軍毛當，引丁零之眾攻堅子長樂公丕於鄴。慕容泓、沖起兵華澤，堅遣子叡、暉前後擊泓，為泓所敗。長安鬼夜哭三旬。沖又擊殺堅將姜宇於灞上，遂屯阿房，進逼長安。堅登城觀之，歎曰：「此虜何從而出？其強若斯！」大言責沖曰：「爾輩羣奴，正可牧牛羊，何為送死！」沖曰：「奴則奴矣，既厭奴苦，取爾見代。」堅遣使送錦袍一領遺沖，使者稱有詔：「古人兵交，使在其間。卿遠來草創，得無勞乎？今送一袍，以明本懷。朕於卿恩分如何，而於一朝忽為此變？」沖命詹事答之，亦稱皇太弟有令：「孤今心在天下，豈顧一袍小惠。苟能知命，便可君臣束手，早送皇帝。自當寬貸苻氏，以酬曩好，終不使既往之事，獨美於前。」堅大怒曰：「朕不用王景略、陽平公之言，使白虜敢至於此！」

Before he had gone as far as the pass, Chui harbored disloyal intent. He urged Jian to request leave to pacify Yan and Dai and also asked permission to visit his ancestors' tombs; Jian granted it. Chui then killed Jian's Fierce Cavalry General Shi Yue and Pacifying Army General Mao Dang, and with the Dingling tribes attacked Jian's son, the Duke of Changle, Pi, at Ye. Murong Hong and Chong raised troops at Huaze. Jian sent his sons Rui and Hui in succession to attack Hong, and both were defeated by Hong. Ghosts wept in Chang'an by night for thirty days. Chong also killed Jian's general Jiang Yu at Bashang, then encamped at Epang and pressed toward Chang'an. Jian mounted the wall to look and sighed, "Where did these bandits come from? How strong they are!" He shouted at Chong in a loud voice, "You pack of slaves—fit only to herd cattle and sheep! Why come here to die!" Chong said, "A slave I may be, but having grown weary of slave's misery, I have come to take your place." Jian sent an envoy with a brocade robe for Chong. The messenger announced an imperial decree: "When armies meet in antiquity, envoys passed between them. You have come from afar to this newly founded camp—are you not weary? Now I send a robe to make clear my true heart. What was the bond of grace between us, that you should suddenly turn to this rebellion?" Chong had the Household Superintendent reply, likewise in the name of the Grand Imperial Brother: "My heart is now set on the realm—why should I care for the small favor of one robe? If you can know fate, you may at once submit as subject and sovereign and send the emperor forth early. I shall surely show leniency to the Fu clan in recompense for old friendship, and shall not let what is past stand alone as the sole beauty of former times." Jian said in great anger, "Because I did not heed the words of Wang Jinglue and the Duke of Yangping, white barbarians have dared come to this!"

長安大飢，人民相食。姚萇叛於北地，與沖連和，合攻長安。有羣烏數萬，鳴於長安城上，其聲甚悲，占者以為不終年，有甲兵入城之象。每夜有人周城大呼曰：「楊定健兒應屬我，宮殿臺觀應坐我，父子同出不共汝。」旦遣尋求，不見人跡。先是，又謠曰：「堅入五將山長得。」堅大信之，告其太子永道曰：「天或導予，脫如謠言。留汝兼總戎政，勿與賊爭利。吾當出隴收兵，運糧以給汝。天其或者正訓予也。」遣其衞將軍楊定擊沖於城西，為沖所擒。堅彌懼，付永道以後事，率騎數百出如五將，宣告州郡，期救長安。月餘，永道尋將母妻、宗室、男女數千騎出奔武都，遂假道入司馬昌明。慕容沖入據長安。堅至五將山，姚萇遣其將吳忠圍之。堅眾奔散，獨左右十數人，神色自若，坐而待之，召宰人進食。俄而兵至，執堅及其夫人張氏與少女寶錦，送詣姚萇。萇囚之，將害焉。堅自以平生遇萇厚，忿之，厲聲大罵，謂張氏曰：「豈令羌奴辱吾兒！」於是殺寶錦。姚萇乃縊堅於新平佛寺。永道既奔昌明，處之江州，桓玄以為梁州刺史，後為劉裕所誅。永道名犯高祖廟諱。

Great famine struck Chang'an; people ate one another. Yao Chang rebelled in Beidi and joined forces with Chong to attack Chang'an together. Tens of thousands of crows perched on Chang'an's walls, crying mournfully. Diviners took this as a sign that the year would not end and that armed men would enter the city. Each night someone circled the wall shouting, "Yang Ding the stalwart belongs to me; the palaces and towers are mine to sit in; father and son go out together—we share nothing with you." At dawn they searched but found no trace of anyone. Earlier there had also been a prophecy: "Jian enters Wujiang Mountain and lives long." Jian believed it utterly and told his crown prince Yongdao, "Heaven may be guiding me; if the prophecy proves true— I leave you to command the armies jointly. Do not contend with the enemy for gain. I shall go out through Long to gather troops and transport grain to supply you. Heaven perhaps is truly instructing me." He sent his Guard General Yang Ding to attack Chong west of the city, and Ding was captured by Chong. Jian grew ever more afraid. He entrusted the affairs of state to Yongdao, then led several hundred horsemen out toward Wujiang, proclaiming to the provinces and commanderies and fixing a date to rescue Chang'an. After more than a month Yongdao led his mother, wife, members of the imperial clan, and several thousand men and women in flight to Wudu, then took a byway into Sima Changming's territory. Murong Chong entered and occupied Chang'an. When Jian reached Wujiang Mountain, Yao Chang sent his general Wu Zhong to surround him. Jian's troops scattered in flight; only a dozen or so attendants remained. His expression was calm; he sat and waited, summoning the cook to bring food. Before long the soldiers arrived, seized Jian together with his consort Lady Zhang and his young daughter Baojin, and sent them to Yao Chang. Chang imprisoned him and was about to kill him. Jian, reflecting that he had always treated Chang generously, was enraged and cursed him loudly, saying to Lady Zhang, "Shall I let this Qiang slave dishonor my daughter!" Thereupon he killed Baojin. Yao Chang then strangled Jian in the Xiping Buddhist temple. After Yongdao fled to Changming he was settled in Jiangzhou. Huan Xuan made him Inspector of Liangzhou; later he was executed by Liu Yu. Yongdao's given name violated the taboo of the Founding Emperor's temple name.

堅子丕，字永敍。堅以為征東將軍、冀州牧，封長樂公，鎮鄴。為慕容垂圍逼，丕乃去鄴，率男女六萬餘口進如潞川。堅驃騎將軍張蚝、并州刺史王騰迎丕入據晉陽。堅既為姚萇所殺，太祖九年，丕乃僭稱尊號，改年太安。先是，王猛子幽州刺史永亦率眾赴之，丕以永為司徒、錄尚書事，張蚝為司空，王騰為司隸，傳檄遠近，率多應之。

Jian's son Pi, styled Yongxu. Jian made him General Who Pacifies the East and Governor of Jizhou, enfeoffed him as Duke of Changle, and stationed him at Ye. Pressed by Murong Chui's siege, Pi abandoned Ye and led more than sixty thousand men and women toward Lucuan. Fu Jian's Flying Cavalry General Zhang Hao and Bingzhou Inspector Wang Teng welcomed Pi into Jinyang and installed him there. Once Fu Jian fell to Yao Chang, in the ninth year of Taizu Pi seized the imperial title and proclaimed the Tai'an era. Wang Meng's son Yong, the Youzhou inspector, had already marched to Pi's side. Pi appointed Yong Director of the Masters of Writing and Recorder of Affairs, Zhang Hao Minister of Works, and Wang Teng Director of the Masters for the Imperial Domain, then sent proclamations throughout the realm—and most powers answered.

丕留王騰守晉陽，楊輔守壺關，率眾四萬，進據平陽，將討姚萇。而慕容永請假道東歸，丕弗許，怒曰：「永乃我之馬將，首亂京畿，禍傾社稷，承凶繼逆，方請逃歸。是而可忍，孰不可恕！」使其丞相王永討之，戰于襄陵，永大敗，死之。丕眾離散，率騎數千南奔東垣，為司馬昌明將馮該所殺。

Pi left Wang Teng at Jinyang and Yang Fu at Huguan, advanced with forty thousand troops to seize Pingyang, and prepared to march against Yao Chang. Murong Yong asked permission to march eastward homeward; Pi refused and raged: "Yong was my cavalry commander—he was first to raise chaos in the capital, wrecked the altars of the realm, and now, heir to treason and rebellion, he asks to slip away home. If this may be tolerated, what crime could not? Pi dispatched his chief minister Wang Yong against him. At Xiangling Yong was routed and killed. Pi's host broke apart. He fled south with a few thousand horsemen to Dongyuan, where Sima Changming's general Feng Gai killed him.

丕族子登，字文高，粗險不修細行，故堅弗之奇也。長而折節，頗覽書傳。堅以為長安令，坐事黜為狄道長。

Pi's kinsman Deng, courtesy name Wengao, was rough, reckless, and lax in petty behavior, and Jian saw nothing remarkable in him. As he matured he disciplined himself and read widely in the classics and histories. Jian appointed him magistrate of Chang'an; after an offense he was reduced to prefect of Didao.

及關中起兵，奔於枹罕。羣氐殺河州牧毛興，推衞平為安西將軍、河州刺史，平以登為長史。既而，枹罕諸氐以衞平年老，議欲廢之，而憚其宗強，連日不決。氐有啖青者，謂諸將曰：「大事宜定，東討姚萇，不可猶豫，一旦事發，返為人害。諸君但請衞公會集眾將，青為諸君決之。」眾咸以為然，因大饗。青抽劍而前曰：「衞公朽耄，不足以成大事。狄道長苻登，雖王室疏屬，請共立之。」於是推登為使持節、都督隴右征羌諸軍事、撫軍大將軍、雍河二州牧、略陽公，率眾五萬東下隴，據南安，馳使請命。丕以登為征西大將軍、開府儀同三司、南安王，餘因其所稱而授之。

When rebellion broke out in Guanzhong he fled to Fuhan. The Di killed Hezhou governor Mao Xing and installed Wei Ping as General Who Pacifies the West and governor of Hezhou; Ping made Deng his chief clerk. Soon the Fuhan Di, seeing Wei Ping's advanced age, wanted to remove him yet feared his clan's power, and for days they could not settle the matter. Among the Di was Dan Qing, who told the generals: "Great matters must be decided at once. Strike east against Yao Chang—do not delay. Once disorder erupts, others will turn on us in turn. Ask Lord Wei only to gather the commanders; Qing will settle the question for you." All assented, and they held a great banquet. Qing drew his sword and advanced, saying: "Lord Wei is worn out and too aged for great undertakings. Fu Deng, prefect of Didao, is only a distant kinsman of the house—yet let us raise him together." They thereupon installed Deng as Bearer of the Staff, supervisor of the western campaign against the Qiang, Grand General Who Pacifies the Army, governor of Yong and He, and Duke of Lüeyang, then marched fifty thousand men east down Long, seized Nan'an, and sent a swift courier to seek confirmation. Pi confirmed Deng as Grand General Who Pacifies the West, Grand Master with honors equal to the Three Excellencies, and Prince of Nan'an, and ratified the rest of the titles Deng had already taken.

登進攻安定，萇襲其輜重，獲登妻毛氏，將妻之，毛氏哭罵，萇殺之。登聞姚萇死，喜曰：「姚興小兒，吾將折杖以笞之。」乃盡眾而東，以趣廢橋。興將尹緯據橋待之，爭水不得，為緯所敗，奔於平涼，入馬毛山。姚興攻之，登戰死。

Deng marched on Anding. Chang raided his baggage train and seized Deng's wife, Lady Mao. When he meant to make her his own, she wept and cursed him; Chang had her killed. Hearing of Yao Chang's death, Deng rejoiced and said: "That stripling Yao Xing—I will break a rod and thrash him with it." He then led his whole army east toward Feiqiao. Yao Xing's general Yin Wei held the bridge against him. They fought over water and failed; Wei defeated Deng, who fled to Pingliang and took refuge on Mount Maimao. Yao Xing attacked him, and Deng fell in battle.

100

子崇，奔於湟中。僭稱尊號，改年延初。尋為乞伏乾歸所殺。

His son Chong fled into Huangzhong. He usurped the imperial title and proclaimed the Yanchu era. Soon Qifu Gannian killed him.

101

羌姚萇，字景茂，出於南安赤亭，燒當之後也。祖柯回，助魏將絆姜維於沓中，以功假綏戎校尉、西羌都督。父弋仲，晉永嘉之亂，東徙榆眉。劉曜以弋仲為平西將軍、平襄公。烈帝之五年，弋仲率部眾隨石虎遷于清河之灄頭，勒以弋仲為奮武將軍，封襄平公。昭成時，弋仲死，子襄代，屯於譙城。慕容儁以襄為豫州刺史、丹陽公，進屯淮南，自稱大將軍、大單于。為司馬聃將桓溫所敗，奔於河東。後為苻眉所殺。

The Qiang leader Yao Chang, courtesy name Jingmao, was from Chiting in Nan'an and traced his line to the Shaodang tribe. His grandfather Ke Hui helped a Wei general trap Jiang Wei at Tazhong and, for merit, was made acting Colonel Who Calms the Rong and supervisor of the Western Qiang. His father Yizhong, in the chaos of the Yongjia years, moved east to Yumei. Liu Yao appointed Yizhong General Who Pacifies the West and Duke of Pingxiang. In the fifth year of Emperor Lie, Yizhong led his tribesmen after Shi Hu to Zuitou in Qinghe; Le made Yizhong General of Fierce Martial and enfeoffed him as Duke of Xiangping. During the Zhaocheng reign Yizhong died; his son Xiang succeeded him and camped at Qiaocheng. Murong Jun made Xiang inspector of Yuzhou and Duke of Danyang; Xiang advanced to camp at Huainan and styled himself Grand General and Grand Chanyu. Sima Dan's general Huan Wen defeated him, and he fled to Hedong. Later Fu Mei killed him.

102

弋仲有子四十二人，萇第二十四，隨兄襄征伐，襄甚奇之。襄之敗也，萇率子弟降於苻堅。從堅征伐，頻有戰功，歷寧、幽、兗三州刺史，封益都侯，邑五百戶。苻堅伐司馬昌明，以萇為龍驤將軍，督益梁州諸軍事。謂萇曰：「朕本以龍驤建業，龍驤之號，初未假人，今特以相授。山南之事，一以委卿。」堅左將軍竇衝進曰：「王者無戲言，此將不臧之徵也，惟陛下察之。」堅默然。

Yizhong had forty-two sons; Chang was the twenty-fourth. He followed his elder brother Xiang on campaign, and Xiang thought him remarkable. After Xiang's defeat, Chang led his younger kinsmen in surrender to Fu Jian. Campaigning under Jian he won repeated battle honors, served in turn as inspector of Ning, You, and Yan, and was enfeoffed as Marquis of Yidu with a fief of five hundred households. When Fu Jian marched against Sima Changming he made Chang General of Dragon Might and supervisor of military affairs for Yi and Liang. He told Chang: "I myself founded my power under the title Dragon Might; that title I had never given to another—now I bestow it on you alone. All matters south of the mountains I leave wholly in your hands." Jian's Left General Dou Chong stepped forward and said: "A sovereign does not speak in jest. This is an omen that the general will not thrive—may Your Majesty weigh it." Jian said nothing.

103

及慕容泓起兵華澤，堅遣子衞大將軍叡討之，戰敗，為泓所殺。時萇為叡司馬，懼罪奔馬牧，聚眾萬餘，自稱大將軍、大單于、萬年秦王，號年白雀。數月之間，眾至十餘萬，與慕容沖連和，進屯北地。苻堅出至五將山，萇執而殺之。

When Murong Hong rose at Huaze, Jian sent his son, Guard General Rui, to suppress him. Hong defeated Rui and killed him. Chang was then Rui's chief clerk. Fearing punishment he fled to Mumu, gathered more than ten thousand men, and styled himself Grand General, Grand Chanyu, and King of Qin of the Ten Thousand Years, with the era name Baique. Within months his host swelled past a hundred thousand. He allied with Murong Chong and advanced to camp in Beidi. When Fu Jian went out to Wujiang Mountain, Chang captured and killed him.

104

興，字子略，萇長子也。既滅苻登，乃發喪行服，僭稱皇帝於槐里，號年皇初。天興元年，興去皇帝之號，降稱天王，號年洪始。 [16]興克洛陽，以其弟東平公紹鎮之。三年，興遣使朝貢，太祖遣謁者僕射張濟使於興。興又大破乞伏乾歸，遂入枹罕，獲鎧馬六萬匹，乾歸降於興。

Xing, courtesy name Zilue, was Chang's eldest son. After destroying Fu Deng he proclaimed mourning and, at Huaili, usurped the imperial title under the era name Huangchu. In the first year of Tianxing, Xing abandoned the title of emperor, styled himself Heavenly King, and proclaimed the Hongshi era. [16] Xing took Luoyang and left his brother, the Duke of Dongping, Shao, to hold it. In the third year Xing sent tribute envoys; Taizu dispatched Master of Ceremonies Zhang Ji as envoy to Xing. Xing also routed Qifu Gannian, entered Fuhan, and seized sixty thousand armored horses; Gannian submitted to him.

105

太祖遣軍襲興高平公沒弈于，于棄部眾，率數千騎與赫連屈孑奔於秦州。追至於瓦亭，長安震懼。興大議為寇，其臣咸以為不可，興不從。天興五年夏，興遣其弟義陽公平率眾四萬侵平陽，攻乾壁六十餘日，壁中眾少失井，乃陷之。六月，太祖將討平，遣毗陵王順等三軍六萬騎為先鋒。七月，車駕親征；八月，次於永安。平募遣勇將，率精騎二百窺軍，為太祖前鋒將長孫肥所擒，匹馬不返。平遂退走，太祖急追，及於柴壁。平因守固，太祖圍之，興乃悉舉其眾救平。

Taizu sent troops against Xing's Duke of Gaoping, Moyigan; Moyigan abandoned his tribesmen and fled with several thousand horsemen and Helian Quzi to Qinzhou. The pursuit reached Wating, and Chang'an shook with fear. Xing held a great council on raiding the foe; his ministers all urged against it, but Xing would not heed them. In the summer of the fifth year of Tianxing, Xing sent his brother, the Duke of Yiyang, Ping, with forty thousand men against Pingyang. Ping besieged Ganbi for more than sixty days; the defenders were few, their wells failed, and the city fell. In the sixth month Taizu prepared to campaign against Ping and sent the Prince of Piling, Shun, with three armies and sixty thousand horsemen as vanguard. In the seventh month the emperor marched in person; in the eighth month he halted at Yong'an. Ping sent bold commanders with two hundred picked horsemen to scout the army; Taizu's vanguard general Changsun Fei captured them—not one horse came back. Ping retreated; Taizu pressed the pursuit and overtook him at Chaibi. Ping held fast behind the walls; Taizu besieged him, and Xing mustered his whole army to relieve him.

106

太祖聞興將至，增築重圍，內以防平之出，外以距興之入。又截汾曲為南北浮橋，乘西岸築圍。太祖以步騎三萬餘人，渡蒙坑南四十里，逆擊興。興晨行北引，未及安營，太祖軍卒至，興眾怖擾。太祖詔毗陵王順以精騎衝擊，獲興甲騎數百，斬首千餘級。興退，南走四十餘里，太祖引還。平竟不敢出，但使人燒圍數百步而已。太祖知興氣挫，乃南絕蒙坑之口，東杜新坂之隘，守天渡，屯賈山，令平水陸路絕，將坐甲而擒之。太祖又緣汾帶岡樹柵數十里，以衞芻牧者。九月，興從汾西北下，憑壑為壘以自固。興又將數千騎，乘西岸窺視太祖營，束栢材從汾上流下之，欲以毀橋，官軍鈎取以為薪蒸。興還壘。太祖度其必攻西圍，乃命修塹，增廣之。至夜，興果來攻，梯短不及，棄之塹中而還。又分其眾，臨汾為壘，叩逼水門，與平相望。太祖因截水中，興內外隔絕，士眾喪氣。於是平糧盡窘急，夜悉眾將突西南而出。興列兵汾西，舉烽鼓譟，為平接援。太祖簡諸軍精銳，屯汾西，固守南橋，絕塞水口。興夜聞聲，望平力戰突免；平聞外鼓，望興攻圍引接。故但叫呼，虛相應和，莫敢逼圍。平引不得出，窮迫，乃將二妾赴水而死。興安遠將軍不蒙世、揚武將軍雷重等將士四千餘人，隨平投水。太祖令泅水鈎捕，無得免者。平眾三萬餘人，皆斂手受執，擒興尚書右僕射狄伯支，越騎校尉唐小方，積弩將軍姚梁國，建忠將軍雷星、康官，[17]北中郎將康猥，興從子伯禽已下四品將軍已上，四十餘人。興遠來赴救，自觀其窮，力不能免，舉軍悲號，震動山谷，數日不止。頻遣使請和，太祖不許，乃班師。

Learning that Xing was coming, Taizu strengthened the inner ring to keep Ping from breaking out and the outer ring to keep Xing from entering. He also cut the Fen's bend to lay north-south pontoon bridges and built a stockade on the west bank. Taizu crossed south of Mengkeng with a little more than thirty thousand foot and horse and struck Xing head-on from forty li away. Xing marched north at dawn and had not yet made camp when Taizu's army fell upon him; Xing's troops panicked and broke ranks. Taizu ordered the Prince of Piling, Shun, to charge with picked cavalry; they seized several hundred of Xing's armored horsemen and took more than a thousand heads. Xing fell back south more than forty li; Taizu drew off. Ping still dared not sally forth, and only sent men to burn the stockade for several hundred paces. Seeing Xing's spirit broken, Taizu sealed the mouth of Mengkeng to the south, closed the Xinban pass to the east, held Tiandu, and camped at Jiashan, cutting Ping off by land and water and intending to take him without a battle. Taizu also ran palisades along the Fen for several tens of li to shield the foragers. In the ninth month Xing descended from the northwest along the Fen and fortified himself in the ravines. Xing again led several thousand horsemen to the west bank to spy on Taizu's camp, bound cypress timbers, and floated them down the Fen to wreck the bridge; the government troops hooked them out and burned them for fuel. Xing withdrew to his fort. Taizu judged that Xing would surely strike the western stockade and ordered the ditches repaired and widened. At night Xing did attack; the ladders were too short to reach the wall, and his men left them in the ditches as they withdrew. He also split his force, built forts along the Fen, pressed the water gates, and faced Ping from a distance. Taizu then cut the river in the middle; Xing was severed within and without, and his soldiers lost heart. Ping's grain ran out and he was desperate; by night he led his whole force in a breakout toward the southwest. Xing drew up his troops west of the Fen, raised beacon fires, and beat the drums loudly to cover Ping's escape. Taizu picked elite troops from the armies, camped west of the Fen, held the southern bridge fast, and blocked the water mouth. By night Xing heard the uproar and watched as Ping fought desperately to break out; Ping heard drums outside and waited for Xing to strike the encirclement and lead him out. They could only shout answers across the lines in hollow coordination; none dared press the stockade. Ping could not break free; in despair he took his two concubines into the water and died. Xing's Generals Who Pacify the Distance, Bu Mengshi, and General of Fierce Martial Lei Zhong, with more than four thousand officers and soldiers, followed Ping into the water. Taizu ordered men to swim out and hook them; none escaped. More than thirty thousand of Ping's men surrendered with hands bound. They took Xing's Right Vice Director of the Masters of Writing Di Bozhi, Colonel of Rapid Cavalry Tang Xiaofang, General of Strong Crossbows Yao Liangguo, Generals Who Establish Loyalty Lei Xing and Kang Guan, [17] General of the North Central Army Kang Wei, Xing's cousin General Bozhin, and more than forty officers of the fourth rank and above. Xing had marched from afar to save them and saw their ruin; though his strength could not avail, the whole army wailed until the valleys shook, and the sound did not stop for days. He sent envoys again and again to sue for peace; Taizu refused and withdrew the army.

107

興還長安。有雀數萬頭，鬬於興廟，毛羽折落，多有死者，月餘乃止。識者曰：「今雀鬬廟上，子孫當有爭亂者乎？」又興殿有聲如牛吼。有二狐入長安，一登興殿屋，走入宮，一入于巿，求之不得。

Xing returned to Chang'an. Tens of thousands of sparrows battled in Xing's ancestral temple; feathers broke and fell, and many died; the frenzy lasted more than a month before it ceased. Those versed in omens said: "Sparrows now fight in the temple—will the descendants contend among themselves?" In Xing's hall, too, there came a sound like the bellowing of an ox. Two foxes entered Chang'an; one climbed onto the roof of Xing's hall and ran into the palace, the other into the market—both were sought but not found.

108

先是，譙縱略有益寧之地，僭稱尊號，遣使稱蕃於興，興以縱為蜀王，加九錫。永興三年，興遣周寶朝貢。五年，興遣使朝貢，并請進女，太宗許之。

Earlier Qiao Zong had seized Yi and Ning, usurped the imperial title, and sent envoys declaring himself Xing's vassal; Xing made him King of Shu and granted the Nine Bestowments. In the third year of the Yongxing era, Yao Xing sent Zhou Bao to present tribute at court. Five years on, Xing dispatched ambassadors bearing tribute and asking leave to offer a daughter in marriage; Emperor Taizong agreed.

109

興中子廣平公弼有寵，委之朝政。興疾篤，長子泓侍疾於中，弼集黨數千人，候興死，欲殺泓自立。興諸子姪外鎮者，聞之，皆起兵討弼。興疾瘳，不忍誅弼，免官而已。神瑞元年，興遣兼散騎常侍、尚書吏部郎嚴康朝貢。二年，興遣散騎常侍東武侯姚敞、尚書姚泰奉其西平公主於太宗，帝以后禮納之。興復以弼為中軍大將軍，配兵三萬，屯於渭北。興又疾甚，弼遣其黨姚武伯等率眾攻端門。泓時侍疾，遣兵拒之，興力疾臨前殿，殺弼，弼黨乃散。泰常元年，興死，泓僭立。

Xing's second son, Bi, Duke of Guangping, enjoyed special favor and was entrusted with the affairs of government. As Xing lay critically ill, his eldest son Hong nursed him within the palace while Bi rallied a faction thousands strong, biding his time until Xing died so he could murder Hong and seize the throne. Sons and nephews of Xing holding commands beyond the capital, learning of the plot, all took up arms to move against Bi. When Xing recovered he could not bring himself to execute Bi and simply stripped him of his posts. In the first year of Shenrui, Xing dispatched Yan Kang — concurrently Scattered Cavalry Regular Attendant and Personnel Director in the Ministry of Personnel — to present tribute. The following year Xing sent Yao Chang, Scattered Cavalry Regular Attendant and Marquis of Dongwu, together with Minister Yao Tai to deliver his Princess of Xiping to Emperor Taizong, who welcomed her with the ceremony accorded an empress. Xing restored Bi as Grand General of the Central Army, gave him thirty thousand men, and posted the force north of the Wei. When Xing fell deathly ill once more, Bi dispatched his partisans — Yao Wubo among them — to storm the Duan Gate. Hong was at his father's bedside and sent soldiers to block the attack. Summoning what strength remained, Xing dragged himself to the front hall, slew Bi, and his faction collapsed. In the first year of Taichang, after Xing died, Hong seized the throne without legitimate authority.

110

泓，字元子，興之長子也。既僭位，號年永和。赫連屈孑攻泓秦州，又克安定，遂據雍城。司馬德宗將劉裕伐泓。裕遣將檀道濟至洛陽，泓弟陳留公洸以城降。泓弟太原公懿反於蒲坂，泓從弟齊公恢反於嶺北，皆舉兵伐長安。泓既有內難，裕遂長驅入關。泓戰敗，請降，送於建康巿斬之。

Hong, courtesy name Yuanzi, was the eldest son of Xing. Once he had usurped power he proclaimed the Yonghe era. Helian Quzi assailed Hong's Qinzhou, took Anding as well, and pressed on to hold Yongcheng. Emperor Dezong of Jin's general Liu Yu marched against Hong. Liu Yu dispatched Tan Daoji to Luoyang, where Hong's brother Guang, Duke of Chenliu, yielded the city. Hong's brother Yi, Duke of Taiyuan, rose at Puban while his cousin Hui, Duke of Qi, rebelled north of the mountains; both mustered armies to strike at Chang'an. With rebellion tearing his realm apart, Hong could not hold the passes as Liu Yu swept deep into Guanzhong. Hong was routed, sued for surrender, and was sent to Jiankang where he was beheaded in the public square.

111

略陽氐呂光，字世明，本出略陽。父婆樓，苻堅太尉。光年十歲，遊戲好戰陳之法，為諸兒所推。身長八尺四寸，肘有肉印。從王猛征討，稍遷破虜將軍。

Lu Guang of the Lüeyang Di people, courtesy name Shiming, was a native of Lüeyang. His father Polou had served Fu Jian as Grand Commandant. At ten Guang loved to drill mock battle formations in play and was chosen leader by the other boys. He measured eight chi four cun in height and bore a fleshy mark on his elbow. Campaigning under Wang Meng, he rose step by step to General Who Subdues the Barbarians.

112

堅以光為驍騎將軍，率眾七千討西域，所經諸國，莫不降附。光至龜茲，王帛純拒之，西域諸胡救帛純者，七十餘萬人。光乃結陳為勾鎖之法，戰於城西，大破之，斬級萬餘，帛純逃走，降者三十餘國。光以駝二千餘頭，致外國珍寶及奇伎、異戲、殊禽、怪獸千有餘品，駿馬萬餘匹而還。苻堅涼州刺史梁熙遣兵拒之，光擊破熙軍，遂入姑臧。斬熙，自署護羌校尉、涼州刺史。

Fu Jian appointed Guang Fierce Cavalry General and sent him west with seven thousand troops; every kingdom along the route submitted. At Kucha King Bo Chun resisted him, and more than seven hundred thousand Western Region Hu rallied to Bo Chun's defense. Guang deployed the linked-hook formation and fought west of the city, winning a crushing victory: over ten thousand heads were taken, Bo Chun fled, and more than thirty states capitulated. Guang returned with more than two thousand camels laden with foreign treasures and curios, exotic performances and strange diversions, rare birds and fantastic beasts of more than a thousand kinds, and over ten thousand fine horses. Liang Xi, Fu Jian's Inspector of Liangzhou, sent troops to block him; Guang shattered Xi's force and marched into Guzang. He executed Xi and on his own authority proclaimed himself Colonel Protector of the Qiang and Inspector of Liangzhou.

113

登國初，又自稱使持節、大都督、大將軍、涼州牧、酒泉公。主簿尉祐，姦佞淺薄，光寵任之，譖誅姚皓、尹景等名士十餘人。於是遠近失望，人懷離貳。四年，光私稱三河王，遣使朝貢。置官自丞郎已下，猶攝州事。號麟嘉元年。皇始初，光僭稱天王，置百官，改號龍飛，立子紹為太子。遣使朝貢。光疾甚，立紹為天王，自號太上皇帝。光死，長子纂殺紹僭立。

At the opening of the Dengguo era he again took the titles Bearer of the Staff of Authority, Grand Commander, Grand General, Governor of Liangzhou, and Duke of Jiuquan. His chief clerk Wei You was sly, obsequious, and shallow-minded; Guang doted on him and, on Wei You's slander, put to death more than ten distinguished men including Yao Hao and Yin Jing. From that point people near and far lost hope, and hearts everywhere turned toward rebellion. In the fourth year Guang privately declared himself King of the Three Rivers and dispatched envoys with tribute. He installed a full bureaucracy down to the rank of Director yet continued to govern the province himself. He adopted the era name Linjia. At the start of Huangshi, Guang presumptuously declared himself Heavenly King, set up a full court, changed his reign title to Longfei, and named his son Shao crown prince. He again sent envoys to present tribute. On his deathbed Guang installed Shao as Heavenly King and took for himself the title of Emperor Emeritus. After Guang died his eldest son Zuan murdered Shao and seized the throne.

114

纂，字永緒。既自立，號咸寧元年。纂弟大司馬洪，名犯顯祖諱，以猜忌不容，起兵攻纂，纂殺之，縱兵大掠。纂笑謂左右曰：「今日之戰何如？」纂侍中房晷對曰：「先帝始崩，太子以幽逼致殂；山陵甫訖，大司馬疑懼肆逆。京邑交兵，友于接刃。雖洪自取夷滅，亦由陛下無棠棣之義。且洪妻陛下弟婦也，洪女陛下之姪女也，奈何使小人汙辱為婢妾。天地神明，豈忍見此！」因歔欷流涕。纂謝之，乃收洪妻子。

Zuan's courtesy name was Yongxu. Once enthroned he proclaimed the Xianning era. Zuan's younger brother Hong, Grand Marshal of the Army, bore a personal name that violated the taboo of Emperor Xianzu; suspecting and unable to tolerate him, Zuan raised troops against Hong, killed him, and allowed his soldiers to loot at will. Zuan laughed and asked his attendants, "How did today's battle go?" Fang Gui, Attendant of the Inner Palace, answered, "Hardly had the late emperor died when the crown prince was hounded to his death; the tomb rites had barely concluded when the Grand Marshal, gripped by fear and suspicion, committed this outrage. In the capital, brother turned sword against brother. Hong may have brought destruction upon himself, yet Your Majesty also failed the brotherly virtue symbolized by the catalpa and the plum. Hong's wife was Your Majesty's sister-in-law and his daughter Your Majesty's own niece — how could you allow common soldiers to degrade them as servant girls? Heaven and earth, the spirits of the land — can they endure to look upon such a thing!" He broke into sobs and tears. Zuan expressed regret and then had Hong's wife and children seized.

115

纂昏虐任情，遊田無度，耽荒酒色，與左右因醉馳獵於坑澗之間，或有諫者，纂皆不納。又性多猜忌，忍於殺戮。纂從弟超殺纂。纂弟緯單馬入城，超殺之而立其兄隆。

Zuan indulged debauchery and cruelty without restraint, hunting and roaming endlessly and drowning himself in wine and women; drunk, he would gallop with his attendants to hunt in gullies and ravines, and he refused every remonstrance. By nature he was deeply suspicious and swift to kill. Zuan's cousin Chao assassinated him. Zuan's younger brother Wei rode into the city alone; Chao killed him and put their elder brother Long on the throne.

116

隆，字永基，光弟寶之子也。初，超讓位於隆，隆難之，超曰：「今猶乘龍上天，豈得中下！」乃僭位，改神鼎元年。超使纂妻楊氏及侍婢數人殯纂於城西，超慮楊持珍寶出，使人搜之。楊氏責超曰：「郎君兄弟手刃相圖，新婦旦夕死人，用金寶何為！」超慚而退。楊氏國色，超將妻焉，謂其父桓曰：「后若自殺，禍及卿宗。」桓以告之，楊氏曰：「大人本賣女與氐，以圖富貴，一之以甚，復可使女辱於二氐乎！」乃自殺。

Long, courtesy name Yongji, was the son of Guang's brother Bao. At first Chao offered Long the throne; Long hesitated. Chao said, "This is like mounting a dragon to soar to heaven — who would be content with the middle seat!" He then seized the throne and proclaimed the Shending era. Chao had Lady Yang, Zuan's wife, and several maidservants bury Zuan west of the city; fearing Yang would smuggle out valuables, he sent men to search her. Lady Yang rebuked Chao: "Your brothers slaughtered one another with their own hands; I am a bride who lives each day as though already dead — of what use to me are gold and jewels!" Chao withdrew, ashamed. Lady Yang was famed for her beauty; Chao meant to take her as wife and warned her father Huan, "If the empress takes her own life, ruin will fall upon your entire clan." Huan relayed the threat; Lady Yang replied, "Father, you sold me once to the Di for riches — once was more than enough. Will you now let your daughter be shamed by a second Di clan?" She then took her own life.

117

沮渠蒙遜、禿髮傉檀頻來攻擊，河西之民，不得農植，穀價湧貴，斗直錢五千文，人相食，餓死者千餘口。姑臧城門晝閉，樵採路斷，民請出城，乞為夷虜奴婢者，日有數百。隆恐沮動人情，盡坑之。於是積屍盈于衢路，戶絕者十有九焉。屢為蒙遜攻逼，乃請迎於姚興。遣齊難率眾迎之，隆遂降焉。至長安，尋復為興所誅。

Juqu Mengxun and Tufa Rutan attacked again and again; the people of Hexi could not plant or harvest; grain prices exploded until a dou sold for five thousand cash; people ate one another and more than a thousand died of starvation. Guzang's gates were shut by day and the paths for gathering firewood severed; each day several hundred people pleaded to leave the city and become slaves to the barbarians. Long, fearing this would shake morale, had them all buried alive in pits. Corpses piled up in the streets until nine households in ten had perished. Harried again and again by Mengxun's assaults, he asked to submit to Yao Xing. He dispatched Qi Nan with troops to escort him; Long then capitulated. Once he reached Chang'an, Xing soon had him put to death.

118

史臣曰：夷狄不恭，作害中國，帝王之世，未曾無也。劉淵等假竊名目，狼戾為梗，汙辱神器，毒螫黎元，喪亂鴻多，一至於此。怨積禍盈，旋傾巢穴。天意其俟大人乎？

The historian writes: The barbarian peoples were unruly and wrought harm upon the Central Realm — in every age of emperors and kings this has never been absent. Liu Yuan and his like usurped titles without authority; savage and violent, they became a plague upon the land, defiled the imperial regalia, and poisoned the common people — chaos and ruin reached this pitch. Resentment piled up until calamity overflowed, and soon their nests were overturned. Was Heaven waiting for the Great Man?

119

校勘記

Textual Collation Notes

120

渦陽〈闕〉諸本「渦陽」下注「闕二字」。按「渦陽」指東魏敗侯景之地。下文接「糾合傖楚，覆其巢穴」，指侯景攻佔建康，却沒有主名，連上文就像東魏在寒山、渦陽戰後，攻佔建康。「渦陽」下當脫「之役」或「之師」字，但下更有脫文，不止二字，今但注「闕」。

Woyang (place name) 〈Text missing〉 All editions annotate below "Woyang" with the note "two characters missing." The place name "Woyang" denotes where Eastern Wei defeated Hou Jing. The passage below continues with "gathering the Cao-Chu and overturning their nest," referring to Hou Jing's capture of Jiankang, yet no subject is given; read with what precedes, it appears to say that after the Han Mountain and Woyang campaigns Eastern Wei took Jiankang. After "Woyang" the words for "campaign" or "army" were likely lost, but additional text is missing below as well — not merely two characters — so the lacuna is marked simply as "missing."

121

立單于臺於渭城置左右賢王已下晉書卷一０三劉曜載記「立單于臺」下有「拜大單于」四字。按上文記劉曜封其子胤為南陽王，拜大單于的亦即胤，記事相貫。單于臺的長官是大單于，無此四字，既記事割裂，又似以左右賢王為單于臺之長，和制度不符。疑這裏脫四字。

On "Established the Chanyu Platform at Weicheng and installed the Left and Right Worthy Kings and below": Jin Shu, fascicle 103, Annals of Liu Yao, after "established the Chanyu Platform" reads the four characters "appointed Grand Chanyu." The passage above records Liu Yao enfeoffing his son Yin as Prince of Nanyang; the man appointed Grand Chanyu is the same Yin — the account ought to read as one continuous narrative. The chief of the Chanyu Platform is the Grand Chanyu; without these four characters the record is broken and the Left and Right Worthy Kings appear to head the Chanyu Platform, which contradicts the institution. Four characters are suspected to be missing here.

122

至西陽門百衲、南、北、汲四本「門」作「明」，殿本改作「門」，局本從之。按洛陽伽藍記序，洛陽城西面「次北曰西陽門。漢曰雍門，魏晉曰西明門，高祖改為西陽門」。則「西陽」是北魏所改，晉時實名「西明」。疑「明」字不誤，後人旁注「陽」字，混入正文，又脫「門」字。但今晉書劉曜載記、通鑑卷九四〈二九六四頁〉都作「西陽門」，今姑從殿本。

On "To the Xiyang Gate": the Baijia, Nan, Bei, and Ji editions read "gate" (men) as "ming"; the Dian edition emended it to "gate" and the Ju edition followed suit. According to the Preface to the Record of Buddhist Monasteries of Luoyang, on Luoyang's western face it reads: "Next to the north is the Xiyang Gate. In Han it was called Yong Gate; in Wei and Jin it was called Ximing Gate; Emperor Gaozu renamed it Xiyang Gate." Thus "Xiyang" was a Northern Wei renaming; in Jin times the gate was in fact called "Ximing." It is suspected that "ming" is correct, that later readers added "yang" as a marginal note that entered the main text, and that "gate" dropped out. However, Jin Shu, Annals of Liu Yao, and Zizhi Tongjian, fascicle 94, 〈folio 2964〉 all read "Xiyang Gate"; for now we follow the Dian edition.

123

姚豹晉書卷一０四石勒載記「姚」作「桃」。按廣韻卷二豪韻「桃」字下引何氏姓苑云：「後趙石勒將有桃豹。」晉書中有關紀載都作「桃豹」，「姚」字因形近而訛。

On Yao Bao: Jin Shu, fascicle 104, Annals of Shi Le, reads "Yao" as "Tao." The passage reads, "Among Later Zhao Shi Le's generals was Tao Bao." Every related record in Jin Shu has "Tao Bao"; the character "Yao" here is a graphic corruption due to similarity of form. All corresponding passages in Jin Shu read "Tao Bao"; "Yao" is a mistaken form arising from graphic resemblance.

124

增內官二十四等晉書卷一０六石季龍載記「內官」作「女官」。按下文說諸公侯七十餘國皆為置女官九等，又說「大發民女」，疑當作「女官」。

On "Added twenty-four ranks of inner officials": Jin Shu, fascicle 106, Annals of Shi Jilong, reads "inner officials" as "female officials." The passage below states that over seventy feudatory states each instituted a nine-rank corps of palace women, yet also records a "mass conscription of civilian women"—the editors suspect the latter should read "female officials" instead.

125

謂嬖人楊柯按晉書卷一０七石虎載記下、御覽一二０引後趙錄、冊府二二五〈二六八八頁〉「柯」都作「柸」，即「杯」，疑「柯」字訛。

On the favorite Yang Ke: see Jin Shu 107 (Annals of Shi Hu, lower), Taiping Yulan 120 (quoting the Later Zhao Record), and Cefu Yuangui 225. 〈p. 2688〉 All read "ke" as "bei," that is "cup"; "ke" is suspected to be a corrupt character.

126

亡奔薛干部帥太悉伏諸本「干」作「于」。按晉書卷一三０赫連勃勃載記、通鑑卷一０七〈三四０二頁〉都作「干」，今改正，參卷二校記[六]。

Fled to the Xuegan tribal chief Taisifu: all editions read "gan" as "yu." Cf. Jin Shu 130 (Annals of Helian Bobo) and Zizhi Tongjian 107. 〈p. 3402〉 All read "gan"; corrected for the present; compare collation note [6] in fascicle 2.

127

改年永光北史卷九三夏傳「永」作「承」。按通鑑卷一二０〈三七七六頁〉同北史。

Changed the era name to Yongguang: Beishi, fascicle 93, Biography of Xia, reads "yong" as "cheng." See Zizhi Tongjian 120. 〈p. 3776〉 Matches Beishi.

128

且待步兵諸本「待」作「縱」，北史卷九三作「待」。按上文明言「步兵未至」，「縱」字顯誤，今據改。

Wait for the infantry: all editions read "dai" as "zong"; Beishi, fascicle 93, reads "dai." According to the passage above, it clearly states "the infantry had not yet arrived"; the character "zong" is clearly wrong; corrected according to the evidence.

129

刺殺其尚書斛黎又殺騎賊十餘人北史卷九三「又」作「文」，與上「斛黎」連讀。按通鑑卷一二０〈二七九四頁〉也作「斛黎文」，疑此傳脫「文」字。「又」屬下讀。

Stabbed and killed his Master of Writing Hu Li and also killed more than ten mounted bandits: Beishi, fascicle 93, reads "you" as "wen," reading it together with "Hu Li" above. See Zizhi Tongjian 120. 〈p. 2794〉 It also reads "Hu Liwen"; it is suspected that the character "wen" is missing in this biography. "You" belongs to the following clause.

130

遣其將寇鄜城諸本「鄜」作「麟」。按卷四上世祖紀上神䴥三年九月記此事作「鄜城」，通鑑卷一０二〈三八二０頁〉同紀。鄜是漢舊縣，「麟」是形近而訛，今改正。

Sent his general to raid Fucheng: all editions read "fu" as "lin." The Basic Annals of Shizu, upper fascicle, ninth month, Shenjia year 3, records this place as Fucheng; Zizhi Tongjian 102 〈p. 3820〉 Matches the Annals. Fu is an old Han county; "lin" is a graphic corruption from similarity of form; corrected for the present.

131

開地千里諸本「開」作「闥」。殿本考證云：「晉書載記〈卷一０九〉晃〈當作「皝」〉伐宇文歸，遠遁漠北，開地〈原訛路，據載記改〉千餘里。此殆脫去『歸』字，並訛『開』為『闥』也。」按「闥」字不可通，今據載記改。「宇文」是部族名，無「歸」字亦通。

Opened territory a thousand li: all editions read "kai" as "ta." The Dian edition's collation note reads: "Jin Shu, Annals 〈fasc. 109〉 Huang (corrupt) 〈should read "Huang"〉 Campaign against the Wenyar Gui; fled deep into the northern wastes; opened territory 〈originally corrupt as "lu," corrected according to the Annals〉 For more than a thousand li. This probably lost the character "gui" and also corrupted "kai" to "ta." Ta" cannot make sense; corrected according to the Annals. "Wenyan" is a tribal name; without the character "gui" it is still intelligible.

132

可以吳王為大將軍領司徒承制封拜北史卷九三燕傳〈慕容暐〉此句作「可以吳王為相國；中山王為太宰，領大司馬；汝可為大將軍，領司徒，承制封拜」。按晉書卷一一四苻堅載記同北史，這裏「吳王為」下當脫「相國」至「汝可為」十五字。

"You may appoint the Prince of Wu Grand General, with concurrent stewardship of the Masters of Writing and plenipotentiary power to enfeoff and appoint": Beishi 93, Biography of Yan 〈on Murong Wei〉 That line runs: "You may make the Prince of Wu Chancellor of State; the Prince of Zhongshan Grand Preceptor, with concurrent command as Grand Marshal; you yourself may serve as Grand General, steward the Masters of Writing, and exercise plenipotentiary enfeoffment and appointment." Jin Shu 114 (Annals of Fu Jian) agrees with Beishi; after "Prince of Wu as" this text likely omits the fifteen characters from "Chancellor of State" through "you may be."

133

至聞喜諸本「喜」作「嘉」，北史卷九三燕傳〈慕容永〉作「喜」。按聞喜自漢以來屬河東郡，這時慕容永由長安東出，路經此地。「嘉」字乃形近而訛，今據改。

To Wenxi: all editions read "xi" as "jia"; Beishi, fascicle 93, Biography of Yan 〈on Murong Yong〉 Reads "xi." Wenxi had been part of Hedong Commandery since the Han; Murong Yong was then marching east from Chang'an and passed through it. The character "jia" is a graphic corruption from similarity of form; corrected according to the evidence.

134

及子弟等百餘人北史卷九三燕傳〈慕容寶〉「弟」作「策」。按晉書卷一二四慕容寶載記作「又殺其太子策及王公卿士百餘人」。疑作「策」是，但作「弟」亦通，今不改。

And younger kinsmen and others, more than a hundred in all: Beishi 93, Biography of Yan 〈on Murong Bao〉 "Di" reads "ce." Jin Shu 124 (Annals of Murong Bao) reads: "He also killed Crown Prince Ce and more than a hundred princes, nobles, and ministers." It is suspected that "ce" is correct, but "di" is also intelligible; not changed for the present.

135

康官晉書卷一一八姚興載記下兩見此人，都作「康宦」。按下「北中郎將康猥」，疑亦即「康宦」。魏書「宦」訛「官」，又誤分為二人。

Kang Guan: Jin Shu 118 (Annals of Yao Xing, lower) names this man twice, both times as Kang Huan. The "General of the North Central Army, Kang Wei" mentioned below is probably the same Kang Huan. The Wei Shu corrupted "huan" to "guan" and also mistakenly divided one man into two.

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