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卷113 晉紀三十五

Volume 113 Jin Records 35

Chapter 113 of 資治通鑑 · Comprehensive Mirror in Aid of Governance
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Comprehensive Mirror in Aid of Governance, Volume 113. 【Jin Records 35】 From the year Zhaoyang Dan'e through Yufeng Zhixu—two years in all. Emperor An of Jin, second year of Yuanxing (guimao, AD 403). In spring, in the first month, Lu Xun dispatched his chief of staff Xu Daofu to attack Dongyang; In the second month, on xinchou day, General Jianwu Liu Yu routed them. Xu Daofu was Lu Xun's brother-in-law. On yimao day, Grand Marshal Huan Xuan was appointed Grand General. On dingsi day, Huan Xuan executed Sun Wuzhong, regional inspector of Ji Province. Huan Xuan memorialized the throne asking to lead all armies to pacify the Guan and Luo regions; he then maneuvered the court into issuing an edict denying the request, and declared, "I halt only because I have received the imperial command." When Huan Xuan first set about preparing for the campaign, he had light skiffs built in advance to carry his robes, curios, books, and paintings. When someone asked why, he replied, "War is cruel and battle uncertain; should anything go wrong, these must be light enough to move quickly." Everyone laughed at him. In summer, in the fourth month, on the first day of the month (guisi), the sun was eclipsed. Zhao Rong, once an official under Murong De of Southern Yan, arrived from Chang'an with word that the ruler's mother and elder brother had been killed. Murong De cried out in grief until he vomited blood and fell seriously ill. Murong Da, metropolitan commandant, plotted rebellion and sent gate officer Huang Qiu at the head of troops to storm the Duan Gate; palace guard Hou Chimei opened the gate from within in collusion; palace attendant Sun Jin helped Murong De over the wall and concealed him in his own house. Hearing of the disturbance in the palace, Duan Hong and others mustered troops and held the four city gates. Murong De re-entered the palace and executed Hou Chimei and his accomplices. Murong Da fled to Northern Wei. Murong De granted favorable treatment to resettled households, exempting them permanently from labor service; commoners then shielded one another in fraud—sometimes a hundred households merged into one register, sometimes a thousand adult males shared a single household roll—to escape taxation and corvée. Minister of the Masters of Writing Han Yanzhuo urged stricter audits of concealed households; Murong De agreed and sent him on circuit through the commanderies and counties, where he uncovered fifty-eight thousand hidden households. The Mount Tai bandit Wang Shi raised a force of tens of thousands, proclaimed himself Emperor Taiping, and appointed his own ministers of state; Murong Zhen, Prince of Guilin of Southern Yan, campaigned against him and took him prisoner. As he faced execution, someone asked where his father and brothers were; Wang Shi replied, "The retired emperor languishes in exile abroad; the eastern and western campaigners were slain by mutinous troops." His wife snapped at him, "It is precisely because of that mouth that you stand here—how can you still talk like this!" He answered, "The empress does not understand—from antiquity onward, has any state ever failed to fall! I am about to die, but I will never renounce my imperial title!" In the fifth month, Murong Xi of Northern Yan built the Dragon Soaring Park, more than ten li on a side, with twenty thousand laborers pressed into service. Inside the park he raised Mount Jingyun, five hundred paces wide at the base and seventeen zhang at the summit. In autumn, in the seventh month, on wuzi day, Emperor Daowu of Northern Wei toured the north and built a detached palace on Mount Chai. He Ba, governor of Pingyuan, was extravagant and hungry for fame; Tuoba Gui detested this and had him executed, but allowed his younger brothers Pi and the rest to visit him for a final farewell. He Ba told them, "The land north of the Rao is poor; move south of the river and do your best to serve our lord." Then he made them turn their backs to him, saying, "How can you bear to watch me die!" Pi and the others understood his meaning; posing as envoys, they fled into Later Qin. Tuoba Gui flew into a rage and exterminated the entire He clan. Deng Yuan, general of the central ramparts, had a cousin, Master of Writing Deng Hui, who was close to He Ba; someone slandered them to Tuoba Gui, saying, "It was Hui who actually helped Pi escape." Tuoba Gui suspected that Deng Yuan had known of the plot and ordered him to take his own life. Tufa Rutan of Southern Liang and Juqu Mengxun repeatedly sent troops against Lü Long, who was hard pressed by the attacks. A Later Qin strategist told King Yao Xing, "Lü Long rests on his forebears' legacy and rules the lands beyond the river alone; though he is now starving and cornered, he can still hold out—and if he ever prospers again, he will never truly be ours. Liangzhou is rugged and its fields fertile; we should seize it while he is in peril." Yao Xing then sent envoys summoning Lü Chao to attend at the Qin court. Seeing that Guzang could not survive on its own, Lü Long had Chao ask to surrender the state to Qin. Yao Xing sent Left Vice Director Qi Nan, General Who Pacifies the West Yao Jie, Left King Qifu Gangui, and General Who Pacifies the Distance Zhao Yao at the head of forty thousand infantry and cavalry to receive Lü Long west of the Yellow River; Tufa Rutan of Southern Liang pulled back from the garrisons of Changsong and Wei'an to give them room. In the eighth month, Qi Nan and his force reached Guzang; Lü Long met them by the roadside in a plain cart drawn by a white horse. Lü Long urged Qi Nan to attack Juqu Mengxun; Mengxun sent Zang Mohai to block him and routed the Qin vanguard. Qi Nan then made peace with Mengxun, who sent his younger brother Ju to present tribute at the Qin court. Qi Nan installed Chief of Staff Wang Shang as acting regional inspector of Liangzhou with three thousand troops to hold Guzang; generals Yan Song and Guo Jiang were made governors of Cangsong and Fanhe respectively, each guarding a city; Lü Long's kin, officials, and ten thousand households were relocated to Chang'an; Yao Xing made Lü Long regular attendant within the yellow gates and Lü Chao governor of Anding, while the rest of the civil and military officers were appointed according to merit. Earlier, Guo Nen had prophesied that "the one who replaces the Lü will be a Wang"; when he raised troops he first set up Wang Xiang, then Wang Qiji as figureheads; and when Lü Long departed eastward, Wang Shang at last fulfilled the prophecy. Guo Nen followed Qifu Gangui in submitting to Qin, then decided that Jin would be Qin's destroyer and fled toward the east; Qin pursuers overtook and executed him. Juqu Mengxun's uncles Qinxin, protector of the army of Zhongtian, and Kong Du, governor of Linsong, were both arrogant tyrants who preyed on the people; Mengxun declared, "The men who wreck my laws are my two uncles." He forced both to take their own lives. Later Qin sent envoy Liang Gou to Zhangye; Mengxun asked, "Why is Tufa Rutan made a duke while I am only a marquis?" Liang Gou replied, "Tufa Rutan is treacherous and his loyalty is still in doubt, so the court uses a grand but hollow title to keep him on a leash. Your loyalty shines as bright as the sun; you are fit to serve at the imperial center—how could the court treat you with suspicion! In our sage court, rank must match merit—ministers such as Yin Wei and Yao Huang who aided the founding, or fierce generals such as Qi Nan and Xu Luo, hold no rank above marquis or earl; why should you rank ahead of them! In antiquity Dou Rong firmly declined honors rather than stand above older ministers—I never expected you to raise this question!" Mengxun retorted, "If the court trusts me, why not enfeoff Zhangye itself rather than some distant Western Sea domain?" Liang Gou answered, "You already hold Zhangye in your own right; the distant Western Sea grant is meant to enlarge your domain." Mengxun was satisfied and accepted the appointment. Huan Wei, regional inspector of Jing Province, died; Grand General Huan Xuan appointed Huan Xiu in his place. Attendant gentleman Cao Jingzhi warned Huan Xuan, "The brothers Qian and Xiu hold sway inside and outside the government—their power is excessive." Huan Xuan then made Huan Shikang, administrator of Nan Commandery, regional inspector of Jing Province instead. Huan Shikang was a son of Huan Huo. Liu Yu defeated Lu Xun at Yongjia, pursued him to Jin'an, and routed him repeatedly until Xun fled south by sea. He Wuji secretly visited Liu Yu and urged him to raise troops at Shanyin to overthrow Huan Xuan. Liu Yu consulted local magnate Kong Jing, who said, "Shanyin is far from the capital and an uprising there would be hard to sustain; moreover, Huan Xuan has not yet seized the throne—better to wait until he has usurped it, then strike from Jingkou." Liu Yu agreed; Kong Jing was a grandson of Kong Yu. In the ninth month, Tuoba Gui went to Nanpingcheng, surveyed the lands south of the Rao River, and planned a new capital. Palace attendant Yin Zhongwen and regular attendant Bian Fanzhi urged Grand General Huan Xuan to seize the throne quickly; in secret they drafted the Nine Bestowals document and the investiture edict. He appointed Huan Qian palace attendant with an opening office and recorder of the Masters of Writing; Wang Mi supervisor of the palace writers and concurrent minister of education; Huan Yin palace writer-in-chief; and promoted Huan Xiu to general who pacifies the army. Huan Yin was a grandson of Huan Chong. On bingzi day, an investiture edict made Huan Xuan chancellor of state with authority over all government affairs, enfeoffed him as King of Chu over ten commanderies, granted the Nine Bestowals, and authorized a full Chu state bureaucracy down from chancellor. Huan Qian privately asked Liu Yu, administrator of Pengcheng, "The King of Chu's achievements are towering, and court opinion widely favors abdication in his favor—what is your view?" Liu Yu answered, "The King of Chu is a son of Duke Huan Wen the Martial; his merit towers above the age. The Jin house is feeble and popular allegiance has long shifted; to take the mandate by abdication—what could be wrong with that?" Huan Qian was delighted and said, "If you say it can be done, then so it shall be." Yu Ze of Xinye, an ally of Yin Zhongkan, heard that Huan Wei was dead and Huan Shikang had not yet reached Jing Province; he raised troops and attacked regional inspector Feng Gai at Xiangyang, driving him from the city. Yu Ze mustered seven thousand men, set up an altar, and sacrificed to the seven imperial temples, proclaiming that he would overthrow Huan Xuan; the whole Jiangling region was thrown into alarm. When Huan Shikang reached his post, he marched on Xiangyang; Yu Ze was defeated and fled to Later Qin. Gao Yazhi memorialized Murong De of Southern Yan urging an attack on Huan Xuan: "Even if we cannot fully pacify Wu and Kuaiji, we can still seize the lands north of the Yangtze." Palace writer attendant Han Fan also submitted a memorial: "The Jin house is in decline; north and south of the Yangtze and Huai there are few households and scant military strength. Moreover, Huan Xuan is treasonous and the court is divided; with Your Majesty's martial prowess, a force of ten thousand infantry and cavalry will find them collapsing at once—your army will sweep through without pausing. Once we hold it, neither Later Qin nor Northern Wei will be a match for us. The moment to expand our domain and secure lasting glory is now. If we miss this chance, Jin heroes will destroy Huan Xuan and restore good government—and not only will Jiankang be beyond our reach, so will the entire north bank of the Yangtze." Murong De replied, "Our old homeland was lost; I mean first to secure the Central Plains and only then pacify Jing and Yang—that is why I have not marched south. Let the ministers debate the matter." He then held a grand military review west of the city: three hundred seventy thousand infantry, fifty-three thousand cavalry, and seventeen thousand chariots. The ministers all judged that Huan Xuan had only just consolidated his power and was not yet vulnerable, and the plan was dropped. In winter, in the tenth month, King of Chu Huan Xuan memorialized asking to return to his fief; he had the emperor issue a handwritten edict insisting that he remain. He also fabricated reports that Linping Lake at Qiantang had burst open and that sweet dew had fallen in Jiang Province, then assembled the officials to celebrate these as omens of his heavenly mandate. Ashamed that no recluses graced his reign when every past dynasty had them, he found Xi Zhi, sixth-generation descendant of the Jin recluse Huangfu Mi of Anding, funded his living, and installed him in mountain seclusion; summoned him as gentleman of the Masters of Writing, had Xi Zhi firmly decline the post, and then issued an edict honoring him as a "Lofty Gentleman." Contemporaries mocked him as a "staged recluse." He also proposed abolishing coinage in favor of grain and silk and restoring corporal punishment; regulations piled up in confusion, his policies shifted constantly, and in the end nothing was enacted. He was greedy and base by nature; whenever a gentleman owned fine calligraphy, good paintings, or an excellent estate, he would win them through rigged gambling; he was especially fond of pearls and jade and never let them out of his grasp. On yimao day, Tuoba Gui made his son Si prince of Qi and appointed him chancellor of state; Shao prince of Qinghe, with the added title general who campaigns south; Xi prince of Yangping; and Yao prince of Henan. On dingsi day, Wei general Yi Wei led twenty thousand cavalry in a surprise attack on the remnant Gaoche tribes Yuan He and Wu Pin; in the eleventh month, on gengwu day, he routed them completely. An edict authorized King of Chu Huan Xuan to use imperial ritual and music; his consort was made empress and his heir crown prince. On dingchou day, Bian Fanzhi drafted the abdication edict and had Prince of Linchuan Sima Bao force the emperor to copy it out in his own hand. Sima Bao was a great-grandson of Emperor Xiaowu. On gengchen day, the emperor took the throne hall and dispatched concurrent grand mentor and minister of education Wang Mi to present the imperial seal and cord and abdicate in favor of Chu. On renwu day, the emperor moved to the Yong'an Palace. On guiwei day, the imperial ancestral tablets were moved to Langye; Empress He and Prince of Langye Sima Dewen were relocated to the minister of education's residence. The officials went to Gudu to urge Huan Xuan to accept the throne. In the twelfth month, on the first day of the month (gengyin), Huan Xuan built an altar north of Mount Jiujing; on renchen day he ascended the throne. The investiture text harshly denounced the Jin house; when someone objected, Huan Xuan said, "Abdication rhetoric is for the common people—how could I deceive Heaven itself!" He proclaimed a general amnesty and changed the era name to Yongshi. He enfeoffed the former emperor as King of Pinggu at Pinggu County in Nankang; demoted Empress He to lady of Lingling County, Prince of Langye Sima Dewen to duke of Shiyang County, and Prince of Wuling Sima Zun to marquis of Pengze County. He posthumously honored Huan Wen as Emperor Xuanwu with temple name Taizu, Huan Wen's consort as Empress Xuan, and enfeoffed his son Zisheng as King of Yuzhang. He appointed Wang Yu, administrator of Kuaiji, vice director of the Masters of Writing, and Yu's son Sui, left chief clerk of the chancellor of state, palace writer-in-chief. Wang Sui was a nephew of the Huan clan by marriage. On wuxu day, Huan Xuan entered the Jiankang palace and took the throne; the couch suddenly collapsed beneath him and the assembled officials turned pale. Yin Zhongwen said, "Your sacred virtue is so profound that even the earth cannot bear your weight." Huan Xuan was greatly pleased. Kong Pu, a retainer of Prince of Liang Sima Zhenzhi, escorted him in flight to Shouyang. Sima Zhenzhi was a great-grandson of Emperor Xiaowu. On wushen day, Murong Xi of Northern Yan honored the honored consort of his predecessor Murong Chui, Lady Duan, as empress dowager. Lady Duan was Murong Xi's foster mother. On jiyou day, he made honored consort Fu empress and proclaimed a general amnesty. On xinhai day, Huan Xuan relocated the former emperor to Xunyang. Northern Yan appointed commandant of the guards Yue Zhen regional inspector of Qing Province, garrisoning Xincheng; and grandee physician Wei Ju regional inspector of Bing Province, garrisoning Fancheng. On guichou day, Huan Wen's spirit tablet was installed in the imperial ancestral temple. Huan Xuan personally reviewed prisoners in court; regardless of the severity of the offense, many were pardoned; beggars who blocked his carriage were sometimes given alms. Such were his petty displays of benevolence. That year, Tuoba Gui first ordered officials to devise caps and robes graded by rank. But the regulations were hastily drafted and largely ignored ancient precedent. Emperor An of Jin, third year of Yuanxing (jiachen, AD 404). In spring, in the first month, Huan Xuan made his wife Lady Liu empress. Lady Liu was a great-granddaughter of Liu Qiao. Because his ancestors from Huan Yi upward had held no distinguished titles, Huan Xuan declined to establish ancestral temples for them. Regular attendant Xu Guang said, "Honoring one's father brings joy to the son—I urge you to establish the seven ancestral temples as precedent requires." Huan Xuan replied, "By ritual law, the founding ancestor faces east, with zhao on the left and mu on the right. When Jin established its seven temples, even Emperor Xuan could not face due east—what is there worth imitating!" Supervisor of the Masters of Writing Bian Chengzhi told Xu Guang privately, "If the ancestral sacrifices do not reach back to his forebears, we may know that the Chu dynasty will not endure long." Xu Guang was a younger brother of Xu Miao. From the moment he took the throne, Huan Xuan was never at ease in his own mind. In the second month, on the first night of the month (jichou), a tidal bore surged into Shitou and drowned many people; the uproar shook the heavens. When Huan Xuan heard of it, he was frightened and cried, "The slaves are rising!" Huan Xuan was petty and harsh by nature, and fond of boasting of his own achievements. When officials submitted memorials, he would seize on a single miswritten character or a flawed phrase and publicly rebuke the author to display his own sharpness. The Masters of Writing, drafting a reply to an edict, wrote "spring hare" for "spring hunt"; from left vice director Wang Nazhi downward, every official who had countersigned the document was demoted or dismissed. He sometimes annotated documents himself or drafted orders through personal clerks; edicts piled up in confusion, offices could not keep pace with replies, governance fell into disorder, and memorials stacked up unread while he remained unaware. He was also fond of hunting and might go out several times in a single day. He moved into the Eastern Palace and launched vast construction projects; labor was driven relentlessly, the court and countryside were in turmoil, and many began to think of rebellion. Huan Xuan sent envoys to promote regional inspector Mao Jin of Yi Province to regular attendant within the yellow gates and general of the left. Mao Jin detained Huan Xuan's envoys and refused the appointment. Mao Jin was a grandson of Mao Bao. Huan Xuan appointed Huan Xi regional inspector of Liang Province and stationed generals in the Three Ba region to guard against Mao Jin. Mao Jin issued a proclamation throughout the region listing Huan Xuan's crimes, sent administrators Liu Yuezhi of Badong, Luo Shu of Jianping, and campaigning general's chief of staff Zhen Jizhi to defeat Huan Xi and his forces, then advanced to encamp at Baidi. Liu Yu accompanied Huan Xiu, regional inspector of Xu and Yan provinces and Prince of Ancheng, to the capital. Huan Xuan said to Wang Mi, "Liu Yu's presence is unlike that of ordinary men—he is clearly a hero of the age." At every social gathering he drew Liu Yu close with warm attention and lavished generous gifts on him. Huan Xuan's wife Lady Liu was shrewd and perceptive. She told him, "Liu Yu walks with a dragon's grace and a tiger's power, and his bearing is unmistakable. I fear he will never serve under anyone. You should kill him while you still can." Huan Xuan replied, "I am in the midst of pacifying the Central Plains. Liu Yu is indispensable—no one else will do; once the Guan region and the Yellow River are secured, we can decide what to do with him." Huan Xuan appointed Huan Hong regional inspector of Qing Province, with his headquarters at Guangling; and Diao Kui regional inspector of Yu Province, stationed at Liyang. Hong was the younger brother of Huan Xiu; Diao Kui was the son of Diao Yi. Liu Yu and He Wuji sailed back to Jingkou together and secretly plotted to restore the Jin dynasty. Liu Yi's family lived at Jingkou—he was the younger brother of Liu Mai—and he joined He Wuji in planning a rising against Huan Xuan. He Wuji asked, "The Huan clan is at the height of its power. Can we really hope to overthrow them?" Liu Yi answered, "Power under Heaven rises and falls. When a regime loses the Mandate, the mighty fall swiftly. Our real problem is finding a leader worth following." He Wuji said, "Heroes are not hard to find among the common people of the realm." Liu Yi said, "Of all I have met, only Liu Yu of Xiapi." He Wuji smiled and said nothing, but when he reported the conversation to Liu Yu, Yu and Liu Yi forged their alliance. Earlier, Wang Yuande of Taiyuan and his brother Wang Zhongde had raised troops on behalf of Former Qin to attack Murong Chui of Later Yan. When they failed, they fled south and were given refuge; the court appointed Wang Yuande administrator of Hongnong. When Wang Zhongde saw Huan Xuan declare himself emperor, he remarked, "Dynasties have always changed hands, but I doubt this usurper has what it takes to build anything lasting." Meng Chang of Pingchang served as chief clerk in Qing Province. When Huan Hong sent him to Jiankang, Huan Xuan took a liking to him and asked Liu Mai, "I've found a plain scholar worthy of an appointment in the Masters of Writing. He comes from your province—do you know him?" Liu Mai had never liked Meng Chang. He replied, "When I was at Jingkou I heard nothing of any special talent in him—only that he and his father kept sending each other poems." Huan Xuan laughed and dropped the subject. Meng Chang nursed a grudge. Back in Jingkou, Liu Yu asked him, "Surely heroes are stirring among the common folk. Have you heard of any?" Meng Chang answered, "Who is the hero of our day? You, sir—that is who!" Thereupon Liu Yu, Liu Yi, He Wuji, Wang Yuande, Wang Zhongde, Meng Chang, Liu Yu's brother Liu Daogui, Wei Yongzhi of Rencheng, Tan Pingzhi of Gaoping, Zhuge Changmin of Langye, Xin Huxing of Suixi (administrator of Henei), and Tong Houzhi of Dongguan (General Who Rouses Might) joined forces to plot a rising. Liu Daogui served as middle army adjutant on Huan Hong's staff. Liu Yu sent Liu Yi north of the Yangtze to join Daogui and Meng Chang in killing Huan Hong and seizing Guangling; Zhuge Changmin was on Diao Kui's staff; he was to kill Kui and hold Liyang; Wang Yuande, Xin Huxing, and Tong Houzhi were to remain in Jiankang, gather supporters, and strike Huan Xuan from within; They set a date for coordinated action on all fronts. Meng Chang's wife Lady Zhou was wealthy. He told her, "Liu Mai defamed me to Duke Huan and ruined my career. I am going to rebel. You should leave me now. If I succeed, I will send for you—it won't be too late." Lady Zhou replied, "Your parents are still alive. You are planning something momentous—what woman could talk you out of it? If you fail, I will enter palace service and support your family. I will not abandon you." Meng Chang sat in silence for a long time, then rose. Lady Zhou pulled him back down and said, "Judging by your manner, this isn't some woman's business—you only want my money." She pointed to the infant in her arms and said, "You may sell this child too. I would not hesitate." She emptied her coffers to fund the rebellion. The wife of Meng Chang's younger brother Meng Yi was Lady Zhou's cousin. Lady Zhou tricked her, saying, "I had a terrible dream last night. You should gather every piece of red cloth in the house for a protective rite." The cousin believed her and handed over the cloth. Lady Zhou had it all sewn into uniforms for the troops. One night He Wuji drafted a proclamation behind a screen. His mother—elder sister of Liu Laozhi—climbed onto the elm outside and watched through a crack. She wept and said, "I am not the equal of Lady Lü of Donghai in foresight. If you can do this, I have nothing left to regret!" She asked who his co-conspirators were. He answered, "Liu Yu." His mother was overjoyed and urged him on with reasons why Huan Xuan was doomed to fall and why their enterprise was bound to succeed. On yimao day, Liu Yu used a hunting expedition as cover to gather followers with He Wuji, mustering a little over a hundred men. At dawn on bingchen day the gates of Jingkou opened. He Wuji dressed as an imperial messenger, proclaimed himself a bearer of edicts, and led the column inside. The men poured in after him and immediately beheaded Huan Xiu as a public warning. Huan Xiu's marshal Diao Hong marched up with the civil and military staff. Liu Yu mounted the wall and called out, "Governor Guo of Jiangzhou has already escorted the emperor back to legitimacy at Xunyang. We have all received secret edicts to wipe out the traitors. By now the rebel Huan Xuan's head should already be on display at the Great Ferry. Are you not servants of the Jin dynasty? What do you mean by coming here now?" Diao Hong and his men believed him and withdrew their troops. Liu Yu asked He Wuji, "We need a chief clerk for headquarters at once. Where can we find one?" He Wuji said, "No one better than Liu Daomin." Liu Daomin" was Liu Muzhi of Dongguan. Liu Yu said, "I know him too." He immediately sent a messenger at full gallop to fetch him. Liu Muzhi had heard the uproar of celebration in Jingkou. He rose early and stepped into the lane, where he ran straight into the messenger. Liu Muzhi stared ahead in silence for a long moment, then went back inside, ripped his cloth robe into trousers, and went to see Liu Yu. Liu Yu said, "We have just launched a great enterprise and hardship lies ahead. We need a military administrator at once. Who do you think is right for the job?" Liu Muzhi said, "Your command is newly formed and needs a man of real ability. At a moment like this, I doubt anyone could do better." Liu Yu smiled and said, "If you will take the post yourself, my cause is assured." On the spot he appointed him chief clerk. Meng Chang persuaded Huan Hong to go hunting that day. Before dawn the gates opened to admit the hunting party; Meng Chang, Liu Yi, and Liu Daogui led several dozen stalwarts straight inside. Huan Hong was still at his morning porridge when they cut him down. They then gathered their men and crossed the Yangtze. Liu Yu had Liu Yi put Diao Hong to death. Earlier Liu Yu had sent his co-conspirator Zhou Anmu to Jiankang to alert Liu Mai. Mai agreed to cooperate but was terrified. Fearing exposure, Zhou Anmu galloped back. Huan Xuan had appointed Liu Mai administrator of Jingling, and Mai was eager to reach his post. That night Huan Xuan wrote to Liu Mai: "What is the mood among the Northern Headquarters troops? What has Liu Yu been saying lately, in your recent dealings with him?" Liu Mai assumed Huan Xuan had discovered the plot. At dawn he went and confessed everything. Huan Xuan was badly shaken and enfeoffed Liu Mai as Marquis of Chong'an. Soon he grew angry that Liu Mai had not arrested Zhou Anmu and had let him escape. He had Mai killed and put Wang Yuande, Xin Huxing, Tong Houzhi, and the other conspirators in Jiankang to death. The rebels acclaimed Liu Yu as their leader and gave him overall command of Xu Province. Meng Chang became his chief clerk and held Jingkou; Tan Pingzhi was made marshal. Every recruit from Pengcheng was placed under the command of the commandery chief clerk Liu Zhong. On dingsi day Liu Yu marched south with seventeen hundred men from two provinces and encamped at Zhuli. He sent proclamations far and wide claiming that Mao Jin, regional inspector of Yi Province, had pacified Jing and Chu; that Guo Gongzhi, regional inspector of Jiangzhou, was escorting the emperor back to legitimacy at Xunyang; that Wang Yuande and other northern staff officers were holding Stone City with their retainers; and that Zhuge Changmin, General Who Displays Martial Might, had already seized Liyang. Huan Xuan withdrew to the Upper Palace and ordered all palace attendants to remain inside the inner compound; he made Prince Xin'an Huan Qian of Yang Province supreme commander for the punitive campaign, and appointed Yin Zhongwen to replace Huan Xiu as regional inspector of Xu and Yan provinces. Huan Qian and his officers urged an immediate attack on Liu Yu. Huan Xuan said, "Their troops are fierce and desperate. They are gambling everything on this move. One setback on our side will steel their morale and ruin us. Better to mass our main force on Mount Fushan and wait for them. They will march two hundred li and achieve nothing. Their edge will dull. When they suddenly see a great army, they will be stunned. We hold our ground in a solid formation and refuse battle. Unable to fight, they will melt away of their own accord. That is the best plan." Huan Qian and the others pressed hard for an attack. Huan Xuan then sent Wu Fuzhi, administrator of Dunqiu, and Huangfu Fu, General of the Right Guard, north in succession. Huan Xuan was consumed with fear. Someone said, "Liu Yu and his band are a rabble—weak and bound to fail. Why does Your Majesty worry so much?" Huan Xuan said, "Liu Yu is a hero born once in an age. Liu Yi has not a bushel of grain at home, yet he will stake a million on a single throw at dice. He Wuji is the living image of his uncle Liu Laozhi. Together they have launched a great enterprise. How can you call that bound to fail?" Juqu Rutan, king of Southern Liang, fearing the might of Former Qin, dropped his era name, abolished the secretariat registrar and attendant posts, and sent his adjutant Guan Shang as envoy to Qin. Emperor Yao Xing of Later Qin said, "The Prince of Chariots and Cavalry has sworn fealty and called himself my vassal, yet he has mustered troops and raised a great fortress without leave. Is this how a subject should behave?" Guan Shang replied, "For kings and princes to hold strategic barriers and defend their domains is the ancient royal law. "The Prince holds a remote frontier post, pressed hard by a formidable foe. He was only strengthening the empire's outer gate. I never imagined Your Majesty would take this as grounds for suspicion." The emperor was pleased with this explanation. Tufa Rutan asked to be made governor of Liangzhou; Xing refused. Earlier, Yuan Zhen had killed Zhu Xian. Xian's younger brother Chuo fled to Huan Wen. When Wen took Shouyang, Chuo opened Yuan Zhen's coffin and defiled the body. Wen was furious and meant to put him to death, but Huan Chong interceded and saved him. Chuo had served Chong as a son serves a father. When Chong died, Chuo coughed blood and died. After Liu Yu took Jingkou, he appointed Chuo's son Zhu Lingshi adjutant on the Jianwu staff. In the third month, on the new moon (day wuwu), Liu Yu's forces encountered Wu Fuzhi at Jiangcheng. As battle was about to begin, Zhu Lingshi said to Liu Yu, "My family owes the Huans a deep debt. I cannot bear to cross blades with them. Let me serve in the rear." Moved by his loyalty, Liu Yu agreed. Wu Fuzhi was one of Huan Xuan's finest commanders, and his men fought with exceptional bite. Liu Yu gripped a long saber and charged with a thunderous cry. The enemy ranks broke before him; he cut down Fuzhi on the spot and pressed on to Luoluo Bridge. Huangfu Fu came against him with several thousand men. The Ningyuan general Tan Pingzhi was killed in defeat. Liu Yu fought all the harder. Fu hemmed him in layer upon layer until Liu Yu stood with his back to a great tree and fought on. Fu shouted, "What kind of death do you want?" He leveled his halberd to run Liu Yu through, but Liu Yu fixed him with a glare and a roar. Fu shrank back. Liu Yu's men arrived in moments. An arrow struck Fu in the forehead and he toppled. Liu Yu drove his blade forward. Dying, Fu said, "You bear Heaven's mandate. I entrust my sons to you." Liu Yu killed him, then treated his orphaned children with generous care. Liu Yu assigned the troops formerly under Tan Pingzhi to his aide Tan Zhi. Tan Zhi was a cousin of Tan Pingzhi. When Huan Xuan learned both generals were dead, terror seized him. He called in diviners and ritual specialists to cast his fate and ward off ill luck. He asked his ministers, "Am I doomed to lose?" Cao Jingzhi, director of the Ministry of Personnel, replied, "The people are bitter and the gods are angry. I tremble for Your Majesty." Huan Xuan said, "The common folk may hate me, but why would the gods be angry?" Cao answered, "The Jin ancestral shrines still wander displaced along the Yangtze. Your Great Chu rites honor no forebears of the dynasty. That is why Heaven is enraged." Huan Xuan said, "Why did you never speak up?" He answered, "Everyone around the throne called this an age of Yao and Shun. How could a humble officer dare speak out?" Huan Xuan said nothing. He posted Huan Qian and the mobile corps commander He Danzhi at Dongling, and the Palace Attendant and rear general Bian Fanzhi west of Fuzhou Mountain, twenty thousand men in all. On jiwei, after his troops had eaten, Liu Yu discarded their leftover grain and marched east of Fuzhou Mountain. He sent the weaker men up the slopes with banners to feign a vast host, then advanced on many paths until every gorge seemed full of soldiers. Huan Xuan's scouts reported that Liu Yu's forces had closed in on every side, and no one could tell their number. His fear deepened. He sent the Martial Guard general Yu Yizhi forward with an elite detachment to reinforce the line. Many of Qian's troops were veterans of the Northern Headquarters, long accustomed to fear Liu Yu. They had no heart to fight. Liu Yu and Liu Yi split into columns and struck Qian's line; Liu Yu led from the front. Every man fought as if one could hold off a hundred. Their battle cries shook heaven and earth. A fierce northeast wind arose. Liu Yu set the field ablaze. Smoke and flame towered to the sky; drums and shouts rolled through the capital. Qian's army collapsed. Though Huan Xuan still sent armies against Liu Yu, he had already chosen flight. In secret he ordered the chief commander Yin Zhongwen to ready boats at Shitou. When he heard Qian was beaten, he gathered several thousand trusted men, claimed he was riding to the fight, and fled with his son Sheng and nephew Jun through the South Fringe Gate. At the gate he met the former chief minister's aide Hu Fan, who seized the bridle and pleaded, "Eight hundred elite archers still stand ready—all volunteers. These Westerners owe your house generations of favor. Will you not order them into one last fight? If you abandon them now, where can you go in safety?" Huan Xuan made no reply. He lifted his whip toward the sky, then lashed his horse and fled west to Shitou, where he and Zhongwen took boats downriver and fled south. He went a full day without food. When attendants brought coarse fare, he could not swallow. His son Sheng held him and soothed him until Xuan broke down in uncontrollable grief. Liu Yu entered Jiankang. Wang Zhongde brought out Zhang Yuande's son Fanghui to meet him. Liu Yu lifted the boy onto his saddle, and the two men wept facing each other. He granted Zhang Yuande the posthumous rank of Gentleman Attendant-at-Court and appointed Zhongde adjutant on the central army staff. Liu Yu encamped at Huan Qian's former site and sent Liu Zhong to hold the Eastern Headquarters. On gengshen he took Shitou, reconstituted the provisional court, burned Huan Wen's spirit tablet before Xuanyang Gate, fashioned new tablets for the Jin imperial house, and installed them in the ancestral temple. He dispatched generals to hunt Huan Xuan. Minister over the Masses Wang Tan led the court to welcome the emperor home while Xuan's kinsmen in the capital were put to death. Liu Yu sent Zang Xi into the palace to collect books, regalia, and stores and to seal the treasuries; Among them were instruments gilded in gold. Liu Yu teased Xi, "You aren't tempted by these, are you?" Xi answered gravely, "Our sovereign has been held captive and driven from his rightful place. You, General, raised this righteous cause and labor for the dynasty. Unworthy as I am, I have no heart for music." Liu Yu laughed. "Only teasing you." Zang Xi was the younger brother of Zang Tao. On renxu, Wang Mi, whom Huan Xuan had made Minister of Education, joined the court in urging Liu Yu to take Yangzhou. Liu Yu refused firmly. Mi was instead made Palace Attendant, Minister of Education, governor of Yangzhou, and chief of Secretariat affairs; he then pressed Liu Yu to accept commission with full credentials as commander-in-chief over Yang, Xu, Yan, Yu, Qing, Ji, You, and Bing, and as governor of Xuzhou. Liu Yi was named governor of Qingzhou, He Wuji interior minister of Langye, Meng Chang magistrate of Danyang, and Liu Daogui grand warden of Yichang. When Liu Yu first reached Jiankang, nearly every important decision went to Liu Muzhi. In the rush of those days Muzhi settled affairs so swiftly that none went unsatisfied. Liu Yu made him his right hand and consulted him on every move; and Muzhi in turn served with absolute loyalty, hiding nothing. The Jin court had long been lax: law and custom had rotted, great families bullied as they pleased, and the poor were crushed under debt—made worse by Sima Yuanxian's perverse edicts. Huan Xuan had tried to reform the realm, but his code grew dense and intricate until no one could obey it. Muzhi judged each abuse by the standards of the moment and bent policy back toward order; while Liu Yu himself led by example, enforcing discipline with stern will. Within less than ten days officials inside and outside the court were performing their duties in earnest, and the tone of the capital changed overnight. Earlier, Zhuge Changmin had reached Yuzhou but missed his muster date and could not march. Diao Kui seized him and sent him toward Huan Xuan in a prisoner cart. At Dangli word came that Huan Xuan was beaten. The escort broke open the cart and freed Changmin, who hurried back to Liyang. Diao Kui fled the city but was caught by his own men and executed at Shitou. Sons and nephews of every age were killed; only his youngest brother Pi, a Gentleman Attendant-at-Court, was spared. Kui's old retainers hid his nephew Yong and smuggled him to Luoyang, where Yao Xing of Later Qin made him an attendant to the crown prince. Liu Yu named Wei Yongzhi governor of Yuzhou with his seat at Liyang, and Zhuge Changmin interior minister of Xuancheng. In earlier days Liu Yu was unknown and lowly, with a reputation for rowdiness. The great families would not look at him—only Wang Mi saw something extraordinary in him and said, "You are destined to be a hero of your age." Once Liu Yu gambled at backgammon with Diao Kui and failed to pay when he lost. Kui had him tied to the hitching post. Wang Mi saw it, rebuked Kui, freed Liu Yu, and paid the debt himself. From that day Liu Yu bore a deep grudge against Kui and a deep debt to Mi. Xiao Fangde remarked, "When a flood dragon lies hidden, even shrimp and minnows dare insult it." That is why Emperor Gaozu of Han pardoned Yong Chi and Cao Cao spared Liang Hu. How can a squabble among commoners be allowed to seed a feud against the throne? Now Wang Mi is made a duke while Diao Kui's house is exterminated. To reward a friend and destroy an enemy in one stroke—how small-minded! Wang Yu, Vice Director of the Ministry of Works, and his son Sui, governor of Jingzhou, plotted a surprise attack on Liu Yu. When the plot was exposed, their clan was wiped out. Sui's nephew Hui'long was hidden by the monk Senbin and survived. Northern Wei, finding the heartland depopulated, ordered any county with fewer than a hundred households dissolved. On dingmao, Liu Yu shifted his headquarters to the Eastern Palace compound. Huan Xuan reached Xunyang, where Guo Changzhi furnished him with supplies and troops. On xinwei he forced the emperor westward. Liu Yi marched in pursuit with He Wuji, Liu Daogui, and the rest. Huan Xuan left the Dragon-Fierce General He Danzhi and the former general Guo Quan, with Guo Changzhi, to hold Penkou. On the road he drafted his own "Imperial Diary," recounting the war against Liu Yu. He claimed his strategy had been flawless and blamed the armies for disobeying orders—thereby turning victory to rout. He buried himself in writing and had no time to consult his officers on the crisis at hand. When the diary was done, he published it for all the realm to read. On bingxu, Liu Yu announced that he held a secret edict from the emperor appointing Prince Zun of Wuling to govern in the emperor's name and command all offices. Zun was made Palace Attendant and Grand General, and a general amnesty was proclaimed—except for the house of Huan Xuan. Liu Jingxuan and Gao Yazhi rallied great Qingzhou families and Xianbei chiefs in a plot to assassinate Murong De of Southern Yan and set up Sima Xiuzhi as their leader. Murong De had appointed Liu Gui Minister of Works and held him in high favor. Yazhi wanted to bring Liu Gui into the conspiracy. Jingxuan objected: "Liu Gui is old and content in Qi. We must not tell him." Yazhi told him anyway. Liu Gui refused to join. The plot leaked. Jingxuan and his party fled south. Southern Yan authorities arrested Liu Gui and executed him, then caught Yazhi on the road and killed him as well. Jingxuan and Xiuzhi reached the Huai and Si country. Learning of Huan Xuan's defeat, they came over to Liu Yu, who appointed Jingxuan Administrator of Jinling. Murong De of Southern Yan, hearing of Huan Xuan's fall, ordered Prince Zhong of Beituo and others to march on Jiangnan—but Murong De fell ill and the campaign was called off. In the fourth month of summer, on jichou, Prince Zun of Wuling took up residence in the Eastern Palace, and court and camp alike paid him full deference. Appointments and removals were issued as regimen edicts; imperial instructions went out as order letters. Sima Xiuzhi was made commander over military affairs in Jing, Yi, Liang, Ning, Qin, and Yong, and Governor of Jingzhou. On gengyin, Huan Xuan brought the emperor to Jiangling, where Huan Shikang received them into the city. Huan Xuan reconstituted the bureaucracy and named Bian Fanzhi Vice Director of the Masters of Writing. After his rout he feared his orders would no longer be obeyed, so he tightened punishments still further—and his followers only grew more estranged. Yin Zhongwen urged restraint. Huan Xuan snapped, "Our generals broke discipline and the heavens turned against us—that is why we withdrew to old Chu. And now petty men chatter and dare raise foolish objections! This is the hour for stern correction, not for clemency." When the Jing and Jiang commanderies heard that Huan Xuan had fled west, some sent memorials asking after his health. He refused them all and ordered each district to congratulate him on establishing his new capital instead. Wang Mi had been Huan Xuan's chief counselor in founding the usurpation; when Xuan took the throne, it was Mi who removed the imperial seal and cord from the emperor's waist. After Huan Xuan's defeat many demanded Mi's death, but Liu Yu deliberately spared him. At a court session Liu Yi publicly asked Mi where the imperial seal and cord were kept. Mi, unable to bear the pressure, fled to Qu'a. Liu Yu wrote to Prince Zun of Wuling, who had Mi brought back and reinstated. Huan Xin's nephew led the Di chief Yang Qiu against Liyang. Wei Yongzhi, with Zhuge Changmin, Liu Jingxuan, and Liu Zhong, routed them and beheaded Yang Qiu at Liangu. Huan Xuan sent the Martial Guard General Yu Zhizu and Jiangxia prefect Huan Daogong with several thousand men to reinforce He Danzhi at Penkou. He Wuji and Liu Daogui reached Sangluo Isle. On gengxu, He Danzhi brought the fleet out to fight. He Danzhi's usual flagship flew lavish banners and pennants. He Wuji said, "Their commander won't be on that ship—it's a decoy. Strike it now." Others objected: "If Danzhi isn't aboard, capturing the ship gains us nothing." Wuji replied, "We're outnumbered—we can't expect a clean victory. If Danzhi isn't on that vessel, its crew will be second-rate. Hit it with our best troops and we'll take it. Once we have it, their spirit will break and ours will double. Press the attack then, and the enemy is finished." Liu Daogui said, "Well said!" They attacked and captured the ship, then shouted through the fleet: "He Danzhi is ours!" Panic swept He Danzhi's ranks. Wuji's men believed the rumor too and pressed the advantage, shattering Danzhi's force. Wuji took Penkou and occupied Xunyang, then sent the imperial ancestral tablets back to the capital under escort. Liu Yu was made commander over all military affairs in Jiangzhou. At Sangluo, Hu Fan's ship was set ablaze by the loyalist fleet. Clad in full armor he went overboard and swam underwater some thirty paces before reaching shore. The route to Jiangling was closed, so he withdrew to Yuzhang. Liu Yu, who had long admired Fan's integrity, brought him into his staff as an adviser on military affairs. Huan Xuan rallied Jingzhou troops and in less than a month had twenty thousand men, with tower ships and arms in abundance. On jiayin, Huan Xuan marched east again with the emperor in tow, placing Fu Hong in command of Liangzhou as his vanguard. He sent Regular Attendant Xu Fang ahead to tell Liu Yu: "Disband your armies and lay down your arms, and I will start anew with you—offices and ranks for all, none diminished in standing." Liu Yu made Zhuge Changmin commander north of the Huai and stationed him at Shanyang. He appointed Liu Jingxuan Governor of Jiangzhou. Yuedai Dana, a cousin of the Rouran khan Shelun, plotted to kill him, failed, and fled to Northern Wei. Murong Xi of Later Yan built the Free-and-Easy Palace in Youteng Park—hundreds of linked chambers—and excavated the Quguang reservoir. In the height of summer the laborers were given no rest, and more than half of them died. Li Tan, heir of Western Liang, died. Liu Yi, He Wuji, Liu Daogui, and Meng Huaiyu of Pingchang, prefect of Xiapi, marched west from Xunyang. In the fifth month, on guiyou, they met Huan Xuan at Zhengrong Isle. Yi's force numbered fewer than ten thousand against Huan Xuan's tens of thousands. The army wavered and wanted to fall back on Xunyang. Liu Daogui said, "We must not! They outnumber us; the odds are against us. If we shrink back now, they will run us down—even at Xunyang we could not hold. Huan Xuan plays the conqueror, but at heart he is a coward. He has already been routed once; his men have no stomach for another fight. When two armies meet, the bolder general wins—not the larger one." He ordered the troops forward. Yi and the others followed. Huan Xuan kept a light boat tied alongside his flagship ready for escape, and his soldiers lost all heart to fight. Yi set the enemy fleet afire downwind and led the charge with every elite soldier. Huan Xuan's army broke; they burned their wagons and fled by night. Guo Quan came to Yi and surrendered. Huan Xuan's old officers Liu Tong and Feng Zhi rallied four hundred men and stormed Xunyang. Yi sent the Establishing Might General Liu Huaisu to crush them. Huaisu was the younger brother of Liu Huaijing. Huan Xuan fled west with the emperor in a single boat, leaving Empress He of Yong'an and Empress Wang at Baling. Yin Zhongwen, aboard Huan Xuan's ship, asked leave to take another vessel and gather stragglers—then defected, escorted both empresses to Xiakou, and returned to Jiankang. On jimao, Huan Xuan and the emperor entered Jiangling. Feng Gai urged another stand; Huan Xuan refused and planned to flee to Hanzhong to join Huan Xi—but morale had collapsed and his orders went unheeded. On gengchen, at midnight, as he prepared to leave, the city erupted in chaos. He rode out the west gate with a little over a hundred trusted followers. At the gate his guards struck at him in the dark and missed. His followers turned on one another in the crush. Huan Xuan barely reached his boat. His attendants scattered; only Bian Fanzhi remained beside him. On xinsi, Jingzhou aide Wang Kangchan brought the emperor into the Nanjun government compound, while prefect Wang Tengzhi and his officials formed an escort. As Huan Xuan headed for Hanzhong, Colonel Mao Xiuzhi, a nephew of Mao Jin, persuaded him to flee into Shu instead—and Xuan agreed. Mao Fan, governor of Ningzhou and younger brother of Mao Jin, had died in office. Mao Jin sent his grandnephew Youzhi and aide Fei Tian with several hundred men to return Fan's coffin to Jiangling. On renwu they met Huan Xuan at Meihui Isle. Youzhi and Tian attacked at once. Arrows fell like rain. Huan Xuan's favorites Ding Xianqi and Wan Gai shielded him with their bodies and were killed. Feng Qian of Hanchang, Yizhou protector, drew his sword and stepped forward. Huan Xuan pulled the jade pin from his hair and held it out. "Who are you," he cried, "to dare kill the Son of Heaven!" Feng Qian answered, "I kill the rebel who stole the throne!" He cut Huan Xuan down, then killed Huan Shikang, Huan Jun, and Yu Yizhi. Huan Sheng was taken to Jiangling and executed in the marketplace. The emperor was restored at Jiangling. Mao Xiuzhi was made Valiant Cavalry General. On jiashen a general amnesty was proclaimed; those who had followed the usurper under duress were not punished. On wuyin the ancestral tablets were restored to the Imperial Temple. Liu Yi sent Huan Xuan's head to the capital, where it was spiked on the Daheng gate. After their victory, Liu Yi and his colleagues assumed the war was over and did not pursue in haste. Contrary winds held their fleet back, and nearly ten days after Huan Xuan's death their forces had still not come up. Huan Qian lay hidden in Ju, while Huan Zhen, General Who Displays Martiality, concealed himself at Huarong Ford. Huan Xuan's old officer Wang Zhihui held Baling and sent word to Zhen that Huan Xin had seized the capital, Feng Zhi had retaken Xunyang, and Liu Yi's armies had all been routed on the middle road and were falling back. Zhen was overjoyed. He mustered two hundred men and struck at Jiangling, and Huan Qian rallied his own followers to join the attack. In the intercalary month, on the day jichou, they seized Jiangling again and put Wang Kangchan and Wang Tengzhi to death. Zhen rode into the temporary palace, spurred his horse forward with halberd raised, and halted at the foot of the steps to demand where Huan Sheng was. When he learned that Sheng was already dead, he glared at the Emperor and cried, "What crime has my house committed against the realm, that you should butcher us so!" Prince Dewen of Langya rose from the couch and said, "Surely this was never my brothers' wish!" Zhen meant to kill the Emperor, but Qian pleaded with him until he relented. Zhen then dismounted, composed his face, bowed formally, and withdrew. On renchen, Zhen mourned Huan Xuan, set up a mourning hall, and gave him the posthumous title Emperor Wudao. On guisi, Qian led the court in presenting the imperial seal and cord to the Emperor, saying, "Your Majesty followed Yao in yielding the throne to Shun; the house of Chu has run its course, and the people's hearts have returned to Jin." Prince Dewen of Langya was named Inspector of Xuzhou; Zhen became commander of military affairs in eight provinces and Inspector of Jingzhou; Qian was restored as Palace Attendant and Guards General and given Jiang and Yu as well. Every attendant at the Emperor's side was one of Zhen's own men. Zhen had been dissolute in his youth, and Huan Xuan had never treated him as the equal of his sons and nephews. Now he sighed and said, "Uncle, if you had used me sooner, we would never have come to this ruin. Had you lived and put me at the van, pacifying the realm would have been no great matter. Now that I stand alone, where can I turn?" He gave himself over to wine and women and killed at whim. Qian urged Zhen to take the field in person while he held Jiangling, but Zhen had always despised Qian and refused to listen. Liu Yi reached Baling and executed Wang Zhihui. He Wuji and Liu Daogui attacked Huan Qian at Matou and Huan Wei at Longquan and defeated them both. Wei was the son of Huan Mi. He Wuji wanted to follow up the victory and drive straight on Jiangling. Liu Daogui said, "In war, advance and delay each have their season; we must not rush forward blindly. The Huan clan has ruled Western Chu for generations, and every man under them will fight to the last; Zhen's valor is unmatched in the host, and he is not a foe to meet head-on. Let us rest the army and sharpen our edge, then wear them down with stratagem. Victory need not worry us." He Wuji would not heed him. Zhen gave battle at Ling Stream. Feng Gai came up with reinforcements, and He Wuji's force was shattered, with more than a thousand dead. They fell back to Xunyang and, together with Liu Yi, sent memorials asking pardon for their defeat. Liu Rong placed Liu Yi in overall command of the armies but stripped him of the Qingzhou inspectorate. Huan Zhen appointed Huan Wei Inspector of Yongzhou and posted him at Xiangyang. When Liu Yuezhi, Luo Shu, and Zhen Jizhi heard that Huan Xuan was dead, they marched from Baidi toward Zhijiang. Learning of He Wuji's defeat at Ling Stream, they pulled back. Soon Shu and Jizhi fell ill. Yuezhi went to Zhen pretending to submit, planning to strike him by surprise; the plot was discovered, and Zhen had him killed. Yuezhi's marshal Shi Yanzu and the prefect of Fuling, Wen Chumao, gathered the survivors and held Fuling. In the sixth month Mao Jin sent generals against Hanzhong, slew Huan Xi, and took Liangzhou for himself. In autumn, in the seventh month, on wushen, Empress He of Yong'an died. In Yan, Lady Fu the Honored Consort fell ill, and Wang Rong of Longcheng claimed he could heal her. When the consort died, King Xi of Yan had Rong bound at the Gate of the Public Chariot, cut him limb from limb, and burned the pieces. In the eighth month, on guiyou, Empress Muzhang was interred at Yongping Tomb. Northern Wei created six yeguan offices, modeled on the ancient Six Ministers. In the ninth month Diao Chi rebelled, was put to death, and the house of Diao was destroyed. The Diaos had long been immensely rich. Their bondsmen and clients ranged unchecked, holding the hills and marshes by force, and had become a plague on Jingkou. Liu Yu opened their hoards to the people, letting each take what he could carry, and a full day was not enough to empty them. The provinces were starving and destitute, and countless families lived on that windfall. Qifu Gangui fought Yang Sheng at Zhuling and was defeated. Li Gao, Duke of Western Liang, named his son Xin heir apparent. The Wei ruler Tuoba Gui sat in Zhaoyang Hall to reorganize the bureaucracy, summoned civil and military officials, personally weighed their merits, and assigned each post to fit his ability. He defined four ranks of nobility: kings received great commanderies, dukes lesser commanderies, marquises great counties, and earls lesser counties. For ranks one through four, veteran ministers who had earned merit but held no title were ennobled posthumously or belatedly, while distant kinsmen of the imperial clan and non-Tuoba heirs had their inherited ranks reduced by fixed degrees. He also created five grades of unsalaried office, ranks five through nine; scholar-officials of proven talent and soldiers fit for high command were likewise classed from rank five to nine; and whenever a regular post fell vacant, appointees were drawn from these pools to fill it. Most titles abandoned Han and Wei usage and echoed antiquity's Dragon and Bird offices. Couriers of the ministries were called Wild Duck and Mallard, for the speed of their flight; inspectors were named White Egret, for the bird's long-necked watchfulness; and the rest followed the same pattern. Lu Xun raided Nanhai and laid siege to Panyu. Wu Yinzhi of Puyang, Inspector of Guangzhou, held the city for more than a hundred days. In winter, in the tenth month, on renxu, Xun stormed the city by night and took it. Government halls and private houses burned to the ground, and Wu Yinzhi was captured. Xun styled himself General Who Pacifies the South and assumed control of Guangzhou. He heaped the charred bones into a common mound on the river islet and counted more than thirty thousand skulls. He sent Xu Daofu against Shixing and took its chief minister Ruan Tianzhi prisoner. Liu Rong assumed the Qingzhou inspectorate. At Xunyang, Liu Jingxuan stockpiled grain and refitted ships and was never caught unprepared, so when He Wuji and the others were beaten back they were able to rally on his base. Huan Liang, a nephew of Huan Xuan, styled himself Inspector of Jiangzhou and raided Yuzhang, but Jingxuan routed him. Liu Yi, He Wuji, and Liu Daogui marched west again from Xunyang and reached Xiakou. Huan Zhen posted Feng Gai, General Who Pacifies the East, on the eastern shore, Meng Shantu, General Who Displays Martiality, on Lucheng Mountain, and Huan Xianke, General Who Assists the State, at Crescent Fortress. Their combined strength was ten thousand men, linked by land and river. Yi assaulted Lucheng Mountain while Daogui struck Crescent Fortress and He Wuji held the mid-river. From chen to wu both strongholds fell. Meng Shantu and Huan Xianke were captured alive; Feng Gai fled to Shicheng. On xinsi, Northern Wei proclaimed a general amnesty and adopted the era name Tianci. Work began on the Western Palace. In the eleventh month Tuoba Gui moved into the Western Palace and ordered clan mentors for the imperial kindred, great and lesser mentors for the eight domains, and mentors in every province and commandery to sort lineages and recommend men of talent, in the manner of the Wei and Jin zhongzheng system. King Xi of Yan went hunting with Lady Fu. They climbed White Deer Mountain in the north, crossed Green Ridge to the east, and looked out on the sea in the south before turning home. Tigers, wolves, and the cold killed more than five thousand of the soldiers who followed them. In the twelfth month Liu Yi and his colleagues captured Baling. Liu Yi's discipline was ironclad, and the people along his line of march were calm and grateful. Liu Yu restored Liu Yi to the Yanzhou inspectorate. Huan Zhen appointed Huan Fangzhi Inspector of Yizhou and posted him at Xiling; but Wen Chumao defeated him and drove him back to Jiangling. Goguryeo invaded Yan. On wuchen the Wei ruler Tuoba Gui went to Chanshan Palace. That year Jin subjects fleeing the chaos poured north of the Huai, infants on their backs, until the roads were one unbroken stream of refugees.
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