Rise of Sixteen States: 301
Li Te declares himself Great General who Garrisons the North.
Elsewhere around this time, Zhang Gui is appointed Inspector of Liangzhou while Liu Yuan gets a new job.
26 January 301 โ 13 February 302
(Jin's 1st Year of Yongning)
1st Year of Yongning, Spring, 1st Month, yichou [3 February], the King of Zhao, Lun, usurped the throne.
3rd Month [26 March โ 24 April], the General who Pacifies the East, the King of Qi, Jiong, rose with troops to thereby punish Lun, transmitting a call to arms to the provinces and commanderies, and garrisoning at Yandi.
The Great General who Conquers the North, the King of Chengdu, Ying; the Great General who Conquers the West, the King of Hejian, Yong; the King of Changshan, Ai; the Inspector of Yu province, Li Yi; the Inspector of Yan province, Wang Yan; the Commander of the Palace Gentlemen of the South, the Duke of Xinye, Xin; all rose with troops to obey him.
Summer, 4th Month, guihai [1 June], executed the King of Zhao, Lun and others of Lun's faction.
(Li Te)
1st Year of Yongning, Spring, 1st Month [26 January โ 24 February], Zhao Xin feared the Imperial Court would chastise him. He dispatched the Senior Clerk Fei Yuan, the Grand Warden of Qianwei, Li Bi and the Controller-Protector Chang Jun to supervise more than ten thousand people to block the northern road, staying at Shiting in Mianzhu. Te covertly collected and gathered, and obtained more than 7 000 people (HYGZ08: more than 700 people). At night he assaulted Yuan's army. Yuan's army's greatly dispersed. Following that, he let lose fire and burnt them, the dead were eight or nine out of ten.
He advanced to attack Chengdu. Xin heard the troops had arrived, he was frightened and afraid and did not know what to do. The Palace Gentleman Chang Mei together Fei Yuan, Li, Bi, Zhang Zheng and others at night cut the gate bar, fled and set out. The civil and military officials altogether scattered. Xin on his own, together with his wife and children, sailed a small boat along the river until Guangdu, and was killed by his subordinate Zhu Zhu.
Xin, courtesy name Heshu, was originally a native of Anhan in Baxi. In his grandfather's generation they accompanied Zhang Lu to move inside, and had his family in Zhao. The King of Zhao, Lun, appreciated him. He was successively Prefect of Chang#'an, Grand Warden of Tianmen and Wuling, and came to preside over the province. His son Bing was in Luo, and also was executed.
Te and Liu arrived at Chengdu, they set the troops loose for a great plunder, murdered the Army-Protectors of the Western Yi, Jiang Fa and Gong Ni, and killed Xin's Senior Clerk (HYGZ: Prefect of Chengdu) Yuan Qia, and the wardens and chiefs set up by Xin. He dispatched his Serrated Gates Wang Lu and Li Ji to go to Luoyang and lay out the circumstances of Xin's crimes.
Earlier, the Inspector of Liang# province, Luo Shang, heard that Xin had rebelled, and petitioned:
Xin is not an outstanding talent, and also the people of Shu do not desire to make chaos, they certainly have nothing in common. The affair in the end will have no success. [We] can plan for the day of his defeat and destruction, and wait.
Emperor Hui following that designated Shang General who Pacifies the West, Acting with the Tally, Nominal Colonel who Protects the Western Yi, and Inspector of Yi province, looking after 1 000 tally guard troops, 2 000 Liang# province troops, and also matched with the Chief Commandant of Shangyong's right-principled section 1 500 people, for a combined 4 500 people. Moved the Grand Warden of Zitong,Xu Jian of Leling, to be Shu commandery, the General who Spreads Fervent, Xin Ran to be Grand Warden of Guanghan. Shang also petitioned to request the Commander of the Serrated Gates, Wang Dun, to enter Shu with 7 000 troops.
Te and others Shang was coming, and was very afraid. He sent his younger brother Xiang# to receive and welcome him on the road, and also offer as tribute precious things. Shang was very pleased, and used Xiang# as Cavalry Controller. Te and Liu then used cattle and wine and alcohol to entertain Shang at Mianzhu.
Wang Dun advised Shang, saying:
Te and others are robbing and plundering thieves from the frontier of Longshang. [We] ought when [we] meet to kill him, and the army will have no later worries.
(HYGZ08: Xin Ran had originally been employed by the King of Zhao, Lun, he was not depended on in turn and had been summoned to return back [?]. He wished to use chastising Xin to gain merit for himself, and also talked to him.) Shang did not accept. Ran previously had been familiar with Te, and following that spoke to him, saying:
When old acquaintances happen on each other, if it is not auspicious, it must be inauspicious.
Te was deeply wary and fearful for himself.
3rdMonth [26 March โ 24 April], Shang arrived at the provincial seat. The Qiang of Minshan rebelled at Tianshi Mountain in Du'an. He dispatched Wang Dun to chastise them. [He? They?] killed several thousand people, and greatly took away women and youths as live captives. Dun galloped on a single horse, and was killed by the Qiang.
Soon after there was a tally sent down to Qin and Yong provinces, and all the drifting people who had entered Hanchuan had sent down to them where they were summoning them to return back. The Steering Clerks Feng Gai and Zhang Chang acted as Assistant Officials of Qin and Yong provinces, and supervising relocating back the drifting people. Those who were moved were more than ten thousand families.
But Te's older brother Fu, who was used to remaining behind at their home village, as pretext said he was welcoming his family, and then when he arrived in Shu spoke to Te, saying:
The Central States just now are in chaos, and are not fit to return back to.
Te considered it to be so, and therefore had thoughts of ruling and occupying Ba and Shu.
The Imperial Court for his merit in chastising Zhao Xin, designated Te General who Spreads Domination, ennobled Marquis of Changle district, and Liu as General who Arouses Domination and Marquis of Wuyang.
A letter with the imperial seal was sent down to Yi province, to list and classify those among the drifting people of the Six Commanderies who chastised Xin in cooperation and together with Te, wanting to add to them rewards for their merit. It happened that Xin Ran, since he had been summoned out of turn, did not look into responding to the summons, and also wished to use the wiping out of Xin to gain merit for himself. He therefore slept on the court's instructions, and did not actually send them up. The multitudes all resented it.
Luo Shang dispatched an Assistant Officer to urge on dispatching the drifting people, marking off the 7th Month for going up the roads. Te and others firmly requested, seeking to extend it until the autumn harvest. The drifting people were scattered around in Liang# and Yi, and had been hired by people to work. When they heard the provinces and commanderies were pressuring to dispatch them, everyone were anxious and resentful, and did not know what to do.
Again, when they knew Te and his brothers again and again had requested and sought a delay, everyone were moved and relied on them. Moreover the rains were about to come down, and the year's grain were not yet ripe. The drifting people had nothing to provide for them on the march, and thereupon went with each other to Te.
Te dispatched Yan Shi of Tianshui to frequently go to Shang to seek to loosen the guidance and argue it was opportune to delay until autumn. He also dispatched goods and gifts to Shang and Gai. They allowed it. Reaching autumn, he again sought to extend it until winter. Xin Ran and Li Bi considered it impossible, and certainly wished to relocate them.
Shi made the Separate Carriage Du Tao explain the gains and harms of forcing a relocation. Tao also wished to let go of and disperse the people for one year. Xin Ran and Li Bi considered it impossible, and Shang followed them. Tao delivered his Flowering Talent wood board and set out to return to his family, knowing the reasons for his plans and strategies not being acted on.
At the time there was a white nimbus, the head was in a well village, the tail was in the eastern mountains, and it trailed over the greater city. The Assistant Officer Within the Seat, Ma Xiu of Baxi asked Yan Shi about it, saying:
What omen is this?
Shi said:
The divination tells that below it there is a vapour of ten thousand corpses. Its very closeness to the city is not an auspicious response. Can a Heavenly affliction be disobeyed? If the [General] who Pacifies the West is able to let go of the dispersed people, the calamity will dissolve itself.
Xin Ran was by nature greedy and brutal, he wished to kill the drifting people's heads and leaders, acquire their wealth and goods. He therefore circulated incitements to send them out and dispatch them. He also ordered the Grand Warden of Zitong, Zhang Yan, to arrange for barriers at the various strategic places, and search out and exhort treasure and goods. Ran and Li Bi again declared to Shang:
The drifting people previously during of Xin's chaos very much were unjustly confiscating. [We] ought to take the opportunity with the relocating to build barriers to take away and seize it.
Autumn, 7th Month [21 August โ 18 September], Shang sent a document to Zitong, for them there to hold close the barriers.
8th Month [19 September โ 18 October], the barriers were all walled up. Li Te dispatched Yan Shi to go to Luo Shang, seeking to stretch out the date. When Shi had arrived, he saw Ran was keeping watch over and palisading the thoroughfares and strategic places, planning to ambush the drifting people. He sighed, and said:
When there are no bandits but there are walls, an enemy must be protecting them. Now he is yet speeding it up, chaos is about to be created.
He also knew that Ran and Li Bi's opinion could not be turn around, and therefore bid farewell to Shang to return back to Mianzhu. Shang spoke to Shi, saying:
You Sir are about to report to the various drifting people my thoughts, [I] am now accepting tolerance.
Shi said:
You, Enlightened Excellency, has been misled by perfidious advise, and [I] fear will have no tolerance and reason. Those who are weak but cannot be taken lightly are the hundred families, and now [you] press them unreasonably. The multitudes' anger is difficult to transgress, [I] fear there will be a disaster of no small depth.
Shang said:
However, I do no deceive you Sir. Sir should go.
Shi arrived at Mianzhu, and talked to Te, saying:
Even though Shuo stated this, he cannot necessarily be trusted, why so? Shang's authority to punish is not established, Ran and others each hold close strong troops, and in a single morning [can] make a mishap. They also are not someone Shang is able to control. [We] really ought to be prepared.
Te accepted it.
9th Month [19 October โ 16 November], [Shang?] dispatched an army to Mianzhu, spreading word they were planting wheat, but in truth preparing for them to disperse and flee.
Te sent to Ran seeking extension for himself. Ran was greatly angered, he dispatched people to distribute placards and make public at the crossroads, putting a bounty of a hundred bolts for the heads of Te and Liu. Te saw it, and was greatly afraid. He thoroughly took them and brought them back. Together with Xiang# he changed their bounty to state:
[He who] is able to send off the Six Commanderies' great families, Yan, Zhao, Ren, Yang, Li, and Shangguan, and the marquises and kings of the Di Sou, Liang, Dou, Fu Wei, Dong, Fei, and others, for each heads a hundred bolts.
The drifting people were already unhappy about relocating, and all went to revert to Te. They galloped their horses and collected their quivers, and with a single voice assembled like clouds. Between a ten-day and a month the multitudes exceeded 20 000. Liu also gathered a multitude of several thousands.
Winter, 10th Month [17 November โ 16 December], Te and Liu therefore guarded Chizu, and made two camps. Te resided in the eastern camp, and Liu in the eastern camp.
Ran and Bi planned with each other, saying:
Marquis Luo is greedy but makes no decisions, and from day to day the drifting people get to extend their perfidious schemes. Li Te and his brothers all have outstanding talent, we are about to be made captives by nobodies. We ought to make a decisive scheme, and not be satisfied again with asking about it.
They therefore dispatched the Chief Commandant of Guanghan, Zeng Yuan, the Serrated Gates Zhang Xian, and others to covertly lead 30 000 infantry and cavalry to assault Te's camp. Luo Shang heard about it, and likewise dispatched the Controller-Protector Tian Zuo and Serrated Gates Liu Bing to assist Yuan. Te habitually knew about it, he therefore repaired his armour and readied the troops, and warned them strictly to wait for it. Yuan and others arrived. Te calmly laid down and did not move. He waited for half of their multitudes to enter, and then issued out from the ambush to strike them, the killed and wounded were a considerable multitude. Zuo was also defeated.
He murdered Tian Zuo, Zeng Yuan, and Zhang Xian, and transmitted their heads to be shown to Shang and Ran. Shang spoke to his generals and aides, saying:
These miscreants had completely left, but Guanghan did not heed my words and so expanded the thieves' power. Now what should we do about it!
Hence the drifting people of the Six Commanderies pushed forward Te to be their ruler. Te instructed Controller of Private Troops of the Six Commanderies, Li Han, the Prefect of Shanggui, Ren Zang, the Prefect of Shichang, Yan Shi, the Remonstrant Grandee Li Pan, the Prefect of Chencang, Li Wu, the Prefect of Yinping, Li Yuan, the Chief Commandant Commanding Troops Yang Bao, and others to send up a letter, requesting to rely on the old affairs of Liang Tong serving Dou Rong, and push forward Te as Acting Great General who Garrisons the North, to carry on the authority to ennoble and designate, and his younger broth Liu to be Acting General who Garrisons the East, to assist in quelling and governing.
Te and others advanced the troops to attack Ran at Guanghan. Ran's multitudes set out to fight, Te routed them every time. Shang dispatched the Grand Warden of Qianwei, Li Bi, and Senior Clerk Fei Yuan to led a multitude and save Ran, but they dreaded Te and did not dare to advance. Ran put the blame on the Prefect of Mianzhu, Qi Bao of Nan commandery, and beheaded him. Then he broke through the encirclement and ran to Deyang (JS: Jiangyang).
Te entered to occupy Guanghan, and used Li Chao as Grand Warden. He advanced the troops to attack Shang at Chengdu. [Shang] wrote a note of denouncement and accusation to Yan Shi. Shi replied, saying:
Xin Ran pour out swindles. Du Jing [textual error for Zhang Xian?] set forth in madness. Zeng Yuan is a small upstart. Tian Zuo's blood and spirit is not in order. Li Shuping has not the spirit of someone commanding regiments. To chastise exhausted and poor Qiang can be said to be their strong point.
Shi previously was discussing with the Beneath the Tally and Du Jingwen [I.e Du Tao] the propriety of halting and migrating. People hold close their mulberry trees and catalpa trees, who do not wish for them? Moreover, formerly when they began to arrive, following the grain to work for hire, a single family would be divided in five. Then they were faced with torrential rain. They begged to wait for the winter harvest, and yet they were not heard. Certainly a destitute deer will defy a tiger.
Moreover [I] fear with the great excesses of the measures, the dispersed people will not willingly extend their necks and accept the blade, and perhaps the troubles will be later. Had [you] listened to Yan's words, and released them to make arrangements, it would not have gone past the 9th Month before they were fully assembled, on the 10th Month advanced on the road, and by now reached their home villages. Why would it have to be like this?
[You] courteously listened but did investigate, and empathized with others' excessive words. Now Xin Ran is an absconded slave, Shuping excels at hiding, [your] branches are divided and [your] might unravelled, affairs are gradually catching up with yourself. It is what is spoken of as not being aware of bending the smoke-hole and keeping distant the firewood, and having your guests be burnt by them.
(JS: Yan Shi conveyed a letter to Shang, calling him to account for his trust in and usage of slanderous plots, and wish for chastising the drifting people. He also put forth how Te and his brothers had established merit on behalf of the kingly house by soothing the lands of Yi.)
Shang looked at the letter, and understood Te and others were about to have great aspirations, he walled up the city and strengthen the defences, and sought help from Liang# and Ning provinces.
Te declared himself Envoy Holding the Tally, Great Commander-in-Chief, Great General who Garrisons the North (HYGZ: and [Inspector of] Yi province), to carry on the authority to ennoble and designate alone, relying on the former affairs of Dou Rong in Hexi. Liu became Great General who Garrisons the East. Their older brother Fu became General of Agile Cavalry, their younger brother Xiang# General of Valiant Cavalry, Te's oldest son Shi became General of Martial Domination, his second son Dang became General of the Garrison Army, his youngest son Xiong became General of the Van, Li Han became Colonel of the Western Yi, Han's sons Guo and Li, Ren Hui, Li Gong, Shangguan Jing, Li Pan, Fei Tuo (HYGZ: Fei Ta) and others became generals and leaders, Ren Zang of Tianshui, Shangguan Dun, Yang Bao, HYGZ: Yang Fa, Yang Gui, Wang Da, Qu Xin and others became claws and teeth, Li Yuan of Yinping, Li Bo of Wudu, Xi Bin of Lรผeyang, Yan Cheng, Shangguan Qi, Li Tao, Wang Huai and others became staff members, Yan Shi became master of plans, He Ju and Zhao Su became belly and heart.
At the time Luo Shang was greedy and ruthless, and was a worry of the hundred families. Yet Te gave the people of Shu a moderate law in three chapters, gave alms and relieved debt, was courteous to the worthy and raised up the blocked, and his army and government were respectful. The hundred families made a song about it:
Li Te is still allowable, Luo Shang kills us.
Shang led his people to fully cross the Pi River and southward, blocking a long circumference and building camps hemming the river, from Du'an until Qianwei, 700 li. Te and others guarded Guanghan.
Yongning era (301 โ 302)
(Liu Yuan)
The King of Chengdu, Ying, was headquartered at Ye. Beginning of Yongning [301 โ 302], he petitioned for Liu Yuan to act as General who Soothes the Boreal and Overseer of the Army Affairs of the Five Sections.
(Murong Hui)
Middle of Yongning [301 โ 302], Yan was on the brink of great floods. Murong Hui opened the granaries to relieve and provide, and You region obtained help. The Son of Heaven heard and praised him, and as commendation bestowed award clothes.
(Zhang Gui)
Zhang Gui considered the time was on the brink of many difficulties, and secretly plotted to guard and occupy Hexi, and pursue the former affairs of Dou Rong. He cast the diving slips and got Contentment and Surview. He therefore threw the slips and joyfully said:
The omens of a hegemon.
He then sought to become [Inspector] of Liang province. The excellencies and dignitaries also recommended Gui as talented and capable of steering far-away lands.
Beginning of Yongning [301 โ 302], he set out to be Holding the Tally, Colonel who Protects the Qiang, and Inspector of Liang province.
At that time the Xianbei turn to rebellion, and robbed and stole everywhere. When Gui arrived in the province he promptly chastised and routed them, the cut off heads numbered more than ten thousand. Thereupon his domination was evident in the western provinces, and is reforms acted on in Heyou. He gave lessons in farming mulberry trees, and pulled up the worthy and talented.
He used Song Pei, Yin Chong, Fan Yuan and Yin Dan as thighs and forearms, and masters of planning. He summoned the head sons, 500 people, and established schools to teach them. He started to set up Libationers of Revering Culture, their ranks were treated as Separate Carriages. Spring and autumn they acted out the rites of district archery meetings.
The Overseer of the Private Writers, Mou Shizheng, and the Junior Treasurer Zhi Yu at night observed the star constellations. They talked to each other and said:
Under Heaven is just now in chaos, of states that are avoiding the difficulties there is just the lands of Liang, and that is all. Zhang of Liang province's virtue and capacity are not ordinary, he is likely that person.
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