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bookofjin · 5 years

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Biography of Su Jun

[From JS100]

Su Jun, courtesy name Zigao, was a native of Ye in Changguang. His father Mo was Chancellor of Anle. Jun as young was of bookish character and had a talent for studying, he served the commandery as Master of Accounts. At the age of eighteen he was recommended as Filial and Incorrupt.

During the chaos of Yongjia [307 – 313], the hundred families drifted and absconded were gathering in defence. Jun brought together and gathered, obtaining several thousand families, and organized ramparts in the home county. At the time prominent and outstanding were gathering for defence, yet Jun was the strongest. He dispatched the Senior Clerk Xu Wei to circulate a call to arms to the various defended places, showing thereby the kingly persuasion. He also collected withered bones and withered him. Distant and near perceived his kindness and righteousness, and pushed forward Jun as the master. Thereupon he shot and hunted on the border of the sea and inside the mountains of Qing. Emperor Yuan heard about him, and made use of Jun as General who Calms and Collects.

At the time Cao Ni acted as Inspector of Qing province. He petitioned for Jun to be Prefect of Ye, Jun declined due to illness and did not accept. Ni loathed him obtaining the multitudes, and feared he would certainly be troublesome, he wanted to chastise him. Jun was afraid, and led several hundred families of his sections to sail the sea and cross south.

When he had come to Guangling, the Imperial Court praised his arrival from afar, and moved him to Hawk Rising General. It happened that Zhou Jian rebelled at Pengcheng. Jun assisted in chastising him and had merit. He was appointed Interior Clerk of Huailing, then moved to Chancellor of Lanling.

When Wang Dun commenced his rebellion, decreed Jun to chastise Dun. He divined it and found it inauspicious, he delayed, turned around, and did not advance. When the kingly host achieved defeat, Jun withdrew to guard Xuchi. Former magistrates of Huailing, Xu Shen and Ai Yi, empathically requested Jun to be Interior Clerk. A decree listened to them, and added General who Exerts Power. At the beginning of Taining [323 – 326], changed his appointment to Interior Clerk of Linhuai.

Wang Dun repeatedly indulged in rebellion. The Prefect of the Masters of Writing, Xi Jian, discussed summoning Jun and Liu Xia to aid the Imperial Capital. Dun dispatched Jun's older brother to persuade Jun, saying:

Wealth and honour is possible [by] sitting by and taking. Why come yourself and court death?

Jun did not follow. Thereupon he led the multitudes to hasten to the Imperial City, pausing at the Minister over the Masses' old office. The road had been long and the travel quick, the people of the army were tired and exhausted. Shen Chong and Qian Feng planned, saying:

The Northern Army is newly arrived, and is not yet capable of attacking and fighting, [if we] strike it, we will surely vanquish. If [we] are timid and wavering, later the difficulties will overflow.

The thieves at that night crossed over Zhuge Isle, they overcame the palisades and were about to fight. Jun led his general Han Huang to cut across them at the Southern Dike, and greatly routed them. He again accompanied Yu Liang to pursue and rout Shen Chong.

He was advanced to Envoy Holding the Tally, General of the Best of the Army, Interior Clerk of Liyang, concurrently Cavalier Regular Attendant, and was ennobled Duke of Shaoling with a revenue estate of 1 800 households.

Jun originally used a single family to collect the multitudes at a juncture of tumult and turmoil. After he had reverted to obedience, his aspirations was to establish merit. When he had merit in the sate, his hopes for authority gradually became visible. Arriving at this point he had ten thousand keen soldiers, and his implements and arms were to great extent the finest. The Imperial Court relied on him for [the territory] outside the Jiang.

But Jun was quite overflowing with haughtiness in his breast. He himself depended on his multitudes, and secretly had disloyal aspirations. He consoled and admitted [those who had] absconded from the instructions. When he obtained the families of criminals who had escaped death, Jun every time sheltered and hid them. His multitudes' strength multiplied daily, everyone relied on food from the county officials, the transport ships gathered each other. [On those who] in the slightest were not of the same opinion, he readily let loose furious words.

At the time Emperor Ming had just then collapsed, entrusting government affairs to the stewards and assistants. The [General who] Protects the Army, Yu Liang, wished to campaign against him. Jun heard there was about to be a campaigned, and dispatched Marshal He Reng to go to Liang and say:

An outer appointment of chastising the thieves, distant and near [I will] follow the instructions. [But] when it comes to interior assistance, [I am] truly not capable of it.

He did not follow, and thereupon sent down a gracious decree summoning Jun to be Great Minister of Agriculture, concurrently Cavalier in Regular Attendance, ranking as Specially Advanced, and used his younger brother Yi to replace him to lead the private troops. Jun habitually suspected the Emperor wished to murder him, and petitioned, saying:

Formerly August Emperor Ming held Your Subject's hand, and sent Your Subject north to chastise the Hu bandits. Now the Central Plains are not yet stable, there is no use in being at home. [I] beg to repair a single desolate commandery on the border of Qing province, so as to show the employment of hawks and dogs.

It again was not allowed. Jun made ready and prepared for the journey, and was about to hasten to the summons, but was hesitating and holding off, and had not yet decided. The Army Advisor Ren Rang spoke to Jun, saying:

The General sought to stay in a desolate commandery, and yet it was not allowed. With affairs and circumstances like this, [I] fear there is no life on the road. It is not as good as directing the troops and defend yourself.

Jun followed him, and thereupon did not obey the instructions. The Imperial Court dispatched envoys to criticize and explain to him. Jun said:

When the Tribunal sends down words that I wish to rebel, how will I survive? I would rather gaze at the Commandant of Justice from the mountain top, than be unable to gaze at the mountain top from the Commandant of Justice. In the past when the state was imperilled like a stack of eggs, it was not that I did not aid. When the cunning hare is dead, the hunting dog arranges for himself to be boiled in response. However when [I am] dead [I will] report to those who made the plans, that is all.

Hence he dispatched the Army Advisor Xu Hui to join with Zu Yue, and plan to make chaos, and use chastising Liang as their fame. Yue dispatched Zu Huan and Xu Liu to lead the multitudes and help Jun. Jun dispatched generals Han Huang, Zhang Jian, and others to assault Gushu. They advanced to pressure Ci Lake, and killed the Prefect of Yuhu, Tao Fu, and the General who Exerts Power, Sima Liu.

Jun himself led Huan and Liu's multitudes, ten thousand people, exploited the wind to cross from Hengjiang, and stayed at Lingkou. He fought with the kingly host, won again and again, and thereupon occupied Jiang Mound and Fuzhou Mountain. He led the multitudes to rely on the wind and release fire. The tribunals, bureau, and the various encampments, courtyards and offices in a single moment were swept away and gone.

Thereupon he captured the palace city, and let loose the troops to great plunder. They intruded and pressured the six palaces, were thoroughly heinous and extremely violent, ruthless and cruel without principles. They chased away the serving hundred officials, the Superintendent of the Brilliantly Blessed, Wang Bin, and others were all beaten and flogged, and forced and ordered them to carry and bear up Jiang Mountain. They stripped naked the scholars and women, everyone used destroyed mats, rushes and grass to screen themselves, those who had no grass sat on the ground and used earth to cover themselves. The sound of their pitiful shouts shook and moved inside and outside.

At the time the officials had 200 000 bolts of cloth, 5 000 jin of gold and silver, an immeasurable amount of cash, several ten thousand bolts of tabby silk, and others things like those. Jun fully expended them. He fabricated a decree for a great amnesty, only Yu Liang and his brothers were not pardoned. He used himself as General of Agile Cavalry that Leads the Army, Recording the Affairs of Masters of Writing. Xu Liu [as] Intendant of Danyang, promoted the General of the Van, Ma Xiong to General of Guards of the Left, Zu Huan [as] General of Valiant Cavalry, restored the King of Yiyang, Yang, to King of Xiyang, Grand Steward, Recording the Affairs of the Masters of Writing. Yang's child Bo likewise was restored to his original office.

Hence he changed and altered the officials and ministers, and set up his friends and partisans. The government affairs of the Imperial Court one and all were carried out by them. He also dispatched Han Huang to enter Yixing, and Zhang Jian, Guan Shang, Hong Hui and others to enter Jinling.

At the time Wen Jiao and Tao Kan were already advocating righteousness at Wuchang. Jun heard troops were rising up. He employed Army Advisor Jia Ning's plan, and turned back to occupy Shitou. He moreover divided up the troops to resist the various righteous army, nowhere they passed through were not ruthlessly exterminated.

When Jiao and others were about to arrive, Jun thereupon moved the Son of Heaven to Shitou, he pressured and coerced the resident people and completely gathered them in the rear park, and made the Prefect of Huaide, Kuang Shu, to defend Yuancheng.

When Jiao and others had come, they then built ramparts at Baishi. Jun led the multitudes to attack them, and almost managed to capture and take [them]. East and west he seized and plundered, and many were captured and imprisoned. The troops' power were thriving daily, and in none of the battles he did not vanquish, Because of that, the righteous multitudes were dispirited and frustrated. Those court gentlemen who ran to the Righteous Army all stated:

Jun is crafty and sly, and has wisdom and vigour, his followers and partisans are gallant are brave, [they can point] in a direction and have no enemies. Only if it is so that Heaven chastises criminals, his execution and exterminating will not be before long. If it is people's affairs to speak of it, he will not be easily removed.

Wen Jiao angrily said:

You Lords are timid cowards, and therefore actually praise the thieves.

When afterwards, he amassed battles without victory, Jiao likewise deeply dreaded him.

Guan Shang and others advanced to attack Wu commandery, they burnt Wu county, Haiyan, and Jiaxing, and defeated the various righteous armies. Han Huang also attacked Xuancheng, and murdered the Grand Warden, Huan Yi. Shang and others also also burnt Yuhang, but was greatly defeated at Wukang. They withdrew and turned back to Yixing.

Jiao and Zhao Yin led 10 000 foot troops, and followed Baishi to go up south, wishing to approach him in this way. Jun and Kuang Xiao commanded 8 000 people to confront them in battle. Jun dispatched his son Shuo together with Xiao and several tens of cavalry to first press against Zhao Yin, they defeated him. Jun looked and saw Yin running, and said:

Xiao was able to rout the thieves, I then will be less [than him].

Following that, he set aside his multitudes, and together with several cavalry went down north to charge the columns, but did not manage to enter. He was about to turn around and hurry to Baimu Slope. The Serrated Gates Peng Shi, Li Qian, and others threw at him with their lances, and he fell off the horse. They cut off his head, minced and cut him, and burnt his bones. The Three Armies all called out “ten thousand years”.

Jun's Marshal Ren Rang and others together installed Jun's younger brother Yi as their master. They demanded Jun's corpse, but did not obtain it. Shuo therefore opened up the graves of Yu Liang father and mother, sliced in two the coffins, and burnt the corpses.

Yi closed the walls and defended himself. Han Huang heard Jun was dead, and guided the troops to hasten to Shitou. Guan Shang and Hong Hui advanced to attack Chengting Ramparts. The Protector-Controller Li Hong and the Senior Clerk of Light Chariots Teng Han struck and routed them, the cut off heads tallied a thousand. Shang led the multitudes to run to Yanling. Li Hong and the various armies at Chengting pursued him. The beheaded and captives tallied several thousand. Shang went to Yu Liang and surrendered. Kuang Shu offered Yuancheng in surrender. Han Huang, Su Yi, and others combined forces to attack Shu, but were unable to capture him.

Wen Jiao and others selected finest and keenest, and wanted to attack the thieves' encampment. Shuo led several hundreds of the gallant and brave to cross the Huai and fight. At the columns they beheaded Shuo. Huang and others shook in fear, and ran with their multitudes to Zhang Jian at Qu'e. The gates were narrow and they did not manage to get through, they moreover stamped and trampled each other. The dead numbered ten thousand. Yi was apprehended by Li Tang, and beheaded him at the Chariots and Cavalry Office.

At the surrender of Guan Shang, his remaining multitudes together returned to Zhang Jian. Jian also suspected Hong Hui and others were not in agreement with him, and thoroughly killed them. Furthermore, he used the navy to go from Yanling towards Changtang, great and small they were more than 20 000 people, the gold, silver, and precious things could not possibly be counted. The General who Spreads Zealousness, Wang Yunzhi and the various armies of Wuxing struck Jian, and greatly routed hi, the captured men and women were more than 10 000 people.

Jian then, together with Ma Xiong, Han Huang, and others fled with a light army. Hong led keen troops to pursue them, caught up with them at Yan Mountain, and attacked him with considerably urgency. Jian and others did not dare to come down from the mountain, only Huang alone set out. He belted on a pair of quivers with arrows. He stepped back to lean on a barbarian couch, bent his bow and shot at them, wounding and killing a considerable multitude. When the arrows were spent, they then beheaded him. Jian and others thereupon surrendered, everyone had their heads put on display.

#JS100

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