釋氏稽古略 4.157

4.157

初唐太宗貞觀三年冬閏十二月乙丑。黨項酋長細封步賴并別部拓拔氏等來降。僖宗中和元年夏四月。拓跋思恭以兵赴國難。戰黃巢有功。帝命思恭權知夏綏節度使。八月陞思恭為夏綏節度使。賜姓李氏。昭宗乾寧二年八月癸巳。思恭弟保大節度使李思孝攻王行瑜梨園寨有功。癸卯以保大節度使李思孝為北面招討使。定難節度使李思諫為東面招討使。至是宋太宗太平興國七年壬午歲十月。李繼捧來朝。獻州四夏銀綏宥縣八。其西夏自天福（石晉年號）以來未甞入覲。繼捧來。太宗嘉之。繼捧且自陳語兄弟多相怨懟。願留京師。詔授彰德軍節度。留京師奉朝請。賜姓趙氏名保忠。錫夏綏銀宥密五州使。淳化元年（庚寅歲）夏四月。李繼遷寇邊。命將出師敗繼遷於夏州。淳化二年秋七月繼遷降。賜姓趙氏名保吉。授銀州觀察使。保忠陰與保吉為唇齒。雖外示歸順。而潛結羌戎侵寇不止。先是趙保忠奏繼遷誘蕃戎入寇乞師。帝命翟守義帥師屯夏州。繼遷恐乃奉表歸順。淳化五年（甲午歲）春正月。李繼捧與李繼遷叛。帝遣李繼隆率兵討之。進攻夏州。李繼捧狼狽出降就擒。繼捧以歸。帝詰責數四。詔釋之留京師。繼遷終反覆不臣卒為國釁。至道元年（己未歲）九月。李繼遷犯邊寇靈州。至道二年（丙申歲）九月。帝復命李繼隆。分五路討李繼遷。丁酉年二月。繼遷遁去。十二月繼遷遣使修貢。求備邊任。時真宗初登位。方在諒陰。姑從其請。加繼遷定難節度。封以夏綏銀宥靜五州。咸平四年（辛丑歲）九月。繼遷陷清遠軍。詔討之。壬寅年三月。李繼遷陷靈州。咸平六年十二月。李繼遷陷西涼府。潘羅支邀擊之。繼遷中流矢死。子德明襲位。天禧元年（丁巳）趙德明以民饑上表乞糧數百萬。詔許之。丁卯仁宗天聖五年也。五月趙德明寇邊。明道元年封趙元昊（德明子也）西平王。至是寶元元年十二月。趙元昊僭號。先是元昊欲南侵。恐唃廝羅制其後。復舉兵攻蘭州諸羌至馬衘山。遂築瓦川會城。元昊既悉有夏銀綏靜宥靈鹽會勝甘涼瓜沙肅之地。仍居興州。阻河依賀蘭山為固。始大補偽官。創十六司以統眾務。又置十八監軍司委酋豪。分統其眾為鎮守。總十五萬人。又選豪族善弓馬三千。迭直號六班直。元昊制番書。改元大慶。卒用其黨楊守素之謀。築壇受冊。號始文英武興法建禮仁孝皇帝。國稱大夏。改大慶二年曰天授。遣使來告僭號。納旌節勅告上表。略曰。臣父德明嗣奉世封。勉從朝命三十年。邊情善守五千里。職貢常輸。臣偶因端閑輒生狂裴。制小番之文字。改大漢之衣冠。不期歷運在茲軍民同請。伏望皇帝陛下許以西郊之禮。冊為南面之君。敢竭愚庸常敦歡好。朝廷議討之。元昊從此猖獗寇陷軍州或順或逆。至理宗寶慶三年國滅。

Earlier, in the Tang dynasty, in the third year of the Zhenguan reign of Emperor Taizong, during the winter intercalary twelfth month on the yichou day, the Tangut chieftain Xifeng Bulai and another tribe of the Tuoba clan came to surrender. In the fourth month in summer of the first year of the Zhonghe reign of Emperor Xizong, Tuoba Sigong marched his troops to the aid of the dynasty in its distress, distinguishing himself in battle against Huang Chao. The emperor ordered Sigong to act as military commissioner of Xiasui. In the eighth month, Sigong was promoted to full military commissioner of Xiasui and granted the imperial surname Li. In the eighth month of the second year of the Qianning reign of Emperor Zhaozong, on the guisi day, Sigong's younger brother, Military Commissioner of Baoda Li Sixiao, rendered meritorious service by attacking Wang Xingyu at the Liyuan stockade. On the guimao day, Military Commissioner of Baoda Li Sixiao was made pacification commissioner of the Northern Front, and Military Commissioner of Dingnan Li Sijian was made pacification commissioner of the Eastern Front. Coming down to the Song dynasty, in the seventh year of the Taiping xingguo reign of Emperor Taizong, the renwu year, in the tenth month, Li Jipeng came to court and presented four prefectures—Xia, Yin, Sui, and You—along with eight counties. Western Xia had never presented itself at court since the Tianfu reign (the reign era of Shi Jin [Later Jin]). When Jipeng came, Taizong was pleased with him. Jipeng also stated on his own behalf that his brothers harbored much resentment against one another, and he wished to remain in the capital. An imperial edict appointed him military commissioner of the Zhangde Army and permitted him to reside in the capital to attend court. He was granted the imperial surname Zhao and the given name Baozhong, and bestowed authority over the five prefectures of Xia, Sui, Yin, You, and Mi. In the fourth month in summer of the first year of the Chunhua reign (the gengyin year), Li Jiqian raided the border. Generals were commanded to dispatch armies, and they defeated Jiqian at Xia Prefecture. In the seventh month in autumn of the second year of the Chunhua reign, Jiqian surrendered. He was granted the imperial surname Zhao and the given name Baoji, and was appointed surveillance commissioner of Yin Prefecture. Baozhong secretly acted in collusion with Baoji: although outwardly showing submission, he covertly allied with the Qiang and Rong tribes, raiding incessantly. Earlier, Zhao Baozhong had memorialized that Jiqian was enticing the foreign Rong to invade and requested troops. The emperor ordered Zhai Shouyi to lead troops to encamp at Xia Prefecture. Jiqian, terrified, submitted a memorial of submission. In the first month in spring of the fifth year of the Chunhua reign (the jiawu year), Li Jipeng and Li Jiqian rebelled. The emperor dispatched Li Jilong to lead troops to punish them, advancing to attack Xia Prefecture. Li Jipeng fled in panic and came out to surrender, being captured. When Jipeng was brought back, the emperor reprimanded him repeatedly, but then decreed his release and kept him in the capital. Jiqian, however, remained treacherous and refused to be a vassal, ultimately becoming a source of calamity for the state. In the ninth month of the first year of the Zhidao reign (the jiwei year), Li Jiqian violated the frontier and invaded Ling Prefecture. In the ninth month of the second year of the Zhidao reign (the bingshen year), the emperor again commanded Li Jilong to divide into five columns to chastise Li Jiqian. In the second month of the dingyou year, Jiqian fled. In the twelfth month, Jiqian sent envoys to restore tribute and requested to undertake border-defense duties. At that time, Emperor Zhenzong had just ascended the throne and was observing imperial mourning, so he provisionally granted the request, appointing Jiqian as military commissioner of Dingnan and enfeoffing him with the five prefectures of Xia, Sui, Yin, You, and Jing. In the ninth month of the fourth year of the Xianping reign (the xinchou year), Jiqian overran the Qingyuan Army, and an imperial decree ordered his chastisement. In the third month of the renyin year, Li Jiqian overran Ling Prefecture. In the twelfth month of the sixth year of the Xianping reign, Li Jiqian captured the Superior Prefecture of Xiliang. Panluozhi intercepted and attacked him; Jiqian was struck by a stray arrow and died. His son Deming succeeded him. In the first year of the Tianxi reign (dingzi), Zhao Deming submitted a memorial requesting several million [measures] of grain because his people were suffering from famine, which was granted by imperial decree. In the dingmao year, the fifth year of the Tiansheng reign of Emperor Renzong, in the fifth month, Zhao Deming raided the border. In the first year of the Mingdao reign, Zhao Yuanhao (Deming's son) was enfeoffed as Prince of Xiping. Coming down to the twelfth month of the first year of the Baoyuan reign, Zhao Yuanhao usurped the imperial title. Earlier, Yuanhao had wished to invade the south, but fearing that Gusiluo would check his rear, he raised troops to attack the Qiang tribes of Lan Prefecture, reaching Mount Maxian. He then built the walled city of Wachuanhui. Once Yuanhao possessed all the territories of Xia, Yin, Sui, Jing, You, Ling, Yan, Hui, Sheng, Gan, Liang, Gua, Sha, and Su, he continued to reside in Xing Prefecture, relying on the barrier of the Yellow River and the natural stronghold of the Helan Mountains for defense. He began to massively appoint bogus officials, establishing sixteen departments to direct administrative affairs, and stationed eighteen military supervisory directorates entrusted to local chieftains to divide the command of his forces for defense, totaling one hundred and fifty thousand men. He also selected three thousand men of noble lineage skilled in archery and horsemanship, who took rotational duty under the name of the 'Six Rotational Guards'. Yuanhao devised a Tangut script and changed the reign era to Daqing. In the end, adopting the scheme of his partisan Yang Shousu, he erected an altar to receive the imperial investiture, taking the title of Emperor Shiwentingwu Xingfa Jianli Renxiao ('Beginning of Culture and Martial Valour, Promoter of Law and Establisher of Ritual, Benevolent and Filial'). The state was named the Great Xia, and the second year of Daqing was changed to Tianshou. He sent an envoy to announce his usurped title, return his tallies and imperial credentials, and submit a memorial, which stated in brief: 'My late father Deming inherited and maintained the hereditary enfeoffment, striving to obey the court's commands for thirty years, conscientiously guarding five thousand li of frontiers, and regularly delivering our tribute duties. I, your servant, having idle leisure, recklessly conceived rash desires; I devised the characters of the minor barbarians and altered the dress and caps of the Great Han. Beyond expectation, the celestial cycle of destiny has arrived at this juncture, and the army and people jointly petitioned me. I humbly hope Your Imperial Majesty will grant me the rites of the western suburbs and enfeoff me as a sovereign facing south. I dare exhaust my humble capacities to maintain lasting amity.' The court deliberated on dispatching a punitive expedition. From then on, Yuanhao ran rampant, raiding and capturing military prefectures, alternating between submission and rebellion, until the state was extinguished in the third year of the Baoqing reign of Emperor Lizong.