釋氏稽古略 2.29

2.29

Shi Le was a native of Shangdang (now Shangdang Commandery in Lu Prefecture of Jinning Circuit, in the territory of Ji Prefecture). Initially, with eight horsemen, he submitted to the Han of the Liu clan. In the fourth year of the Yongjia era under Emperor Huai of Western Jin, the Han sovereign Liu Cong ascended the imperial throne and appointed Shi Le as the inspector of Bing Prefecture (Bing Prefecture is Taiyuan; now called Jining Circuit, in the territory of Ji Prefecture). Le killed the Han general Wang Mi; Cong was furious, yet still appointed Le as General-in-Chief Pacifying the East. In the first year of the Daxing era under Emperor Yuan of Eastern Jin, the Han sovereign Cong died. The Chancellor Liu Yao ascended the imperial throne and advanced Le's noble title to King of Zhao. In the second year of Daxing, Le occupied Yan and Ji, claimed Xiangguo, and inaugurated his first year. In the third year of the Xianhe era under Emperor Cheng of Jin, Le styled his era Taihe. The ruler of Zhao, Liu Yao, besieged and guarded Luoyang. In the eleventh month, Le went to relieve Luoyang; Yao was captured by Le's general Shi Kan, carried in a cart to Xiangguo, and executed. In the fifth year of the Xianhe era of Jin, Le declared himself Heavenly King of the Great Zhao, acting as emperor. In the ninth month, he ascended the imperial throne and changed the reign era to Jianping. In the fourth month of the second year of Jianping, Le went to Ye to build a new camp. In the seventh month of the fourth year of Jianping, Le died. The crown prince Shi Hong ascended the throne; this was King Haiyang, who changed the reign era to Yanxi. At night, Le's remains were secretly buried in a mountain valley so that no one knew the place, while an empty burial with full ceremonial guards was held at Gaoping Mausoleum. He was given the posthumous title Emperor Ming and the temple name Gaozu. In the eighth month, the Zhao ruler Hong granted King of Zhongshan Shi Hu the chancellor's post, the title King of Wei, and the Nine Bestowals, placing him in overall charge of all government affairs. Hong reigned for one year. In the ninth month of the following year, Shi Hu, King of Wei of Zhao, took the throne, changed the reign era to Jianwu, and established his capital at Ye. Coming to the fifth year of the Yonghe era of the Jin emperor, in the first month the Zhao sovereign Hu changed the reign era to Taining; soon afterward he died of illness. The crown prince Shi Shi (Hu's youngest son) ascended the throne. Shi Zun, King of Pengcheng (Hu's eldest son), deposed Shi to King of Qiao and shortly thereafter murdered him. Zun took the throne; he appointed Shi Jian, King of Yiyang, as palace attendant, and Shi Min, Duke of Wuxing, as commander-in-chief of all military affairs within and outside the capital. Earlier, the Zhao sovereign Zun had promised to make Shi Min, Duke of Wuxing, his crown prince. In the tenth month, Zun established his crown prince Yan; Min harbored all the more resentment and grievance. In the eleventh month, Min led armored warriors, seized Zun at the Southern Terrace, and killed him. He enthroned Shi Jian, King of Yiyang, appointed himself General-in-Chief, and was enfeoffed as King of Wude. In the first month of the sixth year of the Yonghe era of Jin, Ran Min, King of Wude, ascended the imperial throne, changed the reign era to Yongxing, and named the state Great Wei. The Later Zhao began in the second year of Daxing under Emperor Yuan of Eastern Jin, the yimao year, and ended in the seventh year of Yonghe under Emperor Mu, the xinhai year, spanning six rulers and thirty-three years in total (Records of Shi Le).