釋氏稽古略 2.55

2.55

Zhang Gui, courtesy name Shiyan, was a man of Anding (in the territory of present-day Jingzhou and Yongzhou of Zhuanglang Route, Shaanxi). Serving Jin as a cavalier attendant-in-ordinary, in the first month of the first year of the Yongning era of Emperor Hui he became the inspector of Liangzhou. Gui considered the times to be full of troubles, and harbored a secret intention to hold and occupy Hexi; hence he sought [the post of inspector of] Liangzhou. In the guihai year he took control of it. In the second year of the Jianxing era of Emperor Min, Gui assumed the titles of Shepherd of Liangzhou and Duke of Xiping. In the fourth year of Jianxing, Zhang Shi inherited the position. In the fourth year of the Daxing era of Emperor Yuan of Eastern Jin, his younger brother Mao inherited the position. In the second year of the Taining era of Emperor Ming of Jin, his son Jun inherited the position. In the first year of the Yonghe era of Emperor Mu of Jin, he declared himself king. In the fifth month of the second year of Yonghe, King Zhongcheng of Xiping, Zhang Jun, died. The officials presented the heir apparent, Chonghua, to be Shepherd of Liangzhou, Duke of Xiping, and provisional King of Liang. In the eleventh month of the ninth year of Yonghe, Duke Jingle of Xiping, Zhang Hua [i.e., Chonghua], died. His heir apparent, Yaoling, was merely ten years old. Zhao Chang, the Aide of the Right, and others proposed enthroning the Marquis of Changning, Zuo, who was an elder half-brother of Chonghua by a concubine. They demoted Yaoling to Marquis of Liangning and enthroned Zuo as Shepherd of Liangzhou, changing the reign era to Heping. In the first month of the tenth year of Yonghe of Jin, Zhang Zuo proclaimed himself King of Liang, establishing the hundred officials and conducting the suburban sacrifices to Heaven and Earth using the rites and music of the Son of Heaven. In the eleventh year of Yonghe, Duke Chong, [Zhang] Xuan, was enthroned; the reign era was named Jianxing. By the first year of the Xingning era of Emperor Ai of Jin, Duke Chuo of Liang, Zhang Tianxi, killed Xuan and enthroned himself. Up to this point, in the first year of the Taiyuan era of Emperor Wu, Fu Qin destroyed it, making seventy-four years in all.