釋氏稽古略 4.157

4.157

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.