The posting's introduction is given on the author's introduction page. Jie is an offshoot of the Türkic tribe Kiyan, also known as Kiyat, probably with the Mongolian plural ending. The Russian derivative word of the Türkic koch (English coach) “kohevie” ~ “кочевье” that refleted the Chunese “bu”, is translated as horde. In this use the horde is an economical-social subdivision of a state, a tribal union, or a tribe, associated with certain ancestral pasturing route or pasturing territory, semantically different from the homophonic horde = army. Horde is a self-contained community united by traditional social ties like kinship or marital union, and generally is a conglomerate consisting of extended families belonging to the same ethnic group and able to propagate their possession of the pasturing route. Except for the introductory part, where is given the origin of the Jie branch and the origin of their Chinese name, the Jin shu annals refer to Jie almost exclusively as Hu and Huns.

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The posting's notes and explanations, added to the text of the author and not noted specially, are shown in (blue italics) in parentheses and in blue boxes. Page numbers are shown at the beginning of the page in blue. Highlighted comment numbers bring attention to the subjects more relevant to the Türkic history then to the Chinese history. Bibliographic references are numbered and listed in the Bibliography Section. Where possible, the author's Cyrillicised Wade-Giles transcriptions were changed to Pinyin, to facilitate search, but because a switch to Pinyin coding frequently distorts or makes phonetics ambiguous, the phonetization of the original is generally retained also. It was noted that the annals, even composed by a single author like Sima Qian, use different expressions for the same phenomenon, in case of the Huns they are interchangeably called Hu and Hunnu (Hu 胡 and Pinyin Xiongnu 匈奴), and in reference to Jie they are interchangeably called Hu, and Hunnu, and occasionally Jie (Hu 胡, and Pinyin Xiongnu 匈奴, and Pinyin Jie 羯); personal and geographical names also come in variety of spellings; where appropriate, the Chinese form is given to facilitate search and verification, and possibly catch inaccuracies in translation. The identification of the Chinese 匈奴with the historical Eastern Huns is beyond any doubts for better then half a century, and this posting replaced all incarnations of Chinese-derived appellations with their modern appellation Hun, but attempts to retain the original formulation. Where direct correspondence between the Cyrillicised Wade-Giles transcription of V.S.Taskin and their Pinyin counterparts has not been found, a putative Pinyin reconstruction used the following conventions: Ts = X or Q, Tsz = J, S = S or X, all without any systematic rules. In most cases, reconstructed spelling follows the Wikipedia Cyrillization of Chinese, except where it conflicts with the implied intent of the author.

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In the second year of the Da-xin reign era (319 AD), Shi Le illegally declared himself Zhao-wang. He pardoned everyone, starting from those sentenced to beheading, equalized arable land tax levied on people, reducing it by half, and provided canvas to the orphans left behind by those killed in the line of duty, dutiful to their parents and younger brothers, and working hard in the field, ¹ [to each] according to the merit of the deceased, and to the orphans, elderly, widowers and widows [granted] grain in quantity of three dans each. Were organized great feasts lasting for seven days ². According to custom that existed in the realm during the Chun-Qiu period and during the first rulers of the Han dynasty, when each ruler established a period of his reign, Shi Le established a first year of the Zhao-wang reign. He was the first who finished the altar for sacrifices to the spirits of the Earth and crops, the Ancestral Temple, and premises for the eastern and western offices.

The clerk of the military leader Pei Xian (裴獻) and Military Advisers Fu Zhang (苻萇), and Du Ku were appointed aldermen ³ for those studying classical books, Military Advisers Oyui Xien and Yui Jing were appointed aldermen for those studying laws, Ren Bo and Cui Chun were appointed aldermen for those studying history, Zhi Xiong (orig.: Syun), who had a rank of commander of the middle army, and Wang Yan g with the title of commander of light shock troops were appointed aldermen for the officials at the gates who were adjudicating conflicts between the Hus (胡), and Zhang Li, Zhang Liang, Liu Qun and Liu Mo were appointed chief clerks for the court officials and were in charge of issuing orders to the Hus (胡), reception of petitions from them, tightening of restrictions for the Hus (胡), [according to which] they were not allowed to offend Xias (Chinese. - V.T.) who were wearing hats, and monitored that the Hus (胡) were called gozhen - countrymen.
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Shi Le sent officials to travel to the provinces and counties in order to convince population to engage in farming and cultivation of mulberry tree.

Shi Le also appointed Zhang Win a Great Guardian of the Law and assigned him to direct the policies of the court, installing him in charge of all officials. Shi Le appointed Shi Jilong a Shanyu, gave him a title of a First Assistant ⁴, and appointed him to the post of the Chief Commander of all military affairs of his personal guard.

Shi Le ordered the Chancellery scribes Zou Minjie and Cheng Ji to compose “Record of Shangdang possession” ⁵; the palace advisers ⁶ Fu Biao, Jia Pu and Jiang Gui to compose “Records of acts and leisure of the Great Military Leader” ⁷; the Military Advisers Shi Tai, Shi Tung, Shi Qian and Kun Lun to compile “Records of the Grand Shanyu”. From that time on at the audiencies at the palace and at the feasts Shi Le began using etiquette and music of the Son of Heaven, and his entourage wore appropriate headgear and behaved with admirable dignity.

The dignitaries turned to Shi Le with a request to discuss the accomplished exploits. Shi Le said: “16 years passed since I raised the troops. The civil and military officials that accompanied me in the campaigns, commanders and warriors hurledthemselved forward, despite incoming arrows and rocks, and endured incredible hardships. Especially remarkable feats were accomplished in the battle at Gepo, and they should be awarded in the first place. Those who remained alive shall be awarded titles according to the deeds performed, and the orphans of those killed shall be raised in position by one grade. I hope this is enough to console the living and the dead, that is my sincere desire.

Then Shi Le published a paper where he forbade his countrymen (i.e. the Hus (胡).- B.T.) to marry wives of the deceased older brothers ⁸ and to marry at the time of mourning, but following the custom allowed incineration of the corpses of the deceased.

Kun Zhang attacked 11 separate encampments of Shao Xu and took them. Soon, Shao Xu was captured by Shi Jilong and sent to Xiangguo (襄國, in modern county town Xintai in the Hebei province, orig.: Siango) ⁹.

In Luoyang, the warlords Liu Yao, Yin An, and Sung Shi surrendered to Shi Le.

The Jin ruler of the Xuzhou province Cai Bao defeated Xu Kan (徐龕) ¹⁰, then Xu Kan sent to Shi Le a courier, proposing a plan to punish Cai Bao. Shi Le sent a commander Wang Budu, ordering him to be in the Xu Kan's vanguard, and ordered Zhang Jing to follow him heading the riders. When Zhang Jin arrived to the Dunpin district ¹¹, Xu Kan suspected that Zhang Jing can suddenly attack him, and therefore, hacking more than 300 warriors of the Wang Budu detachment, again expressed his submission to the Jin dynasty. Coming into a terrible rage, Shi Le ordered Zhang Jing to occupy important strategic points of Xu Kan, and observe his actions from there.
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Started prolonged heavy rains, especially strong in the Zhongshan and Chanshan districts, and the river Hutou ¹² had flooded. Water streams were destroying slopes on mountain gorges and felling huge fir trees, which rafted east in the Hutou river to to the Bohai district, and in vast lowlands the tree trunks piled into mountains.

Shi Le was the first who introduced musical instruments he hung on stands on three sides of a square ¹³, dancers arranged in rows of eight ¹⁴, provisioned great imperial chariots decorated with gold, chariots with yellow canopy and a standard on the left side. So, he became an owner of chariots, standards, musical instruments, and began to follow the rules of conduct prescribed for the Son of Heaven (Ch. 天子 tianzi).

Shi Le sent Shi Jilong in the head of 40 of thousand infantrymen and horsemen to punish Xu Kang. Xu Kang sent to Shi Le a senior official Liu Xiao aking to surrender, he surrendered as hostages his wife and son. Shi Le accepted Xu Kan.

At that time, Cai Bao was with the troops in Qiaochen ¹⁵. Shi Jilong attacked him, and Cai Bao fled at night, and Shi Jilong has built around Fenqiu wall and returned with victory. Over three hundred aristocratic families, starting with those whose members were helping high court officials in the affairs of governance and to more noble, were relocated to the Chunjenli quarter ¹⁶ in Xiangguo, and senior officials of the Shi Le clan were appointed to govern them.

When palace premises were built for Shi Le, and they were surrounded by the gates, were imposed very strict rules, and in particular was especially strictly forbidden to use the word “Hu (胡)”. Once a drunk Hu (胡) on a horseback broke through the Zhichemeng gate ¹⁷. Very angry, Shi Le told Feng Zhu, a junior law enforcing official at the gate: “When a ruler gives order, he hopes that his order will be respected throughout the Celestial, especially in. the space between the palace and the gate. Just now a man rode his horse through the gate - why did not you arrest him?” Terribly frightened, Feng Zhu said, “It was a drunken Hu (胡) on a horseback who galloped through the gate, I shouted loudly to apprehend him, but it is impossible to talk to him”. Shi Le replied with laugh: “With Hus (胡) I myself too am having difficulties to talk”, and he did not punish Feng Zhu, but forgave him his offense.

Shi Le sent Shi Jilong to attack Jyuedon, a leader of the Tohou horde, located north of the Qianshan Mountains (Qianshan Mountains 千山, a branch of Changbai or Baekdu Mountains or Ohnan Mountains on the Korean border, 42.2°N 128°E, at a distance of 1,100 km or 700 mi from Xiangguo located at 36°N 117.8°E) ¹⁸. Shi Jilong inflicted a severe defeat on Jyuedon, capturing more than 200 thousand heads of cattle and sheep (This number allows to estimate the size of the Tohou horde. Allowing for avarage 130 heads of livestock per family of 7, it would take 1,500 families and 11,000 total population of the Tohou horde. Its location near Qianshan Mountains allows to suspect that Tohou were associated with either Mongolian or Tungus tribes).
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Shi Le established five service grades, assigning Zhang Bin to head the attestation of the officials, but then he again restored the system of nine grades, appointing. Zhang Bin a Left Guardian of the Law, and Man Cho a Right Guardian of the Law. The edict stipulated that the members of the noble houses could be appointed to the post only after a selection process, and all officials, provinces and districts were required to nominate each year one xiutcai ¹⁹, very respectful of his parents, thrifty and selfless, wise and virtuous, truthful in speech, courageous and brave. Were established and made appointments of the officials for the pasturing route unions, each of whom was in charge of the affairs of a single pasturing route union; if he was in charge of the affairs for the pasturing route unions in the entire province, his salary was set at two thousand dans of grain per year, and the position equated with the position of a legal defender at the first assistant to the emperor ²⁰.

Shi Le gave an order which stated: “Last year, the river brought countless wood, which piles in mountains. Apparently, the Omnipotent Sky wants me to build palace premises. Should be erected a palace hall Jiandedian modeled after the palace hall Taijidian in Luoyang. Having said that, he sent a clerk of the military leader Ren (Jen) Wang in the head of the 5 thousand workmen for purveying lumber for the construction work.

The wife of Chen Wu from the Lian county gave birth to three boys and one girl. Chen Wu, together with his wife and children arrived in Xiangguo and presented a report which described what had happened. Shi Le published a paper which stated that the birth of children is due to the harmony between the Heaven and Earth, their mutual consent, and ordered to grant the parents a wet nurse, 100 dans of grain and 40 pieces of different silks.

Shi Jilong attacked the Duan's leader Pidi, who was in Yantsi ²¹, and Kun Chang, on a campaign to punish the cities in the territory of the Pidi horde, occupied them. Caught in a bind, Pidi came out heading his subordinate officials to surrender to Shi Jilong, behind him was following a carriage with a coffin [as an expression of complete submission]. Shi Jilong sent Pidi to Xiangguo, where Shi Le appointed him a Commander Exceeding in Ability All in the Troops.

The younger brother of Pidi, Wenyang, and assistant commander Wei Lin were appointed a Left and Right chiefs of the bodyguards, and received gold seals on dark red cords ²². Over 30 thousand of captured fugitive households were released and returned to their former occupations, and officials were appointed to control them. After that, all settlements in the Jizhou and Bikzhou provinces, and in the Lyaosi and Busy districts surrendered to Shi Le.

At that time, Ju Ti, who received from the Jin dynasty а title of Commander Punishing North, was in the Qiao district ²³ and intended to pacify the Central Plain. Ju Tiwas skillfully attracting affection of the surrounding him, so most of those south of the Huanhe broke with Shi Le and submitted to Ju Ti, which scared Shi Le, and he did not dare to continue marauding raids.
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After that, Shi Le issued paper, which said: “Ju Ti has repeatedly caused disaster on the borders. Ju Ti was born in the province located in the north, where hopes are high for him, and he may suddenly sprout a thought to extend his head to his native hill ²⁴. It is needed go to the Yuzhou province and repair kurgans on the graves of the Ju clan, and to appoint two families to care for them. I hope that Ju Ti, upon learning about the grace afforded to him by the House of Zhao, would stop violence”. Upon hearing this, Ju Ti was very pleased and sent to Shi Le as an envoy a Military Adviser WangYu to deliver gifts consisting of local products, and establish friendly relations. Shi Le generously rewarded envoy, and reciprocated sending as an envoy Tung Shu, who had a post of a left palace servant ²⁵, with rsponse gifts, consisting of 100 horses and 50 jings of gold. From that time, in the Yanzhou and Yuzhou province predominated peace, and the population was able to rest.

A clerk of the military commander Liu Ao was negligent leading the construction of the palace Jiandedian hall, so the columns tilted, and he was beheaded in the palace. Soon repenting of his deed, Shi Le bestowed posthumously on Liu Ao Chief the posts of a head of the ceremonial department and a bailiff of the Jiandedian palace.

Wang Ho dug up a round stone with inscription: “A stone for determination of weight, weight four jun, intended to determine weight, made during Xin dynasty ²⁶. Those who discovered the object did not know what it was, and some took it for a happy omen. However, the Military Adviser Xu Xian said: “This is an object from the Wang Mang time.” At that time, after the turmoil wars, the standard measurement units were destroyed, so it was ordered to give the stone to officials monitoring compliance with the rules of conduct, as a firmly established model.

Then was found a tripod with capacity of 4 sheng, where were 30 large coins with an inscription “100 is equal to 1000, 1,000 is equal to ten thousand.” On the tripod was an inscription of 13 characters, written in Zhuang style, they could not be read, and the tripod was placed in the Yunfencang storage. Was issued an order which allowed circulation of coins cast by both the authorities and private individuals, but it gave no joy to the people. Then, to determine the value of the coins, the authorities issued silk, and the price of the medium quality silk piece was limited to 1,200 coins, and the price of a lesser quality silk piece was set at 800 coins. However, the population was buying a piece of medium quality silk for 4 thousand coins, and lower quality for 2 thousand coins. Those who could skillfully extract profit were buying coins cast by private individuals at a cheap price, and traded in silk at higher price than was set by the authorities. For that, more than a dozen people were executed, but the coins still did not gain circulation.
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Shi Le moved from Luoyang to Xiangguo copper horses and two Wenzhong statues ²⁷, placing them at the Yunfenmen gate.

Tong Jian, on staff of Ju Ti, ²⁸ killed the head of the Xintcai district Zhou Mi, and sent a courier to Shi Le, expressing a desire to surrender. Shi Le beheaded the courier and sent his head to Ju Ti with the words: “We hate the same in the Celestial. Your rebellious servants and turncoat officials are my worst enemies, those who you, commander, are hating I also hate. Ju Ti sent to Shi Le an envoy with an expression of gratitude. After that Ju Ti stopped receiving the heads of the places rampart-fortified [that were located] in the lands between the Yanzhou and Yuizhou provinces who rebelled against Shi Le, so those in these two provinces submitted either to Shi Le, or to Ju Ti.

Shi Le ordered the elders who lived in the Wuxiang county (the birthplace countyof of Shi Le. - V.T.) to come to Xiangguo, and when they arrived, he seated them by their age and drank wine with them, indulging in merriment and discussing everyday matters.

It should be mentioned that earlier Shi Le lived next door with Li Yang, and every year conflicted with him in disputes and fights over a pond where hemp was soaked. So, turning to the elders, Shi Le said: “Li Yang is a valiant man, why he did not come? When I was still wearing linen clothes, I hated him because of the pond where hemp was soaked, but now, enjoying respect and trust of the Celestial, I can not quarrel with a commoner!” Having said that, he sent a courier to summon Li Yang. When Li Yang arrived, the tipsy Shi Le began joking with him, and said, pulling his shoulder and with a laugh: “From a long past, I am fed up by your strong fist, and you have tasted enough my tough hand”, then gave Li Yang an estate like those of the noble families, and gave him a title of a Military Adviser-Chief Commander. Then Shi Le ordered: “For me the county Wuxiang is a town Feng in the Pei county ²⁹. After my death of my soul would return there, I am exempting Wuxiang from taxes for three generations”.

Because people had just returned to their affairs and did not have large reserves, Shi Le strictly forbade to ferment wine, so for the sacrifices in the temple of the ancestors was always used an one-day wine; that lasted for several years, and nobody fermented wine.

Soon Shi Le, appointing Shi Jilong a commander in charge of chariots and cavalry, sent him to lead 30 thousand horsemen to punish the Syanbi leader Yuizhou (apparently, this is a functional description of the poosition, after the name of the province, an equivalent of today's “Leader of Henan Province”, not a personal name of the Syanbi leader or his native title), who was in Lishi ³⁰. Shi Jilong seized over 100 thousand head of cattle and horses, Yuizhou fled to the Wuhuans, and all cities belonging to him were forced to surrender.

Before all that died Ji Xin, a son of Shi Le, who was his declared heir, so at the time of the described events Shi Le declared his son Shi Hong (石弘, pronounced Hun, 313-334, native Hunnic name Daya 大雅, pinyin Hong) as his heir, and appointed him to head the palace troops ³¹.
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Shi Le sent appointed Shi Jilong a commander of 40 thousand selected men recruited both from his own lands and from beyond them, and sent him to punish Xu Kan. Xu Kang was stubbornly defending, without entering a battle, so Shi Jilong began building houses and started tilling the land, ³² surrounding Xu Kan by long earthworks.

Liu Wei with a title Commander-Ruler of the North received from the Jin dynasty, surrendered to Shi Le, who granted him a title of Commander-Ruler of the South and raised to the title of le-hou (What is north for Jin is south for Later Zhao, in essence Liu Wei remained in place as is, just changed his allegiance).

Shi Jilong undertook a storm, captured Xu Kan, and sent him to Xiangguo. Shi Le ordered to shove Xu Kan in a bag and bring him to a 100 chi high tower, accompanied the sack up, and cast it down, thus finishing with Xu Kan (徐龕). He ordered the Wang Budu's wives and children and others to chop up the corpse into pieces and eat the meat up, and Shi Le buried alive 3 thousand Xu Kan's soldiers who have surrendered (Apparently, Xu Kan was an ethnically Chinese general commanding ethnically Chinese infantry, with perfidious ruts. Apparently, Wang Budu was also an ethnically Chinese who headed the Chinese infantry, and he was held responsible for the loss of the Hun's cavalry sent as allied force to the Xu Kan's assistance. The canniballistic treat, recorded in the Chinese annals as an outstanding event appears to be intended as a subject lesson to his Chinese officers on the despicability of perfidy. It echoes another Hunnic and ancient Türkic belief that the valor of a fallen worthy enemy would be physically transfered to those who drink from his skull. The Chinese soldiers were punished for participation in the perfidious acts, showing that they were credited with a freedom of choice, a conventional trait that can't possibly be stifled among the mobile nomadic mounted troops, but is unapplicable to the Chinese infantry troops.

The feasibility of burying alive thousands of people seems not have been studied; from the empirical data of the German, Japanese, and Soviet practises of mass murder, even burrying en mass of the already dead raised problems on a state scale in the 20th c.; somewhat like projects of building kurgans have been estimated and resulted in huge expenditure of manpower efforts; however the scale of human ingenuity can not be underappreciated. Herodotus (7.114.1) asserted that it was a Persian nomos to bury alive, presenting this as a Persian custom, and Chinese record in their annals that they were burying people alive, but there is no other historical testimony, including on Eurasian nomads. Considering that the Chinese peasants were forcibly drafted, and were more sitting ducks then the armies, the mass killings of the prisoners would be clearly counterproductive, giving the enemy soldiers an only impetus to resist, which is illustrated by massive peaceful surrenders. All five references in Jin-shu on mass executions by the Huns do not appear real, are inconsistent with other Chinese annals, and more closely reflect the Chinese practices of mass murder then the nomadic practices).

The scared ruler of the Jin's Yanzhou province Liu Xia retreated from the Zuoushan county ³³ and encamped with the troops in the Xiapei ³⁴. A governor of Lanie district Sun Mo raised a revolt against the Jin dynasty, leading the county population, and surrendered to Shi Le, after which most of the leaders of the rampart-fortified towns in the Xuzhou and Yanzhou provinces sent hostages to Shi Le with a request to allow them to surrender; and they were appointed to the positions of the local officials (I.e. they were confirmed in their existing positions, with allegiance to Shi Le, a normal procedure among the Türkic tribes, and most frequent in the course of the Türkic conquests. In the historical narratives, this confirmation of the status quo is ofter phrased with pretentious formulation a la “He assigned, he placed, he arranged”, etc. In the consequent Rus and Russian expansion, that was a standard methhod of conquest).

Zhang Pi, a native of Qinghe county, was a senior officials at Cheng Xia, and Cheng Xia maintained friendly relations with him, trusting him very much. Zhang Bin recommended Zhang Pi for the post of assistant governor of the province, ³⁵ and suggested to involve him for the discussion of public affairs. This aroused an envy of Cheng Xia, who feared that Zhang Pi may push him away over, besides he hated Zhang Bin for the great influence he enjoyed. The Shi Le's crown son Shi Hun (石弘, 313-334, native Hunnic name Daya 大雅, pinyin Hong) was a nephew of Cheng Xia, so in a belief that he has support Cheng Xia wanted to gain prestige at the court, for which he persuaded the Shi Hun mother (and his sister) to slander Zhang Pi, saying: “Zhang Pi and Zhang Bin have wide connections, are always ready to help each other, every day to them come more than a hundred wagons with guests, all are pinning their hopes on them, and all are obeying them, and that is hurtful to the altar for sacrifices to the spirits of the Earth and produce. In the interest of the state Zhang Pi should be inactivated”. Shi Le found that to be right. At the time of the described events Zhang Pi received an urgent summon to the palace, but was too late to appear, and was killed under that pretext. Zhang Bin, knowing that Cheng Xia is contriving against him, did not dare to intercede for Zhang Pi. Soon Cheng Xia was appointed a right senior official, and concentrated in his hands the whole policies of the court. Since then the scared courtier high officials rushed to switch sides (Being a brother of Khanum, and at least a de-facto senior member and head of the Khanum tribe, in the Türkic state structure Cheng Xia's rightful position was a Right [Western] Jükü Bek, in Chinese lingo Right Wise Prince/Right Tuqi Prince/Right Tuqi Wang/aka “right senior official”, that was a position of a Prime Minister and Superior Judge combined, and anybody else occupying that position was either impostor or usurper. The Chinese annals betray their confused understanding of the motives, causes, and effects within the Türkic state structure, and depict the triumph of the legitimate organization as a result of the Chinese-style coup-de-tat. However legitimate in respect to the actual state hierarchy the situation is, it remains profoundly illegitimate within the overall Hunnic society, since Shi Le belonged to the maternal dynastic tribe of Kuyan, whose male offsprings do not have a right of succession to the supreme position of the Shanyu; Shi Le himself was an imposter, and accordingly his Right [Western] Jükü Bek from a newly created dynastic tribe called Cheng by the Chinese is an imposter too. Apparently, in the previous two centuries of the Chinese intervention in the traditional structure within the Southern Huns, and a rise of a number of legitimate Shanyus severely blurred the lines of legitimacy and legitimacy, creating new realities on the ground).
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At that time Ju Ti died, and Shi Le began raiding the border garrisons (of Jin).
Shi Ta, who served in the Shi Le ranks as Commander Punishing Despicable Enemies, defeated the imperial (Jin. - V.T.) troops to the west of Zuan ³⁶, captured commander Wei Zup, and returned home. Frightened Cu No with the titleCommander Punishing the North retreated to Shouchun.

On the territory under Shi Le control flared a deadly disease, from which of each a ten died 2-3 people, and therefore was discontinued the construction of the Huiwendian palace.

Shi Le sent a commander Wang Yan to encamp with the troops in Yuizhou province and seek breaches to start actions, so the military burdens were increasing with each passing day, and the population in the Liang and Cheng lands was agitated.

Then Shi Le sent Shi Jilong to punish Cao Yi (曹佾), putting him in charge of 40 thousand infantry and riders recruited in the land under his control and outside of it. Prior to that, Cao Yi discussed question of moving to the Genyushan mountain located at sea, but due to the strong deadly disease he was not able to start implementing the plan. When Shi Jilong surrounded the Guang city ³⁷, the Dunglai district governor Liu Ba and head of the Changguan county Lu Pi headed counties surrendered to him with their districts.

After giving Shi Ta rank of Commander Punishing the east, Shi Le sent him to attack the Tibetans (Qiang, with Kiyan twist), who lived in the lands west of the Huanhe, and sent Shi Tin with the rank of Commander of the Left Wing to help the troops besieging Guangu. When Cao Yi surrendered, he was sent to Xiangguo, where Shi Le killed him and buried alive 30 thousand of his soldiers.

Shi Jilong wanted to kill the whole people of Cao Yi, but the governor of the Qingzhou province Liu Zheng said: “You are leaving me, Liu Zheng, here to rule over the people. Who I am going to rule if there are no people, it is better for me to die”. Then Shi Jilong left 700 men and women, gave them to Liu Zheng, and directed him to stay in Guangu. All rampart-fortified places in the Qingzhou districts and counties surrendered to Shi Jilong.

Shi Le's governor of of the Sizhou province ³⁸ Shi Sheng attacked in Yandi ³⁹ a Jin commander Guo Sung with the title of Commander with Thunderous Military Valours, but was unable to take the city. Then he made a raid on Xiangchen, captured more than a thousand people and returned.
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Shi Le promoted his Military Adviser Fan Tan because he led a poor but honest life, raising [appointing] him to the post of the governor of the Zhanu province. Soon Fan Tan came with intention to resign; Shi Le saw him in shabby clothes and tattered hat, and exclaimed in utter amazement: “Why are you, the Military Adviser Fan Tan, so poor?” Fan Tan, distinguished for his truthfulness, hastened to reply: “Recently I encountered the injustice of the Jie (羯) robbers, and completely lost my property. Shi Le said with a laugh: “Were you really robbed by bandit Jies! Now I must reward you accordingly”. The frightened Fan Tan began genuflecting the bows and tearfilly devolving of the office. Then Shi Le said: “I always defend myself against ordinary scholars and do not grapple with fossilized bookworms like you”, and then gave Fan Tan a cart and a horse, clothing, and threefold 10 thousand coins for travel expenses, in order to awaken in him a love for valuables.

Shi Zhan served Shi Le with the rank of a Chief Commander of the Troops, made a foray into the district Xiapei and defeated a Jin commander Liu Chanxu. Then he attacked district Lanling and again defeated the ruler of the Pengcheng district Liu Xu. The governor Chu Chzhen of the Dongguan district and the governor Xiao Dan of the Donghai district raised a rebellion [against the Jin dynasty] at the head of their districts, and surrendered to Shi Le.

Shi Le personally visited the lower and higher schools, where he tested the students' knowledge of classical books, and awarded the best for their success with fabrics.

Shi Le loved literature, and even during military campaigns he often ordered the scholars to read historical works, while he attentively listened. Every time he expressed his opinion about good and bad deeds of emperors and rulers of antiquity, and having heard his opinion all the court sages and scholars expressed their admiration. Once Shi Le had them to read “History of the Han dynasty”, and hearing that Li Yiji ⁴⁰ was arguing “to install in power the descendants of the rulers of the six possessions, alarmingly said: “It's a wrong approach, with it the Celestial can not be united!”, and then on hearing the exhortations of Liu Hou, he said: “I can rely on them!” This shows how much an outstanding personality Shi Le was by nature.

Shi Le drafted troops from the Xuzhou and Yangzhou provinces, ordering them to join with the Shi Zhan troops, who were in the Xiapei county, after which the scared Liu Xia fled from the Xiapei district to the bend of the river Sishui ⁴¹.

Shi Sheng in Xinan ⁴² attacked Yin Ping, whom Liu Yao appointed a governor of the district Hengei, beheaded him, took more than a dozen rampart-fortified villages, captured more than 5 thousand households, and returned. Since then between Liu Yao and Shi Le ensued a feud, armed clashes were happening every day, and the people in the Hedun and Hunnun districts did not know on whom to lean.
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Shi Le appointed a right palace servant Ho Hao a palace adviser on promoting development of agriculture, and he, together with Zhu Biao, an ambassador in charge of agriculture, and Lou Chun in the post of Chief Commander Encouraging Agriculture, went to tour thge provinces and districts, approved census lists, took measures to promote farming and raising of mulberry trees, with those achieving major successes bestowed a title udafu ⁴³.

Shi Le ordered Shi Sheng to pass through the Yanshou-guan gate ⁴⁴ and raid the districts Xuchang and Yinchuan, where he captured more than 10 thousand people, while the number the surrendered was 20 thousand people. After that, Shi Sheng stormed the city Kanchen ⁴⁵. The Jin commander Guo Sung overtook Shi Sheng, and inflicted a severe defeat, killing over a thousand men, then Shi Sheng gathered the disperced warriors and encamped with them in the Kancheng. Shi Cong, appointed by Shi Le as a governor of the Jijun district, hearing about the defeat of Shi Sheng, hastened to his aid and attacked a [Jin] commander Guo Mo, capturing more than two thousand men and women. Then Shi Cong attacked the Jin generals Li Ju and Guo Mo and defeated their troops.

Shi Le was going to a hunt in the vicinity of the capital, but registrar Cheng Lang said, cautioning him: “Mounted prickers ⁴⁶ of Liu Yao as numerous as trees in a forest are scattered nearby, at any moment may happen unexpected events, and you will encounter just a single enemy. How can be forgotten the calamity that fell to Sun Ce ⁴⁷? Moreover, even dry wood or rotten trunk can injure you, and so about overindulging in fast gallop was warned both in antiquity and now”. Shi Le curtly retorted: “I know what to do, and can gauge my actions! Keep to your papers and shut up!”

On that day, when Shi Le was pursuing a beast, his horse was killed running into a tree, and he himself barely missed a death. Then Shi Le said: “I did not listen to my loyal servant, and that was my mistake”, and then awarded Cheng Lang courtly dress, silk, and bestowed on him a title of hou without provision of land ownership. From that time on, the court officials began competing in delivering loyal speeches during audiences.

The Jin chief commander Lu Qian rebelled [against Jin dynasty], and in the head of the Xuchang county surrendered to Shi Le. Shi Zhan attacked in the Zuoushan the Jin governor of the Yanzhou province Tan Bin, took the city by storm, and killed Tan Bin.

Wang Sheng in Shi Le's service with a rank of a head of the western alien bodyguard security, suddenly attacked the governor of the Bingzhou province Cui Kun and killed him (The “western alien” people must be a Chinese lingo, for Shi Le these Xi Hu or Xihu (西胡) were his own Hun tribesmen, and no “aliens". Notably, the Shanyu's own “center” force had enough muscle to attack a provincial army, its force was measured in tumens, or multiples of 10,000 cavalry).
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The governor of the Shangdang district Wang Sheng raised in the Binzhou province a rebellion against Shi Le. Before that, Shi Jilong attacked in Shilian a Liu Yao commander Liu Yue. At the time of the described events the garrison in Shilian disperced, and the captured Liu Yue was sent to Xiangguo. After that, Shi Jilong attacked Wang Sheng in Bingzhou and killed him. Frightened by the Liu Yue defeat Li Ju fled fled from Xinyan, and his senior official Cui Xuan in the head of 2 thousand troops surrendered to Shi Le. Thus, Shi Le acquired all the lands in the Sizhou and Yanzhou provinces, and the districts and counties along the river Huaishui in the Sizhou and Yuizhou provinces surrendered to him on their own.

Shi Le ordered to transport from Loyang to Xiangguo sundial clock and install it in the courtyard in front of the Shanyu house (This is the only direct record that Shi Le was a Shanyu of the Southern Huns for the Huns, and Emperor for the Chinese and possibly others). Carving stone boxes with the names of 47 meritorious high officials who helped to create the State, Shi Le arranged boxes in front of the front hall of the Jiandedian palace. In Xiangguo was planted a garden of mulberry trees and catalpa (This seems to be a earliest direct record about the estate of the Shanyus and associated gardens, which are traceable from that first mentioning through the millennia and for all Türkic monarchs, most notable of those were the newly planted gardens in all capitals of the Moghul Türks in Afganistan and India. Without exception, all Türkic palaces included gardens, and they brought to us the words pavilion and kiosk, the main jewels of the garden architecture. It may be apropos noted that neither pavilion nor kiosk are etymologyzed from the Persian, nor from the Latin, and their spotty distribution in the host languages atrtest to their cultural loanword status).

One night, dressed in simple clothes, Shi Le went to check the protection of the palace and began offering the guard at the gate silk, gold and silver, asking to let him in. Wang Jia, a guard at the Yunchanmen gate, tried to apprehend Shi Le, but appeared cortege, and he abandoned his intention. The next morning Shi Le summoned Wang Jia, granted him a title of Chief Commander with Attested Dedication, and the title of hou without a provision of land ownership.

Going to Yuanxiang, Shi Le summoned the Military Adviser of the Chancellery Xu Guang , but being drunk, Xu Guang did not come. Since Shi Le remained often dissatisfied with Xu Guang reports about the status, that angered him, and he demoted Xu Guang, [appointing him to] the position of the staff official. When Shi Le was on his way from Yuanxiang to E, Xu Guang on his duty service stood with upset face, shaking his rolled up sleeves and looking up, ignoring the Shi Le. Shi Le grew angry and cried, rebuking Xu Guang: “What am I guity before you with, that are demonstrating such dissatisfaction?”, and then jailed Xu Guang, his wife, and children in prison.

Shi Le decided to have a palace in the E, and wanted to install his son Shi Hun (石弘, 313-334, native Hunnic name Daya 大雅, pinyin Hong) a ruler of E, therefore he secretly discussed this matter with Chen Xia. But Shi Jilong, believing that he has great merits and was relying on E as his base, did not want to leave the city. When the construction of the Santai palace was finished and Shi Hun family settled there, Shi Jilong out of deep hate for Cheng Xia, sent at night a few dozen of his entourage, and they entered the house of Chen Xia, raped his wife and daughters, stole things and left.
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Shi Le installed Shi Hun a ruler in the E, and gave him 10 thousand warriors from his own personal guards, and also 54 military camps that were under Commander of Chariots and Horsemen, and ordered Wang Yan with a title Commander of Brave Riders, who held position of a wine cupbearer at the gate officials, to help Shi Hun leading six alien tribes (Here again the tribes are alien from the Chinese perch, for the Huns they were a combination of kinfolk Huns, now under new dynastic union of Kiyan/Cheng tribes, Jie/Kiyan Huns themselves, kinfolk Tele Dis, partial kinfolk Tibetans/Qiangs, partial kinfolk Syanbi/Duans, and partial kinfolk Tele Dis/Mans. The tribes of Qiangs, Duans, and Mans included either Huns or Dis as either dynastic or socially dominating component).

Shi Cong attacked the city Shouchun, but could not take it. Then he forayed into Qiunqiu ⁴⁸ and Fuling ⁴⁹ counties, killed and captured over 5 thousand people, which caused great worry in the [Jin] capital.

The [Jin] ruler of the Jimin district Liu Kai and commander Zhang Ho revolted [against the Jin dynasty] and killed a Xiapei district governor Xia Jia, then they surrendered to Shi Shen at the head of the Xiapei district.

Shi Zhan attacked in the Zhu ⁵⁰ the [Jin] governor of the Henan district Wang Xian, and took the city by storm. Wang Guo with a title of Commander Rising up to the Sky Like a Dragon, raised a rebellion against [the Jin dynasty] and surrendered to Shi Le at the head of the Nanjun district. The governor of the Jin's Pengcheng district Liu Xu occupied again the city Shicheng in the Lanling county, but Shi Zhan attacked the city and took it by storm.

Shi Le ordered provinces and districts to investigate and view as a crime if someone would dig up a grave and leave it open; [he ordered] counties to stock coffins and shrouds for the bones lying about under open sky.

Shi Le appointed a military commander of his headquarters Wang Bo as a military advisor of the chancellery, ordered him to govern the nine philosophical divisions ⁵¹ and for the first time introduced a system of examination on the knowledge of classic books, which give a right to receive degrees of xiucai and xiaolian ⁵².

Shi Huang, a governor of the Zhiping county, caught a black rabbit and presented it to Shi Le. Cheng Xia and others found that it is a happy omen, saying that Shi Le would ascend like a dragon, and would change the ruling dynasty, because in the place of the metal element that is patronizing the Jin dynasty, must come the element of the water, because the hare is a creature that represents the dark beginning, and black color is a color of water. The capture of the black rabbit supposedly shows that Shi Le should move sooner to meet the desires of the Heaven and the people. Therefore, Shi Le announced a wide amnesty and changed the third year of the era of Xian-ho reign (328) to the first year of the era of Tai-ho reign ⁵³.

Shi Kang attacked in Shouchun the Jin governor Cu Yao of Yuizhou province, and staged the troops on the Huaishui river. [The Jin's] Wang Guo, who had the rank of Commander Rising up to the Sky Like a Dragon, rose in revolt against [the Jin dynasty] and surrendered to Shi Kan heading the Nanjun district ⁵⁴. The chief commander in Nanian Tung Yu rebelled [against the Jin dynasty] and the population led Xianyanz Chief commander in Nanyane Tung Yu rebelled against [against the Jin dynasty], and heading the Xianian population surrendered to Shi Kan.
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All Zu Yao's high officials secretly sent a courier to Shi Le, expressing their desire to join him. Shi Zun and Shi Kang, crossing the Huaihe, stormed Shouchun, after which Zu Yao fled to Lian, ⁵⁵ while the residents of the Shouchun numbering more than 20 thousand households were captured by Shi Cong.

Liu Yao defeated Shi Jilong at Gaohou, then surrounded Luoyang. Designated Shi Le The Xinyan district governor Yin Ju and Evan district governor Zhang Jin surrendered to Liu Yao, which caused a great excitement in Xiangguo. Shi Le wanted to come personally to the aid of Luoyang, but Guo Ao and Cheng Xia, the Left and Right senior officials (i.e Left and Right Juku/Tuqi/Xian Princes), who commanded the troops, persistently tried to convince him not to do that, saying: “Liu Yao is flushed with victory, is very strong, it is difficult [to expect to win, if to] cross weapons with him, but in the Jinyun city ⁵⁶ are large stores of grain, and if he even attacked the city, he would not be able to quickly take it. Torn off from the main forces for a thousand li, the troops of Liu Yao penetrated deeply into our land, and he would not be able to maintain their strength for a long time. You should not personally engage in the campaign, if you would set out you would subject yourself to danger and ruin your great work.

Very angry, Shi Le, stroking his sword, shouted at the Cheng Xia and others, ordering them to leave. After that, he pardoned Xu Guang, called him closer and said: “Liu Yao, using the victory at Gaohou, surrounded Luoyang. Everybody who has a mind of ordinary people say that it is impossible to resist his onslaught. However, Liu Yao, with 100 thousand dressed in armor soldiers, is attacking only one city, but can not take it already for a hundred days. His troops are tired, the soldiers grew negligent, and if I would attack them with fresh forces, I'll all capture them all in a single battle. And if we are unable to protect Luoyang, Liu Yao will undoubtedly seek his death in the Jizhou province, ⁵⁷ and gathering all his forces in the lands north of the Huanhe he would stream to the south, and then my cause will die. Cheng Xia and others do not want me to personally lead the campaign. What do you think?”

Xu Guang responded: “Although Liu Yao uses the victory gained at Gaohou ⁵⁸, he he did not approach Xiangguo, and began besieging Jinyun. That shows that he can not undertake anything. His soldiers, cut off from the main forces and deprived of possibility to return to the farmwork, for the past three years have forgotten about advantages that the offensive war brings, so as soon as they see your Imperial standard with embroidered Luan bird they would immediately disperse. The plan for tranquilizing the Celestial depends only on a single step, and now you have to commit it, you received a chance of which we can say that it is awarded by the Heaven itself. If you do not accept this heavenly gift of the Sky, you would bring misfortune upon yourself”. Shi Le responded with a smile: “Xu Guang says truth.”
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Fotu Den ⁵⁹ also told Shi Le: “If your main forces launch a campaign, you're sure to capture Liu Yao”, pleasing Shi Le even more. He ordered everyone to go to high alert and announced that anyone who would dare to discourage him [from the campaign] will be beheaded.

Shi Le ordered Shi Kang, Shi Cong and the ruler of Yuizhou province Tao Bao to gather at Xinyang heading their troops, Shi Jilong to set out [for the campaign] and take Shimen ⁶⁰, appointed the commander of the left guard detachment Shi Sui (石邃) a chief commander of middle army military operations, and heading 40 thousand infantry and riders streamed to Jinyun and crossed Huanhe at the Dae crossing ⁶¹.

Prior to that Huanhe was covered with floating ice, was blowing strong wind, but when the Shi Le troops reached the river, the ice melted, and settled clear weather, as soon as the crossing over, the ice again was densely floating. Shi Le, believing that the spirits helped him, named the crossing Lingchangjin - “Crossing promising prosperity by the will of the spirits”.

Turning to Xu Guan, Shi Le said: “For Liu Yao, the best is to gather a great many troops at the outpost in the Chengao district; to try to stop us at the Loshui river is slightly worse, and if does nothing and keeps laying siege to Luoyang, he will be my prisoner”. When the Shi Le troops gathered in the Chengao district, their number reached 60 thousand infantrymen and 27 thousand horsemen. Seeing no Liu Yao troops at the outpost, Shi Le was very pleased, and pointing first to the Sky, and then to his own forehead, he said: “[This arranged] the Sky!”, and then ordered the warriors to tie up their armors, plug their mouths with gags, and proceed by the shortest road, making two day trips a day; [soon he] came to the Zi area in the Gong county ⁶².

On learning that Liu Yao staged his troops, numbering more than 100 thousand soldiers, to the west of Luoyang, Shi Le rejoiced still more, and having said to his coutriers: “You can congratulate me”, in the head of 40 thousand infantry and riders entered Luoyang via Xuanyanmen gate and rose to the front hall of the former Taijidian palace.

Shi Jilong's thirty thousand infantry moved west from the point north of Luoyang and attacked Liu Yao middle army, while Shi Kan and Shi Cong, each heading 8 thousand horsemen, moved north from the point west of Luoyang . They attacked the Liu Yao vanguard, and joined a battle with them at the Xiyanmen gate. Shi Le donned armor and a helmet and exited through the Chanhemen gate, and the enemy came under attack from all sides. The Liu Yao troops suffered a crushing defeat. Shi Kang captured Liu Yao and brought him to Shi Le, who circled the troops showing them [the captive].

In total were hacked up more than 50 thousand troops, and their corpses filled the Jingu valley ⁶³.
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Shi Le issued an order which said: “I wanted to capture just one man, and I have caught him. He is ordering his commanders and warriors to lower down tips of the swords, lower the spears, and express submission to me”, after which turned back with a victory, ordering Shi Xu with a rank of Commander Punishing the East to head the horsemen guards for Liu Yao, and bring him over to the north.

By that time the troops raised by Cu Yao were defeated, and he surrendered to Shi Le. Shi Le ordered Wang Bo to express to Zu Yao the following rebuke: “You committed a greatest treason, and only now, falling into a desperate situation, you came to me with the expression of humility, but is my Court a safe haven for fugitive criminals? Nevertheless you dared to show up with an embarrassed face”. Then Cu Yao was shown urgent dispatches that were sent about him at different times and was pardoned.

A Liu Yao son Liu Xi left Chang'an and fled to Shanggui ⁶⁴, where Shi Le sent Shi Jilong to punish him.

Shi Le went to visit the districts of the Jizhou province, and receiving the aged scholars, the reverent to the parents, and the diligent in the field, granted them grain and fabrics, each according to his merits. He ordered the governors of distant and close provinces and districts to announce in their respective cities that everyone who wants to tell anything without reservations can inform his court and report the whole truth.

Shi Jilong, having won in the Shanggui county ⁶⁵, sent a registrar Zhao Feng to deliver to Shi Le one jasper transfer seal, one metal imperial seal, and one jasper seal of the heir to the throne.

Shi Jilong attacked a Tibetan (Qiang, with Kiyan twist) Jimuju horde west of the Huanhe, and gained a victory, capturing several tens of thousand people, then the Jinzhou and Lunzhou provinces were completely quelled. The scared ruler of the Liangzhou province Zhang Jun ⁶⁶ sent a messenger to express his desire to become a Shi Le servant and bring tribute of products manufactured in his lands; 150 thousand Di and Tibetan (Qiang, with Kiyan twist) yurts were resettled in the Sizhou and Jizhou provinces (This early reference to Qiangs already assocites them with the Di Tele).

Shi Le high officials, exchanging their views, decided that Shi Le performed great feats; appeared a number of prophetic omens, so the time came to change the title, because it reflected the wish of the Heaven and Earth. Therefore, Shi Jilong and others conveyed to Shi Le the imperial seal with a cord and a title. Shi Le was not agreeing to accept the title, but high officials stubbornly insisted on their request. Then in the fifth year of the Xian-he reign era (330, 咸和, 326-335) Shi Le illegally assumed a title of Zhao Tien Wang, i.e. “Wang, ruling possession Zhao by the will of Heaven”, took upon himself performance of imperial affairs, presented to his grandfather E (Eiyuyu. - V.T.) (耶奕于) a posthumous title Xuan Wang, to his father Zhou (Zhougezhu. - V.T.) (周曷朱) a posthumous title Yuan-wang, declared his wife, a born Liu, a Princess, and his eldest son Shi Hun (石弘) a heir to the throne (Shi Hun's mother is identified both as Liu and as Cheng, apparently both fake Chinese monikers substituting for true tribal name).

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Shi Le announced his (second) son Shi Hun (石宏) to be an imperial ambassador, appointed him to the positions of the Cortege Rider Serving at the Court, and Chief Commander of all military affairs in the capital as well as outside of it, and gave him a title of a Great Military Leader Commanding Strong Cavalry, gave him titles of the Great Shanyu and Qin-wang; his son, Shi Bin, who had the rank of commander of the garrison left, received the title of Taiyuan-wang, the younger son, Shi Hui (apparently named after his Hui = Uigur mother), received a rank of Commander Helping the State, and the title of Nanyang-wang.

Later Zhao 319-352 is shown in greenish and in Wade–Giles

Shi Jilong, who had the title of Zhongshan-gun (中山), was appointed a Great Commander, a Head of the State Chancellery, and received the title Zhongshan-wang (中山王). Shi Sheng received a title Hedung-wang (Hedong 河东), and Shi Kang received a title Pengchengg-wang (湓城王). A Shi Jilong son Shi Sui was appointed a governor of the Jizhou province and received a title of the Qi-wang (圻王) with a additional position as a Cortege Rider Serving at the Court, and a title of Commander of Armed Guards, [the other Shi Jilong son] Shi Xuan (石宣, orig.: Suan) received a rank of Left Wing Commander; [a third Shi Jilong son] Shi Ting (石挺) received a post of a courtier and a title Liang-wang (涼隱王; that appointment indicates that the Gansu corridor, aka Former Liang, aka Hexi corridor 河西走廊, recognaised Shi Le leadership, and should be marked in green on the above Later Zhao map; and that the reconstituted Hunnic state retained control of the Silk Road and profits from it).

The Left senior official Guo Ao was appointed a left assistant of the chief of the State Chancellery, the Right senior official Cheng Xia was appointed a right assistant of the chief of the State Chancellery and a head of the rank assignment department (these appointmets indicate that Guo Ao belonged to the Shanyu male dynastic line, and Cheng Xia, consistent with the previous records, was a head of the female dynastic line of Liu/Cheng); The Left Troops Commander Kui An, The Right Troops Commander Guo Yin, a clerk for the Commander Li Feng, and former Chief of the Security Guards Pei Xian appointed officials of the State Chancellery departments. The Military Adviser Xu Guang was appointed a chief of the palace secretariat ⁵⁷ and an Acting Inspector of the palace secretariat. In accordance with theit merits, 21 civilian and military officials received a title Kaiguo jun-gun, i.e. “District Gun who Participated in the Creation of the State”; 24 people received a title Kaiguo-hou - “Hou who Participated in the Creation of the State”, 26 people received a title Xian-gun, ⁵⁸ 22 people received a title Xian-hou, ⁵⁹ the other civilian and military officials received titles by their merits.

The courtir Jen Bo (pin. Ren) and others, having discussed everything, decided that the house of Zhao is patronised by the element of water that came to replace the element of metal, so the color of the flag should be black, the sacrificial animals should be white hue, the sacrifices to the spirits of the Earth must be made on the day with the sign of Zi, and the sacrifices to theanscestors must be made on the day with the sign of Chou. Shi Le accepted this recommendation. Shi Le issued a paper which stated: “From now on, in the event of difficult cases eight highest officials ⁷⁰ and their aides must report tothe Eastern Hall ⁷¹ for a detailed report and making a right decision. When there are significant military and state problems they must be reported, and the Head of the State Chancellery and his aides must report with debriefings, in cold, in heat, in the evening, or at night”.
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For the lack of loyalty, Shi Le executed Ju Yao together with his sons, nephews, and relatives, altogether over a hundred people.

The high officials repeatedly asked Shi Le to take a title, and he illegally ascended the throne, declared a large amnesty in the territory under his jurisdiction, changed the name of the rule era to Jian-ping (建平 330-333) and moved the capital from Xiangguo in Linchzhan ⁷². To his great-great-grandfather Shi Le imparted a posthumous title of Shun Huang Emperor, to his great-grandfather [he imparted a posthumous title] of Wei Huang Emperor, to his grandfather [he imparted a posthumous title] of Xuan-Huang Emperor, to his father [he imparted a posthumous] temple title Shi-zong and posthumous title Yuan-huangdi, to his mother [he imparted a posthumous title] Empress Dowager Yuan-zhao, and raised the civil and military officials in the titles and positions depending on the merits of each.

His wife, the born Liu, Shi Le Empress declared an Empress, and in addition established that the ranks of concubines zhao-yi ⁷³ and fu-jen ⁷⁴ are equal in the status to the upper officials, and the ranks of gui-bin and gui-jen are equal to le hou, with a provision that each grade may be assigned to only one woman. The grades of the concubines san-yin and ju-hua were equated to the title bo, shu-yuan and shu-yi to the title zi, jung-hua and mei-jen to the title nan, [were also established the ranks of] wu-jian and xian-shu, and the number of concubines with these grades was not limited.

Appointed by Shi Le military inspector ⁷⁵ Guo Jing and Southern Mans' bailiff Dung Yu raided Xiangyang district. Shi Le urgently sent a courier, ordering Guo Jing to retreat and stop in Fanchen, prescribing to remove and hide flags and maintain calmness, like if the city is deserted. If the enemy would send observers, they should be told: “Prepare for a dogged defense, here is coming a large number of riders in seven or eight days, then we would consult with them what to do in order that you were not able to flee”.

Guo Jing ordered to bathe horses at the crossing, and once bathing ended, it was started again, and so it continued without interruption day and night. Scouts reported on that to the chief of the southern security guards Zhou Fu, who decided that came large Shi Le troops, got scared, and fled to Wuchang. Guo Jing entered the main city of the Xiangyang county, his warriors did not engage in looting, which reassured the county population. Wei Xia, a younger brother of the Jin [commander] Bei Gai with a rank of Commander-Pacifier of the North, passed at the head of the troops through the Shicheng gate ⁷⁶ and surrendered to Guo Jing. Guo Jing destroyed the city Xiangyang, relocated the inhabitants to the northern bank of the Mianshui river, walled the Fanchen city, and garrisoned in it the troops of Wei Xia.
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A Chief of the Xiuchu (秀楚) horde in the Qinzhou (秦州, 34°N 105°E) province by the name Qiang (probably named Qiang, in Chinese rendition, after the tribe of his mother, since most likely he was a Hunnic or Di noble and an offspring of a royal line, judging by his ruling position) raised a revolt against Shi Le, so the governor of the (Qinzhou) province Lin Shen (林沈 ?林深 ?) sent a troop commander Guan Guang to head the provincial regional forces and to punish him. Qiang defeated Guan Guang, but then in the lands west of the Longshan mountains (pronounced Lunshan) ⁷⁷ flared great turmoils, and all Di and Tibetan (Qiang, with Kiyan twist) tribes raised a rebellion (I.e. the Gansu corridor was a land of Di and Tibetan tribes). [To pacify the rebels] Shi Le sent Chi-Sheng, who occupied the city Lungcheng (Dragon City/Well, Lungchang /Longchang, 隆昌[Jin'e 金鵝]) ⁷⁸. The Qiang elder brother's son Zhuo was hostile with Qiang, so Shi Sheng bribed him with gifts, and they attacked Qiang from two sides. After being defeated, Qiang fled to the Liangzhou province (38°N 102,6°E, in the Gansu), and over 5 thousand of influential alien households were resettled in the Yongzhou and Qinzhou provinces (The 5,000 “influential” families must be the nobility of the Xiuchu 秀楚 horde.The Xiu/Hui/Sui/Yui people are Uigurs, in this record called Di, and the horde appears to be a symbiotic association of Uigurs, Tele Dis, and Tibetans, under a leadership of the Xiu tribe. The second part of the name Xiuchu 秀楚 point to the Chu 楚 tribes, known from the Chinese earliest historical records under a few names, Chu 楚 1030–223 BC = Jing 荆 = Jingchu 荆楚, and in the Late Antique time also known as the Chu tribes. Once the evacuees are in control of the suitable and avilable pastures, their tribesmen would rejoin them, and they would reconstitute their horde in the new ranges. The other side of this policy is well known, to make room for the pastures the Chinese peasants were displaced, and merged to the Jin territory, significantly reducing the proportion of the Chinese population in the states under the Southern Hun control. The term alien here is used from Chinese viewpoint, meaning non-Chinese. The internal social and political status of the Xiu and Di tribes, their ruling hierarchy, and their ranges remained outside the intersts of the Chiunese annals, and their history can only be known in some spots).

Shi Le published a paper which stated: “From now on, the introductory articles of the Basic Law shall guide how to determine panishments in all casesd. If in a fit of anger I sentence to death, and taken with rage, declare my will, in those cases where it applies to people of high virtue, or to upper [officials], my will should not be interpreted as a measure of punishment, and when meeting by chance I subjected to punishment an orphan whose [parents] served diligently and died in the name of the state, let everybody at my court report on this, and I, having thought over the report, would select the appropriate measures”.

A wife of Chen Zhu, a native of the Tanyan county, bore three boys, and Shi Le presented to father clothes, fabrics, food, a wet nurse, and freed him for three years from payment of taxes.

At that time the [possession] Gaojuli and Sushens ⁷⁹ presented to Shi Le arrows with shafts of the ku wood, Yuwen Ugu presented famous horses, and a pastor Zhang Jun of Liangzhou province sent a senior official Ma Shen, who presented a map [of Liangzhou] lands, and the ambassadors of the possessions Gaochang, ⁸⁰ Yutian, ⁸¹ Shanynan, ⁸² and Davan (Fergana. - V.T.) accompanied himwith presents of the objects produced in their lands. The shepherd Tao Kang of the Jin province Jinzhou sent to Shi Le with a friendly visit Wang Fu, who held a part-time post of a senior official, presenting rare precious jewelry and amsing animals from the land south of the Yangtze. The Qinzhou province presented a white beast and a white deer, and the Jinzhou province presented a white pheasant and a white hare. In the Jiyin county fused branches of two trees, and in the Yuanxiang fell sweet dew ⁸³.
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Because happy omens were appearing one after another, and distant countries expressed admiration for his fairness, Shi Le pardoned everyone starting with those sentenced to three years of punishment, leveled the homestead tax arrears accumulated last year, in the Liangzhou province declared amnesty for everyone up to the sentenced to death, in the Liangzhou province granted the officials in charge of household census and taxes the bodyguard post ⁸⁴, and gave each 10 pieces of silk and 10 jins of cotton wool.

During sacrifice, which Shi Le performed in the southern suburbs of the capital, ⁸⁵ from the altar to the sky rose a white cloud of smoke. That greatly pleased Shi Le, and upon returning to the palace, he pardoned all those sentenced to up to four years' conviction.

Shi Le sent an ambasador to elevate Zhang Jun to the title of Wuwei jungun, and granted him a sustenance right feed from all districts of the Liangzhou province.

Shi Le personally participated in plowing the field that people are tilling for the ruler, ⁸⁶ and upon returning to the palace pardoned all those sentenced to up to five years' conviction, and awarded officials upto the most high with gold and fabrics depending on the merits of each.

Because of the sun eclipse Shi Le avoided visiting the main palace hall for three days, and ordered all officials to submit a sealed envelope with a confidential report indicating errors he commited.

Shi Le prohibited the provinces and districts to have temples honoring anscestor or eminent people, ordering to destroy them, except for those canonised. In the place of those temples that have helped induce clouds and rain and benefit the people; the districts and counties were to build new temples, plant around beautiful trees, and determine their significance, similar the significance of the five peaks and four large rivers ⁸⁷.

Shi Le was going to begin a construction of a palace in E, but the head of the judicial department ⁸⁸ Xu Xian (pronounced Sui Syan; the “Head of the Judicial Depatment” is a Superior Judge, a position held by the Right Juku/Tuqi Prince, Ch. pin. Yu Xian-wang 右贤王 and Yu Tuqi-wang 右屠耆王, Right Wise Prince, a father of eldest brother of the Hatun queen, a statutory head of the Hatun dynastic tribe; his Sinified tribal name Sui points to Sui/Hui/Yui Uigur tribe; the same for his personal name Syan; ) presented a report which strongly urged him to abandon this step. Extremely angried, Shi. Le exclaimed: “If this old servant is not beheaded, the construction of my palace will not be finished” and ordered the censor to seize Xu Xian. Then stepped up a chief of the palace secretariat Xu Guang (Must be from the same Right Wing clan) and said: “You, Your Majesty, possess a wisdom given to you by Heaven, and in it surpass Tang ⁸⁹ and Yu ⁹⁰, but at the same time do not want to hear the speeches of the devoted courtier, are you as a ruler like the Gui ⁹¹ of Xia or ⁹² Xin of Shan? The useful from what was said may be used and should be used, and the useless should be excused. Is it saintly to kill high officials for their truthful speeches!”

Shi Le replied with a sigh: “The ruler must not act on a whim. Do I not know that Xu Xian's words were dictated by his loyalty? I only made fun of him. When an ordinary person has property valued at one hundred pieces of cloth, he wants to buy a separate house, so what to expect from that who has the riches of the Celestial, and holds a high position which allows to have ten thousand chariots! ⁹³
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In the end I would have to put the palace in order, but for now I will order to suspend work, to exalt the spirit that engulfed my honest servant. After that, Shi Le presented Xu Xian with 100 pieces of silk and 100 hu of rice.

Shi Le issued paper which ordered the upper officials and all officials to recommend to the court annually one man, wise and virtuous, honest and direct, truthful in speech, distinct with a special talent, extremely respectful to his parents, thrifty and altruistic, and appoint those, who show in the tests the best results, the think tank officials ⁹⁴, appoint those who show medium results the bodyguards, and appoint those who show worse results the court attendants. Those recommended to the Court had a right to recommend worthy others, which expanded possibilitiesfor attracting the wise.

Shi Le built west of Xiangguo a Mingtang Hall ⁹⁵, a Biyung school ⁹⁶ and a Lintai tower ⁹⁷.

At that time happened prolonged heavy rains, which caused the flows of raging water in the northwest of the Zhongshan district to carry more then thousands of thousands of huge trees, which settled on the south bank of the Tanshui river. Very pleased, Shi Le told his high officials: “Do you know what's on? This is not a natural disaster, but a will of Heaven, which wants me to build the capital Edu”. Then he ordered the warden of small storeroom ⁹⁸ Ren (Jen) Wang and steward of water ⁹⁹ Zhang Jian to monitor the construction of the palace in the E, and personally handed them a plan of the structure.

The Southern Bas, who lived in three counties, Zitun, Jianping and Hangu, and in the Shu land, surrendered to Shi Le, so Shi Le, in a belief that Chenzhou ¹⁰⁰ is located in the middle of the land and is an old capital of the Han and Jin, wanted to move the capital again, and began calling Luoyang a Southern Capital, he established in the Luoyang field administration, and appointed a court censor to be in charge of the office operations (The concept of a southern capital vs. a northern capital is a reflection of the need of the nomadic lifestile with meridional pasturing routs. In the mountanous environment, this need is more local, between the alpine medows and foothill pastures, and therefore is not oriented north-south, unlike on the plane. A typical pasturing route traverses 500-1,000 km and has two permanent staging areas, a kishlak in the south and an aul in the north. Typically, the southern camps were at a major body of water, including Black Sea, Caspian Sea, Aral Sea, Amudarya, Syrdarya, Balkhash, Issyk, Orkhon, Tulu, Kerulen, and the routs went north from the winter kishlaks along meridional rivers and rivulets to the stationary auls. The two centers are invariably recorded in numerous chronicles, and Türkic myths and folklore. By association, the mythological and religious creatures usually also have two home bases, one primary, and the other secondary. The presence of the two-capital concept among the sedentary population is a good indicator that the ruling elite has nomadic descent).

In a feast in honor of the envoys, who came from the possessions Gaojuili (Gaoju = Dinlin = Dili = Chile = Chidi = Tele = Di, i.e. the Tele tribes) and Yuwen Ugu (Yuwen - a horde of 12 mostly Syanbi tribes headed by a Hun (匈奴) tribe Yuwen, politically associated with Syanbi tribal confederation), having gotten drunk with wine, Shi Le asked Xu Guang: “Who of the rulers of antiquity that laid foundations of a state I can be compared with?” Xu Guang said: “With the wisdom and power, abilities to develop plans, you Sire, surpass the founder of the Han dynasty, the Emperor Gao-zong; with courage and talent, outstanding qualities that elevate you above the others, you surpass the founder of the Wei dynasty, beginning with the three rulers ¹⁰¹, there is no one with whom you could be compared. Perhaps, you yield oly to Xuan-Yuan ¹⁰².“
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Shi Le said with a smile: “The man himself knows what he is, and your words are full of exaggerations. If I had an opportunity to meet with the Emperor Gao-zong, I would stand before him facing the north and would serve him, afraid to lag behind Han Xin and Peng Yue ¹⁰³, and if I had a chance to encounter the Emperor Guang-wu ¹⁰⁴, I would gallop with him over the Central Plain, and it is not yet clear from whose hand would the deer have died ¹⁰⁵. A noble man should shine with luster in affaires, like the Sun and the Moon, he would never hurt orphans and widows, or to charm others like a fox, as did Cao Mende ¹⁰⁶ and Sima Zhongda ¹⁰⁷ with their sons, attempting to acquire the Celestial. I should be placed between two representatives of the Liu ¹⁰⁸ family, but I can't be compared with Xuan-yuan”. All officials, genuflecting low, proclaimed many years of life for Shi Le.

The Jin commander Zhao Yin attacked Matou ¹⁰⁹ and took the city. For Matou assistance Shi Kang sent the commander Han Yung, but when he came to the town, it was too late. Then Han Yung raided the counties Nansha ¹¹⁰ and Haiyu ¹¹¹, where he captured more than 5 thousand people.

It should be said that in the past, after Guo Jing retreated to Fancheng, the (Jin) imperial troops again garrisoned in Xianyang, but at the time of these events Guo Jing took Xianyang by storm, leaving a garrison there, and returned back.

Hit a storm with heavy rain, a lightning struck the main, southern gate. in the Jiandedian Palace, at the western city gate in Xiangguo were killed five people. On the mountain Jieshan ¹¹² laying on the west bank of the Huanghe fell hail of a hen's egg size, in the flat places it laid with a thickness of 3 chi, and in the lowlands it was thicker than 1 zhang (2.3 m). Several tens of thousands of travelers, birds and animals were killed by the hail. In an area of more than a thousand li in the districts Taiyuan, Leping, Wuxiang, Zhaojun, Guanping, Julu were broken trees and laid down cereals.

Shi Le came in dress clothes to the Eastern Hall to inquire Xu Guang on that event: “Did such natural disasters happen over the past centuries?” Xu Guang replied: “They also happened during Zhou, Han, Wei, and Jin dynasties, and although it is a common event sent down by the Heaven and Earth, the [former] wise rulers never initiated any changes at the beginning of their reign, and prevented the wrath of the Heaven. Last year was imposed a ban on a custom of eating cold food, but Jie Tui ¹¹³ is a spirit of your homeland, my emperor, he was revered for many generations, and as some believe, it should not be discarded. Indeed, if just one person would sadly sigh, the rule based on benevolence is affected, so could not the grumble of the spirits fail to displease the Supreme Lord! The whole Celestial should not be ordered to do the same, but the lands around the Jieshan mountain were granted [to Jie Tui] by the Jin ruler Wen-gun, so the people should be allowed to revere [Jie Tui].” (A use of cold food, methods of food preservation, and food consevation as a separate and celebrated activity is a nesessary part of the nomadic economy and lifestyle, dictated by frequent and continuous periods of transhumance. Most of the conseved products are obtained from the animal husbandry (牧), starting from the hides and guts of the animals used as containers, continuing with the development of cooking, pickling, salting, honeying, and fermentation methods, and resulting in preparation of portable cheeses, cold meats, sausages, koumisses, airans, kefirs, arakas, and dry pies, all based on the use of animal-derived products and gut--derived bacteria, and frequently introduced into the dietary traditions of the neighboring sedentary societies, at times recorded in the written histories and often named after or with terms borrowed from their nomadic source. From the line of argumentation, it is clear that Xu Guang was appalled by the arbitrary Sinization edict that infringed on the liberties, traditions, sensitivities, and economies of the native population, and exploited a superstition of the illiterate ruler to achieve his own ends)
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Shi Le issued paper which stated: “The use of cold food is an old custom in the Bingzhou province (historical western homeland of the Hunnic tribes), but this custom was not familiar to me, and I could not condone it. Earlier, during a discussion outside of the court, was found that Jie-tui was a servant of the possession's ruler, so the emperor should not bear fear of him, and I agreed with that opinion. But possibly that cased the disaster. Although Jie-tui is a spirit of my homeland, those rejecting the established custom of eating prescribed food should not confuse the issue. Let the heads of the departments to check urgently the old laws, come to a final decision, and report back to me”.

The respective authorities reported: “Since Jie-tui is revered for many generations, we are apealling to restore everywhere the custom of using cold food; in addition [we are apealling] to plant beautiful trees, and build temples in his honor, so that the people can bring sacrifices there.”

Opposing to that, the Shi Le chamberlain ¹¹⁴ Wei Xiao said: “Judging from the historical writings, if the ice is stored inproperly, it emits vapors of dark element, which form hail. Why was hail falling before Jie-tui? It always was caused by the dark and light elements being in the wrong places. In addition, Jie-tui was wise, and therefore could not cause such disasters. If to perceive, the wishes of the late [Jie-tui] were exactly those. Although now are built facilities for storing ice, but I am afraid the ice is not where the dark element is reinforced, and where everything is seized with frost. Most of [these depots] are located near mountains or along the rivers, the vapors originating from them turn into a hail. Since Jie-tui was distinguished with fidelity and wisdom, please allow to worship him in the lands between the Mianshan and Jieshan mountains, and then this custom would not spread to the whole Celestial“. Following that advice, Shi Le moved the ice depots deep underground, where the cold is accumulating, and restored in the Bingzhou province the old custom of using cold food without any changes.

Shi Le ordered his son Crown Prince [Shi Hun] to review and approve the reports of the Head of the State Chancellery [Shi Jilong], ordered a palace servant Yan Zheng to approve or reject the reports, and ordered to report to himself only on the decisions for important matters related to punitive expeditions or executions. Since then Yan Zhen acquired greater power than the chief assistant to the emperor [Shi Jilong], and at the gates of the Shi Jilong house could be set snares for catching birds ¹¹⁵. This enraged Shi Jilong and caused his discontent .
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Guo Jing forayed into the lands south of the Yangtze river and the Jin's head of the southern bodyguard security Huan Xuan (the guards in China traditionally consisted of the service nomads, so this kind of names derived from the ethnic descent are not unusual, both parts derived from Hu and Sui versions), taking advantage of his absence, attacked Fanchen, captured the city inhabitants, and left. Guo Jing turned the troops to help Fanchen, and caught up with Huan Xuan, joined the battle with him at the river Neshui, but his advance units suffered a severe defeat. However, Huan Xuan lost more than half of his warriors killed and wounded, so barely recapturing the loot seized by Guo Jing, he first paused, and then took the southern city Xiangyang and left in it a garrison for protection.

Shi Le arrived to E, visited the Shi Jilong house, and told him: “Grand things can not be done simultaneously. After completing the palace, I will continue with building an estate for you, so do not despare because of poor housing”. Taking off his hat, Shi Jilong thanked Shi Le with a bow, but Shi Le said: “We both own the Celestial, what to thank [me] for!”

A falling star the size of an elephant and with a tail like a snake with legs flew over 50 zhang (100 m) south-west of the northern Polar Star, illuminating the land with bright light, and fell into Huanhe, and the sound of its fall could be heard at a distance of more than 900 li.

In the E in the well appeared a black dragon, seeing which Shi Le made happy.

During an audience in the E Shi Le received officials and ordered to appoint officials in the districts and possessions responsible for education, and in each district. install two scientist cupbearers, recruit 150 young people for training, and those who after three examinations will succeeed in education, present to the Court ¹¹⁶. After that, Shi Le appointed five students from the higher school to the position of the Compilingng Bureau Assistant Chief ¹¹⁷, so that they keep records of the current events.

At that time occurred a severe drought, and Shi Le personally visited the chief of the court department, selected prisoners sentenced for a term of five years or less, and imposed a lighter sentence on them. To those who were subject to severe punishment, Shi Le accorded wine and food, allowed to bathe, and told to wait for the sentence in the fall. Even before Shi Le returned to the palace poured a desired heavy rain.

Shi Le left to the Fenshuigun palace, but fell very ill and returned. He called Shi Jilong, his Crown Prince son Shi Hun, and a palace servant Yan Chen, to wait on him in the palace during the illness. However, Shi Jilong issued from his name a forged decree that dislodged Shi Hun, Yan Chen, all officials and relatives, so nobody learned anything of the Shi Le disease. Then, again forging a decree, he summoned Shi Hun and Shi Kan to Xiangguo.
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Having recovered a little, Shi Le saw Shi Hun and in amazement asked: “Why are you here, Qin-wang? I did send you to rule the lands that serve for me as a shield, to be ready for the unexpected. Someone summoned you, or you've come on your own? If someone summoned you, I executed him”. The frightened Shi Jilong said: “Qin-wang, thinking of you with love, come back for a short time. Already today, however, respectfully executing your will, I'll send him back”.

A few days later Shi Le inquired again about Shi Hun, and Shi Jilong responded: “Having received your instructions, I immediately sent him back, and now he is already halfway to his place”, although in fact he told Shi Hun to hang out outside of the [limits] palace, and did not send him back at all. In addition, locusts appeared in the Guan'a county, and Shi Jilong, taking advantage of it, secretly ordered his son Shi Sui to head three thousand men riding about the places where it appeared ¹¹⁸.

The planet Mars came into the Pleiades constellation. 60 li north-east of the E fell a star. Prior to that, red, black and yellow clouds of a few dozen pieces of fabric ¹¹⁹ in length mixed up, were heard sounds resembling thunder, the hot as fire vapors descended to earth, and dust rose up to the sky. When those working at that time in the field went to see [the place where the star fell], they saw that the earth is like a burning or boiling, and is lying a stone in size greater than one square chi, black in color and light in weight, on a strike emitting a sound like the sound made by a stone mallet.

When his disease worsened, Shi Le issued a deathbed edict which stated: “Bury me on the third day after the death, the officials at the Court and outside of it should remove mourning garments after the funeral, do not forbid weddings, sacrifices, and wine and meat; the generals with punitive functions ¹²⁰, the pastors of the provinces (jian mu 监牧 - shepherd/pastor; official with responsibility for animal husbandry; erroneously ascribed as originating during Tang dynasty) and district governors should not leave their stations to attend the funeral, I should be laid in a coffin in ordinary clothes, the coffin should be laid on an ordinary cart, do not place the gold and jewels, utensils and trinkets [in the grave]. I am afraid that Daya ¹²¹ will not be able to successfully implement my plans. All offices, starting with those reporting to Zhongshan-wang (the title of Shi Jilong. - B.T.), shall not violate my will. Dai and Shi Bin should live in harmony and help each other: the example of House of Sima ¹²² should serve as a lesson for them, and they should strive to strengthen their friendly relations. Zhongshan-wang should deeply reflect trice on the behavior of Zhou-gun ¹²³ and Huo Guang ¹²⁴, and not create grounds for hearsay”.

In the seventh year of the Xian-he era of reign (332 AD) Shi Le died at an age of 60 years old, after holding the throne for 15 years. At night his body was buried in a mountain valley, but the burial place remained unknown. Then were prepared ritual objects and staged fake funerals, giving the cemetery the name Gaopingling, and Shi Le was illegally bestowed a posthumous title of Emperor Ming Huang, and the temple title Gao-zong.
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Shi Hun, nicknamed Daya (Daya 大雅 ; the Chinese have a collection of funny conventions about names, and within that system the authentic native names are called nicknames, i.e. surrogate names, and the fake names that are given to very dead people are called names. Chinese are not alone in this exercise in history, the same remaking was going on for millennia in the Christianity, for example. V.Taskin translation phoneticizes 弘 as Hun/Хун, Wade-Giles hung2, Yale hong, Hanja hang[eul]), was a second son of Shi Le. From the childhood, he showed deference to his parents, behaved politely and modestly, studied classics with Du Gu, and studied how to read poems with Xu Xian. Once Shi Le said: “In this turbulent age one can't learn only literature and art”, and ordered Liu Chen and Jen (pin. Ren) Bo teach Shi Hun military treatises, Wang Yang hacking and thrusting strikes, then pronounced [Shi Hun] a Crown Son and appointed to head the palace troops. Shortly thereafter, Shi Hun was appointed a commander of the guard unit, and he was ordered to summon and appoint officials in the offices of the high officials, and later he governed the city E. After Shi Le illegally ascended the throne, Shi Hun was confirmed as a the heir to the throne. He sincerely loved pundits, had a penchant for literature, and all his close friends were simple Confucian scholars.

Shi Le told Xu Guang: “Dai is too soft, he is very unlike a son of a commander”. Xu Guang replied, “The founder of the Han dynasty gained the Celestial on a horseback, and the Emperor Xiao-wen ruled it doing nothing, keeping a deep calm. After appearance of omniscient necessarily passes one generation, after which the brutality is defeated, this is a path bespoked by the Sky “¹²⁶

These words very pleased Shi Le, and Xu Guang, taking advantage of that, continued: “The heir to the imperial throne [Shi Hun] is humane, respectful to his parents, gentle and polite, while the Zhongshan-wang (the title of Shi Jilong. - V.T.) is cruel and very cunning. If one day you inevitable happens to you, I am afraid that necessarily will arise a risk to the altar for sacrifices to the spirits of the Earth and plants, so you should gradually obviate Zhongshan-wang's authority and command the heir to the throne to participate sooner in the discussions about policies of the Court”. Shi Le accepted this suggestion.

Then Cheng Xia also told Shi Le: “Zhongshan-wang is brave and cunning, no official can be compared with him. Watching his aspirations, it is clear that except for you, Sire, he looks at evrybody with contempt. In addition, for many years he headed punitive expeditions and shook the earth with his power within our country and beyond its limits. In addition, by the nature Shi Jilong is not distinguished by humanity, is merciless and shameless. All his sons are grown up and have military power. While you, Sire, are alive, nothing would happen, but I fear [after your death] malcontent Shi Jilong will not help the underage ruler. In the interests of your great plans is needed to remove him as soon as possible”.
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Shi Le replied: “The Celestial was not yet quelled, the military disasters have not ceased yet. Daya is small in years, so should be appointed his assistants. Zhongshan-wang is a deserving high official who assisted in the creation of the state, he is with me in the same relationship that had the rulers of the possessions Lu and Wei ¹²⁶ (I.e. brotherly), I transfered to him the duties of Yi-yin ¹²⁷ and Huo Guang, and he would not be able to reach what you are talking about! You will faithfully assist the young ruler, so that [Shi Jilong], as an Emperor's uncle, was not able to seize the power, and therefore I have to enter your name in my will also, you should not be worrying too much”.

Cheng Xia objected with tears: “What I said is perfect truth, but you, Sire, for personal motives, have honored my proposal with rejection. Is it how a wise ruler reveals his heart, is it how we receive the speach [of the subjects], and how can a loyal officeholder do his duty in such circumstances! While the Dowager Empress (Reference to the Shi Le mother, a wife of his father Zhouhezhu 周曷朱; her name is not given in the annals, and she is mentioned under generic non-informative conditional Chinese name of Lady Wang 王氏, something akin to Lady Royal Grandma, or Lady of the Royal Clan; since Zhouhezhu was a minor tribal leader, he did not engage in polygamy, and there was no reason to name her children after her tribal affiliation, as is typical for royal polygamy cases, so that her tribal descent remains unknown. A fraction of the Kiyan women could have married men of the Luanti dynastic tribe, but the rest of the Kiyan women and all Kiyan men could not marry up, and had to have a marital partner tribe, not yet determined, which most likely was their dependent tribe, or kyshtym, which supplied both men and women for theKiyan marriages, that would be a likeliest source for the Shi Le mother origin; depending on circumstances the Kiyan marital partner could be Hun, Di, or Saka Türks, Qian Tibetans, Mongols, or Tunguses) brought up Zhongshan-wang, he is not your direct blood relative, and therefore the family hopes can not rely on him. Acting on your amazing foreshows, like a hunting hawk or hound, he achieved insignificant results, for which you, Sire, commended him and his sons with grace and honor, that is quite enough. [Do not forget that the] Emperor of the Wei dynasty appointed Sima and his sons to the positions, and the imperial throne after that collapsed and passed into other hands. Now you judge for yourself whether Zhongshan-wang will be able to bring some benefit in the future? The fate has blessed me with happiness, I rely on kinship ties with the Eastern Palace (Reference to the Gansu corridor with Di and Qiang Tibetians population), and if not I, who would report to you, Sire, on everything! If you, Sire, do not sack Zhongshan-Wang, then, and it is obvious to me, the altar for sacrifices to the spirits of the Earth and plants would be left without blood sacrifices”. Shi Le did not heed to the advice.

Retiring from Shi Le, Cheng Xu relayed to Xia Guang: “That's what the ruler told me, which means that over the heir to the throne is undoubtedly hanging a threat. What shall we do?” Xu Guang responded: “Zhongshan-wang always treats both of us gritting his teeth with hatred, I fear that danger is threatening not only the state, our families are also threatened with trouble. Should be developed a plan that would bring peace to the state, and to our families, we can not sit and wait until a misfortune falls” (In this dialog participate a Hunnic Prime Minister from the Cheng/Liu tribe, of likely Luanti descent, and a Military Adviser of the Chancellery apparently ethnically Uigur Xu [Pronounced Sui, i.e. Uigur, by what line is not stated] Guang, both of Hunnic Türkic extraction, and apparently both holding their positions due to their status in their respective tribes and their respective not necessarily blood kinship relation with the Shanyu; in case of a coup, their heads and the heads of their family members were in a grave jeopardy).
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Then, having chosen an opportune moment, Xu Guang told Shi Le again: “You, Sire, cleared and quelled eight provinces, are ruling as an Emperor the lands between four seas, but why your look is not joyful ?” Shi Le said: “The lands of Wu and Shu were not quelled, the book titles and track width for the carts are different ¹²⁸, the House of Sima in Danyan ¹²⁹ is still not destroyed, I am afraid that in future people would think that I came to the throne against prophecies. Every time when I think about it, my thoughts are unconsciously reflected in my face”.

Xu Guang replied, “I am your servant, I grieve in your best interests about the troubles that are similar to the diseases of inner organs, and I do not have time to also grieve about the troubles similar to the illness of the four extremities. Why? When a fate favorable to the Han dynasty began influencing the Wei dynasty, its rulers became emperors who established a new chronology system. Although Liu Bei had inherited the throne, and uprose in the lands of Ba and Shu, but nevertheless it can't be said the Han dynasty survived; although the Wu realm occupied lands in the lower course of the Yangtze River, it was powerless against the heyday of the Wei dynasty! And you, Sire, possess two capitals (i.e., Chang'an and Luoyang .- V.T.), and are an emperor of the Middle State, but with the Sima House different from the Xuan-de ¹³⁰, while the Li clan is similar to Sun Quan ¹³¹. So whom else, Sire, but you apply the predictions? The thoughts of this are only minor troubles, comparable with the diseases of four extremities.

At the same time about Zhongshan-wang, who received your wise guidance, in the Celestial are saying that his wisdom and military talents are second only to you. Besides, he is cruel, very tricky, on seeing profits he forgets about duties, he does not have the loyalty of Yi-yin and Huo Guang. He and his sons have high titles, occupy important positions, and harm the Imperial House using his high position. If to look into his troubled behavior, it is visible that he is incessantly dissatisfied. Recently, during an informal banquet in East Palace he treated with disdain the heir to the imperial throne, but you, Sire, hiding your feelings, left that unattended. I am afraid that after your death the temple of your ancestors would certainly overgrow with thorns, and that is already a trouble comparable with a grave illness of the internal organs. Think about it, our Lord!” Shi Le remained silent, and did not accept the Xu Guang's advice.

When Shi Le died, Shi Jilong forced Shi Hun to sit not in the throne hall, but in front of him, ordered the seize Cheng Xia and Xu Guang and turn them over to the chief of the judicial department, summoned his son Shi Sui for him to head the night guard in the palace, after which all civil and military officials had fled. A frightened Shi Hun started yielding the throne to Shi Jilong. Shi Jilong said: “After the death of the ruler to the throne ascends his Crown son, I do not dare to disturb the established order”. Shi Hun in tears continued insisting to yield the throne, and then Shi Jilong angrily exclaimed: “If you are unable to take the throne, then naturally the Celestial should discuss this question, but why to talk about it prematurely!” Then, on the seventh year of the Xian-ho rule era (332 AD) Shi Jilong forced Shi Hun to ascend the throne, and the name of the reign era was changed to Yan-xi, and the civilian and military officials were promoted one grade.
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Shi Jilong executed Cheng Xia and Xu Guang.

Shi Hung issued a decree appointing Shi Jilong an emperor's chief assistant, granting him a title Wei-wang and the Grand Shanyu, about additional granting of nine awards, about granting in possession of 13 districts, including a district Weijun, and about turning over to him a governance of all state affairs. With mock stubbornness Shi Jilong was refusing to accept the appointments, but after a long period accepted the decree.

Then (330 AD) Shi Jilong announced an amnesty for everybody, up to thise sentenced to death, in the territory under his jurisdiction. Shi Jilong's wife, born Zheng, was elevated to the title Wei-wang-hou “Wei-wang spouse”. Of the Shi Jilong sons Shi Sui (石邃) was declared a Crown Prince in the Wei, with additional provision of the rank of Plenipotentiary Imperial Ambassador, a post of courtier, Grand Chief Commander of all military affairs in the capital and beyond its limits, a Great Commander and Governor of the State Chancellery; Shi Xuan (石宣, orig.: Suan) was appointed Plenipotentiary Imperial Ambassador, a Great Military Commander, Commander of Chariots and Cavalry, a ruler of the Jizhou province, and elevated to the title Hejian-wang; Shi Tao (石韜) was appointed a Commander, Commander of the Vanguard, a Bailiff for Criminal Cases ¹³², and was elevated to the title Le-an-wang; Shi Zun (石遵) was elevated to the title Qi-wang, Shi Jian (石鑒) was elevated to the title Dai-wang, and Shi Bao was elevated to the title of Leping-wang. The title of Shi Bin (石斌), Pingyuan-wang, was changed to Zhangwu-wang.

All old Shi Le civilian and military officials received appointments to nominal position of Left and Right Assistant of the Chief Assistant of the Emperor, while the officials from the Shi Jilong staff and his old friends were appointed to key positions at the State Chancellery.

Shi Jilong ordered to call the palace of the Crown Prince a Chunxungun Palace - “Palace of reverence to the teachings” and moved everybody to it, including Shi Le wife, the born Liu (Traditionally, Khatun has her own independent estate, in a number of cases called a city for its numerous population, at least a palace. She also has a right to marry the next monarch, to preserve her social position. To deny her her own estate is a torture in itself). Selecting beautiful concubines and best chariots, horses, jewelry and clothing that belonged to Shi Le, Shi Jilong took them for himself. Then he appointed Kui Ann, who had a title chzhenjun chang-jung, a Left Assistant of the Chief of the State Chancellery, and the Chief of the State Chancellery Guo Yin he appointed a Right Assistant of the Chief of the State Chancellery.
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The born Liu told Shi Kan: “Until the death of the imperial throne remains short time, what do you wang think?” Shi Kan replied: “All old officials of the late emperor were already dismissed, the troops are no longer under my command, in the palace I would not find any way out. Please allow me to escape to the Yanzhou province, capture the Linqiu city, help Nanyang-wang ¹³³ to become a head of a union, announce to the provintial pastors, district commanders, and commanders with punitive functions a decree of the Empress Dowager ordering all in the head of those who are fighting for justice to act jointly and to punish the cruel rebel, only then a success will certainly be achieved”.

The born Liu said: “It is extremely serious affair, you should leave sooner, otherwise I am afraid everything will be found and may occur all kinds of surprises”. Expressing agreement, Shi Kang changed into the commoner clothes, heading lightly armed horsemen suddenly attacked the Yanzhou province, but because he began acting too late, could not succeed and fled south to Qiaochen. Shi Jilong sent a commander Guo Tai and others to catch up with Shi Kan, who was captured in Chenfu ¹³⁴ and taken to Xiangguo, where he was roasted on a fire.

Shi Jilong summoned Shi Hui to Xiangguo. Because the plans of the born Liu were discovered, Shi Jilong killed her. Shi Jilong elevated Shi Hun's mother, the born Cheng, to the title of the Empress Dowager.

At that time Shi Sheng, ruling the Guanzhun lands, and Shi Lan, ruling the Luoyang, raised their troops [against Shi Jilong]. Shi Jilong left his son Shi Sui (石邃) to protect Xiangguo, and attacked Shi Lan in Jinyun with 70 thousand infantry and riders. The Jinyun troops fled, Shi Jilong captured Shi Lan, chopped off his legs, and then beheaded him. Redirecting troops to Chang'an, Shi Jilong appointed Shi Ting (石挺) a chief commander of the advance units. To repell him, Shi Sheng sent a commander Guo Quan, who headed the Syanbi leader Shegui's vanguard of 20 thousand warriors. Behind him, heading the main forces, advanced Sh Sheng, who stopped in Pufang. At the checkpoint Tunguan took place a major battle between his vanguard troops and those of Shi Ting, Shi Ting was defeated and killed in battle, along with a senior official of the emperor (i.e., Shi Jilong .- V.T.) Chief Assistant Liu Wei. Shi Jilong hastily fled to Mianchi, strewing the road with corpses of his warriors for more than 300 li.

However, after that the Syanbis secretly established contacts with Shi Jilong, abandoned Shi Shen, and attacked him. At that time Shi Sheng stayed in Pufang, and not being aware of the Shi Ting's death, got scared, and fled to Chang'an alone. Then Guo Quan collected again 3 thousand warriors, and staged in the bend of the Weishui river across Shi Kuang with a rank of Commander of Mounted Warriors Exceeding Ability of Others ¹³⁵ (This is a most interesting tidbit, see note 135).
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Shi Sheng left Chang'an and hid in the Jitoushan mountains. His commander Jiang Ying decided to doggedly defend Chang'an, but Shi Jilong, hearing about the Shi Sheng's flight, moved his forces within the outposts, attacked Chang'an, ten days later took it by storm, and beheaded Jiang Ying. Following that, Shi Jilong sent his commanders with the troops along the Qianshui river and drove more than 100 thousand Chinese and alien households from the Yongzhou and Qinzhou provinces to the lands east of the Hanguguan outpost.

Shi Sheng's subordinates killed him in the Jitoushan mountains. Shi Jilong upon his return to Xiangguo, declared an amnesty and hinted to Shi Hun to order him to organise an office following the example of Wei-gun, who was helping the Han dynasty ¹³⁶.

After the Chi Sheng defeat, Guo Quan in district Shang his submitted [to the Jin dynasty], and therefore the (Jin) Emperor issued a decree appointing him Commander-Ruler of the West and governor of the Qinzhou province. Then the example of Quan Guo followed the districts Jinzhao, Xinpin, Fufeng, Fenyi and Beidi. Shi Guang, who served Shi Hun with the rank of Commander-Ruler of the West, joined with Guo Quan in the battle, but was defeated. Then Shi Jilong sent Kuo Ao and his son Shi Bin, leading 40 thousand infantry and horsemen to punish Guo Quan, encamped in the Hua-yin ¹³⁷, there the influential families in the Shanggui district killed Guo Quan and surrendered (to Shi Jilong). Over 30 thousand households were relocated from the Qinzhou province to various districts in the Qingzhou and Bingzhou provinces. Yang Nandi and others, related to the southern Dis, sent [to Shi Hun] hostages to establish friendly relations.

A native of Chang'an Chen Lyanfu fled to the Black Qians (Tibetans ~ Qiangs) where he enticed a leader of the northern Qiangs Bo Goud with a title Siziao-wang to attack the Beidi and Feni districts and resist Shi Bin. Shi Tao and others led the riders to striket Bo Goud from the rear, and together with Shi Bin who attacked from the other side, inflicted a defeat, after which Bo Goud fled to the Malanypan mountains. Guo Ao broke off from the main forces in pursuit of the fugitives, but was defeated by Qians, losing seven-eight warriors killed out of each ten. After that Shi Bin gathered the troops and returned to Sanchen. Upon hearing this, Shi Jilong grew furious and sent a courier to kill Guo Ao. That caused Shi Hun to grumble, and Shi Jilong imprisoned him in jail.
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Shi Hun took the imperial seal with a cord, personally went to Shi Jilong, and announced his intention to turn the throne over to him. Shi Jilong exclaimed: “This issue should be discussed by those who live in the Celestial, why are you saying that yourself!” Returning to the palace, Shi Hung tearfully told his mother: “The late emperor really is going have no descendants!” Soon Shi Jilong sent to Shi Hun a chief assistant to the emperor Go Yin equipped with a credentials badge, who relegated Shi Hun to the title Haiyang-wang. Shi Hun slowly proceed to the chariot, keeping usual facial expression, and turning to the officials, said: “I was not able to retain the inherited imperial throne, I am ashamed, but such is the will of the Heaven, what is there to say!” All officials were in tears, and the palace servants wept.

In the first year of the Xian-kang reign era (335) Shi Jilong imprisoned Shi Hun, the born Cheng, and Shi Hui in the Chunxungun palace, and soon killed them. Shi Hun, when he occupied the throne, was 22 years old.

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Zhang Bin (張賓), nicknamed Mengsun (孟孫), was a native of Chung-Chiu county in the Zhaojun district. His father Zhang Yao served as a governor of the Zhongshan district.

In his youth, Zhang Bin loved to study, knew well classical and historical works, [fluently] read texts without indication of paragraphs and phrases, was distinguished by broad purview and high moral standing. He often told his brothers: “I would argue that in the art of planning and in my knowledge I would not yield Zu-fang (i.e., the Han high official Zhang Liang .- V.T.), but I can not meet with Gao-zong”. Zhang Bin served as Chief Official at Zhongqiu-wang, but he did not like the service, and he resigned on a pretext of illness.

During the great turmoil in the era of Yung-jia rule Shi Le, who received from Liu Yuanhai a rank of commander helping Han dynasty, along with other commanders arrived in the lands east of the mountains. Speaking to those surrounding him, Zhang Bin said: “I have seen many military leaders, but only with this commander of the Hu (胡) descent can be successfully completed a great task”, came with his sword to the gate of the [Shi Le] military encampment, and loudly asked for a meeting. [At first] Shi Le did not find anything impressing in Zhang Bin, but later, when Zhang Bin gradually started submitting plans, Shi Le began to be impressed, and made him his chief planner. Zhang Bin never missed an opportune moment for action, in the proposed plans did not allow any slips, and that the enterprise started by Shi Le ended successfully is an achievement of Zhang Bin.

Later, Zhang Bin has held positions of the right senior official, the great guardian of the law, was elevated to the title of Puyang-hou, he has trusted with most important tasks, and he enjoyed a greater love [of Shi Le] than anyone else. Despite this, Zhang Bin behaved modestly and respectfully, was receiving lower officials with an open mind, and all officials, smart and stupid, experienced his [kindness]. He was clearing the ranks of officials, sacked the favorites, attended the palace and gave there speeches on morals that could serve as a model for others, and was praised [for the speeches] when he was leaving the palace.
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Shi Le greatly appreciated Zhang Bin, and because of him took at each audience was taking imposing looks and chose the answers carefully. Zhang Bin was called a Right Hou without mentioning his name, and at the Shi Le court nobody could equate with him.

After the Zhang Bin death, Shi Le personally came to his coffin to mourn, toughed with his sorrow everybody around, and bestowed to the deceased a post of the cortege rider serving at the court, a right palace adviser, a right to use the same ceremonial as the three highest officials, and a posthumous name Jing . During the funeral, Shi Le accompanied the coffin to the Zhenyanmen gates, and was dropping tears seeing it off. Glancing at the surrounding people, Shi Le said: “Apparently, the Sky willed that my case was not completed successfully, otherwise why did it deprive me of the right hou so early!”

[After the death of Zhang Bin] Cheng Xia took the position of the right senior official. If Shi Le differed with him in opinion when discussing affairs, he said each time with a sad sigh: “The Right Ho has left me, so I have to deal with such man, how cruel this is!” - And he cried the whole day.
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L.Bazen have shown that the form gün/kün is identical to the ancient Türkic plural-collective affix -gün-/ -kgün- [L. Bazin. Recherches sur les parlers T'o-ba. “T'oung Pao", vol. 39 (1950), Bk. 4-5, pp. 181, 292], which ascends to the primary Türkic word kün - people - human collective - tribe - woman - custodian of home hearth - femininity [Α. Η. Kononov. Analysis of the term Türk. Soviet ethnography, 1949, No 1, p. 44; A. H. Kononov. Family tree of Turkmen. Moscow - Leningrad, 1958, p. 81; S.E.Malov. Monuments of Ancient Türkic writing. Moscow - Leningrad, 1951, p. 397; S.E.Malov. Yenisei script of Türks. Moscow - Leningrad, 1952, p. 31-32]

Eventually recorded Chinese traditions tell of Kia (Gui, 癸, legendary 1728–1675 BC), 17th member of old Chinese Xia (Hia, ca. 2070–1600 BC) dynasty, dethroned due to evil ways. His son Sunni (Sünni/Hünni/Xünni etc.) went with 500 members of his Xia nationality to his Hun relatives. Xia still has many common words with Altaic languages. But Huns reached China only after 12th c. BC, Altaic borrowing must have a different source. The story with Sunni is not improbable, possibly indicating blood or linguistic connections between Xia people and Huns, or connections via mother's extraction from the Huns.