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 reflected 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.

* * *.

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.

122
In the third year of the Yung-ho reign era (347) Shi Jilong personally participated in Sanxinyuan in plowing the fields tilled by the people, and his wife born (nee) Du made offering in the vicinity of the capital sacrifycing to the spirit that first taught people silkworm cultivation. After that Shi Jilong went to Xiangguo (襄國, in modern county town Xintai in the Hebei province, orig.: Siango) and visited the Shi Le grave.

Shi Jilong granted an inspector of the palace secretariat Shi Ning a rank of Commander Punishing the West, and ordered him at the head of more than 20 thousand warriors from the Bingzhou and Sizhou provinces to follow Ma Qui and other commanders to support them.

A Zhang Chonghua commander Sun Qin with others led 20 thousand households to surrender to Shi Jilong.

Over 100 thousand Di and Tibetan (Qiang, with Kiyan twist)yurts located between the rivers Huanhe and Huanshui ¹, and Zhang Qu supported each other, so Ma Qui, fearing them, did not advance.

A governor Zhang Chun of the Jin-chen district belonging to Zhang Chonghua surrendered to Shi Ning in the head of the district.

Soon Ma Qui arrived at Quliu ³, and Liu Ning and Wang Zhuo attacked the county cities Shixin and Wugai ⁴. A Zhang Chonghua commander Yang Kang fought with Liu Ning in Shafu. Liu Ning was defeated and withdrew the troops back to Jinchen. Wang Zhuo occupied Wugai, captured the troop commanders Cao Quan and Hu Xuan, and transferred more than 7 thousand households to the Yongzhou province.

Shi Jilong again bestowed on Sun Fudu a title of Commander Punishing the West and leading 30 thousand infantry and riders he, along with Ma Qui, deeply invaded the enemy land, crossed Huanhe, and then walled a settlement Chanzui ⁵. Extreamely frightened Zhang Chonghua sent a commander Xie Ai strike a counterblow, he defeated the enemy troops, and then Ma Qui retreated back to Jinchen ⁶.

Like Shi Le, so was Shi Jilong distinguished by greed, and did hot follow the rules of conduct. After Shi Jilong started ruling the lands of ten provinces, he attained an infinite amount of gold, silk, pearls, jade, and rare things, presented by the other possessions, but Shi Jilong, feeling that that is not enough, was uncoverinh the graves of the former emperors, rulers, and sages, to take jewelry from there. On the hill Shizigang ⁷ was a grave of Zhao Jianjie, which at the time of the described events Shi Jilong ordered to dig up.
123

First they opened a layer of charcoal more than one zhang (2.3 m) thick, then dug down to wooden boards one chi (2.3 cm) thick, and when the boards were stacked one on another, their height reached eight chi (18 cm). Then they reached groundwater sources with unusually clear and cold water. Then they made a pulley and began bailing water using bags of ox hide, and although the water was bailed for more than a month, they could not bail it out. Because they were not able to uncover the grave, the work was ceased. In addition, Shi Jilong ordered to excavate kurgan at the tomb of the Qin Emperor Shi-huang ⁸ (Qin Shi Huang 秦始皇 Ying Zheng 嬴政, of “barbarian stock”, 259-210 BC, the kurgan is still unexplored, with uncovered adjacent famous buried terracota army; he had quite non-Chinese appearance with prominent nose, deep-set eyes, heavy mustache, rich beard, and and a royal lock hanging from the skullcap. For comparison, next is I.E.Repin's Kazaks, ca. 1880: the same prominent noses, deep-set eyes, heavy mustache, rich beards, and royal locks hanging from the skullcaps under Scythian conical hats, and no respect whatsoever, 2100 years later and half-a-world away. The Zhou clan, the parental clan of Qin Shi Huang, is believed to be generic Türkic [Peter N. Stearns; Stuart B. Schwartz; Marc J. Gilbert; Michael Adas, “World Civilizations: The Global Experience”, Longman Pub Group, 2000, ISBN 10: 0321044797 / 0-321-04479-7, ISBN 13: 9780321044792]), from there were pulled copper columns, which were melted into objects....

At that time the shraman (Buddhist monk. -  V.T.) Wu Jin told Shi Jilong: “The fate of the Hus (胡) is declining, the Jin Dynasty should rise again, therefore to evade a disaster, on the Jins should be imposed heavy labor lavies.” After that, Shi Jilong ordered the official of the State Chancellery Zhang Qiun to draft in the nearest districts 160 thousand men and women, and 100 thousand wagons and order them to bring dirt for construction of a Hua-linyuan garden north of Yecheng and a long wall that stretched for a few tens of li.

In that connection, Zhao Lan, Shen Zhong and Shi Pu submitted a report stating that the heavenly bodies confuse their seats, and the common people are brought to exhaustion. When, in connection with the report, they were summoned to an audience, they admonished Shi Jilong straight into his face with a very strong language. Coming into a rage, Shi Jilong said: “If the construction of the wall will be finished in the morning, and in the evening I should die, even then I will not feel a regret”, and ordered Zhang Qiun to also work at night with a light of the lamps, to erect three towers and four gates, and to hang iron shutters at the three gates leading to the Zhanshui river.

[During work] swooped a strong storm with inundating rain, of which perished few tens of thousands of people.

From the Yangzhou province were delivered five chicks of yellow swans with necks a zhang (2.3 m) in length, their cries could be heard at a distance of more than 10 li. They were released to swim in the Xuanuchi lake ⁹. The districts and possessions at different times sent 16 black deer bucks, and 7 white goats. Shi Jilong ordered the warden of mountains and lakes ¹⁰ Zhang Hazho to teach them to walk in the harness of the imperial chariots, and display these chariots at the court ¹¹.

When in the northern wall was made a break to bring water to the Hualin garden, the wall collapsed and crushed more than a hundred people.

Shi Jilong ordered Shi Xuan (石宣, orig.: Suan) to sacrifice to the spirits of the mountains and rivers with a request to send down luck in the hunt. Shi Xuan (石宣, orig.: Suan) drove through the Jinmingmen gates on the imperial chariot decorated with a canopy of feathers, holding flags and banners of the Son of the Heaven, and heading 180 thousand warriors, divided into 16 units.
124

Shi Jilong stepped out from the Rear Palace and ascended the Lingxiaoguan tower to watch the departure, and said with a smile: “That's what are I and my son! If only the sky would not collapse and the land would not cave in, I have nothing more to lament! It only remains to hold children in the hands, frolic with the grandchildren, and for days indulge in pleasures.

Shi Xuan (石宣, orig.: Suan), insatiably persuing wild animals, was setting up the Field Palace at the rest stops, with a strip one hundred li (45 km) wide reserved around it on each side, and was ordering to surround that area with beaters and drive toward him birds and animals, to have them by the evening [in plenty] . Then the civilian and military officials rose to his kneeled, the beater ring was doubled, were lit innumerable like stars torhces, the light of which made it as light as a daytime, after which more than a hundred strong riders were given an order to stampede to the animals and shoot them with bows and arrows. Shi Xuan (石宣, orig.: Suan) himself, with his beloved concubine Xiande in the meizhen rank, was sitting in a palanquin, watching the hunt, and fully immersed in the game, forgetting to return, and ceasing the affair only after a complete wipeout of the animals.

If the animals escaped from the encirclement, the culprit beaters were taken as having committed a crime, for which from those with titles was taken away a horse, and for one day they had to go on foot, and those without titles were punished with hundred lashes. The strict rules and harsh penalties kept civilian and military ranks trembling, and over 10 thousand warriors have died from hunger and cold. The bows, horses, clothes and food for Shi Xuan (石宣, orig.: Suan) were called imperial, and those who approached these objects were punished for violating prohibitions installed for the Imperial Palace. Fifteen districts in three provinces, through which passed Shi Xuan (石宣, orig.: Suan), were left without any food supplies.

Shi Jilong issued a new order to Shi Tao, commanding him to do the same as Shi Xuan (石宣, orig.: Suan). Shi Tao departed from the Bingzhou province, and passed by the Qinzhou and Jinzhou ¹² provinces. Shi Xuan hated Shi Tao for a long time, because he enjoyed the love of Shi Jilong, and for such parading began hateing him even more. A Shi Xuan eunuch Zhao Sheng, his favorite, did not enjoy a love of Shi Tao, and began secretly persuading Shi Xuan to eliminate Shi Tao; so Shi Xuan acquired an idea to destroy [the opponent].

Ma Qui suddenly attacked in a gorge of the Huanhe river a Zhang Chonghua commander Zhang Mao and defeated him, killing more than 3 thousand warriors. The Fuhang troop commander Li Kui in the head of 7 thousand troops surrendered to Shi Jilong, after which to him also surrendered all the Dis and Tibetans (Qiang, with Kiyan twist)south of the Huanhe river.

Shi Tao started building a hall in the Great Commander residence, naming it a Xuanguangdian palace ¹³, with the length of the roof beams equal to 10 zhangs (23 m).
125

Upon seeing the palace, Shi Xuan (石宣, orig.: Suan)came to a terrible rage, beheaded the craftsmen, truncated the beams, and left. In his turn, Shi Tao was also infuriated, and [again] increased the length of the beams to 10 zhangs. On hearing of this, Shi Xuan became even more angry and said to his favorites, Yang Bei and Mou Cheng: “A wicked and vile Shi Tao goes against me, that's why he dares to subvert my will. If you would be able to kill him, then upon enetring the Western Palace (Shi Jilong's Palace. - V.T.) I will divide and grant you all the land of the Shi Tao possessions. When Shi Tao is dead, the ruler will surely mourn him, and then I will perform a great deed ¹⁴, the success is assured. Yang Bai and others gave their consent.

At that time in the south-east appeared a dark yellow cloud a size of a few mu (市亩, 畝 = 667 m²), which gradually divided into three stripes, resembling pieces of fabric. These pieces crossed the sky, grew dark, turning into black color, by the 5-7 o'clock in the evening they reached the sun, and after sunset divided into seven stripes, separated by several tens of zhangs, between the bands appeared white clouds, like fish scales, which disappeared from 11 pm to 1 am.

Seeing the cloud, Shi Tao, who for long was able to explain celestial phenomena, showed discontent, and said, glancing at his entourage: “This heralds considerable changes, in the capital should appear a pricker, I only do not know who will be his victim”.

That night, Shi Tao organozed in the tower Dunminguan a banquet for his officials and with the sounds of music, drunk and with a changed face, he said, mournfully sighing: “Nothing in life is permanent, to part is easy, but it is difficult to meet. I offer to each a cup of wine for joy, drink for me, and let everyone get drunk. How can we not to drink if we do not know when the next meeting will be!” From Shi Tao eyes rolled down large tears, and all others started sobbing. That night, Shi Tao had spent the night in a Buddhist temple.

Shi Xuan told Yang Bei, Mou Pi, and Mou Cheng sneak into the temple by a rope ladder, and having killed Shi Tao, they departed, leaving their swords and arrows in the temple. At the dawn, Shi Xuan (石宣, orig.: Suan) reported of the incident. From grief and anxiety, Shi Jilong breath seized. He came to only after a long time, and wanted to go to the corpse. Exhorting him not to do so, the head of the Public Works Li Nun said: “I fear that the of the Qin-gun (Shi Tao title. - V.T.) killers are within the palace walls, I am worried that extraordinary events have happened, you should not leave the palace”. After that Shi Jilong abandoned his intention, and set up mourning for the dead in the Taiudian palace, surrounded by troops in full combat readiness.
126

Shi Xuan (石宣, orig.: Suan) came to the palace to mourn Shi Tao on a chariot plastered with white clay, accompanied by a thousand people, but he did not cry, but was only grunting. Ordering to lift the shroud to look at the corpse, he aloudly laughed and deaprted. Then Shi Xuan seized Zheng Jing and Yin Wu, the Military Advisers in the Chancellery of the Great commander, to shift the blame to them for the committed crime.

Shi Jilong, suspecting that Shi Xuan (石宣, orig.: Suan) killed Shi Tao, wanted to summon him, but, fearing that he would not show up, evoked that Shi Xuan mother fell dangerously ill from excessive grief. Shi Xuan, not expecting that he is suspected, came to the Middle Palace (the Empress palace. - V.T.), where he was detained.

Shi Ke, a native of the Jianxin county, reported that on the night of the Shi Tao murder, he stayed in the house of an important high official of the Eastern Palace Yang Bai, and has heard as the coming from somewhere at night Yang Bai and five others talked among themselves: “A great deed has already been decided, only let the ruler of the possession enjoy a longevity, and we need not worry, we will become rich and noble”. After that discussion, they entered the house. Shi Ke slept in a separate room, so Yang Bai did not see him. Soon Shi Ke left the room, intending to flee, but suddenly appeared Yang Bai and two other men, who were searching for him, but did not find. Then Yang Bai said: “The man who was staying here overnight has heard our recent conversation, and it should be killed, to avert the rumors, but now we need to go for a great deed.” [When they were gone], Shi Ke climbed over the wall, and thus escaped.

Shi Jilong at once sent men to seize Yang Bai, Mou Pi, and Zhao Sheng, but Yang Bai and Mou Pee already managed to escape. Only Zhao Sheng was captured, and when it came to questioning, he confessed everything. Then Shi Jilong, with magnified grief and anger, encarcerated Shi Xuan in the straw mat storage room, put a ring on his neck, shackled him in chains, made a wooden trough with a capacity of a few dou (10 l), and filled it with pottage, to feed Shi Xuan (石宣, orig.: Suan) as are fed pigs and dogs. Taking the swords and arrows with which was killed Shi Tao, Shi Jilong lapped blood from them, and his bitter hollering trembled the palace premises.

To the north of Yecheng was piled a heap of firewood twigs, at the end of it was installed a whinch and tied a rope to it, leaned a ladder against the pile of firewood, to lift Shi Xuan up to the post. The Shi Tao favorite eunuchs Hao Zhi and Liu Ba were ordered to pluck out Shi Xuan hair, tear off his tongue, drag him to the stairs and lift him to the pile of twigs. Hao Zhi tied a rope around Shi Xuan neck, he was whinched up, and Liu Ba hacked off his arms and legs, punched out his eyes and ripped up his belly - so also was tormented Shi Tao. The heap of the brushwood was set aflame on all sides, and the smoke and flames rose to the sky.
127

Shi Jilong and several thousand concubines headed by a concubine with the rank of zhao-yi ascended the central terrace to see the execution. When the fire died down, the ashes were collected and placed at the intersection of the walkways intersecting at the gate. Nine wives and sons of Shi Xuan (石宣, orig.: Suan) were killed. The younger son of Shi Xuan, who was only a few years old, was a Shi Jilong favorite, he took [the child] in his arms, and cried. The child was repeating: “I am not guilty”, and Shi Jilong wanted to pardon him. But the officials, not agreeing with that, snatched the child from the Shi Jilong's hands to put him to death. The child clung to his Shi Jilong's clothes and loudly shouted, all who saw that shed tears, and the Shi Jilong then fell ill.

After that were executed 300 people, ranging from the four chiefs of the Eastern Palace guards, and 50 eunuchs, torn apart with chariots, and the corpses were thrown into the Chang-shui river. The Eastern Palace where Shi Xuan (石宣, orig.: Suan) lived was destroyed, and pigs and cattle started to be kept in its place. The guards of the Eastern Palace, numbering more than 100 thousand people, were accused of complicity and exiled to the garrisons on the borders of Liangzhou province (Under a guard should be understood a standing army, and allowing for an equal number for Shi Jilong, and another equal number for border service and all other services, Shi Jilong had a standing army of 300 thousand men; for a country of 3,000,000 people it is an equivalent of USA maintaining a standing army of 30,000,000 men, and China of 120,000,000, a mind-boggling proportion even for modern industrial food production. That number did not include the nomadic calvary, raised only for war actions and for very short campagns, only a minor portion of whom served in the peacetime).

It should be said that before that a cortege rider Zhao Lan serving at the court told Shi Jilong: “In the Middle Palace is brewing a rebellion, actions should be taken”. When Shi Xuan (石宣, orig.: Suan) killed Shi Tao, Shi Jilong thought that Zhao Lan knew about the upcoming murder, but did not report it, and had him executed. Shi Xuan's mother, the born Du, was demoted to the position of a commoner. A born Liu, Shi Xuan's concubine with a rank of guibin, a daughter of an official of the State Chancellery Liu Qi, especially beloved by Shi Xuan for her beauty and talents, was executed on charges that her two older brothers were Shi Xuan's favorites. Remembering her beauty, Shi Jilong took the youngest daughter of Liu Qi to the Hua-linyuan garden.

[After the Shi Xuan (石宣, orig.: Suan) execution] Shi Jilong began discussing whom to appoint a heir to the throne. A Great Commander Zhang Ju stepped forward and said: “Shi Bin (石斌) with a title Yang-gun, and Shi Zun (石遵), with the title Pengcheng-gun both handle weapons skillfully and are endowed with civic virtues. The teeth of Your Magesty have already rotted, and the lands amidst the four seas are still not united, so I beg you to select one of the two guns and install him a heir to the throne”.

It should be said that in the past Zhang Chai with the title of jungzhao jiangjun during the time of taking the city Shanguy ¹⁵ captured a twelve years old little daughter of Liu Yao, distinguished by remarkable beauty. Shi Jilong took over the girl, fell in love with her, and she bore him a son named Shi Shi, with a title Qi-gun. At the time of the described events Zhang Chai, because Shi Jilong grew old and suffered of many diseases, wanted Shi Shi to become a heir to the throne, so that his mother, born Liu, was declared a Dowager Empress, and he [Zhang Chai] would help in the governmental affairs, and so he told Shi Jilong: “Twice you appointed heirs to the throne, but in both cases they were children of the actresses, of lowly pedigree, and so the troubles followed one after another. Now a successor to the throne should be choosen such whose mother is of noble birth, such who is distinguished by reverence to his parents”. Shi Jilong replied: “Do not talk about it now, I know how to handle a successor to the throne”.
128

Then there was another discussion in the Eastern Room, where Shi Jilong said: “I would like to drink three xy (30 l) of clean ash, to wash away all crap accumulated in my stomach and intestines. Once I bore a villain son, who was barely over twenty years old when he was going to kill me. Now Shi Shi is just ten years old, when he becomes twenty I'll be quite old”. After that, Shi Jilong together with Zhang Ju and Li Nun decided to order high officials to present a paper with a request to declare Shi Shi a heir to the throne. The Great Administrator of Agriculture Cao Mo did not sign the required papers, and Shi Jilong ordered Zhang Chai to find out the cause. Cao Mo deeply bowed and explained: “The governance of the Celestial is a heavy burden, it is impossible to assign it to a minor, that is why I did not dare to sign the paper”. Shi Jilong said: “Cao Mo is a loyal high official, but he does not understand my intentions. Zhang Ju and Li Nun know my thoughts, let them teach him”, and installed Shi Shi a heir to the imperial throne, and pronounced the born Liu an Empress.

Summoning a head of the ceremonial department of Tiao Yu and a head of the palace inner gate protection department Du Gu, Shi Jilong told them: “I want to burden your with responsibility to be mentors of the heir to the throne, I sincerely hope that you will send him on a right path. You have to understand the duties which I lay upon you”, then he appointed Tiao Yu a senior, and Du Gu a junior mentor for the heir to the throne.

At that time, the Shi Jilong health had slightly improved, and in the fifth year of the Yung-he (Yonghe 永和) reign era (349) on the southern outskirts of the capital he illegally ascended the imperial throne, declared a large amnesty within his jurisdiction, established the reign era Da-ning (Taining 太寧), promoted all officials by one rank grade, raised his sons to the titles of district guns and appointed Zhang Liang a Right Assistant of the Chief of the State Chancellery.

More than 10 thousand strong men who used to guard the former Eastern Palace, and now exiled to the border, were supposed to encamp by garrisons in the Liangzhou province. They have already reached the main city of the Yongzhou province, but did not fall under the proclaimed amnesty, and the governor of the Yongzhou province Zhang Mao was ordered to escort them to their destination. Zhang Mao confiscated from the strongmen all horses, and ordered them to go by foot to the quartering points, carrying grain in hand carts (We have two oddities in this passage. First is lexical, the term “strong men” used by V.S.Taskin is an obvious Slavic rendition of the Türkic “bagatur”, so much ingrained into the Türkic lexicon that it was adopted by virually all their neighbors; V.S.Taskin translated it from Chinese, indicating that the Chinese borrowed it too, at least semantically. In Türkic, “bagatur” is mounted, there were no foot soldier bagaturs, as every warrior was mounted by default. The number 10,000 is a tumen, i.e. among the 100,000 Eastern Palace guards was a tumen of nomadic cavalry, the only bagaturs in the gard force, and to be a capable military force, they had to have 4-6 horses each, all brought from home as part of the bagatur warrior equipment. Confiscation of private 40-60,000 horses is not a minor offence, it could not be taken lightly, independent of the authority that authorised it. The second oddity is to order the bagatur forces to perform the hard labor of hand carts. The elite force of the army is exempted from the manual tasks performed by the peasant enlistees of the local Chinese population, and such an offence is even more injurious then the robbery of their horses. Zhang Mao could not become a provincial governor without being able to make sound judgements).
129

The commander of strongmen Liang Du, a native of the Dinyan county, using the general discontent, contrived to raise a rebellion and return to the east, and therefore secretly ordered an (ethnically) Hu Seduluwei to inform the exiled warriors of his intention. Upon hearing this, all warriors danced and shouted with joy. Then Liang Du declared himself a Jin Great Commander Punishing The East, led his warriors in storming the Xiabian city ¹⁶, and forced Zhang Mao to accept a title of Grand Administrator and a Great Commander of the Troops, and ordered him to ride in a light chariot drawn by one horse (In other words, as a minimum the bagaturs repossessed their horses and their elite status, and put the provincial governor in his rightful place).

Liu Ning with a rank of Commander-Pacifier of the West marched from the Anding district ¹⁷, attacked Liang Du, suffered a severe defeat, and returned, while Liang Du took in the Qinzhou and Yongzhou provinces all cities and garrisoned centers with troops, killed officials who were receiving a salary of 2 thousand dans of grain per year and senior officials, and headed east. The strongmen were distinguished by their physical strength, they were good shooters from bows, and every one of them could overcome more than a dozen enemies. Because they had no weapons, they were siezing from the population large axes, stucking them on long poles one zhang (2.3 m) long, and attacked the enemy like celestial warriors, the enemies were scattering before them. All garrison troops joined them. When the strongmen came to Chang'an, their number increased to 100 thousand men.

At that time, Chang'an was ruled by Shi Bao with a title Lepin-wang; to repulse Liang Du, he assembled all troops, but was decisively defeated in a single battle. Then Lyan.Du moved to the east, passed through the Tunguan gate and went to the river Lochuan. Shi Jilong appointed Li Nun a Great Grand Commander and acting Great Commander, instructed him to punish Liang Du, to lead the troops of the security forces commander Zhang Hedu, Zhang Liang with a title of Commander Punishing the West, and Shi Min (冉闵/冉閔, aka Yang Min, pin.: Ran Min, Shi Min 石閔, d. 352) with a title of Commander Avenging Contemptible Enemies These troops numbered 100 thousand infantry and riders. The battle occurred in the district of Xinan (orig.: Xinan) and ended badly for Li Nun. Then came a new battle near Luoyang, the Li Nun's troops were defeated again, and retreated under the protection of the Chengao walls.

Moving eastward, Liang Du robbed Xinyan, Chenlu and other districts, and then very scared Shi Jilong appointed Shi Bing with a title Yang-wang a Great Chief Commander for all military affairs in the capital and beyond, and he led 10 thousand selected horsemen, commanding the troops of Yao Yichjung, Fu Hun, and others, attacked Liang Du east of Xinyan and inflicted a severe defeat.
130

After beheading Liang Du and on a return march, [Yao Yichjung] punished the remnants of his (Liang Du) troops, which were completely destroyed. Suddenly, the Jin commander Wang Kan seized district Pujun belonging to Shi Jilong. Ma Xu ¹⁸, a native of the Shiping county, raised an uprising in Loshi gegu, declared himself a military commander, but Shi Bao attacked and destroyed him, and sent to execution more than 3 thousand families.

At that time, Mars first entered the constellation Cancer, and then the Pleiades constellation. The Moon reached a point north of Mars and entered the Eagle constellation.

Shortly thereafter, the Shi Jilong's disease turned highly acute, so he gave Shi Zong a title of Great Commander, charging him with governance of the land west of the Hanguguan outpost; he appointed Shi Bing a Chief Assistant to the Emperor and an Administrator of the State Chancellery, he gave Zhang Chai a title of Great Commander Guarding the Emperor and Commander Guiding the Troops, and appointed him a head of the Rank Assignment department; he bequeathed all three to assist [the heir] in the affairs of governance.

The born Liu, fearing that Shi Bin, helping in the affairs of governance, could harm Shi Shi, in conjunction with Zhang Chai conceived to kill him. At that time, Shi Bin was in Xiangguo, where they sent a courier who, in order to deceive Shi Bin, said: “The ruler is slowly recovering from the disease, and if you, wang, have to hunt, you can stay a little longer”. Shi.Bin liked wine and hunting, and therefore continued to hunt and drink. Then the born Liu, invoking an order of the Emperor, said that Shi Bin does not show loyalty and deference to his father, and dismissed him from his positions, ordering him to stay at home while retaining the title of wang, and ordered Zhang Xiong ("the Hun", orig. Sün), a younger brother of Zhang Chai, to keep him under guard in the head of 500 Riders Taking Off Like Dragons. Shi Zun arrived to Yecheng from the Yuzhou province. He was ordered to accept appointments in the Audience Hall, given 30 thousand warriors from the Emperor bodyguards, and sent back. Shi Zun left in a great grief, shedding tears. The same day, Shi Jilong felt a little better, and he asked: “Did Shi Zun come?” The courtiers replied: “He's left long ago”. Shi Jilong exclaimed: “What a pity that I did not meet with him!”

Shi Jilong went to the western hall of the palace, where more than two hundred bodyguards from the detachment of the Commander Rising up to the Sky Like a Dragon lined up and bowed before him. Shi Jilong asked: “What are you asking?” All present answered: “You are unwell, you should order the Yan-wang (Shi Bin's title. - V.T.) to come to your guards and to take over a command of the troops.” Some others added: “We are asking you to install him a heir to the throne”. Shi Jilong, not knowing about deposition of Shi Bin, responded with a smile: “Is Yan-wang not in the palace? Bring him over!”
131
Then the courtiers said: “The wang is drunk and can not come”. Shi Jilong ordered: “Quickly bring him in a palanquin, I must hand him the imperial seal with a cord”, but no one went for Yan-wang. Soon after that, Shi Jilong fell into dotage and left to the palace.

Zhang Chai, invoking the order of Shi Jilong, ordered his younger brother Zhang Xiong ("the Hun", orig. Sün) to kill Shi Bin. From her side, the born Liu, also invoking the order of Shi Jilong, appointed Zhang Chai a Senior Warden of the heir to the throne, a Grand Commander of all military affairs in the capital and beyond, an Administrator of the State Chancellery, increased the number of his guards by a thousand soldiers and 500 horsemen, following in everything the example of Huo Guang, who was helping the Han dynasty. After that, the courtier Xu Tong, sadly sighing, said: “A turmoil is coming, I will not participate in it", and committed suicide by taking poison.

Shortly thereafter died Shi Jilong. Shi Jilong illegally assumed the throne in the first year of the Xian-kan reign era (Jianwu 建武, 335), and by the time of death in the sixth year of the Tai-he reign era ¹⁹ (Taining 太寧, 349) occupied the throne for 15 years (The discrepancies between the era names translated by V.S.Taskin and those listed in the official chronography may be caused by selective re-writing of the history).

[After his death] to the illegal throne ascended Shi Shi, who bestowed to the born Liu a title of Dowager Empress with a right to administer the state affairs, and promoted Zhang Chai to the position of the Chief Assistant of the Emperor. Zhang Chai, to pacify Shi Zun and Shi Jian, asked to appoint them a Left and Right Chief Assistants of the Emperor, which the born Liu consented to (This is a peculiarly Türkic tradition of the wife of the late ruler to take the reign as a Regent untill the dauphin comes out of age or a successor is elected. The same event was documented among the Caucasian Huns with Queen Beatrice, among the Middle Asian Masguts/Massagets Queen Tamiris, and a number of other instances).

Zhang Chai with Zhang Ju began developing a plan of killing Li Nun, but Zhang Ju for a long time was friends with Li Nun and told him about Zhang Chai plans. Scared Li Nun fled to the Guanzong county, leading over a hundred horsemen, stood at the head of several tens of thousands families who escaped from famine, and took refuge in the Shangbai city. The born Liu ordered Zhang Ju and others to head elite emperor bodyguard warriors to surround [Li Nun] there.

Chai Zhang gave Zhang Li a title of Great Troop Commander, to oversee all military actions in the capital and outside of it, and also appointed him to the position of Bailiff for Criminal Cases, making him his assistant.

In Yecheng apeared a large number of thieves, busy with ceaseless theft.
132

Shi Zun, on hearing about Shi Jilong death, entrenched in the Henei district. At that time Yao Yichjung, Fu Hong (orig.: Hun), Shi Min, Lu Ning, Wang Luan with a rank of Commander of the Armed Guards, Wang Wu with a rank of Commander-Pacifier of the West, Shi Xing, Wang Te and Duan Qin with a rank of Commander who Established Justice, were coming back after quelling the Qinzhou and Lozhou provinces. At a meeting with Shi Zun in Licheng ²⁰, they told him: “You are the eldest son of Shi Jilong, and are also distinguished by wisdom, so the late emperor had a desire to end his choice on you. However, in later years the emperor had lost a clarity of mind and was misled by Zhang Chai. Now the troops of Zhang Chai are standing near the Shangbai city, but can not take it, and the capital remains deserted, because all personal bodyguards of the Emperor left to the campaign. If to declare the crimes of Zhang Chai, and march with drumbeat tp punish him, who would not turn spears against Zhang Chai and would not open the gates to meet you!” Shi Zun accepted the offer; [Furthermore,] the ruler of the Lozhou province Liu Guo and others also arrived in Licheng leading the troops stationed in Luoyang.

When the declaration of Shi Zong was delivered to Yecheng, highly frightened Zhang Chai hastened to summon the troops located near Shangbai. Meanwhile, Shi Zun arrived in the Danin county with 90 thousand warriors with Shi Min marching in the vanguard. Zhang Chai wanted to march to repell Shi Zong, but his old friends and the Jie warriors climbed over the walls and fled, with the words: “The Son of the Heaven rushes to her father's funeral, we must go to meet him and can not defend the city for Zhang Chai”. Zhang Chai was chopping off the heads of runaways, but could not stop them. Zhang Li in the head of 2 thousand warriors jetting off like dragons broke through the gate to meet Shi Zong.

The frightened born Liu summoned Zhang Chai, and said weeping bitterly: “The catalpa coffin of the late emperor was not yet interred, but numerous disasters have already befallen. The underage heir to the throne is entrusted to your care, commander, and how are you helping him? Would the disasters stop if we yield to Shi Zong important positions?” A confused Zhang Chai, without a clue on what to do, could not devise any plan, and only uttered: “Yes, yes”. Then the born Liu ordered to appoint Shi Zun a Chief Аssistant to the Еmperor, а Great Army Commander, a Great Grand Commander of all the military affairs in the capital and beyond, an Administrator on the affairs of the State Chancellery, in addition she granted him a yellow halberd and a right to exercise nine awards (ziu si), an increase of his possessions by ten districts, and assigned to him the duties of A-heng ²¹.

When Shi Zun arrived in Anyanting, a scared Zhang Chai came out to meet him, and was seized by an order of Shi Zun. Then, dressed in armors and sparkling with his weapons, Shi Zun entered Luoyang through the Fenyanmen gate, ascended into the front hall of the Taiudian palace, in a fit of grief started pounding his chest and stomp his feet, and then retired to the Eastern Hall of the palace.
133

Zhan Chai was beheaded [in Yecheng] at the Ping-leshi market square, and his family was exterminated for three generations. From the name of the born Liu, Shi Zun issued an edict which stated: “The heir son is small in years, the late Emperor gave him the throne by his personal favor, but the affairs of the Emperor are extremely difficult, and he would not be able to handle them, so let Shi Zun inherit the throne”. Shi Zun pretended to refuse the throne three times, but the high officials were persistently persuading him until they've got his consent, after which Shi Zun illegally ascended the high throne in the front hall of the Taiudian palace.

[After accession to the throne] Shi Zun announced a large amnesty for all up to those sentenced to death, and lifted a siege from the Shang-bai city. Shi Shi was demoted to the title Qiao-wang, bestowed with possession of 10 thousand households, and Shi Zun treated him as his own servant. The born Liu was demoted to the title of Dowager Concubine. Soon, Shi Zun killed Shi Shi and the born Liu. Shi Shi remained on the throne for a total of 33 days.

Li Nun returned asking for forgiveness for his crimes, and Shi Zun restored him in his former positions and began treating him as before. His mother, the born Cheng, Shi Zun proclaimed a Dowager Empress, his wife the born Chang was proclaimed an Empress, the Shi Bin's son Shi Yan was proclaimed a heir to the imperial throne, Shi Jian was appointed a courtier, Shi Chung a Senior Mentor for the heir to the throne, Shi Bao a Great Troops Commander, Shi Kun a Commander, Shi Min a Grand Commander of all military affairs in the capital and beyond, a Great Commander Helping the State, and the Administrator of the affairsof the State Chancellery, in order for him to assist in the affairs of governance (This segment clearly demonstrates an attempt to return to the legitimate scheme of events: the senior member of the clan becomes a legitimate leader, and the succession legitimately is designed to pass to the second-eldest eligible person, a nephew of the reighning monarch, in accordance with the lateral succession scheme. Following the tradidional scheme is intended to appeal to the Türkic part of the state population, bringing aboard a wide support of the masses).

Precipitated a storm which pulled out trees, thunder boomed, and fell hail a size of a cup or a volume measure of one sheng (1 l).

In the Huihuadian hall of the Taiudian palace flared a fire that completely destroyed towers and the premises near the gate, where burned down more than half of the chariots and garments stored there. The glow of the fire rose to the sky, all jewellery from precious metals and stones were lost, and the fire was completely extinguished only after a month.

Around Yecheng fell rain red as blood.

At that time, Shi Zhong (Shi Jian 石鑒 or Shi Zhi 石祇, orig.: Чжун/Chjung, Shi Chong (石沖) in the Jizhou province heard that Shi Zun killed Shi Shi and himself ascended the throne, and told his aides: “Shi Shi took the throne on the decree of the late emperor, but Shi Zun unexpectedly deposed and killed him. There is no greater crime! I am ordering you to take strict precautionary measures in the palace and outside of it, and I myself will march to punish [Shi Zun].
134

Then, leaving Shu Jian with a rank of Commander Pacifier of the North to defend the Yuzhou province, Shi Zhong led 50 thousand warriors on a march from the Jizhou province to punish Shi Zong, sending out over the lands of the former Yan and Zhao possessions an appeal, in response to which around him gathered warriors as numerous as the clouds in the sky. As a result, when Shi Jung came to the Changshan district, the number of his troops exceeded 100 thousand people; he stopped with them in Yuanxiang.

There Shi Chung received from Shi Zong a paper with a promise of forgiveness, and he said having peered at his courtiers: “I and my younger brother are one whole, the dead can't be resurrected, why should we annihilate each other? I want to go back”. A Shi Chung's commander Chen Lo stepped forward and responded: “Pengcheng-wang (title of Shi Zong. -  V.T.) seized power, killed the ruler, and exalted himself, his offense is great. Although you, Wu-wang (title of Shi Chung. -  V.T.), will turn your flags to the north, I will aim the shafts of my carts to the south, quell the capital, catch Pengcheng-wang, and then will meet your imperial chariot”. Shi Zhong accept this offer. Shi Zun urgently sent Wang Zhuo to remonstrate with Shi Chung, but Shi Chung did not listen to the messenger. Then Ji Zun handed Shi Min a yellow halberd and copper gong, and ordered him, along with Li Nun and other commanders at the head of 100 thousand elite warriors to punish Shi Chung. The battle took place in the Pinji county ²², Shi Chung's troops suffered a severe defeat, and Shi Chung was captured in the Yuanshi county ²³. Shi Zun ordered Shi Chung to commit suicide, and over 30 thousand of his men were buried alive (It is apparent that the volunteer army of Shi Chung was predominantly composed of Hun tribesmen, and a loss of 30,000 men in their primeout of 500,000 population was a severe nation-wide demographical blow. Shi Min was an ethnically Chinese commander).

Finally came the funeral of Shi Jilong, whose tomb was named a Xianyuanling cemetery. Shi Jilong was illegally bestowed a posthumous title of Emperor Wu huangdi (武帝) and temple title Tai-zu (太祖) (Posthumous and templetitles are Chinese retroactive historiography, nothing alike existed in the Türkic traditions).

A governor Wang Jia of the Yangzhou province that belonged to Shi Zong, in the head of the lands south of the river Huaihe submitted to the Jin Dynasty. A Jin chief of the western bodyguards Chen Kui took Shouchun. A Jin's Chu Pou with a rank of Commander Punishing the North led the troops in attackon Shi Zong, and encamped in Xiapei. Shi Zun appointed Li Nun a Great Grand Commander Punishing the South, and he headed 20 thousand horsemen to repulse Chu Pou. Chu Pou did not have a strength to attack, and retreated to Guangling. Upon hearing this, the frightened Chen Kui incinerated the stocks stored in Shouchun, destroyed the city walls, and retreated.

At that time Shi Bao, governing Chang'an, conceived to attack Yecheng at the head of the troops recruited in the Guanzhong lands.
135

A Left senior official commanding Cao Yao's troops Shi Guang, and others strongly admonished him not to do that, but enraged Shi Bao executed more than a hundred people, including Shi Guang. Shi Bao was greedy and unforesightful, so all influential houses in the Yongzhou province, knowing that he wouild not succeed, started sending couriers to the ruler of the Jin's Liangzhou province Sima Xion ("the Hun", orig. Sün) with messages about his intentions. After that Sima hurried for help in the head of the troops, and at a distance from Chang'an of more than 200 li he stopped in a small town Xuangou, surrounded himself with bulwarks, and ordered a provincial chancellery clerk ²⁴ Liu Huan to attack Liu Zili, a ruler of the Jinzhao district, who was killed. Supporting Sima Xion, the influential homes in the three metropolitan counties killed most of the heads of large and small counties, and took refuge in more than thirty rampart-fortified villages, having [available] 50 thousand warriors.

Shi Bao, abandoning a plan to attack Yecheng, ordered Ma Qui, Yao Guo, and others to repulse Sima Xion with their calvary. Shi Zun, under a pretext of punishing Sima Xion sent 20 thousand horsemen under a command of Wang Lan with a rank of Commander of the Chariots and Cavalry, who seized Shi Bao and sent him to Yecheng. Sima Xion, rebuffed by Wang Lang, left Xuangou, took the Yuancheng city, killed a governor Yuan Jing of the Nanyang district belonging to Shi Zong, and returned.

It should be said that before leaving the city Lichen Shi Zun told Shi Min: “Be assiduous! When things will end with success, I will make you a heir to the throne”, but later appointed Shi Yan a heir of the throne, which utterly disappointed Shi Min. Shi Min, believing that with his merits he exceeds everybody, expected to hold the politics of the court in his own hands, but Shi Zun envied him, and consequently Shi Min could not get appointments to the relevant posts. When Shi Min had a post of the Grand Commander and held in his hands the military power in the capital and outside of it, he benignly attracted to his side the military commanders and warriors at the court, and over 10 thousand strongmen (i.e. bahadurs) from the former Eastern Palace, who now presented Shi Zun a report requesting to appoint Shi Min an informal commander of the palace warriors, to give him a title guenwai-hou ²⁵, and grant him palace maids, to show his benevolence. That did not raise any suspicions of Shi Zun, but to humiliate Shi Min he enumerated his good and bad qualities, which caused a universal grumbling.

Then, heeding the advices of the Chief of the palace secretariat Meng Chung, and of the commander of the left guard corps Wang Luan, Shi Zun became imbued with a strong suspicion of Shi Min, [began to be afraid of him], and started depriving him gradually of the military power, and Shi Min showed increasing dissatisfaction, so Meng Chung and others were urging Shi Zun to kill him.
136

Shi Zun summoned Shi Jian (石鑒) and others to a meeting in the presence of the Empress Dowager the born Zheng (Zheng Yingtao), and all [gathered] asked to kill Shi Min. However, the born Zheng said: “When you were returning from the city of Lichen with the troops, would everything happen as it is, if not for Jinu (child name of Shi Min. -  V.T.)? A small frivolity of Shi Minya should be forgiven, he can not be killed just like that”.

After leaving the meeting, Shi Jian sent a eunuch Yang Huang to tell Shi Min about that conversation. Shi Min immediately forced Li Nun and Wang Ji with a rank of the Right Guard Corps Commander to see him, and secretly developed with them a plan to depose Shi Zun, and ordered military commanders Su Hai and Zhou Cheng to take thirty men and seize Shi Zun at the Jungguan tower. Shi Zun was playing checkers with women at that time, he asked Zhou Cheng: “Who is the rebel?” Zhou Cheng responded “To the throne must ascend Shi Jian with the title Yiyang-wang”. Shi Zun said: “If you do this to me, how long will last Shi Jian, that you will enthrone?” Then he was killed in the hall Kunhuadian, and with him were executed the born Zheng, her son, the heir to the throne Shi Yan, Senior Palace Advisor Zhang Fei, the head of the palace secretariat Meng Jun, the Left Guard Corps Commander Wang Luan and others. In total Shi Zun stayed on the throne for 183 days.

Then, having illegally ascended the throne, Shi Jian announced a lage amnesty for all up to those sentenced to death, gave Shi Min a title of a Great Commander and raised him to a title Wude-wang, appointed Li Nun a Great Troop Commander and Administrator of the State Chancellery, appointed Lan Kai a Head of Public Works, appointed the ruler of the Qinzhou province Liu Qiun a Left Assistant of the Chief of the State Chancellery, and a courtier Lu Chen an inspector of the palace secretariat.

Shi Jian ordered Shi Bao, a chief of the Palace Secretariat Li Sun (pin. Song) and a Commander of the Palace Warriors Zhang Cai (orig.: Цай/Tsai) to kill at night Shi Min and Li Nun in the Kunhuadian hall, but they failed to seize the hall, and a tumult rose at the palace. Shi Jian, fearing that Shi Min would raise a rebellion, pretended that he knew nothing, and at night killed Li Sun (pin. Song) and Zhang Cai at the west Zhonghuamen gate, and executed Shi Bao (Shi Bao 石苞 was Shi Jian's brother next in line for succession, his execution in 349 must have been a concession to Shi Min, playing directly into Shi Min's cards).

At that time, Shi Zhi was in Xiangguo, he had a friendly relationship with Yao Yizhuk and Fu Hung, he joined together his troops with theirs, and sent around notices, stating his desire to execute Shi Min and Li Nun. Shi Jian appointed Shi Kun a Great Commander in Chief, and ordered him, along with Zhang Ju and courtier Huyan Sheng to lead 70 thousand infantry and riders to march in different directions and to punish Shi Zhi.
137

The Commander of Troops Shi Cheng, courtier Shi Qi, and a former governor of the Hedun district Shi Hui planed to kill Shi Min and Li Nun, but were themselves killed by Shi Min and Li Nun.

Sun Fudu with a rank of Commander Jetting up to the Sky Like a Dragon, Liu Zhu and others, assembled 3 thousand Jie warriors, hid them in an ambush in the Hutian [service quarters], and also wanted to kill Shi Min. At that time Shi Jian was on the central terrace, and Sun Fudu with more than 30 warriors wanted come up there, intercept Shi Jian, and together with him attack Chi Min. Shi Jian, seeing that Sun Fudu is busting suspension bridges connecting the palace towers, came out to him to inquire what was going on. Sun Fudu replied: “Li Nun and others, who raised insurrection, are already at the Dunyimen gate, and I, your servant, am heading the bodyguards, of which I respectfully wish to bring to your attention in advance”. Shi Jian said: “You are a meritorious official, bear your efforts for me, and I'll be watching from the terrace over your actions, and do not worry, you would not be left without award”. After that, Sun Fudu and Liu Zhu headed an attack of the warriors on Shi Min and Li Nun, but failing to achieve success took positions at the Fenyanmen gate.

Shi Min and Li Nun led several thousand warriors to destroy the Jinmingmen gates, and they streamed to the palace. Shi Jian, fearing that he would be killed by Shi Min, hastened toward Shi Min and Li Nun, opened the gates, and let them in with the words: “Sun Fudu raised a mutiny, quickly think what to do with him”. Shi Min and Li Nun jumped on Sun Fudu and killed him, and the whole space from theFenyanmen gate to the Kunhuadian hall was covered with corpses, and blood flowed in streams.

Shi Min announced inside and outside of the palace an order that anyone belonging to the one of the six alien tribes that dared to take up arms will be beheaded. Then an uncounted number of Hus (胡) started fleeing the town, either breaking through the gates, or climbing over the city walls.

The official of the State Chancellery Wang Jian and the custodian of the small storeroom Wang Yui were ordered to hold Shi Jian, who headed several thousand riders, under guard in the Yuilunguan tower, and feed him by suspending food in front of him.

In the city was given an order: “Those unanimous with the emperor may live, those not unanimous should go wherever they like. It is ordered not to forbid a cpassage through the gates”. Following promulgation of the order, the Zhaos (Chinese. - V.T.) who lived within 100 li from the city came to the city, and the Hus (胡) and Jies who were leaving the city jammed all the gates.
138

Shi Min, who realized that he would not be able to use the Hus (胡), gave an order to the Zhaos in town and outside of it, according to which each civil servant who would kill one Hu (胡) and brought his head to the Fenyanmen gate, will be promoted in rank by three degrees, and a military officer will be transferred to the service at the [Shi Min's] Supreme Command. During the day were severed tens of thousands of heads. Shi Min himself lead Zhaos in killing the Hus (胡) and Jies without regard for sex or age. In total were killed over 200 thousand people, their bodies were dumped outside the city, where they were eaten by wild dogs, jackals and wolves. The troop commanders in various parts of the state received a prescript from Shi Min to be killing the Hus (胡), as a result a half of the people with high noses and bushy beards were killed.

The Great Administrator Zhao Lu, the Great Commander Zhang Ju, Commander of the Middle Army Zhang Chun, a Palace Adviser Shi Xing, Commander Comforting the Troops Li Ning, Commander of the Armed Guards Zhang Ji, those with the titles gun and hou, high officials and Warriors Jetting Up Like Dragons, all in excess of 10 thousand people fled to Xiangguo.

Shi Kun fled and entrenched in the Jizhou province, the Commander Comforting the Troops Zhang Chen ensconced in the Fu-kou ²⁶, Zhang Hedu holed up at the Shidu dam, Duan Qin ²⁷ with a rank of Commander Establishinh Justice occupied Liang, Yan Qun with a rank of Commander Pacifier of the South lodged with the troops in Sanbi ²⁸, Liu Guo occupied Yanchen ²⁹, Duan Kan ³⁰ settled in Chenlu, Yao Yizhong (姚弋仲, a Qiang chief) occupied Hunjiao, and Fu Hong (orig.: Hun) occupied Fantou, and each of them had several tens of thousands warriors (That list amounts to about 150,000 men, representing 700,000 population, or 1/4 of the state population).

Wang Lan and Ma Qui fled from Chang'an to Luoyang, where Ma Qui, after receiving Shi Min's paper, slaughtered more than a thousand Hu (胡) warriors from the Wang Dan corps. After that Wang Lan fled to Xiangguo, and Ma Qui led the troops to Fu Hun.

Shi Kun, Zhang Ju and Wang Lan with 70 thousand warriors attacked Yecheng; Shi Min went on a sortie to the north of the city to repell them, leading over a thousand riders. Sitting astride a horse with a double-edged halberd in hands, Shi Min attacked the enemy, and wherever he raced, everybody was rolling down to the ground under his blows. Shi Kun and others suffered a severe defeat, loosing three thousand warriors, and returned to the Jizhou province.

Shi Min and Li Nun in the head of the 30 thousand horsemen marched to punish Zhang Hedu, who was located at the Shidu dam. Shi Jian secretly sent a eunuch with a letter to Zhang Chen and others, inviting them to take advantage of the Shi Min absence, launching a surprise attack on Yecheng, but the eunuch reported that to Shi Min and Li Nuno; Shi Min and Li Nun immediately returned, deposed Shi Jian and killed him. Together with Shi Jian were executed 38 grandchildren of Shi Jilong, and thus the Shi clan was completely annihilated. Shi Jian remained on the throne of 103 days.

The youngest son Shi Hun (pin. Shi Kun 石琨) of Shi Jilong in the eighth year of an of the Yung-ho reign era (352 AD) along with his wife and several concubines fled to the Jin capital, but the (Jin) Emperor (Sima Dan) ordered to arrest and turn him over to the Chief of the Judficial department, after which Shi Hun was soon executed at the market plazza in Jiankan. Of the thirteen sons of Shi Jilong, five were killed by Jan Min (冉闵/冉閔, aka Ran Min, Shi Min 石閔) , and eight wiped out each other, and by the time of the described events Shi Hun was killed also.

It should be said that long ago came a prediction that the Shi clan will be ruined by the Lin clan. Soon Shi Min's title was changed to Lanling-gun. [When Shi Jilong learned about the prediction], it unfavorably impressed him, and he renamed the Lanling district to the Wuxin district, but nevertheless his clan happened to be destroyed by Jan Min.

Shi Le illegally ascended the throne in the third year of the Xian-ho reign era (328 AD), established by the Jin Emperor Cheng-di, and after him for 23 years ruled two rulers and four sons. In the fifth year of the Yung-he reign era (349 AD), established by the Emperor Mu-di, [the created by Shi Le] dynasty was destroyed.

Min, nicknamed Yung-zeng, bore a baby name Ji-nu, was an adoptive grandson of Shi Jilong. His father Zhang, nicknamed Hun-wu, bore a surname Jan and a name of Liang, he was a native of the Neihuan county in the Weijun district. The ancestor of Jan during the Han dynasty served as a comander of the mounted security guards the Liang district, and his descendants from generation to generation served in the office of the district governor (Chances that a head or rank-and-file of the mounted guards during the Han dynasty was not of a Hunnic/nomadic descent are slim to none; except for the uppermost position, all personnel involved with horses was traditionally of horse nomadic stock, and the uppermost position was almost always Hunnic also. That social arrangement continued well after An Lushan events. Jinshi confirms the records of other Chinese annals that the positions around horses were hereditary, in the army and in the stud farms. Culturally, Shi Min could very well be a Zhao Chinese, and his appearance could be Chinese too, after his female anscestors, but being always with the Türkic descendents, his father had to carry plenty of Türkic cultural traits). When Shi Le defeated Chen Wu, he captured Zhang, who was only 12 years old, and ordered Shi Jilong to adopt him. Zhang was distinguished by courage and great physical strength, so in the battle no one could resist him. He had a title of the Left Commander of Tracker Bowmen ³¹, and the title of Xihua-hou (Great physical strength is a good indicator that Zhang and his anscestors grew up on a meat diet. Chinese annals noted that Tibetans who switched to horse nomadism over generations noticeably changed their physique to the better).

[His son] Min was distinguished from childhood by resoluteness and courage, and Shi Jilong treated him like a grandson. When Min grew up, his height was equal to eight chi (184 cm), he knew to skillfully develop plans, and with courage and strength exceeded the others. He reeceived a rank of Commander who Displayed Duty, and a title Xiuchen-hou, and then consequtively occupied positions of a Chief of the Northern Bodyguard Security and had a title of Commander of Light Shock Troops. When Shi Jilong was defeated in the Chanli county, only the troops of Min were preserved intact, because of that a fame about his achievements dramatically increased, and after the trouncing of Liang Du the fame of his power increased even more, so all Hu (胡) and Xia (Chinese. - V.T.) commanders became afraid of him.
139

In the sixth year of the Yung-he reign era (350 AD), after assassination of Shi Jian, 48 people, including the Prude Shen Chung and Chief of Public Works Lan Kai, conveyed to Min the high title. Min was insistently yielding the title to Li Nun, but Li Nun, threatening to commit suicide, begged him to take the throne. As a result, in the southern suburb of [Loyan] Min illegally ascended the imperial throne, announced a large amnesty, changed the name of the reign era to Yung-xin, gave the state a name of the Great Wei, and adopted his former surname Jan (pin. Ran). Jan Min posthumously gave his grandfather a title of Emperor Lung-yuan, to his father Zhang he gave a temple title Le-zu and a posthumous title of Emperor Gao huangdi, his mother the born Wang he proclamed a Dowager Empress, his wife the born Tung he proclamed an Empress, his son Jan (pin. Ran) Zhi he proclamed a heir to the imperial throne. Li Nun was appointed a Great Administrator, a Great Commander, an Administrator of the State Chancellery, and raised to the title Qi-wang, and all his sons received titles of county guns. The sons of Jan Min, Jan Yin, Jan Min, and Jan Yu were raised to the titles of wangs. The civilian and military officials were raised in ranks by the three grades and given titles depending on merit (Three grades on the top of the three grades given for beheading a single Hun raised everybody by six grades, no official in the state had a ranl lower than a seventh grade). Then Jan Min handed messengers credential badges and sent them to announce the forgiveness for all who remain with the troops in the fortified posts ³², but no one responded to his call.

Shi Zhi, on hearing of the Shi Jian death, illegally took a high title in Xiangguo, and all leaders of six alien tribes (Wu Hu in Chinese pin. lingo) ³³ stationed in the provinces and districts and having troops supported him.

Jan Min sent an envoy to the banks of Yangtze to inform the Jin dynasty: “The Hu (胡) rebel, who raised mutiny on the Central Plain, has been executed now. If you are able to punish with me the rest, you can send the troops”. The (Jin) imperial court did not respond to this proposal.

Jan Min executed Li Nun and his three sons, and with them killed the head of the State Chancellery Wang Mo, a courtier Wang Yan, and palace servants Yan Zhen and Zhao Sheng.

A governor Yuan Zhen of the Jin's Lujian district attacked the city Hefey ³⁴ belonging to Jan Min, captured a bailiff for Southern Mans San Tan, relocated the inhabitants of the city, and returned.

Shi Zhi sent a Chief Assistant of the State ³⁵ Shi Kun in the head of 100 thousand warriors to attack Yecheng. When advancing Shi Kun took Handan district, Liu Guo marched from Fanyan ³⁶ to join him, he served Shi Zhi with the rank of Commander-Ruler of the South. In the Handan district Jan Min inflicted on Shi Kun a severe defeat, he lost more than 10 thousand warriors, after which Liu Guo returned to Fanyan.
140

Fu Jian, depating from Fantou, broke inside past the outposts ³⁷.

Zhang Hedu and Duan Qin met with Liu Guo and Jing Zhuo in Changcheng ³⁸, going to attack Yecheng. Jan Min appointed Left Assistant of the Chief of the State Chancellery Liu Qun a Grand Commander of the Field Office, and ordered the military commanders Wang Tai, Cui Tung and Zhou Cheng to stage at the head of 120 thousand infantry and riders in Huangcheng, and he himself followed them leading 80 thousand elite warriors.

The battle took place at Canting, Zhang Hedu and others suffered a severe defeat, losing 28 thousand warriors dead. In pursuit of the fleeing, Jan Min killed Jing Zhuo in the Yinan county, captured all his warriors, and victorious turned back. Over 300 thousand warriors with banners and flags, gongs and drums stretched for more than a hundred li (50 km); even the clan of Shi at its peak would not exceed [Jan Min]. Coming from Canting to Yecheng, Jan Min made a sacrifice in the temple of ancestors on the occasion of his return from the campaign, conducted a certification for members od nine philosophical schools, and depending on the abilities of each appointed to the positions. Were promoted especially many followers of the Confucianism. At that time, the power of Jan Min was compared with the power of the Wei and Jin dynasties in the initial period of their rule.

Jan Min attacked Li Zhi in Xiangguo, heading 100 thousand infantry and riders.

Jan Min appointed his son Jan (pin. Ran) Yin with a title Taiyuanwang a Great Shanyu, gave him a title of a Great Commander of Strong Cavalry, and passed under his command 1,000 of surrendered Hu warriors. A Palace Adviser Wei Xiao presented a report which strongly counseled not to do that ³⁹, but after acquainting with the report, Jan Min came to a terrible wrath and executed Wei Xiao together with his sons and grandsons.

Jan Min besieged Xiangguo for more than a hundred days, and began pouring high hills for the storm of the city, digging tunnels, and build houses; in addition, he initiated plowing the land. Quite frightened, Shi Zhi renounced his title of Emperor, took a title of Zhao-wang, and sent messengers to Mujun Jun and Yao Yichjung (pin. Yichrong) with a request for military assistance.

At that time, Shi Kun was marching to the Shi Zhi aid from the Jizhou province, Yao Yichjung sent his son Yao Xiang, who set out from Getou leading 38 thousand warriors, a Mujun Jun commander Yue Wan set out from Lungcheng at the head of 30 thousand clad in armor warriors. The total number of advancing from three sides strong warriors exceeded 100 thousand people (The 200.000 murdered Huns were likely mostly civilians and their families, the ethnically Hun troops largely escaped the holocaust, and escaped with their commanders. In the following struggles, their forces have diminished and disperced. The Hunnic Tele/Di 氐 and Hun 匈奴 tribes, the Syanbi 鮮卑 Duan tribe, and Tibetan Qiang 羌 tribes were outside of the Jan Min reach, preserved their strength, and gained in their importance in relation to the decimated Huns. After a loss of 200.000 people, the Huns were reduced to ca 300,000, and the other nomadic population numbered ca 1,000,000 people, vs. ethnically mixed ca 1,500,00 sedentary population. Apparently, Jan Min retained some contingents of the nomadic calvary).
141

Jan Min ordered Hu My with a rank of Commander of Chariots and Horses to repulse Yao Xiang at the Chanley river, ordered a commander Sun Wei to monitor the actions of Shi Kun from Huangqiu, but both were defeated by the enemy, lost nearly all warriors, and only Hu My and Sun Wei returned back.

When the Shi Kun troops and others almost came to Xiangguo, Jan Min wanted to meet and attack them, but the commander of the guard corps Wang Tai, admonishing him, said: “The desperate robber [Shi Zhi] continues to be stabornly mistaken, hoping for assistance from the side, now that the strong help of the troops, numerous like clouds in the sky, approached him, he wants us to come for the battle, hoping to strike us in the back. To disrupt his plans, we better cover behind solid ramparts, not come to the battle, and act according to circumstances. If you, Sire, would personally lead the troops, and with you, unfortunately, would happen the unexpected, the great deed that you have started would die. Please, use caution and do not come out for battle, and I, your servant, will lead the commanders and destroy for you all enemies”. Jan Min was about to agree, but a diviner Fa Zhao stepped forward and said: “Now Venus crosses the Mao constellation, and that indicates that the ruler of the Hus (胡) will be killed ⁴⁰. An occasion where in one battle you would achieve what usually takes a hundred battles should not be missed”. Rolling up his sleeves, Jan Min boastfully stated: “I decided to give a battle, who would dare to dissuade me will be beheaded”.

After that Jan Min advanced all troops to a fight, but Yao Xiang, Yue Wan and Shi Kun attacked him from three sides, and Shi Zhi struck from the rear, as a result the Jan Min's forces suffered a major defeat. Jan Min took refuge in the field palace in Xiangguo, from where with ten riders he fled to Yecheng. A surrendered Hu, Li Tekan, together with others seized Jan (pin. Ran) Yin and the Left Assistant of the Chief State of the Chancellery Liu Qi, анд sent both of them to Shi Zhi, who killed them. Also perished the Chief of Public Works Shi Pu, the head of the State Chancellery Xu Ji, commander, Commander of Chariots and Horses Hu My, courtier Li Lin, inspector of the palace secretariat Lu Chen, the warden of the small storeroom Wang Yu, officials of the State Chancellery Liu Qin and Liu Xu, and also over 100 thousand commanders and warriors, almost all talented and virtuous men have been destroyed.

Arose as numerous as bees robbers and thieves, in Sizhou and Jizhou provinces flared such a strong hunger that people ate each other. Starting with Shi Jilong's last year of life, Jan Min was trying to demonstrate his benevolence and gave away all food reserves stored in the barns, and there was not a month that he did not fight with the Tibetans (Qiang, with Kiyan twist) and the Hus (胡). Relocated from the Qinzhou, Yongzhou, Yuzhou and Jinzhou provinces (largely Chinese) households, and also the Dis, Tibetans (Qiang, with Kiyan twist), Hus (胡) and Mangs (芒人, alt. Ba), who numbered more than thousands of thousands of people, began stretching back to their permanent residences.
142

The migrants collided on the roads, killing and robbing each other, dying from hunger and diseases, therefore only two or three people from each ten were arriving at the destination. The Central Plain was engulfed by unrests, nobody was farming any more. Remorseful for what had happened, Jan Min executed Fa Zhao together with his sons by severing their limbs, and granted Wei Xiao a position of the Great Guardian of Morals.

Shi Zhi ordered [a commander] Liu Xian to lead 70 thousand warriors to attack Yecheng. At that time Jan Min-secretly returned to Yecheng, of which no one knew, in the city and its environs reigned a confusion, and everybody was saying that Jan Min has died. The commander of the detachment of archers shooting by sound ⁴¹ Zhai Ai urged Jan Min to personally bring sacrifices in the Yecheng vicinity. Jan Min took this advice, after which the false rumors ceased.

Liu Xian staged with troops in the Minguangun palace, located 23 li from Yecheng. A frightened Jan Min summoned the guard detachment commander Wang Tai to discuss the situation. Wang Tai, enraged that the plan he proposed earlier was not accepted, refused to appear, citing a heavy wound. Then Jan Min personally came to him for advice, but Wang Tai doggedly reiterated that he is seriously ill. Infuriated Jan Min returned to the palace, and said to his courtiers: “The Ba slave! ⁴² Would I really let him live! First I will annihilate the herd of the Hus (胡), and then behead Wang Tai!”After that, Jan Min went to the battle at the head of all his warriors, inflicted a severe defeat on Liu Xian, and in a pursuit of the fleeing to Yangping slaughtered more than 30 thousand men. Terrified, Liu Xian secretly sent a courier to Jan Min with a request to accept his surrender, and to atone for the crimes asked for a permission to kill Shi Zhi, after which Jan Min returned with victory.

At that time Jan Min received a snitch that Wang Tai gathers Qins ⁴³, intending to escape to the Guanzhong lands, so angry Jan Min executed Wang Tai and annihilated his family for three generations.

Liu Xian in fact killed Shi Zhi along with ten of his men, among whom was a Great Administrator Zhao Lu, and sent the heads of the killed to Yecheng, sent hostages, and asked for further directions. Shi Ning [who was serving Shi Zhi] with a rank of Commander of the Strong Cavalry fled to Baizhen ⁴⁴. Jan Min ordered to burn Shi Zhi head on a busy road.

The governor Liu Qi of the Jan Min's Yanzhou province, together with Juancheng county, submitted to the Jin Dynasty. Liu Xian again led troops in attack on Yecheng, but was defeated by Jan (pin. Ran) Dwing. Returning back, in Xiangguo Liu Xian assumed the high title (It appears that Liu Xian was a high Hunnic or Jie/Kiyan dignitary, either a de-facto Chanuy, or a Prime Minister Right Juku Prince, or a heir apparent Left Juku Prince, making him a legal successor to the last Chanuy, whoever it was in the Hunnic genealogical scheme. Liu Xian occupied a prominent position in the decaying Hunnic state, and like Shi Zhi, could count on the loyalty of the nomadic tribes. The Chinese tradition did not know restrictions on the right to the throne, it accepted anybody who was a winner of the power play, while the Türkic tradition restricted that right to the heads of particular dynastic tribes, holding outsiders as imposters; the acceptance of Liu Xian as a leader of the state indicates that he satisfied the Türkic dynastic requirements. The Southern Hun tribes and their affiliates resolutely distasted serving the Chinese rulers, or being used to achieve their ends, but displayed readiness to fight for the tribal interests or participate in the Hunnic internecine fights. To the Chinese chroniclers, Liu Xian is only known as a participant in the Chinese dynastic affairs).
144

Jan Min's governor of the Xuzhou province (徐州) Zhou Cheng, the governor of the Yanzhou province Wei Tong, a pastor of the Yuizhou province Jan (pin. Ran) Yu, and governor of the Jinzhou province Yue Hun (pin. Hong) in the head of several cities expressed their submission to the Jin dynasty. Gao Chung (pin. Chong) with a rank of Commander Queller of the South, and Lu Hu with a rank of Commander Panishing Contemptible Enemies seized the governor of the Lozhou province Zheng Xi and in the head of the Sanhe district ⁴⁵ submitted to the Jin dynasty (That practically left Jan Min without any territory).

Mujun Biao attacked and occupied the main city of the Chungshan district, killing Bai Tong who was serving Jan Min with a rank of Commander-Pacifier of the North, after which the governor of the Yuzhou province Liu Zhun surrendered to Mujun Jun.

At that time, in the north-east appeared a yellow-red cloud that extended for more than one hundred zhangs (230 m), from it flew to the southwest a white bird, that struck an unfavorable impression on the soothsayers.

Liu Xian led troops in an attack on the Changshan district, and the district governor Su Hai informed Jan Min of a critical situation. Jan Min, leaving the Great Commander Jiang Gan to help his heir son Jan Zhi to defend Yecheng, personally marched in the head of 8 thousand horsemen to help Su Hai. The Liu Xian Grand Troops Commander Shi Ning with a title Qinghe-wang surrendered to Jan Min in the head of Zaoqian county ⁴⁶, after which Jan Min gathered the remnants of Shi Ning forces, attacked Liu Xiang, inflicted on him a defeat, and pursued fleers to Xiangguo. The Liu Xian's Great Commander Cao Fuzu gave Jan Min his support by opening a gate for him, due to that Jan Min entered the city, where he killed Liu Xian and more than a hundred of his officials, burned the palace premises and relocated residents to Yecheng. A Liu Xian's Troop Administrator Fan Lu, leading more than a thousand warriors, broke through the city gates and fled to Fantou.

At that time Mujun Jun, who was victorious in the Yuzhou and Jizhou provinces, already siezed the lands up to the Jizhou province, in response Jan Min marched in the head of the riders to repell them, and encountered Mujun Ke near the Weichan city ⁴⁷. The Jan Min's Great Commander Dong Jung, and Commander of Chariots and Horses Zhang Weng told Jan Min: “Because of their victories, the Syanbis' morale is very high, it is impossible to resist them. In order to undermine their spirit, we are asking to avoid an encounter, and then with increased number of our troops, attack them, and in that case it would be possible to gain a victory”. The angered Jan Min said, “I marched with troops available to me now to pacify the Yuzhou province and behead Mujun Jun, and if on meeting Mujun Ke I would avoid encounters, people would despise me”. Moving forward towards Mujun Ke, Jan Min engaged him in battle ten times, and every time inflicted defeat.
145

Then Mujun Ke tied horses with iron chains, selected for them 5 thousand brave but not obstinate skilled Syanbi archer warriors, and forming them in a square, advanced forward. Jan Min, sitting on a red horse called Red Dragon, which run thousand li a day, holding a double-edged halberd in his left hand, and a trident in the right hand, using a tailwind, attacked Syanbis and slaughtered over 300 people. Suddenly, came a large group of the Yan (orig.: яньский) warriors, surrounding Jan Min with multiple encirclements. Because of the enemy numerical superiority Jan Min could not lead the battle any more, so he bucked his horse, broke through the encirclement and galloped away to the east. When he galloped for over 20 li, the horse fell with no [apparent] reason. Jan Min was captured by Mujun Ke, together with Dung Jung and Zhang Weng, and sent to Ji.

Placing Jan Min's in front of him, Mujun Jun asked: “How did you, a slave with miniscule talent, boldly dared to call yourself a Son of the Heaven?” Jan Min said: “Now, when in the Celestial flared great turmoils, even you, Yis (彝) and Dis (氐), with human faces but with the hearts of the wild animals, try to raise mutiny and seize the throne, so why I, a distinguished man of our time, could not become an Emperor!” Enraged Mujun Jun punished Jan Min with three hundred lashes and sent him to Lungcheng, announcing about gained victory in the temples in honor of Mujun Gui and Mujun Huang.

Mujun Jun sent troops headed by Mujun Ping to besiege Yecheng, after which Liu Ning and his younger brother Liu Chun, heading 3 thousand Hu (胡) horsemen fled to Jinyan, and Hai Su left the main city of the Changshan county and fled to Xinxing. In the besieged Yecheng flared famine, people were eating each other, almost all former palace servants of Shi Jilong were eaten.

At that time, since Jan Zhi was a minor, Jiang Gan sent to the Jin Dynasty court a courtier Miao Sun and the warden of the heir palace affairs Liu Yi with a petition, which expressed their desire to express submission and asked to send troops for assistance.

The governor of the Puyang county Shi Dai, on hearing about sending off the envoys arrived from Canyuan to the Jijin crossing, where he detained Liu Yi, did not allow him to proceed, and demanded the transfer imperial seal. Liu Yi told Miao Sun to return to Yecheng to report of the incident, but Jiang Gan was only sadly sighing, without taking any action. Then Dai Shi leeding a hundred braves came to Yecheng, ostensibly to assist in the defence of the Santai palace, and to deceive Jiang Gan, told him:
146

“Bring the seal and hand it to me. Now outside the city are raging bandits, the roads became impassable, so you would not be able to submit the imperial seal to the Jin dynasty court. When I have the seal, I'll urgently report to the Son of the Heaven that I have it. When the Emperor learns that I have the seal, he would come to believe your complete sincerity, and will surely send supplies for the troops and food for the population”. Deciding that it is a way to go, Jiang Gan brought out the seal and handed it to Dai Shi. Dai Shi ordered the chief warden He Jung to be meeting the grain, while he himself secretly ordered to deliver the seal to the Jin capital.

The commander of the Hu's (胡) horsemen detachment Ma Yuan from the Changshui horde ⁴⁸, and the Military Commander Rising up to the Sky Like a Dragon Tian Xiang opened the gates of Yecheng and surrendered to Mujun Ping. Dai Shi, Hе Xiong ("the Hun", orig. Sün), and Jiang Gan descended on a rope from the city wall, and fled to Canyuan. Mujun Ping sent to the Ji the wifeof Jan (pin. Ran) Min, the born Dong, his successor son Jan Ji, the Great Commander ShenZhong, the head of Public Works Tiao Yu, the Inspector of the Palace Secretariat He Xiong, the Bailiff for Criminal Affairs Ji Pi, the head of the Palace Secretariat Li Yuan, wangs, guns, and the upper officials. The head of the State Chancellery Wang Jian, the Left Assistant of the Chief of the State Chancellery Zhang Qian, and the Right Assistant of the Chief of the State Chancellery Lan Su committed suicide.

When Jan Min was brought to Lungcheng, Mujun Jun beheaded them on the Exingshan mountain (Apparently, a religious sacrifice at a holly mountain, pointing to a Türkic religious ritual). After the execution of Jan (pin. Ran) Min around the mountain for a distance of seven li the grass and treeshave whittled, appeared multitude of locusts, the raindid not come for five months. Then, in the 12-th moon, Mujun Jun sent a courier to bring sacrifice to Jan Min, and bestow on him a posthumous title Wudao tien-wang. On the same day fell a heavy snow. This occurred on the 8th year of the Xian-ho reign era (352 AD).

I, a servant historian, will say: “To save the drowning and help the burning is the principle of emperors and kings, terrible atrocities and extreme cruelty is the way of Jungs (戎) and Dis (氐). From ancient times various disobedient tribes caused troubles, and although the border with them was a fortified border line, but still it was necessary to watch for their sudden intrusions, even more so when they settled in our inner lands and thereby were able to follow the state of power exercised by the emperors, were able to use favorable events of unrest and strife that were threatening the state with destruction - how could they not to assemble the warriors, armed with whistling arrows, and not to violate the permanent, established by the Sky order!

Shi Le, originally from the Qiangju horde, was a villain, but possessed exceptional qualities. In the Shangdang district he's heard sounds of military drums, and Ji-zi assessed him as a remarkable man ⁴⁹; he was whistling at the city wall in Luoyang, and Yi-Fu realized that he would raise a havoc ⁵⁰.
147

When Emperor Hui-di let go of the reins, and Celestial split into parts, Shi Le, gathering many warriors, taking advantage of a favorable opportunity, began to foment trouble, to rob and carve our towns and villages, destroying our nation. The court and commercial markets ⁵¹ suffered a punishment sinking like a ship under huge waves aroused by a whale; The wangs and guns lost their positions and turned into homeless souls in the sandy desert beyond the fortified line (Allusion to the Chinese administrators on assignments at the nomadic tribes in the Hunnic lands?). Was it really that the Heaven felt aversion to the virtues of the Jin dynasty, and it sent such misfortunes?!

Examining how Shi Le held in the face of the enemy or in danger, [we should say that] he was developing necessary steps, displayed unparalleled valiancy, adopted amazing plans, showed exceptional daring. Ridiculing the Wei Emperor Wu-di who lived in the old days, Shi Le displayed noble generosity ⁵²; answering Liu Kun ⁵³ who lived in his time he delivered an outstanding speech. He burnt Yuan-chao in the Kuxian county, annunciating his mistakes that led to the derangement of the governance ⁵⁴; executed Peng-zu in the Xiangguo, listing his crimes expressed in beratement of the ruler ⁵⁵.

After that, Shi Le stamped [the former] possessions Yan and Zhao, swallowed the possessions Han and Wei, due to his amazing qualities, illegaly assumed a high title, occupied the old Jin capitals, and joined the fight with the imperial house, threw off a felt coat and his hat and a belt made in the Middle State, postponed armor and helmet and opened shkoly ⁵⁶. The hostile neighbors, fearing the Shi Le power, began bringing him offerings, the distant lands that submitted to his influence began to bringing tributes ⁵⁷, and which of the ancient states was more exalted! Although Shi Le is called harsh and inhuman, but for a short time he was an outstanding man. He wrongly handed over the power, not thinking about posterity, and therefore after the death of Shi Le his heir was destroyed, the state passed into the hands of his foster son, demonstrating [Shi Le] ignorance.

Shi Jilong did not possess virtues and sense of duty, from the childhood he ignored dangers, was hiding a nature of a bars (leopard) in a sheep decorum, was concealing in the wolf character a heart of an owl, starting with murmur and discontent, he eventually seized the throne. After that, displaying extreme arrogance and sinking in excessive luxury, Shi Jilong established numerous labor levies, people with baskets carrying dirt and shovels followed one after another, the armed hostilities were unceasing, were used extremely harsh penalties, people were executed for any action, for any glance, population trembled from fear and did not know who to turn to for sympathy, the Jungs (戎) and Dis (氐) were raging, nothing could be graver than that situation! (In this instance, like in other places, the Jungs (戎) are the explicitely the Huns (匈奴), and the Tele Dis (氐) are explicitely a separate independent entity)
148

Soon fathers and children began suspecting each other, feuds flaired between older and younger brothers, mutual killings became more frequent, causing jests in the Celestial. The dirt has not yet dried up on the kurgan grave [of Shi Jilong] as sprung unending upheavals, started by Zhang Chai, and Jan Min destroyed his whole clan. Indeed, extinction for the commited crimes is a law established by the Sky! Participation in mutiny brings misery, the actions bring a matching result, a crime is followed by a punishment - this is a supreme law of universal interconnection. Shi-long (nickname of Shi Le. - V.T.) destroyed the Jins, bringing their suffering to a brim, and Yong Zeng (nickname of Jan Min. - B.T.) slaughtered the Jies, and in his turn, destroyed the [Shi] clan. Was it not about it that was said: no virtue would go unrewarded.

In conclusion I will state: the affairs of the dynasty ruling the Middle State fell into despair, the Mangs (芒人, alt. Ba) and Dis (氐) started contending for the power (The phrasing displays a demeaning connotation: even the lowly subjugated Mangs and Dis asserted their independence). Dust clouded five mountain peaks, fog hid the heavenly luminaries. The sly Shi, trying to benefit from the troubles, used weapons tirelessly. He spread disasters and committed atrocities, plundered villages and slaughtered cities. Starting as a leader of a gang of robbers, he finished with arrogating a high title. He can not be only called a ruthless criminal, for a short time he was also an outstanding personality. Shi Jilong, who seized the throne, gained fame for promiscuity and cruelty. After his death the state perished, because he has done a lot of evil.”
149