Helian Ding - Reign

Reign

Meanwhile, Daxi, ashamed that he was nearly destroyed by Hellian Chang at Anding and was only saved by his officers Anchi and Weichi's ingenuity, proceeded further, without adequate food supplies, to try to attack Helian Ding at Pingliang, taking up a dangerous position without adequate water supply as well. A low-level Northern Wei officer who had been charged with crime then fled to the Xia camp and revealed the lack of food and water supplies that Daxi's forces were having. Helian Ding then attacked and captured Daxi. Upon hearing this, the Northern Wei general Qiudun Dui (丘敦堆), who was defending Anding, panicked and fled to Chang'an, and then further fled Chang'an with Chang'an's commanding general Tuoba Li (拓拔禮) to Puban (蒲阪, in modern Yuncheng, Shanxi), allowing Xia forces to recover Chang'an and the surrounding Guanzhong region.

In summer 428, Helian Ding sent an embassy to Northern Wei requesting peace. Instead, Northern Wei's Emperor Taiwu issued an edict ordering him to surrender, which he did not do. On a hunt at which he could see the old capital Tongwan from a distance, Helian Ding lamented that if Helian Bobo had made him crown prince, Tongwan would not have fallen. However, he himself did not dare to try to recapture Tongwan.

In spring 430, Liu Song launched a major attack against Northern Wei, and Northern Wei in response temporarily abandoned its territory south of the Yellow River. Helian Ding then entered into an alliance with Emperor Wen of Liu Song against Northern Wei, agreeing to destroy Northern Wei and divide its territory north of the Yellow River—with provinces east of the Taihang Mountains going to Liu Song and west of Taihang going to Xia. However, neither party actually intended to attack Northern Wei's territory north of the Yellow River first, waiting for the other to act, and Northern Wei's Emperor Taiwu took advantage of this and decided to try to destroy Helian Ding first. In fall 430, he personally launched a direct assault on Pingliang.

Meanwhile, Western Qin's prince Qifu Mumo, unable to stand pressures from Northern Liang and Tuyuhun, sought to surrender to Northern Wei, and with Northern Wei promising to give Xia's Pingliang and Anding Commanderies to him as his domain, he abandoned his capital Fuhan (枹罕, in modern Linxia Hui Autonomous Prefecture, Gansu) and headed east, intending to join Northern Wei forces at Shanggui. Upon hearing this, Helian Ding personally tried to intercept Qifu Mumo, who was forced to stop at Nan'an (南安, in modern Longxi, Gansu), with his territory having otherwise all fallen to Tuyuhun.

By this time, though, the Northern Wei emperor had arrived at Pingliang, and, with Helian Chang (whom he had created Prince of Qin) with him, he had Helian Chang to try to persuade the defender of Pingliang, Helian Ding's younger brother Helian Shegan (赫連社干) the Duke of Shanggu to surrender. Helian Shegan initially refused. Helian Ding, hearing that Pingliang was under attack, tried to return to Pingliang to relieve it, but on the way he encountered the Northern Wei general Tuxi Bi (吐奚弼), who tricked him by pretending to be a weak force, drawing an attack from him. Tuxi then defeated Helian Ding, who was then forced to withdraw to Chungu Plains (鶉觚原, in modern Pingliang). Northern Wei forces surrounded him, and his army became hungry and thirsty. After several days, he forcibly fought his way out of the siege, but his forces mostly collapsed, and he himself was badly injured. He gathered the remaining forces and fled to Shanggui.

Around the new year 431, Helian Shegan and another brother, Helian Duluogu (赫連度洛孤) the Duke of Guangyang, surrendered Pignliang to Northern Wei, and Anding fell as well. The Northern Wei emperor seized Helian Ding's empress and gave her to his general Doudai Tian (豆代田) as a concubine. The other Xia cities' defenders also fled or were captured, allowing Northern Wei to take those cities. Helian Ding himself felt he could not hold Shanggui much further, sent his uncle Helian Weifa (赫連韋伐) the Duke of Beiping to attack Western Qin's only remaining city, Nan'an. The people of Nan'an suffered from the lack of food so much that they engaged in cannibalism. Qifu Mumo, unable to do anything else, surrendered. Helian Weifa delivered Qifu Mumo to Shanggui, and Helian Ding executed Qifu Mumo and his clan.

Helian Ding then headed west and crossed the Yellow River at Zhicheng (治城, in modern Linxia), intending to attack Northern Liang and seize its territory. However, the khan of Tuyuhun, Murong Mugui (慕容慕璝), had anticipated this and sent his brothers Murong Muliyan (慕容慕利延) and Murong Shiqian (慕容拾虔) to intercept Helian Ding, and as the Xia army was crossing the river, Tuyuhun forces attacked and captured Helian Ding, ending Xia.