Ran Wei - During The Confusion After Shi Hu's Death

During The Confusion After Shi Hu's Death

After Shi Hu's death in 349, his youngest son and crown prince Shi Shi became emperor, but the government was controlled by Shi Shi's mother Empress Dowager Liu and the official Zhang Chai (張豺). Shi Shi's older brother Shi Zun the Prince of Pengcheng was unhappy about the situation, and a number of generals who were unimpressed with Empress Dowager Liu and Zhang, including Shi Min, suggested that he march to the capital Yecheng and overthrow them. Shi Zun did so—and also promised to create Shi Min crown prince if they were victorious. In summer 349, Shi Zun defeated Shi Shi's forces and deposed and killed him, along with Empress Dowager Liu and Zhang Chai. Shi Zun claimed the imperial title. However, he did not appoint Shi Min crown prince as promised, but rather appointed another nephew Shi Yan (石衍) a crown prince. Further, while he gave Shi Min important posts, he did not allow him to have control of the government, as Shi Min wished. Shi Min became disgruntled.

In winter 349, in fear of Shi Min, Shi Zun summoned a meeting of the princes before his mother, Empress Dowager Zheng, announcing that he would execute Shi Min. Empress Dowager Zheng opposed, reasoning that Shi Min's contributions during the coup against Shi Shi had to be remembered. Shi Zun hesitated, and meanwhile, Shi Jian, one of the princes attending the meeting, quickly reported the news to Shi Min, who acted quickly and surrounded the palace, capturing and executing Shi Zun, Empress Dowager Zheng, Shi Zun's wife Empress Zhang, Shi Yan, and several key officials loyal to Shi Zun. He made Shi Jian emperor, but he and Li Nong seized the control of the government.

Shi Jian could not endure Shi Min's hold on power, and he sent his brother Shi Bao the Prince of Leping and the generals Li Song (李松) and Zhang Cai (張才) against Shi Min, but after they were defeated, Shi Jian pretended as if they acted independently and executed them all. Another brother of his, Shi Zhi the Prince of Xinxing, then rose in the old capital Xiangguo (襄國, in modern Xintai, Hebei), in alliance with the Qiang chieftain Yao Yizhong (姚弋仲) and the Di chieftain Pu Hong (蒲洪) against Shi Min and Li Nong. Shi Jian then tried to have the general Sun Fudu (孫伏都), a fellow ethnic Jie, attack Shi Min, but Shi Min quickly defeated him, and Shi Jian, trying to absolve himself, then ordered Shi Min to execute Sun. Shi Min, however, began to realize that Shi Jian was behind Sun's attack, and he decided that he needed to disarm the Jie people, who knew that he was not a Jie but ethnically a Han. He ordered that all non-Han not be allowed to carry arms, and most non-Hans fled Yecheng after that. Shi Min put Shi Jian under house arrest with no outside communication.

As the non-Han continued fleeing Yecheng, Shi Min realized that he would not be able to use the Hu (胡 Xiongnu), so he issued an order to the Hans according to which each civil servant who would kill one Hu (胡) and brought his head to him will be promoted in rank by three degrees, and a military officer will be transferred to the service at his Supreme Command. Shi Min himself lead Hans in killing the Hu (胡) and Jie (羯) people without regard for sex or age, during the day were severed tens of thousands heads. In total were killed over 200 thousand people, their bodies were dumped outside the city. 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. Among the 200,000 people who died in the massacre were some ethnic Hans who had high noses or thick beards, both considered to be the indicators of non-Hanness.

In 350, under a pressure from Shi Min, still a nominal head of the state Shi Jian changed the name of his state from Zhao to Wei (衛) and the imperial clan name from Shi to Li (李). Many key officials fled to Shi Zhi. Local generals throughout the empire effectively became independent, waiting for the conflict to be resolved. As Shi Min troops were busy against Shi Zhi's, Shi Jian made one final attempt against him, ordering general Zhang Shen (張沈) to attack the capital after Shi Min left it. However, the Shi Jian's eunuchs reported that to Shi Min and Li Nong, and they quickly returned to Yecheng and executed Shi Jian, killing along 38 of Shi Hu grandsons and the rest of the Shi clan. Shi Min, restoring his father's original family name of Ran (冉), then took the throne as the emperor of a new state, Wei (魏, note different character from the state name declared previously).