The Jihu稽胡

The Jihu, also called the Buluoji, are in the main a separate branch of the Xiongnu, descendants of the five divisions of Liu Yuanhai. Some say they are the offspring of the Shanrong and the Chidi. They live from Lishi westward and from Anding eastward, over some seven or eight hundred li each way, among the hills and valleys, and their tribes are many and thriving. In their customs they are settled on the soil and know how to till fields. The land has few mulberries and silkworms, and much hempen cloth. The clothing of the men, and their burial of the dead, are much the same as in China, but the women string many shells to make ornaments for the ears and the neck. They live mixed among the Hua people, and their headmen know something of writing, but their speech is like that of the Yi and the Di, and only through an interpreter can one understand them. They squat on their heels and have no manners, and they are greedy and cruel. In their customs they are given to lewdness, and unwed girls most of all. Only on the eve of her marriage does a girl part from the man she has known, and when the husband's house hears of it, the more such men there were the more highly they think of her. After she is married they do indeed keep watch, and one who commits adultery is punished as the case requires. Again, when brothers die they all take the widows to themselves. Though they are divided among commanderies and counties and set down in the registers, their labor service and taxes are light, and so they are not like the ordinary people. Those in the deep and rugged valleys have not yet all been brought into service, and being fierce and trusting to their steep country they have often turned robber and made disorder.

In the Xiaochang years of the Wei there was one Liu Lisheng, who lived in the valley of Yunyang, called himself Son of Heaven, set up a reign title, and appointed a full court of officers. As the rule of the house of Wei was then in disorder, it had not the strength to strike him, and Lisheng sent out his host in parties to plunder the people, so that between the Fen and Jin there was hardly a quiet year. After Shenwu of Qi, that is Gao Huan, moved his capital to Ye, he began to plot against him in secret. He falsely promised his daughter in marriage to Lisheng's heir, and Lisheng believed him and sent his son to Ye. Shenwu of Qi treated him with rich courtesy and put off the wedding day. Lisheng, trusting in the marriage alliance, made no preparation, and in the third month of the first year of Datong Shenwu of Qi sent troops in secret and fell upon him. Lisheng went out with light horse to gather soldiers and was killed by his own king of the northern division, who cut off his head and sent it to Shenwu of Qi. His host then set up Lisheng's third son, the king of Nanhai, as their lord, and led troops to fight him off; but Shenwu of Qi struck and destroyed them, took their false ruler, his younger brother the king of Xihai, and the empress, the consorts, the princes and nobles and those below them, more than four hundred in all, and returned to Ye.

Those who lived in Hexi for the most part trusted to their steep country and would not submit. At that time the struggle with Shenwu of Qi was at its height and there was no leisure to order them, so Taizu sent Yang Biao, gentleman of the Yellow Gate, to go and soothe them. In the fifth year the host of the Heishui tribe was the first to rebel, and in the seventh year the separate chief Liu Pingfu, governor of Xiazhou, held Shang commandery and rebelled as well; and from then on the tribes of the Beishan raided year after year. Taizu sent Li Yuan, Yu Jin, Houmochen Chong, and Li Bi, one after another, and they struck them and put them down. At the beginning of Wucheng, Hao Abao and Hao Langpi, Jihu of Yanzhou, led the men of their kind and went over to the house of Qi. Abao named himself prime minister and Langpi named himself zhuguo, and together with Liu Sangde of their separate tribe they answered one another. The zhuguo Doulu Ning was set over several armies and, with Gao Lin, governor of Yanzhou, struck and broke them. In the second year what was left of Langpi's party rebelled again, and by edict the great general Han Guo was sent to strike them, and those he took or beheaded were very many.

In the Baoding years the wild Hu (生胡) of Lishi often raided Fenbei, and Wei Xiaokuan, governor of Xunzhou, built forts at the steep passes and set troops and grain in them to block their roads. When Yang Zhong and the Tujue went to strike Qi, the Jihu again had a mind to hold out and would not furnish provisions. Zhong then deceived their chieftains, saying that he and the Tujue meant to turn their troops and strike them; and the chieftains took fright and led one another in to offer provisions. The account is in the chapter on Zhong. Afterward the several Hu within the districts of Danzhou, Suizhou, and Yinzhou, together with Hao Sanlang and other separate chiefs of Puchuan, again defied the imperial commands for several years running, and by edict Daxi Zhen, Xin Wei, and Yu Shi struck them to the end, one after another, and scattered their tribes. In the second year of Tianhe, Yuwen Sheng, area commander of Yanzhou, led a host to build a fort at Yinzhou, and the Jihu Bai Yujiutong and Qiao Shiluo and others meant to waylay and fall upon Sheng's army; but Sheng struck them all and beheaded them, and broke their separate chiefs Qiao Sanwutong and the rest as well. In the fifth year the kaifu Liu Xiong went out to Suizhou to inspect the northern border, and the Jihu chiefs of Chuanlu, Qiao Bailang and Qiao Suwutong and others, crossed the river and gave him battle, and Xiong broke them once more.

In the fifth year of Jiande, Gaozu broke the army of Qi at Jinzhou and chased them north on the strength of his victory. The men of Qi threw away armor and weapons, and before these could be gathered up the Jihu slipped out at the chance and stole them all for themselves. They then set up Moduo, a grandson of Lisheng, as their lord, styled him Emperor Shengwu, and named the year Shiping. In the sixth year Gaozu pacified Dongxia (東夏) and was about to strike them, and there was talk of rooting out their lairs to the last. Xian, the prince of Qi, said, "Their kinds are many already, and the hills and valleys are steep and cut off. The king's army cannot sweep them all away at one rising. Better to cut down their ringleaders and soothe the rest." Gaozu held this to be right. So he made Xian marshal of the army on campaign, set over the campaign area commanders Zhao the prince of Zhao, Jian the prince of Qiao, and You the prince of Teng, and sent them to strike. Xian's army halted at Mayi and then advanced by several roads at once. Moduo sent his fellow Tianzhu to hold Hedong, and sent his great chief Muzhi to hold Hexi, meaning to divide the steep passes between them and take Xian's army front and rear. Xian ordered Jian the prince of Qiao to attack Tianzhu and You the prince of Teng to strike Muzhi, and they broke them both and beheaded more than ten thousand. Zhao the prince of Zhao then took Moduo alive, and all who were left surrendered.

In the first year of Xuanzheng, Liu Shouluoqian, a Jihu chief of Fenzhou, rebelled again, and Sheng the prince of Yue was set over several armies and struck him and took him. From that time the raiding and robbery died down well enough.