[From WS103. There is a parallell text of sorts in JS063, the Biography of Duan Pidi. These two texts seem to at least patially derive from different sources. They use different characters for some of the names and also contradict each other on some narrative details. The Jinshu explicitly labels the Duan as part of the Eastern Xianbei, a label the Weishu appear to mostly restricts to the Tuoba]
Duan Jiuliujuan of the Tuhe originally sprung from Liaoxi. His senior grand-uncle Rilujuan because of the chaos was sold to be a family slave of Tai Kuruguan of the Yuyang Wuhuan. The various Great Men assembled and met in You province, all held spitting jars. Only Kuruguan alone had none. He therefore spit inside the mouth Rilujuan. Rilujuan followed with swallowing it, turned westward and did obeisance to Heaven, saying:
[I] wish it be expedient for the ruler and lord's wisdom, intelligence and blessed features to fully move to enter inside my stomach.
After that there was a great famine in Yuyang. Kuruguan considered Rilujuan to be particularly skilled, and made commands to him to go to Liaoxi and chase after food. He recruited and enticed the absconded and rebellious, and thereupon became very powerful and flourishing.
Rilujuan died. His younger brother Qizhen was installed in replacement. Qizhen died, his son Wumuchen was installed in replacement. He was precisely Jiuliujuan's father. He occupied and had the lands of Liaoxi, but was a subject to Jin. More than 30 000 families were controlled by him, the bowmen riders were 40 or 50 000 cavalry. In the time of Emperor Mu of Jin, the Inspector of You province, Wang Jun, used the several of Duan clan in the employment of himself, and deeply favoured them. He therefore petitioned to ennoble Wumuchen as Duke of Liaoxi, with false stamps and ribbons of the Shanyu. Jun sent Wumuchen, leading more than 10 000 cavalry to attack Shi Le below Fenglong Mountain in Changshan, and greatly routed him.
[Emperor Mu must refer to Tuoba Yilu, “Emperor Mu of Wei”. Beishi writes 穆帝. Weishu writes 晉穆帝. 晉 must have been added by mistake when WS103 was reconstructed from BS98.]
Wumuchen died, Jiuliujuan was installed. Jiuliujuan, his younger brother Pidi, his cousin Mobo, and others led more than 50 000 cavalry to besiege Shi Le at Xiangguo. Le climbed the walls and looked at them, he saw that the generals and soldiers all had cast aside their weapons, were resting an lying down, and had no thoughts of alerts and preparations. Le, because of their idleness and neglect, selected and recruited the brave and strong, pierced the walls, and suddenly set out. He straight-away swept away Bobo, and captured him alive. He set him up on a seat, drank and feasted with him, and was thoroughly friendly. They made a covenant to be father and son. They pledged an oath, and then he dispatched him.
When Mobo had managed to escape, Jiuliujuan and others thereupon administered the army and turned back. They did not then report to Jun, but returned home to Liaoxi. From this and afterwards, Mobo did not dare to turn south when urinating. People asked about his reasons. Mobo said:
My father is to the south.
His feelings for Le not harming him were like these.
Jiuliujuan died, his sons were young and immature. Pidi and Liu Kun's Heir Qun ran to mourn. Pidi covertly rolled up the armour and left, he wished to kill his junior uncles Yulin and Mobo, and grab their state. Mobo and others understood it, and dispatched the army to confront and strike [them]. Pidi and Liu Qun were seized by Mobo. Pidi fled and turned back to Ji. He feared Kun would capture him, and requested Kun that they meet and feast. Following that he apprehended and murdered him.
When Pidi had killed Liu Kun, he and Yulin and Mobo themselves attacked and struck each other, the section multitudes turned aside and departed. He wished to hold fast his multitudes to move to protect Shanggu, and block the defile of Jundu, so as to resist Mobo and others. Emperor Pingwen heard about it. He secreted formidable and finest cavalry, wanting to strike them. Pidi was fearful and afraid. He ran south to Leling. Later Shi Le dispatched Shi Hu to strike Duan Wenyang at Leling, routed him, and captured Wenyang alive. Pidi thereupon led his subordinates and various ramparts and fortifications to surrender to Shi Le.
Mobo declared himself Inspector of You province, and stationed at Liaoxi. Mobo died. The people of the state installed Rilujuan's younger brother Huliao as ruler. In the time of Emperor Lie [329 – 335], made use of Huliao [as] be Great General of Agile Cavalry, Inspector of You province, Great Shanyu and Duke of Beiping. His younger brother Yulan was General who Consoles the Army, Inspector of Ji province, and Duke of Bohai.
1st Year of Jianguo [338 AD], Shi Hu campaigned against Huliao in Liaoxi. Huliao ran to Pinggang Mountain, and thereupon threw in with Murong Huang. Huang killed him. Yulan ran to Shi Hu. He used 5 000 migrant Xianbei to pair with him, and sent him to station at Lingzhi.
Yulan died. His son Kan replaced him. Reaching the chaos of Ran Min, Kan led the multitudes to move south, and thereupon occupied the lands of Qi. Murong Jun sent his younger brother Xuangong to lead the multitudes and attack Kan at Guanggu. He apprehended Kan and sent him off to Ji. Jun poisoned his eyes and then killed him. And buried his followers, more than 3 000 people.
[From WS103. When I posted the previous part, I had missed that WS103 is one of scrolls that has been reconstructed from the Beishi and other sources. As received the accounts in WS103 and BS98 are near identical escept for some different naming convention and editing differences. I suppose though that much of the BS text must have come from the original WS version.]
When Buluzhen was established, he entrusted government affairs to Shuli. Earlier, Chiluohou of the Gaoche had rebelled against his chief leader, and guided Shelun to rout the various section groups. Shelun favoured him, and used him as a noble. Buluzhen and Shelun's son Sheba together came to Chiluohou's house, and debauched his lesser wife.
The wife told about Buluzhen. Chiluohou wished to raise up Datan as the ruler, and presented Datan with a golden horse bit as a pledge. Buluzhen heard about it. He returned home sent 8 000 cavalry to go and surround Chilouhou. Chilouhou burnt his precious treasures, cut his own throat and died. Buluzhen thereupon hid from [?] Datan. Datan sent out the army to seize Buluzhen and Sheba. He strangled and killed them, and then established himself.
Datan was the son of Shelun's uncle, the third of the brothers, Puhun. He had previously controlled a separate section, headquartered at the western border. He was able to obtain the multitudes' hearts, the people of state pushed him forward and supported him. His title was Mouhanheshenggai Kehan. The Wei say Arranging Victory.
When Helü, father and son, had arrived at Long, Feng Ba enfeoffed him as Marquis of Shanggu. Buluzhen heard about it. He returned home sent 8 000 cavalry to go and surround Chilouhou. He burnt his precious treasures, cut his own throat and died. Buluzhen thereupon hid from [?] Datan. Datan sent out the army to seize Buluzhen and Sheba. He strangled and killed them, and then established himself.
Datan was the son of Shelun's uncle, the third of the brothers, Puhun. He had previously controlled a separate section, headquartered at the western border. He was able to obtain the multitudes' hearts, the people of state pushed him forward and supported him. His title was Mouhanheshenggai Kehan. The Wei say Arranging Victory. When Helü, father and son, had arrived at Long, Feng Ba enfeoffed him as Marquis of Shanggu.
Datan led the multitudes moved south to violate the the frontier. Taizong personally chastised him. Datan was afraid, and then escaped and ran. Dispatched the Marquis of Shanyang, Xi Jin, and others to pursue him. There happened to be cold and snow. The officers and multitudes who froze to death or lost fingers were two or three out of ten.
When Taizon expired, and Shizu was enthroned [in 423 AD], Datan heard and was greatly joyful. In the 1st Year of Shiguang [424 AD], he therefore robbed Yunzhong. Shizu personally chastised him, after three days and two nights he arrived in Yunzhong. Datan's cavalry surrounded Shizu more than fifty-fold [?]. The cavalry pressured and the horse heads were next to each other like a wall. The officers and men were greatly scared. The colour of Shizu's face was similar to himself, the multitudes' feeling were therefore calmed.
Before this, Datan's younger brother Dana had disputed the state with Shelun. He was defeated and came in flight. Datan used Dana's son Yuzhijin as a section leader. The army soldiers shot Yuzhijin and killed him. Datan was afraid, and therefore turned back.
2nd Year [425 AD], Shizu greatly raised up to conquer him, and from east to west advanced side by side on five roads. The King of Pingyang, Zhangsun Han, and others was going towards the Black Desert, the Duke of Ruyin, Zhangsun Daosheng towards between the White and Black Deserts, the Chariot Drove towards the central road, the Duke of Dongping, E Qing, was next to the west, towards Li Park, the King of Xuancheng, Xi Jin, General An Yuan and others the western road towards Erhan Mountain.
The various armies arrived south of the desert, and rested the supply wagons. The light cavalry took fifteen days' provisions, and traversed the desert to chastise them. Datan's section groups were terrified and surprised, and ran north.
1st Year of Shenjia, 8th Month [26 August – 24 September 428 AD], Datan dispatched his son to command more than 10 000 cavalry to enter the frontier. They killed and plundered the border people, and then left. The adherent state of the Gaoche pursued, struck and routed them. [He?] turned back from Guangning to pursue them but did not catch up.
2nd Year, 4th Month [19 May – 17 June 429 AD], Shizu drilled troops in the southern suburbs, and was about to assault Datan. The nobles, ministers and great subjects all did not wish to travel. The soil technicians Zhang Yuan and Xu Bian used astronomy to censure and halt Shizu. Shizu followed Cui Hao's plan and moved. It happened that messengers from south of the Jiang returned, and claimed Liu Yilong wished to violate Henan. They spoke to the moving people, saying:
You urgently report to the ruler of Wei. Return our land of Henan, and [we] will immediately stop [our] troops. If not so, [you will] reach the end of our generals and soldiers' strength.
Shizu heard and greatly laughed. He told the nobles and ministers, saying:
The softshell turtle, young and immature, is aiding himself with no leisure. How is he able to do so? He has almost made [himself] able to come [?] Suppose we do not first wipe out the Ruanruan, [but] readily furthermore sit and wait for the bandits to arrive, belly and back will receive the enemy, this not the best plan. I will act and decide.
Hence the Chariot Drove to set out on the eastern road towards Hei Mountain. The King of Pingyang, Zhangsun Han followed the western road towards Da'e Mountain. They met together at the thieves' courtyard.
5th Month [18 June – 16 July], they stayed south of the Sandy Desert. They rested the supply wagons, went light to assault them, and arrived at Li River. Datan's multitudes ran west. His younger brother Pili had previously directed the eastern groups, he wanted to go to Datan, but came across Han's army. Han let loose the cavalry to strike him, and killed several hundred of his great men.
His younger brother Pili had previously directed the eastern groups, he wanted to go to Datan, but came across Han's army. Han let loose the cavalry to strike him, and killed several hundred of his great men. Datan heard about it and shook in terror, he commanded his relatives and partisans to burn down the huts and houses, and leave no trace of their flight west, so that there was no knowledge of where they had gone.
Hence the state's groups scattered in four directions, and ran away to hide in the mountains and valleys. The livestock and property were spread out in the wilderness, no person gathered or looked after. Shizu moved west along the Li River, and went beyond the Han general Dou Xian's old ramparts.
6th Month [17 July – 15 August], the Chariot Drove to stay at the Mianyuan River, 3 700 li distant from Pingcheng. Divided the army to seek out and chastise. To the east they reached the wide ocean, to the west they continued to Zhangye, to the north they crossed Yanran Mountain, from east to west more than 5 000 li, from south to nor 3 000 li. The various sections of the Gaoche killed Datan's kindred. From beginning to end [those who] returned in surrender were more than 300 000. They took prisoner and captured more than 1 000 000 captives and arms and horses [?].
8th Month [14 September – 13 October], Shizu heard the eastern section of the Gaoche had garrisoned Yini Slope, the people and livestock were a considerable multitude, more than 1 000 li distant from the official army. Thereupon he dispatched the Supervisor of the Left, An Yuan, and others to go and chastise them. When he reached Yini Slope, the various sections of the Gaoche who looked at the army and surrendered were several hundred thousand.
Datan's section groups weakened and declined, because of that he took ill and died. His son Wuti was established. His title was Chilian Kehan. The Wei say Godly and Sagely.
4th Year [431 AD], he dispatched envoys to court with presents. Before this, the northern borderland scouting cavalry had captured Wuti's southern division patrols, more than 20 people. Shizu bestowed on them clothes and dress, and dispatched them home. Wuti, high and low, felt the virtue, that was the reason for the court tribute from him. Shizu was very hospitable to his envoys and then dispatched them.
3rd Year of Yanhe, 2nd Month [24 February – 25 March 434 AD], used Wuti to wed the Princess of Xihai. Also dispatched envoys to accept Wuti's younger sister as a Lady. Again advanced [her] to be Radiant Decorous of the Left. Wuti dispatched his older brother Tulugui and several hundred of his left and right to come to court, and present 2 000 horses. Shizu was greatly pleased, and distributed bestowal to great extent.
Arriving at the 2nd Year of Taiyan [436 AD], he then broke the peace and violated the frontier.
4th Year [438 AD], the Chariot Drove to favour Wuyuan, and thereupon campaigned against him. The King of Leping, Pi, and the Duke of Hedong, He Duoluo, supervised 15 generals to set out on the eastern road. The King of Yongchang, Jian, and the King of Yidu, Mu Shou, supervised 15 generals to set out on the western road. The Chariot Drove to set out on the central road.
Arriving at Junji Mountain, split the central road to then become two roads. The King of Chenliu, Chong followed the Great Marsh towards Zhuoye Mountain. The Chariot Drove following north of Junji towards Tian Mountain. To the west they climbed the White Mound, and carved a rock to record the acts. They did not see the Ruanruan and turned back. At the time there was great drought north of the desert, there was no water or grass, and many of the army horses died.
5th Year [439 AD], the Chariot Drove west to attack Juqu Mujian. The King of Yidu, Mu Shou, assisted Jingmu to stay and defend. The King of Changle, Xi Jing, and King Yao [?] of Jianning, Chong, with 20 000 people headquartered south of the desert, to thereby prepare against the Ruanruan. Wuti in the end violated the frontier. Shou habitually did not make preparations. The thieves reaches Qijie Mountain. The Capital District was greatly scared, and strove to flee inside the city.
The Minister of Works, Zhangsun Daosheng resisted them at Tutui Mountain. Of Wuti's robbers, he kept his elder brother Qiliegui with the various armies of the Northern Headquarters to defend each other [?]. Jing, Chong, and others routed Qiliegui to the north of Yin mountain, and captured him. Qiliegui sighed and said:
Juqu destroyed us.
They captured his senior uncle Tawuwuluhu and 500 of his generals and leaders, the cut off heads tallied more than 100 000. Wuti heard and escaped and ran. Daosheng pursued him, he arrived south of the desert and turned back.
4th Year of Zhenjun [443 AD], the Chariot Drove to favour south of the desert. They divided along four roads: The King of Changle, Fan, and the King of Jianning, Chong, each commanded 15 generals and set out on the eastern road. The King of Leping commanded 15 generals and set out on the western road. The Chariot Drove to set out on the central road. The King of Zhongshan, Chen, led 15 generals as the rear support of the central road. The Chariot Drove to arrive in the Luhun Valley, and was about to meet with the thieves. Wuti escaped and ran. They pursued to reach the Egen He, struck and routed him. The Chariot Drove to arrive at the Stone River and turned back.
5th Year [444 AD], again favoured south of the desert, wishing to assault Wuti. Wuti escaped far away, therefore turned back.
The Ruanruan are descendants of the Eastern Hu, their family name is Yujiulü. Starting with the end of Shenyuan [219 – 277], a plundering horsemen got one slave. When they began to have equal respect, he had forgotten his original family and personal name. His master courtesy named him Mugulü. “Mugulü” is bald-headed [?]. Mugulü and Yujiulü sound similar to each other. For that reasons his descendant sons and grandsons used it as the clan name.
Since Mugulü was strong, he was released from slavery to be a horseman trooper. In the time of Emperor Mu [308 – 316], he was convicted of being late and was to be beheaded. He absconded to hide in among the broad desert and mountain valleys, he collected and gathered escaped runaways, and got more than a hundred people. They depended on the Chuntulin section.
Mugulü died. His son Cheluhui was galant and sturdy, and started to have a section multitude. They titled themselves Rouran, and served subservient to the state. Later, Shizu [Taowu of Wei, r. 423 - 452] considered them to have no knowledge, and in shape akin to insects, for that reason he changed their title to be Ruanruan. When Cheluhui had become a section leader, he yearly offered as tribute horses and livestock, and sable and na豽 [=silver fox?] skins. In the winter they then moved to cross south of the desert. In summer they then turned back to live north of the desert.
[Pinyin mù-gǔ-lǘ 木骨閭 = MC muwk-kwot-ljo.
Pinyin yù-jiǔ-lǘ郁久閭 = MC 'jut-kjuwX-ljo.
The otherwise unattested Chuntulin純突鄰 is apparently an error for Hetulin紇突鄰.
Pinyin róurán 柔然 = MC nyuw-nyen
Pinyin ruǎnruǎn 蠕蠕 = MC nywen-nywen
Pinyin ruìruì 芮芮 = MC nywejH-nywejH (name used in the southern histories Songshu and Qishu]
Cheluhui died, his son Tunugui was established. Tunugui died, his son Bati was established. Bati died, his son Disuyuan was established. Disuyuan died, his section divided to become two. Disuyuan's oldest son Pihouba continued his father living at the eastern border. His second son Yunheti separated to live at the western border.
When Zhaocheng expired [376], Yunheti adhered to Weichen and was disloyal to us. In the middle of Dengguo [386 – 395] chastised him. The Ruanruan moving section escaped and ran. Pursued them, caught up south of the Great Wastes beneath Chuang Mountain, greatly routing them, and captured half their section.
Pihouba and the section leader Wuji each gathered the remaining groups to escape and run. Dispatched Zhangsun Song and Zhangsun Fei to pursue to them, and cross the wastes. Song arrived at the Pingwang Stream, greatly routed Wuji, seized him and behead him for display. Fei arrived at Zhuoye Mountain. He caught up with Pihouba. Ba and the entire group requested to surrender. He apprehended Yunheti's son Heduohan, and Heduohan's older brothers Jieguizhi, Shelun, Hulü and others, and also several hundred of their lineage and partisans, and divided and allotted the various sections. Yunheti escaped west, and wanted to revert to Weichen. Taizu pursued him and arrived at Bana Mountain. Yunheti then surrendered, and Taizu consoled and comforted like in the past.
9th Year [394 AD], Heduohan and Shelun led the section multitudes to abandon their father and run west. Zhangsun Fei and light cavalry pursued them. He arrived at Shang commandery's Bana Mountain, beheaded Heduohan, and fully exterminated his multitudes.
Shelun with several hundred people fled to Pihouba. Pihouba settled them in the southern outskirts, at a distance of 500 li from his courtyard, and ordered his four sons to oversee them. Then Shelun led his personal supporters to arrest Pihouba's four sons and rebel, he assaulted Pihouba. The various sons gathered the remaining multitudes, and absconded to rely on the Gaoche's Hulü section.
Shelun was malefic, cunning, and was adaptive and changeable. For the remainder of the month he therefore released Pihouba, and return his various sons, wishing to assemble and then annihilate them. He secretly raised troops to assault Pihouba, and killed Pihouba. His sons Qiba, Wujie and others, 15 people, reverted to Taizu.
When Shelun had killed Pihouba, he feared the kingly host would chastise him. He therefore plundered Wuyuan using to the west the various sections, and to the north crossed the Great Desert. Taizu used Ba and Jie as General who Calms the Distant and Marquis of Ping.
Shelun was friendly and close with Yao Xing. Taizu dispatched the General of Talented Officials, He Tu, to assault the Chufu and Suguyan sections. Shelun dispatched cavalry aid the Suguyan. Tu confronted, struck, and routed them. Shelun escaped far away north of the desert, and invaded the Gaoche, and deeply entered their territory. Thereupon he combined the various sections, the fell power was increasingly bestirred.
He migrated north to the Ruoluo River, and started to set up army laws. A thousand people became an Army, [each] Army set up a general, one person. A hundred people became a Pennant, [each] Pennant set up a leader, one person. On those who were the first to climb he bestowed using the captive and seized. To those who withdrew or were cowardly, he used stones to strike their heads and kill them. Sometimes when approaching the time [?] he lashed and whipped. They had no written records. The generals and leaders used goat dung to more or less count the number of troops. Later they somewhat learned to carve wood as records.
To their north-west were the remaining kinds of the Xiongnu. The state was particularly rich and strong. The section leader was named Bayeji. He raised troops and struck Shelun. Shelun confronted him in battle at the Egen He, and greatly routed him. Afterwards they were completely annexed by Shelun.
[He?] announced [himself] to be strong and prosperous. He followed the water and grass to rear and shepherd. To his west were the lands of Yanqi, to the east were the lands of Chaoxian, to the north [they] crossed the sand desert, coming in the end to the wide ocean, to the south he overlooked the great wastes. He regularly was assembling their courtyards to the north of Dunhuang and Zhangye.
The small states all suffered his robbing and plundering, [they were] bridled and haltered to adhere to him. Hence he titled himself Qiudoufa Kehan [可汗 = MC khaek-hanH]. Qiudoufa is similar to the Wei saying the Driving Carriage Beginning to Extend. Kehan is similar ot the Wei saying August Emperor. The custom of the Ruanruan is that lord and the great subjects follow their acts and ability to precisely be designations and claims. With regards to the Central States establishing posthumous titles, afterwards of [someone] has died, they do not then posthumously designate.
Taizu spoke to the Masters of Writing Cui Xuanbo, saying:
The people of the Ruanruan formerly came to shout and be coarse and noisy, always coming to plundering and robbing. Driving the cow to run and escape, the chasing ox follows it. When the cow hides and is not able to be in front, people of different sections have learned from it accordingly the ox is with it [?]. The Ruanruan say: “If their mother are still not able to act, then so much more the child!” At the end of it they do not change, and thereupon are captured by the enemy.
Now Shelun is studying the Central States, establishing laws, setting up battle columns, in the end he will succeed as a border injury. The School of the Way say that when a sagely person is born, a great bandit will rise. This is the proof.
5th Year of Tianxing [402 AD], Shelun heard that Taizu campaigned against Yao Xing. He thereupon violated the frontier, and entered Canhe Slope. To the south he arrived at Chai Mountain and the northern marshes of Shanwu. At the time dispatched the King of Changshan, Zun, using 10 000 cavalry to pursue him, but he did not catch up.
In the middle of Tianci [404 – 409], Shelun's cousins Yuedai, Dana, and others planned to kill Shelun and then establish Dana. They were revealed, and Dana and others came in flight. Used Dana as General of the Best of the Army and Marquis of Xiping, Yuedai as Colonel of Picked Cavalry and Count of Yiyang.
3rd Year [406 AD], Summer, Shelun robbed the border.
1st Year of Yongxing [409 AD], Winter, he again violated the frontier.
2nd Year [410 AD], Taizong chastised him. Shelun escaped and fled, and died on the road. His son Duba was young of years, and unable to manage the multitudes. The section groups established Shelun's younger brother Hulü. He was titled the Aikugai Kehan. The Wei say Manners and Matter are Beautiful and Excellent. Hulü to the north annexed the state of Heshuyegu, to the east he routed the Pilichen's section groups.
3rd Year [411 AD], Hulü's relative Yuehouduochuqian and others, several hundred people, came to surrender. Hulü feared in awe, and defended himself. He did not dare go south and invade, and the northern border was calm and quiet.
1st Year of Shenrui [414 AD], he was friendly and close with Feng Ba. Ba requested for Hulü's daughter to be [his] wife, and wanted to make a marriage exchange. Hulü's oldest brother's son Buluzhen spoke to Hulü, saying:
The daughter is young for far-away marriages, troubled thoughts gives birth to illness. We can dispatch the daughters of the great subjects Shuli, Wudiyan and others as the bride's companions.
Hulü did not allow it. Buluzhen set out, and spoke to Shuli and others, saying:
Hulü wishes to order your daughters to be bride's companions, and go far away to that other state.
[He and] Li thereupon together joined on a plan. They ordered brave soldiers at night to approach Hulü's yurt. They waited until he set out and seized him. He, the daughter and all the court ladies [were sent] to Helong. Then they established Buluzhen.
