Zhi Xiong (fl. 4th century) was a Yuezhi military general of Later Zhao during the Sixteen Kingdoms period. He was one of Shi Le's Eighteen Riders (十八騎) whose career stretched from Shi Le's bandit days all the way to the reign of his nephew Shi Hu.
Zhi Xiong | |
|---|---|
| 支雄 | |
| Libationer of the Gates (門臣祭酒) | |
| In office 319–? | |
| Monarch | Shi Le |
| Personal details | |
| Born | Unknown |
| Died | Unknown |
Life edit
Zhi Xiong was a descendant of one of the Yuezhi tribes in Central Asia. He joined Shi Le in 305, after the latter had just established himself as a bandit with support from Ji Sang. Like many who joined him, he became one of Shi Le's Eighteen Riders. In 309, after Shi Le occupied Julu and Changshan commanderies, Zhi Xiong was made one of his "talon and teeth" (爪牙) along with Kong Chang, Kui An, Tao Bao and Lu Ming (逯明).[1]
Zhi Xiong followed Shi Le to attack Jiankang in 312. The campaign was going badly for Shi Le as storms, famines and diseases was deteriorating his numbers. He gathered his generals to discuss their next move. Zhi Xiong and Kong Chang suggested to Shi Le that they carry out a night raid on Shouchun and break through Danyang. Shi Le applaud their bold idea but did not think it had proper strategy to it. In the end, he followed Zhang Bin and subverted his plans from conquering Jiankang to conquering Yecheng.[2]
Along the way, he came across the Administrator of Ji, Xiang Bing (向冰) at Fangtou (枋頭, in modern Hebi, Henan). Prior to that, Shi Le's army was already suffering from famine to the point of resorting to cannibalism, and Shi Le worried that Xiang Bing may finish them off. With advice of Zhang Bin, Shi Le sent Zhi Xiong and Kong Chang to Wenshi Crossing (文石津, around present-day Yanji County, Henan), where they were tasked in capturing boats from Shi Le's army to cross. They brought back the boats, allowing Shi Le to properly battle Xiang Bing and capturing him.[3]
In 312, Zhi Xiong was one of the many generals to besiege Xuanyang (苑鄕, in present-day Hebei and Beijing) after the inhabitants renounce their allegiance to Han-Zhao and surrendered the Youzhou's warlord Wang Jun. Wang Jun assisted the rebels by attacking Shi Le's base at Xiangyang, but was repelled, so people of Xuanyang surrendered back to Zhao.[4]
In 315, Zhi Xiong was sent to defeat Liu Kun's general Liu Yan (劉演) at Linqiu but lost. Liu Yan ordered his generals Pan Liang (潘良) and Han Hong (韓弘) to attack Dunqiu (頓丘, in present-day Qingfeng County, Henan), where they beheaded the prefect Shao Pan (邵攀). Zhi Xiong counterattacked and chase them back to Linqiu, where he killed Pan Liang. Later that year, Zhi Xiong and Lu Ming attacked Ning Hei (甯黑) at Wuyang. Ning Hei drowned himself, and Zhi Xiong relocated the people of Wuyang to Xiangguo (襄國, in modern Xingtai, Hebei).[5]
Shi Le broke away from Han-Zhao and established his own independent regime in 319. Zhi Xiong was made Libationer of the Gates. His duty was to prevent and settle any conflict among the tribal people and ensure that they do not oppress the Han Chinese officials within Shi Le's territory.[6]
In 338, Zhi Xiong participated in the Later Zhao and Former Yan joint campaign against the Duan tribe. Zhi Xiong was made Grand Dragon-Soaring General and together with Yao Yizhong, they were given 70,000 cavalry under their command to serve as the vanguard against the tribe's chieftain, Duan Liao. During the campaign, Zhi Xiong made a long march to Jicheng, forcing the administrators of Yuyang, Shanggu and Dai to surrender while capturing forty cities. The campaign ended in the alliance's victory and the end of the Duan tribe's autonomy. Nothing is recorded of Zhi Xiong from this point on.[7]
References edit
- ^ (漢安東大將軍石勒寇鉅鹿、常山，衆至十餘萬，集衣冠人物，別爲君子營。以趙郡張賓爲謀主，刁膺爲股肱，夔安、孔萇、支雄、桃豹、逯明爲爪牙。幷州諸胡羯多從之。) Zizhi Tongjian, Volume 85
- ^ (孔萇、支雄等三十餘將進曰：「及吳軍未集，萇等請各將三百步卒，乘船三十餘道，夜登其城，斬吳將頭，得其城，食其倉米。今年要當破丹陽，定江南，盡生縛取司馬家兒輩。」勒笑曰：「是勇將之計也。」各賜鎧馬一匹。) Book of Jin, Volume 104
- ^ (勒從之，使支雄、孔萇等從文石津縛筏潛渡，勒引其衆自酸棗向棘津。冰聞勒軍至，始欲內其船。會雄等已渡，屯其壘門，下船三十餘艘以濟其軍，令主簿鮮于豐挑戰，設三伏以待之。) Book of Jin, Volume 104
- ^ (廣平游綸、張豺擁衆數萬，受王浚假署，保據苑鄉。勒使夔安、支雄等七將攻之，破其外壘。) Book of Jin, Volume 104
- ^ (勒將支雄攻劉演於廩丘，為演所敗。演遣其將韓弘、潘良襲頓丘，斬勒所署太守邵攀。支雄追擊弘等，害潘良于廩丘。) Book of Jin, Volume 104
- ^ (以中壘將軍支雄、游擊將軍王陽領門臣祭酒，專主胡人辭訟，重禁胡人，不得陵侮衣冠華族，號胡爲國人。) Zizhi Tongjian, Volume 91
- ^ (趙王虎進屯金台。支雄長驅入薊，段遼所署漁陽、上谷、代郡守相皆降，取四十餘城。北平相陽裕帥其民數千家登燕山以自固，諸將恐其為後患，欲攻之。虎曰：「裕儒生，矜惜名節，恥於迎降耳，無能為也。」遂過之，至徐無。段遼以弟蘭既敗，不必復戰，帥妻子、宗族、豪大千餘家，棄令支，奔密雲山。將行，執慕容翰手泣曰：「不用卿言，自取敗亡。我固苦心，令卿失所，深以為愧。」翰北奔宇文氏。) Zizhi Tongjian, Volume 96
- Fang, Xuanling (ed.) (648). Book of Jin (Jin Shu).
- Sima, Guang (1084). Zizhi Tongjian