Modu's Hun Empire and Early Han Dynasty

(P 2 of 4)

Han Emissary Su Wu Being A Shepherd For 19 Years & Li Ling Surrendering To The Huns
Frictions with Huns continued. A Han emissary, Su Wu, was detained and sent to Lake Bajkal to be a shepherd for 19 years. In 100 BC, Wudi sent a mission of over 100 people, led by an emissary called Su Wu, to the Huns, and Su Wu was detained by the Huns. Wudi later dispatched an army to punish the Huns. Su Wu had returned after Huo Guang (General Ho Chu-ping's brother) requested for Su with the Hunnic king who had initially cheated Huo in saying that Su was long dead. A Hunnic insider informed Han emissary of Su Wu's exile, and Han emperor made up a story of catching a bird with a message tied to the leg stating that Su Wu was at Lake Bajkal.
 
The next year, Wudi dispatched Li Guangli and 30000 cavalry against the Huns from Jiuquan area. At Tianshan [heavenly mountain], Li Guangli at one time captured or killed 10000 Huns, but Li Guangli later barely escaped from the encirclement by the Huns, with a loss of 6-7 out of 10 soldiers. Two more generals were sent to engage the Huns.
 
One contingent of 5000 archers (arrow soldiers) from southern China, led by "qi duwei" [cavalry captain] Li Ling (grandson of Li Guang), was encircled to the north of Juyan Lake by the Huns numbering 30000. General Li Ling surrendered to the Huns after engaging half a dozen rounds of retreating fights, inflicting a casualty of 10000 onto the Huns and exhausting all the arrows. Only 400 soldierd escaped. Hunnic chanyu married his daughter to Li Ling. Li Ling, after hearing of the death of his family families in the hands of Han court, later joined the Huns in attacking China. Li Ling was then assigned as the "rightside virtuous king" to ancient Jiankun Statelet where his descendants claimed to Tang emperor as sharing the same last name as the Kirghiz. Li Ling's son assisted one Hunnic rivalry chanyu during the internal power struggles.
 
Li Guangli & The Huns
Two years later, General Li Guangli, with his 70,000 troops & 60000 cavalry, departed Shuofang; Lu Bode converged with Li Guangli with another 10000. Haan Sui departed from Wuyuan with 30000 troops; and Gongsun Ao commanded 10000 cavalry and 30000 infantry from Yanmen-guan Pass. Hunnic chanyu relocated his people and belongings to the north of Yuwu-shui River, while preparing 100000 army against the Han expedition forces south of the river. Li Guangli fought against the Huns for over ten days. Han armies withdrew thereafter without any result. The next year, Hunnic chanyu died after a reign of five years. Senior son, i.e., Hunnic leftside rightuous king, became Hunnic Chanyu Hulugu in 96 BC.
 
Hunnic Chanyu Hulugu, who originally tried to yield the throne to his brother Zuo-da-jiang [leftside grand general], died few years later. Under the previous promise, brother Zuo-da-jiang assumed the post while the son of Hulugu was renamed "sun chasing king".
 
Huns raided Shanggu & Wuyuan and killed people in border area. The next year, about 90 BC, Huns raided Wuyuan & Jiuquan and killed captains in two places. Li Guangli was dispatched against the Huns. In 90 BC, General Li Guangli and his 70,000 troops departed from Wuyuan, while Shang Qiucheng led 30000 for exiting Xihe and Mang Tong led 40000 cavalry for exiting Jiuquan. Hunnic chanyu again relocated his belongings to the north of "Zhao Xin City", near a river called Zhiju-shui River, while Hunnic leftside virtuous king drove his people 600-700 li distance away from Yuwu-shui River. General Shang Qiucheng returned after locating no Huns. Huns then dispatched their generals and 30000 cavalry, together with defector general Li Ling, against the Chinese, and followed the Chinese army to Junji-shan Mountain where they fought a battle for nine days. After Han army inflicted heavy casualty on the Huns, the Huns retreated at Punu-shui River.
 
In the west, Mang Tong met with 20000 Hunnic cavalry headed by Hunnic rightside grand duwei [captain] and Wei Luu. Huns withdrew after seeing Mang Tong leading 40000 cavalry. Han Dynasty, meantime, dispatched troops against Cheshi in Chinese Turkistan for preventing them from a collusion with the Huns. Chinese troops captured the king and the people of Cheshi. At this time, General Li Guangli encountered 5000 cavalry led by Hunnic rightside grand duwei [captain] and Wei Luu, defeated the Huns, and chased the Huns to Fa-fu-ren [Madam Fan] Castle. Hearing that his wife was implicated in a palace upheaval, General Li Guangli intended to intrude deeper into Hun territory to make a big feat so as to avoid punishment upon return to the capital. Subordinates were wary of Li Guangli's mentality and conspired to sell out to the Huns. General Li Guangli arrived in Zhiju-shui River. With 20000 cavalry, Li Guangli crossed the river. On one day, Li Guangli met with Hunnic leftside virtuous king and leftside grand general [Zuo-da-jiang], and fought the 20000 Hunnic cavalry for a whole day. Han army killed Hunnic leftside grand general. When a subordinate officer intended to kill Li Guangli for surrendering to the Huns, Li Guangli retreated to Yanran-shan Mountain where 50000 Hunnic cavalry ambushed Li Guangli, dug a ditch in the front at night, attacked Li Guangli's camp from behind, and defeated the Han army by pushing the Han army into the ditch. Li Guangli himself surrendered to the Huns. Chanyu married his daughter to Li Guangli and made him above Wei Luu in the ranks. Li Guangli was killed one year later [about 89 BC?] by the Huns after Wei Luu [another Han defector] vilified him for envying the favor that Li Guangli received from Hunnic chanyu.
 
Chanyu then wrote to Han emperor, stating: "Han Chinese to the south and 'Hu' people to the north ... the so-called "Hu" meant the 'privileged son of the Heaven' ... I [chanyu} want to renew the intermarriage with Han princess ..." (Note the Huns corresponded with Chinese in Chinese pictographic languages since the nomads had no written language at all.) When Han emissary arrrived at Hun court, chanyu rebuked Han Dynasty for a Han prince rebellion against Han emperor as a violation of Confucian "Li-Yi" [courtesy & righteousness]. Han emissary countered it by stating that Chanyu Modok even engaged in patricide while Han prince rebellion was merely an argument between father and son due to instigation by prime minister. Han emissary was hence retained by the Huns for three years.
 
Han Emperor Zhaodi [reign 86-74 BC]
Three years after Li Guangli capture, i.e., in 87 BC, Han Emperor Wudi passed away. After a fighting for over twenty years, Hunnic chanyu, hurt by Han army's penetrations, wanted peace with Han Dynasty badly. Another three years later, chanyu decided upon intermarriage but died shortly afterward. Before the death of chanyu, the mother of Hunnic chanyu killed a virtuous half brother of the chanyu, i.e., "zuo-da-wei" [leftside grand captain]. The elder brother of "zuo-da-wei", who shared same mother as "zuo-da-wei", refused to see chanyu. Wei Luu and the mother of Hunnic chanyu, in 85 BC, hid the news of the death of chanyu and erected the son of chanyu as the new chanyu against the Hunnic chanyu's death-bed wish. Hunnic leftside virtuous king and rightside gu-li king, unhappy over the enthronement of the new chanyu, conspired to defect to Han court. The two kings further coerced King Lu-tu [Lu-zhu?] in a consipracy to gain the support of Wusun [Ili] for attacking chanyu together. King Lu-tu [Lu-zhu?] disclosed the scheme to chanyu. However, the two kings accused King Lu-tu [Lu-zhu?] of rebellion against chanyu. Two years later, in the autumn, Huns invaded Dai prefecture and killed a Han captain. The new chanyu thought about Wei Luu's scheme of building castles and hoarding grains for sake of defence against a possible Han attack. Chanyu also thought about using Su Wu and Ma Hong as two Han emissaries for relaying good-will gestures in 82 BC.
 
Li Ling was asked to see Su Wu by Hunnic Chanyu. Li told Su that Su's wife had already remarried and Su's two brothers had died in China. But Su Wu refused to surrender. Li gave a Hun woman to Su as his wife. When Su returned to China, he had only eight of his previous companions with him.
 
The next year, Huns, with about 20000 cavalry from leftside and rightside tribes, pillaged the border in four columns. Han army defeated them, captured and killed 9000 Huns, and caught alive Hunnic King Ou-tuo-wang. Chanyu, worried about King Ou-tuo-wang's possible leading the path for an attack, relocated far away towards the northwest. After the death of Wei Luu, the brother of Hunnic chanyu continued to advocate for intermarriage with Han court. After the death of the brother of Hunnic chanyu, Hunnic chanyu planned an invasion of Jiuquan and Zhangye on the Sild Road. However, Han army was informed of the invasion beforehand and thoroughly defeated the three Hunnic columns with the armies from Zhangye "tai-shou" [magistrate] and auxiliary troops from the military farming areas. Captain Guo Zhong of auxiliary troops was promoted to Marquis Cheng'an-hou, and "qian-zhang" [thousand household] King Yiqu-wang was offered 200 Chinese grams of gold and 200 horses for killing a Hunnic king.
 
At the times of Han Emperor Zhaodi, military farming was conducted in Luntai & Quli areas.
 
Hun versus Wuhuan
One more year later, 3000 Hunnic cavalry invaded Wuyuan and killed few thousand Chinese, and tens of thousands of Hunc followed through by attacking borderside castles. Ban Gu stated that Chinese beacon fires were so advanced that Huns no longer reaped lootings easily. At this time, Han heard from Hunnic defectors that Huns had dispatched 20000 cavalry against Wuhuan in the east as a punishment of Wuhuan digging up the tombs of Hunnic chanyu. General Huo Guang consulted with Zhao Chongguo as to ambushing the Huns. Fan Mingyou, against Zhao Chongguo, supported the idea of attacking the Huns by taking advantage of the Hun-Wuhuan entangles. Fan Mingyo, conferred the post as "du-liao" [trepassing Liao-he River area] General, led 20000 cavalry against the Huns. Huns retreated upon the news of Han army closing in. Fan Mingyou hence attacked the fatigued Wuhuan, killed 3 kings, and captured or killed 6000 Wuhuan. Fan Mingyou was conferred Marquis Pingling-hou.
 
Huns then changed target in attacking Wusun in the west and invaded Cheyan & Wushi areas. Huns tried to pressure Wusun into surrendering the princess. Wusun Princess [i.e., a Chinese princess] petitioned for help with Han court. Before Han court could decree on a military action, Han Emperor Zhaodi [reign 86-74 BC] passed away. Han Emperor Xuandi [reign 73-49 BC] enthroned.
 
Emperor Xuandi & Wusun Ally
When Wusun "kun-mi" [i.e., king] proposed to mount a joint attack at Huns with half of the nation's troops and 50000 horses, Han Emperor Xuandi, in 72 BC, mobilized a huge army against the Huns: Tian Guangming, being conferred Qilian General, was to depart Xi-he [Zungar Banner of Inner Mongolia] with 40000 cavalry; Fan Mingyou, i.e., General Duliao, was to depart Zhangye with 30000 cavalry; Han Zeng was to depart Yunzhong with 30000 cavalry; Zhang Chongguo, being conferred Pulei [Sarighkol] General, was to depart Jiuquan with 30000 cavalry; and Tian Shun, i.e., Yunzhong "tai shou" [magistrate], being conferred Huya [tiger teeth] General, was to depart Wuyuan with 30000 cavalry. In the west, "xiao wei" [i.e., colonel] Chang Hui commmanded the troops of Wusun and other allies in western territories, including Wusun King and totalling 50000 cavalry.
 
Huns, hearing of the campaign, fled with children, elderly and stocks. Han armies failed to locate any significant Huns. Fan Mingyou, at Puli-shui River, about 1200 li distance away from border garrison, captured or killed 700 Huns. Han Zeng captured or killed about 100 Huns after trekking 1200 li distance. Zhang Chongguo, having failed to catch up with the conversion with Wusun troops at Pulei-ze Lake, would capture or kill 300 Huns, including Hunnic King Puyin-wang [i.e., an emissary of chanyu], after a trek of 1800 li distance. Tian Guangming, after a trek of 1600 li distance, captured or killed about 19 Huns at Jiyi-shan Mountain. Tian Shun, after a trek of 80000 li distance, captured or killed about 19 Huns at Danyu-shui River. Both Tian Guangming and Tian Shun were ordered by Han emperor to commit suicide for dereliction later. In the west, at about 71 BC, Chang Hui and Wusun troops sacked Hunnic court of rightside gu-li king, caught chanyu's father and sister-in-law and numerous kings, captured or killed 39000 Huns, and looted 700000 stocks like horses, sheep, buffalos, mules and camels etc. Chang Hui was upgraded to Marquis Changluo-hou.
 
Chang Hui thereafter mobilized 50000 army from Western Territories in campaigning against Qiuci for its killing of a Chinese general in charge of farming soldiers at Wu-lei [Luntai] six years earlier. (At the times of Han Emperor Zhaodi, military farming was first conducted in Luntai & Quli areas.) New Qiuci king had to surrender a minister by the name of Gu-yi for execution.
 
Huns hence hated Wusun a lot. In the winter, Chanyu personally commanded a retaliation force against the Wusun and caught some elderly and sick people. On the way home, Huns lost 9 out 10 people in a severe winter storm. Taking advantage of Hunnic decline, Dingling statelet attacked the Huns from the north, Wuhuan attacked the Huns from east, and Wusun attacked from the west. Tens of thousands of Huns died. Starvation would cost the Huns a loss of 3 out 10 people, and Hunnic cattle lost half in number. Further, Hunnic subordinates disintegrated from the alliance. When Han army intruded into Hun territory with 3000 cavalry, Han army easily caught a few thousand Huns. Border hence became more serene than ever.
 
In 68 BC, Hunnic chanyu passed away, and brother "leftside virtuous king" assumed the throne as Chanyu Xuluuquanqu. When Han abandoned border garrisons, the new chanyu sent in emissary for intermarrige. However, "leftside grand juqu" [i.e., the father of a deposed queen of former chanyu] conspired to send in cavalry against the Han after the footsteps of Hunnic emissary in a claim of using the old Han Chinese trick. Three Hunnic emissaries promptly notified the Han of the scheme and Huns hence aborted their pillage. In this year, Huns suffered another famine and lost 6-7 out of 10 cattle. In the autumn, a Hunnic tribe, after entangles with King Outuo, surrendered to Han.
 
Replacing Chang Hui as protector-general in Western Territories would be Zheng Ji [?-49 BC]. The next year, i.e., 67 BC, troops from Western Territories under the command of Zheng Ji attacked Cheshi, i.e., Hunnic ally. Chenshi, i.e., today's Ji-mu-sa-e of New Dominion Province, was situated on the linkage point between Han Dynasty and Wusun, north of Tianshan Mountain. Cheshi, having married Hunnic princess, often ambushed Chinese emissaries. Zheng Ji assembled 1500 farming soldiers and about 10000 auxiliary troops for a campaign against Cheshi and caught the king. Chanyu retrieved the remnant Cheshi people and made a brother of former Cheshi king into the new king. Han court sent in new farming soliders to Cheshi land. Military farming, which was restricted to Wulei [Luntai] & Quli areas at the times of Han Emperor Zhaodi, was expanded to Cheshi & Loulan area. Still one more year later, Huns dispatched leftside and rightside grand generals against farming soliders in Cheshi land as well as Wusun statelet. Two years later, Huns attacked Cheshi farming garrison again in vain. In 67 BC approximately, Zheng Ji, in face of Hunnic attacks, rescinded the Cheshi military farming and moved across Tianshan [Heavely] Mountain to merge with Qu-li's farming garrison. Han court relocated Cheshi people to Jiao-he River [Yar-khoto] area [i.e., Turpan].
 
Next year, Dingling harassed Huns again. One year later, Huns aborted an attack at Han after a Hunnic noble surrendered to Han and chanyu caught the illness of blood vomitting. Chanyu died in 60 BC, after a reign of nine years, before his king was sent to Han court for peace talk.
 
Protector-General Office For Western Territories
By the time of Emperor Xuandi (reign 73-48 BC), south of Tianshan Mountains was under Han Chinese control. A Hunnic king called 'Ri-zhu-wang' (king of sun chasing) offended Hunnic chanyu , and hence he defected to Han China, yielding to Chinese the original Hunnic control of northern part of Chinese Turkistan. By 62 BC, north of Tianshan Mountains was firmly controlled by Chinese as well. Colonization went as far as the ancient state of Shache [Yarkand]. This post was responsible for reporting on the situations in such states as Kangju (Sogdia) and Wusun (Ili).
 
By 60 B.C., Emperor Xuandi established the Office of 'Xi Yu Protector-General' (Xi Yu meaning 'Western Region' or 'Western Territories') to supervise the "36 states" north and south of the Tianshan Mountains. Zheng Ji's protector-general office, located at Wulei, was in charge of farming soldiers as well as the 36 statelets. The protector-general office was put in charge of military farming, officialdom & vassal conferral and validations, supervision of Qiangci peoples, communication & transportation, beacon tower ['feng sui'] maintenance, and certainly commerce and trade. Han SHu claimed that about 376 persons, raning from citadel chief, hundred person chief, thousand person chief, duwei, danhu, general, prime minister, marquis to king, had been conferred Han court's officialdom seals [gold seals vs violet seals] and silk thread for seals. Han court also dispatched representatives to kings and county magistrates as either military officials or civil service officials, which were validated by excavations from Wulei ruins in Luntai county. Also excavated in Khoten would be local coins with Han Chinese characters on the face and Central Asian marks on the back. Continuing with Zheng Ji, over 18 Chinese had been assigned the post of protector-general, with the seal of last protector-general Li Chong excavated from Shaya-xian county of Qiuci [Kuqa] recently. Among the protector-generals, from Han Emperor Xuandi's reign to Xin Dynasty, would be Zheng Ji, Han Xuan, Gan Yanshou, Duan Huizong, Lian Bao, Han Li, Guo Shun, Du Jian, Dan Qin, and Li Chong etc

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