Shi Siming
Encyclopedia
Shi Siming (703 – 18 April 761), or Shi Sugan (史窣干), was a general of the Chinese
Tang Dynasty
who followed his childhood friend An Lushan
in rebelling against Tang, and who later succeeded An Lushan's son An Qingxu
as emperor of the Yan
state that An Lushan established.
and that they grew up together. He was of Tujue extraction, and was said to be thin with smooth skin, with an impatient disposition. After both he and An grew up, they were both known for their bravery. However, he was poor and of low social station, and was looked down by the people of his locale. However, a Lady Xin
, a daughter of local gentry, insisted on marrying him despite her family's opposition, and she was eventually successful in doing so.
general Wu Zhiyi (烏知義), and it was said that whenever Wu ordered him to attack, he would be able to capture enemy soldiers and return with them. As both he and An Lushan understood six non-Han
languages, both of them served in the military market as interpreters. He later served under the general Zhang Shougui (張守珪), along with An. Early in Emperor Xuanzong
's Tianbao era (741-756), because of Shi's repeated military accomplishments, he was made a general at Pinglu Army (平盧, headquartered in modern Chaoyang, Liaoning). Once, when he was in the capital Chang'an
to make reports to Emperor Xuanzong, Emperor Xuanzong was impressed with him and patted his back, stating, "You, Lord, will one day be honored. Keep this in mind." He had Shi change his name to Siming (literally meaning, "thinking of brightness"). Shi later served as the governor of Beiping Commandery (北平, roughly modern Qinhuangdao
, Hebei
). In 751, after a major defeat that An, who was then the military governor (jiedushi
) of Pinglu (then converted into a military circuit) as well as Fanyang (范陽, headquartered in modern Beijing
) and Hedong (河東, headquartered in modern Taiyuan
, Shanxi
) Circuits, suffered at the hands of the Xi
, Shi reorganized the collapsed troops to prevent further disaster, drawing accolades from An—although Shi commented that if he had met An just slightly earlier after the defeat, he would have been executed, as Ge Jie (哥解) and Yu Chengxian (魚承仙), two other generals that An blamed for the defeat, were. In 752, at An's recommendation, Shi was made Bingma Shi (兵馬使), a commanding officer of Pinglu soldiers.
nearly all submitted to An, allowing An to quickly advance south and capture the Tang eastern capital Luoyang
, but around the new year 756, the official Yan Gaoqing (顏杲卿), who had earlier submitted to An, rose against An at Changshan Commandery (常山, roughly modern Shijiazhuang
, Hebei
), which he was governor of, leading to a flurry of other commanderies turning against An as well. An, who was then at Luoyang, sent Shi and Li Lijie (李立節) to attack Changshan and Boling (博陵, roughly modern Baoding
, Hebei
) Commanderies. Just eight days after Yan's defection, Shi and Cai Xide (蔡希德) both arrived at Changshan and captured Yan, who was delivered to Luoyang and executed. Shi, Li, and Cai then attacked the other commanderies that rose along with Yan, and they resubmitted to An, who declared himself the emperor of a new state of Yan
. Lu Quancheng (盧全誠), the governor of Raoyang Commandery (饒陽, roughly modern Hengshui
, Hebei
), however, refused to submit, and Shi put Raoyang under siege but could not quickly capture it, and was forced to lift the siege when the Tang general Li Guangbi
arrived with relief troops from Hedong Circuit. Subsequently, he and Li Guangbi and another Tang general, Guo Ziyi
, engaged in a number of battles, largely to Shi's detriment, eventually causing many commanderies to rise against An again. This brought An much concern, and at one point, An considered abandoning Luoyang and heading back north. Eventually, however, the situation changed when the Tang general Geshu Han
was defeated at Tong Pass by another Yan general, Cui Qianyou (崔乾祐), and Yan troops were able to capture Chang'an and force both Emperor Xuanzong and his crown prince
Li Heng
to flee—with Li Heng fleeing to Lingwu and declaring himself emperor there (as Emperor Suzong). Guo and Li Guangbi abandoned their campaign against Shi and went to Lingwu as well, thus allowing Shi to largely repacify the region north of the Yellow River for Yan. When Liu Zhengchen (劉正臣), who had risen against An at Pinglu, made a surprise attack on Fanyang, Shi defeated Liu, forcing him to flee back to Pinglu.
, who succeeded to the Yan throne. Meanwhile, though, Shi Siming, who had not received the news of An Lushan's death, attacked Taiyuan, where Li Guangbi was at that point, along with Cai Xide, Gao Xiuyan (高秀巖), and Niu Tingjie (牛廷玠), with 100,000 troops total. They sieged Taiyuan for more than a month, but could not capture it. The news of An Lushan's death then arrived, and An Qingxu further ordered Shi to return to Fanyang to guard it, leaving Cai at Taiyuan to watch Li Guangbi. An Qingxu also made Shi the military governor of Fanyang and created him the Prince of Guichuan. Shi, however, hoarding the supplies that An Lushan had previously shipped to Fanyang, began to disobey An Qingxu's orders, and An Qingxu could not keep him in check. In winter 757, after An Qingxu was forced to abandon Luoyang after a joint Tang/Huige counterattack, various non-Han tribal troops abandoned An Qingxu and fled north. Shi induced the elite Yeluohe (曵落河) troops, as well as various other tribes, to submit to him, but the Tongluo (同羅) forces refused, and he then defeated them.
Meanwhile, An Qingxu sent the generals Ashina Chengqing (阿史那承慶) and An Shouzhong (安守忠) to Fanyang to requisition troops from Shi, and also see if they could take advantage and seize Fanyang. Shi, under the advice of his assistant Geng Renzhi (耿仁智), turned against An Qingxu, detaining Ashina and An Shouzhong, and offering to submit to Tang instead, along with Gao. Emperor Suzong was pleased. He commissioned Shi as the military governor of Fanyang and created him the Prince of Guiyi. He also sent the eunuch Li Sijing (李思敬) and Wu Zhiyi's son Wu Cheng'en (烏承恩) to comfort Shi.
, holding only Yecheng and its surrounding region. However, a number of Tang generals, including Li Guangbi and Zhang Gao
, doubted Shi's sincerity. In summer 759, under Li Guangbi's advice, Emperor Suzong had Wu Cheng'en try to persuade Ashina Chengqing into killing Shi together and seizing Fanyang. Shi discovered this and put Wu to death. He did not initially formally turn against Tang, but made an ultimatum demanding Li Guangbi's death. Meanwhile, though, with An Qingxu seeking aid from him, he launched his troops and headed south toward Yecheng. Shi quickly captured Wei Prefecture (魏州, in modern Handan
, Hebei
) from the Tang general Cui Guangyuan (崔光遠), and then declared himself "the Great Holy Prince of Yan" (大聖燕王) in spring 760.
Meanwhile, the Tang generals Guo Ziyi
, Lu Jiong (魯炅), Li Huan (李奐), Xu Shuji (許叔冀), Li Siye
, Ji Guangchen (季廣琛), Cui Guangyuan (崔光遠), Dong Qin (董秦), Li Guangbi, and Wang Sili (王思禮), were gathering at Yecheng and putting it under siege. An Qingxu tried to fight out of the siege, but was defeated by Tang forces, and his brother An Qinghe (安慶和) was killed. Meanwhile, An sent the general Xue Song
to Fanyang to seek aid from Shi, offering the throne to him. Shi thus advanced south toward Yecheng. Meanwhile, Tang forces, under the command of nine generals (with Li Siye having died during the siege), were uncoordinated. On 7 April 759, Shi engaged Tang forces—and, when a storm suddenly arrived, both armies panicked; Shi's forces fled north, and Tang forces fled south, lifting the siege on Yecheng. An Qingxu's forces gathered the food and supplies abandoned by Tang forces, and An thereafter considered, with Sun Xiaozhe (孫孝哲) and Cui the possibility of refusing Shi, who gathered his troops and again approached Yecheng, admittance. Shi himself was not communicating with An, but was feasting his soldiers and watching Yecheng. Zhang and Gao Shang (高尚) requested permission to meet Shi, and An agreed; Shi gave them gifts and let them return to Yecheng. An, unsure what to do, again offered the throne to Shi, which Shi declined. Shi, instead, suggested to him that perhaps they could both be emperors of independent, allied states. An, pleased, exited Yecheng and met with Shi to swear to the alliance.
When An met Shi, he kneeled down to thank Shi for his help, stating:
Shi suddenly changed his expression and rebuked An:
Shi then executed An Qingxu, his four brothers, Gao, Sun, and Cui. He took over An's territory and troops, but returned to Fanyang and left his oldest son Shi Chaoyi
in charge of Yecheng. He soon claimed for himself the title of emperor of Yan. He created his wife Lady Xin empress, Shi Chaoyi the Prince of Huai, and made Zhou Zhi (周摯) his chancellor
and Li Guiren (李歸仁), the main chieftain who of the non-Han forces that had submitted to him in 757, his chief general.
, Henan
) and Luoyang, but his further attempts to advance was rebuffed by Tang forces at Heyang (河陽, in modern Jiaozuo
, Henan
) and Shan Prefecture (陝州, roughly modern Sanmenxia
, Henan
), and the sides stalemated.
Meanwhile, by this point, Shi was described to be cruel and prone to kill, terrorizing his army. He favored Shi Chaoqing over Shi Chaoyi and considered creating Shi Chaoqing crown prince and killing Shi Chaoyi. In spring 761, Shi Siming began another attempt to attack Shan Prefecture, wanting to attack Chang'an. He had Shi Chaoyi serve as his forward commander, but Shi Chaoyi was repeatedly repelled by the Tang general Wei Boyu (衛伯玉). Shi Siming was angry at Shi Chaoyi's failures and considered punishing him and the generals below him. On 18 April, Shi Siming had ordered Shi Chaoyi to build a triangular fort with a hill as its side, to store food supplies, and ordered that it be completed in one day. Near the end of the day, Shi Chaoyi had completed it, but had not plastered the walls with mud, when Shi Siming arrived and rebuked him for not applying mud. He ordered his own servants to stay and watch the plastering. He then angrily stated, "After I capture Shan Prefecture I will kill you, thief!" That night, Shi Chaoyi's subordinates Luo Yue (駱悅) and Cai Wenjing (蔡文景) warned him that he was in dire straits—and that if he refused to take action to depose Shi Siming, they would defect to Tang. Shi Chaoyi agreed to take action, and Luo persuaded Shi Siming's guard commander General Cao (personal name lost to history) to agree with the plot. That night, Luo led 300 soldiers and ambushed Shi Siming, binding him and then beginning a return to Luoyang with the troops. On the way back to Luoyang, Luo feared that someone might try to rescue Shi Siming, and so strangled him.
History of China
Chinese civilization originated in various regional centers along both the Yellow River and the Yangtze River valleys in the Neolithic era, but the Yellow River is said to be the Cradle of Chinese Civilization. With thousands of years of continuous history, China is one of the world's oldest...
Tang Dynasty
Tang Dynasty
The Tang Dynasty was an imperial dynasty of China preceded by the Sui Dynasty and followed by the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms Period. It was founded by the Li family, who seized power during the decline and collapse of the Sui Empire...
who followed his childhood friend An Lushan
An Lushan
An Lushan was a general who rebelled against the Tang Dynasty in China.His name was also transcribed into Chinese as Āluòshān or Gáluòshān ,...
in rebelling against Tang, and who later succeeded An Lushan's son An Qingxu
An Qingxu
An Qingxu , né An Renzhi , was a son of An Lushan, a general of the Chinese Tang Dynasty who rebelled and took imperial title of his own state of Yan. An Qingxu serves as the Prince of Jin from 756 - 757, and later killed his father and took imperial title for himself. He was eventually defeated...
as emperor of the Yan
Yan (Anshi)
Yan , also known as the Great Yan , was a state established in 756 by the Tang Dynasty general An Lushan, after he rebelled against the reign of Emperor Xuanzong of Tang in 755. The state was extinguished in 763, with the death of An Lushan's former subordinate, Shi Siming's son, Shi Chaoyi, who...
state that An Lushan established.
Background
It is not known when Shi Sugan was born, other than that he was born one day before his friend An LushanAn Lushan
An Lushan was a general who rebelled against the Tang Dynasty in China.His name was also transcribed into Chinese as Āluòshān or Gáluòshān ,...
and that they grew up together. He was of Tujue extraction, and was said to be thin with smooth skin, with an impatient disposition. After both he and An grew up, they were both known for their bravery. However, he was poor and of low social station, and was looked down by the people of his locale. However, a Lady Xin
Empress Xin
Empress Xin was an empress and wife of Shi Siming, a general of the Chinese dynasty Tang Dynasty who became an emperor of the rebel Yan state during Anshi Rebellion....
, a daughter of local gentry, insisted on marrying him despite her family's opposition, and she was eventually successful in doing so.
Under Emperor Xuanzong's rule
Shi Sugan first served under the Tang DynastyTang Dynasty
The Tang Dynasty was an imperial dynasty of China preceded by the Sui Dynasty and followed by the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms Period. It was founded by the Li family, who seized power during the decline and collapse of the Sui Empire...
general Wu Zhiyi (烏知義), and it was said that whenever Wu ordered him to attack, he would be able to capture enemy soldiers and return with them. As both he and An Lushan understood six non-Han
Han Chinese
Han Chinese are an ethnic group native to China and are the largest single ethnic group in the world.Han Chinese constitute about 92% of the population of the People's Republic of China , 98% of the population of the Republic of China , 78% of the population of Singapore, and about 20% of the...
languages, both of them served in the military market as interpreters. He later served under the general Zhang Shougui (張守珪), along with An. Early in Emperor Xuanzong
Emperor Xuanzong of Tang
Emperor Xuanzong of Tang , also commonly known as Emperor Ming of Tang , personal name Li Longji , known as Wu Longji from 690 to 705, was the seventh emperor of the Tang dynasty in China, reigning from 712 to 756. His reign of 43 years was the longest during the Tang Dynasty...
's Tianbao era (741-756), because of Shi's repeated military accomplishments, he was made a general at Pinglu Army (平盧, headquartered in modern Chaoyang, Liaoning). Once, when he was in the capital Chang'an
Chang'an
Chang'an is an ancient capital of more than ten dynasties in Chinese history, today known as Xi'an. Chang'an literally means "Perpetual Peace" in Classical Chinese. During the short-lived Xin Dynasty, the city was renamed "Constant Peace" ; yet after its fall in AD 23, the old name was restored...
to make reports to Emperor Xuanzong, Emperor Xuanzong was impressed with him and patted his back, stating, "You, Lord, will one day be honored. Keep this in mind." He had Shi change his name to Siming (literally meaning, "thinking of brightness"). Shi later served as the governor of Beiping Commandery (北平, roughly modern Qinhuangdao
Qinhuangdao
Qinhuangdao is a port city in northeastern Hebei province of North China. It is about 300 km east of Beijing, on the Bohai Sea, the innermost gulf of the Yellow Sea....
, Hebei
Hebei
' is a province of the People's Republic of China in the North China region. Its one-character abbreviation is "" , named after Ji Province, a Han Dynasty province that included what is now southern Hebei...
). In 751, after a major defeat that An, who was then the military governor (jiedushi
Jiedushi
The Jiedushi were regional military governors in China during the Tang Dynasty and the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms Period. Originally set up to counter external threats, the jiedushi were given enormous power, including the ability to maintain their own armies, collect taxes, and pass their...
) of Pinglu (then converted into a military circuit) as well as Fanyang (范陽, headquartered in modern Beijing
Beijing
Beijing , also known as Peking , is the capital of the People's Republic of China and one of the most populous cities in the world, with a population of 19,612,368 as of 2010. The city is the country's political, cultural, and educational center, and home to the headquarters for most of China's...
) and Hedong (河東, headquartered in modern Taiyuan
Taiyuan
Taiyuan is the capital and largest city of Shanxi province in North China. At the 2010 census, it had a total population of 4,201,591 inhabitants on 6959 km² whom 3,212,500 are urban on 1,460 km². The name of the city literally means "Great Plains", referring to the location where the Fen River...
, Shanxi
Shanxi
' is a province in Northern China. Its one-character abbreviation is "晋" , after the state of Jin that existed here during the Spring and Autumn Period....
) Circuits, suffered at the hands of the Xi
Kumo Xi
The Kumo Xi ) were a Mongolic steppe people located in current Manchuria from 207 AD to 907 AD. After the death of their ancestor Tadun in 207 they were no longer called Wuhuan but joined the Khitan Xianbei in submitting to the Yuwen Xianbei. Their history is widely linked to the more famous Khitan...
, Shi reorganized the collapsed troops to prevent further disaster, drawing accolades from An—although Shi commented that if he had met An just slightly earlier after the defeat, he would have been executed, as Ge Jie (哥解) and Yu Chengxian (魚承仙), two other generals that An blamed for the defeat, were. In 752, at An's recommendation, Shi was made Bingma Shi (兵馬使), a commanding officer of Pinglu soldiers.
Under An Lushan's rule
In 755, An Lushan rose against Emperor Xuanzong's rule, and Shi Siming served under him. Initially, the Tang commanderies north of the Yellow RiverYellow River
The Yellow River or Huang He, formerly known as the Hwang Ho, is the second-longest river in China and the sixth-longest in the world at the estimated length of . Originating in the Bayan Har Mountains in Qinghai Province in western China, it flows through nine provinces of China and empties into...
nearly all submitted to An, allowing An to quickly advance south and capture the Tang eastern capital Luoyang
Luoyang
Luoyang is a prefecture-level city in western Henan province of Central China. It borders the provincial capital of Zhengzhou to the east, Pingdingshan to the southeast, Nanyang to the south, Sanmenxia to the west, Jiyuan to the north, and Jiaozuo to the northeast.Situated on the central plain of...
, but around the new year 756, the official Yan Gaoqing (顏杲卿), who had earlier submitted to An, rose against An at Changshan Commandery (常山, roughly modern Shijiazhuang
Shijiazhuang
Shijiazhuang is the capital and largest city of North China's Hebei province. Administratively a prefecture-level city, it is about south of Beijing...
, Hebei
Hebei
' is a province of the People's Republic of China in the North China region. Its one-character abbreviation is "" , named after Ji Province, a Han Dynasty province that included what is now southern Hebei...
), which he was governor of, leading to a flurry of other commanderies turning against An as well. An, who was then at Luoyang, sent Shi and Li Lijie (李立節) to attack Changshan and Boling (博陵, roughly modern Baoding
Baoding
-Administrative divisions:Baoding prefecture-level city consists of 3 municipal districts, 4 county-level cities, 18 counties:-Demographics:The Baoding urban area has a population of around 1,006,000 . The population of the Baoding administrative area is 10,890,000. The considerable majority are...
, Hebei
Hebei
' is a province of the People's Republic of China in the North China region. Its one-character abbreviation is "" , named after Ji Province, a Han Dynasty province that included what is now southern Hebei...
) Commanderies. Just eight days after Yan's defection, Shi and Cai Xide (蔡希德) both arrived at Changshan and captured Yan, who was delivered to Luoyang and executed. Shi, Li, and Cai then attacked the other commanderies that rose along with Yan, and they resubmitted to An, who declared himself the emperor of a new state of Yan
Yan (Anshi)
Yan , also known as the Great Yan , was a state established in 756 by the Tang Dynasty general An Lushan, after he rebelled against the reign of Emperor Xuanzong of Tang in 755. The state was extinguished in 763, with the death of An Lushan's former subordinate, Shi Siming's son, Shi Chaoyi, who...
. Lu Quancheng (盧全誠), the governor of Raoyang Commandery (饒陽, roughly modern Hengshui
Hengshui
Hengshui is a prefecture-level city in Hebei province, China. It has an urban population of 460,240 in the built up area and a population of 4,340,373 at the 2010 census in its administrative area...
, Hebei
Hebei
' is a province of the People's Republic of China in the North China region. Its one-character abbreviation is "" , named after Ji Province, a Han Dynasty province that included what is now southern Hebei...
), however, refused to submit, and Shi put Raoyang under siege but could not quickly capture it, and was forced to lift the siege when the Tang general Li Guangbi
Li Guangbi
Li Guangbi , formally Prince Wumu of Linhuai , was a general of the Chinese dynasty Tang Dynasty, of ethnic Khitan ancestry, who was instrumental in Tang's suppression of the Anshi Rebellion.- Background :...
arrived with relief troops from Hedong Circuit. Subsequently, he and Li Guangbi and another Tang general, Guo Ziyi
Guo Ziyi
Guo Ziyi , formally Prince Zhongwu of Fenyang , was a general during the Tang Dynasty who ended the An Shi Rebellion, and participated in expeditions against the peoples of Huihe and Tubo...
, engaged in a number of battles, largely to Shi's detriment, eventually causing many commanderies to rise against An again. This brought An much concern, and at one point, An considered abandoning Luoyang and heading back north. Eventually, however, the situation changed when the Tang general Geshu Han
Geshu Han
Geshu Han , formally Prince Wumin of Xiping , was a general of the Chinese dynasty Tang Dynasty of Tuqishi extraction. He became a powerful general late in the reign of Emperor Xuanzong and in 756 became responsible for defending Tong Pass against the rebel forces of An Lushan...
was defeated at Tong Pass by another Yan general, Cui Qianyou (崔乾祐), and Yan troops were able to capture Chang'an and force both Emperor Xuanzong and his crown prince
Crown Prince
A crown prince or crown princess is the heir or heiress apparent to the throne in a royal or imperial monarchy. The wife of a crown prince is also titled crown princess....
Li Heng
Emperor Suzong of Tang
Emperor Suzong of Tang , personal name Li Heng , né Li Sisheng , known as Li Jun from 725 to 736, known as Li Yu from 736 to 738, known briefly as Li Shao in 738, was an emperor of the Tang Dynasty and the son of Emperor Xuanzong...
to flee—with Li Heng fleeing to Lingwu and declaring himself emperor there (as Emperor Suzong). Guo and Li Guangbi abandoned their campaign against Shi and went to Lingwu as well, thus allowing Shi to largely repacify the region north of the Yellow River for Yan. When Liu Zhengchen (劉正臣), who had risen against An at Pinglu, made a surprise attack on Fanyang, Shi defeated Liu, forcing him to flee back to Pinglu.
Under An Qingxu's rule
In spring 757, An Lushan was killed by his son An QingxuAn Qingxu
An Qingxu , né An Renzhi , was a son of An Lushan, a general of the Chinese Tang Dynasty who rebelled and took imperial title of his own state of Yan. An Qingxu serves as the Prince of Jin from 756 - 757, and later killed his father and took imperial title for himself. He was eventually defeated...
, who succeeded to the Yan throne. Meanwhile, though, Shi Siming, who had not received the news of An Lushan's death, attacked Taiyuan, where Li Guangbi was at that point, along with Cai Xide, Gao Xiuyan (高秀巖), and Niu Tingjie (牛廷玠), with 100,000 troops total. They sieged Taiyuan for more than a month, but could not capture it. The news of An Lushan's death then arrived, and An Qingxu further ordered Shi to return to Fanyang to guard it, leaving Cai at Taiyuan to watch Li Guangbi. An Qingxu also made Shi the military governor of Fanyang and created him the Prince of Guichuan. Shi, however, hoarding the supplies that An Lushan had previously shipped to Fanyang, began to disobey An Qingxu's orders, and An Qingxu could not keep him in check. In winter 757, after An Qingxu was forced to abandon Luoyang after a joint Tang/Huige counterattack, various non-Han tribal troops abandoned An Qingxu and fled north. Shi induced the elite Yeluohe (曵落河) troops, as well as various other tribes, to submit to him, but the Tongluo (同羅) forces refused, and he then defeated them.
Meanwhile, An Qingxu sent the generals Ashina Chengqing (阿史那承慶) and An Shouzhong (安守忠) to Fanyang to requisition troops from Shi, and also see if they could take advantage and seize Fanyang. Shi, under the advice of his assistant Geng Renzhi (耿仁智), turned against An Qingxu, detaining Ashina and An Shouzhong, and offering to submit to Tang instead, along with Gao. Emperor Suzong was pleased. He commissioned Shi as the military governor of Fanyang and created him the Prince of Guiyi. He also sent the eunuch Li Sijing (李思敬) and Wu Zhiyi's son Wu Cheng'en (烏承恩) to comfort Shi.
Brief submission to Emperor Suzong and re-rebellion
After Shi Siming's submission to Tang, the other nearby prefectures also largely submitted to Tang, leaving An Qingxu isolated in YechengYe, China
Ye or Yecheng was an ancient Chinese city located in what is now Linzhang County, Hebei and the neighbouring Anyang County, Henan....
, holding only Yecheng and its surrounding region. However, a number of Tang generals, including Li Guangbi and Zhang Gao
Zhang Gao
Zhang Gao , courtesy name Congzhou , formally the Duke of Pingyuan , was an official of the Chinese dynasty Tang Dynasty, serving as a chancellor during the reign of Emperor Suzong...
, doubted Shi's sincerity. In summer 759, under Li Guangbi's advice, Emperor Suzong had Wu Cheng'en try to persuade Ashina Chengqing into killing Shi together and seizing Fanyang. Shi discovered this and put Wu to death. He did not initially formally turn against Tang, but made an ultimatum demanding Li Guangbi's death. Meanwhile, though, with An Qingxu seeking aid from him, he launched his troops and headed south toward Yecheng. Shi quickly captured Wei Prefecture (魏州, in modern Handan
Handan
Handan is a prefecture-level city located in the southwestern part of Hebei Province of China.- History :Handan was the capital of the State of Zhao during the Warring States period , after the capital moved from Zhongmu. The city was conquered by the State of Qin after the virtual annexation of...
, Hebei
Hebei
' is a province of the People's Republic of China in the North China region. Its one-character abbreviation is "" , named after Ji Province, a Han Dynasty province that included what is now southern Hebei...
) from the Tang general Cui Guangyuan (崔光遠), and then declared himself "the Great Holy Prince of Yan" (大聖燕王) in spring 760.
Meanwhile, the Tang generals Guo Ziyi
Guo Ziyi
Guo Ziyi , formally Prince Zhongwu of Fenyang , was a general during the Tang Dynasty who ended the An Shi Rebellion, and participated in expeditions against the peoples of Huihe and Tubo...
, Lu Jiong (魯炅), Li Huan (李奐), Xu Shuji (許叔冀), Li Siye
Li Siye
Li Siye , formally Prince Zhongyong of Wuwei , was a general of the Chinese Tang Dynasty who fought in the Battle of Talas. He fought valiantly at the Battle of Talas after the defeat of the main forces commanded by Gao Xianzhi, and his efforts allowed Gao to escape from the pursuit that Abbasid...
, Ji Guangchen (季廣琛), Cui Guangyuan (崔光遠), Dong Qin (董秦), Li Guangbi, and Wang Sili (王思禮), were gathering at Yecheng and putting it under siege. An Qingxu tried to fight out of the siege, but was defeated by Tang forces, and his brother An Qinghe (安慶和) was killed. Meanwhile, An sent the general Xue Song
Xue Song
Xue Song , formally the Prince of Pingyang , was a general of the Chinese rebel state Yan, who later submitted to and became a general of Tang Dynasty, from which Yan had rebelled...
to Fanyang to seek aid from Shi, offering the throne to him. Shi thus advanced south toward Yecheng. Meanwhile, Tang forces, under the command of nine generals (with Li Siye having died during the siege), were uncoordinated. On 7 April 759, Shi engaged Tang forces—and, when a storm suddenly arrived, both armies panicked; Shi's forces fled north, and Tang forces fled south, lifting the siege on Yecheng. An Qingxu's forces gathered the food and supplies abandoned by Tang forces, and An thereafter considered, with Sun Xiaozhe (孫孝哲) and Cui the possibility of refusing Shi, who gathered his troops and again approached Yecheng, admittance. Shi himself was not communicating with An, but was feasting his soldiers and watching Yecheng. Zhang and Gao Shang (高尚) requested permission to meet Shi, and An agreed; Shi gave them gifts and let them return to Yecheng. An, unsure what to do, again offered the throne to Shi, which Shi declined. Shi, instead, suggested to him that perhaps they could both be emperors of independent, allied states. An, pleased, exited Yecheng and met with Shi to swear to the alliance.
When An met Shi, he kneeled down to thank Shi for his help, stating:
Shi suddenly changed his expression and rebuked An:
Shi then executed An Qingxu, his four brothers, Gao, Sun, and Cui. He took over An's territory and troops, but returned to Fanyang and left his oldest son Shi Chaoyi
Shi Chaoyi
Shi Chaoyi was the final emperor of the Yan state that was established in rebellion against the Chinese Tang Dynasty. He was the oldest son of Shi Siming, and he overthrew and then killed his father in a coup in 761 and took over as emperor...
in charge of Yecheng. He soon claimed for himself the title of emperor of Yan. He created his wife Lady Xin empress, Shi Chaoyi the Prince of Huai, and made Zhou Zhi (周摯) his chancellor
Chancellor
Chancellor is the title of various official positions in the governments of many nations. The original chancellors were the Cancellarii of Roman courts of justice—ushers who sat at the cancelli or lattice work screens of a basilica or law court, which separated the judge and counsel from the...
and Li Guiren (李歸仁), the main chieftain who of the non-Han forces that had submitted to him in 757, his chief general.
As emperor
Shi Siming soon left Empress Xin's son Shi Chaoqing (史朝清) in charge of Fanyang and headed south. He quickly captured Bian Prefecture (汴州, roughly modern KaifengKaifeng
Kaifeng , known previously by several names , is a prefecture-level city in east-central Henan province, Central China. Nearly 5 million people live in the metropolitan area...
, Henan
Henan
Henan , is a province of the People's Republic of China, located in the central part of the country. Its one-character abbreviation is "豫" , named after Yuzhou , a Han Dynasty state that included parts of Henan...
) and Luoyang, but his further attempts to advance was rebuffed by Tang forces at Heyang (河陽, in modern Jiaozuo
Jiaozuo
Jiaozuo is a prefecture-level city in northern Henan province, People's Republic of China. Sitting on the northern bank of the Yellow River, it borders the provincial capital of Zhengzhou to the south, Xinxiang to the east, Jiyuan to the west, Luoyang to the southwest, and the province of Shanxi...
, Henan
Henan
Henan , is a province of the People's Republic of China, located in the central part of the country. Its one-character abbreviation is "豫" , named after Yuzhou , a Han Dynasty state that included parts of Henan...
) and Shan Prefecture (陝州, roughly modern Sanmenxia
Sanmenxia
-Administration:The prefecture-level city of Sanmenxia administers one district, two county-level cities and three counties.*Hubin District*Lingbao City*Yima City*Lushi County*Shan County*Mianchi County*Sanmenxia Development Zone...
, Henan
Henan
Henan , is a province of the People's Republic of China, located in the central part of the country. Its one-character abbreviation is "豫" , named after Yuzhou , a Han Dynasty state that included parts of Henan...
), and the sides stalemated.
Meanwhile, by this point, Shi was described to be cruel and prone to kill, terrorizing his army. He favored Shi Chaoqing over Shi Chaoyi and considered creating Shi Chaoqing crown prince and killing Shi Chaoyi. In spring 761, Shi Siming began another attempt to attack Shan Prefecture, wanting to attack Chang'an. He had Shi Chaoyi serve as his forward commander, but Shi Chaoyi was repeatedly repelled by the Tang general Wei Boyu (衛伯玉). Shi Siming was angry at Shi Chaoyi's failures and considered punishing him and the generals below him. On 18 April, Shi Siming had ordered Shi Chaoyi to build a triangular fort with a hill as its side, to store food supplies, and ordered that it be completed in one day. Near the end of the day, Shi Chaoyi had completed it, but had not plastered the walls with mud, when Shi Siming arrived and rebuked him for not applying mud. He ordered his own servants to stay and watch the plastering. He then angrily stated, "After I capture Shan Prefecture I will kill you, thief!" That night, Shi Chaoyi's subordinates Luo Yue (駱悅) and Cai Wenjing (蔡文景) warned him that he was in dire straits—and that if he refused to take action to depose Shi Siming, they would defect to Tang. Shi Chaoyi agreed to take action, and Luo persuaded Shi Siming's guard commander General Cao (personal name lost to history) to agree with the plot. That night, Luo led 300 soldiers and ambushed Shi Siming, binding him and then beginning a return to Luoyang with the troops. On the way back to Luoyang, Luo feared that someone might try to rescue Shi Siming, and so strangled him.
Personal information
- Wife
- Empress XinEmpress XinEmpress Xin was an empress and wife of Shi Siming, a general of the Chinese dynasty Tang Dynasty who became an emperor of the rebel Yan state during Anshi Rebellion....
(created 759, executed 761), mother of Crown Prince Chaoqing
- Empress Xin
- Children
- Shi ChaoyiShi ChaoyiShi Chaoyi was the final emperor of the Yan state that was established in rebellion against the Chinese Tang Dynasty. He was the oldest son of Shi Siming, and he overthrew and then killed his father in a coup in 761 and took over as emperor...
(史朝義), the Prince of Huai (created 759), later emperor - Shi Chaoqing (史朝清), the Crown Prince (executed 761)
- At least five more sons
- Shi Chaoyi