Cheng Xia

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Cheng Xia (died 333) was a Chinese minister of Later Zhao during the Sixteen Kingdoms period. His sister, Consort Cheng, was a wife of Shi Le and also the mother to the Crown Prince Shi Hong. As Shi Le's brother-in-law, he was thus given an important role in the Later Zhao administration. He was also strong opposition to Shi Le's powerful nephew, Shi Hu, who he feared would usurp the throne once Shi Le passes. His attempts at diminishing Shi Hu's influence captured his scorn, and after he launched a coup in 333 following Shi Le's death, Shi Hu had Cheng Xia and his ally Xu Guang executed.

Contents

Life

Early career

Cheng Xia joined Shi Le while the latter was raising an army in Hebei. His sister was Consort Cheng who married Shi Le and gave birth to Shi Le's soon-to-be heir, Shi Hong. [1] Cheng Xia's first known positions in Shi Le's administration was the Prefect of Changle and Marshal of the Right. In 315, he assisted Shi Le in his campaign against the rebel, Wang Gen (王眘). [2] After Shi Le occupied all of Jizhou in 316, Cheng Xia was promoted to General Who Calms The Northern Frontier and Chief Controller of seven counties in Jizhou. [3] In 319, Cheng Xia was one of many who urged Shi Le to claim the imperial title, although this was rejected. [4]

As Shi Le's Chief Clerk of the Right

In 322, Shi Le's most favourite advisor, Zhang Bin died. Cheng Xia replaced him as the new Chief Clerk of the Right. However, Shi Le did not like Cheng Xia as much as he did with Zhang Bin as the two men were constantly at disagreement with each other. It is said that every time Shi Le disagreed with Cheng Xia, he would sigh and say, "The Right Marquess abandoned me and let me work with this man. Was it not cruel for him to do so?" [5]

Cheng Xia advised Shi Le in 326 to garrison troops in the palaces in Ye. Shi Le assigned the thirteen-year-old Shi Hong to take command of the army in Ye with assistance from the general Wang Yang (王陽). Shi Hu took offence from this decision as he believed that he deserved full control over Ye due to his merits in Shi Le's conquest. Hu was forced to move his family and households under him out of Ye, but he built the Three Terrace near the city, where he relocated them. He also violently retaliated by having his soldiers dressed up as bandits to raid Cheng Xia's household, where they violated the women inside and stole their clothes. [6]

The following year in 328, Shi Le personally led a campaign against his rival, Liu Yao of Han-Zhao in Luoyang after Shi Hu failed to subdue him. Cheng Xia and a number of ministers opposed this decision, believing that Liu Yao's demise was certain even without Le's presence. Shi Le was angry at their remonstration, drawing his sword and shouting at them until they left. With help from a compliant minister, Xu Guang, Shi Le's campaign ended in success with Shi Le even capturing Liu Yao himself. [7]

Han-Zhao was annihilated in 329 with the defeat and death of Liu Yao's princes, Liu Yin and Liu Xi. In 330, Shi Le claimed the title of Heavenly King. Appointments were handed out, with Cheng Xia becoming Supervisor of the Right and acting Supervisor of the Masters of Writing. [8]

That same year, the Jin dynasty rebel, Zu Yue had fled to Later Zhao after loyalist forces had defeated his army. Shi Le did not like him but still entertained him initially. This soon changed as Cheng Xia, believing Zu Yue to be an untrustworthy general, advised Shi Le to execute Zu and his family before he could revolt. Cheng Xia's advice was backed by the general Yao Yizhong, and Shi Le eventually agreed. Cheng Xia invited Zu Yue and his family to a banquet where Shi Le had them arrested and later executed. [9]

Opposing Shi Hu and death

With most of northern China under Later Zhao's control, Cheng Xia once more sought to reduce Shi Hu's influence, which he saw was growing day by day. In 332, he approached Shi Le and expressed his concerns over Later Zhao's future. Pointing out Shi Hu's ruthlessness and military prowess, Cheng believed that Hu would not submit to Shi Le's young heir, Shi Hong, after Le's death. However, Shi Le dismissed these concerns as Cheng being worried about not having sole control over Hong. Shi Le felt that Shi Hu was still a vital asset for Shi Hong's future military campaigns, and at the same time assured Cheng with a lofty position in Hong's court. [10]

An emotional Cheng attempted to rebuke Shi Le's presumptions of him but was once more ignored. After failing to convince Shi Le, Cheng Xia went to Xu Guang (who had also tried to curb Shi Hu's influence), warning him of impending harm in the hands of Shi Hu. Hearing this, Xu also approached Shi Le with the same intent as Cheng did, only this time with some success. However, this was not enough to stop Shi Hu entirely.

After Shi Le's death on August 17, 333, Shi Hu immediately had Shi Hong placed under his control through a coup. Cheng Xia and Xu Guang were arrested and brought before the Minister of Justice. Due to his grudge, the two were exempted from Shi Hu's general amnesty and executed instead. [11]

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References

  1. ↑ (石弘字大雅，勒第三子。母程夫人，右光祿遐之妹。建平元年，立為太子。) Annals of the Sixteen Kingdoms, Volume 2
  2. ↑ (章武人王昚起于科斗壘，擾亂勒河間、渤海諸郡。勒以揚武張夷為河間太守，參軍臨深為渤海太守，各率步騎三千以鎮靜之，使長樂太守程遐屯于昌亭為之聲勢。) Book of Jin, Volume 104
  3. ↑ (勒之征樂平也，其南和令趙領招合廣川、平原、渤海數千戶叛勒，奔于邵續。河間邢嘏累徵不至，亦聚衆數百以叛。勒巡下冀州諸縣，以右司馬程遐為寧朔將軍、監冀州七郡諸軍事。) Book of Jin, Volume 104
  4. ↑ (冬，石勒左、右長史張敬、張賓，左、右司馬張屈六、程遐等勸勒稱尊號，勒不許。) Zizhi Tongjian, Volume 91
  5. ↑ (後趙濮陽景侯張賓卒，後趙王勒哭之慟，曰：「天不欲成吾事邪，何奪吾右侯之早也！」程遐代爲右長史。遐，世子弘之舅也，勒每與遐議，有所不合，輒歎曰：「右侯捨我去，乃令我與此輩共事，豈非酷乎！」因流涕彌日。) Zizhi Tongjian, Volume 92
  6. ↑ (後趙王勒用程遐之謀，營鄴宮，使世子弘鎭鄴，配禁兵萬人，車騎所統五十四營悉配之，以驍騎將軍領門臣祭酒王陽專統六夷以輔之。中山公虎自以功多，無去鄴之意，及修三臺，遷其家室，虎由是怨程遐。) Zizhi Tongjian, Volume 93
  7. ↑ (冬，十一月，後趙王勒欲自將救洛陽，僚佐程遐等固諫曰：「劉曜懸軍千里，勢不支久。大王不宜親動，動無萬全。」勒大怒，按劍叱遐等出。) Zizhi Tongjian, Volume 94
  8. ↑ (署左長史郭敖為尚書左僕射，右長史程遐為右僕射、領吏部尚書，左司馬夔安、右司馬郭殷、從事中郎李鳳、前郎中令裴憲為尚書，署參軍事徐光為中書令、領秘書監。) Book of Jin, Volume 105
  9. ↑ (勒薄其為人，不見者久之。勒將程遐說勒曰：「天下粗定，當顯明逆順，此漢高祖所以斬丁公也。今忠於事君者莫不顯擢，背叛不臣者無不夷戮，此天下所以歸伏大王也。祖約猶存，臣切惑之。且約大引賓客，又占奪鄉里先人田地，地主多怨。」於是勒乃詐約曰：「祖侯遠來，未得喜歡，可集子弟一時俱會。」至日，勒辭之以疾，令遐請約及其宗室。約知禍及，大飲致醉。既至於市，抱其外孫而泣。遂殺之，並其親屬中外百餘人悉滅之，婦女伎妾班賜諸胡。) Book of Jin, Volume 100
  10. ↑ (程遐又言於勒曰：「中山王勇武權智，群臣莫有及者。觀其志也，自陛下之外，視之蔑如。兼荷專征歲久，威振外內，性又不仁，殘忍無賴。其諸子並長，皆預兵權。陛下在，自當無他，恐其怏怏不可輔少主也。宜早除之，以便大計。」) Book of Jin, Volume 105
  11. ↑ (勒死，虎擅誅右光祿大夫程遐、中書令徐光，遣子邃率兵入大雅宮，直衞文武皆奔散。大雅大懼，自陳弱劣，讓位于虎。) Book of Northern Wei, Volume 95
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Cheng Xia
程遐
Prefect of Changle (長樂太守)
In office
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