Ji Sang

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Ji Sang
汲桑
Grand General (大將軍) (Self-appointed)
In office
307 (307)–308 (308)
MonarchEmperor Hui of Jin
Personal details
BornUnknown
Died11 January 308
In this Chinese name, the family name is Ji.

Ji Sang (died 11 January 308) was a Chinese rebel of the Jin dynasty (266–420). During his days as a shepherd, he befriended a Jie slave who he would name Shi Le. The two raised a personal army and later joined Sima Ying's retainer, Gongshi Fan (公師藩), who rose up to avenge the prince after his removal. Following Gongshi Fan's death, Ji Sang and Shi Le continued on their own, sacking the city of Ye in the process. They were finally defeated by the Jin general Gou Xi, and Ji Sang was assassinated by the in 308.

Life[]

Ji Sang was either from Beiqiu County (southeast of present-day Boxing County, Shandong) in Qinghe Commandery or Yangping Commandery (陽平; present-day Qingfeng County, Henan). He was widely admired at the time for his strengths, as it was said he was capable of lifting extremely heavy weights and his breathing could be heard from great distances.[1]

He worked in a group of horse shepherds that were operating next to the household of Shi Huan (師懽) in Chiping County. In 304, he befriended one of Shi Huan's slave, Bei (㔨) (or Fule (匐勒)), a Jie man who later went on to establish one of the most pivotal states of the Sixteen Kingdoms, Later Zhao. After Bei was released in 305, the two men agreed to become bandits, recruiting hundreds of men under their wing. Ji Sang also gave Bei his more commonly used name, Shi Le.[2]

That same year, the Prince of Chengdu, Sima Ying, was removed from his position of crown prince. His general Gongshi Fan, rose up against the Prince of Donghai, Sima Yue, so Ji Sang and Shi Le joined him. Gongshi Fan was killed the following year in 306, after he was defeated by Sima Yue's general Gou Xi. Ji Sang fled back to the pasture he once worked at together with Shi Le, assembling new men to fight for their cause and plundering the region. He declared himself Grand General, stating his intentions to avenge the now deceased Sima Ying. He also made Shi Le his General Who Routs the Caitiffs.[3]

Ji Sang resumed his fight with Jin in early 307, when he attacked the city of Ye. Ji Sang first defeated the general Feng Song (馮嵩) before continuing to advance to the city. The Prince of Xincai and commander of Ye, , fled the city, but was killed by Ji Sang's general, Li Feng (李豐). After entering the city, Ji Sang dug up the coffin of Sima Ying and placed it in a cart. Previously, before carrying out a decision, Ji Sang would inform to a statue of Sima Ying before carrying it out. After acquiring Sima Ying's coffin, he turned to reporting to the coffin instead. Ji Sang sacked the city and left it to burn for ten days before leaving.[4]

Ji Sang marched south of the Yellow River and began threatening Yanzhou. Sima Yue, now regent to Emperor Hui of Jin, worried greatly and sent his generals, Gou Xi and Wang Zan (王讚) to subdue Ji Sang. Ji Sang and Shi Le were locked in a stalemate with Gou Xi for months at Pingyuan and Yangping (陽平; in present-day Shen County, Shandong). On 14 September, Gou Xi routed Ji Sang at Dongwuyang (東武陽; in present-day Shen County, Shandong), forcing him to retreat to Qingyuan (清淵; in present-day Linxi County, Hebei). Gou Xi pursued him and defeated him again, killing many of his followers. Ji Sang and Shi Le took the decision to flee to Liu Yuan's state of Han Zhao, but along the way, they were intercepted and beaten by Ding Shao (丁邵).[5]

After their defeat to Ding Shao, Ji Sang and Shi Le were separated from each other. Ji Sang fled to his pasture while Shi Le fled to Leping (樂平; in present-day Jinzhong, Shanxi) to join Liu Yuan. Although Shi Le did manage to reach Liu Yuan, Ji Sang was not so lucky. A group of loyalists to Sima Teng called the Qihuo were angry about Ji Sang's killing of their late master. They raised their troops and killed Ji Sang at Leling (樂陵; present-day Yangxin County, Shandong) on 11 January 308, finally ending the conflict between Sima Yue and Sima Ying's retainers.[6]

Anecdote[]

A story tells that on a hot summer in one year, Ji Sang wrapped himself in pelts and asked someone to fan him. When he no longer felt cool, he had the fanner executed. A song titled "Song of Bingzhou (并州歌)" was composed and sang by soldiers following his death which referenced this event:[7]

士為將軍何可羞,

An infantryman made himself a general, how shameful!

六月重茵被衲裘,

In the sixth month layering on clothing and donning leopard hide,

不識寒暑斷他頭。

Unable to distinguish cold from heat he severed a man's head.

熊兒田蘭為報仇, The heroic lad Tian Lan enacted retribution on the foe,

中夜斬首謝并州。

In the middle of the night [he] beheaded [him] to recompense. Bingzhou!”

References[]

  1. ^ (汲桑，平陽人，一云清河貝丘人。年二十馀，力能扛百鈞，呼聞數里，時人服之，常事成都王司馬穎。) Spring and Autumn Annals of the Sixteen Kingdoms, Volume 22
  2. ^ (師家隣於馬牧，勒與牧帥汲桑往來相託，遂招集王陽、夔安、支雄、冀保、吳豫、劉膺、姚豹、逯明、郭敖、劉徵、劉寶、張曀僕、呼延莫、郭黑略、張越、孔豚、趙鹿、支屈六等，東如赤龍、騄驥諸苑，乘苑馬還掠繒寶以賂汲桑。成都王穎之廢也，穎故將陽平人公師藩等自稱將軍，起兵趙魏，眾至數萬，勒與汲桑率牧人，乘苑馬數百騎以赴之。於是桑始命勒以石為姓，以勒為名。藩拜為前隊督。) Book of Northern Wei, Volume 95
  3. ^ (藩戰敗身死，勒與汲桑亡潛苑中。穎之將如河北也，汲桑以勒為伏夜牙門，率牧人劫掠郡縣繫囚，合軍以應之，屯于平石。桑自號大將軍，進軍攻鄴，以勒為前鋒都尉。攻鄴，克之。) Book of Northern Wei, 95
  4. ^ (公師藩旣死，汲桑逃還苑中，更聚衆劫掠郡縣，自稱大將軍，聲言爲成都王報仇；以石勒爲前驅，所向輒克，署勒討虜將軍，遂進攻鄴。時鄴中府庫空竭，而新蔡武哀王騰資用甚饒。騰性吝嗇，無所振惠，臨急，乃賜將士米各數升，帛各丈尺，以是人不爲用。夏，五月，桑大破魏郡太守馮嵩，長驅入鄴，騰輕騎出奔，爲桑將李豐所殺。桑出成都王穎棺，載之車中，每事啓而後行。遂燒鄴宮，火旬日不滅；殺士民萬餘人，大掠而去。濟自延津，南擊兗州。太傅越大懼，使苟晞及將軍王讚討之。) Zizhi Tongjian, Volume 86
  5. ^ (破之。越還于許。) Book of Jin, Volume 59
  6. ^ (十二月，戊寅，乞活田甄、田蘭、薄盛等起兵，爲新蔡王騰報讎，斬汲桑于樂陵。棄成都王穎棺於故井中，穎故臣收葬之。) Zizhi Tongjian, Volume 86
  7. ^ M. Davis, Timothy (2015). Entombed Epigraphy and Commemorative Culture in Early Medieval China: A Brief History of Early Muzhiming. Brill. ISBN 9004306420.
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