Shi Hu's choice to appoint his son Shi Sui as the crown prince had disastrous consequences for Later Zhao. Sui's character was marred by a disturbing obsession with beautiful concubines, which he took to gruesome lengths. He ordered the beheading of his concubines and displayed their severed heads to his guests. In a shocking turn of events, Sui even conspired to assassinate his own father. Thankfully, Shi Hu uncovered his son's nefarious intentions, leading to the execution not only of Sui but also his wife and 26 of his children. They were all laid to rest together in a single coffin, a grim testament to the depths of Sui's cruelty.
With the demise of Sui, Shi Hu turned to his other son, Shi Xuan, as the new crown prince. However, Xuan's ascent to power was not without its own share of vicious plots. Xuan's brother, Shi Tao, enjoyed a favored position in their father's court, which filled Xuan with envy and resentment. Determined to eliminate both his brother and his father, Xuan ordered for Tao's assassination. However, his plan was uncovered before it could be carried out, and Shi Hu swiftly had Xuan executed, putting an end to his treacherous ambitions.
The power struggle within the ruling Shi family led to a dramatic shift in the Eastern Palace Guard, a force of over 100,000 soldiers forcibly conscripted from the common people to protect the crown prince’s palace. In an act of banishment, they were sent to the distant region of Liangzhou. Departing from Ye City and heading northwest, around 10,000 of these soldiers made their way to Yongcheng. [1] In the 3rd Month of 349, they staged an impromptu uprising against Shi Zhao. Led by the influential gaoli[2] figure, Liang Du, they declared him as the Great General tasked with liberating the east for Jin, effectively instigating a rebellion against the ruling powers.
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Liang Du's cause reverberated across the Guanzhong region, drawing people of diverse ethnic backgrounds to join his ranks. When they finally reached Chang'an, their numbers had swelled to an impressive 100,000. Stationed at Chang'an himself, Shi Bao, a son of Shi Hu, found himself confined within the safety of the city walls after a crushing defeat in battle. Undeterred, the rebel forces pressed on, marching eastward and triumphing over 100,000 government soldiers in Xin'an. Their resounding victory in Luoyang shook the very foundations of the Shi Zhao regime.
In a desperate bid to secure his own position, Shi Hu resorted to enlisting the military forces of two tribal nobles, Yao Yizhong from the Qiang tribe and Fu Hong from the Di tribe, to quash the rebellion. Although the uprising was eventually suppressed, the Di and Qiang armed groups emerged from the conflict with newfound power and influence. This newfound strength posed a direct threat to the stability of the Shi Zhao regime.
During the Liang Du rebellion, Ma Xu of Shiping[3] defied in response the oppressive forces at Lushi Gugu. Sensing the threat, Shi Hu tasked Shi Bao with crushing the uprising. It ended in a brutal aftermath - Ma Xu executed, and approximately 3,000 families massacred. While the Liang Du rebellion may have failed, its impact unsettled the Shi Zhao regime, ultimately leading to its downfall.
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[1] Now Fengxiang, Shaanxi.
[2] Shi Xuan selected tall and strong individuals known as gaoli to guard the Eastern Palace.
[3] Now located fifteen li northwest of Xianyang City, Shaanxi.