Chapter 9 Shihu (Stone Tiger) 2(22)

At the end of April, in the third year of Yonghe (347), Shi Hu appointed Shi Ning, the Zhongshu supervisor, as the general of the war against the West. He led more than 20,000 troops from the prefectures of parallel and Sizhou as the successor forces of Machu. Zhang Zhonghua's troops, led by Song Qin and others, surrendered to Later Zhao with more than 20,000 families. Zhang Zhonghua appointed Xie Ai as commander and general consigliere and led 30,000 soldiers and cavalry to march to Linhe. Xie Ai rode a light cart, wore a white cap and beat a drum to advance. Machu saw from a distance and said angrily: "Xie Ai is a young scholar, so dressed, this is to despise me." So he ordered three thousand Longchamp soldiers armed with black spears to mount a horse to attack Xie Ai. The people around Xie Ai were greatly alarmed. Some people advised Xie Ai that he should ride a horse, but Xie Ai refused to listen. After getting off the train, Xie Ai sat in the chair and commanded the deployment. The later Zhao army thought there was an ambush and dared not advance further for fear.