Chapter 9 Shihu (Stone Tiger) 2(28)

Buddha Tucheng said to Shi Hu, "Shi Xuan and Shi Tao are both your Majesty's sons. If Shi Xuan is killed today just because Shi Tao is killed, it will be a misfortune compounded by misfortune. If your Majesty can show him mercy and forgiveness, the fortune of Fu Zuo can be extended. If you must kill him, Shi Xuandang will turn into a comet and sweep Yecong away. "Shi Hu did not listen. He ordered firewood to be piled on the north of Yecheng, with a crossbar placed at the end of the crossbar, a rope to be wrapped, a ladder to be propped against the firewood pile, and Shi Xuan to be taken to the bottom. He also had Hao Zhi and Liu Ba, Shi Tao's favorite eunuchs, pull Shi Xuan by the hair and pull Shi Xuan's tongue to pull him up the ladder; Hao Zhi put the rope around Shi Xuan's neck and pulled him up with the pulley. Liu Ba cut off his hands and feet, gouged out his eyes, and pierced his intestines, so that he was as hurt as Shi Tao. Then he lit a fire around the pyre, sending smoke and flames into the sky. Shi Hu followed thousands of people below master Zhao up to the middle tower to watch. After the fire was extinguished, he took the ashes and put them in the middle of the road leading to the city gates. He also killed nine of Shi Xuan's wives and children. The youngest son of Shi Xuan was only a few years old. Shi Hu was always very fond of him, so he hugged him and wept before he was killed in order to forgive him. However, his ministers did not agree, and they killed him when they tried to get out of their arms. At that time, the child pulled Shi Hu's clothes and screamed so loudly that even his belt was broken, and Shi Hu became seriously ill. Shi Hu also deposed Shi Xuan's mother Du Shi and demoted her as a commoner. He also killed three hundred people around Shi Xuan, including fifty eunuchs, all of whom were dismembered and thrown into the Zhangshui River. The Prince's East Palace, where Shi Xuan lived, was turned into a place for raising pigs and cattle. More than ten thousand guards of the East Palace were all banished to Liangzhou to defend them. Before the murder of Shi Tao, Zhao LAN had said to Shi Hu, "There will be changes in the palace. Precautions should be taken. "When Shi Xuan murdered Shi Tao, Shi Hu suspected that he had known about it before and killed him, too. In September, Shi Hu made Shi crown prince and Liu Zhaoyi empress.