Tuhezhen Khan

In Tuhezhen’s reign, the Wei Shu stops recording Rouran raids and starts recording Rouran flight. After him, the chapter says, the frontier “ceased to sound the alarm”.^[1]

Campaigns of 449

He succeeded his father Wuti with the title Chu Khan, “sole”.^[1] In the first month of 449, Taiwu marched north on three roads. Tuhezhen, newly established and afraid, fled far away. A chief of one of his divisions came over to the Wei with more than a thousand families.^[1]

In the ninth month, the emperor went out again. Tuhezhen surrounded the eastern column under the prince of Gaoliang, Na, with the whole strength of the state and a great train of supplies, dozens of ranks deep.^[1] Na dug a long rampart and held it for several days.^[1] Tuhezhen offered battle repeatedly and lost each time. From the smallness and firmness of Na’s force, he judged that the main army must be near. He broke the siege and fled by night.^[1] Na pursued him for nine days and nine nights. Tuhezhen abandoned his baggage and fled over the Qionglong range. Na collected the baggage. The western column under the prince of Lüeyang took more than a million people and head of stock.^[1] From then on, the chapter says, Tuhezhen was weak and alone, and he fled far away. The frontier was at peace.^[1]

Campaign of 458

In 458, the emperor Wencheng went north with a hundred thousand horse and a hundred and fifty thousand carts. His banners stretched a thousand li. He crossed the great desert.^[1] Tuhezhen fled far away. His mofu Wuzhujiatui came over with several thousand tents. The emperor carved a record of his merit in stone and returned.^[1] After Taiwu’s wars, the chapter observes, the Wei wanted to rest. The Rouran, in dread of Wei might, fled north. They did not dare come south again.^[1]

The title Chu Khan

The Wei Shu gives the title as Chu Khan and glosses it with the Chinese word wei.^[1] Wei is usually taken to mean “only” or “sole”, as in the gloss above. A different explanation takes wei as “yes”.^[2] On that explanation, the first element of the title, Chu, is a Mongolic or Tungusic word of assent, ze.^[3] The same word then stands in the greeting “Chu, khan”, which the Song Shu records for the Tuyuhun in the story of their break with the Murong.^[4]

Death

He died in 464. His son Yucheng succeeded him.^[1] A letter from the southern side gives another year. In 450, the emperor Taiwu wrote to the Song court that Wuti was dead. The letter also says that Wuti’s son, whom it calls Tuhaizhen, had followed in his tracks and had died in the second month of that year.^[5] The letter does not depend on the chapter. The two dates cannot both stand. One option keeps the chapter’s date of 464. The other follows the letter. It ends the reign in 450 and gives the campaign of 458 to Yucheng.^[6] No reign is given to Tuhezhen. The usual account passes from Datan to Tulun.^[7] The fifteen years of Tuhezhen and the twenty of Yucheng are the quietest in the khaganate’s history as the Wei recorded it. In other words, they are the years in which the Wei had least to record.^[7]