句渠知叛亂事件

西元320年，前趙將領解虎、尹車謀反，跟巴氐酋長句徐、厙彭相勾結，事情洩漏，劉曜把解虎、尹車誅殺，把句徐、厙彭關入牢裡。時任光祿大夫的遊子遠叩頭勸諫不要殺二人，劉曜大怒，馬上殺了兩人，並把屍體投入河中，於是巴氐民族全部叛亂。他們推舉酋長句渠知為領袖，自稱國號秦，年號為平趙，氐、羌、巴氐、羯等民族響應的有三十萬，關中地區大亂，城門在白天都緊緊關閉。此時遊子遠又在獄中上書抗爭，劉曜生氣的把奏章撕碎，大聲咆哮：「你這個大荔族的奴才，不擔心馬上沒命，竟敢如此，嫌死的太晚嗎？」馬上要求處斬，中山王劉雅、郭汜、朱紀、呼延晏等上書勸諫劉曜，稱讚遊子遠的忠心，並表示若遊子遠早上被殺，他們當在晚上死，劉曜接受，赦免遊子遠。劉曜打算親自征討句渠知，遊子遠又上書勸諫：「如果陛下用我的策略，不用親征，一個月內便可平定叛亂。」他表示，「句渠知沒有稱帝的大志，只是因為畏懼陛下才起來造反，陛下若赦免他們，受到解虎、尹車牽連的老弱婦孺也全部釋放，讓他們恢復原來的生活，他們哪有理由不歸降？若有自知罪孽深重不敢投降的，陛下只要給弱兵五百，我就可以平定。反之，就算陛下親征，恐怕也難以平定。」劉曜大喜，便大赦，任命遊子遠為車騎大將軍，都督雍州秦州軍事。遊子遠屯居雍城，有數十萬人投降，又屯居安定，造反的全部投降，只有句渠五千餘家不肯歸降，遊子遠進攻並打敗了他們。

虛除權渠叛亂事件

打敗句渠家後，遊子遠引兵巡視隴右，氐、羌族有十餘萬聚落不服，他們的酋長虛除權渠自號秦王，遊子遠逼近他們，虛除權渠出兵抵禦，全部失敗。虛除權渠想要投降，他的兒子虛除伊餘說：「上次劉曜親自來，都對我們無可奈何，今天來的只是偏師，何須畏懼？」率領士兵五萬，攻擊遊游遠營寨，諸將想要迎戰，遊子遠說：「虛除伊餘他們現在群情激動，而且他們的兵比我們堅強，何況為父親復仇的鬥志壯盛，不如先緩，使其士氣減弱時再打，於是虛除伊餘面有驕色，遊子遠晚上備戰，早上偷襲，生擒了虛除伊餘，俘虜全部部眾，虛除權渠畏懼，便披頭散髮，劃破面皮投降。遊子遠請劉曜任命他為征西將軍、西戎公，把虛除伊餘等的部眾遷徙到首都長安，劉曜任命遊子遠當大司徒，主管政府事務（錄尚書事）。

事件影響

前趙統治下的關中當時有許多蠻族尚未歸附，甚至和東晉聯合打擊前趙政權，這一次事件徹底使的那些蠻族全部歸附，徹底安定內部。影響非同小可。

其他事件

西元323年，劉曜安葬母親於粟邑，大赦，興建龐大的墳墓，動用6萬人日夜修築，老百姓甚苦。遊子遠勸諫，劉曜不聽。

相關條目

• 前趙

• 劉曜

• 句渠知

• 虛除權渠

參考史料

• 《資治通鑑·卷91》

• 《資治通鑑·卷92》

Life

You Ziyuan was born into a barbarian clan in Dali County. He was described as handsome and intelligent with a love for learning. At the age of 15, he moved to Luoyang to study. During this time, Zhang Hua, an influential minister of the Jin dynasty (266–420), was able to meet with Ziyuan and was surprised by his talents. Zhang praised him by saying, "This child is both elegant and noble. He may one day join the Three Excellencies."

Ziyuan eventually found himself serving under Han-Zhao, and by Liu Yao's reign, he was already the Household Counsellor With Golden Tassel. In 320, a group of conspirators led by Jie Hu (解虎) and Yin Che (尹車) plotted to rebel and overthrow Liu Yao. They allied themselves with the Ba people, but they were quickly discovered by Liu Yao and imprisoned. Jie Hu and Yin Che were executed first. Liu Yao imprisoned the Ba leaders involved in the plot including Gou Xu (句徐) and She Peng (厙彭). He also wanted to execute all of them but You Ziyuan remonstrated him, "The sage ruler is judicious with the application of justice. You should only execute the actual leaders of the plot. Do not indulge in further killings." You Ziyuan and Liu Yao argued over this matter to the point it was said that Ziyuan kowtowed till his head started bleeding. In the end, Liu Yao grew tired of Ziyuan's opposition and had him imprisoned as Liu Yao believed Ziyuan was conspiring with the rebels.

Liu Yao had the dozens of Ba leaders killed and had their bodies up for display in the market and thrown into the river. The Ba people were angry because of this and acclaimed Gou Quzhi (句渠知) as their leader. Gou declared himself King of Great Qin and swore to conquer Zhao. To make matters worse, the Di, Qiang, Jie and other Ba tribes in the Guanzhong region rose up in support of Gou, reaching up to 300,000 rebels all placing Chang'an under siege.

You Ziyuan started a petition from prison offering more opposition to Liu Yao's plans. This only made Liu Yao scorn him more, and he began considering on executing him. However, Liu Yao ministers including Zhu Ji and Huyan Yan defended Ziyuan, pleading his innocence and loyalty. In the end, Liu Yao pardoned Ziyuan and welcomed him back into the government.

After Ziyuan's release, Liu Yao was about to lead his forces against Gou Quzhi. You Ziyuan stopped him, offering himself instead to take charge. Ziyuan advised him that he should instead grant an amnesty first, pardoning those involved in the plot and their family members to convince the rebels to lay down their weapons. He also told him to give him only five thousand weak soldiers to campaign against the rebel. Liu Yao listened to his advice and handed over command to him by appointing him Grand General of Chariots and Cavalry and as Commander of expeditionary forces in Yongzhou and Qinzhou.

You Ziyuan set out to Yongcheng (雍城, in modern Baoji, Shaanxi) and then to Anding, where he received the surrender of thousands of rebels. Gou Quzhi and his family holed themselves up at Yinmi (陰密, in modern Pingliang, Gansu), where You Ziyuan marched his troops and destroyed them. Although Gou Quzhi had been defeated, one of the rebel leaders, Xuchu Quanchu (虛除權渠) declared himself as the new King of Qin at Longyou (隴右, in modern Haidong Prefecture, Qinghai). You Ziyuan defeated him multiple times but, although Quanchu now wanted to surrender, his son Xuchu Yiyu (虛除伊餘) persuaded him to continue the fight.

Xuchu Yiyu went out and defended the ramparts from You Ziyuan. Ziyuan worried about Xuchu Yiyu as he observed him to be a powerful general. Ziyuan camped in his defences and refused to give him any fight. You Ziyuan waited throughout the night and in the dawn, the wind made the surroundings hazed with dust. You Ziyuan launched a surprise attack and captured Xuchu Yiyu and his army. Afraid, Xuchu Quanchu surrendered to Ziyuan. Liu Yao was pleased with Ziyuan. He gave Xuchu Quanchu and Yiyu positions in the government while awarding You Ziyuan the positions of Grand Minister Over The Masses and chief of the affairs of the Masters of Writing.

In 322, Liu Yao built a new massive tomb to relocate his deceased father and mother. The building took sixty thousand workers and was completed after a hundred days of hard gruelling labour. You Ziyuan tried to get Liu Yao to stop the project, but he refused to listen.

Since then, nothing was recorded of You Ziyuan. In 326, his title of Grand Minister Over the Masses was handed over to Liu Sui (劉綏).