Is “Shi Chaoyi plotted to kill Shi Siming and usurp the throne” true?
The Old Book of Tang, Biography of Shi Siming, records that Shi Siming was cruel and intended to depose the eldest in favor of the youngest, and his subordinates Luo Yue and others forced Shi Chaoyi to rebel, capturing Siming at Liuquan Post, where 'Siming was brought to Liuquan Post and strangled to death. Chaoyi then usurped the throne.' The Sui and Tang Romance, Chapter 096, summarizes the causes and effects of the An-Shi Rebellion, stating that 'Shi Siming was in turn killed by his son Chaoyi, and rebels and traitors were all punished in this life,' which fully accords with the official history.
In the official history, Shi Chaoyi was forced by his subordinates to kill Shi Siming and proclaim himself emperor, while the novel summarizes his act of patricide and usurpation.
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