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Tao Bao (died 340), courtesy name Anbu, was a military general of Later Zhao during China's Sixteen Kingdoms period. Being one of Shi Le's Eighteen Riders, his most notable activities were his battles with Zu Ti, in which he defended the city of Pengguan (蓬關, in modern-day Chenliu, Henan) and also helping Shi Le during his final push against Liu Yao in 328. He served up to Shi Hu's reign before dying in 340. His name can be rendered as Yao Bao.

Life

Tao Bao was from Fanyang Commandery and was known in his hometown for his bravery and skill at horse riding. Once, Tao Bao boastingly declared, "A man who has met Wei Taizu and not be a marquis of 10,000 households or among his top generals is not a real man." Those with him at the time laughed at him but Tao Bao raised his voice at them, "You sons of rats, how could you possibly comprehend the aspirations of a lordly man who transforms like a leopard?”

Like all those who joined Shi Le in 304, he became one of his Eighteen Riders and roamed the land as a bandit. When Shi Le occupied Julu and Changshan, Tao Bao became one of his "talon and teeth" (爪牙) together with Zhi Xiong, Kong Chang, Kui An and Lu Ming (逯明).

In 313, Tao Bao was made Administrator of Wei Commandery after Shi Le conquered Yecheng. He was later replaced by Shi Le's nephew Shi Hu.

During Zu Ti's northern expedition in 319, he attacked the Administrator of Chenliu, Chen Chuan (陳川) at Pengguan after Chen betrayed him. Shi Le sent Tao Bao to reinforce Chen Chuan, and Tao Bao managed to drive back Zu Ti to Huainan. Tao Bao guarded the city while Shi Hu relocated Chen Chuan and his followers to Xiangguo (襄國, in modern Xingtai, Hebei).

Going into the following year, Zu Ti's general Han Qian (韓潛) occupied the eastern half of the city while Tao Bao held the western one. Tao Bao and Han Qian held on to their part of the city for 40 days. Tao Bao's men were starting to become hungry, so they raided one of Zu Ti's supply convoy. The transporters simply abandoned the rice, and when Tao Bao's men discovered the excess amount of rice they were carrying, they believed that Zu Ti's men were better fed and started to worry. Supplies from the Later Zhao general Liu Yetang (劉夜堂) was intercepted by Zu Ti, leaving Tao Bao with little to no rations. Tao Bao fled Pengguan to camp at Dongye instead, but Zu Ti ordered Han Qian to pressure him while they occupy Pengguan. The loss of Pengguan placed a strain on Later Zhao's borders, so Shi Le negotiated peace with Zu Ti.

In 328, Shi Le campaigned against his rival Liu Yao of Former Zhao. Tao Bao led his forces to Xingyang to join Shi Le in his assault on Luoyang. Shi Le captured Liu Yao while his sons Liu Yin and Liu Xi were killed by Shi Hu the following year.

Tao Bao's last contribution would be 338, during Later Zhao and Former Yan's assault on the Duan Tribe. Tao Bao was made General Who Traverses The Sea and ordered to attack from Piaoyu Crossing (漂渝津, around present-day Cangzhou, Hebei). At the start of 340, Tao Bao died, holding the office of Grand Guardian.

References

1. (崔鴻《十六國春秋·後趙錄》曰：桃豹字安步，范陽人。少時以膽勇騎射稱，嘗攘臂大言曰：「大丈夫遭遇魏太祖，不封萬戶侯位上將者，非丈夫也。」時類笑之，豹駡言：「爾鼠子輩，安知君子豹變之志乎！」後起中原，豹爲十八騎之雄，事勒甚恭。) Taiping Yulan, Volume 391
2. (漢安東大將軍石勒寇鉅鹿、常山，衆至十餘萬，集衣冠人物，別爲君子營。以趙郡張賓爲謀主，刁膺爲股肱，夔安、孔萇、支雄、桃豹、逯明爲爪牙。幷州諸胡羯多從之。) Zizhi Tongjian, Volume 85
3. (建興元年，石季龍攻鄴三臺，鄴潰，劉演奔于稟丘，將軍謝胥、田青、郎牧等率三臺流人降于勒，勒以桃豹為魏郡太守以撫之。命段末柸為子，署為使持節、安北將軍、北平公，遣還遼西。) Book of Jin, Volume 104
4. (建興元年，石季龍攻鄴三臺，鄴潰，劉演奔于稟丘，將軍謝胥、田青、郎牧等率三臺流人降于勒，勒以桃豹為魏郡太守以撫之。命段末柸為子，署為使持節、安北將軍、北平公，遣還遼西。) Book of Jin, Volume 104
5. (祖逖將韓潛與後趙將桃豹分據陳川故城，豹居西臺，潛居東臺，豹由南門，潛由東門，出入相守四旬。逖以布囊盛土如米狀，使千餘人運上臺，又使數人擔米，息於道。豹兵逐之，棄擔而走。豹兵久飢，得米，以爲逖士衆豐飽，益懼。後趙將劉夜堂以驢千頭運糧饋豹，逖使韓潛及別將馮鐵邀擊於汴水，盡獲之。豹宵遁，屯東燕城，逖使潛進屯封丘以逼之。馮鐵據二臺，逖鎭雍丘，數遣兵邀擊後趙兵，後趙鎭戍歸逖者甚多，境土漸蹙。) Zizhi Tongjian, Volume 91
6. (命石堪、石聰及豫州刺史桃豹等各統見衆會滎陽；中山公虎進據石門，勒自統步騎四萬趣金墉，濟自大堨。) Zizhi Tongjian, Volume 94
7. (十二月，丁丑，趙太保桃豹卒。) Zizhi Tongjian, Volume 96

• Fang, Xuanling (ed.) (648). Book of Jin (Jin Shu).
• Sima, Guang (1084). Zizhi Tongjian

• Former Zhao generals
• Later Zhao generals
• 340 deaths