Zhai Liao Zhao Liao ( 翟遼 ) ( died 391 ) was the founder of the Chinese / Dingling state Wei . During his reign , he used the title " Heavenly Prince " ( " Tian Wang " ) , roughly equivalent to emperor . Early career . Zhao Liao ' s father or uncle Zhai Bin ( 翟斌 ) , who had rebelled against Former Qin ' s emperor Fu Jiān in 383 , supported Later Yan ' s founding emperor Murong Chui when Murong Chui rebelled against Former Qin as well and established Later Yan . However , in 384 , as Murong Chui sieged the important city Yecheng , which was defended by Fu Jiān ' s son Fu Pi , Zhai Bin , seeing that Murong Chui was unable to capture the city quickly , began to consider other options . When , in particular , he requested a prime ministerial title from Murong Chui and was refused , Zhai Bin prepared to ally with Fu Pi instead , but his plan was discovered , and he was killed , along with his brothers Zhai Tan ( 翟檀 ) and Zhai Min ( 翟敏 ) . It was apparently at this time that Zhai Liao and his cousin Zhai Zhen ( 翟真 ) fled with some of their Dingling troops and resisted Later Yan ' s subsequent campaigns to take the territory north of and around the Yellow River . In late 384 , Zhai Liao was defeated by Murong Chui ' s sons Murong Lin and Murong Nong and forced to flee to his cousin Zhai Zhen . In 385 , Zhai Zhen ' s subordinate Xianyu Qi ( 鮮于乞 ) assassinated him and attempted to take over , but the Zhai family struck back and killed him ; another cousin of Zhai Liao ' s , Zhai Cheng ( 翟成 ) , succeeded Zhai Zhen , but many of their subordinates surrendered to Later Yan . In fall 385 , Murong Chui attacked Zhai Cheng , and Zhai Cheng ' s subordinate Xianyu De ( 鮮于得 ) killed Zhai Cheng and surrendered . The Dingling troops were largely slaughtered . However , Zhai Liao escaped the massacre and sought refuge with Teng Tianzhi ( 滕恬之 ) , Jin ' s governor of Liyang Commandery ( 黎陽 , roughly modern Hebi , Henan ) . Teng trusted Zhai Liao greatly , and Zhai Liao , taking advantage of Teng ' s overdedication to hunting and ignorance of his soldiers ' needs , began to develop relationships with soldiers . In 386 , when Teng was on a campaign , he commissioned Zhai Liao to keep guard of Liyang ; instead , Zhai Liao captured Teng and seized Liyang . ( Zhai Liao ' s rebellion contributed to the suspension of Xie Xuan ' s campaigns to try to recover northern territories for Jin . ) During the next two years , Zhai Liao repeatedly tried to attack Jin , but was repelled in his efforts , and he apparently entered into an alliance with Western Yan ' s emperor Murong Yong . In 387 , Murong Chui attacked Zhai Liao , and many of Zhai Liao ' s subordinates surrendered quickly . Zhai Liao , in fear , agreed to submit to Later Yan , and Murong Chui permitted him to remain at his post and created him the Duke of Henan . Establishment of Wei . In winter 387 , Zhai Liao repudiated allegiance to Later Yan and attacked Later Yan ' s Qinghe ( 清河 , roughly modern Xingtai , Hebei ) and Pingyuan ( 平原 , roughly modern Dezhou , Shandong ) Commanderies . In spring 388 , he sent his subordinate Sui Qiong ( 眭瓊 ) to apologize to Murong Chui , but Murong Chui no longer believed him , and killed Sui to show that he was not interested . Zhai Liao then declared an independent Wei state and declared himself the Heavenly Prince . He also changed era name and established an imperial government . He then moved the capital to Huatai ( 滑台 , in modern Anyang , Henan ) . In 389 , he captured Jin ' s Yingyang Commandery ( 滎陽 , roughly modern Zhengzhou , Henan ) . He also sent his general Gu Ti ( 故堤 ) to pretend to surrender to the Later Yan Prince of Lelang , Murong Wen ( 慕容溫 ) and assassinate Murong Wen , although that maneuver yielded him no territory as Gu ' s forces were quickly destroyed by Murong Nong . In fall 390 , Jin general Liu Laozhi ( 劉牢之 ) attacked Zhai Liao , capturing Juancheng ( 鄄城 , in modern Puyang , Henan ) , forcing Zhai Liao ' s son Zhai Zhao , who was in charge of the city , to flee , and then defeated Zhai Liao near his capital Huatai , but did not destroy Wei . In 391 , Zhai Liao died . He was succeeded by his son Zhai Zhao .