[3][4] Hun Shizhi served in the army at Tang's Shuofang Circuit (朔方, headquartered in modern Yinchuan, Ningxia) and, for his repeated accomplishments there, was made a general and created the Prince of Ningshuo.
His father's superior, the military governor (jiedushi) of Shuofang, Zhang Qiqiu (張齊丘), saw him, and jokingly asked him, "Did you come with your wet nurse?"
Hun led his troops to Lingwu to aid Emperor Suzong, and on the way, while marching through Tiande Base (天德軍, in modern Bayan Nur, Inner Mongolia), he defeated an incursion by a non-Han Chinese tribe.
Subsequently, he served under the general Guo Ziyi in Emperor Suzong's campaign to recapture Chang'an and the eastern capital Luoyang from An Lushan's son and successor An Qingxu in 757.
Pugu Yang was soon killed by his subordinates, however, and Hun resubmitted to the imperial government after that, again serving under Guo Ziyi.
[7] In 767, when Guo attacked Zhou Zhiguang (周智光), the rebellious military governor of Tonghua Circuit (同華, headquartered in modern Weinan, Shaanxi), Hun and Li Huaiguang served as the forward commanders, although Zhou's own subordinates killed him and surrendered before Guo's Shuofang army arrived.
Guo had him head toward Chaona (朝那, in modern Guyuan, Ningxia), and he set up a trap for Tufan forces, defeating them and rescuing the Tang civilians who had been captured.
Hun defended himself against charges when the letters were intentionally left for imperial authorities to find, and Emperor Dezong, believing him, not only did not punish him but awarded him with a horse and silk, and made him part of the army staff against Li Xilie.
[3] In fall 783, soldiers from Jingyuan Circuit (涇原, headquartered in modern Pingliang, Gansu), at Chang'an to be deployed to the east, mutinied when they became angry that they did not get rewards from Emperor Dezong.
[11] Subsequently, Zhu Ci claimed the title of emperor of a new state of Qin, and he put Fengtian under siege.
With the siege continuing and Qin forces sieging Fengtian on three sides, but Fengtian's defenses holding, Emperor Dezong, apparently to reward Hun, added the Weinan (渭南, i.e., the region south of the Wei River) region, as well as Jin (金州, in modern Ankang, Shaanxi) and Shang (商州, in modern Shangluo, Shaanxi) Prefectures to his responsibility.
Emperor Dezong made Hun the military governor of Shuofang Circuit and gave him the honorary chancellor designation Tong Zhongshu Menxia Pingzhangshi (同中書門下平章事).
[14] Before returning to Chang'an, Emperor Dezong made Hun Jian Shizhong (侍中), the head of the examination bureau of government (門下省, Menxia Sheng) and a post considered one for a chancellor.
Subsequently, joining forces with Han and Luo Yuanguang (駱元光), they were able to hold off a Tufan assault on Chang'an.
[15] When Hun returned to Chang'an, he wore mourning clothes and apologized for the defeat, but Emperor Dezong had him change back into official uniform.
[3] For a few months, Hun remained in the region in case of another Tufan attack, but by winter 787, per Emperor Dezong's orders, he returned to Hezhong.