courtesy name A courtesy name (), also known as a style name, is a name bestowed upon one at adulthood in addition to one's given name. This practice is a tradition in the East Asian cultural sphere, including China, Japan, Korea, and Vietnam.Ulrich Theobald ...

Xianbei The Xianbei (; ) were a Proto-Mongolic ancient nomadic people that once resided in the eastern Eurasian steppes in what is today Mongolia, Inner Mongolia, and Northeastern China. They originated from the Donghu people who splintered into the ...

emperor An emperor (from la, imperator, via fro, empereor) is a monarch, and usually the sovereignty, sovereign ruler of an empire or another type of imperial realm. Empress, the female equivalent, may indicate an emperor's wife (empress consort), ...

regent A regent (from Latin : ruling, governing) is a person appointed to govern a state '' pro tempore'' (Latin: 'for the time being') because the monarch is a minor, absent, incapacitated or unable to discharge the powers and duties of the monarchy ...

Former Qin The Former Qin, also called Fu Qin (苻秦), (351–394) was a dynastic state of the Sixteen Kingdoms in Chinese history ruled by the Di ethnicity. Founded by Fu Jian (posthumously Emperor Jingming) who originally served under the Later ...

Fu Jiān Fu or FU may refer to: In arts and entertainment *Fool Us, Penn & Teller's magic-competition television show *Fǔ, a type of ancient Chinese Chinese ritual bronzes, vessel *Fu (poetry) (赋), a Chinese genre of rhymed prose *''FU: Friendship Unli ...

Northern Wei dynasty Wei (), known in historiography as the Northern Wei (), Tuoba Wei (), Yuan Wei () and Later Wei (), was founded by the Tuoba (Tabgach) clan of the Xianbei. The first of the Northern dynasties, it ruled northern China from 386 to 535 during t ...

Book of Jin The ''Book of Jin'' is an official Chinese historical text covering the history of the Jin dynasty from 266 to 420. It was compiled in 648 by a number of officials commissioned by the imperial court of the Tang dynasty, with chancellor Fang X ...

chi Chi or CHI may refer to: Greek *Chi (letter), the Greek letter (uppercase Χ, lowercase χ); Chinese *Chi (length), ''Chi'' (length) (尺), a traditional unit of length, about ⅓ meter *Chi (mythology) (螭), a dragon *Chi (surname) (池, pin ...

Murong Huang Murong Huang (; 297–348), courtesy name Yuanzhen (元真), formally Prince Wenming of (Former) Yan ((前)燕文明王) was the founding monarch of the Xianbei-led Former Yan dynasty of China. When he first succeeded his father Murong Hui i ...

heir apparent An heir apparent, often shortened to heir, is a person who is first in an order of succession and cannot be displaced from inheriting by the birth of another person; a person who is first in the order of succession but can be displaced by the b ...

Murong Hui Murong Hui (慕容廆, 269 – 4 June 333), courtesy name Yiluo (弈洛), was an Xianbei chief, formally known as Duke Xiang of Liaodong, posthumously honored as Emperor Wuxuan (武宣皇帝). In the Book of Jin, Murong Hui was described as ...

Jin Dynasty (266–420) The Jin dynasty (; ) or the Jin Empire, sometimes distinguished as the (司馬晉) or the (兩晉), was an imperial dynasty of China that existed from 266 to 420. It was founded by Sima Yan (Emperor Wu), eldest son of Sima Zhao, who had pr ...

concubine Concubinage is an interpersonal and sexual relationship between a man and a woman in which the couple does not want, or cannot enter into a full marriage. Concubinage and marriage are often regarded as similar but mutually exclusive. Concubi ...

Murong Jun Murong Jun (; 319–360), courtesy name Xuanying (宣英), formally Emperor Jingzhao of (Former) Yan ((前)燕景昭帝), was an emperor of the Former Yan. He was the dynasty's second ruler, but after first using the Jin dynasty-created title o ...

hegemon Hegemony (, , ) is the political, economic, and military predominance of one state over other states. In Ancient Greece (8th BC – AD 6th ), hegemony denoted the politico-military dominance of the ''hegemon'' city-state over other city-states. ...

Former Yan The Former Yan (; 337–370) was a dynastic state ruled by the Xianbei during the era of Sixteen Kingdoms in China. Initially, Murong Huang and his son Murong Jun claimed the Jin dynasty-created title "Prince of Yan," but subsequently, in 352, ...

Yuwen The Yuwen ( <

Eastern Han Chinese

: *''wa^B-mun'' <

tribe, Murong Ba was created the Marquess of Duxiang. Later, Murong Ba was posted to the border with the powerful rival

Later Zhao The Later Zhao (; 319–351) was a dynasty of the Sixteen Kingdoms in northern China. It was founded by the Shi family of the Jie ethnicity. The Jie were most likely a Yeniseian people and spoke next to Chinese one of the Yeniseian languages.Vov ...

, whose general Deng Heng (鄧恆) was charged with looking for opportunities to conquer Former Yan, and Murong Ba resisted Deng successfully, causing Deng to be unable to launch a campaign. It was during these years that once, on a hunt, he fell off a horse and lost one of his teeth. After Murong Jun succeeded Murong Huang in 348, because he was still jealous of Murong Ba, he renamed Murong Ba—to Murong Que (慕容𡙇, ''Que'' means "missing"), but soon found out that ''Que'' is a character signifying fortune in prophecies, and therefore again renamed him to Murong Chui, the name that he would be known later by.

During Murong Jun's reign

Soon after Murong Jun succeeded Murong Huang, the powerful rival to the south, Later Zhao, collapsed after the death of Shi Hu, as Shi Hu's sons and adoptive grandson Shi Min (who later changed his family name back to his father's original "Ran") engaged in an internecine struggle. Despite the turmoil, Murong Jun was initially hesitant to march south to take over Later Zhao territory, but Murong Chui persuaded him that the opportunity was ripe. With Murong Chui as one of the major generals, Murong Jun advanced south and, after capturing and executing

Ran Min Ran Min (; died 352), also known as Shi Min (石閔), posthumously honored by the Former Yan as Heavenly King Wudao of (Ran) Wei ((冉)魏武悼天王), courtesy name Yongzeng (永曾), nickname Jinu (棘奴), was a military leader during the er ...

in 352, took over the eastern half of former Later Zhao territory. During the next few years, Murong Chui participated in subduing many former Later Zhao generals who were still remaining semi-independent. In winter 352, Murong Jun formally declared himself independent from Jin, as emperor, and in 354, when creating many of his sons, brothers, and uncles princes, he created Murong Chui the Prince of Wu. However, Murong Jun continued to be jealous of Murong Chui's talents. He briefly made Murong Chui the defender of the important city and former capital Longcheng (龍城, in modern

Jinzhou Jinzhou (, ), formerly Chinchow, is a coastal prefecture-level city in central-west Liaoning province, China. It is a geographically strategic city located in the Liaoxi Corridor, which connects most of the land transports between North Chin ...

,

Liaoning Liaoning () is a coastal province in Northeast China that is the smallest, southernmost, and most populous province in the region. With its capital at Shenyang, it is located on the northern shore of the Yellow Sea, and is the northernmost ...

), but after it became clear that Murong Chui was ruling the region successfully and garnered the support of the people, Murong Jun became fearful and recalled him to the new capital Yecheng (鄴城, in modern

Handan Handan is a prefecture-level city located in the southwest of Hebei province, China. The southernmost prefecture-level city of the province, it borders Xingtai on the north, and the provinces of Shanxi on the west, Henan on the south and Shando ...

,

Hebei Hebei or , (; alternately Hopeh) is a northern province of China. Hebei is China's sixth most populous province, with over 75 million people. Shijiazhuang is the capital city. The province is 96% Han Chinese, 3% Manchu, 0.8% Hui, an ...

). In 358, Murong Chui would lose his wife Princess Duan to political intrigue. Princess Duan, being the daughter of

Duan Mopei Duan may refer to: * Duan (surname), a Chinese surname ** Duan dynasty, the ruling dynasty of the Dali Kingdom * Duan tribe, pre-state tribe during the era of Sixteen Kingdoms in China * Duan language, spoken on the Laotian–Vietnamese border * ...

(段末柸) and therefore derived from the royal family of Duan tribe, was proud of her bloodline and disrespectful to Murong Jun's wife Empress Kezuhun. Perhaps at Empress Kezuhun's instigation, the

eunuch A eunuch ( ) is a male who has been castrated. Throughout history, castration often served a specific social function. The earliest records for intentional castration to produce eunuchs are from the Sumerian city of Lagash in the 2nd millennium ...

Nie Hao (涅浩) falsely accused Princess Duan of

witchcraft Witchcraft traditionally means the use of magic or supernatural powers to harm others. A practitioner is a witch. In medieval and early modern Europe, where the term originated, accused witches were usually women who were believed to have us ...

. Murong Jun had her and her alleged coconspirator, Murong Chui's assistant Gao Bi (高弼), arrested. Princess Duan and Gao were tortured, but they refused to admit the charges of witchcraft, and because of this the torture was intensified. Murong Chui was saddened by his wife's suffering, and he sent her a message trying to persuade her to end her suffering by admitting to the charge (and thus end the torture but be sentenced to death). Princess Duan remarked:

I am not fearful of death. However, if I falsely implicate myself, I admit to treason. I would be betraying my ancestors and dragging Your Royal Highness into this disaster. The results are dire, and I will not do this.

As she was interrogated, Princess Duan replied logically and openly, and Murong Chui was able to avoid being dragged into the case, but she still died in prison, either from the torture or a secret execution. Murong Chui then married her sister as his new princess. However, after a brief time, Empress Kezuhun ordered that the new Princess Duan be deposed, and she married her sister, the Lady of Chang'an, to Murong Chui as his new princess. Murong Chui did not dare to refuse, but he was displeased, and Empress Kezuhun became even more resentful of him. Because of this, Murong Chui was briefly effectively exiled to be the governor of remote Ping Province (平州, modern eastern

Liaoning Liaoning () is a coastal province in Northeast China that is the smallest, southernmost, and most populous province in the region. With its capital at Shenyang, it is located on the northern shore of the Yellow Sea, and is the northernmost ...

). He was only recalled when Murong Jun became ill in 359. In 360, Murong Jun died. He was succeeded by his son and

crown prince A crown prince or hereditary prince is the heir apparent to the throne in a royal or imperial monarchy. The female form of the title is crown princess, which may refer either to an heiress apparent or, especially in earlier times, to the wif ...

Murong Wei Murong Wei (; 350–385), courtesy name Jingmao (景茂), formally Emperor You of (Former) Yan ((前)燕幽帝, posthumous name given by his uncle Murong De, emperor of Southern Yan) was the last emperor of the Xianbei-led Chinese Former Yan dyn ...

, with Murong Jun's younger brother and Murong Chui's older brother

Murong Ke Murong Ke () (died 367 CE), courtesy name Xuangong (), formally Prince Huan of Taiyuan (), was a famed general and statesman of the Xianbei-led Chinese Former Yan dynasty. He was the son of Murong Huang (Prince Wenming), and later served as the ...

the Prince of Taiyuan as

regent A regent (from Latin : ruling, governing) is a person appointed to govern a state '' pro tempore'' (Latin: 'for the time being') because the monarch is a minor, absent, incapacitated or unable to discharge the powers and duties of the monarchy ...

.

During Murong Wei's reign

During Murong Ke's regency

Unlike Murong Jun, Murong Ke greatly trusted Murong Chui and consulted him on many decisions—including what to do with

Muyu Gen Muyu Gen (died 360) was a military general and regent of Former Yan during the Sixteen Kingdoms period. He was a main contributor to Murong Huang, Murong Huang's victory in the defence of Jicheng (棘城, in modern Jinzhou, Liaoning) in 338 a ...

when Muyu Gen conspired against him in 360. Later that year, he also sent Murong Chui to pacify southern provinces which became disturbant in light of Murong Jun's death. In 365, he assisted Murong Ke in capturing the important Jin city of

Luoyang Luoyang is a city located in the confluence area of Luo River (Henan), Luo River and Yellow River in the west of Henan province. Governed as a prefecture-level city, it borders the provincial capital of Zhengzhou to the east, Pingdingshan to the ...

, and after doing so became the commander of the southern armies, defending against possible Jin counterattacks. In 367, Murong Ke grew ill, and on his deathbed he advised Murong Wei to let Murong Chui succeed him. He also tried to convince Murong Wei's older brother Murong Zang (慕容臧) the Prince of Le'an and his own uncle and co-regent

Murong Ping Murong Ping () was a regent of the Xianbei-led Former Yan dynasty of China during the reign of Murong Wei (Emperor You), after the death of the previous, far more capable regent Murong Ke. He, along with Murong Wei's mother Empress Dowager ...

(慕容評) the Prince of Shangyong of the wisdom of giving at least the post of commander of the armies to Murong Chui. However, after Murong Ke's death later that year, Murong Ping and Empress Dowager Kezuhun disagreed with his advice, and Murong Ping became regent while the commander of the armies post was given to Murong Wei's brother

Murong Chong Murong Chong (; 359–386), formally Emperor Wei of (Western) Yan ((西)燕威帝), was an Emperor of China, emperor of the Western Yan. He was a son of the Former Yan emperor Murong Jun and a younger brother of Former Yan emperor Murong Wei. It ...

the Prince of Zhongshan.

During Murong Ping's regency

Neither Murong Ping nor Empress Dowager Kezuhun trusted Murong Chui, and he was not given important responsibilities. In 368, when four dukes of the rival

Former Qin The Former Qin, also called Fu Qin (苻秦), (351–394) was a dynastic state of the Sixteen Kingdoms in Chinese history ruled by the Di ethnicity. Founded by Fu Jian (posthumously Emperor Jingming) who originally served under the Later ...

rebelled against its emperor

Fu Jiān Fu or FU may refer to: In arts and entertainment *Fool Us, Penn & Teller's magic-competition television show *Fǔ, a type of ancient Chinese Chinese ritual bronzes, vessel *Fu (poetry) (赋), a Chinese genre of rhymed prose *''FU: Friendship Unli ...

, Murong Chui was one of the advocates for assisting the four dukes, who sought Former Yan assistance, and further taking the opportunity to conquer Former Qin. However, Murong Ping declined to do so, and Former Qin was able to capture and execute the four dukes. In 369, the Jin general

Huan Wen Huan Wen (桓溫) (312 – 18 August 373), courtesy name Yuanzi (元子), formally Duke Xuanwu of Nan Commandery (南郡宣武公), was a general and regent of the Jin Dynasty (266–420), as well as the leader of Huan clan of Qiaoguo (谯国桓� ...

launched a major attack against Former Yan, defeating each Former Yan army sent against him and advancing all the way to Fangtou (枋頭, in modern

Hebi Hebi ( ; postal: Hopi) is a prefecture-level city in northern Henan province, China. Situated in mountainous terrain at the edge of the Shanxi plateau, Hebi is about south of Anyang, northeast of Xinxiang and north of Kaifeng. As of the 202 ...

,

Henan Henan (; or ; ; alternatively Honan) is a landlocked province of China, in the central part of the country. Henan is often referred to as Zhongyuan or Zhongzhou (), which literally means "central plain" or "midland", although the name is al ...

), near Yecheng. Murong Wei and Murong Ping panicked and considered fleeing to the former capital Longcheng. However, Murong Chui volunteered to make one last stand against Huan Wen, and he and his brother

Murong De Murong De (; 336–405), name changed in 400 to Murong Beide (慕容備德), courtesy name Xuanming (玄明), formally Emperor Xianwu of (Southern) Yan ((南)燕獻武帝), was the founding emperor of the Xianbei-led Southern Yan dynasty of Chin ...

were able to deal Huan a major defeat. Relief forces from Former Qin (which Former Yan requested) then arrived, and together they dealt Huan another major defeat, ending Huan's hopes of destroying Former Yan. However, both Murong Ping and Empress Kezuhun grew even more jealous of Murong Chui after his victory and denied his soldiers the rewards that he requested. Murong Ping and Empress Kezuhun further considered executing him. Murong Ke's son Murong Kai (慕容楷) and Murong Chui's uncle Lan Jian (蘭建) suggested that he start a coup, but Murong Chui declined. Instead, he accepted his

heir apparent An heir apparent, often shortened to heir, is a person who is first in an order of succession and cannot be displaced from inheriting by the birth of another person; a person who is first in the order of succession but can be displaced by the b ...

Murong Ling (慕容令)'s suggestion, seeking to flee and take over Longcheng in order to try to force reconciliation with the imperial government. Murong Chui put his plan in motion in winter 369. However, once he left Yecheng, his son

Murong Lin Murong Lin (; died 398), Xianbei name Helin (賀驎), was a general and imperial prince of the Xianbei-led Later Yan dynasty of China. He was a son of the founding emperor Murong Chui (Emperor Wucheng) and a brother of Murong Bao (Emperor Huimin) ...

, whom he had not favored, fled back to Yecheng to report on him, and Murong Ping sent an army to chase after him. Murong Chui then changed his plan and sought to flee to Former Qin instead. He then scattered his followers and fled back south. On the way, another son Murong Manu (慕容馬奴) wanted to flee back to Yecheng and was killed by him. When he was stopped at the

Yellow River The Yellow River or Huang He (Chinese: , Standard Beijing Mandarin, Mandarin: ''Huáng hé'' ) is the second-longest river in China, after the Yangtze River, and the List of rivers by length, sixth-longest river system in the world at th ...

, he killed the commander of the guards stopping him, forcing his way to Luoyang, and then fled to Former Qin with the younger Princess Duan, his sons Murong Ling, Murong Bao,

Murong Nong Murong Nong (慕容農) (died 398), formally Prince Huanlie of Liaoxi (遼西桓烈王), was a general and imperial prince of the History of China, Chinese/Xianbei state Later Yan. He was a son of the founding emperor Murong Chui (Emperor Wucheng ...

, Murong Long, Murong Kai, Lan Jian, and Gao Bi. Princess Kezuhun remained at Yecheng.

During Former Qin

Upon Murong Chui's arrival in Former Qin territory, Fu Jiān, who had long considered conquering Former Yan but feared Murong Chui's military ability, was greatly pleased and exited the capital

Chang'an Chang'an (; ) is the traditional name of Xi'an. The site had been settled since Neolithic times, during which the Yangshao culture was established in Banpo, in the city's suburbs. Furthermore, in the northern vicinity of modern Xi'an, Qin Shi ...

to personally welcome Murong Chui. He created Murong Chui the Marquess of Bintu and greatly honored him, despite misgivings by his prime minister Wang Meng. He also made Murong Chui one of his generals. Later in 369, after Murong Ping refused to cede the Luoyang region to Former Qin, as Former Yan had promised when seeking Former Qin's aid against Jin, Fu Jiān sent Wang to attack Former Yan. Wang requested that Murong Chui's heir apparent Murong Ling accompany him as a guide. After capturing Luoyang in early 370, Wang bribed Murong Chui's attendant Jin Xi (金熙) to give Murong Ling a false message that Murong Chui had heard that Empress Dowager Kezuhun had regretted her actions and that, therefore, he was defecting back to Former Yan. Murong Ling, unable to verify either the truth or the falsehood of the message, decided to defect back to Former Yan. Wang immediately accused Murong Ling of treason, and Murong Chui, in fear, fled, but was captured, although Fu Jiān believed that Murong Ling was acting independently and therefore pardoned Murong Chui. Former Yan did not trust Murong Ling and exiled him, and later that year, after he tried to start a rebellion, he was killed in battle after being betrayed by his brother Murong Lin. Late in 370, after Wang defeated Murong Ping and conquered Former Yan, Murong Chui accompanied Fu Jiān to visit the Former Yan capital Yecheng. Initially, he did not hide his disgust to those officials who failed to support him during the struggle with Murong Ping and Empress Dowager Kezuhun, but at Gao Bi's suggestion, he started to treat them with kindness, with the rebuilding of Yan in mind. Still, in 372, he accused Murong Ping of being the root of Former Yan's destruction and requested that Fu Jiān avenge Former Yan by executing Murong Ping; Fu Jiān did not do so, but effectively exiled Murong Ping by making him the governor of a distant commandery. In 378, Murong Chui participated in the campaign commanded by Fu Jiān's son

Fu Pi Fu Pi (; died 386), courtesy name Yongshu (永叔), formally Emperor Aiping of (Former) Qin ((前)秦哀平帝), was an emperor of the Di-led Former Qin dynasty of China. He was Fu Jiān's oldest son, although not his crown prince, and after Fu ...

against Jin's key city of

Xiangyang Xiangyang is a prefecture-level city in northwestern Hubei province, China and the second largest city in Hubei by population. It was known as Xiangfan from 1950 to 2010. The Han River runs through Xiangyang's centre and divides the city no ...

. In 382, when Fu Jiān wanted to launch a major campaign to destroy Jin and unite China, most officials, including Fu Jiān's brother

Fu Rong Fu Rong (苻融) (died 383), courtesy name Boxiu (伯休), formally Duke Ai of Yangping (陽平哀公), was an official and general of the Di-led Former Qin dynasty of China. He was a younger brother of Fu Jiān, the third emperor of the dyna ...

, who succeeded Wang as prime minister after Wang's death in 375, opposed, but Murong Chui and

Yao Chang Yao Chang (; 331–394), courtesy name Jingmao (景茂), formally Emperor Wuzhao of (Later) Qin ((後)秦武昭帝), was the founding emperor of the Qiang-led Chinese Later Qin dynasty. His father Yao Yizhong (姚弋仲) had been a powerful gene ...

urged the campaign, and Fu Jiān launched his campaign in fall 383. However, Former Qin forces, commanded by Fu Rong, was defeated by Jin forces at the

Battle of Fei River The Battle of Fei River, also known as the Battle of Feishui (), was a battle in AD 383 in China, where forces of the Di-led Former Qin dynasty was decisively defeated by the outnumbered army of the Eastern Jin dynasty. The location of the bat ...

despite great numerical superiority; Fu Rong was killed, and almost the entire army collapsed—although the forces under Murong Chui's command remained intact, and Fu Jiān, who suffered an arrow wound during the defeat, fled to Murong Chui. Murong Chui's son Murong Bao and brother Murong De both tried to persuade Murong Chui to kill Fu Jiān while he had the power to, but Murong Chui instead returned his forces to Fu Jiān's command and returned to Luoyang with Fu Jiān. However, under suggestion by his son Murong Nong, he planned a rebellion to rebuild Yan. Murong Chui told Fu Jiān that he was fearful that the people over the Former Yan territory would rebel, and that it would be best if he led a force to pacify the region. Fu Jiān agreed, despite opposition by Quan Yi (權翼). Murong Chui took the army and arrived at Yecheng, which was being defended by Fu Pi. They suspected each other, but each ruled out ambushing the other. When the

Dingling The Dingling ( (174 BCE); (200 BCE); Eastern Han Chinese: *''teŋ-leŋ'' <

Old Chinese

: *''têŋ-rêŋ'') were ancient people ...

chief Zhai Bin (翟斌) rebelled and attacked Luoyang, guarded by Fu Pi's younger brother Fu Hui (苻暉), Fu Pi ordered Murong Chui to put down Zhai's rebellion, and Fu Pi sent his assistant Fu Feilong (苻飛龍) to serve as Murong Chui's assistant. On the way to Luoyang, however, Murong Chui killed Fu Feilong and his Di soldiers and prepared to openly rebel. Meanwhile, despite his suspicions of Murong Chui, Fu Pi did not put Murong Chui's son Murong Nong and nephews Murong Kai and Murong Shao (慕容紹) under surveillance, and the three fled out of Yecheng and started a rebellion of their own. In spring 384, Murong Chui, not yet in open rebellion against Former Qin, arrived at Luoyang, but Fu Hui, hearing of Fu Feilong's death, refused to welcome him. Murong Chui then entered into an alliance with Zhai Bin, who urged him to take imperial title. Murong Chui refused at this point (reasoning that he should welcome Murong Wei back as emperor) but accepted the title of Prince of Yan, formally breaking away from Former Qin and establishing Later Yan.

Reign as Later Yan's emperor

Early reign: rebellion from Former Qin

Immediately, the struggle was on for Murong Chui to capture the territory that was formerly Former Yan's. Both he and Murong Nong quickly captured many cities. Luoyang and Yecheng were isolated. Fu Pi tried to persuade him to stop his rebellion, but he refused, and instead tried to persuade Fu Pi to leave Yecheng with his forces intact; Fu Pi refused, and Murong Chui put Yecheng under siege. With Former Qin now facing further rebellion by Murong Chui's nephews

Murong Hong Murong Hong (; died 384) was the founder of the Xianbei-led Western Yan dynasty of China. He was a son of the Former Yan emperor Murong Jun and a younger brother of Former Yan emperor Murong Wei. It is not known when Murong Hong was born. In 35 ...

and

Murong Chong Murong Chong (; 359–386), formally Emperor Wei of (Western) Yan ((西)燕威帝), was an Emperor of China, emperor of the Western Yan. He was a son of the Former Yan emperor Murong Jun and a younger brother of Former Yan emperor Murong Wei. It ...

, and Yao Chang, in the west, Yecheng was not able to receive any reinforcements, but Murong Chui was still unable to capture it quickly. When Zhai Bin, in disappointment over not given a prime ministerial title, considered switching sides again to Former Qin, Murong Chui killed him. Zhai Bin's nephew Zhai Zhen (翟真) rebelled against Later Yan, and for the next several years, while battling Former Qin remnants, Murong Chui also had to battle Dingling forces under Zhai Zhen and later his cousins Zhai Cheng (翟成) and

Zhai Liao Zhai Liao (; died 391) was a leader of the western Dingling horde and the founder of the Dingling-led Zhai Wei dynasty of China. During his reign, he used the monarchical title of Heavenly King. Early career Zhai Liao, a royal family member of ...

. Briefly during early 385, he also had to battle Jin forces, which had taken most of the territory south of the Yellow River and was in a temporary alliance with Fu Pi. The future of his Later Yan state did not appear particularly bright at this point. However, after moving north to pacify most of modern

Hebei Hebei or , (; alternately Hopeh) is a northern province of China. Hebei is China's sixth most populous province, with over 75 million people. Shijiazhuang is the capital city. The province is 96% Han Chinese, 3% Manchu, 0.8% Hui, an ...

, Murong Chui was eventually able to take Yecheng late in 385 when Fu Pi abandoned it and moved west. (Fu Pi, upon hearing that Fu Jiān had died earlier that year at Yao's hand, then declared himself emperor, but did not pose a further threat to Later Yan.) While isolated pockets of Former Qin resistance remained, by the end of 385 Former Yan was largely in control of the territory north of the Yellow River and east of

Taihang Mountains The Taihang Mountains () are a Chinese mountain range running down the eastern edge of the Loess Plateau in Shanxi, Henan and Hebei provinces. The range extends over from north to south and has an average elevation of . The principal peak is ...

.

Middle reign: entrenchment of Later Yan

Around the new year 386, Murong Chui decided to make Zhongshan (中山, in modern

Baoding Baoding (), formerly known as Baozhou and Qingyuan, is a prefecture-level city in central Hebei province, approximately southwest of Beijing. As of the 2010 census, Baoding City had 11,194,382 inhabitants out of which 2,176,857 lived in the b ...

,

Hebei Hebei or , (; alternately Hopeh) is a northern province of China. Hebei is China's sixth most populous province, with over 75 million people. Shijiazhuang is the capital city. The province is 96% Han Chinese, 3% Manchu, 0.8% Hui, an ...

), which his nephew Murong Wen (慕容溫) the Prince of Lelang had managed to rebuild despite the warfare, his capital. He also claimed the title of emperor. In 386,

Tuoba Gui Emperor Daowu of Northern Wei () (4 August 371 – 6 November 409''wuchen'' day of the 10th month of the 6th year of the ''Tian'ci'' era, per Emperor Daowu's biography in ''Book of Wei''), personal name Tuoba Gui (), né Tuoba Shegui (), was the fo ...

, the descendant of the Dai royal house, who had reestablished Dai earlier that year but subsequently claimed the title Prince of Wei (thus establishing

Northern Wei Wei (), known in historiography as the Northern Wei (), Tuoba Wei (), Yuan Wei () and Later Wei (), was founded by the Tuoba (Tabgach) clan of the Xianbei. The first of the Northern and Southern dynasties#Northern dynasties, Northern dynasties ...

) but faced internal rebellions and turmoil, submitted to Murong Chui as a vassal and sought Former Yan aid. Murong Chui sent Murong Lin to help him, and Northern Wei was preserved. In 387, Murong Chui's youngest son Murong Rou (慕容柔), and Murong Bao's sons

Murong Sheng Murong Sheng (; 373–401), courtesy name Daoyun (道運), formally Emperor Zhaowu of (Later) Yan ((後)燕昭武帝), was an emperor of the Xianbei-led Later Yan dynasty of China. He was the oldest son of Murong Bao (Emperor Huimin), and after ...

and

Murong Hui Murong Hui (慕容廆, 269 – 4 June 333), courtesy name Yiluo (弈洛), was an Xianbei chief, formally known as Duke Xiang of Liaodong, posthumously honored as Emperor Wuxuan (武宣皇帝). In the Book of Jin, Murong Hui was described as ...

(慕容會, note different character than Murong Chui's grandfather) fled back from Western Yan, which had been entrenched in modern

Shanxi Shanxi (; ; formerly romanised as Shansi) is a landlocked province of the People's Republic of China and is part of the North China region. The capital and largest city of the province is Taiyuan, while its next most populated prefecture-lev ...

and whose emperor

Murong Yong Murong Yong (; died 394), courtesy name Shuming (叔明), was the last emperor of the Xianbei-led Chinese Western Yan dynasty. He was the grandson of Murong Yun (慕容運), the uncle of Former Yan's founder Murong Huang. As a member of Former ...

was a distant relative of Murong Chui's and who thus greatly suspected Murong Rou and his nephews. Later that year, all descendants of Murong Chui and Murong Jun remaining in Western Yan were massacred by Murong Yong. Later in 387, Murong Chui personally attacked Zhai Liao, who was then occupying Liyang Commandery (黎陽, roughly modern

Hebi Hebi ( ; postal: Hopi) is a prefecture-level city in northern Henan province, China. Situated in mountainous terrain at the edge of the Shanxi plateau, Hebi is about south of Anyang, northeast of Xinxiang and north of Kaifeng. As of the 202 ...

,

Henan Henan (; or ; ; alternatively Honan) is a landlocked province of China, in the central part of the country. Henan is often referred to as Zhongyuan or Zhongzhou (), which literally means "central plain" or "midland", although the name is al ...

), and Zhai Liao submitted to him. However, later that year, Zhai Liao rebelled again, and when Zhai Liao made another overture to submit in 388, Murong Chui refused, and Zhai Liao declared himself the "Heavenly Prince" (''

Tian Wang Heavenly King or Tian Wang () is a Chinese title for various religious deities and divine leaders throughout history, as well as an alternate form of the term ''Son of Heaven'', referring to the emperor. The Chinese term for Heavenly King consist ...

'') of Wei. In 388, Murong Chui, at age 62, transferred much of his day-to-day authority to Murong Bao, now his

crown prince A crown prince or hereditary prince is the heir apparent to the throne in a royal or imperial monarchy. The female form of the title is crown princess, which may refer either to an heiress apparent or, especially in earlier times, to the wif ...

, only deciding the most important matters personally. He created his now-wife

Duan Yuanfei Duan Yuanfei (段元妃) (died 396), formally Empress Cheng'ai (成哀皇后, literally "the successful and lamentable empress"), was an empress of the Xianbei-led Chinese Later Yan dynasty. Her husband was the state's founding emperor, Murong C ...

—the niece of two of his deceased wives—empress.

Late reign: deterioration of the state

In 391, an incident that would have terrible consequences occurred to lead to the break of relations between Later Yan and Northern Wei. That year, Tuoba Gui sent his brother Tuoba Gu (拓拔觚) to Later Yan to offer tribute, and Murong Chui's sons detained Tuoba Gu and ordered Tuoba Gui to offer horses to trade for Tuoba Gu's freedom. Tuoba Gui refused and broke off relations with Later Yan, instead entering into an alliance with Western Yan. In 392, after Zhai Liao's son and successor

Zhai Zhao Zhai Zhao (; died 393) was the second and last monarch of the Dingling-led Chinese Zhai Wei dynasty. During his reign, he used the monarchical title of Heavenly King. Zhai Zhao's father Zhai Liao had, after rebelling against Eastern Jin dynas ...

attacked Later Yan's border region, Murong Chui personally led an army against Zhai Zhao's capital Huatai (滑台, in modern

Anyang Anyang (; ) is a prefecture-level city in Henan province, China. The northernmost city in Henan, Anyang borders Puyang to the east, Hebi and Xinxiang to the south, and the provinces of Shanxi and Hebei to its west and north respectively. It had a ...

,

Henan Henan (; or ; ; alternatively Honan) is a landlocked province of China, in the central part of the country. Henan is often referred to as Zhongyuan or Zhongzhou (), which literally means "central plain" or "midland", although the name is al ...

). Zhai sought aid from Western Yan, but Murong Yong declined to send a relief force, and Murong Chui quickly crossed the Yellow River and captured Huatai, conquering Zhai's Wei state. In winter 393, Murong Chui turned his attention to Western Yan. After leading Murong Yong to believe that he would attack Western Yan's capital Zhangzi (長子, in modern

Changzhi Changzhi () is a prefecture-level city in the southeast of Shanxi Province, China, bordering the provinces of Hebei and Henan to the northeast and east, respectively. Historically, the city was one of the 36 administrative areas (see Adminis ...

,

Shanxi Shanxi (; ; formerly romanised as Shansi) is a landlocked province of the People's Republic of China and is part of the North China region. The capital and largest city of the province is Taiyuan, while its next most populated prefecture-lev ...

) through Taihang Pass (太行, in modern

Jiaozuo Jiaozuo ( ; postal: Tsiaotso) is a prefecture-level city in the northwest of Henan province, China. Sitting on the northern bank of the Yellow River, it borders the provincial capital of Zhengzhou to the south, Xinxiang to the east, Jiyuan to the ...

,

Henan Henan (; or ; ; alternatively Honan) is a landlocked province of China, in the central part of the country. Henan is often referred to as Zhongyuan or Zhongzhou (), which literally means "central plain" or "midland", although the name is al ...

), he instead surprised Western Yan by attacking through Tianjing Pass (天井關, in modern

Handan Handan is a prefecture-level city located in the southwest of Hebei province, China. The southernmost prefecture-level city of the province, it borders Xingtai on the north, and the provinces of Shanxi on the west, Henan on the south and Shando ...

,

Henan Henan (; or ; ; alternatively Honan) is a landlocked province of China, in the central part of the country. Henan is often referred to as Zhongyuan or Zhongzhou (), which literally means "central plain" or "midland", although the name is al ...

), quickly advancing on Zhangzi and began besieging it. Murong Yong sought aid from Jin and Northern Wei, but before Jin and Northern Wei forces could arrive, Murong Chui captured Zhangzi, killing Murong Yong and annexing Western Yan territory into Later Yan. In 395, in response to Northern Wei's continuous pillaging of the border region, Murong Chui sent Murong Bao, Murong Nong, Murong Lin, Murong De, and Murong Shao to lead a 90,000+-men army in a

punitive expedition A punitive expedition is a military journey undertaken to punish a political entity or any group of people outside the borders of the punishing state or union. It is usually undertaken in response to perceived disobedient or morally wrong behavio ...

against Northern Wei, with Murong Bao in command. Tuoba Gui withdrew his forces out of his capital Shengle (盛樂, in modern

Hohhot Hohhot,; abbreviated zh, c=呼市, p=Hūshì, labels=no formerly known as Kweisui, is the capital of Inner Mongolia in the north of the People's Republic of China, serving as the region's administrative, economic and cultural center.''The Ne ...

,

Inner Mongolia Inner Mongolia, officially the Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, is an autonomous region of the People's Republic of China. Its border includes most of the length of China's border with the country of Mongolia. Inner Mongolia also accounts for a ...

) to the west of the Yellow River. Murong Bao's forces gave chase and eventually became worn out, and Tuoba Gui announced false rumors that Murong Chui had died, causing the soldiers to become worried. Meanwhile, some of Murong Lin's supporters considered a coup to support Murong Lin as emperor, and while Murong Lin himself was not involved, mutual suspicions emerged. Murong Bao therefore decided to retreat, not realizing that Tuoba Gui was shadowing his army in the dark winter cold. In deep winter 395, Northern Wei forces ambushed the unsuspecting Later Yan forces at the

Battle of Canhe Slope Battle of Canhe Slope () refers to a battle in 395 where the Chinese/Xianbei state Later Yan, then ruling over northern and central China, had launched a punitive campaign against its former vassal Northern Wei, also of Xianbei extraction. Later ...

, killing many soldiers but capturing the most. Murong Bao and a number of his generals were able to flee. Initially, Tuoba Gui was going to release the Later Yan soldiers to show generosity, but at Kepin Jian (可頻建)'s warning that this would permit Later Yan to rebuild its army quickly, slaughtered the captured Later Yan soldiers. Murong Bao was humiliated and urged Murong Chui to launch another campaign against Northern Wei, and Murong De also urged Murong Chui to do so. He therefore summoned his son Murong Long the Prince of Gaoyang and grandson Murong Sheng back to the capital Zhongshan with reinforcements from the northern part of the empire, ready to launch another attack against Northern Wei in 396. Murong Chui then launched the attack, quickly capturing Northern Wei's important city Pingcheng (平城, in modern Datong,

Shanxi Shanxi (; ; formerly romanised as Shansi) is a landlocked province of the People's Republic of China and is part of the North China region. The capital and largest city of the province is Taiyuan, while its next most populated prefecture-lev ...

) and aimed for Shengle, and Tuoba Gui, in panic, considered abandoning Shengle again. When Murong Chui led his army through the Canhe Slope, however, the soldiers saw the bodies of the dead soldiers and began to cry bitterly, and Murong Chui became so enraged and embarrassed that he grew extremely ill. In response, the Later Yan forces began to withdraw, and on the way back to Zhongshan, Murong Chui died at

Shanggu Shanggu Commandery ( zh, 上谷郡) was a commandery in imperial China from the Warring States period to Tang dynasty. It was located in present-day Hebei and Beijing. The commandery was established by the state of Yan for the defense against the ...

(上谷, in modern

Zhangjiakou Zhangjiakou (; ; ) also known as Kalgan and by several other names, is a prefecture-level city in northwestern Hebei province in Northern China, bordering Beijing to the southeast, Inner Mongolia to the north and west, and Shanxi to the southw ...

,

Hebei Hebei or , (; alternately Hopeh) is a northern province of China. Hebei is China's sixth most populous province, with over 75 million people. Shijiazhuang is the capital city. The province is 96% Han Chinese, 3% Manchu, 0.8% Hui, an ...

). His death was not announced until the army reached Zhongshan, however, and he was buried with imperial honors. Murong Bao succeeded him, but in less than a year most of Later Yan would fall into Northern Wei's hands.

Personal information

* Father **

Murong Huang Murong Huang (; 297–348), courtesy name Yuanzhen (元真), formally Prince Wenming of (Former) Yan ((前)燕文明王) was the founding monarch of the Xianbei-led Former Yan dynasty of China. When he first succeeded his father Murong Hui i ...

(Prince Wenming of

Former Yan The Former Yan (; 337–370) was a dynastic state ruled by the Xianbei during the era of Sixteen Kingdoms in China. Initially, Murong Huang and his son Murong Jun claimed the Jin dynasty-created title "Prince of Yan," but subsequently, in 352, ...

) * Mother ** Consort Lan, posthumously honored as Empress Wenzhao * Wives ** Princess Duan (died in prison 358), daughter of

Duan Mopei Duan may refer to: * Duan (surname), a Chinese surname ** Duan dynasty, the ruling dynasty of the Dali Kingdom * Duan tribe, pre-state tribe during the era of Sixteen Kingdoms in China * Duan language, spoken on the Laotian–Vietnamese border * ...

(段末柸), posthumously honored as Empress Chengzhao, mother of Heir Apparent Ling and Crown Prince Bao ** Princess Kezuhun (married 358, effectively divorced 369), sister of Empress Kezuhun, wife of

Murong Jun Murong Jun (; 319–360), courtesy name Xuanying (宣英), formally Emperor Jingzhao of (Former) Yan ((前)燕景昭帝), was an emperor of the Former Yan. He was the dynasty's second ruler, but after first using the Jin dynasty-created title o ...

(Emperor Jingzhao of Former Yan) ** Princess Duan (initially married and forced to be deposed 358, became wife again 369), the sister of the first Princess Duan **

Empress Duan Yuanfei Duan Yuanfei (段元妃) (died 396), formally Empress Cheng'ai (成哀皇后, literally "the successful and lamentable empress"), was an empress of the Xianbei-led Chinese Later Yan dynasty. Her husband was the state's founding emperor, Murong Ch ...

(created 388, committed suicide 396), niece of Princesses Duan, mother of Princes Lang and Jian * Major

Concubine Concubinage is an interpersonal and sexual relationship between a man and a woman in which the couple does not want, or cannot enter into a full marriage. Concubinage and marriage are often regarded as similar but mutually exclusive. Concubi ...

s ** Consort Duan, mother of Prince Xi * Children ** Murong Ling (慕容令) or Murong Quan (慕容全),The ''

Zizhi Tongjian ''Zizhi Tongjian'' () is a pioneering reference work in Chinese historiography, published in 1084 AD during the Northern Song dynasty in the form of a chronicle recording Chinese history from 403 BC to 959 AD, covering 16 dynast ...

'' gave the name as Murong Ling, while the ''

Book of Jin The ''Book of Jin'' is an official Chinese historical text covering the history of the Jin dynasty from 266 to 420. It was compiled in 648 by a number of officials commissioned by the imperial court of the Tang dynasty, with chancellor Fang X ...

'' gave the name as Murong Quan. Compare ''Zizhi Tongjian'', vol. 102, with ''Book of Jin'', vols. 123, 124. the

heir apparent An heir apparent, often shortened to heir, is a person who is first in an order of succession and cannot be displaced from inheriting by the birth of another person; a person who is first in the order of succession but can be displaced by the b ...

(killed in battle 370), posthumously honored the Emperor Xianzhuang by his nephew

Murong Sheng Murong Sheng (; 373–401), courtesy name Daoyun (道運), formally Emperor Zhaowu of (Later) Yan ((後)燕昭武帝), was an emperor of the Xianbei-led Later Yan dynasty of China. He was the oldest son of Murong Bao (Emperor Huimin), and after ...

(Emperor Zhaowu) ** Murong Bao (慕容寶), the Crown Prince (created 384), later Emperor Huimin ** Murong Manu (慕容馬奴) (executed 369) **

Murong Nong Murong Nong (慕容農) (died 398), formally Prince Huanlie of Liaoxi (遼西桓烈王), was a general and imperial prince of the History of China, Chinese/Xianbei state Later Yan. He was a son of the founding emperor Murong Chui (Emperor Wucheng ...

(慕容農), Prince Huanlie of Liaoxi (created 386, killed by rebels in 398) ** Murong Long (慕容隆), Prince Kang of Gaoyang (created 386, killed by

Murong Hui Murong Hui (慕容廆, 269 – 4 June 333), courtesy name Yiluo (弈洛), was an Xianbei chief, formally known as Duke Xiang of Liaodong, posthumously honored as Emperor Wuxuan (武宣皇帝). In the Book of Jin, Murong Hui was described as ...

397) **

Murong Lin Murong Lin (; died 398), Xianbei name Helin (賀驎), was a general and imperial prince of the Xianbei-led Later Yan dynasty of China. He was a son of the founding emperor Murong Chui (Emperor Wucheng) and a brother of Murong Bao (Emperor Huimin) ...

(慕容麟), the Prince of Zhao (created 386, killed by

Murong De Murong De (; 336–405), name changed in 400 to Murong Beide (慕容備德), courtesy name Xuanming (玄明), formally Emperor Xianwu of (Southern) Yan ((南)燕獻武帝), was the founding emperor of the Xianbei-led Southern Yan dynasty of Chin ...

398) ** Murong Rou (慕容柔), the Prince of Yangping (created 387) **

Murong Xi Murong Xi (; 385–407; r. 401–407), courtesy name Daowen (道文), formally Emperor Zhaowen of (Later) Yan ((後)燕昭文帝), was an emperor of the Xianbei-led Later Yan dynasty of China. He was one of the youngest sons of Murong Chui (Empe ...

(慕容熙), the Prince of Hejian (created 393), later Emperor Zhaowen ** Murong Lang (慕容朗), the Prince of Bohai (created 393, killed by rebels of

Duan Sugu Duan may refer to: * Duan (surname), a Chinese surname ** Duan dynasty, the ruling dynasty of the Dali Kingdom * Duan tribe, pre-state tribe during the era of Sixteen Kingdoms in China * Duan language, spoken on the Laotian–Vietnamese border * ...

397) ** Murong Jian (慕容鑒), the Prince of Boling (created 393, killed by rebels of

Duan Sugu Duan may refer to: * Duan (surname), a Chinese surname ** Duan dynasty, the ruling dynasty of the Dali Kingdom * Duan tribe, pre-state tribe during the era of Sixteen Kingdoms in China * Duan language, spoken on the Laotian–Vietnamese border * ...

397) ** Murong Wonu (慕容倭奴), the Prince of Luyang (captured by

Northern Wei Wei (), known in historiography as the Northern Wei (), Tuoba Wei (), Yuan Wei () and Later Wei (), was founded by the Tuoba (Tabgach) clan of the Xianbei. The first of the Northern and Southern dynasties#Northern dynasties, Northern dynasties ...

395 and presumptively killed)

Popular culture

* Portrayed by Kim Dong-hyun in the 2011-2012

KBS1 The Korean Broadcasting System (KBS) () is the national broadcaster of South Korea. Founded in February 1927, it is one of the leading South Korean television and radio broadcasters. KBS operates seven radio networks, ten television channels, a ...

TV series ''

Gwanggaeto, The Great Conqueror ''Gwanggaeto, The Great Conqueror'', also known as ''King Gwanggaeto the Great'', is a historical drama based on the life of the nineteenth monarch of Goguryeo, Gwanggaeto the Great. The drama was based on two sources, ''Gwanggaeto the Great'' ...

''.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Murong, Chui Later Yan emperors 326 births 396 deaths Former Yan generals Former Yan imperial princes Former Qin generals Witch hunting 4th-century Chinese monarchs People from Chaoyang, Liaoning Generals from Liaoning Witchcraft in China Founding monarchs

During Former Yan

During Murong Hui's and Huang's reigns

During Murong Jun's reign

During Murong Wei's reign

During Murong Ke's regency

During Murong Ping's regency

During Former Qin

Reign as Later Yan's emperor

Early reign: rebellion from Former Qin

Middle reign: entrenchment of Later Yan

Late reign: deterioration of the state

Personal information

Popular culture

References