Buliugu Li
Encyclopedia
Buliugu Li (died 465), more commonly known in historical accounts as Lu Li (陸麗) (because after the change of Xianbei names to Han names
in 496, "Buliugu" was changed to "Lu"), formally Prince Jian of Pingyuan (平原簡王), was a high level official for the Chinese
/Xianbei
dynasty Northern Wei
who served mostly during the reign of Emperor Wencheng
.
Buliugu Li's father Buliugu Qi (步六孤俟) was a general under Emperor Taiwu
, whose accomplishments included inducing the uncles of the Xiongnu
rebel Gai Wu (蓋吳) to assassinate him and surrender in 446. Buliugu Li himself served in the imperial guard corps, and because Emperor Taiwu believed him to be faithful and careful, Emperor Taiwu created him the Viscount of Zhang'an, and later made him a minister in the southern regional administration of the imperial government.
In 452, Emperor Taiwu was assassinated by the eunuch
Zong Ai
, who made Emperor Taiwu's son Tuoba Yu
the Prince of Nan'an emperor, but assassinated him later that year as well. Buliugu Li, along with Dugu Ni (獨孤尼), Yuan He
, and Baba Kehou (拔拔渴侯), rose in a coup d'etat
and overthrew Zong, making Tuoba Jun, the son of Emperor Taiwu's crown prince
Tuoba Huang
, emperor (as Emperor Wencheng). Because of this accomplishment, Emperor Wencheng trusted him greatly and created him the Prince of Pingyuan. He initially declined, stating that his father had accomplished much during Emperor Taiwu's reign and yet was not a prince, and he did not dare to take a title greater than his father's -- to which Emperor Wencheng reacted by creating his father a prince as well. He declined again, but Emperor Wencheng did not accept his refusal. Buliugu Li went unscathed during the internecine struggles between the high level officials early in Emperor Wencheng's reign, and appeared to have been one of the victors in the struggles. Buliugu Li was said to favor literary studies, and he often taught students on the subject as well. He was also praised for his filial piety toward his father, and when Buliugu Qi died in 458, Buliugu Li mourned so greatly that he became ill.
In 465, Emperor Wencheng died and was succeeded by his young son Emperor Xianwen
, and the power soon fell into the hands of the official Yifu Hun
, who soon killed a number of high level officials, including Yang Baoping (楊保平), Jia Airen (賈愛仁) the Duke of Pingyang, and Zhang Tiandu (張天度) the Duke of Nanyang. At this time, because illness, Buliugu Li, who then carried the title of prime minister, was spending time at the springs in Dai Commandery (代, roughly modern Zhangjiakou
, Hebei
). Yifu sent the official Qiumuling Duohou (丘穆陵多侯) to summon Buliugu back to the capital Pingcheng (平城, in modern Datong
, Shanxi
) in the name of the emperor. Instead, Qiumuling warned Buliugu that Yifu was violent and had no good intentions, and suggested that Buliugu should wait before returning to Pingcheng. Buliugu declined, stating that when one heard that the emperor had died, one must immediately attend to the funeral matters without fearing disaster, and therefore rushed back to Pingcheng. He immediately got into arguments with Yifu over Yifu's unlawful actions, and Yifu executed both him and Qiumuling. After Emperor Wencheng's wife Empress Dowager Feng
in turn overthrew Yifu in 466, she buried Buliugu with honors near the imperial tombs.
Buliugu Li had two wives, probably in succession rather than at the same time. The first wife was Lady Du or Duguhun, who bore him a son named Buliugu Dingguo (步六孤定國, later Lu Dingguo (陸定國)), and the second was Lady Zhang, who bore him a son named Buliugu Rui (步六孤叡, later Lu Rui (陸叡)). Both Buliugu Dingguo and Buliugu Rui later served in the imperial government.
Change of Xianbei names to Han names
The Change of Xianbei family names to Han names was part of a larger sinicization campaign. It was at its peak intensity under Emperor Xiaowen of the Northern Wei dynasty in 496.-Background:...
in 496, "Buliugu" was changed to "Lu"), formally Prince Jian of Pingyuan (平原簡王), was a high level official for the Chinese
History of China
Chinese civilization originated in various regional centers along both the Yellow River and the Yangtze River valleys in the Neolithic era, but the Yellow River is said to be the Cradle of Chinese Civilization. With thousands of years of continuous history, China is one of the world's oldest...
/Xianbei
Xianbei
The Xianbei were a significant Mongolic nomadic people residing in Manchuria, Inner Mongolia and eastern Mongolia. The title “Khan” was first used among the Xianbei.-Origins:...
dynasty Northern Wei
Northern Wei
The Northern Wei Dynasty , also known as the Tuoba Wei , Later Wei , or Yuan Wei , was a dynasty which ruled northern China from 386 to 534 . It has been described as "part of an era of political turbulence and intense social and cultural change"...
who served mostly during the reign of Emperor Wencheng
Emperor Wencheng of Northern Wei
Emperor Wencheng of Northern Wei , personal name Tuoba Jun , was an emperor of the Chinese/Xianbei dynasty Northern Wei...
.
Buliugu Li's father Buliugu Qi (步六孤俟) was a general under Emperor Taiwu
Emperor Taiwu of Northern Wei
Emperor Taiwu of Northern Wei , personal name Tuoba Tao , nickname Foli , was an emperor of the Chinese/Xianbei dynasty Northern Wei...
, whose accomplishments included inducing the uncles of the Xiongnu
Xiongnu
The Xiongnu were ancient nomadic-based people that formed a state or confederation north of the agriculture-based empire of the Han Dynasty. Most of the information on the Xiongnu comes from Chinese sources...
rebel Gai Wu (蓋吳) to assassinate him and surrender in 446. Buliugu Li himself served in the imperial guard corps, and because Emperor Taiwu believed him to be faithful and careful, Emperor Taiwu created him the Viscount of Zhang'an, and later made him a minister in the southern regional administration of the imperial government.
In 452, Emperor Taiwu was assassinated by the eunuch
Eunuch
A eunuch is a person born male most commonly castrated, typically early enough in his life for this change to have major hormonal consequences...
Zong Ai
Zong Ai
Zong Ai was a eunuch who briefly came to great power in the Chinese/Xianbei dynasty Northern Wei in 452 after assassinating Emperor Taiwu and making his son Tuoba Yu emperor.Little is known about Zong's career prior to 451...
, who made Emperor Taiwu's son Tuoba Yu
Tuoba Yu
Tuoba Yu , formally Prince Yin of Nan'an , was briefly an emperor of the Chinese/Xianbei dynasty Northern Wei. He was placed on the throne by the eunuch Zong Ai after Zong assassinated his father Emperor Taiwu in spring 452, and Zong was largely in control of the regime during his reign...
the Prince of Nan'an emperor, but assassinated him later that year as well. Buliugu Li, along with Dugu Ni (獨孤尼), Yuan He
Yuan He
Yuan He , né Tufa Poqiang , formally Prince Xuan of Longxi , was a high level official of the Chinese/Xianbei dynasty Northern Wei...
, and Baba Kehou (拔拔渴侯), rose in a coup d'etat
Coup d'état
A coup d'état state, literally: strike/blow of state)—also known as a coup, putsch, and overthrow—is the sudden, extrajudicial deposition of a government, usually by a small group of the existing state establishment—typically the military—to replace the deposed government with another body; either...
and overthrew Zong, making Tuoba Jun, the son of Emperor Taiwu's crown prince
Crown Prince
A crown prince or crown princess is the heir or heiress apparent to the throne in a royal or imperial monarchy. The wife of a crown prince is also titled crown princess....
Tuoba Huang
Tuoba Huang
Tuoba Huang , formally Crown Prince Jingmu , later further formally honored as Emperor Jingmu with the temple name Gongzong by his son Emperor Wencheng, was a crown prince of the Chinese/Xianbei dynasty Northern Wei...
, emperor (as Emperor Wencheng). Because of this accomplishment, Emperor Wencheng trusted him greatly and created him the Prince of Pingyuan. He initially declined, stating that his father had accomplished much during Emperor Taiwu's reign and yet was not a prince, and he did not dare to take a title greater than his father's -- to which Emperor Wencheng reacted by creating his father a prince as well. He declined again, but Emperor Wencheng did not accept his refusal. Buliugu Li went unscathed during the internecine struggles between the high level officials early in Emperor Wencheng's reign, and appeared to have been one of the victors in the struggles. Buliugu Li was said to favor literary studies, and he often taught students on the subject as well. He was also praised for his filial piety toward his father, and when Buliugu Qi died in 458, Buliugu Li mourned so greatly that he became ill.
In 465, Emperor Wencheng died and was succeeded by his young son Emperor Xianwen
Emperor Xianwen of Northern Wei
Emperor Xianwen of Northern Wei , personal name Tuoba Hong, was an emperor of the Chinese/Xianbei dynasty Northern Wei...
, and the power soon fell into the hands of the official Yifu Hun
Yifu Hun
Yifu Hun , more commonly known in historical accounts as Yi Hun , was a high level official of the Chinese/Xianbei dynasty Northern Wei, who effectively briefly served as the regent for Emperor Xianwen.Little is known about Yifu Hun's background despite his one-time...
, who soon killed a number of high level officials, including Yang Baoping (楊保平), Jia Airen (賈愛仁) the Duke of Pingyang, and Zhang Tiandu (張天度) the Duke of Nanyang. At this time, because illness, Buliugu Li, who then carried the title of prime minister, was spending time at the springs in Dai Commandery (代, roughly modern Zhangjiakou
Zhangjiakou
Zhangjiakou, also known also by several other names, is a prefecture-level city in northwestern Hebei province of North China, adjacent to Beijing to the southeast. Its administrative area has a population of 4.35 million, and covers...
, Hebei
Hebei
' is a province of the People's Republic of China in the North China region. Its one-character abbreviation is "" , named after Ji Province, a Han Dynasty province that included what is now southern Hebei...
). Yifu sent the official Qiumuling Duohou (丘穆陵多侯) to summon Buliugu back to the capital Pingcheng (平城, in modern Datong
Datong
Datong is a prefecture-level city in northern Shanxi Province of North China, located a few hundred kilometres west by rail from Beijing with an elevation of...
, Shanxi
Shanxi
' is a province in Northern China. Its one-character abbreviation is "晋" , after the state of Jin that existed here during the Spring and Autumn Period....
) in the name of the emperor. Instead, Qiumuling warned Buliugu that Yifu was violent and had no good intentions, and suggested that Buliugu should wait before returning to Pingcheng. Buliugu declined, stating that when one heard that the emperor had died, one must immediately attend to the funeral matters without fearing disaster, and therefore rushed back to Pingcheng. He immediately got into arguments with Yifu over Yifu's unlawful actions, and Yifu executed both him and Qiumuling. After Emperor Wencheng's wife Empress Dowager Feng
Empress Feng (Wencheng)
Empress Feng , formally Empress Wenming was an empress of the Chinese/Xianbei dynasty Northern Wei. Her husband was Emperor Wencheng...
in turn overthrew Yifu in 466, she buried Buliugu with honors near the imperial tombs.
Buliugu Li had two wives, probably in succession rather than at the same time. The first wife was Lady Du or Duguhun, who bore him a son named Buliugu Dingguo (步六孤定國, later Lu Dingguo (陸定國)), and the second was Lady Zhang, who bore him a son named Buliugu Rui (步六孤叡, later Lu Rui (陸叡)). Both Buliugu Dingguo and Buliugu Rui later served in the imperial government.