Murong Hui (Later Yan)
Encyclopedia
Murong Hui (373–397) was a general and imperial prince of the Chinese
/Xianbei
state Later Yan
, who served under his grandfather Murong Chui
(Emperor Wucheng) and father Murong Bao
(Emperor Huimin). During his father's reign, angry that he was not created crown prince
, he tried to seize that position by force, but after his failure was killed.
Murong Hui was born to Murong Bao and a concubine described as of lowly birth while Murong Bao was a low-level Former Qin
official, after Murong Chui, a Former Yan
prince, had sought refuge with Former Qin's emperor Fu Jiān
in 369 after a dispute with Former Yan's Empress Kezuhun
and regent
Murong Ping
, and after Former Qin had destroyed Former Yan in 370. He was therefore probably born in the Former Qin capital Chang'an
, where Murong Bao served.
When Murong Chui rebelled against Former Qin in 384 and established Later Yan, Murong Hui was in Chang'an, then still under Former Qin control. After the last Former Yan emperor Murong Wei
, then a Former Qin general, tried to rebel within the city around the new year 385, Fu Jiān ordered the Xianbei in the city killed, but Murong Hui, along with his uncle Murong Rou (慕容柔) and brother Murong Sheng
, were not killed, apparently because Murong Rou had been adopted by the eunuch
Song Ya (宋牙). Soon thereafter, though, Murong Rou, Murong Sheng, and Murong Hui fled Chang'an and sought refuge with Murong Wei's brother and the leader of the nascent Western Yan
state, Murong Chong
.
Western Yan eventually captured Chang'an, but Murong Chong was killed in a coup, and the Xianbei people of the state abandoned Chang'an and began heading east back to their homeland. After a series of coups in 386, Murong Yong
became emperor, and under his leadership Western Yan settled in at Zhangzi (長子, in modern Changzhi
, Shanxi
). In winter 386, Murong Sheng saw that they were being suspected by Murong Yong on account of their being descendants of Murong Chui, and therefore persuaded Murong Rou and Murong Hui to flee to Later Yan. It took them a year to arrive in the Later Yan capital Zhongshan (中山, in modern Baoding
, Hebei
), and upon arrival in the capital, Murong Hui was created the Duke of Qinghe.
Murong Chui greatly favored Murong Hui's abilities, and whenever Murong Bao, then Murong Chui's crown prince
, would accompany Murong Chui on campaigns, Murong Chui put Murong Hui in charge of the crown prince's household, and ordered that he accorded the same respect as the crown prince during those times. In 395, after Murong Bao had suffered a devastating defeat at the hands of Later Yan's former vassal, Northern Wei
's prince Tuoba Gui
, in preparation of another attack against Northern Wei, Murong Chui recalled Murong Hui's uncle Murong Long
, the viceroy
at the old Former Yan capital Longcheng (龍城, in modern Jinzhou
, Liaoning
), to the capital with his troops, and he made Murong Hui viceroy at Longcheng. He grew extremely ill in early 396, however, and died during the campaign and was succeeded by Murong Bao.
Before Murong Chui died, he urged Murong Bao to make Murong Hui crown prince. However, Murong Bao favored his young son Murong Ce (慕容策, 13 years Murong Hui's junior) and did not consider Murong Hui. Murong Sheng, who was slightly older than Murong Hui, also did not want to see Murong Hui as crown prince, and therefore persuaded Murong Bao to create Murong Ce crown prince. Murong Hui was only promoted to Prince of Qinghe, and he resented this greatly.
Later in 396, Northern Wei launched a major attack on Later Yan, immediately seizing most of the central and western provinces of the empire, and putting Zhongshan under siege. Murong Hui mobilized his troops under guise of heading for his father's aid, but did not actually have the desire to do so, and so advanced slowly only after the urging of the general Yu Chong (餘崇). As he reached Zhongshan's vicinity, his father abandoned Zhongshan and joined his army. Murong Bao immediately saw that Murong Hui was still resentful, and tried to transfer the command of the army to his own brothers Murong Long and Murong Nong
, but this only angered Murong Hui more. Seeing his uncles as his threats, he sent assassins against them, killing Murong Long but only wounding Murong Nong, and then falsely accused Murong Long and Murong Nong of treason. Murong Bao initially pretended to believe him, and then tried to have him assassinated but failed. Murong Hui then rose in open rebellion, demanding the position of crown prince, and as Murong Bao had then reached Longcheng first, Murong Hui tried to put Longcheng under siege. The general Gao Yun, however, led a surprise attack against him, and his troops collapsed. He fled back to Zhongshan, then under the control of his cousin Murong Xiang (慕容詳) the Duke of Kaifeng, but Murong Xiang executed him. Murong Bao executed his mother and sons as well.
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:...
state Later Yan
Later Yan
The Later Yan was a Murong-Xianbei state, located in modern day northeast China, during the era of Sixteen Kingdoms in China.All rulers of the Later Yan declared themselves "emperors". Later Yan fell to the Goguryeo dynasty.-Rulers of the Later Yan:...
, who served under his grandfather Murong Chui
Murong Chui
Murong Chui , courtesy name Daoming , formally Emperor Wucheng of Yan was a great general of the Chinese/Xianbei state Former Yan who later became the founding emperor of Later Yan...
(Emperor Wucheng) and father Murong Bao
Murong Bao
Murong Bao , courtesy name Daoyou , formally Emperor Huimin of Yan , temple name Liezong or Liezu , was an emperor of the Chinese/Xianbei state Later Yan...
(Emperor Huimin). During his father's reign, angry that he was not created 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....
, he tried to seize that position by force, but after his failure was killed.
Murong Hui was born to Murong Bao and a concubine described as of lowly birth while Murong Bao was a low-level Former Qin
Former Qin
The Former Qin was a state of the Sixteen Kingdoms in China. Founded by the Fu family of the Di ethnicity, it completed the unification of North China in 376. Its capital had been Xi'an up to the death of the ruler Fu Jiān. Despite its name, the Former Qin was much later and less powerful than...
official, after Murong Chui, a Former Yan
Former Yan
The Former Yan was a state of Xianbei ethnicity 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, after seizing most of the former Later Zhao territory, Murong Juan would...
prince, had sought refuge with Former Qin's emperor Fu Jiān
Fu Jian
Fu Jian may refer to:* Fú Jiàn , founding emperor of Former Qin, posthumous name Emperor Jingming* Fú Jiān , ruler of Former Qin, posthumous name Emperor Xuanzhao-See also:...
in 369 after a dispute with Former Yan's Empress Kezuhun
Empress Kezuhun (Jingzhao)
Empress Kezuhun was an empress of the Chinese/Xianbei state Former Yan. Her husband was Murong Jun .-During Murong Jun's reign:...
and regent
Regent
A regent, from the Latin regens "one who reigns", is a person selected to act as head of state because the ruler is a minor, not present, or debilitated. Currently there are only two ruling Regencies in the world, sovereign Liechtenstein and the Malaysian constitutive state of Terengganu...
Murong Ping
Murong Ping
Murong Ping was a regent of the Chinese/Xianbei state Former Yan during the reign of Murong Wei , after the death of the previous, far more capable regent Murong Ke...
, and after Former Qin had destroyed Former Yan in 370. He was therefore probably born in the Former Qin capital Chang'an
Chang'an
Chang'an is an ancient capital of more than ten dynasties in Chinese history, today known as Xi'an. Chang'an literally means "Perpetual Peace" in Classical Chinese. During the short-lived Xin Dynasty, the city was renamed "Constant Peace" ; yet after its fall in AD 23, the old name was restored...
, where Murong Bao served.
When Murong Chui rebelled against Former Qin in 384 and established Later Yan, Murong Hui was in Chang'an, then still under Former Qin control. After the last Former Yan emperor Murong Wei
Murong Wei
Murong Wei , courtesy name Jingmao , formally Emperor You of Yan was the last emperor of the Chinese/Xianbei state Former Yan...
, then a Former Qin general, tried to rebel within the city around the new year 385, Fu Jiān ordered the Xianbei in the city killed, but Murong Hui, along with his uncle Murong Rou (慕容柔) and brother Murong Sheng
Murong Sheng
Murong Sheng , courtesy name Daoyun , formally Emperor Zhaowu of Yan , was an emperor of the Chinese/Xianbei state Later Yan. He was the oldest son of Murong Bao , and after Murong Bao was killed by Lan Han avenged his father in a coup and took the throne...
, were not killed, apparently because Murong Rou had been adopted 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...
Song Ya (宋牙). Soon thereafter, though, Murong Rou, Murong Sheng, and Murong Hui fled Chang'an and sought refuge with Murong Wei's brother and the leader of the nascent Western Yan
Western Yan
The Western Yan was a state of Xianbei ethnicity during the era of Sixteen Kingdoms in China. It was founded by Murong Hong in 384 in the aftermaths of Former Qin's defeat by Jin Dynasty at the Battle of Fei River, with the stated intent of permitting the Xianbei, whom Former Qin's emperor Fu...
state, Murong Chong
Murong Chong
Murong Chong , formally Emperor Wei of Yan , was an emperor of the Chinese/Xianbei state Western Yan. He was a son of the Former Yan emperor Murong Jun and a younger brother of Former Yan emperor Murong Wei....
.
Western Yan eventually captured Chang'an, but Murong Chong was killed in a coup, and the Xianbei people of the state abandoned Chang'an and began heading east back to their homeland. After a series of coups in 386, Murong Yong
Murong Yong
Murong Yong , courtesy name Shuming , was the last emperor of the Chinese/Xianbei state Western Yan. He was the grandson of Murong Yun , the uncle of Former Yan's founder Murong Huang. As a member of Former Yan's imperial clan, he was moved to Guanzhong, Former Qin's capital region, when Former...
became emperor, and under his leadership Western Yan settled in at Zhangzi (長子, in modern Changzhi
Changzhi
Changzhi is a prefecture-level city in Shanxi Province, People's Republic of China. It lies between the city of Huozhou in Shanxi and the city of Hebi in Henan....
, 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 winter 386, Murong Sheng saw that they were being suspected by Murong Yong on account of their being descendants of Murong Chui, and therefore persuaded Murong Rou and Murong Hui to flee to Later Yan. It took them a year to arrive in the Later Yan capital Zhongshan (中山, in modern Baoding
Baoding
-Administrative divisions:Baoding prefecture-level city consists of 3 municipal districts, 4 county-level cities, 18 counties:-Demographics:The Baoding urban area has a population of around 1,006,000 . The population of the Baoding administrative area is 10,890,000. The considerable majority are...
, 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...
), and upon arrival in the capital, Murong Hui was created the Duke of Qinghe.
Murong Chui greatly favored Murong Hui's abilities, and whenever Murong Bao, then Murong Chui'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....
, would accompany Murong Chui on campaigns, Murong Chui put Murong Hui in charge of the crown prince's household, and ordered that he accorded the same respect as the crown prince during those times. In 395, after Murong Bao had suffered a devastating defeat at the hands of Later Yan's former vassal, 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"...
's prince Tuoba Gui
Emperor Daowu of Northern Wei
Emperor Daowu of Northern Wei , personal name Tuoba Gui , né Tuoba Shegui , was the founding emperor of the Chinese/Xianbei dynasty Northern Wei. He was the grandson of the last prince of Dai, Tuoba Shiyijian, and after the fall of the Dai state to Former Qin in 376 had been presumed to be the...
, in preparation of another attack against Northern Wei, Murong Chui recalled Murong Hui's uncle Murong Long
Murong Long
Murong Long , formally Prince Kang of Gaoyang , was a general and imperial prince of the Chinese/Xianbei state Later Yan...
, the viceroy
Viceroy
A viceroy is a royal official who runs a country, colony, or province in the name of and as representative of the monarch. The term derives from the Latin prefix vice-, meaning "in the place of" and the French word roi, meaning king. A viceroy's province or larger territory is called a viceroyalty...
at the old Former Yan capital Longcheng (龍城, in modern Jinzhou
Jinzhou
Jinzhou , is a prefecture-level city of Liaoning province, China. It is a geographically strategic city located in the "Liaoxi Corridor" , which connects land transportation between North China and Northeast China. Jinzhou is China's northernmost seaport and the coastal economic center of West...
, Liaoning
Liaoning
' is a province of the People's Republic of China, located in the northeast of the country. Its one-character abbreviation is "辽" , a name taken from the Liao River that flows through the province. "Níng" means "peace"...
), to the capital with his troops, and he made Murong Hui viceroy at Longcheng. He grew extremely ill in early 396, however, and died during the campaign and was succeeded by Murong Bao.
Before Murong Chui died, he urged Murong Bao to make Murong Hui crown prince. However, Murong Bao favored his young son Murong Ce (慕容策, 13 years Murong Hui's junior) and did not consider Murong Hui. Murong Sheng, who was slightly older than Murong Hui, also did not want to see Murong Hui as crown prince, and therefore persuaded Murong Bao to create Murong Ce crown prince. Murong Hui was only promoted to Prince of Qinghe, and he resented this greatly.
Later in 396, Northern Wei launched a major attack on Later Yan, immediately seizing most of the central and western provinces of the empire, and putting Zhongshan under siege. Murong Hui mobilized his troops under guise of heading for his father's aid, but did not actually have the desire to do so, and so advanced slowly only after the urging of the general Yu Chong (餘崇). As he reached Zhongshan's vicinity, his father abandoned Zhongshan and joined his army. Murong Bao immediately saw that Murong Hui was still resentful, and tried to transfer the command of the army to his own brothers Murong Long and Murong Nong
Murong Nong
Murong Nong , formally Prince Huanlie of Liaoxi , was a general and imperial prince of the Chinese/Xianbei state Later Yan. He was a son of the founding emperor Murong Chui and a brother of Murong Bao...
, but this only angered Murong Hui more. Seeing his uncles as his threats, he sent assassins against them, killing Murong Long but only wounding Murong Nong, and then falsely accused Murong Long and Murong Nong of treason. Murong Bao initially pretended to believe him, and then tried to have him assassinated but failed. Murong Hui then rose in open rebellion, demanding the position of crown prince, and as Murong Bao had then reached Longcheng first, Murong Hui tried to put Longcheng under siege. The general Gao Yun, however, led a surprise attack against him, and his troops collapsed. He fled back to Zhongshan, then under the control of his cousin Murong Xiang (慕容詳) the Duke of Kaifeng, but Murong Xiang executed him. Murong Bao executed his mother and sons as well.