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62-600: Yuan Baoju was born in 507, a member of the Tuoba clan of the Xianbei . His father Yuan Yu ( 元愉 ), the Prince of Jingzhao, was the son of Emperor Xiaowen and a younger brother of the reigning Emperor Xuanwu . His mother was recorded as Yuan Yu's concubine Yang Aofei ( 杨奥妃 ). He had three other brothers, at least one of whom, Yuan Baoyue ( 元寶月 ), was older, and born of Yang Aofei. Yuan Yu favored Yang Aofei but not his wife, Princess Yu,

124-492: A 20th-century scholar, the Tuoba language was essentially Turkic with Mongolic admixture. Chen Sanping observed that the Tuoba language contains both elements. Liu Xueyao stated that the Tuoba may have had their own language which should not be assumed to be identical with any other known languages. Andrew Shimunek (2017) classifies Tuoba (Tabghach) as a "Serbi" (i.e., para-Mongolic ) language. Shimunek's Serbi branch also consists of

186-592: A consequence of the Northern Wei's extensive contacts with Central Asia, Turkic sources identified Tabgach, also transcribed as Tawjach, Tawġač, Tamghaj, Tamghach, Tafgaj, and Tabghaj, as the ruler or country of China until the 13th century. The Orkhon inscriptions in the Orkhon Valley in modern-day Mongolia from the 8th century identify Tabgach as China. I myself, wise Tonyukuk , lived in Tabgach country. (As

248-419: A cordial relationship with Cui, who often revised submissions Gao made to Emperor Xiaojing and edicts Emperor Xiaojing issued to Gao Huan and Gao Cheng, to improve the style and content. Emperor Xiaojing frequently made the comment, "Cui is my wet nurse ." In 545, pursuant to Gao Huan's request, Emperor Xiaojing took the cousin of the khan of Tuyuhun , Murong Kualü (慕容夸呂), as a concubine , to try to enhance

310-512: A member of Southern Qi royalty. Emperor Xiaozhuang of Northern Wei 's sister the Shouyang Princess was wedded to Emperor Wu of Liang 's son Xiao Zong  [ zh ] . One of Emperor Xiaowu of Northern Wei 's sisters was married to Zhang Huan, a Han Chinese, according to the Book of Zhou (Zhoushu). His name is given as Zhang Xin in the Book of Northern Qi (Bei Qishu) and History of

372-403: A sister to Emperor Xuanwu's wife Empress Yu . Consequently, Empress Yu once summoned Yang Aofei to the palace, beat her severely, and then forced her to become a Buddhist nun. Only after the intercession of Empress Yu's father Yu Jing ( 于勁 ) was Yang Aofei returned to Yuan Yu. Meanwhile, in 508, Yuan Yu himself was punished by Emperor Xuanwu for corruption. He was caned 50 times and demoted to

434-546: Is Khitāy, lower which is Barkhān in the vicinity of Kashgar. But now Tawjāch is known as Maṣīn and Khitai as Ṣīn. At the time of his writing, China's northern fringe was ruled by Khitan-led Liao dynasty while the remainder of China proper was ruled by the Northern Song dynasty . Arab sources used Sīn (Persian: Chīn) to refer to northern China and Māsīn (Persian: Machīn) to represent southern China. In his account, al-Kashgari refers to his homeland, around Kashgar, then part of

496-532: Is highly suspect in that the Book of Wei was written by Wei Shou , an official of Eastern Wei , the rival of Western Wei , for which Yuan Baoju would eventually become emperor.) In 528, Emperor Xiaoming created him the Marquess of Shao County, and in 530, Emperor Xiaozhuang created him the Prince of Nanyang. In 532, after several years of civil war, the victorious general Gao Huan made Yuan Baoju's cousin Yuan Xiu

558-738: The Emperor Xiaowen changed the imperial clan's surname from Tuoba to Yuan ( 元 ). The empire split into Eastern Wei and Western Wei in 535, with the Western Wei's rulers briefly resuming use of the Tuoba name in 554. A branch of the Tanguts also bore a surname transcribed as Tuoba before their chieftains were given the Chinese surnames Li ( 李 ) and Zhao ( 趙 ) by the Tang and Song dynasties respectively. Some of these Tangut Tuobas later adopted

620-484: The Emperor Xiaowu of Northern Wei had fled the capital Luoyang to reestablish the imperial government at Chang'an . Northern Wei's paramount general Gao Huan made Emperor Xiaojing emperor as Emperor Xiaowu's replacement. Gao Huan moved the capital from Luoyang to Yecheng , thus dividing Northern Wei into two. Emperor Xiaojing's state became known as Eastern Wei. Although Gao Huan treated him with respect, real power

682-722: The Kara-Khanid Khanate , as Lower China. The rulers of the Karakanids adopted Tamghaj Khan (Turkic: the Khan of China) in their title, and minted coins bearing this title. Much of the realm of the Karakhanids including Transoxania and the western Tarim Basin had been under the rule of the Tang dynasty prior to the Battle of Talas in 751, and the Karakhanids continued to identify with China, several centuries later. The Tabgatch name for

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744-638: The Tuyuhun and Khitan languages. The Tuoba were a Xianbei clan. The distribution of the Xianbei people ranged from present day Northeast China to Mongolia , and the Tuoba were one of the largest clans among the western Xianbei, ranging from present day Shanxi province and westward and northwestward. They established the state of Dai from 310 to 376 AD and ruled as the Northern Wei from 386 to 536. The Tuoba states of Dai and Northern Wei also claimed to possess

806-510: The Xianbei Tuoba royal family in the 480s. More than fifty percent of Tuoba Xianbei princesses of the Northern Wei were married to southern Chinese men from the imperial families and aristocrats from southern China of the Southern dynasties who defected and moved north to join the Northern Wei. Some Chinese exiled royalty fled from southern China and defected to the Xianbei. Several daughters of

868-786: The quality of earth in the Chinese Wu Xing theory. All the chieftains of the Tuoba were revered as emperors in the Book of Wei and the History of the Northern Dynasties . A branch of the Tuoba in the west known as the Tufa also ruled the Southern Liang dynasty from 397 to 414 AD during the Sixteen Kingdoms period. The Northern Wei started to arrange for Chinese elites to marry daughters of

930-639: The Northern Dynasties (Beishi) which mention his marriage to a Xianbei princess of Wei. His personal name was changed due to a naming taboo on the emperor's name. He was the son of Zhang Qiong. When the Eastern Jin dynasty ended, Northern Wei received the Han Chinese Jin prince Sima Chuzhi  [ zh ] as a refugee. A Northern Wei Princess married Sima Chuzhi, giving birth to Sima Jinlong (司馬金龍). Northern Liang Xiongnu King Juqu Mujian 's daughter married Sima Jinlong. According to Zhou (2006)

992-440: The Prince of Huashan, Yuan Xuanhong (元宣洪) the Prince of Huainan, and Yuan Hui (元徽) the Prince of Jibei to consider overthrowing Gao Cheng. They dug a tunnel from within the palace to the outside of the city, intending to create a secret passage for imperial guards to go through, but the tunnel was discovered, and Gao Cheng entered the palace with his troops, arresting Emperor Xiaojing. The Book of Wei records that when Gao Cheng saw

1054-661: The Prince of Pingyang emperor (as Emperor Xiaowu). Emperor Xiaowu was not happy about Gao's hold on the military, and he entered into alliances with the independent generals Yuwen Tai and Heba Sheng ( 賀拔勝 ), seeking to resist Gao's control. Yuan Baoju served in Emperor Xiaowu's administration as a general. In 534, Emperor Xiaowu planned to act against Gao, but Gao discovered his plan and instead marched on Luoyang. Emperor Xiaowu decided to flee to Yuwen's territory, and Yuan Baoju accompanied Emperor Xiaowu in doing so, arriving at Chang'an in late 534. Also accompanying Emperor Xiaowu

1116-577: The Tuoba and their Rouran enemies descended from common ancestors. The Weishu stated that the Rourans were of Donghu origins and the Tuoba originated from the Xianbei, who were also Donghu's descendants. The Donghu ancestors of Tuoba and Rouran were most likely proto-Mongols . Nomadic confederations of Inner Asia were often linguistically diverse, and Tuoba Wei comprised the para-Mongolic Tuoba as well as assimilated Turkic peoples such as Hegu (紇骨) and Yizhan (乙旃); consequently, about one quarter of

1178-448: The Tuoba tribal confederation was composed of Dingling elements as Tuoba migrated from northeastern Mongolia to northern China. Alexander Vovin (2007) identifies the Tuoba language as a Mongolic language . On the other hand, Juha Janhunen proposed that the Tuoba might have spoken an Oghur Turkic language . René Grousset , writing in the early 20th century, identifies the Tuoba as a Turkic tribe . According to Peter Boodberg ,

1240-607: The Xianbei Tuoba Emperor Xiaowen of Northern Wei were married to Chinese elites: the Han Chinese Liu Song royal Liu Hui married Princess Lanling of the Northern Wei; Princess Huayang  [ zh ] married Sima Fei  [ zh ] , a descendant of Jin dynasty (266–420) royalty; Princess Jinan  [ zh ] married Lu Daoqian  [ zh ] ; and Princess Nanyang  [ zh ] married Xiao Baoyin ( 萧宝夤 ),

1302-434: The attack was on behalf of Empress Yujiulü. Emperor Wen felt compelled to order Empress Yifu to commit suicide, and he did; Empress Yifu was 31 (by East Asian reckoning) when she died. Soon thereafter, Empress Yujiulü, who was pregnant, died during childbirth. In 548, Yuwen and Yuan Qin were on a grand tour of the provinces when Emperor Wen grew ill, and when they heard the news, Yuwen returned to Chang'an quickly, although by

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1364-448: The brother of Rouran's Chiliantoubingdoufa Khan Yujiulü Anagui , but then, believing that to be insufficient, he asked Emperor Wen to divorce Empress Yifu and marry Yujiulü Anagui's daughter . Emperor Wen agreed, and divorced Empress Yifu, making her a Buddhist nun. He then married Yujiulü Anagui's daughter and created her empress. For a while, this brought peace with Rouran. Later in 538, with Western Wei then (temporarily) controlling

1426-406: The campaign against Hou, a conflict between Gao Cheng and Emperor Xiaojing would erupt. Gao Cheng was not as respectful to Emperor Xiaojing as Gao Huan was, and he ordered Cui Jishu to intensify his surveillance of Emperor Xiaojing. On one occasion, when Gao Cheng was attending a feast, he flashed a cup before Emperor Xiaojing as a toast – a very disrespectful gesture, as a subordinate, when toasting

1488-509: The capital. In 540, Emperor Wen therefore made Yuan Wu the governor of Qin Province (秦州, roughly modern Tianshui , Gansu ), and had Empress Yifu accompany Yuan Wu to Qin Province. However, because he still hoped to welcome her back to the palace one day, he secretly told her to keep her hair uncut, rather than shaved like a Buddhist nun. At this time (spring of 540), however, Rouran made a major attack on Western Wei, and many officials thought that

1550-489: The control of the paramount general Gao Huan , entered into an alliance with independent generals Yuwen Tai and Heba Sheng (賀拔勝). When Gao, in response, marched toward the capital Luoyang , Emperor Xiaowu fled to Yuwen's territory. Yuan Dan initially joined Emperor Xiaowu on his flight, but quickly abandoned Emperor Xiaowu and returned to Luoyang. After Gao entered Luoyang, he had Yuan Dan assume acting imperial powers, and Yuan Dan began to become arrogant, viewing himself as

1612-586: The early years of his reign, there were serious doubts as to whether Western Wei would survive, as Eastern Wei was then the much stronger state, and Gao Huan made repeated attempts to conquer Western Wei. However, with Yuwen and other generals capably defending the territory, Western Wei was able to withstand Gao's assaults. In 535, Emperor Wen posthumously honored his father Yuan Yu as Emperor Wenjing, and he posthumously honored his mother Lady Yang as empress. He created his wife Princess Yifu empress, and her son Yuan Qin crown prince . His marriage with Empress Yifu

1674-415: The emperor, he yelled "Your majesty, why would you rebel?" （“陛下何意反邪！”）. Upon realizing the mistake in his choice of wording, he fell on his knees and asked for forgiveness. Nonetheless, he eventually put Emperor Xiaojing under house arrest, and executed several leading participants of the conspiracy. In spring 549, Emperor Xiaojing was forced to create Gao Cheng the greater title of Prince of Qi, and give him

1736-453: The emperor, was supposed to kneel. Emperor Xiaojing became angry, and remarked, "There is no such thing as an everlasting empire, and do we (朕) even need to live!" Gao Cheng angrily responded, " We (朕), we , we of dog feet!" He ordered Cui to punch Emperor Xiaojing three times, and then left abruptly. Emperor Xiaojing thereafter entered into a conspiracy with his teacher Xun Ji (荀濟), Yuan Jin (元瑾), Liu Siyi (劉思逸), Yuan Daqi (元大器)

1798-557: The first character transcribed as 托 or 㩉 and with the second character transcribed as 拔 ; it has also been anglicized as T'o-pa and as Toba . The name is also attested as Tufa ( 禿髮 , Tūfà or Tūfǎ ), whose Middle Chinese pronunciation has been reconstructed as * tʰuwk-pjot , * T'ak-bwat , or * T'ak-buat . The name is also sometimes clarified as the Tuoba Xianbei ( 拓跋 鮮卑 , Tuòbá Xiānbēi ). According to Hyacinth (Bichurin) , an early 19th-century scholar,

1860-459: The former emperor. Around the new year 552, Emperor Wenxuan invited the Princess Taiyuan to a feast inside the palace. As soon as she left her residence, Emperor Wenxuan sent assassins to force the former emperor to drink poisoned wine, and also killed his three sons. Emperor Wenxuan gave the former emperor the posthumous name of Xiaojing, and also buried him with imperial honors. However, at

1922-446: The governorship of Ji Province (冀州, modern central Hebei ). In anger, he rebelled at the capital of Ji Province, Xindu (信都, in modern Hengshui , Hebei ), alleging falsely that Emperor Xuanwu's uncle Gao Zhao had murdered the emperor and declaring himself emperor. Yuan Yu's rebellion was soon defeated by the general Li Ping ( 李平 ), and during his being delivered to the capital Luoyang , Gao had him killed. At that time, Yang Aofei

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1984-457: The haplogroup frequencies of the Tuoba Xianbei were 43.75% haplogroup D , 31.25% haplogroup C , 12.5% haplogroup B , 6.25% haplogroup A and 6.25% "other." Zhou (2014) obtained mitochondrial DNA analysis from 17 Tuoba Xianbei, which indicated that these specimens were, similarly, completely East Asian in their maternal origins, belonging to haplogroups D, C, B, A and haplogroup G . As

2046-421: The honorific office of Xiangguo (相國), both signifying a move toward Gao's taking of the throne. Gao Cheng formally declined these honors, and further made a formal request for Emperor Xiaojing to create a son as crown prince. Subsequently, in fall 549, Emperor Xiaojing created his son Yuan Zhangren (元長仁) crown prince. (It is not known whether Yuan Zhangren's mother was Empress Gao.) Also in fall 549, Gao Cheng

2108-453: The military headquarters were. Emperor Xiaojing, seeing Gao Yang's intent on keeping power, turned pale and stated, "This man does not appear any more tolerant of me. I do not know when I will die." Gao Yang set up his headquarters in Jinyang, intending to control the military, and in spring 550, Gao Yang had Emperor Xiaojing create him the Prince of Qi Commandery – a slightly lesser title than

2170-553: The name's ultimate derivation from a transcription into Turkic languages of the Chinese name "Great Han " ( 大漢 , s 大汉 , Dà Hàn , MC * Dàj Xàn ) . Tuoba is the atonal pinyin romanization of the Mandarin pronunciation of the Chinese 拓跋 ( Tuòbá ), whose pronunciation at the time of its transcription into Middle Chinese has been reconstructed as * tʰak-bɛt or * Thak-bat . The same name also appears with

2232-605: The next emperor. Gao, who was in fact looking for a new emperor to replace Emperor Xiaowu, felt that Yuan Dan was inappropriate, and therefore, under the excuse that a cousin should not succeed another, chose Yuan Shanjian and declared him emperor (as Emperor Xiaojing). (Yuan Dan, in embarrassment and fear, tried to flee south, presumably to rival Liang Dynasty , but Gao tracked him down and brought him back to Luoyang.) This formally divided Northern Wei into Eastern Wei (with Emperor Xiaojing as emperor) and Western Wei (with Emperor Xiaowu as Emperor). Gao Huan, believing that Luoyang

2294-520: The old Northern Wei capital Luoyang, but with Luoyang under attack, Emperor Wen (who had wanted to visit the imperial ancestral tombs in Luoyang) and Yuwen led troops to reinforce Luoyang's defenses, leaving the official Zhou Huida ( 周惠達 ) and Crown Prince Qin in Chang'an. However, with the forces engaged in battle, Emperor Wen eventually became stuck at Hengnong (恆農, in modern Sanmenxia , Henan ), when Chang'an

2356-420: The one that his brother declined before his death. Just two months later, Gao Yang's title was changed to Prince of Qi. Meanwhile, Gao Yang's associate Gao Dezheng (高德政) was trying to persuade him to seize the throne. In summer 550, Gao Yang agreed, and he started advancing toward Yecheng, while sending Gao Dezheng to Yecheng to try to force the issue. Emperor Xiaojing bestowed Gao Yang the nine bestowments –

2418-412: The only claimant to the Northern Wei throne. Yuwen, declaring Northern Qi a rebel state, launched a major attack, but Gao Yang himself commanded a large army to defend against the attack, and Western Wei not only did not make gains, but lost a number of provinces to Northern Qi. In March 551, Emperor Wen died and was buried with honors due an emperor, with Empress Yujiulü, although eventually Empress Yifu

2480-482: The political entity has also been translated into Chinese as Taohuashi ( Chinese : 桃花石 ; pinyin : táohuā shí ). This name has been used in China in recent years to promote ethnic unity. Emperor Xiaojing of Eastern Wei Emperor Xiaojing of Eastern Wei ((東)魏孝靜帝) (524 – 21 January 552 ), personal name Yuan Shanjian (元善見), was the founder and the only emperor of China's Eastern Wei dynasty. In 534,

2542-436: The reign of Emperor Xuanwu's son Emperor Xiaoming , Emperor Xiaoming's mother Empress Dowager Hu posthumously recreated Yuan Yu the Prince of Lintao, and Yuan Baoju and his brothers then observed a mourning period for their parents. Yuan Baoyue inherited the title, but Yuan Baoju did not possess any titles at the moment, although he was made a general. Despite Empress Dowager Hu's rehabilitation of Yuan Yu, however, Yuan Baoju

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2604-859: The relationship with Tuyuhun. In 547, Gao Huan died, and Gao Cheng took over full power of the government. In light of Gao Huan's death, the general Hou Jing , who did not respect Gao Cheng, first surrendered the 13 provinces he controlled (the region between the Huai River and Yellow River ) to Western Wei, and then to Liang. Gao Cheng's general Murong Shaozong (慕容紹宗), however, defeated both Xiao Yuanming – nephew of Liang's Emperor Wu , whom Emperor Wu sent to assist Hou – and Hou, capturing Xiao Yuanming and forcing Hou to flee to Liang. By 548, all but four provinces (which Western Wei took) were back under Eastern Wei control, and by 549, Eastern Wei had recaptured those provinces as well, after Gao Cheng captured Changshe (長社, in modern Xuchang , Henan ). Meanwhile, during

2666-409: The special treatment of not having to declare himself a subject of the new emperor. He created his sister, the former empress, the Princess Taiyuan. The former emperor resided with the princess, and the princess, worried that her brother might do her husband harm, kept close watch on her husband, often tasting his food to make sure that it was not poisoned. However, Emperor Wenxuan was apprehensive of

2728-702: The surname Weiming ( 嵬名 ), with this branch eventually establishing and ruling the Western Xia in northwestern China from 1038 to 1227. By the 8th century, the Old Turkic form of the name was Tabγač ( 𐱃𐰉𐰍𐰲 ), usually anglicized as Tabgatch or Tabgach. The name appears in other Central Asian accounts as Tabghāj and Taugash and in Byzantine Greek sources like Theophylact Simocatta 's History as Taugas ( Ancient Greek : Ταυγάς ) and Taugast ( Ταυγάστ ). Zhang Xushan and others have argued for

2790-474: The time they returned, Emperor Wen had recovered. In 549, Emperor Wen issued an edict—probably as Yuwen requested—ordering that the names of the ethnic Xianbei , changed to Han names during the reign of Emperor Xiaowen, be changed back to the original Xianbei names. In 550, Gao Huan's son Gao Yang forced Eastern Wei's Emperor Xiaojing to yield the throne to him, ending Eastern Wei and starting Northern Qi (as its Emperor Wenxuan). Emperor Wen therefore became

2852-475: The traditional penultimate step before abdication. After Gao Yang arrived in Yecheng, with the officials Pan Le (潘樂), Zhang Liang (張亮), and Zhao Yanshen (趙彥深) sent by Gao Yang to request his abdication, Emperor Xiaojing did so, yielding the throne to Gao Yang, who established Northern Qi (as its Emperor Wenxuan). The new Emperor Wenxuan created the former emperor the Prince of Zhongshan on 10 June 550, and gave him

2914-559: The whole) Turkic people was under Tabgach subjection. In the 11th century text, the Dīwān Lughāt al-Turk ("Compendium of the languages of the Turks"), Turkic scholar Mahmud al-Kashgari , writing in Baghdad for an Arabic audience, describes Tawjach as one of the three components comprising China. Ṣīn [i.e., China] is originally three fold: Upper, in the east which is called Tawjāch; middle which

2976-409: Was Yuan Baoju's sister Yuan Mingyue ( 元明月 ) -- who was in an incestuous relationship with Emperor Xiaowu. Yuwen did not tolerate Emperor Xiaowu's incestuous relationships with Yuan Mingyue and two other cousins, and eventually he had Yuan Mingyue killed. Emperor Xiaowu became angry, and his relationship with Yuwen deteriorated. Around the new year 535, Yuwen poisoned him to death. Initially, Yuwen

3038-407: Was a son of the well-regarded Yuan Yi (元懌), also Prince of Qinghe and a son of Emperor Xiaowen . His mother Princess Hu was Yuan Dan's wife and was a granddaughter of Hu Zhen (胡真), an uncle of Emperor Xiaoming 's mother Empress Dowager Hu . Yuan Shanjian was Yuan Dan's oldest son, and was his heir apparent . In 534, Emperor Xiaowu , a cousin of Yuan Shanjian's father Yuan Dan, seeking to resist

3100-639: Was an influential Xianbei clan in early imperial China . During the Sixteen Kingdoms after the fall of Han and the Three Kingdoms , the Tuoba established and ruled the Dai state in northern China . The dynasty ruled from 310 to 376 and then was restored in 386. The same year, the dynasty was renamed Wei, later distinguished in Chinese historiography as the Northern Wei . This powerful state gained control of most of northern China, supporting Buddhism while increasingly sinicizing . As part of this process, in 496,

3162-446: Was buried with him. (It is not clear whether she displaced Empress Yujiulü or not.) Yuan Qin succeeded him (as Emperor Fei of Western Wei). Some scholars speculated that Emperor Wen was poisoned to death by Hu Zhi, an associate of Yuwen Tai who was put in charge of imperial diet. Parents Consort and issue(s): Tuoba The Tuoba ( Chinese ) or Tabgatch ( Old Turkic : 𐱃𐰉𐰍𐰲 , Tabγač ), also known by other names ,

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3224-476: Was dead, and secretly made the remark, "It is heaven's will that the Grand Marshal [(大將軍, Dà Jiāngjūn , Gao Cheng's title at that time)] is dead. The power to rule should return to the imperial clan." Gao Yang, however, quickly moved to consolidate power. He made a quick show of force, marching his personal guards of 8,000 men into the palace, and stating to Emperor Xiaojing that he was going to Jinyang – where

3286-502: Was described to be handsome and strong, capable of jumping over a fence while holding a stone lion. He was also said to be skillful at horseriding, archery, and literature. People compared him to his famed ancestor, Emperor Xiaowen. In 539, Emperor Xiaojing took Gao Huan's second daughter as his empress . In 544, Gao Cheng, wanting to place a trusted official to keep watch on Emperor Xiaojing, made his associate Cui Jishu (崔季舒) Emperor Xiaojing's secretary. However, Emperor Xiaojing had

3348-514: Was in the hands of Gao Huan, and then Gao Huan's sons Gao Cheng and Gao Yang . In 550, Gao Yang forced Emperor Xiaojing to yield the throne to him, ending the Eastern Wei and establishing the Northern Qi dynasty . Around the new year 552, the former Emperor Xiaojing was poisoned to death on the orders of the new emperor. Yuan Shanjian was born in 524. His father Yuan Dan (元亶) the Prince of Qinghe

3410-646: Was meeting Chen Yuankang (陳元康), Yang Yin , and Cui Jishu, to secretly discuss the timeframe in which to take the throne, when his servant Lan Jing (蘭京) – a son of the Liang general Lan Qin (蘭欽) Gao Cheng captured in battle, and whom Gao Cheng had repeatedly threatened to kill – assassinated Gao Cheng and Chen. Gao Cheng's brother Gao Yang the Duke of Taiyuan, who was also in Yecheng at the time, killed Lan Jing and his associates, and publicly declared only that Gao Cheng had been wounded. Emperor Xiaojing, however, believed that Gao Cheng

3472-456: Was not impressed at her toleration of corruption, particularly by her lovers, and he secretly plotted with Emperor Xiaoming to have her lovers killed. When this plot was discovered, he was stripped of the office he held. In 525, he married his wife Lady Yifu , the daughter of a moderately prominent aristocratic family. (In his youth, Yuan Baoju was described by the Book of Wei as frivolous, alcoholic, and sexually immoral, but this description

3534-823: Was poised to make Emperor Xiaowu's nephew Yuan Zan ( 元贊 ) the Prince of Guangping the new emperor. However, under suggestion of Yuan Shun ( 元順 ) the Prince of Puyang, who argued that Yuan Zan was too young, Yuwen changed his mind and made Yuan Baoju, then 27, emperor instead (as Emperor Wen). As Gao had earlier declared Yuan Shanjian , the son of Yuan Baoju's cousin Yuan Dan ( 元亶 ) the Prince of Qinghe, emperor, Gao's territory became known as Eastern Wei, with Yuan Shanjian (Emperor Xiaojing) as emperor, and Yuwen's territory became known as Western Wei, with Emperor Wen as emperor. Yuwen Tai publicly deferred to Emperor Wen on most matters, but Yuwen held actual power, with Emperor Wen not being able to exercise much independent authority. Throughout

3596-461: Was pregnant, and she was permitted to give birth and then was executed. Emperor Xuanwu did not execute any of Yuan Yu's sons, but had them, including Yuan Baoju, put under arrest at Zongzheng Temple ( 宗正寺 ). Assuming that Yang Aofei and Lady Yang were in fact the same person, this also meant that Yuan Baoju grew up without either parent. He and his brothers remained at Zongzheng Temple and were released only after Emperor Xuanwu's death in 515. During

3658-424: Was repelled by Yuwen Tai or other Western Wei generals. Gao mostly remained at his headquarters in Jinyang (晉陽, in modern Taiyuan , Shanxi ), but made occasional visits to Yecheng. In 536, Gao put his son, Gao Cheng , in charge of the Eastern Wei government. Late that year, Emperor Xiaojing's father Yuan Dan died, and according to some historians (but not all), Gao assassinated him. Emperor Xiaojing, as he grew,

3720-400: Was said to be a happy one, as she was virtuous and beautiful, and Emperor Wen respected her greatly. They had 12 children, although only Yuan Qin and Yuan Wu ( 元戊 ) the Prince of Wudu survived infancy. In 538, with Western Wei under the threat of attack by Rouran , Yuwen first tried to alleviate the situation by marrying a daughter of a member of the imperial clan to Yujiulü Tahan ( 郁久閭塔寒 ),

3782-429: Was taken by rebelling former Eastern Wei troops who had been taken captive previously by Western Wei, forcing Zhou and Crown Prince Qin to flee as well. Yuwen was eventually able to disengage after abandoning Luoyang, and he put down the rebellion, allowing Emperor Wen to return to Chang'an. Although the former Empress Yifu had been deposed and made a Buddhist nun, Empress Yujiulü was still not happy about her presence in

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3844-522: Was too close to the borders of Western Wei and Liang, moved the capital to Yecheng , an important city firmly under his control. Viewing Emperor Xiaowu's flight as a blot on his person, Gao publicly showed Emperor Xiaojing the utmost respect for the rest of his life, and Gao's subordinates did not dare not to follow suit, although actual authority rested in the hands of Gao and other officials Gao delegated authority to. Gao also made repeated attempts to conquer Western Wei to reunify Northern Wei, but each time

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