Emperor Xuan of Northern Zhou
Encyclopedia
Emperor Xuan of Northern Zhou ((北)周宣帝) (559–580), personal name Yuwen Yun (宇文贇), courtesy name Qianbo (乾伯), was an emperor
of the Chinese
/Xianbei
dynasty Northern Zhou
. He was known in history as an erratic and wasteful ruler, whose actions greatly weakened the Northern Zhou regime. As part of that erratic behavior, he passed the throne to his son Emperor Jing
in 579, less than a year after taking the throne, and subsequently entitled not only his wife Empress Yang Lihua
empress, but four additional concubines as empresses. After his death in 580, the government was taken over by his father-in-law Yang Jian
, who soon deposed his son Emperor Jing, ending Northern Zhou and establishing Sui Dynasty
.
, then the Duke of Lu and younger brother of Emperor Ming
. He was born at Tong Province (同州, roughly modern Weinan
, Shaanxi
), as Yuwen Yong was at that time the governor of Tong Province. His mother Li Ezi
was Yuwen Yong's concubine. (Yuwen Yong had not yet officially married a wife by that point.)
In 560, Emperor Ming was poisoned to death by his cousin, the regent
Yuwen Hu
. Before he died, he willed that Yuwen Yong succeed him, and Yuwen Yong took the throne (as Emperor Wu). In 561, he created Yuwen Yun the Duke of Lu but did not create him crown prince
. Only after Emperor Wu ambushed Yuwen Hu and killed him in 572 did he create Yuwen Yun crown prince. (Yuwen Yun's mother Consort Li was not created empress, as Emperor Wu married Empress Ashina
, the daughter of Tujue's Mugan Khan Ashina Qijin in 568.)
.
In 573, Yuwen Yun married Yang Lihua
, the daughter of the general Yang Jian
the Duke of Sui, as his wife and crown princess.
It was around this time that it came to Emperor Wu's attention that most of Yuwen Yong's associates were men of low character. At the suggestion of the superintendent of the crown prince's palace, Yuwen Xiaobo (宇文孝伯), Emperor Wu made Yuchi Yun (尉遲運), the well-regarded nephew of the general Yuchi Jiong
(a cousin of Emperor Wu's), Yuwen Xiaobo's deputy. He also chose a number of men whose characters he had high regard for to serve in other posts as the crown prince's assistance—but Yuwen Yun resented these personnel changes.
In 574, when Emperor Wu's mother Empress Dowager Chinu
died, Emperor Wu observed a mourning period for her, and during that period, Yuwen Yun served as regent.
In spring 576, Emperor Wu sent Yuwen Yun on a campaign against Tuyuhun as its nominal commander, but put Yuwen Xiaobo and Wang Gui (王軌) in actual command of the army. In fall 576, the army completed its campaign against Tuyuhun after reaching Tuyuhun's capital Fuqi (伏俟, in modern Haixi Mongol and Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture
, Qinghai
). Upon return to Chang'an, Wang Gui reported to Emperor Wu that Yuwen Yun and his trusted associates Zheng Yi (鄭譯) and Wang Duan (王端) had committed many immoral activities together. In anger, Emperor Wu battered Yuwen Yun and Zheng with a baton and removed Zheng from his post. Soon, however, Yuwen Yun reinstated Zheng to his post.
Historians also noted that Emperor Wu was very strict with the crown prince, treating him no easier than he did the officials. When he heard that Yuwen Yun liked drinking, he issued an edict forbidding any alcohol from entering the crown prince's palace, and whenever the crown prince had faults, he would whip or batter the crown prince, warning him, "Do you not know how many crown princes had been deposed in history? Is it that my other sons are unworthy of being crown prince?" He also ordered the officials at the crown prince's palace to watch the crown prince closely and submit reports on his actions. In reaction, Yuwen Yun suppressed his own behavior and pretended to have learned his lesson. Nevertheless, Wang Gui repeatedly suggested that Emperor Wu find a better heir, but Emperor Wu declined, because he believed his second son, Yuwen Zan (宇文贊) the Prince of Han to be even less competent than Yuwen Yun, and the other sons to be too young to be considered.
In 577, Emperor Wu destroyed rival Northern Qi
, seizing its territory. In summer 578, however, he grew ill suddenly while preparing a campaign against Tujue, and he, after entrusting the important matters to Yuwen Xiaobo, died. Yuwen Yun took the throne as Emperor Xuan.
and created his wife Crown Princess Yang empress. Other than those proper acts, however, he began to carry out a number of inappropriate ones—including immediately promoting of Zheng Yi and having sexual relations with the ladies in waiting
in his father's palace. It was also said that not only did he not mourn his father's death, but as he approached his father's casket, he touched the scars from the wounds his father had previously inflicted, and cursed, "Old man, you died too late!" He soon also honored his mother Consort Li as empress dowager (with the secondary title of Di Taihou (帝太后) to distinguish Empress Dowager Ashina's title Huang Taihou (皇太后)).
Upon hearing Emperor Wu's death, Gao Shaoyi
, a Northern Qi prince who had claimed Northern Qi's imperial title in exile in Tujue, tried to launch an attack to reestablish Northern Qi, but was quickly repelled and forced to retreat to Tujue territory.
Emperor Xuan then turned to killing people that he feared or had grudges against. The first target was his uncle Yuwen Xian
the Prince of Qi, due to the respect that Yuwen Xian commanded on account of his military abilities, along with Yuwen Xian's friends, the generals Wang Xing (王興), Dugu Xiong (獨孤熊), and Doulu Shao (豆盧紹). He then turned against Wang Gui, Yuwen Xiaobo, and Yuwen Shenju (宇文神舉) -- all close associates of Emperor Wu—as he suspected all of them of having spoken ill of him before Emperor Wu. Yuchi Yun died in fear.
Emperor Xuan was obsessed with reestablishing changing the customary protocols that his father had established, and in spring 579, he changed the official uniforms that Emperor Wu had standardized, to instead use the uniforms styled after Eastern Han Dynasty and Cao Wei
. He also abolished the penal code that his father had promulgated in 577 and declared several pardons, stating that he believed that Emperor Wu's punishments were too severe—but soon imposed an even more severe penal code. Also contrary to his father's prohibition of Buddhism
and Taoism
, he made public gestures to honor Taoism.
Also in spring 579, Emperor Xuan created his oldest son Yuwen Chan
-- then six-years-old—the Prince of Lu, and then crown prince. He also promoted Luoyang
to the status of secondary capital, moving the subsidiary branches of the six central government departments from Northern Qi's old capital Yecheng (鄴城, in modern Handan
, Hebei
) to Luoyang.
Meanwhile, around this time, Tujue's Tuobo Khan (Empress Dowager Ashina's uncle) sought peace. Emperor Xuan, in response, created his cousin (the daughter of his uncle Yuwen Zhao (宇文招) the Prince of Zhao) Princess Qianjin, offering to marry Princess Qianjin to Tuobo Khan, but with the demand that Tuobo Khan surrender Gao Shaoyi. Tuobo Khan refused.
Less than a month after creating Yuwen Chan crown prince, Emperor Xuan formally passed the throne to Yuwen Chan (as Emperor Jing). Emperor Xuan himself claimed the atypical title of "Emperor Tianyuan" (天元皇帝, Tianyuan Huangdi), rather than the expected retired emperor title of Taishang Huang
. He changed the name of his palace to Tian Tai (天台, "heavenly tower"), and doubled the number of tassels on his crown, as well as the number of imperial vehicles, litters, clothing, banners, and drums. He changed the name of the young emperor's palace to Zhengyang Palace (正陽宮), with the same complement of staff as his own palace. Empress Yang's title was changed to "Empress Dowager Tianyuan" (天元皇太后, Tianyuan Huang Taihou).
It was further recorded that whenever Emperor Xuan met with officials, he only discussed with them how to change customs or how to build palaces, disregarding the affairs of state. He spent his days in games and tours, wearing out his attendants. The officials often were caned—initially, 120 times per caning, and later increased to 240 times. The terror imposed on the officials and even the women of the palace was so great that no one dared to say anything.
In summer 579, Emperor Xuan created Emperor Jing's mother Consort Zhu Manyue
"Empress Tianyuan" (天元帝后, Tianyuan Di Hou). He also set up fiefs for his uncles Yuwen Zhao, Yuwen Chun (宇文純) the Prince of Chen, Yuwen Sheng (宇文盛) the Prince of Yue, Yuwen Da (宇文達) the Prince of Dai, and Yuwen You (宇文逌) the Prince of Teng, and sent them away from Chang'an, to their fiefs.
In fall 579, in a highly unorthodox action, Emperor Xuan created two more empresses -- Consort Yuan Leshang
as "Heavenly Right Empress" (天右皇后, Tian You Huanghou) and Consort Chen Yueyi
as "Heavenly Left Empress" (天左皇后, Tian Zuo Huanghou), changing Empress Zhu's title to "Heavenly Empress" (天皇后, Tian Huanghou). Also around this time, when Yuchi Chifan
the daughter-in-law of his cousin Yuwen Liang (宇文亮) the Duke of Qi was at the palace to greet him, he raped her.
In winter 579, Emperor Xuan officially ended the prohibitions against Taoism and Buddhism that Emperor Wu had declared, and he personally sat with the statues of Buddhist and Taoist deities. He also launched a major attack on rival Chen Dynasty
. By spring 580, the Northern Zhou army had taken the territory between the Yangtze River
and the Huai River
from Chen. As the army was withdrawing, Yuwen Liang, serving as a general on the campaign, tried to ambush his commander Wei Xiaokuan
and seize Wei's troops, and then declare a rebellion to support one of his uncles as emperor. Wei found out about Yuwen Liang's plot and was able to repel his attack, and was able to kill him. Emperor Xuan then also killed Yuwen Liang's son Yuwen Wen (宇文溫) the Duke of Xiyang, and then took Yuwen Wen's wife Duchess Yuchi as a consort. Then, against opposition that he already had too many empresses, he created her as another empress.
By this point, Emperor Xuan was becoming even more erratic in his behavior, and at one point, he became suddenly angry at Empress Yang and wanted to punish her. She, however, remained calm but firm in defense of herself, which made him more angry, and he ordered her to commit suicide. Empress Yang's mother, Duchess Dugu Qieluo
, had to plead earnestly for Empress Yang's life, before he finally spared Empress Yang. Meanwhile, however, Emperor Xuan was suspicious of the abilities of Empress Yang's father Yang Jian, and he considered killing Yang Jian but ultimately did not do so. As Yang Jian and Zheng Yi were friends, Yang Jian made a secret request to Zheng to give him a post away from the capital, and soon, by Zheng's recommendation, Emperor Xuan made Yang Jian the commander of the forces against Chen (as he then prepared another attack against Chen).
Before the army could depart, however, Emperor Xuan suddenly grew ill in summer 580. He summoned his associates Liu Fang (劉昉) and Yan Zhiyi (顏之儀) to try to entrust the affairs to them, but when they arrived, he was already unable to speak. Liu, after consulting with fellow attendants Zheng, Liu Qiu (柳裘), Wei Mo (韋謨), and Huangfu Ji (皇甫績), decided to summon Yang Jian to attend to Emperor Xuan and to serve as regent if Emperor Xuan should die—against Yan's attempt to have Yuwen Zhao made regent. Yang initially declined, apparently fearing that it was a trap, but eventually arrived at the palace. That night, Emperor Xuan died, and Yang seized the control of the palace and the imperial troops. Within a year, Yang would seize the throne, ending Northern Zhou and establishing Sui Dynasty
.
Emperor
An emperor is a monarch, usually the sovereign ruler of an empire or another type of imperial realm. Empress, the female equivalent, may indicate an emperor's wife or a woman who rules in her own right...
of 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 Zhou
Northern Zhou
The Northern Zhou Dynasty followed the Western Wei, and ruled northern China from 557 to 581. It was overthrown by the Sui Dynasty.Northern Zhou's basis of power was established by Yuwen Tai, who was paramount general of Western Wei, following the split of Northern Wei into Western Wei and...
. He was known in history as an erratic and wasteful ruler, whose actions greatly weakened the Northern Zhou regime. As part of that erratic behavior, he passed the throne to his son Emperor Jing
Emperor Jing of Northern Zhou
Emperor Jing of Northern Zhou , personally name né Yuwen Yan , later Yuwen Chan , was the last emperor of the Chinese/Xianbei dynasty Northern Zhou. He became emperor at the age of six, after his father Emperor Xuan formally passed the throne to him, but Emperor Xuan retained the imperial powers...
in 579, less than a year after taking the throne, and subsequently entitled not only his wife Empress Yang Lihua
Empress Yang Lihua
Empress Yang Lihua was an empress of the Chinese/Xianbei dynasty Northern Zhou, and later a princess of Sui Dynasty. Her husband was Emperor Xuan of Northern Zhou , and her father was Emperor Wen of Sui ....
empress, but four additional concubines as empresses. After his death in 580, the government was taken over by his father-in-law Yang Jian
Emperor Wen of Sui
Emperor Wen of Sui — personal name Yang Jian , Xianbei name Puliuru Jian , nickname Naluoyan — was the founder and first emperor of China's Sui Dynasty . He was a hard-working administrator and a micromanager. As a Buddhist, he encouraged the spread of Buddhism through the state...
, who soon deposed his son Emperor Jing, ending Northern Zhou and establishing Sui Dynasty
Sui Dynasty
The Sui Dynasty was a powerful, but short-lived Imperial Chinese dynasty. Preceded by the Southern and Northern Dynasties, it ended nearly four centuries of division between rival regimes. It was followed by the Tang Dynasty....
.
Background
Yuwen Yun was born in 559, as the oldest son of Yuwen YongEmperor Wu of Northern Zhou
Emperor Wu of Northern Zhou , personal name Yuwen Yong , nickname Miluotu , was an emperor of the Chinese/Xianbei dynasty Northern Zhou. As was the case of the reigns of his brothers Emperor Xiaomin and Emperor Ming, the early part of his reign was dominated by his cousin Yuwen Hu, but in 572 he...
, then the Duke of Lu and younger brother of Emperor Ming
Emperor Ming of Northern Zhou
Emperor Ming of Northern Zhou , personal name Yuwen Yu , nickname Tongwantu , was an emperor of the Chinese/Xianbei dynasty Northern Zhou, although at the start of his reign he used the alternative title "Heavenly Prince" . He was made emperor after his younger brother Emperor Xiaomin was deposed...
. He was born at Tong Province (同州, roughly modern Weinan
Weinan
Weinan is a Municipality in the province of Shaanxi, PRC. The Grand Historian Sima Qian was born in Weinan.-Administration:...
, Shaanxi
Shaanxi
' is a province in the central part of Mainland China, and it includes portions of the Loess Plateau on the middle reaches of the Yellow River in addition to the Qinling Mountains across the southern part of this province...
), as Yuwen Yong was at that time the governor of Tong Province. His mother Li Ezi
Empress Dowager Li Ezi
Empress Dowager Li Ezi , later Buddhist nun name Changbei , was an empress dowager of the Chinese/Xianbei dynasty Northern Zhou. She was the mother of Emperor Xuan....
was Yuwen Yong's concubine. (Yuwen Yong had not yet officially married a wife by that point.)
In 560, Emperor Ming was poisoned to death by his cousin, the 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...
Yuwen Hu
Yuwen Hu
Yuwen Hu , with Chinese title Sabao , formally Duke Dang of Jin , was a regent of the Xianbei dynasty Northern Zhou in China...
. Before he died, he willed that Yuwen Yong succeed him, and Yuwen Yong took the throne (as Emperor Wu). In 561, he created Yuwen Yun the Duke of Lu but did not create him 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....
. Only after Emperor Wu ambushed Yuwen Hu and killed him in 572 did he create Yuwen Yun crown prince. (Yuwen Yun's mother Consort Li was not created empress, as Emperor Wu married Empress Ashina
Empress Ashina
Empress Ashina was an empress of the Chinese/Xianbei dynasty Northern Zhou. She was the daughter of Göktürk's Muqan Qaghan, and her husband was Emperor Wu....
, the daughter of Tujue's Mugan Khan Ashina Qijin in 568.)
As crown prince
Emperor Wu often sent Yuwen Yun on tours of the provinces—and when he himself would go on tours of the provinces or go on military campaigns, he would have Yuwen Yun guard the capital Chang'anChang'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...
.
In 573, Yuwen Yun married Yang Lihua
Empress Yang Lihua
Empress Yang Lihua was an empress of the Chinese/Xianbei dynasty Northern Zhou, and later a princess of Sui Dynasty. Her husband was Emperor Xuan of Northern Zhou , and her father was Emperor Wen of Sui ....
, the daughter of the general Yang Jian
Emperor Wen of Sui
Emperor Wen of Sui — personal name Yang Jian , Xianbei name Puliuru Jian , nickname Naluoyan — was the founder and first emperor of China's Sui Dynasty . He was a hard-working administrator and a micromanager. As a Buddhist, he encouraged the spread of Buddhism through the state...
the Duke of Sui, as his wife and crown princess.
It was around this time that it came to Emperor Wu's attention that most of Yuwen Yong's associates were men of low character. At the suggestion of the superintendent of the crown prince's palace, Yuwen Xiaobo (宇文孝伯), Emperor Wu made Yuchi Yun (尉遲運), the well-regarded nephew of the general Yuchi Jiong
Yuchi Jiong
Yuchi Jiong , courtesy name Bojuluo , was a general of the Chinese/Xianbei states Western Wei and Northern Zhou. He first came to prominence while his uncle Yuwen Tai served as the paramount general of Western Wei, and subsequently served Northern Zhou after the Yuwen clan established the state...
(a cousin of Emperor Wu's), Yuwen Xiaobo's deputy. He also chose a number of men whose characters he had high regard for to serve in other posts as the crown prince's assistance—but Yuwen Yun resented these personnel changes.
In 574, when Emperor Wu's mother Empress Dowager Chinu
Empress Dowager Chinu
Empress Dowager Chinu , formally Empress Xuan , was an empress dowager of the Chinese/Xianbei dynasty Northern Zhou. She was the mother of Emperor Wu ....
died, Emperor Wu observed a mourning period for her, and during that period, Yuwen Yun served as regent.
In spring 576, Emperor Wu sent Yuwen Yun on a campaign against Tuyuhun as its nominal commander, but put Yuwen Xiaobo and Wang Gui (王軌) in actual command of the army. In fall 576, the army completed its campaign against Tuyuhun after reaching Tuyuhun's capital Fuqi (伏俟, in modern Haixi Mongol and Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture
Haixi Mongol and Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture
Haixi Mongol and Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture is an autonomous prefecture in northern Qinghai province of Western China. It has an area of and its capital is Delingha...
, Qinghai
Qinghai
Qinghai ; Oirat Mongolian: ; ; Salar:) is a province of the People's Republic of China, named after Qinghai Lake...
). Upon return to Chang'an, Wang Gui reported to Emperor Wu that Yuwen Yun and his trusted associates Zheng Yi (鄭譯) and Wang Duan (王端) had committed many immoral activities together. In anger, Emperor Wu battered Yuwen Yun and Zheng with a baton and removed Zheng from his post. Soon, however, Yuwen Yun reinstated Zheng to his post.
Historians also noted that Emperor Wu was very strict with the crown prince, treating him no easier than he did the officials. When he heard that Yuwen Yun liked drinking, he issued an edict forbidding any alcohol from entering the crown prince's palace, and whenever the crown prince had faults, he would whip or batter the crown prince, warning him, "Do you not know how many crown princes had been deposed in history? Is it that my other sons are unworthy of being crown prince?" He also ordered the officials at the crown prince's palace to watch the crown prince closely and submit reports on his actions. In reaction, Yuwen Yun suppressed his own behavior and pretended to have learned his lesson. Nevertheless, Wang Gui repeatedly suggested that Emperor Wu find a better heir, but Emperor Wu declined, because he believed his second son, Yuwen Zan (宇文贊) the Prince of Han to be even less competent than Yuwen Yun, and the other sons to be too young to be considered.
In 577, Emperor Wu destroyed rival Northern Qi
Northern Qi
The Northern Qi Dynasty was one of the Northern dynasties of Chinese history and ruled northern China from 550 to 577.-History:The Chinese state of Northern Qi was the successor state of the Chinese/Xianbei state of Eastern Wei and was founded by Emperor Wenxuan...
, seizing its territory. In summer 578, however, he grew ill suddenly while preparing a campaign against Tujue, and he, after entrusting the important matters to Yuwen Xiaobo, died. Yuwen Yun took the throne as Emperor Xuan.
Reign
Emperor Xuan honored his father Emperor Wu's wife Empress Ashina as empress dowagerEmpress Dowager
Empress Dowager was the title given to the mother of a Chinese, Korean, Japanese or Vietnamese emperor.The title was also given occasionally to another woman of the same generation, while a woman from the previous generation was sometimes given the title of Grand empress dowager. Numerous empress...
and created his wife Crown Princess Yang empress. Other than those proper acts, however, he began to carry out a number of inappropriate ones—including immediately promoting of Zheng Yi and having sexual relations with the ladies in waiting
Lady in Waiting
Lady in Waiting is the 2nd album by American southern rock band Outlaws, released in 1976. -Track listing:#"Breaker-Breaker" – 2:59#"South Carolina" – 3:05#"Ain't So Bad" – 3:48...
in his father's palace. It was also said that not only did he not mourn his father's death, but as he approached his father's casket, he touched the scars from the wounds his father had previously inflicted, and cursed, "Old man, you died too late!" He soon also honored his mother Consort Li as empress dowager (with the secondary title of Di Taihou (帝太后) to distinguish Empress Dowager Ashina's title Huang Taihou (皇太后)).
Upon hearing Emperor Wu's death, Gao Shaoyi
Gao Shaoyi
Gao Shaoyi , often known by his princely title of Prince of Fanyang , was an imperial prince of the Chinese dynasty Northern Qi, who claimed the Northern Qi throne in exile under the protection of Tujue after rival Northern Zhou seized nearly all of Northern Qi territory and captured the emperors,...
, a Northern Qi prince who had claimed Northern Qi's imperial title in exile in Tujue, tried to launch an attack to reestablish Northern Qi, but was quickly repelled and forced to retreat to Tujue territory.
Emperor Xuan then turned to killing people that he feared or had grudges against. The first target was his uncle Yuwen Xian
Yuwen Xian
Yuwen Xian , nickname Pihetu , formally Prince Yang of Qi , was an imperial prince of the Chinese state Northern Zhou...
the Prince of Qi, due to the respect that Yuwen Xian commanded on account of his military abilities, along with Yuwen Xian's friends, the generals Wang Xing (王興), Dugu Xiong (獨孤熊), and Doulu Shao (豆盧紹). He then turned against Wang Gui, Yuwen Xiaobo, and Yuwen Shenju (宇文神舉) -- all close associates of Emperor Wu—as he suspected all of them of having spoken ill of him before Emperor Wu. Yuchi Yun died in fear.
Emperor Xuan was obsessed with reestablishing changing the customary protocols that his father had established, and in spring 579, he changed the official uniforms that Emperor Wu had standardized, to instead use the uniforms styled after Eastern Han Dynasty and Cao Wei
Cao Wei
Cao Wei was one of the states that competed for control of China during the Three Kingdoms period. With the capital at Luoyang, the state was established by Cao Pi in 220, based upon the foundations that his father Cao Cao laid...
. He also abolished the penal code that his father had promulgated in 577 and declared several pardons, stating that he believed that Emperor Wu's punishments were too severe—but soon imposed an even more severe penal code. Also contrary to his father's prohibition of Buddhism
Buddhism
Buddhism is a religion and philosophy encompassing a variety of traditions, beliefs and practices, largely based on teachings attributed to Siddhartha Gautama, commonly known as the Buddha . The Buddha lived and taught in the northeastern Indian subcontinent some time between the 6th and 4th...
and Taoism
Taoism
Taoism refers to a philosophical or religious tradition in which the basic concept is to establish harmony with the Tao , which is the mechanism of everything that exists...
, he made public gestures to honor Taoism.
Also in spring 579, Emperor Xuan created his oldest son Yuwen Chan
Emperor Jing of Northern Zhou
Emperor Jing of Northern Zhou , personally name né Yuwen Yan , later Yuwen Chan , was the last emperor of the Chinese/Xianbei dynasty Northern Zhou. He became emperor at the age of six, after his father Emperor Xuan formally passed the throne to him, but Emperor Xuan retained the imperial powers...
-- then six-years-old—the Prince of Lu, and then crown prince. He also promoted Luoyang
Luoyang
Luoyang is a prefecture-level city in western Henan province of Central China. It borders the provincial capital of Zhengzhou to the east, Pingdingshan to the southeast, Nanyang to the south, Sanmenxia to the west, Jiyuan to the north, and Jiaozuo to the northeast.Situated on the central plain of...
to the status of secondary capital, moving the subsidiary branches of the six central government departments from Northern Qi's old capital Yecheng (鄴城, in modern Handan
Handan
Handan is a prefecture-level city located in the southwestern part of Hebei Province of China.- History :Handan was the capital of the State of Zhao during the Warring States period , after the capital moved from Zhongmu. The city was conquered by the State of Qin after the virtual annexation of...
, 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...
) to Luoyang.
Meanwhile, around this time, Tujue's Tuobo Khan (Empress Dowager Ashina's uncle) sought peace. Emperor Xuan, in response, created his cousin (the daughter of his uncle Yuwen Zhao (宇文招) the Prince of Zhao) Princess Qianjin, offering to marry Princess Qianjin to Tuobo Khan, but with the demand that Tuobo Khan surrender Gao Shaoyi. Tuobo Khan refused.
Less than a month after creating Yuwen Chan crown prince, Emperor Xuan formally passed the throne to Yuwen Chan (as Emperor Jing). Emperor Xuan himself claimed the atypical title of "Emperor Tianyuan" (天元皇帝, Tianyuan Huangdi), rather than the expected retired emperor title of Taishang Huang
Taishang Huang
Retired Emperor, Grand Emperor, or Emperor Emeritus is a title occasionally used throughout East Asian feudal regimes for former emperors who had abdicated voluntarily to their sons. This title appeared in the history of China, Japan, Korea, and Vietnam...
. He changed the name of his palace to Tian Tai (天台, "heavenly tower"), and doubled the number of tassels on his crown, as well as the number of imperial vehicles, litters, clothing, banners, and drums. He changed the name of the young emperor's palace to Zhengyang Palace (正陽宮), with the same complement of staff as his own palace. Empress Yang's title was changed to "Empress Dowager Tianyuan" (天元皇太后, Tianyuan Huang Taihou).
As retired emperor
Historians described that after Emperor Xuan passed the throne to Emperor Jing, he became particularly wasteful, megalomanic, and unrestrained. He referred to himself as "Heaven," and required officials who were to visit him to have vegetarian diets for three days and bathe—then customary for the days spent before worshipping a god. He disallowed officials from using belts or decorations for their clothing, and he forbid the use of such characters as "heaven" (天), "high" (高), "upper" (上), and "grand" (大), except by himself. He forbid women, other than the women of the palace, from using cosmetics, and for reasons unknown, he ordered that all wheels be made from single pieces of wood, disallowing assembling.It was further recorded that whenever Emperor Xuan met with officials, he only discussed with them how to change customs or how to build palaces, disregarding the affairs of state. He spent his days in games and tours, wearing out his attendants. The officials often were caned—initially, 120 times per caning, and later increased to 240 times. The terror imposed on the officials and even the women of the palace was so great that no one dared to say anything.
In summer 579, Emperor Xuan created Emperor Jing's mother Consort Zhu Manyue
Empress Zhu Manyue
Empress Zhu Manyue , later Buddhist nun name Fajing , was a concubine of Emperor Xuan of Northern Zhou , an emperor of the Chinese/Xianbei dynasty Northern Zhou, and she was the mother of Emperor Jing ....
"Empress Tianyuan" (天元帝后, Tianyuan Di Hou). He also set up fiefs for his uncles Yuwen Zhao, Yuwen Chun (宇文純) the Prince of Chen, Yuwen Sheng (宇文盛) the Prince of Yue, Yuwen Da (宇文達) the Prince of Dai, and Yuwen You (宇文逌) the Prince of Teng, and sent them away from Chang'an, to their fiefs.
In fall 579, in a highly unorthodox action, Emperor Xuan created two more empresses -- Consort Yuan Leshang
Empress Yuan Leshang
Empress Yuan Leshang , later Buddhist nun name Huasheng , was a concubine of Emperor Xuan of Northern Zhou, an emperor of the Chinese/Xianbei dynasty Northern Zhou....
as "Heavenly Right Empress" (天右皇后, Tian You Huanghou) and Consort Chen Yueyi
Empress Chen Yueyi
Empress Chen Yueyi , later Buddhist nun name Huaguang , was a concubine of Emperor Xuan of Northern Zhou, an emperor of the Chinese/Xianbei dynasty Northern Zhou....
as "Heavenly Left Empress" (天左皇后, Tian Zuo Huanghou), changing Empress Zhu's title to "Heavenly Empress" (天皇后, Tian Huanghou). Also around this time, when Yuchi Chifan
Empress Yuchi Chifan
Empress Yuchi Chifan or Yuchi Fanchi , later Buddhist nun name Huashou , was a concubine of Emperor Xuan of Northern Zhou, an emperor of the Chinese/Xianbei dynasty Northern Zhou....
the daughter-in-law of his cousin Yuwen Liang (宇文亮) the Duke of Qi was at the palace to greet him, he raped her.
In winter 579, Emperor Xuan officially ended the prohibitions against Taoism and Buddhism that Emperor Wu had declared, and he personally sat with the statues of Buddhist and Taoist deities. He also launched a major attack on rival Chen Dynasty
Chen Dynasty
The Chen Dynasty , also known as the Southern Chen Dynasty, was the fourth and last of the Southern dynasties in China, eventually destroyed by the Sui Dynasty....
. By spring 580, the Northern Zhou army had taken the territory between the Yangtze River
Yangtze River
The Yangtze, Yangzi or Cháng Jiāng is the longest river in Asia, and the third-longest in the world. It flows for from the glaciers on the Tibetan Plateau in Qinghai eastward across southwest, central and eastern China before emptying into the East China Sea at Shanghai. It is also one of the...
and the Huai River
Huai River
The Huai River is a major river in China. The Huai River is located about mid-way between the Yellow River and Yangtze River, the two largest rivers in China, and like them runs from west to east...
from Chen. As the army was withdrawing, Yuwen Liang, serving as a general on the campaign, tried to ambush his commander Wei Xiaokuan
Wei Xiaokuan
Wei Xiaokuan , formal personal name Wei Shuyu , known by the Xianbei name Yuwen Xiaokuan during late Western Wei and Northern Zhou, formally Duke Xiang of Xun , was a general of the Chinese/Xianbei states Western Wei and Northern Zhou...
and seize Wei's troops, and then declare a rebellion to support one of his uncles as emperor. Wei found out about Yuwen Liang's plot and was able to repel his attack, and was able to kill him. Emperor Xuan then also killed Yuwen Liang's son Yuwen Wen (宇文溫) the Duke of Xiyang, and then took Yuwen Wen's wife Duchess Yuchi as a consort. Then, against opposition that he already had too many empresses, he created her as another empress.
By this point, Emperor Xuan was becoming even more erratic in his behavior, and at one point, he became suddenly angry at Empress Yang and wanted to punish her. She, however, remained calm but firm in defense of herself, which made him more angry, and he ordered her to commit suicide. Empress Yang's mother, Duchess Dugu Qieluo
Empress Dugu Qieluo
Empress Dugu Qieluo , formally Empress Wenxian , was an empress of the Chinese dynasty Sui Dynasty...
, had to plead earnestly for Empress Yang's life, before he finally spared Empress Yang. Meanwhile, however, Emperor Xuan was suspicious of the abilities of Empress Yang's father Yang Jian, and he considered killing Yang Jian but ultimately did not do so. As Yang Jian and Zheng Yi were friends, Yang Jian made a secret request to Zheng to give him a post away from the capital, and soon, by Zheng's recommendation, Emperor Xuan made Yang Jian the commander of the forces against Chen (as he then prepared another attack against Chen).
Before the army could depart, however, Emperor Xuan suddenly grew ill in summer 580. He summoned his associates Liu Fang (劉昉) and Yan Zhiyi (顏之儀) to try to entrust the affairs to them, but when they arrived, he was already unable to speak. Liu, after consulting with fellow attendants Zheng, Liu Qiu (柳裘), Wei Mo (韋謨), and Huangfu Ji (皇甫績), decided to summon Yang Jian to attend to Emperor Xuan and to serve as regent if Emperor Xuan should die—against Yan's attempt to have Yuwen Zhao made regent. Yang initially declined, apparently fearing that it was a trap, but eventually arrived at the palace. That night, Emperor Xuan died, and Yang seized the control of the palace and the imperial troops. Within a year, Yang would seize the throne, ending Northern Zhou and establishing Sui Dynasty
Sui Dynasty
The Sui Dynasty was a powerful, but short-lived Imperial Chinese dynasty. Preceded by the Southern and Northern Dynasties, it ended nearly four centuries of division between rival regimes. It was followed by the Tang Dynasty....
.
Personal information
- Father
- Emperor Wu of Northern ZhouEmperor Wu of Northern ZhouEmperor Wu of Northern Zhou , personal name Yuwen Yong , nickname Miluotu , was an emperor of the Chinese/Xianbei dynasty Northern Zhou. As was the case of the reigns of his brothers Emperor Xiaomin and Emperor Ming, the early part of his reign was dominated by his cousin Yuwen Hu, but in 572 he...
- Emperor Wu of Northern Zhou
- Mother
- Consort Li EziEmpress Dowager Li EziEmpress Dowager Li Ezi , later Buddhist nun name Changbei , was an empress dowager of the Chinese/Xianbei dynasty Northern Zhou. She was the mother of Emperor Xuan....
- Consort Li Ezi
- Wife
- Empress Yang LihuaEmpress Yang LihuaEmpress Yang Lihua was an empress of the Chinese/Xianbei dynasty Northern Zhou, and later a princess of Sui Dynasty. Her husband was Emperor Xuan of Northern Zhou , and her father was Emperor Wen of Sui ....
(created 578), mother of Princess Eying
- Empress Yang Lihua
- Major Concubines
- Empress Zhu ManyueEmpress Zhu ManyueEmpress Zhu Manyue , later Buddhist nun name Fajing , was a concubine of Emperor Xuan of Northern Zhou , an emperor of the Chinese/Xianbei dynasty Northern Zhou, and she was the mother of Emperor Jing ....
(created 579), mother of Crown Prince Chan - Empress Chen YueyiEmpress Chen YueyiEmpress Chen Yueyi , later Buddhist nun name Huaguang , was a concubine of Emperor Xuan of Northern Zhou, an emperor of the Chinese/Xianbei dynasty Northern Zhou....
(created 579) - Empress Yuan LeshangEmpress Yuan LeshangEmpress Yuan Leshang , later Buddhist nun name Huasheng , was a concubine of Emperor Xuan of Northern Zhou, an emperor of the Chinese/Xianbei dynasty Northern Zhou....
(created 579) - Empress Yuchi ChifanEmpress Yuchi ChifanEmpress Yuchi Chifan or Yuchi Fanchi , later Buddhist nun name Huashou , was a concubine of Emperor Xuan of Northern Zhou, an emperor of the Chinese/Xianbei dynasty Northern Zhou....
(created 579) - Consort Wang, mother of Prince Kan
- Consort Huangfu, mother of Prince Shu
- Empress Zhu Manyue
- Children
- Yuwen Yan (宇文衍), later changed to Yuwen Chan (宇文闡), initially the Prince of Lu (created 579), later the Crown Prince (created 579), later Emperor Jing of Northern ZhouEmperor Jing of Northern ZhouEmperor Jing of Northern Zhou , personally name né Yuwen Yan , later Yuwen Chan , was the last emperor of the Chinese/Xianbei dynasty Northern Zhou. He became emperor at the age of six, after his father Emperor Xuan formally passed the throne to him, but Emperor Xuan retained the imperial powers...
- Yuwen Kan (宇文衎), the Prince of Lai (created 580, executed by Emperor Wen of SuiEmperor Wen of SuiEmperor Wen of Sui — personal name Yang Jian , Xianbei name Puliuru Jian , nickname Naluoyan — was the founder and first emperor of China's Sui Dynasty . He was a hard-working administrator and a micromanager. As a Buddhist, he encouraged the spread of Buddhism through the state...
581) - Yuwen Shu (宇文術), the Prince of Ying (created 580, executed by Emperor Wen of SuiEmperor Wen of SuiEmperor Wen of Sui — personal name Yang Jian , Xianbei name Puliuru Jian , nickname Naluoyan — was the founder and first emperor of China's Sui Dynasty . He was a hard-working administrator and a micromanager. As a Buddhist, he encouraged the spread of Buddhism through the state...
581) - Yuwen Eying (宇文娥英)
- Yuwen Yan (宇文衍), later changed to Yuwen Chan (宇文闡), initially the Prince of Lu (created 579), later the Crown Prince (created 579), later Emperor Jing of Northern Zhou