Empress Yang (Aiping)
Encyclopedia
Empress Yang (died 386) was an empress of the Chinese
/Di
state Former Qin
. Her husband was Fu Pi
(Emperor Aiping).
She was already Fu Pi's wife and duchess at least by 380, when her brother Yang Ying (楊膺) was described as one of the Di officers who commanded soldiers distributed to Fu Pi, then serving as viceroy
over the six eastern provinces formerly ruled by Former Yan
, as part of Fu Jiān
(Emperor Xuanzhao)'s plan to distribute his Di people around the empire to serve as a stabilizing force. When the empire subsequently began collapsing in 384 following the failure to conquer Jin and defeat at the Battle of Fei River
in 383, Yang Ying suggested to Fu Pi, whose headquarters of Yecheng (鄴城, in modern Handan
, Hebei
) was the only city in the eastern empire that had not fallen either to Jin or to the new state Later Yan
, established by the rebel general Murong Chui
, that he should surrender to Jin. When Fu Pi refused, Yang Ying conspired with another official, Jiang Rang (姜讓), to forcibly seize Fu Pi and surrender to Jin, but was discovered and killed. Despite this, Duchess Yang remained Fu Pi's wife.
In 385, the Former Qin capital Chang'an
fell to the rebel state Western Yan
, and Fu Jiān was killed by another rebel general, Yao Chang
the founder of Later Qin
. Upon hearing this news, Fu Pi, who had then withdrawn from Yecheng to Jinyang (晉陽, in modern Taiyuan
, Shanxi
), declared himself emperor, and he created Princess Yang empress. In 386, however, as he tried to intercept Western Yan's prince Murong Yong
, who was trying to return east, he was defeated by Murong Yong, and Empress Yang was captured. Fu Pi would then be intercepted by the Jin general Feng Gai (馮該) and killed. Murong Yong wanted to take Empress Yang as a consort, but she tried to assassinate him with a sword. He then put her to death.
|- style="text-align: center;"
|-
|-
|-
|-
|-
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...
/Di
Di (ethnic group)
The Di were an ethnic group in China from the 8th century BCE to approximately the middle of the 6th century CE. Note that the character Di is used to differentiate this group from the Beidi , a generic term for "northern barbarians". They lived in areas of the present-day provinces of Gansu,...
state 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...
. Her husband was Fu Pi
Fu Pi
Fu Pi , courtesy name Yongshu , formally Emperor Aiping of Qin , was an emperor of the Chinese/Di state Former Qin...
(Emperor Aiping).
She was already Fu Pi's wife and duchess at least by 380, when her brother Yang Ying (楊膺) was described as one of the Di officers who commanded soldiers distributed to Fu Pi, then serving as 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...
over the six eastern provinces formerly ruled by 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...
, as part of 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:...
(Emperor Xuanzhao)'s plan to distribute his Di people around the empire to serve as a stabilizing force. When the empire subsequently began collapsing in 384 following the failure to conquer Jin and defeat at the Battle of Fei River
Battle of Fei River
The Battle of Fei River or “Feishui” was a battle in 383, where Fu Jiān of the Di Former Qin Empire was decisively defeated by the numerically inferior Jin army of Eastern Jin....
in 383, Yang Ying suggested to Fu Pi, whose headquarters of 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...
) was the only city in the eastern empire that had not fallen either to Jin or to the new 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:...
, established by the rebel general 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...
, that he should surrender to Jin. When Fu Pi refused, Yang Ying conspired with another official, Jiang Rang (姜讓), to forcibly seize Fu Pi and surrender to Jin, but was discovered and killed. Despite this, Duchess Yang remained Fu Pi's wife.
In 385, 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...
fell to the rebel state 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...
, and Fu Jiān was killed by another rebel general, Yao Chang
Yao Chang
Yao Chang , courtesy name Jingmao , formally Emperor Wuzhao of Qin , was the founding emperor of the Chinese/Qiang state Later Qin...
the founder of Later Qin
Later Qin
The Later Qin was a state of Qiang ethnicity of the Sixteen Kingdoms during the Jin Dynasty in China. Note that the Later Qin is entirely distinct from the ancient Qin Dynasty, the Former Qin, and the Western Qin....
. Upon hearing this news, Fu Pi, who had then withdrawn from Yecheng to Jinyang (晉陽, in modern Taiyuan
Taiyuan
Taiyuan is the capital and largest city of Shanxi province in North China. At the 2010 census, it had a total population of 4,201,591 inhabitants on 6959 km² whom 3,212,500 are urban on 1,460 km². The name of the city literally means "Great Plains", referring to the location where the Fen River...
, 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....
), declared himself emperor, and he created Princess Yang empress. In 386, however, as he tried to intercept Western Yan's prince 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...
, who was trying to return east, he was defeated by Murong Yong, and Empress Yang was captured. Fu Pi would then be intercepted by the Jin general Feng Gai (馮該) and killed. Murong Yong wanted to take Empress Yang as a consort, but she tried to assassinate him with a sword. He then put her to death.
|- style="text-align: center;"
|-
|-
|-
|-
|-