Fu Sheng
Encyclopedia
| Yue Liwang (越厲王) | |
|---|---|
| Family name Chinese name Personal names in Chinese culture follow a number of conventions different from those of personal names in Western cultures. Most noticeably, a Chinese name is written with the family name first and the given name next, therefore "John-Paul Smith" as a Chinese name would be "Smith John-Paul"... : |
Fu (苻; fú) |
| Given name Chinese name Personal names in Chinese culture follow a number of conventions different from those of personal names in Western cultures. Most noticeably, a Chinese name is written with the family name first and the given name next, therefore "John-Paul Smith" as a Chinese name would be "Smith John-Paul"... : |
Sheng (生, shēng) |
| Posthumous name Posthumous name A posthumous name is an honorary name given to royalty, nobles, and sometimes others, in East Asia after the person's death, and is used almost exclusively instead of one's personal name or other official titles during his life... : |
Li (厲, lì), literary meaning: "violent" |
Fu Sheng (苻生) (335–357), originally named Pu Sheng (蒲生), courtesy name Changsheng (長生), formally Prince Li of Yue (越厲王), was an emperor
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...
/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...
. He was the son of Former Qin's founding emperor Fu Jiàn
Fu Jiàn
Fú Jiàn , originally named Pú Jiàn , courtesy name Jianye , formally Emperor Jingming of Qin , was the founding emperor of the Chinese/Di state Former Qin....
, and was a violent, arbitrary, and cruel ruler, and after ruling for only two years was overthrown by his cousin 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:...
(note different tone than his father) in a coup and executed, and therefore was not posthumously recognized as an emperor during the remainder of Former Qin's rule.
Before reign
Pu Sheng was born to Pu Jiàn in 335, as his third son, by his wife, the later Empress QiangEmpress Qiang
Empress Qiang , formally Empress Mingde , was an empress of the Chinese/Di state Former Qin...
. At that time, both Pu Jiàn and his father Pu Hong
Fu Hong
Fu Hong originally named Pu Hong , courtesy name Guangshi, was the Di He was the father of first emperor of Former Qin, Fu Jiàn. In 350, Fu Hong self-proclaimed to be the Prince of Three Qins receiving a prophecy willed him to become King . On the same year, he was poisoned by his subordinate Ma...
(蒲洪) were generals for Later Zhao
Later Zhao
The Later Zhao was a state of the Sixteen Kingdoms during the Jin Dynasty in China. It was founded by the Shi family of the Jie ethnicity...
. Pu Sheng was born blind in one eye (though some accounts said that he lost his eye to an eagle while trying to get eagle eggs). Once, his grandfather Pu Hong teased him, "I heard that you, my blind boy, only shed tears from one eye; is that true?" Pu Sheng, in anger, stabbed his blind eye and exclaimed, "This is the other eye shedding tear!" Pu Hong, shocked at his reaction, whipped him and told him, "You are only deserving to be a slave!" He responded, "That is fine; I'll just be like Shi Le
Shi Le
Shi Le , courtesy name Shilong , formally Emperor Ming of Zhao , was the founding emperor of the Chinese/Jie state Later Zhao...
(a slave who became an emperor)." Pu Hong became concerned at his behavior, which was also manifested by lack of discipline, and told Pu Jiàn that he should consider killing his son, lest that his family be destroyed by him. Pu Jiàn considered it, but was dissuaded from it by his brother Pu Xiong (蒲雄). As Pu Sheng grew, he became known for his strength and ferocity in battle, as he was strong enough to battle wild beasts, and was skillful in horsemanship and use of weapons. After his father (who had by then changed the family name from Pu to Fu) established Former Qin in 351, he was created the Prince of Huainan.
In 354, when the Jin
Jìn Dynasty (265-420)
The Jìn Dynasty , was a dynasty in Chinese history, lasting between the years 265 and 420 AD. There are two main divisions in the history of the Dynasty, the first being Western Jin and the second Eastern Jin...
general Huan Wen
Huan Wen
Huan Wen , courtesy name Yuanzi , formally Duke Xuanwu of Nan Commandery , was a general of the Jin Dynasty...
launched a major attack against Former Qin, nearly destroying it, Fu Sheng was one of the generals that Fu Jiàn commissioned to lead the army against Huan. Fu Sheng was personally successful in battles, killing many, but was not particularly successful as a general. Eventually, Huan was forced to withdraw when his food supplies ran out, but Fu Sheng's older brother Fu Chang (苻萇) the Crown Prince suffered an arrow wound during the campaign, and died in winter 354. Initially, his mother Empress Qiang
Empress Qiang
Empress Qiang , formally Empress Mingde , was an empress of the Chinese/Di state Former Qin...
wanted to create his younger brother Fu Liu (苻柳) the Prince of Jin crown prince, but Fu Jiàn, reading a prophecy that contained the phrase "three goats shall have five eyes," believed that the prophecy indicated that Fu Sheng should succeed him (because one of his eyes was blind), and therefore created Fu Sheng crown prince. After a failed coup by his cousin Fu Qing (苻菁) the Prince of Pingchang to take over in 355, Fu Sheng succeeded to the throne when his father died thereafter. He honored his mother Empress Qiang as empress dowager
Empress 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 Princess Liang
Empress Liang (Fu Sheng)
Empress Liang was briefly an empress of the Chinese/Di state Former Qin. Her husband was the violent and arbitrary Fu Sheng.In 355, after Fu Sheng succeeded his father Fu Jiàn, the founding emperor of Former Qin, he created her empress...
empress.
Reign
Fu Sheng almost immediately displayed his violent and cruel nature, however. Fu Jiàn's will commissioned a number of high level officials to serve as Fu Sheng's assistants, but all of them (with the possible exception of his granduncle Fu An (苻安) the Prince of Wudu, who might or might not have been named in the will) perished rather quickly under his violent rule:- Yu Zun (魚遵): executed in 357 along with his sons and grandsons after Fu Sheng dreamed of a large fish (yu (魚) in ChineseChinese languageThe Chinese language is a language or language family consisting of varieties which are mutually intelligible to varying degrees. Originally the indigenous languages spoken by the Han Chinese in China, it forms one of the branches of Sino-Tibetan family of languages...
) eating calamusCalamus (palm genus)Calamus is a genus of the palm family Arecaceae. These are among several genera known as rattan palms. There are some 325 species in this genus, all with a palaeotropical distribution. They are mostly leaf-climbers with slender, reedy stems...
(pu (蒲) in Chinese), - Lei Ruo'er (雷弱兒): executed in 355 along with his sons and grandsons after false accusations by Fu Sheng's associates Zhao Shao (趙韶) and Dong Rong (董榮),
- Mao Gui (毛貴), uncle of Fu Sheng's wife Empress LiangEmpress Liang (Fu Sheng)Empress Liang was briefly an empress of the Chinese/Di state Former Qin. Her husband was the violent and arbitrary Fu Sheng.In 355, after Fu Sheng succeeded his father Fu Jiàn, the founding emperor of Former Qin, he created her empress...
: executed in 355 along with Empress Liang, Liang An, and Liang Leng after astrologers prophesied that there would be a great funeral and high level officials would be killed, - Wang Duo (王墮): executed in 356 after offending Dong, who then advised Fu Jiàn that a high level official needed to be executed in accordance with astrological signs,
- Liang Leng (梁楞): executed in 355, along with Empress Liang, Mao Gui, and Liang An,
- Liang An (梁安): executed in 355, along with Empress Liang, Mao Gui, and Liang Leng,
- Duan Chun (段純): executed in 355, the same day that Fu Jiàn became emperor, after Fu Sheng was offended at his suggestion that changing the era name in the middle of a year was improper,
- and Xin Lao (辛牢): killed in 356 by an arrow Fu Sheng launched during the middle of a feast after Fu Sheng became displeased that he, as the master of ceremony, was not getting everyone drunk.
Because Fu Sheng was blind in one eye and apparently apprehensive that people would be making fun at him or be contemputous of him due to that disability, he ordered that words such as "missing," "lacking," "slanted," "less," and "without" to never be used. He was also engaged in heavy drinking, and he often either ignored officials' petitions altogether or made irrational decisions on them in the middle of his stupor, allowing his attendants to make random decisions on his behalf. He also carried out cruel punishment—in addition to frequent executions, he also liked to cruelly treat animals—including throwing them into boiling water or skinning them alive—the latter he sometimes applied to humans. In 356, when his uncle Qiang Ping (強平), Empress Dowager Qiang's brother, tried to correct his ways, he broke Qiang Ping's skull by hammering him, and then executed him, leading Empress Dowager Qiang to die in sorrow and fear.
Also in 356, Fu Sheng's brother Fu Liu the Prince of Jin was able to persuade the Former Liang
Former Liang
The Former Liang was a state of the Sixteen Kingdoms during the Jin dynasty in China. It was founded by the Zhang family of the Han Chinese...
regent Zhang Guan
Zhang Guan
Zhang Guan was a general and regent of the Chinese state Former Liang, during the early reign of the young prince Zhang Xuanjing.Zhang Guan was a distant relative of the ruling family of Former Liang...
to have the young Former Liang ruler Zhang Xuanjing
Zhang Xuanjing
Zhang Xuanjing , courtesy name Yuan'an , formally Duke Jingdao of Xiping or Duke Chong of Xiping was a ruler of the Chinese state Former Liang...
become a vassal.
In 357, the former Jin general Yao Xiang (姚襄), who, after rebelling against Jin in 354, had intended to establish his independent state, attacked former Qin's northern territory, and the former Qin generals Deng Qiang (鄧羌) and Fu Huangmei (苻黃眉) the Prince of Guangping fought back and captured and executed him. Fu Sheng, still respectful of Yao Xiang and his father Yao Yizhong (姚弋仲), whose casket Yao had carried with his army, buried both with honors. However, he not only did not reward Fu Huangmei but further insulted him, leading Fu Huangmei to plot an unsuccessful assassination against him, resulting in Fu Huangmei's death.
Later in 357, Fu Sheng became suspicious of his cousins 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:...
the Prince of Donghai and Fu Fa (苻法) the Prince of Qinghe and considered killing them. His ladies in waiting
Lady-in-waiting
A lady-in-waiting is a female personal assistant at a royal court, attending on a queen, a princess, or a high-ranking noblewoman. Historically, in Europe a lady-in-waiting was often a noblewoman from a family highly thought of in good society, but was of lower rank than the woman on whom she...
leaked the news to Fu Jiān, who immediately led his private army to attack the palace. The imperial guards, who had already resented Fu Sheng's ferocity, defected to Fu Jiān. Fu Jiān captured Fu Sheng, who was still in a drunken stupor, and had him deposed, demoted to Prince of Yue and then executed by being dragged by a horse. Fu Jiān then took the throne.
Personal information
- Father
- Fu JiànFu JiànFú Jiàn , originally named Pú Jiàn , courtesy name Jianye , formally Emperor Jingming of Qin , was the founding emperor of the Chinese/Di state Former Qin....
(Emperor Jingming)
- Fu Jiàn
- Mother
- Empress QiangEmpress QiangEmpress Qiang , formally Empress Mingde , was an empress of the Chinese/Di state Former Qin...
- Empress Qiang
- Wife
- Empress LiangEmpress Liang (Fu Sheng)Empress Liang was briefly an empress of the Chinese/Di state Former Qin. Her husband was the violent and arbitrary Fu Sheng.In 355, after Fu Sheng succeeded his father Fu Jiàn, the founding emperor of Former Qin, he created her empress...
(created and executed 355)
- Empress Liang