Yu Zhong
Encyclopedia
Yu Zhong (452–518), né Wuniuyu Qiannian (勿忸于千年), courtesy name Sixian (思賢), formally Duke Wujing of Lingshou (靈壽武敬公), was an official of the Chinese
/Xianbei
dynasty Northern Wei
who briefly served as regent
during the reign of Emperor Xiaoming
.
and Emperor Taiwu
. His father Wuniuyu Lie (勿忸于烈) served as a general during the reigns of Emperor Xiaowen
and Emperor Xuanwu
.
Wuniuyu Qiannian himself became a low level official during the regency of Emperor Xiaowen's stepgrandmother, Grand Empress Dowager Feng
. Grand Empress Dowager Feng was strict and often punished officials for even minor offenses, but Wuniuyu Zhong was said to be diligent and honest, and was never punished by her. Emperor Xiaowen favored him as well, and steadily promoted him. Emperor Xiaowen also changed his name to Wuniuyu Deng (勿忸于登). In 496, pursuant to Emperor Xiaowen's edict to change Xianbei names to Han names
as part of his sinicization
campaign, the Wuniuyu clan's name was changed to Yu.
the Prince of Pengcheng, of their responsibilities in 501. When Yuan Xi planned a rebellion later that year, Yu Deng was involved in protecting Emperor Xuanwu arresting Yuan Xi and his cohorts, and was rewarded for his accomplishments. Emperor Xuanwu also changed his name further to Yu Zhong—with "Zhong" meaning "faithful."
Later that year, Yu Lie died, and Yu Zhong left governmental service to observe the mourning period for his father. However, he was soon recalled to the government, and he soon began to have conflicts with Emperor Xuanwu's uncle Yuan Xiang (元詳) the Prince of Beihai, who had taken over Yuan Xi's responsibilities, as Yuan Xiang had grown corrupt and arrogant. Yuan Xiang therefore ostensibly promoted Yu, but used the promotion to take Yu from positions where he would see the emperor often. After Yuan Xiang was removed by Emperor Xuanwu in 504, Yu appeared to be continually promoted, and in 505 Emperor Xuanwu sent him on a tour of the western provinces to overview their administrative productivity. Throughout the rest of Emperor Xuanwu's reign, his power increased, which at times put him at odds with Emperor Xuanwu's powerful maternal uncle Gao Zhao
.
(Gao Zhao's niece), quickly declared Emperor Xuanwu's young son, the crown prince
Yuan Xu
, emperor (as Emperor Xiaoming). When Empress Gao wanted to put Emperor Xiaoming's mother Consort Hu
to death, Yu, Cui, the eunuch Liu Teng (劉騰), and the general Hou Gang (侯剛), protected Consort Hu by hiding her. Yu and Cui soon forced Empress Gao to confer regent authorities on Emperor Xuanwu's uncle Yuan Yong
the Prince of Gaoyang and Emperor Xiaowen's cousin Yuan Cheng (元澄) the Prince of Rencheng, and when Gao Zhao subsequently returned to the capital Luoyang
from a military campaign against rival Liang Dynasty
that Emperor Xuanwu had commissioned, Yu and Yuan Yong ambushed him and put him to death. Empress Gao was removed, and Consort Hu became empress dowager
.
Yu Zhong, by this point, was in control of the government, and while he was not in name regent, he was effectively the regent, making almost all key decisions. He had himself created the Duke of Changshan. The officials Pei Zhi (裴植) and Guo Zuo (郭祚), who were unhappy about Yu's authoritarian acts, secretly suggested to Yuan Yong to have Yu removed from his post and sent to a province to be governor. Yu heard the news and falsely accused Pei and Guo of crimes. Pei and Guo were executed, and Yu wanted to kill Yuan Yong as well, but Cui refused to agree, and so Yuan Yong was merely removed of his post.
After Yu had effectively served as regent for six months, however, Empress Dowager Hu assumed titular regency, and while she appreciated Yu's saving her life, she also continuously received reports that Yu was abusing his power, and so she had him sent to Ji Province (冀州, modern central Hebei
) to serve as governor. Soon, Yu's ducal title was stripped and many of his acts while in power were reversed, but because Empress Dowager Hu remembered what he had done for her, she soon recalled him to the capital and gave him an honorary post, but did not put him in power any more. In 516, she created him the Duke of Lingshou. He died in 518, and while initially, it was proposed that his posthumous name
be "Wuchou" (meaning "martial and abusive"), Empress Dowager Hu instead declared it to be "Wujing" (meaning "martial and alert").
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 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"...
who briefly served as 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...
during the reign of Emperor Xiaoming
Emperor Xiaoming of Northern Wei
Emperor Xiaoming of Northern Wei , personal name Yuan Xu , was an emperor of the Chinese/Xianbei dynasty Northern Wei...
.
Background and early career
Wuniuyu Qiannian was born from a line of Northern Wei nobles of Xianbei ethnicity. His great-grandfather Wuniuyu Lidi (勿忸于栗磾) was one of Northern Wei's most famous generals during the reigns of Emperor MingyuanEmperor Mingyuan of Northern Wei
Emperor Mingyuan of Northern Wei , personal name Tuoba Si , was an emperor of the Chinese/Xianbei dynasty Northern Wei. He was the oldest son of the founding emperor Emperor Daowu...
and Emperor Taiwu
Emperor Taiwu of Northern Wei
Emperor Taiwu of Northern Wei , personal name Tuoba Tao , nickname Foli , was an emperor of the Chinese/Xianbei dynasty Northern Wei...
. His father Wuniuyu Lie (勿忸于烈) served as a general during the reigns of Emperor Xiaowen
Emperor Xiaowen of Northern Wei
Emperor Xiaowen of Northern Wei , personal name né Tuoba Hong , later Yuan Hong , was an emperor of the Chinese/Xianbei dynasty Northern Wei....
and Emperor Xuanwu
Emperor Xuanwu of Northern Wei
Tuoba Ke , later Yuan Ke was known as Emperor Xuanwu of Northern Wei during the Chinese/Xianbei dynasty Northern Wei....
.
Wuniuyu Qiannian himself became a low level official during the regency of Emperor Xiaowen's stepgrandmother, Grand Empress Dowager Feng
Empress Feng (Wencheng)
Empress Feng , formally Empress Wenming was an empress of the Chinese/Xianbei dynasty Northern Wei. Her husband was Emperor Wencheng...
. Grand Empress Dowager Feng was strict and often punished officials for even minor offenses, but Wuniuyu Zhong was said to be diligent and honest, and was never punished by her. Emperor Xiaowen favored him as well, and steadily promoted him. Emperor Xiaowen also changed his name to Wuniuyu Deng (勿忸于登). In 496, pursuant to Emperor Xiaowen's edict to change Xianbei names to Han names
Change of Xianbei names to Han names
The Change of Xianbei family names to Han names was part of a larger sinicization campaign. It was at its peak intensity under Emperor Xiaowen of the Northern Wei dynasty in 496.-Background:...
as part of his sinicization
Sinicization
Sinicization, Sinicisation or Sinification, is the linguistic assimilation or cultural assimilation of terms and concepts of the language and culture of China...
campaign, the Wuniuyu clan's name was changed to Yu.
Service under Emperor Xuanwu
After Emperor Xiaowen's death in 499 and succession by hisson Emperor Xuanwu, Yu Deng's father Yu Lie continued to serve in the administration, and Yu Lie soon ran into conflicts with one of the regents, Emperor Xuanwu's uncle Yuan Xi (元禧) the Prince of Xianyang, over Yuan Xi's arrogance and wastefulness, as well as Yuan Xi's use of items that were supposed to be only usable by the emperor. Yu Deng was by this point an attendant of the emperor, and through him, Yu Lie reported Yuan Xian's faults to the emperor, leading to Emperor Xuanwu's relieving Yuan Xi and another uncle, Yuan XieYuan Xie
Yuan Xie , né Tuoba Xie , courtesy name Yanhe , formally Prince Wuxuan of Pengcheng , later posthumously honored as Emperor Wenmu with the temple name of Suzu , was an imperial prince of the Chinese/Xianbei dynasty Northern Wei...
the Prince of Pengcheng, of their responsibilities in 501. When Yuan Xi planned a rebellion later that year, Yu Deng was involved in protecting Emperor Xuanwu arresting Yuan Xi and his cohorts, and was rewarded for his accomplishments. Emperor Xuanwu also changed his name further to Yu Zhong—with "Zhong" meaning "faithful."
Later that year, Yu Lie died, and Yu Zhong left governmental service to observe the mourning period for his father. However, he was soon recalled to the government, and he soon began to have conflicts with Emperor Xuanwu's uncle Yuan Xiang (元詳) the Prince of Beihai, who had taken over Yuan Xi's responsibilities, as Yuan Xiang had grown corrupt and arrogant. Yuan Xiang therefore ostensibly promoted Yu, but used the promotion to take Yu from positions where he would see the emperor often. After Yuan Xiang was removed by Emperor Xuanwu in 504, Yu appeared to be continually promoted, and in 505 Emperor Xuanwu sent him on a tour of the western provinces to overview their administrative productivity. Throughout the rest of Emperor Xuanwu's reign, his power increased, which at times put him at odds with Emperor Xuanwu's powerful maternal uncle Gao Zhao
Gao Zhao
Gao Zhao , courtesy name Shouwen , was a high level official of the Chinese/Xianbei dynasty Northern Wei. He was a maternal uncle of Emperor Xuanwu, and he became increasingly powerful during Emperor Xuanwu's reign, drawing anger from other high level officials not only for his powerplay Gao Zhao...
.
Service under Emperor Xiaoming
Emperor Xuanwu died suddenly in 515. Yu and the official Cui Guang (崔光), without first consulting Emperor Xuanwu's wife Empress GaoEmpress Gao (Xuanwu)
Empress Gao Ying was an empress of the Chinese/Xianbei dynasty Northern Wei. She was the second empress of Emperor Xuanwu....
(Gao Zhao's niece), quickly declared Emperor Xuanwu's young son, the 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....
Yuan Xu
Emperor Xiaoming of Northern Wei
Emperor Xiaoming of Northern Wei , personal name Yuan Xu , was an emperor of the Chinese/Xianbei dynasty Northern Wei...
, emperor (as Emperor Xiaoming). When Empress Gao wanted to put Emperor Xiaoming's mother Consort Hu
Empress Dowager Hu (Xiaoming)
Empress Dowager Hu , formally Empress Ling , was an empress dowager of the Chinese dynasty Northern Wei. She was a concubine of Emperor Xuanwu, and she became regent and empress dowager after her son Emperor Xiaoming became emperor after Emperor Xuanwu's death in 515...
to death, Yu, Cui, the eunuch Liu Teng (劉騰), and the general Hou Gang (侯剛), protected Consort Hu by hiding her. Yu and Cui soon forced Empress Gao to confer regent authorities on Emperor Xuanwu's uncle Yuan Yong
Yuan Yong
Yuan Yong , né Tuoba Yong , courtesy name Simu , formally Prince Wenmu of Gaoyang , was an imperial prince of the Chinese/Xianbei dynasty Northern Wei. He was very powerful during the reign of his grandnephew Emperor Xiaoming, and by corrupt means grew very rich...
the Prince of Gaoyang and Emperor Xiaowen's cousin Yuan Cheng (元澄) the Prince of Rencheng, and when Gao Zhao subsequently returned to the capital 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...
from a military campaign against rival Liang Dynasty
Liang Dynasty
The Liang Dynasty , also known as the Southern Liang Dynasty , was the third of the Southern dynasties in China and was followed by the Chen Dynasty...
that Emperor Xuanwu had commissioned, Yu and Yuan Yong ambushed him and put him to death. Empress Gao was removed, and Consort Hu became 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...
.
Yu Zhong, by this point, was in control of the government, and while he was not in name regent, he was effectively the regent, making almost all key decisions. He had himself created the Duke of Changshan. The officials Pei Zhi (裴植) and Guo Zuo (郭祚), who were unhappy about Yu's authoritarian acts, secretly suggested to Yuan Yong to have Yu removed from his post and sent to a province to be governor. Yu heard the news and falsely accused Pei and Guo of crimes. Pei and Guo were executed, and Yu wanted to kill Yuan Yong as well, but Cui refused to agree, and so Yuan Yong was merely removed of his post.
After Yu had effectively served as regent for six months, however, Empress Dowager Hu assumed titular regency, and while she appreciated Yu's saving her life, she also continuously received reports that Yu was abusing his power, and so she had him sent to Ji Province (冀州, modern central 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 serve as governor. Soon, Yu's ducal title was stripped and many of his acts while in power were reversed, but because Empress Dowager Hu remembered what he had done for her, she soon recalled him to the capital and gave him an honorary post, but did not put him in power any more. In 516, she created him the Duke of Lingshou. He died in 518, and while initially, it was proposed that his 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...
be "Wuchou" (meaning "martial and abusive"), Empress Dowager Hu instead declared it to be "Wujing" (meaning "martial and alert").