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Murong Ping (慕容評) was a regent of the Chinese/Xianbei state Former Yan during the reign of Murong Wei (Emperor You), after the death of the previous, far more capable regent Murong Ke. He, along with Murong Wei's mother Empress Dowager Kezuhun, is often blamed for Former Yan's decline and fall.
Murong Ping was one of the youngest, if not the youngest, sons of the Jin vassal, the Xianbei chief Murong Hui (慕容廆), the father of Former Yan's founder Murong Huang. Although historical records do not give his age, it was probably close in range to Murong Jun, Murong Huang's heir apparent. (This is corroborated in that his grandnephew Murong Wei, at one point, referred to him as an uncle rather than a granduncle, perhaps out of confusion in his young age.) It is not known who his mother was.
The first reference to him in history was in 339, when he was mentioned as one of Murong Huang's generals (along with another brother, Murong Jun (慕容軍, note different tone and character than his nephew who would later inherit the throne), Muyu Gen, and Muyu Ni (慕輿泥)) who conducted a successful raid against Later Zhao's border region.
In 348, Murong Huang died, and was succeeded by his son Murong Jun, who was then still using the Jin-created title Prince of Yan. In 349, Later Zhao's emperor Shi Hu died, and his state soon fell into internecine wars between his sons and his adoptive grandson Shi Min. Murong Jun therefore decided to advance south. In Murong Jun's campaigns over the next few years, which saw him seize much of Later Zhao's territory and capture Shi Min (who had by then changed him name to Ran Min, to the family name that his father had before his adoption by Shi Hu) and destroy his short-lived state Ran Wei, Murong Ping served as a major general. Murong Ping led the army that sieged Ran Wei's capital Yecheng (鄴城, in modern Handan, Hebei), after Ran Min's capture, in 352, against Ran Min's wife Empress Dong and son Ran Zhi, and the city fell to him, formally ending Ran Wei. He was put in charge of Yecheng's defenses. In 354, Murong Jun, who had by now completely broken from Jin and claimed imperial title, put him in charge of military operations in the Luoyang region (although Former Yan would not be able to capture Luoyang at this time) and also created him the Prince of Shangyong. Over the next few years, Murong Ping would be involved in leading armies against various former Later Zhao generals who were still trying to maintain independence and vacillating between Former Yan, Former Qin, and Jin. His campaigns were of mixed successes and failures.
In 360, Murong Jun grew seriously ill, and he commissioned his capable brother Murong Ke as regent for his son Murong Wei. Murong Ping, Yang Wu, and Muyu Gen were to serve as Murong Ke's assistants. Murong Jun soon died, and Murong Wei succeeded him.
Muyu Gen, a more senior official than Murong Ke or Murong Ping, was unwilling to submit to Murong Ke, and he falsely told the young emperor and his mother Empress Dowager Kezuhun Murong Ke and Murong Ping were planning a rebellion. Empress Dowager Kezuhun believed Muyu, but the young emperor did not and refused to authorize his actions. Murong Ke soon found out and, after consulting with Murong Ping, executed Muyu and his clan.
Murong Ke was clearly the regent at this point, but he consulted Murong Ping on all major decisions. His regency was considered a successful one, as he governed the empire with efficiency while expanding its borders southward, at Jin's expense. Murong Ping's role in this success is unclear. In 361, the magician Ding Jin (丁進), whom Murong Wei trusted, tried to flatter Murong Ke by suggesting to him to kill Murong Ping, but Murong Ke became angry and executed Ding.
In 366, both Murong Ke and Murong Ping offered to resign their posts and return all of their authorities to Murong Wei. Murong Wei declined.
In 367, Murong Ke grew ill. He tried to persuade Murong Ping, Murong Wei, and Murong Wei's older brother Murong Zang (慕容臧) the Prince of Le'an that one of his main responsibilities, as the commander of the armies, should be transferred to Murong Chui the Prince of Wu, his brother, as he saw Murong Chui as a capable general, but after Murong Ke died later that year, Murong Ping declined to do so, and instead gave that post to Murong Wei's younger brother Murong Chong the Prince of Zhongshan. Murong Ping himself assumed the regency and held power in conjunction with Empress Dowager Kezuhun.
Murong Ping, while apparently having military abilities, was incompetent and corrupt as a regent. In 368, when four of Former Qin's dukes rebelled against the Former Qin emperor Fu Jiān, they sought help from Former Yan. Many officials, including Murong Jun's brother Murong De the Prince of Fanyang, saw this as a perfect opportunity to conquer Former Qin, but Murong Ping declined to take any actions against Former Qin, so Former Qin forces crushed the four rebel dukes.
In 368 as well, the key official Yue Wan, concerned about the growing corrupt practice by noble families of putting commoners into their fiefs—a practice that would mean that those commoners were only responsible to them, not responsible for paying taxes to the empire, leading to the empire's treasury being so lacking that it was unable to pay its officials—petitioned Murong Wei for a reform ending the practice. Murong Wei approved the reform and put Yue in charge of it, and Yue restored over 200,000 people to the tax-paying ranks. The nobles were all resentful of Yue, who died later in 368—and while most historians believed that he died of natural causes, having been already ill previously — the Book of Jin stated that he was poisoned by Murong Ping, who had much to lose from Yue's reform.
In 369, the Jin general Huan Wen launched a major attack against Former Yan, defeating every army that Murong Ping sent against him, including the most major one commanded by Murong Zang, advancing to the vicinity of Yecheng, by now Former Yan's capital. In panic, Murong Ping and Murong Wei considered fleeing to the old capital Helong (和龍, in modern Jinzhou, Liaoning). Murong Chui, whose authority had been curtailed by Murong Ping previously, offered to make one last try to resist. Meanwhile, Murong Ping also sent messengers to Former Qin, requesting assistance—offering to cede to Former Qin the Luoyang region, which Murong Ke had captured in 365 if Former Qin would assist. Murong Chui, along with Murong De, were able to deal Huan a major defeat, and Former Qin forces soon arrived and dealt Huan another defeat. Huan would not be able to launch a major attack against Former Yan again.
However, Murong Ping and Empress Dowager Kezuhun soon engaged in two damaging decisions. Still resentful of Murong Chui (whose wife was her sister but whom he did not favor), Empress Dowager Kezuhun denied him and his soldiers rewards and in fact considered killing him, a decision that Murong Ping concurred in because he was also apprehensive of Murong Chui. Murong Chui, hearing the news, fled to Former Qin and became a general for Fu Jiān. They also refused to cede the Luoyang region to Former Qin, as previously promised. In anger, late in 369, Fu Jian sent a 60,000-men force, commanded by his prime minister Wang Meng, against Former Yan.
In spring 370, Wang first advanced on Luoyang and forced its surrender. He then advanced on Hu Pass (壺關, in modern Changzhi, Shanxi), defeating all Former Yan resistance on the way. He then captured Jinyang (晉陽, in modern Taiyuan, Shanxi). Murong Ping led a 300,000-men strong force against Wang, but apprehensive of Wang, he stopped at Lu River (潞川, in modern Changzhi as well). Wang soon arrived to prepare to face off against him. Meanwhile, Murong Ping made the worst display of his corruption at this time—keeping guards at forests and streams, disallowing commoners and even his own soldiers from cutting firewood or fishing unless they paid a usage fee in either money or silk. He soon had a stash of wealth, but completely lost the morale of his soldiers. Murong Wei, hearing this, sent a messenger to rebuke him and ordering him to distribute the wealth to the soldiers, but the damage was done. In winter 370, the armies engaged, and despite the numerical advantage that Murong Ping had, Wang crushed him, and Murong Ping fled back to Yecheng by himself. Murong Wei abandoned Yecheng and tried to flee to Helong, but was captured on the way, ending Former Yan. Murong Ping fled to Goguryeo, which, however, arrested him and delivered him back to Former Qin. Fu Jiān pardoned him and made him an imperial assistant. In 372, Murong Chui told Fu Jiān that Murong Ping was the cause of Former Yan's destruction and should be killed; instead Fu Jiān effectively exiled Murong Ping by making him a governor of a remote commandery. This was the last historical record of him, and it is not known when or how he died.
When Murong Chui restored the regime as Later Yan, Murong Yi (慕容懿), grandson of Murong Ping, succeeded his title as Duke of Shangyong.
Wang Meng, courtesy name Jinglüe (景略), formally Marquess Wu of Qinghe (清河武侯), served as prime minister to the Former Qin emperor Fu Jiān in the fourth century. Under his governance, Fu Jiān's empire expanded from encompassing only most of Shaanxi, eastern Gansu, and extreme western Shanxi and Henan, to covering nearly all of then-Chinese territory north of the Huai River and the southwest. He is commonly regarded as one of the greatest statesmen in Chinese history.
Murong Jun, courtesy name Xuanying (宣英), formally Emperor Jingzhao of (Former) Yan ( 燕景昭帝), was an emperor of Former Yan. He was the state's second ruler, but after first using the Jin Dynasty (265-420)-created title of Prince of Yan, was the first to use imperial title, as during his reign the state expanded from possessing merely modern Liaoning and parts of Hebei to nearly all of the territory north of the Yellow River and some substantial holdings south of the Yellow River. In the Book of Jin, Murong Jun was described as about two metres tall and had an imposing look.
Fu Jian, courtesy name Yonggu (永固) or Wenyu (文玉), formally Emperor Xuanzhao of (Former) Qin ( 秦宣昭帝), was an emperor of the Chinese/Di state Former Qin, under whose rule the Former Qin state reached its greatest glory—destroying Former Yan, Former Liang, and Dai and seizing Jin's Yi Province, posturing to destroy Jin as well to unite China, until he was repelled at the Battle of Fei River in 383. For a variety of reasons, the Former Qin state soon collapsed after that defeat, and Fu Jian himself was killed by his former subordinate, Yao Chang the founding emperor of Later Qin, in 385.
Empress Kezuhun was an empress consort and empress dowager of the Chinese/Xianbei state Former Yan. Her husband was Murong Jun, who was succeeded by their son Murong Wei.
Murong Wei, courtesy name Jingmao (景茂), formally Emperor You of (Former) Yan was the last emperor of the Xianbei state Former Yan. He became emperor at age 10 and, late in his reign, with powers in the hands of his mother Empress Dowager Kezuhun and his incompetent and corrupt granduncle Murong Ping, was captured by Former Qin's prime minister Wang Meng in 370, ending Former Yan. Later, during the middle of Former Qin's collapse after its defeat at the Battle of Fei River in 383, he tried to join his brother Murong Chong in rebellion and was executed by Former Qin's emperor Fu Jiān in early 385.
Huan Wen (桓溫) (312–373), courtesy name Yuanzi (元子), formally Duke Xuanwu of Nan Commandery (南郡宣武公), was a general of the Jin Dynasty (265-420). He is commonly viewed as one of the greatest generals since Jin's loss of northern China, as he led the campaign that destroyed Cheng Han and annexed its lands to Jin, and had some successes against the northern states Former Qin and Former Yan. After his death, the Huan clan would be entrenched in the Jin power struction for decades, after his son Huan Xuan temporarily usurped the Jin throne in 403 as the emperor of Chu (楚), he was posthumously honored as Emperor Xuanwu of Chu with the temple name of Taizu (太祖).
Murong Ke (慕容恪), courtesy name Xuangong (玄恭), formally Prince Huan of Taiyuan (太原桓王), was a famed general and statesman of the Chinese/Xianbei state Former Yan. He was the son of Murong Huang, and later served as the regent for his brother Murong Jun 's son Murong Wei.
Fu Pi, courtesy name Yongshu (永叔), formally Emperor Aiping of (Former) Qin ( 秦哀平帝), was an emperor of the Chinese/Di state Former Qin. He was Fu Jiān's oldest son, although not his crown prince, and after Fu Jiān's death at the hands of Yao Chang, the founder of Later Qin, and his brother Fu Hong (苻宏) the Crown Prince was forced to flee to Jin, he claimed imperial title in 385, but was defeated by the Western Yan prince Murong Yong in 386, and then subsequently killed by the Jin general Feng Gai (馮該).
Murong Chong, formally Emperor Wei of (Western) Yan ( 燕威帝), was an emperor of the Western Yan. He was a son of the Former Yan emperor Murong Jun and a younger brother of Former Yan emperor Murong Wei.
Murong Yong, courtesy name Shuming (叔明), was the last emperor of the Xianbei state Western Yan. He was the grandson of Murong Yun (慕容運), 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 Qin destroyed Former Yan in 370. He was described as poor, and he and his wife made their living by selling boots.
Murong Chui, courtesy name Daoming (道明), Xianbei name Aliudun (阿六敦), formally Emperor Chengwu of (Later) Yan ( 燕成武帝) was a great general of the Chinese/Xianbei state Former Yan who later became the founding emperor of Later Yan. He was a controversial figure in ancient China history, as his military abilities were outstanding, but as he was forced to flee Former Yan due to the jealousies of the regent Murong Ping, he was taken in and trusted by the Former Qin emperor Fu Jiān, but later betrayed him and established Later Yan, leading to a reputation of him as a traitor. Further, his reputation was damaged in that soon after his death, the Later Yan state suffered great defeats at the hands of Northern Wei Dynasty's founder Emperor Daowu, leading to the general sense that Murong Chui contributed to the defeats by not building a sound foundation for the empire and by choosing the wrong successor. However he continues to be regarded as a general without parallel during his lifetime for having suffered no defeats throughout his career. Murong Chui's biography in the Book of Jin described him as seven chi and seven cun tall and having long arms.
Murong Bao, courtesy name Daoyou (道佑), Xianbei name Kugou (庫勾), formally Emperor Huimin of (Later) Yan ( 燕惠愍帝), temple name Liezong (烈宗) or Liezu (烈祖), was an emperor of the Chinese/Xianbei state Later Yan. He inherited from his father Murong Chui a sizable empire but lost most of it within a span of a year, and would be dead in less than three, a victim of a rebellion by his granduncle Lan Han. Historians largely attributed this to his irresolution and inability to judge military and political decisions. While Later Yan would last for one more decade after his death, it would never regain the power it had under Murong Chui.
Murong Nong (慕容農), formally Prince Huanlie of Liaoxi (遼西桓烈王), was a general and imperial prince of the Chinese/Xianbei state Later Yan. He was a son of the founding emperor Murong Chui and a brother of Murong Bao. Throughout most of the state's history, he was admired by the people and officials alike for his military and governance abilities, but his inexplicable failures in 398 helped to lead to the downfall of himself, his brother Murong Bao, and the Later Yan state.
Murong Long (慕容隆), formally Prince Kang of Gaoyang (高陽康王), was a general and imperial prince of the Chinese/Xianbei state Later Yan. He was a son of the founding emperor Murong Chui and a brother of Murong Bao, and when his brother's empire was under threat from the rival Northern Wei's prince Tuoba Gui, he tried to save it, but was killed by his nephew Murong Hui, intent on seizing power from both his father and his uncles.
Murong Lin, Xianbei name Helin (賀驎), was a general and imperial prince of the Chinese/Xianbei state Later Yan. He was a son of the founding emperor Murong Chui and a brother of Murong Bao ; for a while, he himself was a pretender to the Later Yan throne. He was known both for his abilities and his treachery, and he betrayed both his father and his brothers Murong Ling (慕容令) and Murong Bao on separate occasions. Eventually, he was executed by his uncle Murong De, the founder of Southern Yan.
Murong Hui (慕容會) (373–397) was a general and imperial prince of the Xianbei state Later Yan, who served under his grandfather Murong Chui and father Murong Bao. During his father's reign, angry that he was not created crown prince, he tried to seize that position by force, but after his failure was killed.
Murong Sheng, courtesy name Daoyun (道運), formally Emperor Zhaowu of (Later) Yan ( 燕昭武帝), was an emperor of the Xianbei state Later Yan. He was the oldest son of Murong Bao, and after Murong Bao was killed by Lan Han avenged his father in a coup and took the throne. For a large part of his reign, he used the title "Commoner Heavenly Prince" instead of emperor.
Murong De, name changed in 400 to Murong Beide (慕容備德), courtesy name Xuanming (玄明), formally Emperor Xianwu of (Southern) Yan ( 燕獻武帝), was the founding emperor of the Chinese/Xianbei state Southern Yan. He was the son of Former Yan's founding prince Murong Huang and younger brother to both Former Yan emperor Murong Jun and Later Yan emperor Murong Chui, and therefore was an imperial prince and general during the times of both states. After Murong Chui's son Murong Bao lost most of Later Yan's territory to Northern Wei, Murong De took troops under his own command south and established Southern Yan, which secured modern Shandong, but failed to expand further, and was destroyed by Jin Dynasty (265-420) after Murong De's death and succession by his nephew Murong Chao. Book of Jin (晉書) described Murong De as having a stalwart and extraordinary appearance and was about two metres tall.
Murong Chao, courtesy name Zuming (祖明), was the last emperor of the Chinese/Xianbei state Southern Yan. He was the nephew of the founding emperor Murong De who was trapped under the rule of Later Qin, but was welcomed to Southern Yan after his uncle found out about his existence. Because Murong De had no surviving sons, Murong Chao inherited his throne after his death in 405. Initially considered able, Murong Chao turned out to be capricious and thoroughly unwilling to accept criticism once he became emperor, and after he provoked Jin, the Jin general Liu Yu captured and killed him in 410, ending Southern Yan. Book of Jin (晉書) described Murong Chao as a handsome man and was about 1.96 metres tall.
Muyu Gen was a military general and regent of Former Yan during the Sixteen Kingdoms period. He was a main contributor to Murong Huang's victory in the defence of Jicheng in 338 and convinced Murong Jun to carry out his conquest of Later Zhao in 349, which led to Yan's control over the Central Plains. A distinguished veteran, he was chosen by Murong Jun to serve as one of Murong Wei's regents in 360. Although Muyu Gen was brave, he was also jealous and stubborn in nature. He attempted to kill his co-regent Murong Ke by sowing discord between Ke and the emperor, but his schemes were uncovered, and he was executed less than a year into his regency.