Two Jin Dynasty And Northern And Southern Dynasties Characters and Story Series (19) - Northern Yan

Northern Yan (407–436 CE) was a regime established by Murong Yun and Feng Bao during the Sixteen Kingdoms period.

In 397, Northern Wei captured The Later Yan capital Zhongshan, and Later Yan was divided into two parts, one of which fled back to Longcheng (Chaoyang, Liaoning) under the leadership of Murong Bao's younger brother Murong Xi, who claimed that the empress dowager was absurd and ignorant of political affairs, and the former Later Yan janissary general Feng Bao launched a coup d'état to kill Murong Xi, and murong Yun (高云, Murong Bao's adopted son, goguryeo's pang branch of the clan) as the heavenly king, and built the capital Longcheng (present-day Chaoyang, Liaoning Province), still using the Later Yan state name, and Feng Bao took charge of military and political power. In 409, Murong Yun left Ban and Tao Ren for his favor, and Feng Baoping was deposed by the generals as the King of Yan, that is, at Changli (present-day Yi County, Liaoning Province), historically known as Northern Yan.

During his reign, Feng Bao continued to follow the Later Yan system, and at the same time learned the lessons of the defeat of Later Yan, rectified the rule of officials, paid attention to Nongsang, lightly dispensed with thin endowments, attached importance to education, maintained friendly relations with Rouran, Khitan and Eastern Jin, and maintained a partial security situation for more than 20 years, but due to the implementation of the policy of dividing Hu and Han, the interests of the Xianbei nobles were not satisfied, internal strife continued, and national strength was constantly weakened. In 430, Feng Bao fell ill and died, and his brother Feng Hong forced Feng Baozi to kill Feng Yi and establish himself as emperor.

Map of Northern Yan

In 432, Emperor Taiwu of Northern Wei trained soldiers and horses to attack Northern Yan. In 434, when the army besieged Yandu and Long (present-day Chaoyang, Liaoning), Feng Hong sent Shangshu Gao to Northern Wei to plead his guilt and ask for his young daughter to be used as a concubine in the harem, emperor Taiwu agreed to his request and recruited his son Feng Wangren to serve in the dynasty, Feng Hong refused to accept it, but secretly sent someone to contact Goguryeo to request annexation, goguryeo sent the general Ge Lu to meet Feng Hong, and Feng Hong fled to Goguryeo. However, after Feng Hong arrived in Liaodong, his attitude was arrogant, so Goguryeo drove away Feng Hong's attendants and took Feng Wangren hostage, and at the same time, Emperor Taiwu demanded Feng Hong from Goguryeo, and Goguryeo killed Feng Hong and more than a dozen of his descendants, and Northern Yan perished.