Text/Comrade Guevara
Ancient China has always advocated the saying of "many children and many blessings", and the emperors who are rich in the world are active practitioners, but those who have the conditions will definitely have more children and more support, lest they lag behind the "peers". Emperors with strong fertility are not uncommon in the history books, and the most "high-yielding" of them is the founding emperor of Northern Yan - Wencheng Emperor Feng Bao. So, how many children did Feng Bao have? How did they end up?
Feng Bao was originally from Xindu Commandery in changle and claimed to be a descendant of Bi Wan, the chancellor of the Jin Dynasty during the Spring and Autumn Period (the ancestor of the State of Wei, one of the Seven Heroes of the Warring States). After the Yongjia Rebellion, Feng Bao's grandfather Feng He moved his family to Shangdang to escape the chaos of the war, and Feng Bao's father Feng An was appointed as a general because of his bravery and strength, and was deeply appreciated by Murong Yong, the Emperor Wuhuan of Western Yan. After the fall of Western Yan, After Feng An surrendered, Murong Chui, the Emperor of Yan Chengwu, moved his family to Later Yan's former capital helong.
Feng Bao was known for his deference and prudence in his youth
According to the historical records, Feng Bao was reticent and generous since childhood, and the amount of alcohol was particularly large, and he often drank a stone of wine without getting drunk. There are 4 brothers in Total, of which the second brother Feng Sufu, the third brother Feng Hong, and the younger brother Feng Pi are all renxia debauchery people, and their reputation in the folk is very poor, only Feng Bao is respectful and cautious, dedicated to the family business, so he is valued by his parents and neighbors.
When Murong Bao, the Emperor of Later Yan, was crown prince, Feng Bao entered the palace as a bodyguard, and was deeply appreciated by Murong Bao because of his heavy personality and loyalty. At that time, the Goryeo general Gao Yun also served as a bodyguard in the Eastern Palace, although he had great ambitions, but because of his deep personality and wooden expression, he was often regarded as a fool by his colleagues, and only Feng Bao valued him and became friends with him. In the first year of Yongkang (396), Murong Bao ascended the throne as emperor, Feng Bao was promoted to the rank of general of Zhongwei, and Gao Yun was soon adopted by Murong Bao as his adopted son and renamed Murong Yun for his merits in countering the rebellion.
During Murong Bao's reign, he was very appreciative of Feng Bao
During Murong Bao's reign, Later Yan's state was weakening day by day, and eventually under the repeated heavy blows of the fierce enemy Northern Wei, not only lost the capital Zhongshan, but also greatly reduced its territory, and could only be in a corner of Western Liaoning. After the fall of Zhongshan, Murong Bao fled to his hometown of Helong, but was soon killed by his dissident uncle Lan Khan, who immediately proclaimed himself king in the third year of Yongkang (398). In the following years, the situation in Later Yan became more and more turbulent, and in just three years, three emperors (Lan Khan, Murong Sheng, and Murong Xi) were replaced.
During Murong Xi's 6-year reign, he indulged in alcoholism and tyranny for the government, and if he was slightly unhappy, he would wantonly kill his subjects, so that the country would complain. At this time, Feng Bao angered Murong Xi because of his small affairs, and had to flee to the mountains to hide, and soon after, the three brothers of Feng Sufu also rushed to defect. As The people of Later Yan became increasingly dissatisfied with Murong Xi's rule, the Feng brothers secretly infiltrated Helong, and then used the opportunity of Empress Fu Xunying's funeral and Murong Xi's funeral to join forces with his henchmen in the city to capture and kill him in the first year of the founding (407).
Gao Yun and Feng Bao failed in their struggle for power and were eventually killed
After Feng Bao killed Murong Xi, believing that his foundation was still shallow and he could not immediately claim the title of emperor, he put his old friend Murong Yun (who called the emperor back to his original name Gao Yun) on the dragon chair, while he himself took charge of the imperial government as prime minister. During Gao Yun's 2 years on the throne, he was not willing to be Feng Bao's puppet, so he secretly accumulated strength and prepared to seize power from the latter, while Feng Baozhi was usurping the throne and claiming the throne, so he was also actively planning how to eliminate Gao Yun. In this way, around the power struggle, the old friends who were close and intimate in the past finally turned their backs and embarked on the road of no return.
In October of the third year of the first year (409), Feng Bao first took the initiative and instigated the guards to leave Ban and Tao Ren to kill Gao Yun, empress Dowager Li, and crown prince Gao Pengcheng, and then killed the two to extinguish their mouths. After Gao Yun was destroyed, Feng Bao inherited the throne of heaven under the "support" of his subjects, and followed the national name of "Yan", which was known as Northern Yan in history. As an aside, Feng Bao was the most "prolific" emperor in Chinese history, with more than 100 sons, far surpassing the "peers" of the imperial world.
Feng Bao immediately claimed the throne as emperor and established Northern Yan
During the 21-year reign of Feng Bao, he abolished the harsh policies of Later Yan, vigorously rectified the administration of officials and developed education, and at the same time, he also exempted taxes and encouraged nongsang, so that the people could live and work in peace and contentment, and the national strength could be restored and developed. In foreign policy, Feng Bao actively developed relations with the States of Ruoran, Eastern Jin, and Khitan and joined forces with them to fight against the fierce enemy Northern Wei. It was under Feng Bao's hard work that Northern Yan, a remote corner of western Liaoning, resisted the attack of Northern Wei and obtained a valuable peaceful situation, achieving remarkable achievements.
In September of the 22nd year of taiping (430), Feng Bao, who was seriously ill, summoned the crown prince Feng Yi to take the throne before his sickbed, but was blocked by the favored concubine Lady Song, who wanted to put his son Feng Fuju on the throne. Feng Bao's third brother Feng Hong was in charge of military power at this time, and he already had the intention of usurping the throne, so after receiving the news, he immediately led people to break into the palace and kill Lady Song and Feng Shouju. Due to the suddenness of the incident, after witnessing the scene of his brother's wanton killing, the sick Feng Bao was horrified and died of exhaustion.
Feng Hong usurped the throne as emperor and killed more than 100 nephews
After Feng Bao was frightened and died, Feng Hong fabricated a testament declaring that Emperor Xian had ordered him to inherit the throne, but was resisted by the crown prince Feng Yi. In order to eliminate the hidden danger, Feng Hong sent troops to attack and kill the crown prince Feng Yi, and then adhered to the concept of "cutting the grass and removing the roots", killing all of his brother's more than 100 sons ("Taizu has more than a hundred sons, and Hong kills them all."). See Zizhi Tongjian, vol. 121), the ferocity of the means shocked the world.
Historical sources: Book of Jin, Spring and Autumn of the Sixteen Kingdoms, Zizhi Tongjian