Murong Juan , also known as Murong Jun , was the founding emperor of Former Yan. After the death of his father Murong Hao, he succeeded to the throne as King of Yan. Soon after, the Later Zhao Emperor Shi Hu died, the Central Plains were in chaos, and Ran Min usurped the throne as emperor at Yecheng. Murong Juan's soldiers took the opportunity to advance into the Central Plains in three ways and moved the capital to Jicheng. Two years later, Murong Juan led an army to eliminate Ran Wei, officially proclaimed himself emperor, and moved the capital to Yicheng, and the Former Yan state entered its heyday, forming a three-legged position with the Eastern Jin Dynasty and Former Qin. Murong Yan claimed to be empress dowager, marched east and west, and won many victories, so his ambition to unify the world swelled sharply, and he tried to eliminate the Eastern Jin Dynasty and Former Qin, but was resisted by the people at home and refused to send troops to fight.
After Murong Juan's death, the Former Yan Dynasty he had built soon collapsed. Murong Juan had eight sons, three of whom were successively proclaimed emperors, but unfortunately all died. Why? I believe that after reading the life experience of his 8 sons, you will understand what is going on.
Murong Ye's biological mother was Empress Kezuhun, and because she was the eldest son of Concubine, Murong Ye succeeded to the throne of Yan and made him the son of the son. During the attack on Ran Wei, Murong Ye was ordered to garrison Longcheng (Chaoyang, Liaoning). Murong Ye was intelligent and studious from an early age, and Murong Ye was proclaimed empress dowager and made him crown prince. Unfortunately, he died of illness two years later, and his title was dedicated to the crown prince.
Murong Zang was proclaimed emperor by his father Murong Juan and was created the Prince of Le'an. After Murong Wei succeeded to the throne, before his death, murong Zang, an assistant chancellor and emperor's uncle, asked Murong Zang to recommend Murong Chui, the prince of Wu, who had both ability and political integrity, to assist him, but was rejected and ostracized by Murong Jue. When Former Qin attacked Former Yan, Murong Zang was ordered to lead an army to rescue Jin Yongcheng, break the Qin army at Shimen, and enter Tunxingyang, but was defeated by the Qin general Liang Cheng and returned to the capital City of Yecheng. After The city of Yicheng was breached by the Qin army, he and Murong Wei fled back to their hometown of Longcheng, and Former Yan perished.
Murong Wei was the half-brother of Murong Ye the Crown Prince, and his biological mother was Empress Kezuhun. Murong Huan was proclaimed empress dowager and was made the Prince of Zhongshan. After the death of the crown prince Murong Ye, Murong Wei was made crown prince as a concubine. After Murong Juan's death, he officially ascended the throne. Due to his young age and mediocrity, Murong Wei was regent by his uncle Murong Ke (慕容恪) at the beginning of his reign, and the state was relatively stable. After Murong Ke's death, His uncle and Murong Jue joined forces with Empress Dowager Kezuhun to exclude Murong Chui the Prince of Wu, causing Murong Chui to flee from Former Qin. After Murong Jue took power, and murong Wei's eighth brother, Murong Chong the Great Sima (慕容 Chong), the corpse of Murong Chong, the great sima of The Great, the former Yan state declined sharply, and was eventually destroyed by Former Qin.
After the fall of Former Yan, Murong Wei was moved to Chang'an, where he was treated favorably by Jian Jian, worshiped Shangshu, was made the Marquis of Xinxing, and still enjoyed the glory and wealth, and later followed Murong Rong to participate in the Battle of Shuishui. After the defeat, the former Qin state was greatly reduced, and it quickly fell apart, and the forces of various ethnic groups rebelled one after another, and Murong Chui, who had earlier defected to Former Qin, and Murong Hui's seventh brother Murong Hong, successively raised troops to establish a state and rebelled against Former Qin. At this time, many members of the Murong clan were in Chang'an, but Murong Jian did not contact them and still treated Murong Wei with the courtesy of a state soldier, but Murong Wei secretly sent someone to send a letter to Murong Hong, encouraging them to create a state of rebellion. Soon, Murong Wei joined forces with the Xianbei people in Chang'an City to plan to booby-trap Jian Jian at the wedding of his eldest son, but after the plot was revealed, he was killed by Jian Jian at the age of 35. After his uncle Murong De established Southern Yan, he posthumously honored him as Emperor You.
Murong Liang was initially enfeoffed as the King of Bohai, and served as the general of Zhendong, guarding his hometown Longcheng. After the fifth uncle Murong Ling defected to Former Qin, his eldest son Murong Ling was ordered to follow Former Qin's chancellor Wang to attack Former Yan, but Wang Meng used the "golden sword" to plot against Former Yan, and Murong Ling returned to Former Yan, thereby falsely accusing Murong Chui of rebellion. Murong Ling was not recognized after his return, and was considered a Traitor of Former Qin by the chinese people, and was exiled to Shacheng. Murong Ling, who had been very unhappy with this treatment, organized his old troops in Shacheng to attempt a third rebellion in an attempt to attack Murong Liang, who was guarding Longcheng. As a result, Murong Ling's sixth brother Murong Lin secretly informed Murong Liang of the news, and Murong Liang was so frightened that he ordered the city gate to be closed. Soon, Murong Ling was killed by the local official Sha Jue, who was also beheaded by Murong Liang and buried Murong Ling. A few months later, Former Yan fell, and Murong Liang was killed by his eighth uncle, Murong Huan the Prince of Yidu, who annexed his troops and fled to Liaodong.
Murong Wen was given the title of Prince of Daifang after his father Murong Chui declared himself emperor, and after the establishment of Later Yan, Murong Wen was appointed by his uncle Murong Chui as a lieutenant of the Si Li Colonel and the Right Servant of Shangshu, and was renamed the Prince of Lelang. He was ordered to command various armies to attack Xindu, and then ordered Murong Lin to increase his troops to assist, and then accompanied Murong Chui to attack Yecheng and Tun's army in Zhongshan. Four years later, Murong Wen was appointed as the Assassin of Ji Prefecture, and Zhai Liao sent his subordinate Ding Zhiren (丁零人) to Murong Wen's tent to surrender, and Murong Wen was assassinated by him.
Murong Shi was proclaimed empress dowager by his father Murong Juan and was made the Prince of Yuyang, but the aftermath is unknown.
Murong Hong was the founding monarch of Western Yan, and during the Former Yan dynasty, his father was called empress dowager and was given the title of King of Jibei. After the fall of Former Yan, he moved to Chang'an with Murong's imperial family and was given the title of Changshi by Jian Jian. After Former Qin's defeat at the Battle of Shuishui, it quickly fell apart, and soon after Murong Chui rebelled against Qin, Murong Hong, who was then the governor of Northern Prefecture, immediately went to Shandong to gather the Xianbei tribesmen, claiming to be a general, Yongzhou Mu, and the King of Jibei, and honored Murong Chui as the King of Wu. He had intended to take advantage of this to return east to Former Yan's homeland and defect to Murong Chui. In the face of the rebellion, Jian Jian ordered various armies to quell the rebellion, and ordered Murong Wei, the Emperor of You, who was still in Chang'an, to write a letter to summon them. Murong Wei took the opportunity to encourage them in his letter to plot against Yan and promised to let Murong Hong ascend the throne after his death. With Murong Wei's encouragement, Murong Hong soon defeated the former Qin forces of Qiang Yong, who had come to put down the rebellion, established the Western Yan regime, and took in Murong Chong, who had been defeated by Former Qin Dou Chong. After the establishment of Western Yan, Murong Hong's adviser Gao Gai and others believed that Murong Hong's desperation was inferior to his brother Murong Chong' and that his usage was harsh and severe, so they jointly killed Murong Hong and established Murong Chong instead. After Murong Hong's son Murong Zhong succeeded to the throne, he was given the title of Emperor Suzong of Murong Hong's temple and honored Emperor Liewen.
Murong Chong was the second emperor of the Western Yan dynasty, and was the half-brother of Murong Ye the Crown Prince of Xianhuai and Murong Wei of former Yan. Murong Juan was proclaimed empress dowager, and was made the King of Zhongshan, serving as a cheqi general and a grand sima (大司馬). After the fall of Former Yan, Jian Jian made Murong Chong the Taishou of Pingyang. After the Battle of Feishui, Murong Chong raised his troops at Hedong and led an army to attack Pusaka, but was defeated by the Former Qin general Dou, and then led his troops to defect to the seventh brother Murong Hong. Shortly after Murong Hong established Western Yan, he was killed by his ministers Gao Gai and Su Qinchong, and Murong Chong succeeded to the throne as the emperor's brother-in-law. Murong Chong was cruel and vicious in nature, and wantonly slaughtered the people in the Guanzhong area, resulting in the road being cut off and uninhabited. Murong Chong was ungrateful and did not give his brother Murong Hong the title of Honorable One, and fought with Former Qin many times, each with victory or defeat. After entering Chang'an, Murong Chong began to covet comfort and did not want to recover Former Yan's homeland, and at the same time, fearing the strength of Later Yan Murong Chui, he did not dare to rush into battle, resulting in resentment among the Xianbei people. Soon, the left general Han Yan rebelled, and Murong Chong was defeated and killed. Murong Yao, the son of Murong Heng the Prince of Yidu, succeeded to the throne and posthumously honored Murong Chong as Emperor Wei.
epilogue
Murong Juan was the first person in the Murong family and the most effective emperor of Former Yan. For the demise of Former Yan and the tragic death of his son, Murong Juandang also bore certain responsibility. The establishment of a dynasty is naturally inseparable from conquest and killing, but enlightened monarchs often choose to cultivate and survive after the establishment of political power. As the founding emperor of the Former Yan Kingdom, Murong Juan did the opposite, saying that the empress continued to fight everywhere. As a result, the laborers were injured and their wealth, the soldiers were tired, the people complained, and the national strength was greatly reduced.
After Murong Juan's death, the young and mediocre crown prince Murong Wei succeeded to the throne. After the death of Murong Ke of Dazai, Murong Jue and Empress Kezuhun took control of the imperial government and squeezed Murong Chui out of Former Qin, causing Former Yan to no longer be able to become a good general, and the state's power declined sharply, which also became a booster for Former Yan's rapid demise. Although murong juan's two younger sons Murong Hong and Murong Chong declared themselves emperors after the fall of Former Yan, they were both killed by their subordinates.
Resources
"Spring and Autumn of the Sixteen Kingdoms", "Book of Jin", "Zizhi Tongjian"