Four hundred years of agitation: Murong Chui's last battle came to an end, and After Murong Bao succeeded to the throne, Yan flourished and declined

This article is the 211st in a long series, Four Hundred Years of Turmoil

Murong Bao, who had returned from the defeat at Sanhepi, was deeply ashamed and requested that he send another army to attack Northern Wei. Murong Chui also hoped that he would be ashamed of himself, justify his name, and be ready to agree to his request.

Murong De said to Murong Chui, "Wei Yu will certainly despise the crown prince because of his victory in Hepi. His Majesty must subdue them personally, or there will be endless trouble. ”

Murong Chui thought about it carefully and thought deeply. Murong Bao had already lost once, and he could never lose again, let alone let Tuoba Jue win again, and with this in mind, he decided to go on a personal expedition to avoid any trouble.

In this year, Murong Chui was already seventy years old, but for the sake of Hou Yan and Murong Bao, he had to force the sick body to personally take command. This is a sad old father.

In December of the twentieth year of the Reign of Emperor Taiyuan (395 CE), Murong Chui took Murong Hui of Qinghe as the governor of Qinghe and led the assassination of Youzhou to replace Murong Long the Prince of Gaoyang to guard Longcheng; with Lan Khan the Prince of Yangcheng as the general of Northern Zhonglang, replacing Murong Sheng the Duke of Changle to guard Jicheng; and ordered Murong Long and Murong Sheng to lead all their elite back to Zhongshan, preparing to launch a major attack on Northern Wei the following year.

In the first month of the twenty-first year of the Taiyuan Dynasty (396 AD), Murong Long led the soldiers stationed in Longcheng to Zhongshan, and the military appearance was strong and tidy, and the morale of Later Yan was revived.

In February, while Murong Chui was reorganizing his forces, the Eastern General Ping Gui (平規) suddenly led troops from the three counties of Boling, Wuyi, and Changle to betray Later Yan at Lukou, and his brother Haiyang Ling Pinghan also responded with an army in western Liaoning. Murong Chui sent the Zhendong general Yu Song to attack Pinggui, but was defeated and died.

When the great war was imminent, there was a rebellion within, and Murong was furious and personally led an army to attack Pinggui, and as soon as he arrived at Lukou, Pinggui fled with his wife and children and nephew Pingxi.

Subsequently, Pinghan led his men directly to Longcheng, and Murong Hui sent Murong Gen, the Duke of Dongyang, and others to attack Pinghan and defeat him, and Pinghan fled to Shannan.

Although the Rebellion of the Ping Clan was quickly put down, it revealed a very unoptimistic signal that Later Yan was not optimistic that Murong Chui would be able to win and began to run away in advance.

On March 26, Murong Chui left Murong Dezhen to guard Zhongshan, and he himself secretly set out over Qingling, through the Heavenly Gate, and chiseled the mountain passage, which, to the surprise of Northern Wei, went straight to the clouds.

At that time, about 30,000 families of the northern Wei chen liugong Tuoba Qian commanded the town of Pingcheng. After Murong Chui arrived at Hunting Ridge, he had Murong Nong and Murong Long act as forwards to raid Tuoba Qian.

The Later Yan army had just suffered a crushing defeat, and they were all afraid of Northern Wei, and only the Longcheng army under Murong Long's command bravely and decisively competed for the lead.

On the twelfth day of the leap march, the Later Yan army came to Pingcheng, and Tuoba Qian, who had always been neglectful of fortification, rushed to meet the battle, and was defeated and died, and the Later Yan army absorbed his tribe.

Tuoba Qian was a fierce general of the Northern Wei Dynasty, and after Tuoba Jue heard that he was killed, he learned that Murong Chui had come out, and he was greatly shocked and overwhelmed, and planned to abandon the clouds and flee, and the other tribes also had different hearts.

This was Murong Chui's strategy, to knock out Tuoba Jue's left arm and right arm as quickly as possible, shake the hearts of his troops, and then succeed in a battle without giving him a chance to breathe.

However, a tragic scene occurred, and the emotional Murong Chui finally lost to himself.

When Murong Chui led his army through Sanhepi, he saw that there were mountains of corpses piled up, and incense cases were laid down to pay tribute to the victims, and the soldiers also wept loudly, and the cries shook the valley.

Witnessing this scene, Murong Chui's heart was full of mixed feelings, both ashamed and angry, and a mouthful of blood gushed out. He fell ill and could not ride a horse, so he continued on his way in a carriage and stopped thirty miles northwest of Pingcheng.

When Murong Bao and the others heard the news, they all withdrew from the front. Some defectors in Later Yan's army ran to Northern Wei and said, "Murong Chui is dead, and Later Yan used a cart to pull his corpse ready to return." ”

Tuoba Jue had planned to go in pursuit, but when he heard that Pingcheng had fallen, he returned to Yin Mountain with his troops.

After that, Murong Chui recuperated in Pingcheng, and after ten days, not only did he not get better, but he became heavier and heavier. As a last resort, Murong Chui first built the city of Yanchang at Pingcheng, and then Banshi returned to the dynasty.

On the tenth day of April, Murong Chui died in Shanggu's depression, and Later Yan kept it secret.

On April 23, the Later Yan army returned to Zhongshan. On April 25, the funeral was officially issued, and Murong Was made the Chengwu Emperor and the ancestor of the temple. On April 29, Murong Bao the Crown Prince took the throne.

Murong Chui's life was a life of ups and downs, a life of struggle, a life of tragedy, and in him, I saw perseverance, I saw that it was so deep and broad.

During the Southern and Northern Dynasties, there were many heroes, but there were few people as rich and charming as Murong Chui.

On the ninth day of may, Murong Bao made Murong De the military governor of the six prefectures of Ji, Yan, Qing, Xu, Jing, and Yu, a general of the Che Cavalry, a mu of Jizhou, and a defender of Yicheng, and Murong Nong the military of the six prefectures of Yong, Yi, Liang, Qin, and Liang, and the military of the six prefectures of Jinyang, and the governor of Jinyang, and the official Wei of the Anding King Ofur as his master, and Fuyu Wang Yuwei as his taifu.

On May 12, Murong Lin led Shangshu to the left servant, Murong Long to lead the right servant, Murong Sheng as a lieutenant colonel, and Murong Feng as the assassin of Jizhou.

Murong Ling and Murong Bao were born to Murong Chui's wife Duan Shi, and Empress Dowager Duan gave birth to Murong Lang and Murong Jian, murong Lin, Murong Nong, Murong Long, Murong Long, Murong Rong, and Murong Xi, all of whom murong Chui admired the most.

When Murong Bao first became crown prince, he still had a good reputation, and soon began to be desolate, and the court and the court were greatly disappointed.

Empress Xiaoduan once said to Murong Chui: "If the crown prince is born in the Taiping Dynasty, he is enough to become the prince of Shoucheng." But now the country is struggling, and he is not a talent for the world. Murong Nong and Murong Long were the virtuous sons of His Majesty, and one of them should be chosen from among them. Murong Lin's treachery and cunning, and his self-indulgence, which would eventually become a major problem for the country, should be eliminated as soon as possible. ”

Murong Bao devoted himself to making friends with Murong Chui's closest vassals, and they often praised the crown prince. Therefore, Murong Chui thought that Murong Baoxian was capable, so he unceremoniously said to Empress Xiaoduan, "Are you going to make me a Jin Xiangong who listened to Li Ji's rumors and killed Crown Prince Shensheng?" ”

Empress Xiaoduan retreated with tears in her eyes and said to her sister Princess Fanyang: "The prince has no talent, and the whole world knows it." I speak up for the sake of jiangshan sheji, but the Lord thinks of me as a lily that has given me a rumor, how bitter! I think the crown prince will definitely cut off jiangshan sheji, but King Fanyang (Murong De) has an unusual temperament, if the number of Yan guoqi is not exhausted, should it be on King Fanyang? ”

When Murong Bao and Murong Lin heard these words, they hated Empress Xiaoduan to the bone.

On May 23, Murong Bao sent Murong Lin to empress Dowager Xiaoduan and said, "You often say that the Lord cannot guard the great cause of the country. Please cut yourself off as soon as possible to the whole section of the sect! ”

Empress Xiao Duan said angrily, "Your brothers are so forced to kill their stepmother, what else are you talking about to keep the great cause of your ancestors?" I am not greedy for life or afraid of death, but I am afraid that the country will die. "Killed yourself in anger.

Murong Chui was two empresses before and after, one stronger than the other, and deserved to come from the same family.

In June, Murong Bao ordered that the old household registration of the Shi clan be re-examined, that the hukou be cleared, that the hukou be read, and that those who had been protected and cared for by the military camp be abolished, so that they would all come under the jurisdiction of the county.

This move was indeed beneficial to the country, but it also violated the interests of the vested interest class, causing the people to complain about the imperial court, and Later Yan began to deviate from morality, and prosperity declined.