#tuoba tao

[incorrectmedievalchina]

Tuoba Si: You know, not every problem can be solved with a sword.

Tuoba Tao: That's why I carry two swords.

[nemainofthewater]

Welcome to the 'Best Character with [X] surname' polls!

This is where I take several characters from different Chinese media (mostly cnovels and cdrama) and run a poll on which one is the 'best'. What does best mean? It's up to you! Whether you love them, are intrigued by their characters, love to hate them, or they're your '2 second blorbos whose personality you made up wholesale', these are all reasons for you to vote for your favs!

NB: the surnames are not exactly the same in all the cases, as often they will be a different character. I am, however, grouping them all together otherwise things got more complicated.

If you can't find a surname, it's because I couldn't find enough candidates (at least 3 from 3 distinct medias) to compete. Feel free to submit candidates!

I will be posting several polls at a time, so do come back and check this masterpost to remember which polls are ongoing, who the winners are, and who's coming up next!

Finished polls: Xing/Rong/Nan/Ren/Pan/Qu/Fu/Sui/Tan/You/Sima/Xuan/Chang/Xun/Shangguan/Jian/Qian/Shu/Xi/Yuwen/Cai/Sha/Yin/Ceng/Helian/Zeng/Lou/Mi/Ji/Ping/Tong/Tuoba/Ge/Murong/Hei/Niu/Tao/Si/Pang/Zi/Gongsun/Mao/Qing/Lian

Chi/Shan/Tian/Dao/Chao/Xin/Ran/Sang/Cang/Miao/Yao/Zang/Chong/Nangong/Kong/Hai/Deng/Kang/Jun/Chun/Gui/Peng/Gong/Dai/Bao/Bian/Leng/Xian/Kan/Hou/Shao/Kou/Zuo/Lai/Tie/Huan/Min/Xiong/Cen/Dou/Misc

There's only a certain number of hyperlinks that can be added per post, so the rest of the completed polls can now be found here

All the details of the individual polls under the readmore

An - posted 15/03/24 WINNER An Zhe

Bai - posted 28/02/24 WINNER Bai Fengxi

Baili - posted 22/03/24 WINNER Baili Qingmiao

Bao - posted 1/05/24 WINNER Bao Rongxing

Bi - posted 26/03/24 WINNER Bi Changfeng

Bian - posted 1/05/14 WINNER Bian Cheng

Cai - posted 7/04/24 WINNER Cai Quan

Cang - posted 23/04/24 WINNER Cang Jiumin

Cao - posted 8/02/24. WINNER - Cao Weining

Cen - posted 7/05/24 WINNEER Cen Xiao

Ceng - posted 8/04/24 WINNER Ceng Aiyu

Chang - posted 3/04/24 WINNER Chang Geng

Chao - posted 21/04/24 WINNER Chao Zi

Chen - posted 9/02/24 WINNER Chen Qingxu

Cheng - posted 10/03/24 WINNER Cheng Shaoshang

Chi - posted 19/04/24 WINNERS Chi Zhanggui and Chi Xiaochi

Chong - posted 25/04/24 WINNER Chong Ming

Chu - posted 12/03/24 WINNER Chu Wanning

Chun - posted 28/04/24 WINNER Chun Shen

Cui - posted 11/03/24 WINNER Madam Cui

Dai - posted 30/04/24 WINNER Dai Mubai

Dao - posted 20/04/24 WINNER Dao Mingsi

Deng - posted 27/04/24 WINNER Deng Kuan

Di - posted 16/02/24 WINNER Di Feisheng

Ding - posted 7/03/24 WINNER Ding Rong

Dong - posted 21/03/24 WINNER Dong Yi

Dongfang - posted 25/03/24 WINNER Dongfang Qingcang

Dou - posted 7/05/24 WINNER Dou Cheng

Du - posted 26/03/24 WINNER Du Cheng

Duan - posted 23/03/24 WINNER Duan Baiyue

Fan - posted 27/02/24 WINNER Fan Xian

Fang - posted 24/02/24 WINNER Fang Duobing

Fei - posted 20/03/24 WINNER Fei Du

Feng - posted 28/02/24 WINNER 'Other'

Fu - posted 31/03/24 WINNER Fu Yao

Gao - posted 13/02/24 WINNER Gao Xiaolian

Ge - posted 13/04/24 WINNER Ge Chen

Gong - posted 30/04/24 WINNER Gong Yu

Gongsun - posted 17/04/24 WINNER Gongsun Heng

Gu - posted 7/03/24 WINNER Gu Xiang

Guan - posted 17/03/24 WINNER Guan Hemeng

Gui - posted 29/04/24 WINNERS Gui Wen, Gui Yang, Gui Bai and 'Other'

Guo - posted 9/02/24 WINNER Guo Changcheng

Hai - posted 26/04/24 WINNER Hai Lanshi

Han - posted 17/03/24 WINNER Han Ying

Hao - posted 16/03/24 WINNER Hao Du

He - posted 22/03/24 WINNER He Xuan

Hei - posted 14/04/24 WINNER Hei Xiazi

Helian - posted 9/04/24 wINNER Helian Yi

Hong - posted 8/03/24 WINNER Hong Qigong

Hou - posted 3/05/24 WINNER Hou Bin

Hu - posted 6/03/24 WINNER Hu Tianying

Hua - posted 21/02/24 WINNER Hua Cheng

Huan - posted 6/05/24 WINNER Huan Xiaoyan

Huang - posted 20/03/24 WINNER Huang Shaotian

Huo - posted 25/02/24 WINNER Huo Xiuxiu

Ji - posted 11/04/24 WINNER Ji Xue

Jia - posted 18/03/24 WINNER Jia Kui

Jian - posted 4/04/24 WINNER Jian Buzhi

Jiang - posted 12/02/24 WINNER Jiang Cheng

Jiao - posted 27/03/24 WINNER Jiao Liqiao

Jin - posted 29/02/24 WINNER Jin Ling

Jing - posted 14/03/24 WINNER Jing Beiyuan

Jun - posted 28/04/24 WINNER 'Other"

Kan - posted 3/05/24 WINNER Kan Jian

Kang - posted 27/04/24 WINNER 'Other'

Kong - posted 26/04/24 WINNERS Kong Xiu and Alexis Kong

Kou - posted 4/05/24 WINNER Kou Baimen

Lai - posted 5/05/24 WINNER Lai Zhongshu

Lan - posted 23/02/24 WINNER Lan Wangji

Lei - posted 12/03/24 WINNER Lei Wujie

Leng - posted 2/05/24 WINNER Leng Yue

Li - posted 18/02/24 WINNER Li Lianhua

Lian - posted 18/04/24 WINNERS Lian Yufan and Lian Qiao

Liang - posted 13/03/24 WINNER 'Other'

Lin - posted 14/02/24 WINNER Lin Chen

Ling - posted 6/03/24 WINNER Ling Wen

Liu - posted 16/02/24 WINNER Liu Qingge

Long - posted 23/03/24 WINNER Long Zhi

Lou - posted 10/04/24 WINNER Lou Yao

Lu - posted 5/03/24 WINNER Lu Guang

Luo - posted 24/02/24 WINNER Luo Binghe

Ma - posted 13/03/24 WINNER Ma Xiuying

Mao - posted 17/04/24 WINNER Mao Panfeng

Mei - posted 14/02/24 WINNER Mei Changsu

Meng - posted 29/02/24 WINNER Meng Zhi

Mi - posted 10/04/24 WINER Mi Chong

Miao - posted 23/04/24 WINNER Miao Renfeng

Min - posted 6/05/24 WINNER Min Yunzhong

Ming - posted 26/02/24 WINNER Ming Yi

Misc - posted 7/05/24 WINNER Gongyi Xiao

Mo - posted 18/02/24 WINNER Mo Xuanyu

Mu - posted 22/02/24 WINNER Mu Nihuang

Murong - posted 13/04/24 WINNER Other

Nan - posted 29/03/24 WINNER Nan Feng

Nangong - posted 25/04/24 WINNER Nangong Si

Nie - posted 15/03/24 WINNER Nie Huaisang

Ning - posted 19/03/24 WINNER Ning Yingying

Niu - posted 14/04/24 WINNER Niu Chunmiao

Ouyang - posted 5/03/24 WINNER Ouyang Zizhen

Pan - posted 30/03/24 WINNER Pan Zi

Pang - posted 16/04/24 WINNER Pang Yizhi

Pei - posted 20/02/24 WINNER Pei Ming

Peng - posted 29/04/24 wINNER Peng Sanbian

Ping - posted 11/04/24 WINNER Ping An

Qi - posted 22/02/24 WINNER 'Other'

Qian - posted 5/04/24 WINNER Qian Jin

Qiao - posted 10/02/24 WINNER Qiao Wanmian

Qin - posted 16/03/24 WINNER Qin Banruo

Qing - posted 18/04/24 WINNER Qing Ge

Qiu - posted 25/03/24 WINNER Qiu Congxue

Qu - posted 30/03/24 WINNER Qu Lingfeng

Ran - posted 22/04/24 WINNERS Ran Lin and Ran Yun

Ren - posted 29/03/24 WINNER Ren Ruyi

Rong - posted 28/03/24 WINNER Rong Changqing

Ruan - posted 21/03/24 WINNER Ruan Nanzhu

Sang - posted 22/04/24 WINNER Sang Zan

Sha - posted 7/04/24 WINNER Sha Hualing

Shan - posted 19/04/24 WINNER Shan Gudao

Shang - posted 3/03/24 WINNER Shang Qinghua

Shangguan - posted 4/04/24 WINNER Shangguan Qin

Shao - posted 4/05/24 WINNER Shao Lin

Shen - posted 23/02/24 WINNER Shen Wei

Sheng - posted 4/03/24 WINNER Sheng Minglan

Sima - posted 2/04/24 WINNER Sima Yi

Shi - posted 8/03/24 WINNER Shi Qingxuan

Shu - posted 5/04/24 WINNER Shu Yanyan

Si - posted 15/04/24 WINNER Si Yilin

Song - posted 19/02/24 WINNER Song Lan

Su - posted 13/02/24 WINNER Su Zhe

Sun - posted 15/02/24 WINNER Sun Wukong

Sui - posted 31/03/24 WINNER Sui Zhou

Tan - posted 1/04/24 WINNER 'Other'

Tang - posted 12/02/24 WINNER Tang Fan

Tao - posted 15/04/24 WINNER Tao Ran

Tian - posted 20/04/24 WINNER Tian Qi

Tie - posted 5/05/24 WINNERS Tie Yinyi and Tie Miansheng

Tong - posted 12/04/24 WINNER Tong Lu

Tuoba - posted 12/04/24 WINNER Tuoba Yan

Wan - posted 24/03/24 WINNER Consort Wan

Wang - posted 26/02/24 WINNER Wang Pangzi

Wei - posted 8/02/24 WINNER Wei Wuxian

Wen - posted 2/03/24 WINNER Wen Kexing

Wu - posted 15/02/24 WINNER Wu Xie

Xi - posted 6/04/24 WINNER Xi Ping

Xia - posted 11/03/24 WINNER Xia Dong

Xian - posted 2/05/24 WINNERS Xian Ge and Xian Qing

Xiang - posted 19/03/24 WINNER Xiang Liu and Xiang Nanfang

Xiao - posted 20/02/24 WINNER Xiao Jingyan

Xie - posted 21/02/24 WINNER Xie Lian

Xin - posted 21/04/24 WINNER Xin Ziyuan

Xing - posted 28/03/24 WINNER Xing Zhi

Xiong - posted 7/05/24 WINNERS Xiong yipei and Xiong Chumo

Xu - posted 25/02/24 WINNER Xu Da

Xun - posted 3/04/24 WINNER Xun Feizhan

Xuan - posted 2/04/24 WINNER Xuan Shen'an | The Empress

Xue -posted 11/02/24 WINNER Xue Yang

Yan - posted 19/02/24 WINNER Yan Wushi

Yang - posted 3/03/24 WINNER Yang Wuxie

Yao - posted 24/04/24 WINNER Yao Zhen

Ye - posted 10/02/24 WINNER Ye Baiyi

Yi - posted 9/03/24 WINNER Yi Bichen

Yin - posted 8/04/24 WINNER Yin Yu

Ying - posted 17/02/24 WINNER Ying Hecong

You - posted 1/04/24 WINNER You Huo

Yu - posted 11/02/23 WINNER Yu Ziyuan

Yun - posted 1/03/24 WINNER Yun Biqiu

Yuan - posted 27/02/24 WINNER Yuan Boya

Yue - posted 4/03/24 WINNER Yue Qingyuan

Yuwen - posted 6/04/24 WINNER Yuwen Xuan

Zang - posted 24/02/24 WINNER Zang Ming

Zeng - posted 9/04/24 WINNER Zeng Xiangdong

Zhan - posted 10/03/24 WINNER Zhan Yunfei

Zhang - posted 17/02/24 WINNER Zhang Qiling

Zhao - posted 1/03/24 WINNER Zhao Yunlan

Zhen - posted 24/03/24 WINNER Zhen Ping

Zhi - posted 14/03/24 WINNER Zhi Xiu

Zhong - posted 27/03/24 WINNER Zhong Li

Zhou - posted 2/02/24 WINNER Zhou Zishu

Zhu - posted 9/03/24 Winner Zhu Hong

Zhuge - posted 18/03/24 WINNER Zhuge Liang

Zi - posted 16/04/24 WINNER 'Other'

Zuo - posted 5/05/24 WINNER Zuo Ran

[craftercat]

Highlights of the 450-1 Northern Wei/Liu Song war:

Wang Xuanmo's pear tax.

Zang Zhi giving Tuoba Tao urine instead of wine.

Tuoba Tao deciding to abandon his father's war strategy in favour of a lightning campaign to the Yangtze, but then forgetting that he needed to actually cross the Yangtze and that Pengcheng was right in his rear.

Tuoba Tao saying that he didn't care if his non-Xianbei soldiers died and even saying it was a benefit.

Tuoba Tao creating a spiked bench and saying that he would make Zang Zhi sit on it if he captured him (he didn't).

Tuoba Tao burning and destroying Shandong in his way to the Yangtze, but when getting there still proposes a marriage alliance.

[innerpalaces]

THE PRINCESS WEI YANG - 190 PART 2

CHAPTER 190: Princes Gathering

Madam Guo said calmly: "I heard that this Tao Yao girl is pregnant."

Surprise flashed across Li Wei Yang's face. Pregnant? Grand Prince Jin gave his pregnant concubine to someone else?

Madam Guo sneered and said, "I heard that Grand Prince Jin loved this concubine too much, so Princess Jin came to Empress Pei and complained."

So that's it... Li Wei Yang thought about it carefully for a moment and then understood. Empress Pei married her niece to Prince Jin, thus completely controlling him. It could even be said that she monitored him all the time and forced him to serve the Crown Prince. Grand Prince Jin obviously understood his situation very well. He clearly loved Tao Yao, but because of the princess's dissatisfaction, he gave her to the Grand Prince Qin. The most interesting thing is that they spoke so openly, obviously to let Empress Pei know. Obviously, Grand Prince Jin was giving a show of respect for the Pei family.

However, men always have three wives and four concubines. In Dali, even a prince consort would sometimes take concubines without any guilt. (t/n: The term 'prince consort' specifically refers to the husband of an imperial princess. So even if the wife greatly outranks her husband, the husband can still take concubines.) This is simply beyond reproach. However, the majestic Grand Prince Jin in Yuexi was so afraid of his own princess that he did not even dare to keep a pregnant dancer by his side. He actually gave her to Grand Prince Qin in front of so many people. This shows how powerful Empress Pei was.

"He does this without fear of others' ridicule." Madam Guo looked at Grand Prince Jin's face and sighed.

Ridicule? Is ridicule more important than life? Li Wei Yang raised her lips. Giving away a beloved concubine. This woman was even pregnant. In a sense, this was naturally because the Pei family was so powerful. On the other hand, Grand Prince Jin knew what the price would be for sending her away, but he still pretended as if nothing had happened. What is the difference between such a person and Tuoba Zhen back then? Li Wei Yang glanced at Grand Prince Jin again, but saw a hint of helplessness and sadness in those eyes.

No, they are clearly different. If it were Tuoba Zhen, he would definitely kill Tao Yao to please the princess and Empress Pei. A concubine and a child are nothing. As long as it's necessary, he is the kind of person who will not recognize his relatives. But Grand Prince Jin chose to give his beloved to someone else, which was an invisible protection for her and her child. Thinking of this, Li Wei Yang's eyes wandered between Grand Prince Jin and Grand Prince Qin. Grand Prince Qin accepted it so readily. Was it a planned play? It turns out that the imperial family in Yuexi is so complicated. If this is true, it will be a good show.

At this time, the Crown Prince stood up and said to Empress Pei: "Empress mother, I dedicate this glass of wine to you." Empress Pei drank the wine with a smile, and the other princes also stood up and toasted to the Empress. When Pei Baoer saw everyone paying tribute one by one, she stood up with a smile and said, "Your highnesses are all offering a toast. I shouldn't lose my etiquette." As she spoke, she raised her wine glass and offered it to Empress Pei from afar. Empress Pei smiled and gestured to her.

Pei Baoer was overjoyed and immediately left her seat. However, when she passed by Li Wei Yang's table, she accidentally tripped and the wine glass spilled over. Madam Guo exclaimed when she saw the wine spilling, before she could block it, she saw that Li Wei Yang's gorgeous brocade clothes suddenly got wet. Madam Guo's expression changed. She quickly wiped it with a handkerchief, and turned around and said: "Miss Pei, what do you mean? "

Pei Baoer looked like she was about to cry. She looked at Li Wei Yang apologetically and quickly explained: "Miss Guo, I didn't mean it. Are you okay?"

Madam Guo's voice was almost glacial: "Do you think she is okay?!" The banquet dress that she had carefully prepared was completely ruined. This is an extremely disrespectful thing. How could she be okay?! Madam Guo was very angry when she saw that her daughter's fine clothes were destroyed.

Pei Baoer glanced at Li Wei Yang with tears in her eyes, then at the others, and said: "I... I'm really sorry, but I didn't mean it..."

Seeing this scene, the Crown Prince smiled and said: "It's just a misunderstanding. Why should Madam Guo be angry?" His expression was very natural, as if he was mediating a dispute, but everyone knew that he and Pei Baoer were cousins ​​and had a natural relationship. Extraordinarily, what he said sounded impartial, but it seemed to indicate to others that Madam Guo was making a mountain out of a molehill.

This incident was originally Pei Bao'er's fault. She didn't fall in the first place, but she deliberately wanted to embaress Li Wei Yang. Although every move in the palace must be graceful, her skirt is long and she must maintain proper posture when walking. It was very normal for her to accidentally step on her skirt, so she wished Li Weiyang would be angry. That way, she could have everyone stand on her side... 

Tears quickly accumulated in Pei Baoer's eyes, and she said: "Your Highness, it's all my fault. You must not blame Madam Guo - she just feels sorry for her daughter."

This was said very appropriately and won the favor of many people at the moment. Grand Prince Zhou Yuan Qi was naturally very gentle, and was the most beautiful among all the princes. He was also the second son of Virtuous Consort Zhou, and a compatriot with Grand Prince Qin Yuan Hong. When he saw this scene, he couldn't help but sympathize with the beautiful Pei Baoer, and took the initiative to say: "Madam Guo, it's just a small matter. Don't embarrass Miss Pei."

No matter what kind of man he is, he has a tender heart and can't ignore weak women, especially Pei Baoer who is so beautiful. The men here were more or less moved. Only Yuan Lie sneered. In his eyes, Pei Baoer was like Li Chang Le back then, she was a true femme fatale. In his life, what he hates the most is this kind of woman... In other words, he doesn't like anyone who is not on good terms with Li Wei Yang. He said coldly: "Your Highness Grand Prince Zhou, if I ran in front of you now and fell down and spilled wine all over you, would you be happy? What's more, this is a matter between ladies, so don't say anything more. ."

When everyone heard this, they all revealed an expression of not knowing whether to laugh or cry. His Highness Prince Xu has such a venomous mouth. Does this mean that Prince Zhou is a sissy who goes to meddle in women's business? It was true that Grand Prince Zhou was beautiful and his personality was completely different from that of the strong Grand Prince Yuan Hong of Qin. He didn't look like he was born from the same mother at all. Many people said behind his back that he was too soft-hearted and nosy.

When Grand Prince Zhou heard this, his whole face immediately turned red: "Grand Prince Xu, I just couldn't stand it and said a few words. What do you mean?!"

Yuan Ying watched this scene silently, thinking that there were rumors outside that Grand Prince Xu fell in love with the Guo family's daughter at first sight. He still thought it was a rumor, because Grand Prince Xu definitely did not seem to be such a superficial person, not to mention that when it came to appearance, Guo Jia was indeed beautiful, but not enough to fall head-over-heels for her at first sight...

But Li Wei Yang has a beautiful appearance and a very calm personality. Coupled with the power of the Guo family, many people have long been eyeing her. However, they are waiting to see how the situation develops. Only Grand Prince Xu spoke without any scruples. This was too obvious, as if he was deliberately declaring to everyone that he liked Guo Jia.

This... is really amazing. Yuan Ying thought this in his heart, and an imperceptible smile appeared on his face.

Yuan Lie glanced at Grand Prince Zhou, with a smile, and his expression became more and more profound: "Oh? You can't stand it, so what's the point of just speaking? If His Highness Grand Prince Zhou really doesn't want Miss Pei to suffer, why not pay for it yourself? Will you compensate Miss Guo for this dress?"

Grand Prince Zhou couldn't get off the stage, so he glanced at his second brother Yuan Hong not far away, but he looked like he was blaming him for being troublesome, and was obviously not prepared to help him. Prince Zhou was even more infuriated, thinking that such a delicate woman like Pei Baoer was actually about to be bullied by the combined forces of the Guo Family and Grand Prince Xu. How can he stand idly by?

Pei Baoer quickly said: "No, I wet Miss Guo's clothes, it's better for me to compensate." It was just a skirt, but seeing Li Wei Yang's embarrassment, Pei Baoer felt it was worth it.

Grand Prince Zhou sneered and said: "It's just a skirt, what's it worth? Tomorrow I will order someone to send a hundred of them to the Guo Mansion."

Yuan Lie sighed and said: "For Miss Pei, His Highness the Grand Prince of Zhou has to spend all his wealth and property in compensation. This is really a deep love."

Grand Prince Zhou was confused by what he said. How could a piece of clothing be said to be worth a fortune? Next to him was Prince Kang, Yuan Song, who was born to Concubine Ge. He was the youngest amongst the princes and ranked ninth. Thus, he was favored by everyone. Upon hearing this, he started chuckling and took the initiative to say, "Sixth brother, Grand Prince Xu is joking with you!"

He had a lively temperament and was a bit naive, but these words are exactly what everyone is thinking. The Crown Prince frowned slightly. For some reason, he felt something was wrong. Because Grand Prince Xu Yuan Lie's personality is unpredictable, he can't figure out what the other party will do next, let alone take precautions in advance.

Yuan Lie smiled, and a hint of sarcasm flashed through his amber eyes, but he said in an ordinary tone: "Oh, doesn't Grand Prince Zhou know that what is hanging around Miss Guo's neck is an heirloom of the Guo family?"

Everyone's eyes suddenly turned to Li Wei Yang, and they saw a very beautiful necklace hanging around her neck. The necklace looked ordinary, but there was an emerald cabbage with green leaves and a white heart hanging down from it. On the heart of the white cabbage was a completely green caterpillar, and next to the green vegetable leaf was a bee. The color combination is just right and extremely unique. If you look closely, you will see that the color and shape are rare treasures.

Madam Guo was startled for a moment, but quickly understood what he meant and a hint of a cold smile appeared on her face. However, she was also very surprised. His Highness Prince Xu had helped the Guo family several times. What is he planning? Did he really fall in love with Jia'er?! Madam Guo suddenly felt a little uneasy in her heart. As a mother, she would look for a stable son-in-law for her daughter who she knew well. Yuan Lie had no contact with the Guo family before, and in terms of intimacy, he was definitely not as good as Yuan Ying. After all, she had watched Yuan Ying grow up with her own eyes, and he was not as mysterious as Yuan Lie.

At this time, a faint smile appeared on Yuan Lie's lips, and he said with evil intentions: "This jade cabbage has been passed down in the Guo family for hundreds of years. As of today, it is estimated to be worth ten thousand taels of gold. It was just bought by Miss Pei with a glass of wine. Just now, Miss Pei spilled a cup of wine on it, so the jade cabbage will definitely be damaged. His Imperial Highness the Grand Prince of Zhou is so generous, you'll surely compensate for this necklace."

Ten thousand taels of gold?! Grand Prince Zhou's face instantly became ugly, turning blue then white, then blue again. He struggled to ask, "Madam Guo, His Highness Prince Xu is joking, right?"

Madam Guo glanced at the jade cabbage stained with wine, sighed deliberately, and said: "This jade cabbage is a treasure that my Guo family has passed down for many years. It can protect the safety of the whole family. It will not be taken out easily and must be maintained in the best possible way, protected by an exquisite silk treasure box. If the ancestors of the past generations knew that it accidentally got contaminated with dirty things like wine, we really don't know what to do..."

In fact, Madam Guo has been wearing this jadeite cabbage around her neck. In order not to let Li Wei Yang be looked down upon, she specially put it on her. In the eyes of others, it's just a little wine stain, so what's the big deal, but the rich and powerful valued jade too much. Many people even pass down a piece of jade from their grandfather to their grandson and personally keep it close to their body, one to ward off evil spirits and the other to nourish the jade. Everyone knows, the spirituality of jade is the most important thing. The longer it is kept, the more useful it is. If it is contaminated by wine, how can it protect the Guo family? That's what Madam Guo meant.

Grand Prince Zhou's eyebrows were furrowed, and his eyes and face seemed to be covered with a thick shadow.Finally he gave up and said: "This...how is this possible!" Could it be that he was going to fall into an unpredictable situation just to save the beauty as a hero? Well, he deeply regrets it now. It would have been better if he had not said more at that time.

Gracious Consort Guo looked up, and her lips curled. A hero must pay a price for saving a beauty, and Grand Prince Zhou obviously didn't realize who he had offended.

At this moment, Li Wei Yang, who had been silent, opened her mouth and said: "His Imperial Highness Grand Prince Xu made a mistake."

Everyone looked at Li Wei Yang, but Grand Prince Zhou breathed a sigh of relief. It's just a jade pendant, how could it be so expensive! What is the concept of ten thousand taels of gold? Do you really want him to spend all his money for a trivial matter?

Unexpectedly, there was a thin smile on Li Wei Yang's face. The smile should have been warm, but it contained a vague apology: "Your Highness, Grand Prince Zhou, I'm really sorry. Someone used to pay a hundred thousand gold to buy this piece of jade ..."

She looked calm and gentle, but she spoke very seriously, not like she was joking at all. That clearly means that this piece of jade is worth one hundred thousand taels of gold. If you want to stand up for Pei Baoer, just pay for it. But if Grand Prince Zhou retorted that he would not help, he would lose face.

If they hadn't heard it with their own ears, no one would have thought that the silent young lady of the Guo family was such a powerful person. She was obviously mocking Grand Prince of Zhou, but she had such a gentle face, a pleasant voice, and her expression was so serious that it made people laugh.

Yuan Ying burst out laughing, and then everyone else started laughing too. Prince Kang, Yuan Song, was young, and his smile was exaggerated. He almost disregarded imperial etiquette as he slapped the table as if he was clapping, and looked at Li Wei Yang with an expression full of novelty. In his opinion, it was rare to see such an interesting girl in this world who would dare to trip up His Imperial Highness Grand Prince Zhou in public.

Grand Prince Zhou's face was livid, his eyes were staring at Li Wei Yang, and he was speechless for a long time.

The expression on Pei Baoer's entire face changed. She looked at Grand Prince Xu and Madam Guo in shock. Finally, her eyes fell on Li Wei Yang, who was lying so seriously. Her heart became angry. These people had clearly joined forces! She immediately said: "It's all my fault, why do you blame His Highness Grand Prince Zhou so harshly..."

Li Wei Yang suddenly stood up, and Pei Baoer was startled, thinking that she was going to do something, and subconsciously took a step back. This time, she accidentally stepped on the hem of her skirt for real, and fell down to the ground in a very embarrassed manner. Li Wei Yang showed a surprised look and hurried over to help her: "What's wrong with Miss Pei?"

Her expression was very caring, and her movements seemed to be coming to pull Pei Baoer up, but in fact she stepped on Pei Baoer's foot and crushed it hard. Pei Baoer screamed, and Empress Pei said in a cold voice: "Making so much noise in a crowd. How unbecoming!" She was clearly displeased.

Just now, she was sitting and watching the show, but now she saw Pei Baoer suffering a loss and was speaking. How could anything be so easy in the world? Li Wei Yang smiled lightly and said: "Miss Pei, have you been injured?"

Pei Baoer was in severe pain on one of her feet, but she did not dare to speak out in public. After being helped up by the palace maid, she looked at Li Wei Yang with watery eyes: "Miss Guo, it's all my fault, I wet your clothes... "

Li Wei Yang smiled warmly and said: "A piece of clothing is really not worth anything, but the family heirloom jade is really precious. It is a pity that the jade's spiritual energy is ruined by this glass of wine. Since Miss Pei sincerely regrets... It is not difficult, I don't need you to pay any money. I heard that the Pei Mansion has an exquisite treasure box that has been passed down for many years. It has very strong Buddhist energy and is most suitable for nourishing jade——"

Pei Baoer's entire face had gone white without even a trace of blood. She just wanted to embaress Li Wei Yang and perform her usual trick in front of everyone. She had never failed to deal with those noble ladies in the past, but now, how could she be beaten down all of a sudden by Li Wei Yang! Now the other party has even taken a fancy to the treasure box in her home. That box has been passed down for many years. It's embedded with fifty of the most precious gems and one hundred and twenty mermaid tear pearls. This is not even the most extraordinary part. The most important thing is the box was also engraved with 25,000 words of Dharani scriptures. It was a treasure enshrined for generations. No one knew how long she had begged for it before her father agreed to give it to her as her dowry...

"You...you...I...can't..." Pei Baoer was stunned and almost speechless.

Yuan Ying's smile could hardly be concealed. This Wei Yang was even more ruthless than His Highness Prince Xu. The value of the exquisite treasure box was far greater than that of the jade cabbage. If Pei Baoer compensated, she would definitely suffer a terrible loss, but if she didn't compensate, she would ruin her reputation... No matter what she does, it's all wrong, and it's bad luck whether you offer compensation or not, ha, it's really vicious.

Li Wei Yang lowered her eyes and smiled slightly: "Is it possible that Miss Pei is reluctant to part with it? In this case, I have no choice. I wonder if I should go to Pei Mansion tomorrow to pick up the 100,000 taels of gold, or go to Prince Zhou's Mansion?"

Get up to 30 advanced chapter parts on Patreon

[linjunjian]

The Siege of Xuyi (451)

[Excerpt from WS074]

The barbarians launched an invasion into Xu and Yu. Tuoba Tao (408-452) led a mighty force of hundreds of thousands toward Pengcheng. Zang Zhi (400-454) was appointed General who Assists the State and Bearer of the Seal, with authority to appoint his deputies. Leading a contingent of ten thousand men, Zhi marched north to intercept the invaders. By the time he reached Xuyi, Tao had already crossed the Huai River. Hu Chongzhi, Chief Officer of the Palace Guards, was appointed marshal of Zhi’s headquarters. Mao Xizuo, the Crown Prince’s General of the Massed Crossbows and Chongzhi’s deputy, also received orders from Zhi. A high mountain stood east of Xuyi city, and fearing the barbarians would seize this strategic point, Zhi ordered Chongzhi and his forces to fortify the mountain while he established his own camp south of the city.

The barbarians soon launched an assault on Chongzhi and Chengzhi's camps. Despite their valiant resistance, Chongzhi and his men were overwhelmed, their forces scattered, and Chongzhi himself was killed. The barbarians then turned on Xizuo. Commanding elite troops from the northern quarters, Xizuo fought fiercely, while Banner Leader Li Guan rallied the soldiers, cutting down many enemies. Squad Leader Zhou Yinzhi and External Supervisor Yang Fangsheng led archers in a coordinated counterattack. As the enemy prepared to retreat, Xizuo was mortally wounded, causing his forces to fall into disarray. Zang Zhi, hesitant to engage in a rescue, allowed both camps to collapse, sealing the fate of his own forces.

[A short introduction of Chongzhi, Chengzhi and Xizuo.]

After the defeat of the three camps, Zhi's forces fled under the cover of night, abandoning their heavy equipment and armor. Only seven hundred men managed to retreat to Xuyi. Administrator Shen Pu had already fortified the city with three thousand well-prepared soldiers, a sight that greatly pleased Zhi, and together they mounted a defense. The barbarians, having marched south and now low on supplies, had been relying on local resources. After crossing the Huai River, they consumed the grain stored at the Pingyue and Shibie garrisons. However, both their men and horses were now starving and exhausted. Upon hearing that Xuyi had stored grain, they targeted the city as a critical supply point for their return north. Despite their victory over Chongzhi, their initial attack on the city failed due to its robust defenses. Frustrated, they moved further south.

In the early first month of the twenty-eighth year [of Yuanjia] (February 17 to March 17, 451), Tao launched a full-scale assault on Xuyi after returning north from Guangling. Tao demanded wine from Zhi, who sent him urine instead. Enraged, Tao ordered the construction of a siege wall overnight, opening an attack route towards the city's northeast. Using soil and stones from the eastern mountain, his forces filled in the path. Concerned that the defenders might escape via the waterways, the barbarians brought large ships and constructed a floating bridge at Mount Jun, effectively blocking the Huai River. In response, the defenders launched a counterattack from their ships, achieving a decisive victory. However, the following morning, the invaders returned, using square boats as rafts, each one protected by soldiers. Although the defenders attacked again, they were unable to stop the invaders from establishing the raft at Mount Jun, successfully cutting off both land and water routes.

Tao wrote to Zhi:

"The soldiers I’ve sent to fight are not from our own people. The northeast of the city is held by Dingling and Hu, while the south by the Di and Qiang from the Three Qin region. If the Dingling die, it will reduce the bandits in Changshan and Zhao Commandery; if the Hu die, it will reduce the bandits of Bing Province; and if the Di and Qiang die, it will reduce the bandits within the Passes. Should you kill the Dingling and Hu, it will only bring us advantage."

Zhi replied:

"I have read your letter and fully grasped your treacherous intentions. You rely on your four-legged beasts and have repeatedly trespassed the borders of the state. Your offenses are too numerous to recount in detail. Wang Xuanmo retreated east, and Liang Tan scattered to the west. Have you not heard the children's song that says: ‘The enemy's horses drink from the river, and Büri (Tao’s Xianbei name) will die in the year of Mao’? Though that time has not yet arrived, the two armies are already paving the way for your horses to reach the river. This is fate at work, beyond human control. I have received the mandate to annihilate you, and the time for your defeat is set at Baideng. My army has hardly begun its march, yet you are already rushing toward death. How could I possibly let you live to enjoy the spoils at the Sanggan River?

If you attack this city, even if I cannot kill you directly, you will die because of me. Should you be fortunate, you may fall at the hands of your own chaotic troops. Should you be unfortunate, you will be captured alive, bound to a donkey, and paraded to the marketplace. I have no desire for my own survival. If heaven and earth abandon their divine spirits, and I am ultimately overpowered by you, even being ground into powder, slaughtered, and torn apart would not suffice as repayment to my homeland.

Your intellect and strength cannot surpass Fu Jian! In recent years, you have rampaged because you have not yet drunk from the river, and the year of Mao has not yet come. When Hulan made his deep incursion into Pengcheng, it rained for a few days, and not a single horse returned—do you remember? Now the spring rains have begun, and the masses are gathering. Attack the city confidently and do not retreat. If you run short of food, inform me, and I will provide provisions from the granary to sustain you.

You have sent me a sword—do you intend for me to use it upon you? How bitter it is! Let everyone strive with all their might. There is no need for further words."

At that time, there was a children's song among the barbarians that says: "The chariot comes north like a pheasant shot through, unexpectedly the barbarians’ horses drink from the river. The barbarian lord returns north to die at Shiji, the barbarians seek to cross the river but heaven will not allow it." Zang Zhi responded, quoting this rhyme, which greatly angered Tao. In his fury, Tao had an iron bed made, fitted with iron spikes, and declared that when Zhi was captured, he would be made to sit on it.

Zhi also wrote to the barbarian troops: "To the various officials and commoners among the enemy: I have received a letter from Büri, which is attached separately. We are all citizens of the same calendar. Why should you bring such disaster upon yourselves? A true man should know how to turn misfortune into blessing. Now, I am writing to you in accordance with the court's regulations, as in the separate letter, for you to ponder." At that time, there was a reward offered for Tuoba Tao's head, promising the title of Marquis of the Open Country and a fief of ten thousand households, along with ten thousand bolts of cloth and silk.

The barbarians employed hook carts to tear down the city walls, but the defenders countered by securing the carts with ropes. Hundreds of soldiers pulled against them, preventing the carts from retreating. Under the cover of night, the defenders lowered men outside the city walls using wooden barrels to sever the hooks. The next day, the barbarians deployed battering rams against the walls. However, the city’s densely packed soil proved resilient, and each strike dislodged only a few liters of earth. The barbarians then resorted to scaling the walls, engaging in close combat. They took turns, climbing, falling, and then climbing again without retreat, leading to tens of thousands of casualties. The bodies of the fallen piled up to the height of the city walls. The Prince of Gaoliang (Tuoba Na) was shot and killed.

After thirty days of siege, over half of the invaders lay dead. Upon learning that Pengcheng had cut off their retreat and that the [Song] court had dispatched a navy into the Huai River—where many of his men were succumbing to disease—Tuoba Tao lifted the siege on the second day of the second month (March 19, 451) and fled.

In recognition of Zhi's achievements, the emperor honored him with several prestigious titles: Envoy with the Imperial Seal, Champion General, Commander of the Pacification of the Barbarians, Inspector of Yongzhou, and Marquis of the Open Country, overseeing military affairs in Yong, Liang, and the northern and southern Qin provinces. He was also granted five hundred households.

The next year, Emperor Taizu launched another northern campaign, ordering Zhi to lead his forces to Tong Pass. However, Zhi delayed, stationing his troops near the outskirts of the city and sending only Marshal Liu Yuanjing to garrison the border. His reluctance to advance on time stemmed from his longing for a favorite concubine. He abandoned the camp and returned to the city alone on horseback. Furthermore, he spent an enormous sum—six to seven million coins—from the treasury, yet the authorities chose not to hold him accountable.

[gizkasparadise]

I’m living for your princess weiyoung posts, what do you think of the show so far? Not gonna lie, I had a major crush on li weiyoung the whole time I was watching it haha!

im on ep 33! some #thoughts in no particular order:

-im living for weiyoung and tuoba yu as sort of foils to each other? like they’re both cunning, and yu is sort of like what weiyoung would be with 30% more ruthless. i like that they’re parallel characters and that he has a crush on her brain + wants her because she can help him get TOTAL DOMINATION vs something more villain cliche like beauty

-um jun tao + bai zhi should be dating. that’s that on that

-i think tuoba jun is the most chill/cute/nice male lead i’ve seen in a cdrama and i live for his gentle slapping of people 

-im so. tired. of the li family. everyone but minde and grandma get out and go away

-it’s really refreshing to see a female lead winning by cunning/shrewdness

-i love minde but i still havent warmed up on tuoba di. i normally like her actress but the character is super grating

-i live for every dramatic catch after weiyoung falls

-overall the show is pretty and i love the majority of the characters. there’s been some plots where im frustrated as hell but it’s been fun so far!

[bookofjin]

Were there any famous weapons during the period? I know Helian Bobo had a named sword, but I'd like to know if there were others

Well, here is what Tao Honging has to say about it in the Records of Swords and Blades, Old and New:

Liu Yuan of Former Zhao in the 2nd Year of Yuanxi [305 AD] made one blade, 3 chi 9 cun long, the writing said “Wipe out the Thieves” in the clerical script.

Shi Le of Former Zhao, in the 2nd Year of Jianping [331 AD] made one blade, using 500 metal and 10 000 labourers, from head to point 3 chi, 6 cun. The inscription said “Establish Peace” [jianping] in the clerical script.

At the time when Le was not yet honoured, he ploughed the earth and obtained one blade, the inscription said “Shi Clan's Splendour” in the seal script.

Shi Jilong [Hu] in the 14th Year of Jianwu [348 AD], made one blade, 5 chi long, the inscription said “August Emperor Shi Clan” in the clerical script.

Li Xiong of Later Shu in the 1st Year of Yanping [306 AD] made 500 blades, the text said “Mount the Horse” in the clerical script.

Zhang Shi of Former Liang made 500 blades, have none of the old blades, they are fully lost [?]. The writing said “Hegemon”.

Emperor Zhaocheng of Later Wei, Tuoba Jian, in the 1st Year of Jianguo [338 AD], at Chizhi City cast 10 stabbing blades, the metal were engraved with the letters Chizi.

Emperor Daowu, Gui, in the 1st Year of Dengguo [386 AD], at Song'e cast one sword, the inscription said “Zhen Mountain” in the clerical script.

Emperor Mingyuan, Si, in the 1st Year of Taichang [416 AD], made one sword, 4 chi long, the inscription on the back said “Taichang” [“Grand Ordinary”]. Arriving at the 1st Year of Zhenyuan [440 AD], there was a scholar of the Way that carried on Heaven' teachings and making plain. He had the Emperor make a sword, 3 chi, 6 cun long, in the clerical scrip. Following that changed the inaugural to Zhenjun [“True Lord”].

Emperor Xuanwu, Ke, in the 1st Year of Jingming [500 AD], at Bailu Mountain made one blade, the writing said “Bailu” [“White Deer] in the clerical script.

Fu Jian of Former Qin in the 4th Year of Ganlou [362 AD], made one blade, employing 5 000 labourers. The inscription said “Godly Skill” in the clerical script.

Murong Jun of Former Yan in the 1st Year of Yuanxi [352 AD], made 28 blades, the inscription said “28 Generals” in the clerical script.

Murong Chui of Later Yan in the 1st Year of Jianxing [386 AD], made 2 blades, 7 chi long, one male and one female, in the clerical script. If they were separated, they cried.

Yao Chang of Later Qin in the 1st Year of Jianchu [386 AD], made one blade the inscription said “Zhongshan” [“Middle Mountain”], 3 chi, 7 cun long, in the clerical script.

Qifu Guoren of Western Qin in the 3rd Year of Jianyi [387 AD], made one blade, the inscription said “Establishing Righteousness” [jianyi] in the clerical script.

Lü Guang of Later Liang in the 1st Year of Linjia [389 AD] made one blade, the inscription on the back said “Unicorn Excellence” [linjia], 3 chi, 6 cun long.

Tufa Wugu of Southern Liang in the 3rd Year of Taichu [397 AD], made one blade, narrow and small, 2 chi, 5 cun long, in a blue-green colour. The craftsman said: “At the time when it was made, [I] dreamt I saw one person wearing cinnabar-coloured clothes, who stated 'I am the Grand One God come to see you!' This blade when presented was certain to make a sound, later it fell into the possession of the Tujue Kaghan.

Murong Xuanming of Souther Liang in the 1st Year of Jianping [400 AD] made 4 blades, the writing said “Establish Peace” [jianping] in the clerical script.

Li Hao of Western Liang in the 1st Year of Yongjian [420 AD], made one pearl and gem blade, the inscription said “Hundred Victories” in the clerical script.

Juqu Mengxun of Northern Liang in the 3rd Year of Yong'an [403 AD], made 100 blades, the inscription said “Eternal Calm” [yong'an] in the clerical script.

Helian Bobo of Xia province in the 2nd Year of Longsheng [408 AD], made 5 blades, the back of the edge had a dragon-sparrow encircling, there was also gold inlaid to make the image of one dragon. 3 chi, 9 cun long, the inscription said:

“Sharp instrument of the past,

Wu and Chu's Zhanlu.

Great Xia's Dragon-Sparrow,

Best in fame and chief in divinity.

Can be cherishing distant,

Can be placating the near.

Like the wind scatters the grass,

Power to harness the Nine Wards.”

The King of Song, Liu Yu, crushed Chang'an, and obtained this blade. Later it entered Liang.

[fleurdelystranslations]

The Era Where Mulan lived

Mulan lived in Northern Wei. 

The Northern Wei Dynasty (Chinese: 北魏朝; pinyin: Běi Wèi Cháo), also known as the Tuoba Wei (拓拔魏), Later Wei (後魏), or Yuan Wei (元魏), was a dynasty which ruled northern China from 386 to 534 (de jure until 535). 

The emperor was Tuoba Tao.

Read more about the era: here

Clothing

Traditional Xianbei clothing would look like this: 

(Han-ren): 

(From: https://goo.gl/images/f5RaB6)

Who are the Xianbei? 

The Xianbei (/ʃjɛnˈbeɪ/; Chinese: 鮮卑; pinyin: Xiānbēi; Wade–Giles: Hsien-pei) were an originally nomadic tribal confederation residing in what is today's eastern Mongolia, Inner Mongolia, and Northeast China. Along with the Xiongnu, they were one of the major nomadic groups in northern China from the Han Dynasty to the Northern and Southern dynasties. They eventually established their own northern dynasties such as the Northern Wei founded in the 4th century AD by the Tuoba clan.[2][3][4][5] During the Uprising of the Five Barbarians they became categorized as one of the Five Barbarians by the Han Chinese.

(From wikipedia)

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[incorrectmedievalchina]

Okay but in everything that tuoba tao does, tuoba si is reminded of his father. Tuoba Tao even LOOKS like tuoba gui. And since tuoba gui is an abusive shitfuck of a father, tuoba si secretly hates him. But tuoba si can't show that he hates his father. So he pretends to love his father and projects all of his repressed hatred for his father onto tuoba tao.

[incorrectmedievalchina]

Tuoba Tao: Ok, maybe playing ‘whose family is most dysfunctional’ wasn’t the best idea we’ve had. Tuoba Huang's been crying in the bathroom for an hour. We can’t get him out...

[incorrectmedievalchina]

Cui Hao: Bixia, stop! This isn't you, you've gone mad with power!

Tuoba Tao: Well of course I have.

Tuoba Tao: Have you ever tried going mad without power?

Tuoba Tao: It's boring.

[nemainofthewater]

Best character surnamed: Tao

Come and vote for the best characters with the same surname!*

What does best mean? It's up to you! Whether you love them, are intrigued by their characters, love to hate them, or they're your '2 second blorbos whose personality you made up wholesale', these are all reasons for you to vote for your favs!

*note, the surnames are not exactly the same in all the cases, as often there will be a different character. I am, however, grouping them all together otherwise things got more complicated.

Propaganda is very welcome! If I’ve forgotten anyone, let me know in the notes.

This is part of a larger series of ‘best character with X surname’ polls’. The overview with ongoing polls, winners, and future polls can be found here

EDIT: Silent Reading is the original novel that Justice in the Dark was based on and I believe that Tao Ran and Tao Ze are therefore alternate versions of each other

[craftercat]

世祖大怒曰：「尖頭奴，敢裁量朕也！朕還臺，先斬此奴。」

[Tuoba Tao] was furious and said: "Pointed-head slave, how dare you measure me! When I return, I will first execute this slave."

He might not be the nicest guy around, but I kind of love how extra he was. Just so dramatic.

(The guy who he said he was executed was actually fine, btw. They made up in the end)

[craftercat]

The Succession Crisis of 409: The Coup of Tuoba Shao (2/2)

Welcome to part 2 of the series. In this part, I will be looking at the moves of Tuoba Shao in his attempt to seize power, which will show the failings as a politician that led to his defeat.

There is little record of Tuoba Si during his time on the run. We know that Tuoba Si left the palace in the seventh lunar month of 409, and that he returned in the tenth lunar month. This means that he was on the run for at least two months. There are clues on how he lived:

Weishu volume 34: 元紹之逆，太宗左右唯洛兒與車路頭而已。

"In Tuoba Shao's rebellion, Tuoba Si's attendants were only Wang Luo'er and Chekun Lutou."

Weishu volume 105: 及六年七月，宣穆后以強死，太子微行人間

"Reaching the seventh month of the sixth year [of Tianci], Empress Xuanmu violently died, and the crown prince [Tuoba Si] went out secretly amongst the people."

This shows both what Tuoba Si was doing and just how vulnerable he was during this period. He only had two attendants on his side, and he was vulnerable to being hunted down or persecuted. The second record shows that Tuoba Si's plan was not to flee to another state but to hide amongst the common people. This plan was likely because Tuoba Si hoped that Tuoba Gui would summon him back to display forgiveness and that he would somehow be able to claim the throne.

What was going on in the palace? At the time, Tuoba Gui was handling clan politics.

Weishu volume 15: 天賜六年，天文多變，占者云「當有逆臣伏尸流血」。太祖惡之，頗殺公卿，欲以厭當天災。儀內不自安，單騎遁走。太祖使人追執之，遂賜死，葬以庶人禮。

"In the sixth year of Tianci [409], the astronomical signs had many changes, and diviners said: "There will be a rebellious subject and a bloodied corpse on the ground." Tuoba Gui hated this, very much killed ministers, wishing to remove the foretold heavenly disaster. Tuoba Yi did not feel at ease, and fled on a single horse. Tuoba Gui sent people to pursue and arrest him, thereupon forced him to commit suicide, and was buried with the rites of a commoner."

Weishu volume 15: 初，衞王死後，太祖欲敦宗親之義，詔引諸王子弟入宴。常山王素等三十餘人咸謂與衞王相坐，疑懼，皆出逃遁，將奔蠕蠕，唯崇獨至。太祖見之甚悅，厚加禮賜，遂寵敬之，素等於是亦安。

"Earlier, after Tuoba Yi died, Tuoba Gui wanted to respect the relationship between clan members, and decreed to summon the various princely sons and brothers for a banquet. The Prince of Changshan, Su, and others, more than thirty people, all said they were being tried together with Tuoba Yi, were afraid, and they all escaped, planning to flee to Rouran, and only Tuoba Chong arrived. Tuoba Gui treated him with great pleasure, rewarded him generously, and thereupon favoured him, and Tuoba Su and the others were thereupon also at peace."

It can be seen here that Tuoba Gui executed Tuoba Yi for escaping, but he realised that the other clan members might plot against him, so he summoned them to show his grace but also to observe their loyalty to him. Due to the atmosphere of fear, Tuoba Su and the other clan members planned to escape, and only Tuoba Chong did not. Because Tuoba Chong had been loyal to him, Tuoba Gui treated him very well.

This focus on clan politics may also be about succession. Tuoba Gui wanted to abandon the brother-brother succession of Dai, and he therefore had two options after Tuoba Si left: Tuoba Si's one-year-old son Tuoba Tao or Tuoba Si's brother Tuoba Shao.

Tuoba Gui was very fond of Tuoba Tao and envisioned him as his heir, which I demonstrated in the previous article. However, as a one year old, Tuoba Tao was not old enough to rule and would need a regent, which could lead to instability. Meanwhile, Tuoba Shao was favoured by both Tuoba Gui and the old tribes, and he had some kind of talent to have this support. Tuoba Shao also had some experience of court politics to be able to persecute Tuoba Si, but he had not been successful in doing so.

Either way, it appears that Tuoba Gui abandoned making Tuoba Tao his heir due to his youth, and made Tuoba Shao the heir instead:

Weishu volume 16: 而紹母夫人賀氏有譴，太祖幽之於宮，將殺之。會日暮，未決。

"And Tuoba Shao's mother Consort Helan had an offense, so Tuoba Gui imprisoned her in the palace, planning to kill her. At dusk, it had not been decided."

It seems unclear why Consort Helan had not yet been executed at dusk: when Tuoba Gui killed people based on suspicion, he would often do it with his own hands, and certainly not with this hesitation. It appears more likely that Tuoba Gui planned to kill Consort Helan based on the same reasons as why he killed Consort Liu. Of course, the records on this may well have been changed to avoid making Tuoba Shao look like a legitimate option.

However, Consort Helan did not just sit around:

Weishu volume 16: 賀氏密告紹曰：「汝將何以救吾？」紹乃夜與帳下及宦者數人，踰宮犯禁。

"Consort Helan secretly told Shao: "How shall you rescue me?" Shao thus at night climbed the walls of the palace with several eunuchs and subordinates, violating the prohibition."

That Consort Helan was able to send a message to incite Tuoba Shao to rebellion showed that she was not a passive figure, but someone with influence in the palace. Although the Helan tribe had been suppressed, there may have been supporters of the tribe, such as the other old tribes, still in the palace, and Consort Helan may have exerted influence through them.

This led Tuoba Shao to kill his father:

Weishu volume 16: 左右侍御呼曰：「賊至！」太祖驚起，求弓刀不獲，遂暴崩。

"Tuoba Gui's attendants exclaimed: "Traitors have arrived!" Tuoba Gui was startled, sought his bow and sword but did not obtain them, and thereupon died violently."

Why didn't Tuoba Gui seek his bow and sword? Likely because of a betrayal within the court itself. Tuoba Gui's tyranny had alienated those around him, which made them willing to plot against him. His violent death showed that he had lost his grasp on politics, and didn't understand that fear alone does not inspire loyalty.

This gives a clue:

Weishu volume 16: 於是賜紹母子死，誅帳下閹官、宮人為內應者十數人

"Thereupon Tuoba Shao and his mother were forced to commit suicide, and executed more than ten subordinates, eunuchs and palace maids who acted as internal responders"

A "內應" refers to someone who acts to support someone as an agent. This could refer to the attendants of Tuoba Gui. But how did they support Tuoba Shao? Maybe, when Tuoba Gui asked for his bow and sword, they decided to betray him and support Tuoba Shao, and therefore they intentionally did not give it to him.

However, these events also show Tuoba Shao's flaws as a politician. He relied on the Helan tribe and several palace attendants to kill his father, without really thinking of what to do afterwards. He hadn't gathered support from any of the larger factions, such as the clan, the traditional Xianbei, the reformist Xianbei or the Han aristocrats. His plan to kill his father was reckless and already showed his poor political strategy.

What happened the next day may give some clues as to the power dynamics at the time:

Weishu volume 16: 明日，宮門至日中不開，紹稱詔召百僚於西宮端門前北面而立，紹���門扇間謂羣臣曰：「我有父，亦有兄，公卿欲從誰也？」王公已下皆驚愕失色，莫有對者。良久，南平公長孫嵩曰：「從王。」羣臣乃知宮車晏駕，而不審登遐之狀，唯陰平公元烈哭泣而去。

"The next day, the palace gates did not open until midday, and Tuoba Shao issued an edict to summon the officials in front of the West Palace's northern gate to establish himself, and Shao between the doors called the ministers and said:

"I have a father, and I also have an older brother, who do you ministers wish to follow."

The princes, dukes and below were all startled, and there was no reply. After a long time, the Duke of Nanping, Baba Song said:

"I follow the prince."

The ministers knew the emperor had died, but did not investigate the cause, and only the Duke of Yinping, Tuoba Lie, cried and left."

When Tuoba Shao says he has a "father", he actually means that he has an "uncle"; he is referring to the Dai horizontal succession. But who is this uncle? According to the records, Tuoba Gui's only brother was Tuoba Gu, and he had been executed in 397. So who is this uncle referring to?

The birth and death dates of Tuoba Han do not fit with the records surrounding him. He should have been a child when he died, not someone with military accomplishments and three sons (Tuoba Yi, Tuoba Lie, Tuoba Gu). So it has been theorised that these were actually the children of Tuoba Shiyijian and Tuoba Gui's mother Princess Dowager Helan (Consort Helan's older sister; yes, Tuoba Gui fathered a son with his aunt). Which would then make Tuoba Lie the uncle, granduncle and cousin of Tuoba Shao, and through these connections, if the traditional Dai system of succession were to be used, Tuoba Lie would have been the proper successor to the throne.

But why did Tuoba Shao do this move? I think he was trying to intimidate the ministers. By issuing an edict to summon them and then asking if they wanted to follow him instead of the two people with better claims to the throne than him, he was essentially telling them that he was in charge. Tuoba Lie knew that he was the uncle Tuoba Shao was referring to, and that was why he cried and left. The other ministers knew that Tuoba Gui was dead and Tuoba Shao was in charge, but they didn't know how this happened, and they were therefore afraid and followed Tuoba Shao.

As well, that Baba Song responded first also shows the court power dynamics. The Baba clan were an old tribe that had been honoured since the time of Dai, and Baba Song was the most senior member of this tribe. This meant that Baba Song was the leader of the traditional Xianbei faction at court. The Helan tribe were also traditionally honoured Xianbei like the Baba tribe, and Tuoba Shao's character was likely more in line with traditional Xianbei values, and so Baba Song may have supported Tuoba Shao as a representative of the interests of the traditional Xianbei tribes.

At the time, there were three main groups of ministers: the traditional Xianbei, headed by Baba Song, the reformist Xianbei, which had been headed by Tuoba Yi until his death in 409, and the Han aristocrats, headed by Cui Hong. The political purges of Tuoba Gui had changed the influence of these factions, and in 409, most ministers were traditional Xianbei, even though eliminating a single faction wasn't the goal.

So why did Tuoba Shao lose support so quickly? I think it was to do with the political landscape. Tuoba Shao supported the interests of the traditional Xianbei, but he specifically supported the interests of the Helan tribe:

Weishu volume 16: 肥如侯賀護舉烽於安陽城北，故賀蘭部人皆往赴之，其餘舊部亦率子弟招集族人，往往相聚。

"The Marquis of Feiru, Helan Hu, lit a signal in the north of Anyang city, hence the Helan tribesmen all went there, and the other old tribes also led their sons and brothers to assemble their tribesmen, and they frequently assembled."

This shows not just the shift in power to favour the Helan tribe and the other old tribes, but also the reversal of Tuoba Gui's reforms. In 398, after taking Zhongshan, Tuoba Gui had dissolved the tribes and replaced them with eight artificial units, each headed by a dafu. That the old tribes were gathering together their tribesmen showed that Tuoba Shao reversed the dissolution of the tribes. The old tribes would frequently assemble in Anyang to collect their old tribesmen. Tuoba Gui had assigned fixed locations for the eight units that they were not allowed to leave; Tuoba Shao clearly reversed this, as the old tribes were all gathering in Anyang, which could not have been the fixed location of all of the old tribes.

Another thing that is strange is that the biography of the Helan tribe in the Book of Wei attributes this not to Helan Hu but to Helan Ni:

Weishu volume 83: 子泥，襲爵，後降為肥如侯。太祖崩，京師草草，泥出舉烽於安陽城北，賀蘭部人皆往赴之。太宗即位，乃罷。

"[Helan Yue]'s son Ni, inherited the titled, later downgraded to Marquis of Feiru. When Tuoba Gui died, the capital was in turmoil, and Helan Ni went out to light a beacon fire in the north of Anyang city, and the Helan tribespeople all went there. When Tuoba Si came to the throne, he thereupon stopped."

Both Helan Hu and Helan Ni had the same title, and both lighted the beacon fire in the north of Anyang city. But why is this attributed to two different people? While the pronunciation of "Hu" and "Ni" could be similar in the Xianbei language, if Helan Hu/Ni was Tuoba Shao's second-in-command, then why did he have such an honoured position in Tuoba Si and Tuoba Tao's reigns? And even if they were different people, what were the Helan tribe and the other old tribes even doing at the signal?

I think it's likely that these tribes were assembling together to migrate back to their old lands after Tuoba Shao reversed Tuoba Gui's reforms. Ultimately they did not have the time to actually move north, but that was likely their plan. As well, Tuoba Shao intended to remove the Han ministers from power and elevate the Helan tribe and their subordinates:

Weishu volume 3: 公卿大臣先罢归第不与朝政者，悉复登用之.

"The major ministers who had earlier been returned to their mansion and did not participate in politics were all restored and promoted."

Tuoba Gui did not remove major ministers from office on a large scale; he preferred to simply execute them. This must have happened in Tuoba Shao's coup. Tuoba Shao wanted to empower the Helan tribe and the other old tribes, so he removed many Han aristocrats from office and replaced them with the Helan tribe and their subordinates.

Weishu volume 24: 太祖崩，太宗未即位，清河王紹聞人心不安，大出財帛班賜朝士。玄伯獨不受。

"When Tuoba Gui died, Tuoba Si had not yet ascended, and the Prince of Qinghe, Tuoba Shao, heard the people's hearts were not at ease, and greatly sent wealth and silk to bestow on the court ministers. Cui Hong was the only one who did not accept."

Cui Hong was the leader of the Han aristocratic faction, who Tuoba Shao wanted to suppress. It is likely that Tuoba Shao, in order to elevate the traditional Xianbei, removed Cui Hong from his post and returned him to his mansion. Because Cui Hong was angry about this, he therefore refused the silk.

We also know who accepted the silk:

Weishu volume 24: 長孫嵩已下咸愧焉。

"Baba Song and below were all ashamed."

As I discussed before, Baba Song was the leader of the traditional Xianbei faction. This traditional Xianbei faction were the ones that were bestowed with silk. But this bestowal also indicates that the traditional Xianbei were unhappy with Tuoba Shao. How did Tuoba Shao alienate this faction? Probably because the Helan clan were already monopolising power.

Weishu volume 16: 於是賜紹母子死

"Thereupon Tuoba Shao and his mother were forced to commit suicide"

This indicates that Consort Helan was a major part of Tuoba Shao's governance. She was clearly one of the two main targets of the coup alongside Tuoba Shao, which indicates her power and influence within his government. This also indicates that the Helan tribe were heavily involved in governance, along with Helan Hu/Helan Ni lighting the beacon fire. Consort Helan had likely been honoured as empress dowager by Tuoba Shao soon after the coup.

Who was replacing the dismissed Han aristocrats? Probably the Helan tribe and their former subordinate tribes. I will discuss the Helan tribe and their fall from grace in a separate article, but what is relevant here is that by 409, the Helan tribe were powerless and did not have a major position in court. Tuoba Gui had worked for years to eliminate the power of the Helan tribe, and now Tuoba Shao wanted to restore the Helan tribe - the same Helan tribe that had been involved in a major rebellion during the Later Yan campaign.

This idea quickly made Tuoba Shao a lot of enemies: the Han aristocrats didn't like how they were being shafted and how Tuoba Gui's reforms were being reversed; the reformist Xianbei didn't like the Helan tribe and didn't want to see them in power; the imperial clan worried that the Helan tribe would become too powerful; and now the traditional Xianbei were worried that the Helan tribe would usurp their own positions, and were concerned for a Helan tribe takeover.

To these people, this was just the beginning. What if Empress Dowager Helan and her tribe were to start claiming even more power for themselves? What if they were merely using Tuoba Shao as a puppet, and were planning to overthrow Tuoba Shao and make one of their own tribesmen emperor? Regardless of the disagreements between the factions, they all had one thing in common: they did not want to become or be ruled by Helan Xianbei instead of Tuoba Xianbei.

So if the Helan tribe are so involved in this coup, who was Helan Hu, and was he the same person as Helan Ni? I think they were the same person. Both are mentioned as working with An Tong for Tuoba Si, so I don't think it makes sense for them not to be.

I think he could be Tuoba Shao's second in command who was appointed to gather the old tribes. However he betrayed Tuoba Shao and switched sides to support Tuoba Si, either by working with the imperial guard or leading the old tribes to support Tuoba Si. He may even have helped An Tong gather supporters.

In a way, it's almost laughable that Tuoba Shao thought that he could rely on the Helan tribe at the expense of all other factions to usurp the throne and seize power. This policy shows Tuoba Shao's lack of understanding or talent in politics: a politician should align with rising factions or ideas against falling factions or ideas. Tuoba Shao aligned himself with the falling Helan tribe. Tuoba Shao was defeated not because of his lack of legitimacy, but because Tuoba Si was a much wiser politician than him.

Meanwhile, what was Tuoba SI doing? He was preparing to take the throne:

Weishu volume 16: 先是，太宗在外，聞變乃還，潛于山中，使人夜告北新侯安同，眾皆響應。

"Earlier, Tuoba Si was outside, and he heard the coup and returned, hiding in the mountains, and sent people at night to report to the Marquis of Beixin, An Tong, and the people all respnded."

Weishu volume 34: 晝居山嶺，夜還洛兒家。洛兒隣人李道潛相奉給，晨昏往復，眾庶頗知，喜而相告。紹聞，收道斬之。洛兒猶冒難往返京都，通問於大臣，大臣遂出奉迎，百姓奔赴。

"[Tuoba Si] by day resided in the mountains, and at night returned to Wang Luo'er's house. Wang Luo'er's neighbour Li Dao secretly provided him with supplies, day and night going back and forwards, and the masses all knew, were pleased and told each other. Tuoba Shao heard, arrested Li Dao and executed him. Wang Luo'er still risked disaster to come back and go out of the capital, communicating with the ministers, and the ministers thereupon went out to great him, and the common people went there."

Weishu volume 30: 清河王紹之亂，太宗在外，使夜告同，令收合百工伎巧，眾皆響應奉迎。

"In the rebellion of Tuoba Shao, Tuoba Si was outside, by night sent messengers to communicate with An Tong, ordered him to collect the many officials and craftsmen, and the masses all responded and welcomed him."

These records show just how unpopular Tuoba Shao had become. Not only were the officials turning against him, but the common people also supported Tuoba Si. Wang Luo'er and An Tong were both able to convince officials to switch sides and join Tuoba Shao, which quickly eroded at his power base. Tuoba Shao had tried to persecute Tuoba Si, but he was so lacking in support that it backfired:

Weishu volume 14: 元紹之逆也，太宗潛隱於外，磨渾與叔孫俊詐云太宗所在。紹使帳下二人隨磨渾往，規為逆。磨渾既得出，便縛帳下詣太宗斬之。太宗得磨渾，大喜，因為羽翼。

"In Tuoba Shao's rebellion, Tuoba Si was hiding outside, and Tuoba Mohun and Yizhan Jun falsely stated Tuoba Si's location. Tuoba Shao sent two of his subordinates to follow Tuoba Mohun there, in order to kill Tuoba Si. Tuoba Mohun went out, then arrested the two subordinates and went to Tuoba Si to execute them. Tuoba Si obtained Tuoba Mohun and was very happy, and thereupon became an assistant."

Tuoba Mohun was a member of the imperial clan who had a long relationship with Tuoba Si; Yizhan Jun was a part of the reformist Xianbei faction. Tuoba Shao had tried to kill Tuoba Si, but he was so lacking in support that his own faction was weakened, and Tuoba Si gained more close allies to protect himself with.

Just four days (according to the Weishu) or fourteen days (according to the Beishi) after launching his coup, Tuoba Shao was arrested by his own guard:

Weishu volume 16: 太宗至城西，衞士執送紹。

"Tuoba Si reached the west of the city, and the imperial guard arrested and sent off Tuoba Shao."

I do not think that the imperial guard acted alone. Tuoba Shao had so many enemies amongst all factions that I think it's more likely that the officials turned against Tuoba Shao, and plotted with the imperial guard to depose him. Who led the plot is unclear, and I'll talk about it more when I discuss Tuoba Si's measures to secure his power. After this, the old tribes abandoned Tuoba Shao, stopped the signal and submitted to Tuoba Si to save their own lives.

This final end shows how much Tuoba Shao failed as a politician. He made almost everyone his enemy: the traditional Xianbei, the reformist Xianbei, the Han aristocrats, the imperial clan, and the imperial guards were all against him by the time of his downfall. In the Han dynasty, Liu He lasted 27 days before being removed, and Zong Ai lasted more than six months as the main power. However, Tuoba Shao only lasted fourteen (or four) days in power before being removed, which is a real testament to his lack of political skill.

Weishu volume 16: 於是賜紹母子死，誅帳下閹官、宮人為內應者十數人，其先犯乘輿者，羣臣於城南都街生臠割而食之。

"Thereupon [Tuoba Si] forced Tuoba Shao and his mother to commit suicide, and executed the subordinates, eunuchs and palace maids who had supported him, more than ten people. Those who previously killed Tuoba Gui were chopped up and eaten raw by the ministers in the southern streets of the city."

That the ministers ate Tuoba Shao and the people who had actively plotted to kill Tuoba Gui shows just how hated Tuoba Shao had become. Tuoba Shao had only plotted with several of his subordinates and eunuchs; as I discussed, the others were likely the ones who prevented Tuoba Gui from obtaining a bow or sword.

But was that really everyone he executed? I have already discussed that after Tuoba Shao's arrest, the old tribes stopped the smoke signal and led themselves to support Tuoba Si in order to save their own lives. This meant that Tuoba Si did not need to execute them. But what happened to the Helan tribe?

The Helan tribe's influence was finally relegated with the failure of the 409 coup. Helan Ni did have a position in Tuoba Si and Tuoba Tao's administration, but that was because he played a major role in the submission of the old tribes. What about the other Helans? Apart from Helan Ni, we have no records on any other members of the Helan tribe after Tuoba Gui. We can assume that Tuoba Si either massacred the Helan tribe or that he simply removed almost all of their power and influence, making them powerless to resist their Tuoba rulers.

There are clues as to what happened to the ministers that Tuoba Shao instated during his coup:

Weishu volume 4: 於是除禁錮，釋嫌怨，開倉庫，賑窮乏，河南流民相率內屬者甚眾。

"Thereupon removed civil service prohibitions, mended old grudges, opened warehouses, and relieved the poor, and Henan's refugees who submitted one after another were extremely many."

I think the part on opening warehouses and relieving the poor is Tuoba Tao stealing achievements from his father (because the warehouses were decreed to be opened on the tenth month, while this record is from the twelfth month of the same year; the decree likely didn't get everywhere until after Tuoba Si died) but the part about removing civil service prohibitions and mending old grudges is interesting.

"禁錮" refers to prohibitions on a person joining the civil service. It is usually used on corrupt officials, losers in political struggles and political dissidents. That Tuoba Tao removed these suggests that Tuoba Si had imposed an abnormally large number of "禁錮". However, there was little factionalism within his reign itself, Tuoba Tao would never reinstate corrupt officials, and Tuoba Si wasn't known for his harsh crackdowns. I find it more likely that he imposed the "禁錮" on the ministers that Tuoba Shao had employed to replace the old ministers during his coup. He also used the "禁錮" after his southern expedition to suppress the Henan gentry's power, but I'll get to Tuoba Si's governance of Henan later: the records hide his desire to change Henan's political landscape, probably because it involved Xianbeification of the region.

Tuoba Si recognised that the palace attendants were capricious and might not support him, but he introduced a measure to change that:

Weishu volume 83: 詔泥與元渾等八人拾遺左右。

"[Tuoba Si] decreed for [Helan] Ni, Tuoba Mohun and others, eight people, to remedy the errors of the attendants."

The people who were remedying the errors of the attendants were all supporters of Tuoba Si in the coup. We know five of them: Tuoba Mohun, Yizhan Jun, Helan Ni, Qiudun Dui and Baba Han. We know that Tuoba Mohun, Yizhan Jun and Baba Han were involved in the plan to thwart Tuoba Shao's assassination attempt on Tuoba Si. But what did Helan Ni and Qiudun Dui do?

I think that Helan Ni and Qiudun Dui were the leaders of the old tribes who submitted to Tuoba Si and stopped the smoke signal. I also think that the other three unknown attendants were likely involved in convincing the imperial guard to arrest Tuoba Shao, or even the members of the imperial guard who were the leaders behind the arrest of Tuoba Shao.

He also immediately reformed the attendant system:

Weishu volume 113: 永興元年十一月，置騏驎官四十人，宿直殿省，比常侍、侍郎。

"In the first year of Yongxing [409] in the eleventh month, established the Unicorn Bureau of forty people, who spent the night on duty in the palace, similar to regular attendants."

It can be seen from this that Tuoba Si believed there to be too few night attendants, and that this played a hand in Tuoba Gui's inability to defend himself against Tuoba Shao. He therefore created a new bureau of night attendants, to ensure that the coup of Tuoba Shao could never happen again. As well, these people were chosen by him or his loyal officials, which would make them more loyal to him rather than to any remaining supporters of Tuoba Shao.

Tuoba Si also removed excess palace staff from the palace. He believed that it was better to have fewer, more talented attendants, and that there were too many in the palace. To him, if there were too many attendants, then it created more opportunities for plotting. He therefore released many of the palace maids and sent them to get married, and he likely also removed many of the palace eunuchs from their positions. Of course, the motive was also to increase labour and reduce palace expenses during a time of flood and drought, but I think that his doubts about the loyalty of these attendants also played a role. His strategy of keeping few, close attendants is one I'll talk about later.

He also needed to fix the problems of Tuoba Gui's final years:

Weishu volume 3: 公卿大臣先罷歸第不與朝政者，悉復登用之。詔南平公長孫嵩、北新侯安同對理民訟，簡賢任能，彝倫攸敍。

"The ministers who had earlier been dismissed and returned to their mansions, not taking part in politics, were all restored and re-employed. Decreed for the Duke of Nanping, Baba Song, and the Marquis of Beixin, An Tong, to handle the people's disputes, select the talented and rely on the able, and order and coherence were expressed from afar."

Tuoba Si both stabilised the government and the people. By re-instating the victims of both Tuoba Gui's purges and Tuoba Shao's promotion of the Helan tribe, Tuoba Si hoped to gather support from the officials. He also established central government ministers to handle law cases, which did not exist in Tuoba Gui's reign. This was actually a major step towards a more Han Chinese judicial system, where the central government had a major role in law enforcement. His reliance on the talented also led to more stability. In the end, his practical governance measures led to a stable and orderly reign.

The measures Tuoba Si took after coming to the throne easily shows why he won the succession struggle. Tuoba Shao tried to prop up a declining tribe and alienated everyone else in the process, failing to gather a support base, and even removed important reforms to raise up the Helan tribe. Tuoba Si, however, imposed practical measures to solve the serious problems of Tuoba Gui's later years, and acted in the interests of the officials as a group. Tuoba Si was simply a much better politician than Tuoba Shao, and smarter than him.

I will discuss Tuoba Si's own political measures later on, but for now I'm going to back to Tuoba Gui's reign and talk about his reforms and his founding of Northern Wei.

[craftercat]

A Detailed Analysis of the Northern Wei Emperors' Widow Suicide Tradition

In the early Northern Wei dynasty, a system was created where when a powerful and favoured official died, his wife would then be encouraged into committing suicide. The system started during the reign of Tuoba Si and remained prevalent in Tuoba Tao's reign, and there were some cases as far as 476, during Empress Dowager Feng's regency over Yuan Hong. Why was this implemented?

First of all, one thing that is unusual is that the Book of Wei considered this practice to be an honour for the official and their family due to their great favour. Despite this, the Book of Wei did criticise the similar tradition of the crown prince's mother being forced to commit suicide. The difference is probably because the latter tradition involved the emperor killing his own consort rather than someone else's.

Second of all, the starting point of the tradition is murky. The Book of Wei believes the official starting point to be Yizhan Jun's death and funeral rites in 416:

Book of Wei volume 29: 後有大功及寵幸貴臣薨，賻送終禮，皆依俊故事，無得踰之者。

"After, when ministers with great merits and special favour died, the rites of funerals and paying respects were all according to the practice of Yizhan Jun, and none were able to surpass it."

However, there is an earlier case of a similar type of death amongst official widows under Tuoba Si:

Book of Wei volume 34: 乃鴆其妻周氏，與洛兒合葬。

"[Tuoba Si] thus poisoned [Wang Luo'er's] wife Lady Zhou (should be Lady Pu), and buried her with Wang Luo'er."

Yet there are actually quite a few differences between this case and the case with Yizhan Jun's wife. The process in which a wife died from the tradition is demonstrated in Yizhan Jun's biography:

Book of Wei volume 29: 初，俊既卒，太宗命其妻桓氏曰：「夫生既共榮，沒宜同穴，能殉葬者可任意。」桓氏乃縊而死，遂合葬焉。

"The practice was that when Yizhan Jun died, Tuoba Si advised his wife Lady Huan (should be Wuwan) and said: "When people in life share honour, in death it is appropriate for them to share a tomb, and the ability to be one who is buried with the dead is up to free will." Lady Wuwan thus hanged herself and died, and was thereupon jointly buried with him."

(Here, the word "初" refers to a practice or tradition)

These two cases are rather different. In the case with Yizhan Jun, Tuoba Si encouraged Lady Wuwan to commit suicide, but he at least ostensibly left the final decision to her. This was how the other cases later on were also handled. However, when Wang Luo'er died, he poisoned his wife, which is different to the other cases.

So what is going on here? To look at this, we also need to look at another case of widow suicide:

Book of Wei volume 28: 妻劉氏自殺以從。

"[Suhe Ba's] wife Lady Liu (should be Dugu?) committed suicide in order to follow him [in death]."

Again, Lady Dugu's death is positioned as being a voluntary suicide to join her deceased husband. However, Suhe Ba had been executed by Tuoba Gui, and from his later actions, it appeared that he wanted to exterminate the power of the Suhe clan - well, that branch at least. So how voluntary was this suicide really? Maybe the real motive was fear for her life due to the impending extermination of the clan.

This case wasn't an official case of the tradition, but it could have a link to the tradition. This becomes more apparent when it can be found in the Book of Wei that the wives of Tuoba clan members were seemingly exempt from the tradition, as they never died due to it. In Tuoba Si's time, Tuoba Xi was favoured and highly rewarded with military merit, but when he died young at 22, even though he must surely have left behind a widow as he had seven children and it would be unusual for him not to marry a wife, this wife did not commit suicide. No other clan member's wife was subject to the tradition either.

In fact, the purpose of Tuoba Gui's political purges also provide crucial background information for the practice.

Although it is true that Tuoba Gui suffered from excessive paranoia and possibly insanity in his later years, his purges of major officials were primarily for the purpose of consolidating power. During Tuoba Gui's reign, there were many powerful ministers who had military accomplishment and a large following, such as Tuoba Yi or Yu Yue. Tuoba Gui saw these ministers as being a threat to his power, and so he launched purges against them.

Why does this matter? Because it showed that the Northern Wei emperors feared that their ministers would become too powerful. At this time, although the tribes had been disbanded, many tribes remained powerful, such as the Helan tribe, and there were also many powerful Han aristocratic families such as the Cui clan.

During Tuoba Si's reign, his policies were aimed towards solving internal issues such as bad harvests and the various conflicts between the imperial family and ministers, imperial court and local officials, local officials and common people, wealthy families and common people, Xiongnu-Xianbei tensions, and Han-non Han tensions.

This tradition was aimed towards settling the conflict between the imperial family and ministers. This explains why only some officials would be subject to the practice, and why the practice was not implemented for wives of Tuoba clan members.

When Tuoba Si was in power, he had to do the most work in resolving this conflict, which is why the practice was more prevalent then. The purges in Tuoba Gui's reign had only just ended, but there were still conflicts in this area. Tuoba Si solved the conflict between the imperial family and ministers by restoring ministers earlier removed from office, establishing a council to advise him on state affairs, and ordering his ministers to appoint the talented and able while keeping his clan out of politics.

(The death of Tuoba Qu can also be contextualised with this conflict. Tuoba Qu was a member of the imperial clan, and Tuoba Si's way of solving this conflict was to keep the imperial clan out of important positions and rely on those of different clans. Tuoba Si established Tuoba Qu as a general, which was a dividing line the Tuoba clan later used: they would use their own as generals, while using those of different clans as ministers. However, he did not get too powerful; he was defeated in a campaign and removed from capital governance, and was later executed for incompetence. Tuoba Xi also didn't do much after 413.)

However, this tradition was also used to solve this conflict. The Tuoba clan were worried that another tribe might try to seize power the same way that they themselves did: exploiting maternal connections. The Tuoba clan only rose to power because of the Helan and Murong clans, both maternal relatives. Tuoba Gui then spent years suppressing the Helan clan, and they were less influential under Tuoba Si after they emerged on the losing side of political struggle. Tuoba Shao's attempt to seize power was likely related to the influence of his mother Consort Helan. That made two instances of people trying to seize power via maternal connections.

By encouraging the suicides of his officials' wives, Tuoba Si aimed to help solve this by removing this passage to maternal connections. This would then lessen the power of these families and make them less of a threat. We can see from Yizhan Jun's biography that he was exceedingly powerful in Tuoba Si's reign:

Book of Wei volume 29: 太宗以俊前後功重，軍國大計一以委之，群官上事，先由俊銓校，然���奏聞。

"Tuoba Si because of Yizhan Jun's important merits from beginning to end, entrusted him with all important military and administrative matters, and when the officials submitted matters, they were first examined by Yizhan Jun, and then submitted to the emperor."

While all major military and state matters being entrusted to Yizhan Jun is probably an exaggeration, as he did not seem to be one of the ministers who were part of the eight-man council, it is clear from this passage that Yizhan Jun had a lot of power and influence in Tuoba Si's court.

Therefore, although Tuoba Si claims burial etiquette as his reason, the real reason behind Lady Wuwan's death is to suppress the power of the Yizhan clan. Yizhan Jun's father Yizhan Jian was a major general at the time and had much prestige, and both Yizhan Jian and Yizhan Jun having such great power meant that there was a risk of the clan becoming too powerful. Lady Wuwan's death was intended to break the connection between the Yizhan and Wuwan clans, weakening their power.

This can also be seen by who else was targeted by this policy. The minister Cui Hong's wife died due to this policy. Cui Hong's family were a Han aristocratic clan who were very powerful at the time, with both Cui Hong and his son Cui Hao being highly trusted by Tuoba Si. Therefore, this move could have weakened the Cui family's ties to other Han gentry clans.

The other person clearly targeted by this policy was Chekun Lutou, who was another highly trusted official. Though the Chekun clan were not particularly noble, Chekun Lutou was very powerful, being rewarded highly, and he was so powerful that he did not fear the rigorous investigations of Tuoba Si, that often led to punishment. Tuoba Si may have trusted Chekun Lutou himself highly, but the same couldn't be said for the clan and widow that he left behind.

Qiumuling Guan's wife was also encouraged into suicide due to this tradition. During this time it was Tuoba Tao's regency, and so it's unclear if Tuoba Si or Tuoba Tao was responsible for the order. This case is also a strange case as the wife of Qiumuling Guan was from the Tuoba clan, and killing her would simply lessen their own power. I think that either foul play was suspected on the part of the princess, because Qiumuling Guan died suddenly at the age of 34, or the princess died young before Qiumuling Guan and he married again. Especially if this princess was Tuoba Si's sister. Because I don't think that Tuoba Si would encourage the death of his own sister due to the tradition without any further reason, especially if Tuoba Si didn't apply it to his brothers.

As for the case of Wang Luo'er, it doesn't seem to fit with the others. The practice is dated to Yizhan Jun, not Wang Luo'er, despite the other rites being almost identical. And Wang Luo'er's wife was directly poisoned rather than forced to commit suicide. I think that Wang Luo'er's wife may have been poisoned for some other reason. Perhaps he was especially suspicious of her; Wang Luo'er died young, so maybe he suspected that she could have been involved. Then Tuoba Si claimed this practice to maintain Wang Luo'er's reputation.

Tuoba Si was able to greatly improve the internal situation, and many of these internal conflicts became less severe or disappeared. The conflict between the imperial clan and the ministers almost disappeared, as only Tuoba Qu and Gongsun Biao were executed, which was a low rate of execution for major ministers in this era of Northern Wei. However, his successor Tuoba Tao continued to remain vigilant, though the practice became less frequent.

Tuoba Tao encouraged the wife of his general Baba Han to commit suicide when he died. The Baba clan were an influential Xianbei clan at the time, with powerful representatives such as Baba Song and Baba Daosheng in addition to Baba Han.

Later on, the official Tufulu Luyuan was buried with the rites of Yizhan Jun, which would have included this practice. However, his burial rites went beyond Yizhan Jun's, so later cases used the euphemism "buried according to the funeral rites of Tufulu Luyuan" instead.

However, this practice became less common during this era. I think that part of the reason is that the imperial clan-ministers conflict was mostly solved during this time. As well, Tuoba Tao believed that the wedding and funeral rites were extravagant and wanted to set limits on them, and he may have seen this practice as being a symbol of extravagance (rather than, you know, politics or misogyny).

Another reason this practice declined is simply because so many major ministers of the Tuoba Tao era were executed or disgraced. Cui Hao, Li Shun, Dugu Jie, Tuxi Bi, Zhang Li, Daxi Juan, Dou Jin and others were all executed. Baba Song and Daxi Jin never quite regained their former reputation. Only Yizhan Jian and Baba Daosheng of the old ministers were unscathed, and both of them were old when they died and so may not have had a living wife at the time.

After Tuoba Tao, the ministers engaged in struggles with each other that prevented any one of them from being too powerful, so this weakened their power. During this era, Chekun Yiluo's wife was encouraged to commit suicide due to this practice.

After Tuoba Jun's death, the minister Yifu Hun monopolised power and killed many ministers, and the ministers together with Empress Dowager Feng killed him. During this period, the power of the ministers was reduced with the execution of the general Murong Baiyao, which solidified power in the hands of Empress Dowager Feng and Tuoba Hong.

There was still a case of this tradition however, with the official Suliujin Shi's wife in 471. But like Qiumuling Guan, Suliujin Shi was married to a clan member, Princess Shanggu. Like with Qiumuling Guan, maybe Princess Shanggu had died? But what if it was because of Empress Dowager Feng that she died? Empress Dowager Feng was no stranger to taking advantage of patriarchal systems to eliminate female rivals. Maybe she saw Princess Shanggu or her branch of the Tuoba family as being a threat, and she therefore used this system to kill Princess Shanggu and weaken her branch of the clan.

After this, I could not find any other instances of the practice being implemented. This came with the Sinicisation efforts of Empress Dowager Feng and Yuan Hong, which may have made such practices seem outdated or overly tied to Xianbei tradition. However, this period was also one where many internal conflicts were solved, which may have also played a role. Later emperors were dominated by their ministers, but this was mostly allowed and never really suppressed.

The Book of Wei would later criticise the practice of killing the crown prince's mother as being cruel, but it made no direct comment on this practice. In fact, the Book of Wei seems to view this practice as being a symbol of honour and favour for the minister, rather than criticising it. It also seemed to imply that the grand funeral rites, widow suicide included, were appropriate for the ministers due to their favour and loyalty.

It is true that the Northern Wei dynasty was one of the better dynasties for the common woman, as the emperors made no laws that restricted the greater freedom of common women. However, the Northern Wei rulers also considered the freedom of elite women to ba a threat to their own power, so they suppressed these women.

[craftercat]

How would you rank the Northern wei dynasty emperors for their talents and capabilities?

Tuoba Gui: 8/10. He founded Northern Wei and greatly expanded its territory and defeated the Rouran. He consolidated his power by abolishing independent tribal chiefs and encouraged agricultural development. However, he became cruel and paranoid at the end of his reign, executing officials for minor reasons, and this led to corruption and rampant crime.

Tuoba Si: 8/10. He was a good administrator, less cruel than his father or his son, and started the idea of Northern Wei emperors actually listening to their advisors. He frequently inquired about the people's hardships and also encouraged agriculture, and fixed the problems of Tuoba Gui's late reign. He was able to fend off Rouran attacks and took lands to the south when Liu Yu died, however he did have a few military failures which bring his rating down.

Tuoba Tao: 8.5/10. He actually reunified the north for a period of time that wasn't 5 minutes. He was also a good administrator and did his best to deal with corruption. However, like his grandfather, he became cruel at the end of his reign. This led to factionalism and political intrigue that caused the death of his crown prince and trusted minister, and was eventually assassinated.

Tuoba Yu: ?/10. I'm not even sure if he counts as an emperor or not, as he was only honoured as a prince. He was a puppet of Zong Ai and killed by Zong Ai when he wanted power for himself.#

Tuoba Jun: 7/10. He allowed the people to rest after the military campaigns of Tuoba Tao, and was more lenient than his grandfather, taking more after his great-grandfather Tuoba Si. He had some success with Rouran, but mixed results with Liu Song, and there was a lot of political intrigue during his early reign over his regency.

Tuoba Hong: 8/10. During his actual reign, he encouraged honesty in officials and was more involved in criminal cases. He did manipulate these cases a few times, however the overall effect was fairer application of laws. He abdicated to his son at 17 to pursue his philosophical interests.

Yuan Hong: 8/10. His sinicisation reforms shaped the culture of the Northern Qi, Northern Zhou, Sui and Tang dynasties. However, it did face a lot of backlash that led to division and conflict during his actual reign. He likely had a role along with Empress Feng in the creation of the successful equal-field system and Three Elders system, which took power away from powerful magistrates and ensured more land was worked.

Yuan Ke: 3.5/10. During his reign, there was a lot of conflict between the powerful and corrupt Gao Zhao and the imperial clan. This fighting further weakened the Northern Wei, especially as his successor was five when he died. He abolished the "子贵母死" system, however this led to the regency of Consort Hu.

Yuan Xu: ?/10. He was a puppet of his mother Empress Hu and the regent Yuan Cha due to being a child. Neither regent was any good and their corruption led to revolts throughout Northern Wei. Empress Hu eventually poisoned him.

Yuan Ziyou: 5/10. He seemed to have talent himself, but ended up a puppet of Erzhu Rong. He killed Erzhu Rong in a coup, however he was killed by Erzhu Rong's relatives.

Yuan Gong: 5/10. Like Yuan Ziyou, he tried to exert influence himself, but the Erzhus were still very powerful. Their corruption led to Gao Huan rebelling and got poisoned.

After this it's just puppets of Gao Huan or Yuwen Tai.