Murong Bao - Reign

Reign

One of the first things that Murong Bao did as emperor was forcing his stepmother Duan Yuanfei to commit suicide, still resentful that she advised his father to remove him as crown prince. However, he still buried her with his father, with imperial honors.

Murong Bao also faced a succession issue. His son Murong Hui the Duke of Qinghe was most favored by Murong Chui and considered the most capable, and when Murong Chui waged his last campaign, he put Murong Hui in charge of the old Former Yan capital, the important city of Longcheng (龍城, in modern Jinzhou, Liaoning). As Murong Chui was on his deathbed, he further told Murong Bao to make Murong Hui his crown prince, but Murong Bao favored his young son Murong Ce (慕容策) the Duke of Puyang, and did not favor Murong Hui. Further, Murong Sheng the Duke of Changle, who was slightly older than Murong Hui, also did not want Murong Hui to be crown prince, and so also encouraged Murong Bao to create Murong Ce crown prince. Murong Bao did so in fall 396, and created Murong Hui and Murong Sheng princes. Murong Hui was displeased and secretly considered rebellion.

Murong Bao had more immediate pressing concerns, however. In fall 396 as well, Tuoba Gui led his Northern Wei troops and made a surprise attack on Bing Province (并州, modern central and northern Shanxi), defeating Murong Nong and forcing him to flee back to Zhongshan. Tuoba Gui then advanced east, ready to attack Zhongshan. Accepting Murong Lin's suggestion, Murong Bao prepared to defend Zhongshan, leaving the Northern Wei forces free to roam over his territory, believing that Northern Wei would retreat once its forces are worn out. However, this had the effect that all of the cities' garrisons in modern Hebei abandoned them, except for Zhongshan and two other important cities -- Yecheng and Xindu (信都, in modern Hengshui, Hebei). After making an initial attack against Zhongshan and failing, Tuoba Gui changed his tactic to establishing his rule over the other cities while leaving Zhongshan alone. In spring 397, Xindu fell. Meanwhile, however, Tuoba Gui had received news of a rebellion near his capital Shengle and offered peace—which Murong Bao rejected, and Murong Bao attacked Northern Wei forces as Tuoba Gui prepared to retreat, but instead was defeated by Tuoba Gui at great loss. Murong Long offered to lead the remaining forces in Zhongshan in a battle against Northern Wei and Murong Bao agreed, but Murong Bao then vacillated and eventually, because Murong Lin opposed, cancelled the plan. He also vacillated between whether to accept a proposal to return Tuoba Gu to Northern Wei and ceding Bing Province for peace. When Murong Lin subsequently rebelled, Murong Bao worried that Murong Lin would seize Murong Hui's troops (which were then advancing toward Zhongshan to relieve it, but due to Murong Hui's continued resentment was advancing slowly), and so decided to abandon Zhongshan to head for Longcheng. Murong Long agreed with the plan, but outlined to Murong Bao the reasons, once at Longcheng he should not head back south for a long time. Murong Bao agreed, and they abandoned Zhongshan to join Murong Hui's forces.

Murong Hui, meanwhile, on the way back to Longcheng, considered seizing power by force and finally resolved to do so. He sent assassins to kill Murong Long and Murong Nong (believing that the two uncles posed the most military threat to him), but was only successful in killing Murong Long. Murong Bao and Murong Nong's forces quickly fled to Longcheng, and Murong Hui subsequently put Longcheng under siege. Under a surprise attack led by Gao Yun, however, Murong Hui's forces collapsed, and he fled back to Zhongshan, where the remaining garrison was under the leadership of Murong Bao's cousin Murong Xiang (慕容詳) the Duke of Kaifeng. Murong Xiang killed him. Meanwhile, Murong Bao adopted Gao Yun as his own son and created him the Duke of Xiyang.

As Murong Bao settled in at Longcheng, Zhongshan and Yecheng lost contact with him. Murong Xiang declared himself emperor, but was soon defeated and killed by Murong Lin, who also declared himself emperor. However, he was soon defeated by Northern Wei forces, and he fled to Yecheng and, giving up his imperial title, persuaded Murong Bao's uncle Murong De, the defender of Yecheng, to abandon it and head south of the Yellow River to Huatai (滑台, in modern in modern Anyang, Henan). Murong De did so, and once at Huatai, in spring 398, he effectively declared independence by claiming the title Prince of Yan and changing era name, establishing Southern Yan. Meanwhile, not knowing this and having received Murong De's earlier report requesting that he return to the south, Murong Bao prepared a campaign to recover lost territory, against Murong Nong and Murong Sheng's pleas that the army was already worn out.

As soon as Murong Bao left Longcheng, however, his general Duan Sugu (段速骨) started a rebellion, and the army abandoned Murong Bao, who immediately fled back to Longcheng. Meanwhile, Duan, having forced Murong Long's son Murong Chong (慕容崇) the Prince of Gaoyang as leader, besieged Longcheng. Even with secret help from Lan Han the Prince of Dunqiu—Murong Chui's uncle—however, Duan was initially unsuccessful, until Murong Nong inexplicably surrendered to him, destroying morale and causing Longcheng to fall. Murong Bao and Murong Sheng fled south and, in the confusion, Lan took over Longcheng and offered to receive Murong Bao back. Murong Bao, who had reached Jicheng (modern Beijing) (modern Beijing) by this point, wanted to head back, but Murong Sheng persuaded to try to head south to seek aid from Murong De, not realizing that Murong De had declared independence. Once they reached the vicinity of Huatai, however, they heard about how Murong De had assumed imperial powers and therefore fled back north. Many cities on the way offered to coalesce around Murong Bao to start a new resistance against Northern Wei, but Murong Bao resolved to head back to Longcheng. Murong Sheng, suspecting that Lan Han was up to no good, tried to persuade Murong Bao otherwise, but was unable to get him to change his mind, and Murong Sheng fled and hid.

When Murong Bao approached Longcheng in early summer 398, Lan Han sent his brother Lan Jia'nan (蘭加難) to welcome Murong Bao but in actuality to guard him. Against the advice of Yu Chong (餘崇), Murong Bao accepted Lan Jia'nan's escort, and right outside Longcheng, Lan Jia'nan executed Yu and Murong Bao. Lan Han would then slaughter most of the Murong clan and take over the empire, but spared Murong Sheng (because Murong Sheng was the husband of one of his daughters), and two months later Murong Sheng would overthrow Lan Han and reestablish Later Yan with himself as its emperor. However, Later Yan would not be a key player again in Chinese military matters, and would fall a decade later.