Huangfu Zhen
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Huangfu Zhen ( 4th century),
courtesy name A courtesy name ( zh, s=字, p=zì, l=character), also known as a style name, is an additional name bestowed upon individuals at adulthood, complementing their given name. This tradition is prevalent in the East Asian cultural sphere, particula ...
Chuji, was a Chinese official of
Former Yan Yan, known in historiography as the Former Yan (; 337–370), was a dynastic state of China ruled by the Murong clan of the Xianbei during the Sixteen Kingdoms period. From Liaoning, the Former Yan later conquered and ruled over Hebei, Shaanxi, ...
during the
Sixteen Kingdoms The Sixteen Kingdoms (), less commonly the Sixteen States, was a chaotic period in Chinese history from AD 304 to 439 when northern China fragmented into a series of short-lived dynastic states. The majority of these states were founded b ...
period. One of the few officials to serve four generations of Murong Hui's lineage, Zhen was an outlier of the group, as he was able to live long enough to see Yan's demise to
Former Qin Qin, known as the Former Qin and Fu Qin (苻秦) in historiography, was a Dynasties of China, dynastic state of China ruled by the Fu (Pu) clan of the Di (Five Barbarians), Di peoples during the Sixteen Kingdoms period. Founded in the wake of ...
in 370. During the reign of
Murong Wei Murong Wei (; 350 – January 385), courtesy name Jingmao (景茂), also known by his Southern Yan-accorded posthumous name as the Emperor You of Former Yan (前燕幽帝), was the last emperor of the Xianbei-led Chinese Former Yan dynasty. He b ...
, Zhen was a key ally to Murong Ke who warned him about
Muyu Gen Muyu Gen (died 360) was a military general and regent of Former Yan during the Sixteen Kingdoms period. He was a main contributor to Murong Huang's victory in the defence of Jicheng (棘城, in modern Jinzhou, Liaoning) in 338 and convinced ...
and aided him in defeating the rebel, Lü Hu. Zhen was also commended for being Yan's last few competent ministers during its final four years of existence as corruption under Murong Ping's regency led the state to its downfall.


Service under Murong Hui

Huangfu Zhen was from Chaona County in
Anding Commandery Anding Commandery ( zh, c=安定郡, l=Peaceful and Stable) was a historical commandery (China), commandery of China, located in what is now eastern Gansu and southern Ningxia. History Anding commandery was carved out of Beidi Commandery, Beidi in ...
(安定郡, present-day Zhenyuan,
Gansu province Gansu is a provinces of China, province in Northwestern China. Its capital and largest city is Lanzhou, in the southeastern part of the province. The seventh-largest administrative district by area at , Gansu lies between the Tibetan Plateau, Ti ...
). Ever since he was young, he was noted to be naturally gifted. In 313, his brother, Huangfu Ji (皇甫岌), received an invitation from the
Jin dynasty Jin may refer to: States Jìn 晉 * Jin (Chinese state) (晉國), major state of the Zhou dynasty, existing from the 11th century BC to 376 BC * Jin dynasty (266–420) (晉朝), also known as Liang Jin and Sima Jin * Jin (Later Tang precursor) ...
vassal, Murong Hui, who wanted Ji to serve in his administration. Ji accepted it and brought along Zhen to meet with Murong Hui. Both were accepted into Hui's administration, with Zhen being one of Hui's officials who he trusted in handling confidential affairs. When Zhen turned 20, Murong Hui had him served as a Household-Attendant in his fief.


Service under Murong Huang

When Murong Huang succeeded as Duke of Liaodong in 333, Huangfu Zhen was made a Registrar. Although Huang had only taken his father's place, he immediately began imposing harsh and strict laws which unsettled many of his people who were used to Hui's more lenient governance. Huangfu Zhen bluntly advised Huang against his actions, but Huang ignored him. Months later, Huang's younger brother,
Murong Ren Murong Ren (died 336), childhood name Qiannian, was the brother of the Prince of Former Yan, Murong Huang during the Sixteen Kingdoms period. He was Murong Hui's second son through Hui's wife, Lady Duan (段夫人). In 333, following the succe ...
, rebelled and easily took over
Liaodong The Liaodong or Liaotung Peninsula ( zh, s=辽东半岛, t=遼東半島, p=Liáodōng Bàndǎo) is a peninsula in southern Liaoning province in Northeast China, and makes up the southwestern coastal half of the Liaodong region. It is located ...
after many among the populace decided to surrender to him. Huang regretted not taking Huangfu Zhen's earlier warnings, so he had him appointed Attendant Officer With Separate Carriage of Pingzhou. During the civil war between Huang and Ren, Huang's territory was plagued with internal problems which exhausted the people. Huangfu Zhen proposed to Huang that they reduce their taxes and grant them more rest from corvée labour. However, because his suggestions were not aligned with the state's policy, Murong Huang had him stripped of office. After defeating Murong Ren in 336, Huang declared himself the Prince of Yan the following year. He began giving out new positions to his officials including Huangfu Zhen, who he made ''rong qi chang shi'' (宂騎常侍). Zhen was able to win back Murong Huang's trust in 338 by distinguishing himself in Huang's victory over the
Later Zhao Zhao, briefly known officially as Wei (衛) in 350 AD, known in historiography as the Later Zhao (; 319–351) or Shi Zhao (石趙), was a dynasty of China ruled by the Shi family of Jie ethnicity during the Sixteen Kingdoms period. Among the ...
general,
Ma Qiu Ma Qiu (died 350) was a military general of Later Zhao and Former Qin during the Sixteen Kingdoms period. Ma Qiu participated in Zhao's campaigns against Former Yan and Former Liang, in which both he met with failures. During the confusion of S ...
. Because of this, Zhen was appointed Commandant of the Chariots and acting Administrator of Liaodong and Yingqiu. In all his new roles, it was said that he governed well.


Service under Murong Jun

Murong Huang became ill in 348 and died shortly after. Following the succession of his son,
Murong Jun Murong Jun (; 319 – 23 February 360), Xianbei name Helaiba (賀賴跋), courtesy name Xuanying (宣英), also known by his posthumous name as the Emperor Jingzhao of Former Yan (前燕景昭帝), was the second and penultimate ruler of the Form ...
, Huangfu Zhen was called into the court to serve as Prefect of the Canons and Texts. In 350, Murong Jun held an invasion of the Central Plains. Serving as Prefect of the Directors of Writing, Huangfu Zhen was assigned to the rear, where he was tasked in handling state affairs while Jun and the others oversaw the offence. Yan captured and executed the ruler of Ran Wei,
Ran Min Ran Min (; died 352), also known as Shi Min (石閔), posthumously honored by the Former Yan as Heavenly King Wudao of (Ran) Wei ((冉)魏武悼天王), courtesy name Yongzeng (永曾), nickname Jinu (棘奴), was a military leader during the er ...
in 352. His heir,
Ran Zhi Ran Zhi (; died ) was the crown prince of the short-lived Chinese state Ran Wei. His father was the state's only emperor, Ran Min. Ran Zhi, as Ran Min's oldest son, was created crown prince A crown prince or hereditary prince is the he ...
, was in still in their capital, Ye and continued to resist. Murong Jun sent his uncle Murong Ping to capture Ye and later reinforced him with Huangfu Zhen,
Yang Wu Wu (), also referred to as Huainan (), Hongnong (), Southern Wu (), or Yang Wu (楊吳), was a dynastic state of China and one of the Ten Kingdoms during the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms period. It existed from 907 to 937 with capital at ...
and
Murong Jūn Murong (; LHC: *''mɑC-joŋ''; EMC: *''mɔh-juawŋ'') or Muren refers to an ethnic Xianbei tribe who are attested from the time of Tanshihuai (reigned 156–181). Different strands of evidence exist linking the Murong to the MongolsТаски ...
. Ye eventually fell and Ran Zhi was captured on 8 September 352, thus ending the short-lived state. In the aftermath of the siege, Huangfu Zhen did not plunder Ye's many treasures and funds. He instead focused on providing relief to the people within the city as well as gathering maps and records from the archives. On 3 January 353, prior to becoming Emperor, Murong Jun handed out imperial offices to his officials, including Huangfu Zhen who became deputy director of the Left of the Masters of Writing. The next day, Jun proclaimed himself Emperor of Yan and broke away from the Jin dynasty.


Service under Murong Wei


Muyu Gen affair

Murong Jun's son, Murong Wei ascended the throne in 360 after his father succumbed to his illness. Wei was still a child, so Murong Jun appointed four regents to him before his death, which included Jun's brother Murong Ke and the general Muyu Gen. Gen was an accomplished veteran of the state and was very jealous towards Murong Ke, who was given more power than him despite Gen serving a relatively longer time. He attempted to stir trouble by to persuading Ke into taking the throne. However, Ke refused to listen and instead reprimanded him. Ke later brought the matter to his brother,
Murong Chui Murong Chui (; 326 – 2 June 396), courtesy name Daoming (道明), Xianbei name Altun (阿六敦), also known by his posthumous name as the Emperor Chengwu of Later Yan (後燕成武帝), was the founding emperor of China's Later Yan dynasty ...
and Huangfu Zhen. Zhen had always suspected Muyu Gen of attempting to grab more power for himself. Now that this incident came to light, Zhen told Ke that he must do what was best for the state and get rid of Muyu Gen before he causes trouble in the future. Murong Ke originally refused to take his advice, believing it to be inappropriate for a regent to kill a co-regent. However, as Ke discovered the subjects of Muyu Gen's latest advices to Murong Wei, Murong Ke and Murong Ping immediately had him and his family arrested and executed. Murong Ke later apologized to Huangfu Zhen for not listening to him.


Campaign against Lü Hu

In 361, Yan's Administrator of Henei, Lü Hu, rebelled against Yan and surrendered to Jin. Murong Ke proposed to the court that they get Lü Hu to surrender with an edict instead of subduing him through force. However, Huangfu Zhen disagreed, pointing out that Lü Hu have betrayed Yan three times already in the past nine years. Zhen argued that Lü Hu must be killed in order to show their strength. Murong Ke took his advice and brought Zhen to lead a joint campaign on Lü Hu with him. Lü's base in Yewang (野王縣; present-day
Qinyang Qinyang () is a county-level city in Henan province, China, bordering Shanxi province to the north. It is administered by the prefecture-level city Jiaozuo. The current population of Qinyang is estimated at 470,000. In 1999, the population stood a ...
,
Henan Henan; alternatively Honan is a province in Central China. Henan is home to many heritage sites, including Yinxu, the ruins of the final capital of the Shang dynasty () and the Shaolin Temple. Four of the historical capitals of China, Lu ...
) was besieged for months, and the situation for him gradually deteriorated. Huangfu Zhen's division was the weakest between his and Murong Ke's, so Zhen warned his subordinates to be wary as he suspected that Lü Hu would make a last resort attack on their army in order to flee. Just as Zhen predicted, Lü Hu gathered his best troops and concentrated them on Huangfu Zhen, but he was unable to break through the siege line. Murong Ke quickly linked up with Zhen and attacked Lü Hu. Lü's army was decimated, and Lü himself barely escaped to
Xingyang Xingyang () is a county-level city in Zhengzhou, Henan Province, South Central China. It is under the administration of the prefecture-level city of Zhengzhou. It is situated 15 kilometers to the west of Zhengzhou city proper. The population of ...
. After returning from the campaign, Huangfu Zhen was awarded the offices of General Who Guards The West, Inspector of
Bingzhou Bingzhou, or Bing Province, was a location in ancient China. According to legend, when Yu the Great (–2100 BC) tamed the flood, he divided the land of China into the Nine Provinces. Historical texts such as the ''Rites of Zhou'', and "Treatise ...
, and acting General of the Household Gentlemen Who Protects The
Xiongnu The Xiongnu (, ) were a tribal confederation of Nomad, nomadic peoples who, according to ancient Chinese historiography, Chinese sources, inhabited the eastern Eurasian Steppe from the 3rd century BC to the late 1st century AD. Modu Chanyu, t ...
. He was then recalled to the court to serve as Palace Attendant and Household Counsellor. In 365, he became Minister of Works and acting chief of the Palace Secretariat.


Rise of Former Qin

Murong Ke was widely feared throughout the land as a powerful general when he was alive, so when he died in 367, Yan's neighbours, Former Qin and Jin began plotting their next move against Yan. Qin's ruler, Fu Jian, sent the Xiongnu chieftain Cao Gu (曹轂) to visit Yan ostensibly to present tribute, but following Cao was Jian's agent, Guo Bian (郭辯) who he tasked in inspecting the situation in Yan. Zhen had an elder brother named Huangfu Tian (皇甫腆) and two nephews named Huangfu Fen (皇甫奮) and Huangfu Fu (皇甫覆). All three of them were serving Qin, so Guo Bian decided to use this fact against Huangfu Zhen to test him. He said to Zhen, "Though I am a native of Qin, the state had my family executed. That is why I place my trust in Lord Cao. Your elder brother and nephews are all close acquaintances of mine." Zhen reacted angrily towards his statements and accused him of malicious intent. Zhen asked Murong Ping to interrogate Guo, but Ping refused. When Guo returned to Fu Jian, he reported to him, "There is little discipline within the Yan government, they are ready for the taking. Only Huangfu Zhen is knowledgable, so we should be careful of him." Fu Jian said, "In all their six provinces, they have yet to find a single man of wisdom. Though Huangfu Zhen serves Yan, his roots lie in the land of Qin. No doubt that the Guanxi is filled with many talented gentlemen." After Yang Wu died in 367, Huangfu Zhen replaced him as Grand Commandant and was once again appointed Palace Attendant. The following year, the Qin princes, Fu Liu (苻柳), Fu Shuang (苻雙), Fu Sou (苻廋) and Fu Wu (苻武) rebelled against Fu Jian.
Murong De Murong De (; 336–405), name changed in 400 to Murong Beide (慕容備德), courtesy name Xuanming (玄明), also known by his posthumous name as the Emperor Xianwu of Southern Yan (南燕獻武帝), was the founding emperor of the Xianbei-led ...
wrote a memorial to the court proposing that they intervene in Fu Jian's civil war, adding that Huangfu Zhen, Murong Chui and Murong Ping should be dispatched to assist them at once. However, his memorial was rejected by Murong Ping. Fu Sou later wrote a letter to Murong Chui and Huangfu Zhen, warning them about Fu Jian and his talented advisor Wang Meng, as well as asking them for help. Murong Chui said to Huangfu Zhen, "The greatest threat of our time is certainly Qin, but seeing our lord's youth and the Grand Tutor's (Murong Ping) insightfulness, how can they ever be a match for Fu Jian and Wang Meng?" Zhen replied, "Indeed, but even if I know it, what good would it be if no one listens to me?" By the end of the year, all four princes were defeated, and order was restored in Qin.


Fall of Yan and later life

In 369, the Grand Marshal of Jin,
Huan Wen Huan Wen (桓溫) (312 – 18 August 373), courtesy name Yuanzi (元子), formally Duke Xuanwu of Nan Commandery (南郡宣武公), was a general and regent of the Jin dynasty (266–420), as well as the leader of Huan clan of Qiaoguo (谯国桓 ...
, launched a grand expedition against Yan. Yan allied themselves with Qin, and after a decisive Yan victory at the Battle of Fangtou by Murong Chui, Huan Wen was driven back south. Yan had promised Qin with territory west of
Hulao Hulao Pass () is a choke point northwest of Xingyang, Henan province, China in the foothills of Mount Song. It is the site of many historical battles, being the eastern guard for the capital Luoyang for several dynasties. With Mount Song to the ...
but retracted it after they no longer need their help. Qin saw this as their pretext to invade Yan. This was even further fuelled by Murong Chui's defection from Yan to Qin. When Yan's envoy, Liang Chen (梁琛) returned from Qin, his alarming reports were disregarded by both Murong Ping and Murong Wei, but Huangfu Zhen became worried when he came to know of it. Zhen submitted a petition to the court, urging them to take the Qin threat seriously and fortify
Luoyang Luoyang ( zh, s=洛阳, t=洛陽, p=Luòyáng) is a city located in the confluence area of the Luo River and the Yellow River in the west of Henan province, China. Governed as a prefecture-level city, it borders the provincial capital of Zheng ...
,
Taiyuan Taiyuan; Mandarin pronunciation: (Jin Chinese, Taiyuan Jin: /tʰai˦˥ ye˩˩/) is the capital of Shanxi, China. Taiyuan is the political, economic, cultural and international exchange center of Shanxi Province. It is an industrial base foc ...
, and Huguan garrisons. Murong Wei turned to Murong Ping in regard to Zhen's petition, but Ping assured him that Qin posed no harm to Yan, so the petition was largely ignored. In the end, both Wei and Ping were proven wrong, as Qin was able to conquer Yan within a year by 370. Fu Jian entered Yan's capital of Ye in December of that year. When Wang Meng first entered Ye, Huangfu Zhen only looked up at the head of Wang's horse and saluted him. The next day, Zhen began addressing Wang as 'minister'. When asked why, Zhen replied, "Minister, yesterday you were an enemy, this morning you are a gentleman of my state. What is so strange in saluting an enemy and addressing a fellow gentleman as 'minister'?" Wang Meng was pleased with his answer. In January 371, Huangfu Zhen was brought to Qin's capital in
Chang'an Chang'an (; zh, t=長安, s=长安, p=Cháng'ān, first=t) is the traditional name of the city now named Xi'an and was the capital of several Chinese dynasties, ranging from 202 BCE to 907 CE. The site has been inhabited since Neolithic time ...
. He was appointed Commandant of the Chariots and would serve Qin for several years before dying of old age. His year of death is not recorded.


Personality

According to the ''
Book of Jin The ''Book of Jin'' is an official Chinese historical text covering the history of the Jin dynasty (266–420), Jin dynasty from 266 to 420. It was compiled in 648 by a number of officials commissioned by the imperial court of the Tang dynasty, ...
'', Huangfu Zhen was very frugal and had very little ambition. He did not associate himself with any industry and was measured in the way he drinks. A talented writer, he also wrote at least 40 poems and rhapsodies throughout his life.(真性清儉寡欲,不營產業,飲酒至石餘不亂,雅好屬文,凡著詩賦四十餘篇。) Book of Jin, Volume 109


References

* Fang, Xuanling (ed.) (648). ''
Book of Jin The ''Book of Jin'' is an official Chinese historical text covering the history of the Jin dynasty (266–420), Jin dynasty from 266 to 420. It was compiled in 648 by a number of officials commissioned by the imperial court of the Tang dynasty, ...
'' (''Jin Shu''). * Sima, Guang (1084). ''
Zizhi Tongjian The ''Zizhi Tongjian'' (1084) is a chronicle published during the Northern Song dynasty (960–1127) that provides a record of Chinese history from 403 BC to 959 AD, covering 16 dynasties and spanning almost 1400 years. The main text is ...
''. * Cui, Hong (501–522). ''
Spring and Autumn Annals of the Sixteen Kingdoms The ''Spring and Autumn Annals of the Sixteen Kingdoms'', also known by its Chinese title ''Shiliuguo Chunqiu'' () is a Chinese biographical historical work of the Sixteen Kingdoms compiled by the Northern Wei official Cui Hong between 501 and 5 ...
'' (''Shiliuguo Chunqiu'') {{DEFAULTSORT:Huangfu, Zhen Former Yan generals Jin dynasty (266–420) people Former Qin people Year of death unknown Year of birth unknown