Princess Lan (蘭王妃, personal name unknown) was the wife of

Murong Sheng Murong Sheng (; 373–401), courtesy name Daoyun (道運), also known by his posthumous name as the Emperor Zhaowu of Later Yan (後燕昭武帝), was an emperor of the Xianbei-led Later Yan dynasty of China. He was the oldest son of Murong Bao ( ...

(Emperor Zhaowu), an emperor of the

Chinese Chinese may refer to: * Something related to China * Chinese people, people identified with China, through nationality, citizenship, and/or ethnicity **Han Chinese, East Asian ethnic group native to China. **'' Zhonghua minzu'', the supra-ethnic ...

Xianbei The Xianbei (; ) were an ancient nomadic people that once resided in the eastern Eurasian steppes in what is today Mongolia, Inner Mongolia, and Northeastern China. The Xianbei were likely not of a single ethnicity, but rather a multiling ...

state

Later Yan Yan, known in historiography as the Later Yan (; 384 – 407 or 409), was a dynastic state of China ruled by the Xianbei people during the era of Sixteen Kingdoms. The prefix "Later" to distinguish them from the Former Yan before them and othe ...

, while he was an imperial prince. Princess Lan was the daughter of Lan Han the Prince of Dunqiu and his wife Lady Yi. It is not known when she married Murong Sheng, but as of 398, she carried the title of princess, because Murong Sheng was the Prince of Changle under the reign of his father

Murong Bao Murong Bao (; 355–398), courtesy name Daoyou (道佑), Xianbei name Kugou (庫勾), also known by his posthumous name as the Emperor Huimin of Later Yan (後燕惠愍帝), was an Emperor of China, emperor of the Xianbei-led Chinese Later Yan, La ...

(Emperor Huimin). That year, after a rebellion secretly instigated by Lan Han, Murong Bao and Murong Sheng were forced to flee from the capital Longcheng (龍城, in modern

Jinzhou Jinzhou (, zh, s= , t=錦州 , p=Jǐnzhōu), formerly Chinchow, is a coastal prefecture-level city in central-west Liaoning province, China. It is a geographically strategic city located in the Liaoxi Corridor, which connects most of the la ...

Liaoning ) , image_skyline = , image_alt = , image_caption = Clockwise: Mukden Palace in Shenyang, Xinghai Square in Dalian, Dalian coast, Yalu River at Dandong , image_map = Liaoning in China (+all claims hatched).svg , ...

). During that flight, Princess Lan was described to have carefully served her mother-in-law, Murong Bao's

concubine Concubinage is an interpersonal relationship, interpersonal and Intimate relationship, sexual relationship between two people in which the couple does not want to, or cannot, enter into a full marriage. Concubinage and marriage are often regarde ...

Consort Ding. Later that year, Lan Han laid a trap for Murong Bao and tricked him into believing that he was still faithful to Murong Bao, and then as Murong Bao approached Longcheng, he had Murong Bao killed. He then took over the throne. However, due to pleas from Princess Lan and Lady Yi, Lan Han did not execute Murong Sheng. Later that year, Murong Sheng overthrew Lan Han in a coup and restored Later Yan as its emperor. He considered executing Princess Lan, as the daughter of a traitor, but Consort Ding (then an

empress dowager Empress dowager (also dowager empress or empress mother; ) is the English language translation of the title given to the mother or widow of a monarch, especially in regards to Chinese, Japanese, Korean, or Vietnamese monarchs in the Chines ...

) interceded on her behalf, reasoning that Princess Lan was the one who protected both Murong Sheng and herself, and Princess Lan was spared. However, she would never be empress. Murong Sheng never created another person as empress during his reign, either, suggesting that he still considered Princess Lan as his wife. Murong Sheng was assassinated in 401, and no further historical reference was made to Princess Lan after that point.

References

{{reflist Later Yan people Sixteen Kingdoms nobility