27 Facts About Feng Ba

Feng Ba became monarch after Gao Yun, whom he supported in a 407 coup that overthrew Murong Xi, was assassinated in 409.

Feng Ba was said to have had more than 100 sons, but after his death in 430, his brother and successor Feng Hong had them all executed.

When Western Yan was destroyed by the Later Yan emperor Murong Chui in 394, Feng An's household was forcibly moved to Helong, where Feng Ba grew up, apparently under heavy Xianbei influence, for his nickname Qizhifa suggested Xianbei origin.

Feng Ba had three younger brothers, all of whom admired heroic behavior and largely ignored social restraints, but Feng Ba himself was considered to be careful and diligent, managing his household well.

Feng Ba came to respect Murong Bao's adoptive son Murong Yun the Duke of Zhaoyang, and they became great friends.

Feng Ba further began to favor two jesters named Li Ban and Tao Ren, to have Li and Tao be in charge of security.

Feng Ba awarded them with great wealth, and their foods and clothes could match those of Gao Yun himself.

Feng Ba, upon hearing of the assassination, readied his troops and waited for the situation to become clear, but two off his soldiers Zhang Tai and Li Sang advanced into the palace and beheaded Li and Tao.

The officials all supported Feng Ba to take the throne, and so he did.

Feng Ba made his brother Feng Sufu the Duke of Fanyang the prime minister, and other important posts went to Sun Hu, Zhang Xing, his brother Feng Hong the Duke of Ji, his cousin Feng Wani the Duke of Guangchuan, and another cousin's son Feng Ruchen the Duke of Shanggu.

Feng Ba honored his mother Lady Zhang as princess dowager, and he created his wife Lady Sun as princess and his son Feng Yong as crown prince.

In 410, Feng Ba had to deal with a major internal disturbance.

Feng Ba sent Feng Hong and Zhang Xing to attack them, and after they were defeated by Feng Hong and Zhang, they surrendered, but Feng Hong executed them regardless.

That year, Feng Ba buried Gao Yun and Gao Yun's wife Empress Li with imperial honors, but curiously used Gao Yun's name in the edict regarding burial, without observing naming taboo.

In 411, the khan of Rouran, Yujiulu Hulu offered a tribute of 3,000 horses to Feng Ba and requested to marry Feng Ba's daughter Princess Lelang.

In 414, Feng Ba sent his official Chu Kuang to his ancestral home of Changle to find his clan members, and Chu Kuang returned with 5,000 households, headed by Feng Ba's cousins Feng Mai and Feng Du.

Feng Ba found his brother Feng Pi in Goguryeo and welcomed him back, creating him the Duke of Changshan.

Later that year, Yujiulu Hulu, who was about to in turn marry one of his daughters to Feng Ba, was overthrown by his nephew Yujiulu Buluzhen, and the coup leaders sent him and his daughter to Northern Yan.

Feng Ba treated him as an honored guest and, as originally planned, took his daughter, Zhaoyi, as a concubine.

Yujiulu Hulu requested that Feng Ba send an army to escort him home, and Feng Ba, with some reluctance, sent his general Wan Ling to escort Yujiulu Hulu, but Wan killed Yujiulu Hulu on the way and returned.

Later that year, Emperor Mingyuan of Northern Wei sent a messenger, Huniuyu Shimen, to try to negotiate peace with Northern Yan, but when Huniuyu arrived at Helong, he refused to enter the Northern Yan palace, demanding that Feng Ba come out of his palace and accept Emperor Mingyuan's edict.

Huniuyu refused to bow, and Feng Ba had his guards press Huniuyu's head down, and then imprisoned him.

Feng Ba later tried several times to have Huniuyu submit, but Huniuyu each time refused.

Feng Ba, instead, entered into an alliance with the Xia emperor Helian Bobo.

Feng Ba executed the three and promoted Sun Hu to try to pacify him, but Sun Hu became depressed, so Feng Ba poisoned him to death.

Feng Ba defended the city against Northern Wei attack and held it.

In 430, Feng Ba was seriously ill, and he issued an edict transferring his authorities to Feng Yi.