12 Facts About Fu Pi

Fu Pi then claimed the imperial title in 385, but was defeated by the Western Yan prince Murong Yong in 386, and killed by the Eastern Jin general Feng Gai.

Fu Pi was first mentioned in historical records in 357, when his father Fu Jian overthrew the violent and whimsical emperor Fu Sheng and took the throne with the title "Heavenly King".

At that time, Fu Pi was described to have talent in both governance and military matters, whose talents were only lesser to his uncle Fu Rong, whose abilities were much praised by historians.

At the advice of the general Gou Chang, Fu Pi chose to surround the city and cut off its supply route to strangle it into submission, rather than making direct assaults on the city.

Fu Pi was made the viceroy of the eastern provinces to replace Fu Rong.

Fu Pi was not involved in the crushing defeat that Former Qin forces suffered at the Battle of Fei River, as he remained at Yecheng.

In late 383, after persuading Fu Jian to allow him to visit the eastern provinces to try to calm the people in light of the defeat at Fei River, Murong Chui arrived at Yecheng, where Murong Chui continued plotting, and where Murong Chui and Fu Pi considered ambushing each other but each decided not to do so.

Meanwhile, despite his suspicions of Murong Chui, Fu Pi did not put Murong Chui's son Murong Nong and nephews Murong Kai and Murong Shao under surveillance, and the three fled out of Yecheng and started a rebellion of their own.

Fu Pi tried to persuade Murong Chui to end his rebellion, but Murong Chui refused and attacked Yecheng but was unable to capture it quickly.

Fu Pi sued for peace, but without his knowledge his assistant Yang Ying promised on his behalf that he would surrender to Jin.

In 385, Fu Pi abandoned Yecheng and headed northwest to Jinyang, where he received news that his father Fu Jian had been killed by the Later Qin ruler Yao Chang.

Fu Pi refused and tried to intercept them, but suffered a major defeat, in which Wang Yong and the major general Juqu Jushizi were killed, and most of Fu Pi's officials and his wife Empress Yang were captured.