55 Facts About Yao Xing

Yao Xing, courtesy name Zilue, known by his posthumous name as the Emperor Wenhuan of Later Qin, was an emperor of the Qiang-led Chinese Later Qin dynasty.

Yao Xing was the son of the founding emperor Yao Chang.

Yao Xing was an avid Buddhist, and it was during his reign that Buddhism first received official state support in China.

Yao Xing was born in 366, when his father Yao Chang was a general under the Former Qin emperor Fu Jian.

Who his mother was is open to interpretation; Yao Chang's wife, the later Empress She, was mentioned as his mother, but when Yao Xing later became emperor, he posthumously honored one of Yao Chang's concubines, Consort Sun, as empress dowager, which allows an inference that he could have been born of Consort Sun but raised by Empress She, but there is no conclusive evidence.

When Yao Chang declared a rebellion and established Later Qin in 384, Yao Xing was at the Former Qin capital Chang'an, and he immediately fled to his father.

Yao Xing was considered to be firm and gracious, and he spent much time studying literature despite the work necessary in maintaining home base.

Yao Xing was able to stop Fu Deng's attack on Dou fairly easily.

Around the new year 393, Yao Chang fell seriously ill.

When Yao Huang asked Yao Chang for strategies to defeat Fu Deng, Yao Chang refused to answer, merely stating that he trusted that Yao Xing would be able to accomplish it.

Yao Xing soon died, and Yao Xing succeeded him, although initially not keeping Yao Chang's death a secret and entrusting the troops to his uncles Yao Xu and Yao Shuode and his brother Yao Chong, while preparing a campaign against Former Qin.

Yao Xing set up his army at Mawei to prevent Former Qin forces from reaching the river near Mawei, and Former Qin forces were stricken by thirst, but still fought harder.

Yao Xing initially ordered Yin to be cautious, but Yin, realizing the trouble the Former Qin forces were already in and believing that morale would be destroyed if he undertook a cautious strategy, fought back fervently, and the Former Qin forces collapsed.

Yao Xing then sought help from the King of Western Qin, Qifu Gangui, who sent a relief force headed by Qifu Yizhou.

Yao Xing disbanded Fu Deng's troops and gave Fu Deng's Empress Li to Yao Huang.

Yao Xing was described to be in such great mourning that he was unable to handle matters of state for some time.

Yao Xing engaged in a number of campaigns on the various borders, enlarging Later Qin's territories and influence.

In 399, Yao Xing sent his brother Yao Chong the Duke of Qi and the general Yang Fosong to attack the important Jin city of Luoyang, and in winter 399 captured Luoyang and the surrounding cities.

Yao Xing accordingly demoted his officials and noble by one rank.

In 400, Yao Xing sent his uncle Yao Shuode the Duke of Longxi to launch a major attack against Western Qin.

Yao Xing created him the Marquess of Guiyi and, in 401, took the unusual action of giving Qifu Gangui his army back and ordering him to defend his old capital Wanchuan, and while Qifu Gangui was in name a Later Qin general, he acted independently at times.

In summer 402, Yao Xing personally led a major attack against Northern Wei, which had by this point taken over nearly all of Later Yan's territory north of the Yellow River.

Also in 402, Yao Xing created his concubine Consort Zhang empress.

Yao Xing created his son Yao Hong as crown prince and other sons as dukes.

Yao Xing had long wanted to create Yao Hong, described as kind, loving, and studious, as crown prince, but hesitated because Yao Hong was regarded as having a weak personality and prone to illnesses.

Around this time, Yao Xing appeared to have become a devout Buddhist, under the influence of the monk Kumarajiva.

Yao Xing moved Lu Long and his clan to Chang'an and made him and his brother Lu Chao officials.

In 405, at the request of the Jin general Liu Yu, Yao Xing returned 12 commanderies that had switched their allegiance from Jin to Later Qin during the Jin civil war from 398 to 405, despite his officials' opposition.

In 406, in response to Tufa Rutan's tribute of 3,000 horses and 30,000 sheep, Yao Xing became so touched that he yielded Guzang to Tufa Rutan, thus ending Later Qin's actual control of the Guzang region.

Yao Xing agreed to do so if Murong Chao would agree to be a vassal and either deliver Former Qin palatial musicians or 1,000 Jin citizens to Later Qin, before his request would be agreed.

Yao Xing then delivered his mother and wife to him, along with gifts.

In 408, noticing that Southern Liang was under severe attack by its neighbors, Yao Xing launched a campaign to try to destroy Southern Liang, despite opposition by his official Wei Zong, who felt that Tufa Rutan would not be defeated easily.

Yao Xing commissioned his son Yao Bi the Duke of Guangping along with Qifu Gangui and Lian Cheng to attack Southern Liang, while simultaneously commission Qi Nan to attack Xia.

Yao Bi and later Yao Xian the Duke of Changshan were defeated by Tufa Rutan, and Yao Xing was forced to agree to a new peace with Southern Liang while having lost prestige based on the defeat.

For example, in 409, his brother Yao Xing Chong tried to force Di Bozhi to join him in a plot to attack Chang'an, and when Di refused, poisoned Di to death, but was discovered later and forced to commit suicide.

Yao Xing soon redeclared independence and reestablished Western Qin as its king.

Yao Xing soon launched several campaigns against Later Qin and inflicted substantial damage, although he would apologize in 411 and again declared himself a Later Qin vassal.

Later in 410, at Qiao Zong's request, Yao Xing sent an army commanded by Gou Lin to join Qiao Zong's army, commanded by Huan Qian and Qiao Daofu to attack Jin's Jing Province.

Many Later Qin officials try to persuade Yao Xing to take the opportunity, as Qifu Gongfu and Qifu Chipan battled for control of the state, to attack Western Qin.

Yao Xing refused, believing it improper to attack a state that was still mourning.

Also in 412, Yao Xing created his concubine Consort Qi empress.

In 414, Yao Bi made several attempts to be made crown prince by having officials close to him suggesting Yao Xing to replace Yao Hong with him.

Yao Xing grew seriously ill that year, and Yao Bi planned a coup to take over.

Yao Xing was forced to relieve Yao Bi of his posts, and the other sons demobilized and arrived at Chang'an for an official visit.

The sons accused Yao Bi of many crimes, but Yao Xing took no further action.

Indeed, in 415, Yao Bi retaliated by falsely accusing Yao Xuan of crimes, and Yao Xing arrested Yao Xuan.

Yao Xing commissioned Sima Xiuzhi with an army to let him harass Jin borders, despite warnings by his officials of a prophecy that the Simas would regain Guanzhong and the Luoyang region.

In fall 415, Yao Xing fell ill again, and Yao Bi secretly gathered forces again to plan a coup.

Yao Xing found out and arrested Yao Bi, but at Yao Hong's urging did not execute him but instead released him.

In winter 415, Yao Xing sent his daughter, the Princess Xiping, to Northern Wei to be married to Emperor Daowu's son Emperor Mingyuan, in order to affirm the alliance between the two states.

In 416, Yao Xing went on a trip to Huayin, near Chang'an, and fell ill on the trip and headed back to Chang'an.

Yin's assistant Yao Shami then tried to persuade Yin to take Yao Xing and join with Yao Bi to seize power, but Yin hesitated and did not do so.

Once Yao Xing returned to the Chang'an palace, he transferred power to Yao Hong and ordered Yao Bi arrested.

That night, Yao Xing entrusted Yao Hong's administration to his brother Yao Shao the Duke of Dongping, Liang Xi, Yin Zhao, and Lian Manwei, and he died the next day.

Yao Xing Hong succeeded him, but he soon had to face even more challenges from his brothers and cousins as well as attacks by Xia and Jin, and by 417 Later Qin had fallen to Jin.