Feng Ba - Reign

Reign

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 (馮乳陳) the Duke of Shanggu. He honored his mother Lady Zhang as princess dowager, and he created his wife Lady Sun as princess and his son Feng Yong (馮永) as crown prince. Both Feng Ba and Feng Sufu were considered diligent, frugal, and intelligent, and during this period, Northern Yan was considered well-governed, being able to fend off the much stronger rival Northern Wei.

In 410, Feng Ba had to deal with a major internal disturbance. Feng Wani and Feng Ruchen both felt that they contributed much to Feng Ba's success, and therefore were resentful that they were not at Longcheng and in control of the imperial government but were required to serve as commanding generals at the cities of Feiru (肥如, in modern Qinhuangdao, Hebei) and Bailang (白狼, in modern Zhaoyang, Liaoning). They therefore rose in rebellion together. 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, Yujiulü Hulü offered a tribute of 3,000 horses to Feng Ba and requested to marry Feng Ba's daughter Princess Lelang. (Princess Lelang was probably the daughter of Feng Ba's wife Princess Sun, as Feng Sufu suggested refusing the request and sending the daughter of one of Feng Ba's concubines instead.) Feng Ba, believing that an alliance with Rouran would be beneficial to his state, gave Princess Lelang in marriage to Yujiulü Hulü.

In 414, Feng Ba sent his official Chu Kuang (褚匡) to his ancestral home of Changle (長樂, in modern Hengshui, Hebei) to find his clan members, and Chu Kuang returned with 5,000 households, headed by Feng Ba's cousins Feng Mai (馮買) and Feng Du (馮睹). Feng Ba also found his brother Feng Pi (馮丕) in Goguryeo and welcomed him back, creating him the Duke of Changshan.

Later that year, Yujiulü Hulü, who was about to in turn marry one of his daughters to Feng Ba, was overthrown by his nephew Yujiulü Buluzhen (郁久閭步鹿真), 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 as a concubine. Yujiulü Hulü requested that Feng Ba send an army to escort him home, and Feng Ba, with some reluctance, sent his general Wan Ling (萬陵) to escort Yujiulü Hulü, but Wan killed Yujiulü Hulü on the way and returned. Instead, Feng Ba entered into an alliance with the new khan Yujiulü Datan, who had in turn overthrown Yujiulü Buluzhen.

Later that year, Emperor Mingyuan of Northern Wei sent a messenger, Huniuyu Shimen (忽忸于什門), 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 (as a sign of submission). Feng Ba refused and dragged Huniuyu into the palace. Huniuyu refused to bow, and Feng Ba had his guards press Huniuyu's head down, and then imprisoned him. Later, on several occasions, Huniuyu insulted Feng Ba, but Feng Ba overruled suggestions to have him executed, stating that Huniuyu was just being faithful to his state. He 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.

Around the new year 415, Feng Sufu died. Contrary to the usual customs of mourning a subject at most three times, he mourned his brother seven times.

Later in 415, Sun Hu's brothers Sun Boren (孫伯仁), Sun Chizhi (孫叱支), and Sun Yiba (孫乙拔), dissatisfied with the lack of promotions, complained. 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. Meanwhile, the general Wu Yinti (務銀提) was also unhappy that he was not promoted and planned to offer his defense post to Goguryeo, and Feng Ba executed him.

In 416, the Northern Yan general Kuruguan Bin (庫傉官斌), who had earlier defected from Northern Yan to Northern Wei but then defected back to Northern Yan, was attacked by Northern Wei's Emperor Mingyuan, and Northern Wei forces killed not only Kuruguan Bin, but also two other Northern Yan generals, Kuruguan Chang (庫傉官昌) and Kuruguan Ti (庫傉官提), probably relatives of Kuruguan Bin.

In 418, Northern Wei's Emperor Mingyuan made a surprise attack against Northern Yan, surrounding and sieging Helong. Feng Ba defended the city against Northern Wei attack and held it. Northern Wei forces seized some 10,000 households from Northern Yan and withdrew.

During the next few years, Northern Wei concentrated its efforts against Liu Song and Xia, and there did not appear to be major confrontations again between Northern Wei and Northern Yan.

In 426, Feng Ba's crown prince Feng Yong died, and he created another son, Feng Yi (馮翼), crown prince.

In 430, Feng Ba was seriously ill, and he issued an edict transferring his authorities to Feng Yi. However, Feng Ba's favorite concubine Consort Song wanted to have her son Feng Shouju (馮受居) inherit the throne, and therefore told Feng Yi that Feng Ba would soon recover and that he should not be so anxious to take over authority; Feng Yi agreed and retreated to his palace. Consort Song then falsely issued orders in Feng Ba's name cutting off communications with the outside, and Feng Yi and Feng Ba's other sons, as well as imperial officials, were not allowed to see Feng Ba. Only one of her trusted officials, Hu Fu (胡福), was able to enter the palace to be in charge of security. However, Hu was secretly resentful of Consort Song's ambitions, and he informed Feng Hong, who was prime minister in this point, of her intentions. Feng Hong immediately attacked the palace and seized control of it. Feng Ba, hearing up this, died in shock. Feng Hong then took the throne himself and, after defeating Feng Yi's troops, slaughtered all of Feng Ba's sons.