Murong Shun - During Tang Dynasty

During Tang Dynasty

Later in 618, Li Yuan had Emperor Gong yield the throne to him, establishing Tang Dynasty as its Emperor Gaozu. As he was fighting over the supremacy of China with many other rebel rulers, he made overtures to Murong Fuyun, who had by that point taken back the Sui-seized Tuyuhun lands, asking Murong Fuyun to attack one of his rivals, Li Gui the Emperor of Liang. Murong Fuyun agreed, and requested that Murong Shun be released to him. Emperor Gaozu agreed, and in 619 Murong Shun returned to Tuyuhun. However, the return was not a happy one for Murong Shun, who, as Princess Guanghua's oldest son, expected to be crown prince, but in Murong Shun's long absence, Murong Fuyun had already created another son crown prince. He only created Murong Shun the Prince of Daning, and Murong Shun was not pleased.

Despite this initial alliance between Tang and Tuyuhun, peace did not last even before, and did not last after, Tang's reunification of China, which by 623 was largely complete, as Murong Fuyun, under the advice of his strategist the Prince of Tianzhu, was making several pillaging attacks on Tang every year for the rest of Emperor Gaozu's reign, which ended in 626 as he was forced to abdicate to his son Li Shimin (as Emperor Taizong). The attacks were less frequent thereafter, but were still ongoing.

In 635, under the general Li Jing, Tang forces made a major crippling attack on Tuyuhun, forcing Murong Fuyun to flee. The Tuyuhun nobles were resentful of the Prince of Tianzhu, and Murong Shun led them in killing the Prince of Tianzhu and then surrendering. As Murong Fuyun was killed by his subordinates during flight, Emperor Taizong created Murong Shun the dual titles of Prince of Xiping and Zhugulüwugandou Khan (or Gandou Khan in short), to succeed Murong Fuyun.