Do these 3 things before closing this tab:
1Clear out junk files and repair common Windows errors2Fix the driver behind crashes, sound loss and screen glitches3Repair Windows errors before they cause bigger problemsMurong Yuan (慕容元) was a Later Yan prince and senior official who emerged as a possible successor after Murong Sheng died in 401. He did not take the throne: Murong Xi became ruler, and the Jinshu account says Yuan was executed a few days later on suspicion.
Who was Murong Yuan?
This article concerns 慕容元, identified in a secondary reference as Murong Bao’s fourth son and a younger brother of Murong Sheng. A separate local-history reference also identifies him as Bao’s son and Sheng’s brother. Those identifications distinguish him from other historical figures whose names may be rendered similarly in English. The secondary reference and the local-history reference supply that family context.
Yuan held senior positions in the Later Yan government. The secondary reference reports that he was appointed General of the Guards in 398. On the eleventh day of the first lunar month in 399, Murong Sheng appointed him Situ (司徒) and Shangshu Ling (尚書令). That date is given in the historical calendar and is not converted here to a Gregorian date. The secondary reference attributes the appointment chronology to the Zizhi Tongjian.
Why was Murong Yuan considered for the throne?
After Murong Sheng died in 401, Later Yan faced a succession dispute. In the narrative preserved in the Jinshu, Dowager Ding judged the state troubled and preferred a senior ruler. Officials’ support was said to favor Pingyuan Duke Yuan, while Dowager Ding favored River-間 Duke Xi.
Free tools Windows power users keep installed
One-click scans. No signup required.
#1 Best Overall
Dowager Ding displaced the heir, Murong Ding, and secretly brought Xi into the palace. By the time officials arrived the next morning, Xi had been installed. Xi offered the position to Yuan, but Yuan declined; Xi then became ruler. This sequence is told in the Jinshu and summarized by a secondary reference citing the Jinshu and Zizhi Tongjian. Read the transcribed Jinshu, juan 111; see the secondary account.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.What happened to Murong Yuan?
The Jinshu says Yuan was put to death on suspicion a few days after declining the offer. The account does not establish his private motives, so it is safest to say that the text presents his execution as suspicion-driven rather than to claim a verified reason beyond that narrative. The available page is a modern transcription, not evidence here of a critical-edition comparison. The transcribed passage is the source for this account of his death.
Quick Recap
Best Value
- Height: 13.75in / 35cm, Depth: 2in / 5cm, Width: 10.25in / 26cm
- By Reuel Golden
- Hardcover
- 560 pages
- Imprint: Taschen
Rank #4
Rank #3
- non-fiction african american book set
- non-fiction black book set
- non-fiction african american children's book set
- non-fiction black children's book set
Product prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on Amazon at the time of purchase will apply.
