Later Yan Collapses Under Northern Wei

After Former Qin fell apart, the north again broke into several powers.

The one that most looked like a new hegemon was Later Yan, rebuilt by Murong Chui. But its strength lasted only a short time. It swallowed Western Yan, then quickly exposed itself to Northern Wei.

Later Yan Swallows Western Yan

Around 394, Later Yan had largely recovered the old Former Yan lands. The major exception was Western Yan, which held the Bingzhou region.

Western Yan also came from the Murong world. Its existence was both a territorial problem and a legitimacy problem.

Murong Chui decided to attack. He sent forces in several routes, threatening Jinyang while he advanced from Ye toward Zhangzi, the Western Yan capital.

Western Yan's ruler Murong Yong prepared to defend. When Murong Chui seemed slow to move, Murong Yong guessed that Later Yan wanted to bypass the Taihang Mountains. He shifted his main force away and left fewer troops at Taibi.

That was the mistake Murong Chui had been waiting for.

Later Yan struck Taibi quickly. Many Western Yan defenders surrendered. Murong Yong rushed back too late and could only retreat to Zhangzi. Once Taibi fell, Western Yan lost room to maneuver.

Murong Yong tried to ask Eastern Jin for help. Jin border commanders did not dare send troops on their own, and the request moved slowly through the court. He then sent his crown prince as a hostage, but Later Yan captured him on the road.

So Murong Yong turned to Northern Wei.

Tuoba Gui had already declared himself King of Wei. Northern Wei was expanding around the steppe and Hetao region, but it had long been pressed by Later Yan. When Western Yan asked for help, Tuoba Gui marched south with 50,000 soldiers.

For Tuoba Gui, saving Western Yan was not charity. If Western Yan survived, Later Yan could not fully turn north against Wei.

But the aid came too late. Zhangzi had already fallen. Murong Yong was killed, and Western Yan ended. Later Yan absorbed Bingzhou and reached its peak, but it also pushed Northern Wei into a more direct confrontation.

Murong Bao Needs a Victory

After Western Yan fell, Murong Chui was old and ill. He began handing more affairs and military authority to his crown prince, Murong Bao.

Murong Bao's problem was prestige. Among Murong Chui's sons, he was not the only capable man. To hold down brothers and royal relatives, he needed a military achievement.

Tuoba Gui's attempt to rescue Western Yan gave him the excuse. Murong Bao urged his father to attack Northern Wei. Murong Chui already wanted to eliminate Wei, so he let Murong Bao lead 80,000 elite troops north.

Tuoba Gui heard that Yan was coming. He moved his people and supplies west across the Yellow River. Murong Bao did not want an empty campaign, so he pursued to Wuyuan and faced Northern Wei across the river.

He ordered ships built for a crossing.

Months passed. Then a storm blew dozens of Yan boats into the Wei camp, and more than 300 Yan soldiers were captured. Tuoba Gui learned from them that Murong Chui was seriously ill. He immediately spread the rumor that Murong Chui had died.

He also blocked key routes and intercepted Yan messengers. For months, Murong Bao could not contact his father. Anxiety grew. Rumors also suggested that Murong Lin might compete for succession, so Murong Bao killed Murong Lin's officers first. Tensions inside the army deepened.

Finally, Murong Bao decided to withdraw. He burned the boats and ordered Murong Lin to cover the retreat with cavalry. Murong Lin was resentful and went hunting instead of seriously guarding the rear.

Murong Bao had wanted to prove himself through a northern campaign. Before he truly crossed the river, rumor warfare and internal suspicion had already loosened his army.

Canhe Slope Breaks the Next Generation

When the Yan army reached Canhe Slope, Northern Wei suddenly attacked.

Later Yan suffered a devastating defeat. Tens of thousands were killed or captured. Murong Bao, Murong Long, and a few others escaped back to Zhongshan.

Only after returning did Murong Bao learn that Murong Chui was not dead.

The defeat damaged more than the army. It destroyed Murong Bao's chance to build authority. Murong Chui could no longer trust the next generation with the northern war, so he had to campaign himself.

For Northern Wei, Canhe Slope changed its self-image. In the past, Wei often had to avoid Later Yan's strength. After this battle, Tuoba Gui saw that Yan could be attacked.

Murong Chui led 100,000 troops north and quickly took Pingcheng. Tuoba Gui knew he could not face Murong Chui directly and withdrew toward the far north.

Murong Chui continued the pursuit, but his army passed Canhe Slope again. Yan soldiers saw the bones of comrades who had died there and wept openly. Murong Chui was overcome by grief and anger. His illness worsened, and he died soon afterward.

He could still fight. He could still make Tuoba Gui retreat. But he no longer had enough time to turn victory into a new order.

Canhe Slope did not destroy Later Yan immediately. It broke the confidence of Yan's next generation.

Northern Wei Strikes Hebei

Once Murong Chui died, Tuoba Gui counterattacked.

He moved against Jinyang. The defender Murong Nong came out to fight, but the men inside the city panicked and surrendered to Wei, closing the gates against him. Murong Nong escaped wounded with only a few riders.

After Jinyang and Bingzhou fell, Murong Bao chose to defend Zhongshan and wait for Wei to attack. Tuoba Gui did not follow his script. He crossed the Taihang and moved through Hebei, taking city after city.

When Hebei defenders saw the emperor shut inside Zhongshan, many wavered. Soon, Later Yan held only three major cities in the region: Zhongshan, Ye, and Xindu.

Tuoba Gui divided his forces. Tuoba Yi attacked Ye, Wang Jian attacked Xindu, and Tuoba Gui himself pressured Zhongshan. Zhongshan was strong, so Wei shifted attention to surrounding points.

Wei did not need to seize the capital at once. It could first cut away the cities around it and turn Zhongshan into an isolated shell.

At Ye, Wei itself ran into disorder. Helai Lu refused to obey Tuoba Yi and set up a separate camp. Ding Jian used a sandstorm and torch signals to create confusion between the two camps. Tuoba Yi and Helai Lu withdrew one after another.

Ding Jian then joined Murong De in Ye and helped pursue the Wei army. Ye survived for the moment.

Later Yan was not completely helpless. With Murong De, a local victory was still possible. But saving one city for a while could not repair the whole Hebei line.

Zhongshan Is Emptied From Within

Northern Wei eventually had to turn back because of trouble at home. Tuoba Gui asked Murong Bao for peace and safe passage north.

Murong Bao thought Wei was exhausted. He rejected peace, raised a large new army, and blocked the route home. At night, he sent picked men across the river to raid the Wei camp.

The attack began well, but many of the raiders had come for rewards. Once inside the camp, they plundered instead of pressing the attack. Wei quickly counterattacked, and the raiding force was nearly wiped out.

Murong Bao returned to Zhongshan with only 20,000 to 30,000 usable troops.

Then Zhongshan's inner politics collapsed. Murong Bao asked Longcheng for aid, but his son Murong Hui delayed on the road. Inside the city, Murong Long wanted to keep resisting, Murong Lin leaned toward peace, and Murong Bao wavered.

Officials plotted to kill Murong Bao and enthrone Murong Lin. When the plot failed, some fled to Northern Wei. Murong Lin feared implication, kidnapped a guard commander, and tried to force him to kill Murong Bao. The commander refused and was killed. Murong Lin fled to the Dingling.

Murong Bao now feared that Murong Lin might seize Longcheng and that Murong Hui might never arrive. He decided to abandon Zhongshan and retreat north.

Murong Long wept and tried to stop him. It did not work.

At night, Zhongshan's gates opened. Tuoba Gui suspected an ambush and did not enter at once. By dawn, the gates had closed again. The soldiers and civilians left inside raised Murong Xiang and continued defending.

Wei failed to storm the city quickly. Someone advised Tuoba Gui to withdraw and let Murong Lin return from the western hills to fight for the city. Tuoba Gui agreed.

Murong Lin did return. He killed Murong Xiang and declared himself Later Yan emperor. But after only a few months, Zhongshan ran out of food. Murong Lin abandoned the city and fled toward Murong De at Ye. Tuoba Gui then occupied Zhongshan.

Later Yan had lost its capital.

From outside, Zhongshan fell to Northern Wei. From inside, it had already been emptied by Later Yan itself: an emperor fleeing, royal relatives competing, defenders changing masters, and food running out.

Southern Yan and Northern Yan

Murong Lin reached Ye and no longer dared call himself emperor. He used the title King of Zhao. When Northern Wei pressed toward Ye, Murong De judged that the city could not be held and withdrew south of the Yellow River to Huatai.

Tuoba Gui did not pursue across the river. He returned to Ye, later moved his capital to Pingcheng, and formally took the imperial title of Wei.

Murong De was supported by cities south of the Yellow River and founded Southern Yan.

Later Yan split.

Murong Bao's situation was worse. He went north toward Murong Hui, but internal conflict followed him. Murong Long was killed, Murong Nong was badly wounded, and Murong Bao returned to Longcheng.

Longcheng was unstable too. Murong Bao had only his eldest son Murong Sheng at his side. He tried to go south toward Murong De, then turned back after hearing that Murong De had already become king.

On the way, he passed through Lan Han's territory and assumed Lan Han, a relative by marriage, would not harm him. Lan Han rebelled, killed Murong Bao, and declared himself emperor.

Murong Sheng survived because he was Lan Han's son-in-law. Later he used division inside Lan Han's circle to regain power.

But Later Yan was shattered. Murong Sheng did not even use the ordinary imperial title. In 401 he died after being struck by a poisoned arrow while suppressing disorder. Murong Xi then came to power and failed to restore the state.

In 407, Feng Ba launched a coup, killed Murong Xi, and raised Murong Yun. Murong Yun, originally Gao Yun and of Goguryeo background, later restored the Gao surname. This state is known as Northern Yan.

With Murong Xi's death, Later Yan ended. Murong Chui's rebuilt state had lasted a little more than twenty years before sliding from northern hegemon toward extinction.

Canhe Slope destroyed its elite troops. Murong Chui's death removed its stabilizing figure. Murong Bao's hesitation loosened both the Hebei front and the royal order. By the time Southern Yan and Northern Yan appeared, the Murong clan could no longer return to the path of northern unification.

Later Yan had fallen. Another frontier power in the northwest was also about to split apart.