Huan Wen
MilitaryAfter becoming Emperor Jianwen, he specialized in government affairs and hoped to obtain an abdication-style edict, but failed to do so and died of illness the following year.
Dynasties of ChinaEastern JinEastern Jin lineage
Emperor JianwenSima Yu
Xianan · Reign 371—372
The young son of Emperor Yuan, who liked to talk freely, ascended the throne after Huan Wen was deposed. He died after less than a year in power, and the imperial edict was almost an opportunity for Huan Wen to usurp the throne.
IBiography
- Reign
- 1 years
- Reign era
- Xianan
- Order of accession
- Ruler #8 · Eastern Jin lineage
- Life dates
- 320—372
- Titles
- Temple name: Taizong · Posthumous title: Emperor Jianwen · Buried at Gaopingling Mausoleum
Sima Yu, courtesy name Dao Wan, was the youngest son of Emperor Yuan. He was first granted the title of King of Langxie, and later was granted the title of Prince of Huiji. During the reign of Emperor Kang and Emperor Mu, he assisted the government as the Prince of Huiji. He was good at talking and communicating with celebrities. In the government, he relied heavily on Yin Hao and others to check and balance Huan Wen. However, due to the failure of the Northern Expedition, he had to give up power to Huan Wen. In 371, Huan Wen deposed Haixi Gong, proclaimed Sima Yu as emperor, and changed the Yuan Dynasty to Xian'an. In fact, Huan Wen held the power and Emperor Jianwen was just a puppet.
In July 372, Emperor Jianwen was seriously ill, and the imperial edict he drafted contained the words "If you have a few sons who can assist you, you will assist them. If not, you will take them yourself." Wang Tanzhi, the servant, destroyed it in person and changed it to Huan Wen to assist the government according to the story of Zhuge Liang and Wang Dao. Therefore, Huan Wen was unable to usurp the throne. Emperor Jianwen died at the age of fifty-three and was succeeded by Crown Prince Sima Yao as Emperor Xiaowu.
IITimeline
Before accession
PoliticsPrince of Huiji
After Emperor Kang died of illness, Prince of HuijiSima Yu assisted the young emperor Emperor Mu as the general of Fujun and Lu Shangshu. He presided over the government together with the Empress Dowager Chu and became a core figure in the court in the middle Eastern Jin Dynasty.
PoliticsYin Haozhi Huan Wen
In order to suppress Huan Wen's momentum, Sima Yu introduced the famous scholar Yin Hao as the general of the Chinese army to preside over the Northern Expedition to divide Huan Wen's power. After the failure of Yin Hao's Northern Expedition, he was abolished in 354, and Sima Yu's check and balance plan failed.
During the reign · 371—372
PoliticsSupported by Huan Wen
In November, after Huan Wen deposed Sima Yi, he promoted Prince of Huiji Sima Yu to the throne and changed his name to Xian'an. Huan Wen killed the Yin and Yu families and eliminated dissidents. Emperor Jianwen was unable to stop these actions and was worried every day.
CultureThe legacy of Hualin Garden
According to "Shishuoxinyu", Emperor Jianwen entered Hualin Garden and said to his neighbors: "The place of understanding does not have to be far away. The forest and water can have their own thoughts in Hao and Pu, and they can feel that birds, beasts, birds and fish come to their relatives." This reflects the interest of Eastern Jin scholars in advocating nature.
Lasting legacy"The place of understanding does not have to be far away" and "Thinking in the Haopu" are still common allusions to describe the joy of landscape.
PoliticsThe battle over the imperial edict
In July, Emperor Jianwen was critically ill and Crown Prince Sima Yao was established. The posthumous edict drafted included the sentence "If there are few sons who can assist, they will be assisted. If not, the king will take his own." Wang Tanzhi came to see him, destroyed the edict in person, and remonstrated with him to stop the Jin Dynasty from letting others, and changed it to Huan Wen to assist the government according to the story of Zhuge Liang and Wang Dao. Huan Wen's plan to usurp the throne was thwarted.
IIIPeople of this reign
Wang Tanzhi
PoliticsThe Wang family of Taiyuan, together with Xie An, assisted the government. In the dispute over Emperor Jianwen's posthumous edict, he destroyed the edict and made remonstrances, thwarting Huan Wenju's plan to be regent. He was hailed as the hero of the Eastern Jin Dynasty who stabilized the court situation.
Yin Hao
PoliticsA celebrity whom Sima Yu relied heavily on, he presided over the Northern Expedition and failed in 352. He was impeached and deposed as a commoner by Huan Wen. He died of melancholy in 356.