Emperor Fei of Western Wei
Emperor Fei of Western Wei was Yuan Qin. He reigned from March 28, 551 to about March 554 and died in May or June 554. His predecessor was Emperor Wen, and his successor was Emperor Gong. The real power in Western Wei was held by his father-in-law, the powerful general Yuwen Tai.
Yuan Qin was the oldest son of Yuan Baoju (the Prince of Nanyang) and Princess Yifu, and he married Yuwen Tai’s daughter. He had little actual authority because Yuwen Tai dominated politics. He was fostered by Yuwen Tai from around age seven and was made crown prince in 535. In 538, although he was nominally in charge of the capital Chang’an for a time, Yuwen Tai and his officials controlled matters.
In 542 Yuan Qin helped defend the city Puban during a campaign by Gao Huan, but it’s unclear how much power he personally wielded then. After his father’s death in 551, Yuan Qin became Emperor Fei. He did manage to rebury his mother Empress Yifu and to make his wife the empress, but power remained in Yuwen Tai’s hands. He did not have any concubines, and his wife was his only partner.
In late 553, Yuchi Jiong conquered western Liang provinces, expanding Western Wei territory. Around this time, a court official, Yuan Lie, plotted to kill Yuwen Tai but was killed when the plot was discovered. Emperor Fei grew angry with Yuwen Tai and secretly plotted to kill him himself. His plot was discovered by Yuwen Tai’s sons-in-law, and Yuwen Tai deposed Fei, replacing him with his younger half-brother Yuan Kuo as Emperor Gong. Fei was killed soon after. His wife Empress Yuwen reportedly died as well, though details are unclear. Emperor Fei is remembered as one of only two Chinese emperors who had no concubines.
This page was last edited on 3 February 2026, at 11:55 (CET).