The Sudden Death of a Reformer
When Emperor Wu of Northern Zhou died unexpectedly in 578, rumors spread like wildfire. Former monks – many of whom had been forcibly defrocked during his anti-Buddhist campaign – claimed:
“He banned the Buddha and was dragged to hell!”
His son, Yuwen Yun, ascended as Emperor Xuan of Zhou – a man terrified by superstition and utterly unlike his father. He immediately restored Buddhism, allowing monks and nuns to return to their temples.
But Emperor Xuan was as decadent as Gao Wei of Northern Qi. During his father’s lifetime, he had been harshly disciplined; now free, he sneered:”That old man died too late!” He executed critics, then – at just twenty years old – abdicated to become “Retired Emperor,” indulging in excess until he suffered a stroke and died shortly after.
His seven-year-old son, Yuwen Yan, became Emperor Jing of Zhou – a puppet under the control of his maternal grandfather: Yang Jian.
The Rise of Yang Jian and the Birth of the Sui Dynasty
Yang Jian, a Han Chinese noble, inherited the title Duke of Sui from his father Yang Zhong, a famed general. His daughter had married Emperor Xuan, making him imperial kin – and his administrative skill and political acumen earned him widespread support.
Whispers filled the court:
“The Yuwen clan cannot hold power. The Duke of Sui will rule all under heaven.”
His wife, Lady Dugu – of elite Xianbei lineage – urged him:”Do not miss this moment.”
In 581, Yang Jian orchestrated a peaceful abdication. The child emperor surrendered the throne to his grandfather.
Believing the character “Sui” (随) – which contained the radical for “to follow” – was unlucky (implying the dynasty would “follow” others into oblivion), he altered it slightly to “隋” (Sui), founding the Sui dynasty. He became Emperor Wen of Sui, a ruler destined to reunify China.
Historians mark the period from Northern Wei’s founding (386 CE) or its unification of the north (439 CE) to 581 CE as the Northern Dynasties – lasting 195 or 142 years, respectively. With Sui’s rise, the era of division neared its end.
The Southern Decadence: Chen Houzhu and the Court of Pleasure
While the north consolidated under Sui, the south languished under Chen Shubao, known to history as Chen Houzhu (“Last Lord of Chen”).
As crown prince, he was cultured – skilled in poetry and respectful of scholars. But two vices doomed him: wine and women.
His near-death experience at his brother Chen Shuling’s hands – stabbed with a medicinal knife during their father’s funeral – left him physically and mentally scarred. After ascending the throne, he withdrew into pleasure, relying on concubines for comfort.
Chief among them was Consort Zhang Lihua, famed for her seven-foot-long raven hair and grace. She, along with seven favored consorts – Kong, Gong, Zhang, Xue, Yuan, He, and Jiang – became his inner circle.
State affairs? Handled in gardens. Ministers reported through eunuchs who tracked the emperor to Zhang’s chambers. While sipping wine, Chen would half-listen, then let his consorts decide.
Ambitious officials learned the game:
- Shi Wenqing, a silver-tongued poet, gained power and appointed his friend Shen Keqing as tax chief – both squeezing peasants to fund palace luxuries.
- Kong Fan, claiming kinship with Consort Kong, rose as Minister of Justice.
- Jiang Zong, once a respected scholar, became Chancellor – but spent his days composing bawdy verses with the emperor and concubines. Critics called him a “xie ke” – a “lewd guest.”
The Song That Doomed a Dynasty
One evening, Chen gathered his eight consorts and “lewd guests” for a poetic contest:
“The ladies write; the men reply. Slow or dull – drink as punishment!”
They composed verses praising beauty and love. Among them were “The Jade Tree Behind the Palace Garden” (Yushu Houting Hua) and “Lin Chun Yue” (Spring Pavilion Melody) – lyrics dripping with sensual praise of Zhang Lihua.
Set to music, these songs featured languid melodies and undulating dances. The emperor trembled with delight; courtiers clapped along.
But upright ministers recoiled. They called it “mimi zhi yue” – “the decadent music” or “the sound of a dying state.”
When Minister Fu Zai warned:”Your indulgence will bring heaven’s wrath and people’s rebellion,” and Zhang Hua wrote:”Northern armies gather – you are days from ruin,” Chen flew into a rage.
Both were executed.
Now, none dared speak truth. Officials stayed home. The court became a theater of flattery – and folly.
The Sui Judgment: From Preparation to Invasion
Spies relayed Chen’s collapse to Emperor Wen of Sui, who declared:
“Chen Shubao has tormented the southern people. The Yangtze is but a ribbon of water – how can I, as Son of Heaven, ignore their suffering?”
After years of preparation, Sui struck:
- In 587, it abolished the rump state of Later Liang in Jiangling – a Zhou/Sui client kingdom founded by Xiao Cha after Hou Jing’s rebellion. Its removal cleared the western flank.
- In 588, Emperor Wen issued an edict listing twelve crimes of Chen Shubao and launched a massive invasion.
Commanded by his second son, Yang Guang (later Emperor Yang), with generals Yang Su, Han Qinhu, and He Ruobi, 500,000 troops advanced in eight columns – from Sichuan to the eastern coast – by land and river.
The Final Night: Wine, Music, and a Dry Well
As Sui forces crossed the Yangtze in early 589, Chen’s border commanders begged for reinforcements.
Chen Shubao scoffed:
“The Yangtze is our Great Wall! Can they fly over?”
Minister Kong Fan added:”Let them come – I’ll win glory and become Grand Commandant!”
The court laughed.
On New Year’s Day, Chen and Zhang Lihua drank through the night, lulled by “mimi zhi yue,” and slept past noon.
By afternoon, Han Qinhu and He Ruobi had seized Jingkou and Caishi. Panic erupted.
Chen stammered:”I’ll crush these dogs, sheep, and bees myself!” – but never left the palace.
General Ren Zhong surrendered, then led Sui troops into Jiankang. As they stormed the palace, soldiers searched frantically for the emperor.
Finally, they found a well behind the hall. Silence.
“Throw stones!” someone shouted.
A voice cried:”Don’t! We’re coming up!”
They hauled up three soaked figures: Chen Shubao clutching Zhang Lihua and Consort Kong.
Soldiers jeered:”Even in a well, he clings to women! No wonder Chen fell!”
Epilogue: Mercy for a Fool
The conquest took four months. Chen’s nobles – over 200 – were marched to Chang’an and forced to kneel before Emperor Wen.
Though condemned as “a beast in human form,” Chen Shubao was spared. Given a mansion and pension, he resumed drinking and poetry.
When told Chen consumed one dan (≈60 liters) of wine daily, Emperor Wen sighed:
“If he didn’t drink, how could he live? Let him be.”
Thus ended the Chen dynasty – the last of the Southern Dynasties (Liu Song, Southern Qi, Liang, Chen). Combined with the Northern Dynasties, this era is known as the Northern and Southern Dynasties.
With Chen’s fall in 589, China was reunified after nearly three centuries of division.
The mournful notes of”The Jade Tree Behind the Palace Garden” faded – not as art, but as warning.
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