Emperor Fei of Western Wei

Yuan Qin
元欽
Emperor of Western Wei
ReignMarch 28, 551[1][2]c.March 554[3][4]
PredecessorEmperor Wen
SuccessorEmperor Gong
RegentYuwen Tai
Bornunknown[5]
DiedMay or June 554[6][3]
Full name
Era dates
None
Posthumous name
None
Temple name
None
HouseYuan
DynastyWestern Wei

Yuan Qin (Chinese: 元欽), known in historiography as Emperor Fei of Western Wei ((西)魏廢帝; lit. "deposed") (died May or June 554), was an emperor of China's Xianbei-led Western Wei dynasty. He, even more so than his father Emperor Wen, held little actual power in the face of overwhelming control of power by the paramount general Yuwen Tai. In 554, he tried to plot to have Yuwen killed, but his plot was discovered, and Yuwen deposed him, and soon had him killed.

  1. ^ Zizhi Tongjian, vol. 164.
  2. ^ geng'xu day of the 3rd month of the 2nd year of the Da'bao era
  3. ^ a b Zizhi Tongjian, vol. 165.
  4. ^ Volume 165 of Zizhi Tongjian indicated that Yuan Qin was deposed between the xinchou day of the 1st month and the dinghai day of the 3rd month of the 3rd year of the Chengsheng era. The dates correspond to 3 Mar and 18 Apr 554 in the Julian calendar. Vol.5 of Bei Shi indicate that his successor Emperor Gong was crowned in the 1st month of the 3rd year of his reign (excluding the 1st year, which remained the 17th year of the Da'tong era of Emperor Wen's reign; the month corresponds to 18 Feb to 18 Mar 554 in the Julian calendar.
  5. ^ Yuan Qin's birth year should be in or after 525 as that was the year his parents wed.
  6. ^ Volume 165 of Zizhi Tongjian indicated that Yuan Qin was poisoned on the gengxu day of the 4th month of the 3rd year of the Chengsheng era. However, there was no gengxu day in that month. The month corresponds to 17 May to 15 June 554 in the Julian calendar.