Emperor Wen of Western Wei
Emperor of Western Wei from 535 to 551
Emperor Wen of Western Wei ((西)魏文帝) (507 – 28 March 551), personal name Yuan Baoju (元寶炬), was the first emperor of the Western Wei dynasty of China. In 534, Yuan Baoju, then the Prince of Nanyang, followed his cousin Emperor Xiaowu of Northern Wei in fleeing from the capital Luoyang to Chang'an, after a fallout between Emperor Xiaowu and the paramount general Gao Huan. However, Emperor Xiaowu's relationship to the general that he then depended on, Yuwen Tai, soon deteriorated as well, and around the new year 535, Yuwen Tai poisoned Emperor Xiaowu to death, making Yuan Baoju emperor. As Gao Huan had, late in 534, made Yuan Shanjian (Emperor Xiaojing of Eastern Wei)—the son of Emperor Wen's cousin Yuan Dan (元亶)—emperor, thus establishing the Eastern Wei, Emperor Wen is therefore regarded as Western Wei's founding emperor, formalizing the division of the Northern Wei dynasty. Emperor Wen's relationship with Yuwen Tai appeared cordial, but he was unable to exercise much real power.
Background
Yuan Baoju was born in 507, a member of the Tuoba clan of the Xianbei. His father Yuan Yu (元愉), the Prince of Jingzhao, was the son of Emperor Xiaowen and a younger brother of the reigning Emperor Xuanwu. His mother was recorded as Yuan Yu's concubine Yang Aofei (杨奥妃). He had three other brothers, at least one of whom, Yuan Baoyue (元寶月), was older, and born of Yang Aofei.
Yuan Yu favored Yang Aofei but not his wife, Princess Yu, a sister to Emperor Xuanwu's wife Empress Yu.
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