Yuwen Yu 宇文毓

Yuwen Yu 宇文毓 (534–560), Emperor Ming of Northern Zhou (r. 557– 560). Northern Zhou writer.

Yuwen Yu was a Xianbei. His ancestral home was Wuchuan 武川 in Dai commandary 代郡 (modern Wuchuan, Inner Mongolia). He was the eldest son of Yuwen Tai 宇文泰 (505–556), who was one of the most powerful figures during the Western Wei. Yuwen Yu was born in Tongwancheng 統萬城 (northeast of modern Jingbian 靖邊, Shaanxi) when his father was stationed in Xiazhou 夏州 (modern Shaanxi). Thus, his childhood name was Tongwantu 統萬突.

In 548, Yuwen Yu was enfeoffed as Duke of Ningdu Commandery 寧都郡. In 556, he was appointed general-in-chief. In 557, Yuwen Tai's third son Yuwen Jue 宇文覺 (542–557) formally established the Northern Zhou. His postumous title was Emperor Xiaomin (r. 557–557). At this time Yuwen Yu was named pillar of state. Later he was transferred as regional inspector of Qizhou 岐州 (southeast of modern Fengxiang 鳳翔, Shaanxi), a position in which he won acclaim for his administrative competence. In the same year, his powerful and influential paternal cousin Yuwen Hu 宇文護 (513–572) deposed and killed Emperor Xiaomin and installed Yuwen Yu in his place. Yuwen Yu's posthumous title was Emperor Ming (r. 557–560). In 560, he was served poisoned food and died at the age of twenty-seven. Yuwen Hu probably was behind the plot to kill him.

Yuwen Yu's biography in the Zhou shu says that he “was generous and brilliant, benevolent and kindhearted. He promoted good relations among his ‘nine families,' and he had the bearing of a ruler. He became interested in learning at a very young age. He read extensively and excelled at writing. His style was moderate and elegant.” When Yuwen Yu became emperor, he assigned more than eighty learned scholars at the Linzhi 麟趾 Hall to collate the Classics and histories. He also had a large collection of geneaologies compiled covering remote antiquity to the Western Wei. This was titled Shipu 世譜 (Genealogies from throughout the ages). According to Yuwen Yu's biography in the Zhou shu this work consisted of 500 juan. However, according to the Bei shi it was in 100 juan. Cao Daoheng and Shen Yucheng note that it is not likely that Yuwen Yu could have compiled a 500-juan work within such a short period of time.

The monograph on bibliography of the Sui shu lists Yuwen Yu's collected writings in nine juan instead of ten juan as listed in the Zhou shu and Bei shi. The monograph on bibliography of the Jiu Tang shu does not record his collection, but the Xin Tang shu lists his collected works in 50 juan. This may be an error. Yuwen Hu has three poems extant: “Yi Wei jushi shi” 貽韋居士詩 (Sending a poem to retired scholar Wei), “Guo jiu-gong shi” 過舊宮詩 (Poem written on passing by an old palace), and “He Wang Bao yong zhehua” 和王褒詠摘花 (Matching Wang Bao's poem on picking flowers). Lu Qinli has collected them in his Xian Qin Han Wei Jin Nanbeichao shi.

Bibliography

Studies

• Han Kedi 韓可弟. “Yuwen san caizi—Beiguo shiren Yuwen Yu Yuwen Zhao Yuwen You” 宇文三才子—北國詩人宇文毓、宇文招、宇文逌. Minzu wenxue yanjiu (1997: 4): 77–79.
• Cao Daoheng and Shen Yucheng, Zhongguo wenxuejia dacidian, 153.

TPK