Yuwen Yun 宇文贇, Emperor Xuan of Northern Zhou

Yuwen Yun 宇文贇 (559–580), zi Qianbo 乾伯. Northern Zhou emperor and poet.

Yuwen Yun was a Xianbei. His ancestral home was Wuchuan 武川 in Dai commandary 代 (modern Wuchuan, Inner Mongolia). He was the eldest son of Yuwen Yong 宇文邕 (534–578), Emperor Wu 武 (r. 560–579) of the Northern Zhou dynasty. In 561, he was awarded the title Duke of Lu State 魯國公. In 572, he was named heir designate. In 578, his father Emperor Wu died and he was installed as emperor. His posthumous title was Emperor Xuan 宣 (r. 578–580).

According to Yuwen Yun's biography in the Zhou shu, he was addicted to alcohol. He overindulged in sensual pleasures, lived lavishly, and was cruel to people. He liked to sing his own praises. He died of illness at the age of twenty one after serving as emperor for only two years.

The Sui shu and Yuefu shiji record two lines of Yuwen Yun's only extant poem which reads: “I know my life is short, /I hold a candle and make a pleasure trip at night.” Lu Qinli has collected this piece in his Xian Qin Han Wei Jin Nanbeichao shi.

Studies

• Cao Daoheng and Shen Yucheng, Zhongguo wenxuejia dacidian,153.

TPK