Background and early career

Wuniuyu Qiannian was born from a line of Northern Wei nobles of Xianbei ethnicity. His great-grandfather Wuniuyu Lidi (勿忸于栗磾) was one of Northern Wei's most famous generals during the reigns of Emperor Mingyuan and Emperor Taiwu. His father Wuniuyu Lie (勿忸于烈) served as a general during the reigns of Emperor Xiaowen and Emperor Xuanwu.

Wuniuyu Qiannian himself became a low level official during the regency of Emperor Xiaowen's stepgrandmother, Grand Empress Dowager Feng. Grand Empress Dowager Feng was strict and often punished officials for even minor offenses, but Wuniuyu Zhong was said to be diligent and honest, and was never punished by her. Emperor Xiaowen favored him as well, and steadily promoted him. Emperor Xiaowen also changed his name to Wuniuyu Deng (勿忸于登). In 496, pursuant to Emperor Xiaowen's edict to change Xianbei names to Han names as part of his sinicization campaign, the Wuniuyu clan's name was changed to Yu.

Service under Emperor Xuanwu

After Emperor Xiaowen's death in 499 and succession by hisson Emperor Xuanwu, Yu Deng's father Yu Lie continued to serve in the administration, and Yu Lie soon ran into conflicts with one of the regents, Emperor Xuanwu's uncle Yuan Xi (元禧) the Prince of Xianyang, over Yuan Xi's arrogance and wastefulness, as well as Yuan Xi's use of items that were supposed to be only usable by the emperor. Yu Deng was by this point an attendant of the emperor, and through him, Yu Lie reported Yuan Xian's faults to the emperor, leading to Emperor Xuanwu's relieving Yuan Xi and another uncle, Yuan Xie the Prince of Pengcheng, of their responsibilities in 501. When Yuan Xi planned a rebellion later that year, Yu Deng was involved in protecting Emperor Xuanwu arresting Yuan Xi and his cohorts, and was rewarded for his accomplishments. Emperor Xuanwu also changed his name further to Yu Zhong—with "Zhong" meaning "faithful."

Later that year, Yu Lie died, and Yu Zhong left governmental service to observe the mourning period for his father. However, he was soon recalled to the government, and he soon began to have conflicts with Emperor Xuanwu's uncle Yuan Xiang (元詳) the Prince of Beihai, who had taken over Yuan Xi's responsibilities, as Yuan Xiang had grown corrupt and arrogant. Yuan Xiang therefore ostensibly promoted Yu, but used the promotion to take Yu from positions where he would see the emperor often. After Yuan Xiang was removed by Emperor Xuanwu in 504, Yu appeared to be continually promoted, and in 505 Emperor Xuanwu sent him on a tour of the western provinces to overview their administrative productivity. Throughout the rest of Emperor Xuanwu's reign, his power increased, which at times put him at odds with Emperor Xuanwu's powerful maternal uncle Gao Zhao.

Service under Emperor Xiaoming

Emperor Xuanwu died suddenly in 515. Yu and the official Cui Guang (崔光), without first consulting Emperor Xuanwu's wife Empress Gao (Gao Zhao's niece), quickly declared Emperor Xuanwu's young son, the crown prince Yuan Xu, emperor (as Emperor Xiaoming). When Empress Gao wanted to put Emperor Xiaoming's mother Consort Hu to death, Yu, Cui, the eunuch Liu Teng (劉騰), and the general Hou Gang (侯剛), protected Consort Hu by hiding her. Yu and Cui soon forced Empress Gao to confer regent authorities on Emperor Xuanwu's uncle Yuan Yong the Prince of Gaoyang and Emperor Xiaowen's cousin Yuan Cheng (元澄) the Prince of Rencheng, and when Gao Zhao subsequently returned to the capital Luoyang from a military campaign against rival Liang Dynasty that Emperor Xuanwu had commissioned, Yu and Yuan Yong ambushed him and put him to death. Empress Gao was removed, and Consort Hu became empress dowager.

Yu Zhong, by this point, was in control of the government, and while he was not in name regent, he was effectively the regent, making almost all key decisions. He had himself created the Duke of Changshan. The officials Pei Zhi (裴植) and Guo Zuo (郭祚), who were unhappy about Yu's authoritarian acts, secretly suggested to Yuan Yong to have Yu removed from his post and sent to a province to be governor. Yu heard the news and falsely accused Pei and Guo of crimes. Pei and Guo were executed, and Yu wanted to kill Yuan Yong as well, but Cui refused to agree, and so Yuan Yong was merely removed of his post.

After Yu had effectively served as regent for six months, however, Empress Dowager Hu assumed titular regency, and while she appreciated Yu's saving her life, she also continuously received reports that Yu was abusing his power, and so she had him sent to Ji Province (冀州, modern central Hebei) to serve as governor. Soon, Yu's ducal title was stripped and many of his acts while in power were reversed, but because Empress Dowager Hu remembered what he had done for her, she soon recalled him to the capital and gave him an honorary post, but did not put him in power any more. In 516, she created him the Duke of Lingshou. He died in 518, and while initially, it was proposed that his posthumous name be "Wuchou" (meaning "martial and abusive"), Empress Dowager Hu instead declared it to be "Wujing" (meaning "martial and alert").

生平

早年

于忠在弱冠之年時，便出任侍御中散之職。馮太后臨朝執政，刑政頗為嚴峻，其左右侍臣，不少人由於對她稍有指責而獲罪。于忠為人樸直少言，所以始終沒有犯什麼過失。太和年間，授職任武騎侍郎，因此賜名為于登。後轉任太子翊軍校尉。

賜名于忠

太和二十三年（499年），宣武帝元恪即位，于忠升任為長水校尉。不久改任左中郎將，領直寢。元禧陰謀反叛之際，宣武帝在外，由於事發倉猝，不知如何是好。于忠向宣武帝進言說：「臣世代蒙受朝廷特殊的恩寵，忠心於王室。我父親任領軍，被委付留守京城之重任，早已有所防備，皇上您不用有什麼擔憂的。」宣武帝立即派于忠騎馬馳赴京城觀察動靜，而其父于烈已分兵嚴加防備，果然如他所料。宣武帝回宮後，撫著于忠的背說：「你真是善知人意。」賜給他帛五百匹。又對他說：「先帝賜給你名為登，實在是一個美稱，我讚賞你的忠誠，現在給你改名為忠。既表示忠貞堅強的誠心，也是要使得名實相副。"

開罪元詳

景明二年（501年），于忠的父親于烈去世，于忠因父去世居喪而去職。不久，再度起用並官復原職。後改任司空長史。當時太傅、錄尚書、北海王元詳因是宣武帝的叔父權勢很大，將作大匠王遇經常隨元詳心之所欲而給他營造各種東西。後來有一次因為公事，于忠當著元詳的面對王遇說：「殿下是我們魏國的周公，輔佐王室，他所需要的各種材料用具，你自然應當向朝廷稟報，為什麼要阿諛附勢，損公而惠私。」王遇聽後坐立不安，元詳也感到慚愧自責。于忠後升任征虜將軍，其餘官職仍予保留。因平定元禧反叛有功，賜封魏郡開國公，食邑九百戶。不久升任散騎常侍，兼任武衛將軍。于忠每此由於其耿直的氣質和正直的言辭，遭到元詳所忿恨。元詳當面斥責于忠說：「我擔心你會死在我前面，而不擔心我會死在你前面。」于忠說：「人生於世，生死自有定分，如果我應當死於你北海王之手，想要逃避也不能倖免；如果天命不是這樣，你北海王也不能殺死我。」元詳借于忠上表辭讓之機會，暗中勸宣武帝把于忠作為列卿，令其解除在皇帝左右的職務，聽任他辭讓爵位。於是宣武帝詔令停止于忠的封賜，優厚地讓他進位為太府卿。

外放定州

正始二年（505年）秋天，宣武帝詔令于忠以本官任使持節，兼任侍中，並為西道大使，凡是刺史、鎮將當中有貪贓之罪和明顯暴虐行為的人，就寫具罪狀申報朝廷，太守、縣令以下的官吏有違法的，可以立即進行處置。于忠和撫軍將軍、尚書李崇分別出使兩路。于忠彈劾并州刺史高聰貪贓枉法的罪行二百餘條，朝廷論罪處以極刑。于忠返回京都，授職任平西將軍、華州刺史。恰逢其繼母去世，未能就任。服喪完畢後，授職任安北將軍、相州刺史。又任衛尉卿、河南邑中正。宣武帝令于忠與吏部尚書元暉、度支尚書元匡、河南尹元萇等人評定代人的姓氏宗族。高肇畏懼于忠的為人，想要秘密地把他逐出京師，就向宣武帝進言，說中山是一個要鎮，加強保衛需要人才，憑于忠的才識和能力，最適合擔當此任。於是于忠出任安北將軍、定州刺史。宣武帝不久後悔，再次任命他為衛尉卿，兼任左衛將軍、恆州大中正，秘密派遣中使傳令給他。

帝賜劍杖

延昌元年（512年），授職任于忠都官尚書，擔任安南將軍，兼任左衛、仍任中正。又任散騎常侍。有一次趁于忠侍奉宣武帝飲宴，宣武帝賜給他劍杖，並舉酒囑咐于忠道：「你父子兩代保持貞節，所以長期以來把宮中禁衛的重任都委託給你們。過去因為你行為盡忠，特賜名「忠」。現在憑你的才幹可以抵禦敵侮，就把我所用的劍杖相賜予你。就其名而求其義，我的期望很高。你在宮禁中出入周旋，可以常用它來防身。」于忠跪拜行禮表示感謝。宣武帝又授侍中、領軍將軍之職，于忠當面推辭說：「臣沒有學識，不能同時接受文武重任。」宣武帝說：「當今有學識有才華的人為數不少，但秉性剛直這方面卻不如你。你為臣下勤勞辛苦，我為君上就無所憂慮。

擁立孝明

延昌四年（515年），宣武帝駕崩，于忠連夜與侍中崔光派右衛將軍侯剛到東宮迎奉太子元詡即位，是為孝明帝。于忠與門下省計議，因為孝明帝尚在幼年，不能親自處理朝廷政務；太尉、高陽王元雍輩分高、名望貴重，應當入宮居於西柏堂，處理決斷各種政務；任城王元澄是有德才的皇親，可以任尚書令，總領朝中文武百官。於是把這樣的安排進奏孝明帝，請求立即敕令授任。御史中尉王顯想要施逞奸計，與中常侍、給事中孫伏連等人聲色俱厲，拒不接受，將門下省的奏章擱置起來，並把朝中侍中、黃門叫來，命他們將授官簿錄上官員的姓名送來，孫伏連等人暗中想要詐稱太后之令，以高肇錄尚書事，王顯與高猛任侍中。于忠就在殿中逮捕並殺死王顯。

權傾朝野

于忠既然官居門下省，又總領宮中禁衛，把持朝政，權傾一時。當初，太和年間軍國之事繁多，孝文帝因為財務用度不足，把文武百官的俸祿減去四分之一。于忠既然擅權，想要用小恩小惠籠絡百官以鞏固自己的地位，於是就全部歸還所減去的俸祿，所有官員都進位一級。原有的制度規定：天下百姓每人每年繳納絹布一匹之外，還要交綿麻八兩。于忠全部予以免除。于忠告訴高陽王元雍，說是宣武帝在位時原來就准許寬容改變。元雍懼怕于忠的威勢和權柄，就順從他的意願，授任于忠為車騎大將軍。于忠自以為處於新舊交替之際，自己有安定社稷之功，就委婉地鼓動百官，令他們加給自己封賞。於是，太尉元雍、清河王元懌、廣平王元懷難於違拗他的意願，商議封賜于忠為常山郡開國公，食邑二千戶。朝中百官都認為可以。于忠又為自己獨自得到封賞感到為難，就婉言勸說朝廷，給同他一起在門下省任職的人都授予封邑。尚書左僕射郭祚、尚書裴植由於看到于忠權勢日益擴大，就勸元雍讓于忠離開京師。于忠聽說此事，強逼有關部門向朝廷誣奏他們的罪狀。郭祚有曾任太子師傅之恩，裴植有擁地歸附北魏之功，于忠偽託孝明帝詔令把他們倆處死。對於于忠的行為，朝野之人都十分怨憤，莫不切齒痛恨，王公以下的官員，都害怕受牽連而被他追究。于忠又想殺害高陽王元雍，侍中崔光堅決制止，才沒動手。於是免去元雍太尉之職，讓他以高陽王的身份回到自己的王府。從此以後，朝廷詔命和生殺之權，都出自于忠之手。

太后臨朝

後來，尊奉孝明帝生母胡氏（宣武靈皇后）為皇太后，居於崇訓宮，于忠任儀同三司、尚書令，兼任崇訓衛尉，侍中、領軍等職仍照舊。胡太后臨朝執政，解除於忠侍中、領軍、崇訓衛尉之職，只任儀同、尚書令，加任侍中。于忠任尚書令十多天，胡太后在崇訓宮接見門下省的侍官，問他們說：「于忠在尚書省任長官，他的名聲如何？」眾人回答說：「他不勝任這個職位。」於是就讓于忠出任使持節、都督冀定瀛三州諸軍事、征北大將軍、冀州刺史。太傅、清河王元懌等人上表奏說：「臣等私下認為先帝仙逝之初，皇上登基之始，四海安定，宇內清平。至於奉迎皇帝，侍衛宮禁，這是臣子通常的節操，為官一般的原則，不容以此當作功勳，隨便賞賜封邑。臣等先前之所以建議廣為封授王侯，正因為畏懼威權，暫且免除暴戾之故。這次朝廷謀議大事之時，以十三日夜晚入宮為無功，僅僅是抗拒偽造的太后詔令，壓抑和罷黜奸邪之人，才可以褒獎敘功。因為前侍中于忠總攝文武百官，侍中崔光久居要職，贊同他的意見，所以只賞賜這兩個人。現在尚書臣昭等人多次上訴，尊奉敕命重議此事。王顯暗中交結奸徒，圖謀不軌；高肇在外勾結凶逆，企圖製造禍端。逆亂之罪，理應誅戮。于忠等人懲治他們的罪行，僅僅誅殺他們本身，沒有誅戮其妻兒，定將再出罪人，不能窮治除根。按照法律來衡量，這個過失不能算輕。以至於皇上繼位時，將聖后置於別宮，母子隔異，親情隔絕，都是于忠等人的過失。過失多於功勳，功小而罪重，而且于忠專權之後，擅自殺害重臣，廢黜宰輔，令朝野驚心，遠近怪愕。功勞與過失相抵，完全不應賞賜。請求聖上將其封賜全部追奪。」胡太后於是聽從此意見。

元匡彈劾

熙平元年（516年）春天，御史中尉元匡上表奏報，于忠擅權專政，濫殺大臣等過失，凡是于忠越級晉升的職位，請求一併予以追奪。胡太后下令說：「你們照直所糾劾的事實，的確符合朝廷法典。但于忠之事已經寬宥，又受到特別的恕免，不宜窮追其罪責。其餘事項准其所奏。」又下詔說：「于忠由於往年朝廷大諱之際，受到朝廷封賜，但酬報他的軍功超過常理，有司已經予以追奪。怎麼能因為有一些過錯，就捨棄他其餘的功勳呢。而且于忠長期擔任宮禁要職，忠誠和節操十分顯明，應當在全國對他褒揚嘉獎，以安眾望。可封於忠為靈壽縣開國公，食邑五百戶。」

于忠逝世

當初，宣武帝駕崩時，高太后將害靈太后，劉騰以告侯剛。侯剛又以之告于忠。于忠請計於崔光，崔光曰：「最好將胡嬪安置於別所，嚴加守衞，按理必可萬全，此上計也。」于忠等人聽從見議，具以此意啟奏靈太后，靈太后才安心。所以太后深感劉騰等四人恩德，並有寵授。熙平二年四月（517年），于忠除尚書右僕射，加侍中，仍為將軍。神龜元年（518年）三月，恢復儀同三司，因疾病而未拜，于忠見郭祚、裴植二人作祟。于忠自知必死，遂上表奏曰："先帝錄臣父子一介之誠，昭臣家世奉公之節，故申之以婚姻，重之以爵祿，至乃位亞三槐，秩班九命。自大明利見之始，百官總己之初，臣復得猥攝禁戎，緝寧內外，斯誠社稷之靈，兆民之福，臣何力之有焉。但陛下以叡明御宇，皇太后以聖善臨朝，衽席不遺，簪屨弗棄，復乃寵窮出內，榮遍宮闈，外牧兩河，入參百揆。顧服知妖，省躬識戾。而臣將慎靡方，致茲痾疚。自去秋苦痢，纏綿迄今，藥石備嘗，日增無損。又今年已來，力候轉惡，微喘緒息，振復良難。鴻慈未酬，伏枕涕咽。臣薄福無男，遺體莫嗣，貪及餘生，謹陳宿抱。臣先養早亡的四弟次子司徒掾于永超為子，猶子之念實切於心，乞立為嫡，傳此山河。」胡太后下令：「于忠的表奏屬實。其忠誠與功勳既應當記錄，又無子息實可憐惜。臨危之時所祈請的事，不可使他失望。可特准許其所請，以表彰他的殊勳。」同年，于忠去世，終年五十七歲。朝廷賜給東園製作的棺木一副、朝服一套、衣一件、錢二十萬、布七百匹、蠟三百斤，追贈他為侍中、司空公。有司啟奏說：​​「太常少卿元端奏議，于忠剛直猛暴，專斷愚魯而好殺，按立諡之法，剛強理直曰'武'，恃威肆行曰'醜'，應當定其諡號為武醜公。太常卿元修義的意見，則認為于忠盡心奉上，翦除凶逆，依照立諡之法，除偽寧真曰'武'，夙夜恭事曰'敬'，應謚為武敬公。二卿的意見不同。」此事上奏之後，胡太后下令依照元修義的意見，定諡號為武敬公。

參考