生平

魏孝静帝出生于公元524年。

永熙三年（西元534年）七月，魏孝武帝从洛阳出逃，投靠在长安的宇文泰。元善见父元亶原本自以为可以被权臣高欢拥立为帝，但十月，高欢和百僚详细商议后，决定立元善见为皇帝，承嗣魏孝明帝元诩。即位于邺城东北，改元天平，东魏正式建立，年仅十一岁。由于年幼，由高欢辅政。

高欢善于玩弄权术，权倾朝野，令孝静帝天天都提心吊胆，对高欢颇为畏惧。高欢虽屡败于劲敌西魏宇文泰，但一直把持权力。而高欢死后，其子高澄承继父职，权势更大。孝静帝在邺城东打猎，骑马疾驰，监卫都督从后叫：「天子不要驰马，高澄发怒。」高澄侍饮，举起大酒杯劝酒，孝静帝不悦说「自古无不亡之国，朕何需要这样活著？」被高澄令手下崔季舒打了三拳。孝静帝与荀济等密谋要刺杀高澄，但事迹败露，高澄带兵入宫，指责孝静帝谋反，孝静帝驳斥，高澄痛哭谢罪，与孝静帝痛饮到深夜，但三天后就将孝静帝幽禁于含章堂而将荀济等烹杀于市。

公元549年，高澄遇刺。孝静帝一度以为自己有望掌权，但高澄的胞弟高洋继续掌权，孝静帝感慨高洋对自己仍然不能相容，并被迫加高洋为使持节、丞相、都督中外诸军事、录尚书事、大行台、齐郡王，食邑一万户，很快再进封齐王。高洋见篡魏之时机已到，于次年迫使孝静帝进他为相国，总百揆，封冀州渤海长乐安德武邑、瀛州之河间高阳章武、定州之中山常山博陵十郡，邑二十万户，加九锡殊礼，再禅位于他，改国号「齐」，东魏亡。

北齐封元善见为中山王，邑一万户；上书不称臣，答不称诏，载天子旌旗，行魏正朔，乘五时副车；封王诸子为县公，邑各一千户；奉绢三万匹，钱一千万，粟二万石，奴婢三百人，水碾一具，田百顷，园一所；于中山国立魏宗庙。

天保二年十二月己酉（552年1月21日），高洋灌醉元善见的妻子高皇后（太原长公主），派人用毒酒毒死了元善见，又杀死了他的三个儿子，元善见时年28岁。

天保三年二月，北齐上谥号孝静皇帝，将元善见葬于邺县漳河以北。他的陵墓曾经被高洋发掘，因崩塌死了六十人，高洋投其梓宫于漳水。

孝静帝文武双全，自幼聪明，能洞悉先机，且好文学，美容仪。力能挟石狮子以逾墙，射无不中。嘉辰宴会，多命群臣赋诗，从容沉雅，有孝文风。

经济政策

天平初年，考虑到各地移民尚未建立起家业，孝静帝诏令政府支付一百三十万石的粟加以救助。天平三年秋，并、肆、汾、建、晋、泰、陕、东雍、南汾等州遇到旱灾，饥民开始逃荒，直到天平四年才下诏救济，死于饥荒者众多。孝静帝时期，政府在沿海地区设置煮盐灶，沧州有灶一千四百八十四，瀛州有四百五十二灶，幽州有一百八十灶，青州有五百四十六灶，邯郸有四个灶。每年可产盐二十万九千七百二斛四升，国家从中得益不少。

家庭

曾祖父母

• 魏孝文帝元宏

• 河南罗氏，清河王太妃，使持节、侍中、镇东将军、青州刺史罗云之女

生祖父母

• 元怿，相国、清河文献王

• 河南罗氏，使持节、抚军将军、济衮二州刺史罗盖之女

生父母

• 元亶，相国、清河文宣王

• 胡智，使持节、散骑常侍、右将军、都督岐泾雍三州诸军事、雍州刺史、临泾孝穆公胡宁之女

嗣父

• 魏孝明帝

兄弟姐妹

• 元景植，东魏骠骑大将军、光禄勋、开府仪同三司、宜阳孝武王

• 河南公主，嫁颍川崔祖昴，散骑常侍、光禄勋、武津县公

• 冯翊公主，嫁勃海高澄，侍中、尚书令、领军、开府仪同三司、勃海王世子

• 元威，东魏骠骑大将军、仪同三司、清河王

• 元谦，东魏骠骑大将军、仪同三司、颍川王

后妃

• 高皇后，高欢次女

• 胡夫人

• 李嫔，后为北齐武成帝高湛妃

• 吐谷浑氏，容华嫔，吐谷浑可汗夸吕堂妹

儿子

• 元长仁等三子

延伸阅读

Background

Yuan Shanjian was born in 524. His father Yuan Dan (元亶) the Prince of Qinghe was a son of the well-regarded Yuan Yi (元怿), also Prince of Qinghe and a son of Emperor Xiaowen. His mother Princess Hu was Yuan Dan's wife and was a granddaughter of Hu Zhen (胡真), an uncle of Emperor Xiaoming's mother Empress Dowager Hu. Yuan Shanjian was Yuan Dan's oldest son, and was his heir apparent.

In 534, Emperor Xiaowu, a cousin of Yuan Shanjian's father Yuan Dan, seeking to resist the control of the paramount general Gao Huan, entered into an alliance with independent generals Yuwen Tai and Heba Sheng (贺拔胜). When Gao, in response, marched toward the capital Luoyang, Emperor Xiaowu fled to Yuwen's territory. Yuan Dan initially joined Emperor Xiaowu on his flight, but quickly abandoned Emperor Xiaowu and returned to Luoyang. After Gao entered Luoyang, he had Yuan Dan assume acting imperial powers, and Yuan Dan began to become arrogant, viewing himself as the next emperor. Gao, who was in fact looking for a new emperor to replace Emperor Xiaowu, felt that Yuan Dan was inappropriate, and therefore, under the excuse that a cousin should not succeed another, chose Yuan Shanjian and declared him emperor (as Emperor Xiaojing). (Yuan Dan, in embarrassment and fear, tried to flee south, presumably to rival Liang Dynasty, but Gao tracked him down and brought him back to Luoyang.) This formally divided Northern Wei into Eastern Wei (with Emperor Xiaojing as emperor) and Western Wei (with Emperor Xiaowu as Emperor).

During Gao Huans lifetime

Gao Huan, believing that Luoyang was too close to the borders of Western Wei and Liang, moved the capital to Yecheng, an important city firmly under his control. Viewing Emperor Xiaowu's flight as a blot on his person, Gao publicly showed Emperor Xiaojing the utmost respect for the rest of his life, and Gao's subordinates did not dare not to follow suit, although actual authority rested in the hands of Gao and other officials Gao delegated authority to. Gao also made repeated attempts to conquer Western Wei to reunify Northern Wei, but each time was repelled by Yuwen Tai or other Western Wei generals. Gao mostly remained at his headquarters in Jinyang (晋阳, in modern Taiyuan, Shanxi), but made occasional visits to Yecheng. In 536, Gao put his son, Gao Cheng, in charge of the Eastern Wei government. Late that year, Emperor Xiaojing's father Yuan Dan died, and according to some historians (but not all), Gao assassinated him.

Emperor Xiaojing, as he grew, was described to be handsome and strong, capable of jumping over a fence while holding a stone lion. He was also said to be skillful at horseriding, archery, and literature. People compared him to his famed ancestor, Emperor Xiaowen.

In 539, Emperor Xiaojing took Gao Huan's second daughter as his empress.

In 544, Gao Cheng, wanting to place a trusted official to keep watch on Emperor Xiaojing, made his associate Cui Jishu (崔季舒) Emperor Xiaojing's secretary. However, Emperor Xiaojing had a cordial relationship with Cui, who often revised submissions Gao made to Emperor Xiaojing and edicts Emperor Xiaojing issued to Gao Huan and Gao Cheng, to improve the style and content. Emperor Xiaojing frequently made the comment, "Cui is my wet nurse."

In 545, pursuant to Gao Huan's request, Emperor Xiaojing took the cousin of the khan of Tuyuhun, Murong Kualü (慕容夸吕), as a concubine, to try to enhance the relationship with Tuyuhun.

In 547, Gao Huan died, and Gao Cheng took over full power of the government.

During Gao Chengs regency

In light of Gao Huan's death, the general Hou Jing, who did not respect Gao Cheng, first surrendered the 13 provinces he controlled (the region between the Huai River and Yellow River) to Western Wei, and then to Liang. Gao Cheng's general Murong Shaozong (慕容绍宗), however, defeated both Xiao Yuanming – nephew of Liang's Emperor Wu, whom Emperor Wu sent to assist Hou – and Hou, capturing Xiao Yuanming and forcing Hou to flee to Liang. By 548, all but four provinces (which Western Wei took) were back under Eastern Wei control, and by 549, Eastern Wei had recaptured those provinces as well, after Gao Cheng captured Changshe (长社, in modern Xuchang, Henan).

Meanwhile, during the campaign against Hou, a conflict between Gao Cheng and Emperor Xiaojing would erupt. Gao Cheng was not as respectful to Emperor Xiaojing as Gao Huan was, and he ordered Cui Jishu to intensify his surveillance of Emperor Xiaojing. On one occasion, when Gao Cheng was attending a feast, he flashed a cup before Emperor Xiaojing as a toast – a very disrespectful gesture, as a subordinate, when toasting the emperor, was supposed to kneel. Emperor Xiaojing became angry, and remarked, "There is no such thing as an everlasting empire, and do we (朕) even need to live!" Gao Cheng angrily responded, "We (朕), we, we of dog feet!" He ordered Cui to punch Emperor Xiaojing three times, and then left abruptly. Emperor Xiaojing thereafter entered into a conspiracy with his teacher Xun Ji (荀济), Yuan Jin (元瑾), Liu Siyi (刘思逸), Yuan Daqi (元大器) the Prince of Huashan, Yuan Xuanhong (元宣洪) the Prince of Huainan, and Yuan Hui (元徽) the Prince of Jibei to consider overthrowing Gao Cheng. They dug a tunnel from within the palace to the outside of the city, intending to create a secret passage for imperial guards to go through, but the tunnel was discovered, and Gao Cheng entered the palace with his troops, arresting Emperor Xiaojing. The Book of Wei records that when Gao Cheng saw the emperor, he yelled "Your majesty, why would you rebel?" （「陛下何意反邪！」）. Upon realizing the mistake in his choice of wording, he fell on his knees and asked for forgiveness. Nonetheless, he eventually put Emperor Xiaojing under house arrest, and executed several leading participants of the conspiracy.

In spring 549, Emperor Xiaojing was forced to create Gao Cheng the greater title of Prince of Qi, and give him the honorific office of Xiangguo (相国), both signifying a move toward Gao's taking of the throne. Gao Cheng formally declined these honors, and further made a formal request for Emperor Xiaojing to create a son as crown prince. Subsequently, in fall 549, Emperor Xiaojing created his son Yuan Zhangren (元长仁) crown prince. (It is not known whether Yuan Zhangren's mother was Empress Gao.)

Also in fall 549, Gao Cheng was meeting Chen Yuankang (陈元康), Yang Yin, and Cui Jishu, to secretly discuss the timeframe in which to take the throne, when his servant Lan Jing (兰京) – a son of the Liang general Lan Qin (兰钦) Gao Cheng captured in battle, and whom Gao Cheng had repeatedly threatened to kill – assassinated Gao Cheng and Chen. Gao Cheng's brother Gao Yang the Duke of Taiyuan, who was also in Yecheng at the time, killed Lan Jing and his associates, and publicly declared only that Gao Cheng had been wounded. Emperor Xiaojing, however, believed that Gao Cheng was dead, and secretly made the remark, "It is heaven's will that the Grand Marshal Dà Jiāngjūn, Gao Cheng's title at that time) is dead. The power to rule should return to the imperial clan."

During Gao Yangs regency

Gao Yang, however, quickly moved to consolidate power. He made a quick show of force, marching his personal guards of 8,000 men into the palace, and stating to Emperor Xiaojing that he was going to Jinyang – where the military headquarters were. Emperor Xiaojing, seeing Gao Yang's intent on keeping power, turned pale and stated, "This man does not appear any more tolerant of me. I do not know when I will die." Gao Yang set up his headquarters in Jinyang, intending to control the military, and in spring 550, Gao Yang had Emperor Xiaojing create him the Prince of Qi Commandery – a slightly lesser title than the one that his brother declined before his death. Just two months later, Gao Yang's title was changed to Prince of Qi.

Meanwhile, Gao Yang's associate Gao Dezheng (高德政) was trying to persuade him to seize the throne. In summer 550, Gao Yang agreed, and he started advancing toward Yecheng, while sending Gao Dezheng to Yecheng to try to force the issue. Emperor Xiaojing bestowed Gao Yang the nine bestowments – the traditional penultimate step before abdication. After Gao Yang arrived in Yecheng, with the officials Pan Le (潘乐), Zhang Liang (张亮), and Zhao Yanshen (赵彦深) sent by Gao Yang to request his abdication, Emperor Xiaojing did so, yielding the throne to Gao Yang, who established Northern Qi (as its Emperor Wenxuan).

After removal from power

The new Emperor Wenxuan created the former emperor the Prince of Zhongshan on 10 June 550, and gave him the special treatment of not having to declare himself a subject of the new emperor. He created his sister, the former empress, the Princess Taiyuan. The former emperor resided with the princess, and the princess, worried that her brother might do her husband harm, kept close watch on her husband, often tasting his food to make sure that it was not poisoned.

However, Emperor Wenxuan was apprehensive of the former emperor. Around the new year 552, Emperor Wenxuan invited the Princess Taiyuan to a feast inside the palace. As soon as she left her residence, Emperor Wenxuan sent assassins to force the former emperor to drink poisoned wine, and also killed his three sons. Emperor Wenxuan gave the former emperor the posthumous name of Xiaojing, and also buried him with imperial honors. However, at a later time, for reasons unknown, Emperor Wenxuan opened up the tomb and threw Emperor Xiaojing's casket into the Zhang River (漳水).

Family

Parents:

• Father: Yuan Dan (元亶) (d. 536), Prince Wenxuan of Qinghe, son of Yuan Yi (元怿) Prince Wenxian of Qinghe, son of Emperor Xiaowen of Northern Wei

• Mother: Princess Hu, Yuan Dan's wife

Consort and their respective issue(s);

• Empress Gao, of the Gao clan (高皇后), second daughter of Gao Huan

• Consort Murong, of Tuyuhun's clan (容华嫔 吐谷浑氏), cousin of Murong Kualü (慕容夸吕)

• Consort Li, of the Li clan (李氏, d. 574)

• Furen, of the Hu clan (胡夫人)

• Unknown:

　• Yuan Zhangren (元长仁), the Crown Prince (created 549, killed by Emperor Wenxuan of Northern Qi 552)

　• Two other sons, also killed by Emperor Wenxuan of Northern Qi 552