Three Kingdoms and Six Dynasties · Murong Prince and General

Murong Ren 慕容仁

First attested AD 319; died AD 335

Passages: 13
Chapters: 2
Histories: 1

Overview

Murong Ren was a Murong Prince and General.

Life and dates

Death

AD 335 咸康初
Executed · Authority Murong Huang (慕容皝) · At near Pingguo 平郭
Directly stated · Book of Jin 109, passage 40

Attested activity

AD 335 咸康初
Dated from the passage context · Book of Jin 109, passages 35-36, 40
AD 333 to AD 334 廆卒後至咸和九年
Dated from the passage context · Book of Jin 109, passages 11, 19
AD 319 to AD 325 攻乞得龜
Dated from the passage context · Book of Jin 108, passage 102
AD 334 是歲
Dated from the passage context · Book of Jin 109, passage 31

Family

Immediate relationships attested in the translated histories.

Sibling of Murong Zhao (慕容昭)
brother by the same mother 母弟 · Full siblings
Directly stated · Book of Jin 109, passage 11
Child of Mother of Murong Huang (慕容皝母)
mother 母 · maternal line
mother 母
Strongly inferred · Book of Jin 109, passage 11
Child of Murong Hui (慕容廆)
son 子 · paternal line
youngest son 少子 · paternal line
Sources vary in certainty · Book of Jin 109, passage 11; Book of Jin 108, passage 102
Sibling of Murong Huang (慕容皝)
younger brother by the same mother 母弟 · Full siblings · paternal line
Directly stated · Book of Jin 109, passage 11

Key source chapters

Book of Jin, Chapter 109 Volume 109 Records 9: Murong Huang 12 passages
Book of Jin, Chapter 108 Volume 108 Records 8: Murong Hui 1 passage

Career and standing

General of Chariots and Cavalry 車騎將軍
AD 333 to AD 334 廆卒後至咸和九年 · Self styled
Dated from the passage context · Book of Jin 109, passage 19
Duke of Liaodong 遼東公
AD 333 to AD 334 廆卒後至咸和九年 · Self styled
Dated from the passage context · Book of Jin 109, passage 19
Held
In revolt
Directly stated · Book of Jin 109, passage 36
Suffered
Captured · Authority Murong Huang (慕容皝)
Directly stated · Book of Jin 109, passage 40

Events and relationships

Feared after Hui died
AD 333 廆卒 · Political · Threatened kinsman
Dated from the passage context · Book of Jin 109, passage 12
Killed envoy; returned to Pingguo
AD 333 to AD 334 廆卒後至咸和九年 · Military · Rebel
Dated from the passage context · Book of Jin 109, passage 15
Urged Zhao to depose Huang
AD 333 to AD 334 廆卒後至咸和九年 · Political · Instigator · With Murong Zhao (慕容昭)
Dated from the passage context · Book of Jin 109, passage 13

Source notes

Historicity historical
Directly stated · Book of Jin 109, passage 33

References in the histories

Search passages

History

13 passages

Book of Jin, Chapter 108Volume 108 Records 8: Murong Hui · 1 passage

以裴嶷為右部都督，率索頭為右翼，命其少子仁自平郭趣柏林為左翼，攻乞得龜，克之，悉虜其眾。 Huang split wings—Pei Yi and Suotou on the right, Ren circling from Pinggu—crushing Qidegui.

Book of Jin, Chapter 109Volume 109 Records 9: Murong Huang · 12 passages

初，皝庶兄建威翰驍武有雄才，素為皝所忌，母弟征虜仁、廣武昭並有寵於廆，皝亦不平之。 His elder half-brother Murong Han, who held the title general who establishes might, was a brilliant warrior whom Huang resented, while his full brothers Murong Ren and Murong Zhao, both favored by Hui, also stirred his jealousy.

至此，翰出奔段遼，仁勸昭舉兵廢皝。 Murong Han fled to Duan Liao, while Murong Ren urged Murong Zhao to revolt and depose Huang.

皝殺昭，遣使按檢仁之虛實，遇仁於險瀆。 Huang executed Zhao and sent envoys to probe whether Ren’s situation was genuine; they encountered Ren at Xiandu.

仁知事發，殺皝使，東歸平郭。 Ren saw his plot exposed, killed the messenger, and fled east to Pingguo.

仁盡眾距戰，幼等大敗，皆沒於仁。 Ren threw his whole army into the fight and crushed You’s force, capturing every commander.

仁於是盡有遼左之地，自稱車騎將軍、平州刺史、遼東公。 Ren then controlled all territory east of the Liao, proclaiming himself general of chariots and cavalry, governor of Pingzhou, and duke of Liaodong.

仁所署居就令劉程以城降，新昌人張衡執縣宰以降。 Liu Cheng, whom Ren had installed at Juqiu, yielded the town, while Zhang Heng of Xinchang seized the magistrate and capitulated.

於是斬仁所置守宰，分徙遼東大姓於棘城，置和陽、武次、西樂三縣而歸。 He executed Ren’s officials, relocated the leading Liaodong families to Jicheng, set up three new counties, and marched home.

皝將乘海討仁，群下咸諫，以海道危陰，宜從陸路。 When Huang planned a seaborne strike on Ren, his advisers objected that the route was too perilous and urged a march by land.

皝曰：「舊海水無淩，自仁反已來，凍合者三矣。 Huang replied, “This gulf seldom froze in the past, yet since Ren’s revolt it has frozen solid three winters running.

昔漢光武因滹沱之冰以濟大業，天其或者欲吾乘此而無之乎！ Han Guangwu once crossed the Hutuo on the ice to win his empire—Heaven may mean me to use this freeze against Ren!

仁不虞皝之至也，軍去平郭七里，候騎乃告，仁狼狽出戰，為皝所擒，殺仁而還。 Ren never expected him: Huang’s vanguard was seven li from Pingguo before Ren learned of it; Ren scrambled into battle, was taken, and executed.