Emperor Wu Cheng of Northern Zhou, known as Yuwen Zhan, was the ninth son of Emperor Shenwu of Northern Zhou and the younger brother of Emperor Xiaozhao. He was handsome and charming, who was particularly favored by his father, Emperor Shenwu. At that time, Emperor Shenwu was busy expanding the territory and specifically arranged for Yuwen Zhan to marry the daughter of the Rouran prince, An Luochen, bestowing upon her the title of "Princess Linhe." At just eight years old, Yuwen Zhan wore formal attire and displayed a calm and composed demeanor; even foreign envoys were full of praise for him. Later, during the Yuanxiang period, he was appointed as the Duke of Changguang County; during the Tianbao period, he was promoted to king and also held the position of Minister of Works, eventually rising to the rank of Grand Commandant.
During the Qianming period, Yang Yin and others, envious of him, secretly transferred him to Beizhou as the Inspector to distance him from the center of power, holding the title of Inspector of Beizhou while also serving as Grand Marshal. In reality, Yuwen Zhan had long been conspiring with his brother, Emperor Xiaozhao, to eliminate the corrupt officials in power. Later, he was promoted to Grand Tutor, overseeing the affairs of the Secretariat, while also serving as the Grand Commander of the Capital Region. During the Huangjian period, he ascended to the esteemed position of Right Prime Minister. On one occasion, when Emperor Xiaozhao traveled to Jinyang, Yuwen Zhan stayed in Ye City to handle government affairs as Emperor Xiaozhao's younger brother. Emperor Xiaozhao had great trust in him and entrusted him with numerous responsibilities. Two years later, Emperor Xiaozhao passed away, leaving behind a decree that Yuwen Zhan was to succeed him as emperor.
Yuwen Zhan arrived at the Jinyang Palace and held a funeral for Emperor Xiaozhao in the Chongde Hall. The Empress Dowager ordered the reading of the will, and the Left Prime Minister, Hulü Jin, along with other officials, repeatedly urged Yuwen Zhan to ascend to the throne. After three requests, Yuwen Zhan agreed. On Guichou day in the eleventh month of the first year of Danning, Yuwen Zhan ascended the throne in the Southern Palace, issued a general amnesty throughout the empire, and changed the year to the first year of Danning. After his ascension, he quickly appointed several officials, including: Gui Yan, the Minister of Works and Prince of Ping Qin, as the Grand Tutor; Rui, the Supervisor of the Right of the Masters of Writing and Prince of Zhao Jun, as the Prefect of the Masters of Writing; Wei Can, the Grand Commandant, as the Grand Protector; Duan Shao, the Prefect of the Masters of Writing, as the Grand Marshal; Lou Rui, the Governor of Fengzhou, as the Minister of Works; Yan, the Grand Tutor and Prince of Pingyang, as the Grand Preceptor; Yu, the Grand Protector and Prince of Pengcheng, as the Grand Chancellor, in charge of the affairs of the Masters of Writing; Wang Ji, the Governor of Jizhou, as the Grand Commandant; Jie, the Director of the Palace Library and Prince of Rencheng, as the Supervisor of the Left of the Masters of Writing; Hulü Guang, the Governor of Bingzhou, as the Supervisor of the Right of the Masters of Writing; and he also granted titles to the sons of Emperor Xiaozhao as Princes of Leling. He then ordered envoys to travel throughout the country to inspect and select talents. This year marked the first year of Baoding during the reign of Emperor Wu of Zhou.
In the first year of Heqing, which marked the beginning of spring, the emperor's carriage returned from Jinyang. A few days later, the emperor sacrificed to Heaven and Earth at the Southern Suburbs, then went to the ancestral temple to pay respects to his ancestors. After a few more days, the emperor named Hu Shi as the Empress and his son, Wei, as the Crown Prince. He then declared amnesty, with all officials being promoted by one rank, and those who had lost their titles due to their fathers' deaths were posthumously promoted by one rank. A few days later, Run, who had previously served as the Governor of Dingzhou and Prince of Fengyi, was appointed as the Supervisor of the Left of the Masters of Writing. The emperor also ordered a ban on the slaughter of livestock to honor the beauty of spring.
On a day in February, the Emperor appointed Yan Diao, who was serving as the Grand Preceptor and Prince Pingyang, to be the Governor of Qingzhou, and also appointed him as the Grand Tutor and Minister of Works. At the same time, Gu Yan, who was the Grand General, Grand Master, and Prince of Ping Qin, was appointed as the Grand Preceptor in the central government, also concurrently serving as the Inspector of Jizhou. A few days later, Ren Cheng, who was also serving as the Minister of Rites, was appointed as the Minister of Works. The Emperor also sent the Cavalier Attendant, Cui Zhan, to visit the state of Chen. In April, the Empress Dowager Lou passed away, which was a great tragedy. The Inspector of Qingzhou reported good news, saying that on the Gengyin day of this month, the Yellow River and the Ji River were both crystal clear! Because of the clear waters, the Emperor decided to change the era name from "Second Year of Daning" to "Clear River," and at the same time meted out varying degrees of punishment to those who had erred. In May, Empress Wuming was laid to rest in the Yiping Mausoleum. Later, the Supervisor of the Right of the Masters of Writing, Huo Luoguang, was promoted to Prefect of the Masters of Writing. In July, alas, trouble struck! Grand Preceptor, Inspector of Jizhou, and Prince of Ping Qin, Gu Yan, actually rebelled in Jizhou! The Emperor quickly ordered Grand Marshal Duan Shao and Minister of Works Lou Rui to quell the rebellion. In a few days, Gu Yan was captured, and along with his three sons and over twenty accomplices, he was executed. After that, the Emperor conducted a major personnel reshuffle: Grand Marshal Duan Shao was promoted to Grand Tutor, Minister of Works Lou Rui was promoted to Minister of Works, Prince Pingyang Yan was promoted to Grand Preceptor, Huo Luoguang was promoted to Minister of Works, Prince Rui of Zhao was promoted to Prefect of the Masters of Writing, and Prince Xiaowan of Hejian was promoted to Supervisor of the Left of the Masters of Writing. In the autumn, the Emperor visited Jinyang, and envoys from Chen also came to pay their respects. In November of winter, the Emperor sent the Cavalier Attendant, Feng Xiaoyan, to visit the state of Chen. In December, the Emperor's entourage returned from Jinyang. In that year, the Emperor also executed Prince Shaode of Taiyuan.
In a certain year in the spring, on the first few days of the lunar new year, the emperor ordered a personal examination of the scholars in the court. Then, Wei Shou, the Prince's tutor, was appointed as the Right Minister of Personnel. In a few days, Wei Shou was dismissed from office for protecting and condoning others' mistakes. A few days later, the emperor posthumously honored Empress Wuming, and she was to participate in the sacrifices at the North Suburb together. Afterwards, the emperor personally visited the prisoners in Duting Prison and reduced the sentences of the criminals in the capital city.
On the first few days of the third month, the emperor ordered Minister of Works Huluguang to supervise the soldiers of the five camps in building fortifications at Zhiguan. After a few days, envoys from the Shiwei Kingdom came to pay tribute. A few days later, Zhao Yanshen, who was also the Right Minister of Personnel, was promoted to the Left Deputy. In April, the five states of Bingzhou, Fenzhou, Jinzhou, Dongyongzhou, and Nanfenzhou faced pestilence and drought, leading to poor harvests. The emperor sent relief aid to the affected areas. In the same month, the Chen Kingdom sent envoys to establish friendly relations with us. On the first few days of May, the emperor ordered the empty garden next to Shuangtang in the southern part of the city to be rebuilt into Dazongchi Temple.
On the first few days of June, reports from Qizhou claimed that eight dragons were spotted ascending to the sky at the confluence of the Ji River and the Yellow River! A few days later, the emperor sent Cui Ziwu, the Cavalier Attendant, as an envoy to the Chen Kingdom. A few days later, Xiaoyu, the Governor of Sizhou and Prince of Henan, passed away. On the first few days of August, the emperor ordered the transformation of Sannai Palace into Daxingsheng Temple. At the end of the year in December, envoys from the Chen Kingdom returned to pay tribute. A few days later, General Yang Zhong of Zhou led over twenty thousand troops, including the Turkic Ashina Khan, to launch attacks from Hengzhou, slaughtering officials and civilians indiscriminately. During that period, heavy snow and rain persisted for several months, with snow several feet deep blanketing the plains for miles in every direction, frost during the day, and even blood rain reported in Taiyuan, which was truly terrifying.
Later, the emperor arrived in Jinyang. The Zhou army quickly surrounded Banzhou, and the Zhou state sent Grand General Daxi Wu to lead tens of thousands of troops to Dongyongzhou and Jinzhou, cooperating with the Turkic forces. That year, the Shiwei, Kumoxi, Mohe, and Khitan all sent envoys to pay tribute. In a certain year, on the first day of the first month, Gengshen Day, which was New Year's Day, the Zhou army came to the city in grand fashion, and we fought in the west of the city. As a result, we suffered a disastrous defeat with countless casualties, with human and animal bodies piled high like mountains, stretching for hundreds of miles—an appalling sight. The emperor ordered Duan Shao, the King of Pingyuan, to pursue to the frontier and then return. On the third month, Xinyu Day, the court ordered a general amnesty throughout the country, which was a welcome piece of news! However, on Jisi Day, a terrible event occurred: someone actually killed the Grand Tutor and Prince Yu of Pengcheng! On Gengchen Day, the emperor appointed Huluguang as the Minister of State for Works, and Prince Wuxing Pu as the Cavalry Minister. On Jiashen Day, King Fengyi Run was appointed as the Chief Secretary of State. On Ximao Day in April, the emperor sent Huangfuliang to the Chen state as an envoy, also serving as a scattered cavalier attendant. On Jiazi Day in May, the emperor returned from Jinyang. On Renwu Day, the emperor appointed Prince Zhaojin Rui as the Chief Secretary of State, and promoted the former Minister of State for Works, Lou Rui, to the Grand Commandant of State. On Jiashen Day, Duan Shao was promoted to Grand Tutor. On Dinghai Day, Prince Rencheng Jie became the Grand General of State. On Renchen Day, the emperor returned to Jinyang. On Gengzi Day in June, it rained heavily, day and night, until Jiachen Day. In this month, rumors spread in Jinyang, claiming that ghost soldiers had appeared, frightening the people into banging on copper and iron objects to ward off the ghost soldiers, which led to the death of Prince Leling. By the way, the matriarch of the Yuwen clan was also sent back to the Zhou state.
On the 9th day of the 9th month, the Emperor conferred the title of Nanyang King to Prince Chuo and Dongping King to Prince Yan. This month, the matriarch of the Yan family was returned to the Zhou kingdom. The Chen kingdom sent envoys to arrange a marriage alliance with us. The Turks invaded again, reaching Youzhou and breaching the Great Wall, looting before fleeing. On the 1st day of the intercalary month, the Emperor sent twelve envoys to inspect the severely affected states and counties, exempting them from taxes. On the 9th day of the 5th month, the Turks invaded Youzhou again! The Zhou army also mobilized, launching attacks from three directions, with Yu Chijiong assaulting Luoyang, Yang Nai targeting Zhiguang, and Quan Jingxuan engaging Xuanhu. By the 11th day of November, Yu Chijiong had surrounded Luoyang. On the 10th day of the 5th month, the Emperor sent Liu Di as an envoy to the Chen kingdom, also serving as a cavalier attendant. On the 1st day of the 1st month, our Grand Marshal Lou Rui achieved a significant victory at Zhiguan, capturing Yang Nai alive, a major triumph! On the 12th day of the 12th month, Wang Shiliang, the governor of Yuzhou, surrendered along with his city to the Zhou general Quan Jingxuan. On the 14th day, the Emperor departed from Jinyang to initiate a southern campaign. On the 16th day, the Grand Chancellor and King Pingyang, Yan, passed away. On the 19th day, Grand Tutor Duan Shao defeated Yu Chijiong and his forces, lifting the siege of Luoyang. On the 23rd day, the Emperor arrived in Luoyang, exempting the people of Luozhou from taxes owed due to the Zhou army's occupation, and pardoning all non-capital offenders in the city. On the 25th day, the Emperor appointed Duan Shao as Grand Chancellor, Hulü Guang as Grand Marshal, and Prince Chang Gong of Lanling as Minister of State. On the 28th day, the Emperor arrived at Wulao, passing through Huatai and stopping at Liyang, and along the way, he also commuted the sentences of some criminals. On the 30th day, the Emperor's entourage returned from Luoyang.
This year, Goryeo, Mohe, and Silla all sent envoys to pay tribute. Unfortunately, a major flood occurred in the Shandong region, resulting in countless deaths from starvation and freezing. The emperor ordered disaster relief, but it was ultimately not carried out.
On the first day of the first month of the year 564, on the day of Guimao, Prince Xiaowang Yuanjie was appointed as the Grand Marshal, a very high official position. A few days later, on the day of Xinwei, the emperor traveled to Jinyang for leisure. On the first day of the second month, on the day of Jiayin, the emperor ordered the enthronement of the King of Silla, Jin Zhenxing, as the Imperial Envoy, Colonel of the Eastern Yi, and Marquis of Lelang Commandery, while retaining his title as King of Silla, a highly favorable honor! On the day of Renshen, due to the poor harvest that year, the court ordered a ban on brewing alcohol, presumably to save food. On the day of Jimao, another order was issued to reduce the salaries of officials, with distinctions based on their rank. On the day of Wuzi in the third month, the emperor ordered the distribution of food to the poor and destitute people severely affected by the floods in Xiyanzhou, Liangzhou, Cangzhou, Zhaozhou, as well as the eastern counties, Yangping, Qinghe, Wudu under Sizhou, and Changle, Bohai under Jizhou. The amount of food distributed varied based on local conditions, but each household could only receive a few dou of grain, and many places did not receive any.
During this month, there were indeed many strange occurrences! A comet appeared in the sky, and something fell from the palace resembling a red-painted drum with a small bell attached; stones in the palace moved on their own, aligning with one another; in a cave in front of the Wanshou Hall in the backyard, a giant deity appeared, with an enormous head and exceptionally white teeth protruding from its lips. The emperor, concubines, and other palace residents, with a total of over seven hundred witnesses, all witnessed this! The emperor even dreamt of it!
On the fourth day of the fourth month of the Wuyou year, General Lou Rui, the Prince of Dong'an, was dismissed for committing an offense. On the day of Yihai, the Chen Kingdom sent envoys to pay tribute. The court astrologer reported unusual astronomical phenomena, signaling a change of dynasty. On the day of Bingzi, the Emperor appointed Duan Shao as the Grand Preceptor and concurrently as the Grand Commandant, transferred the imperial seal and authority to the Crown Prince, issued a general amnesty, and changed the reign title to Tiantong, making corresponding adjustments to the ranks and punishments of officials. The Emperor also declared the Crown Prince's consort, Hulvshi, as Empress. The ministers respectfully referred to the Emperor as the Retired Emperor, and all major state affairs had to be reported to him. At the start of the abdication process, an eunuch was dispatched on a swift horse to deliver the edict to Ye City. As the eunuch departed from Jinyang City, he noticed someone on horseback following him, but in the blink of an eye, the rider vanished. Before he reached Ye City, the news had already spread. On the Xinyou day in the twelfth month of the fourth year of Tiantong, the Retired Emperor died at Qianshou Hall in Ye Palace at the age of thirty-two, posthumously honored as Emperor Wucheng, with the temple name Shizu. On the Jiashen day of the fifth year, he was interred at Yongping Mausoleum.
