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Yu Liang

Eastern Jin consort kinsman who dominated the court in Emperor Cheng's minority, provoked Su Jun's rebellion, and later governed the middle Yangzi from Wuchang

Also known as Zi Yuangui

Yu Liang, courtesy name Yuangui, of Yanling in Yingchuan, was the brother of Yu Wenjun, empress of Emperor Ming of Jin, and helped put down Wang Dun's rebellion. After Emperor Ming died in 325, with his sister regent for the five-year-old Emperor Cheng, he ran the court with Wang Dao. In 327, against general advice, he summoned the frontier commander Su Jun to court, and Su rose with Zu Yue, taking Jiankang the next year; Yu fled to Xunyang and with Wen Qiao and Tao Kan crushed the revolt in 329. He then took a post at Wuhu and in 334 succeeded Tao Kan at Wuchang. His plans for a northern campaign ended in 339 when Later Zhao took Zhucheng from his officer Mao Bao, and he died early the next year aged fifty-two, named Wenkang. A New Account of Tales of the World (Shishuo xinyu) shows him joining his staff for an autumn night of verse in Wuchang's south tower.

Life and times

Dates 289 CE–340 CE

EraJin