Though Northern Wei has been a beacon of steadiness amid the ephemeral Southern Dynasties, its time has come to an end. Wracked by ineptitude and betrayal, weighed down by jealous Empress dowagers, ambitious generals, and infant emperors, and with a society split between traditional customs and the new normal, it will devolve into civil war, mass purges, and – ultimately – a permanent split between East and West.

Time Period Covered:
515-535 CE

Major Characters:
Grand/Empress/Dowager Hu (r. 515 - 528)
Emperor Xiaoming (510 - 528)
Prince Yuan Cha (d. 525)
Erzhu Rong (492 - 530)
Emperor Xiaowu’s Daughter (528 - ?)
Yuan Zhao [Emperor Youzhu] (526 – 528)
Emperor Xiaozhuang (r. 528 – 530)
Gao Huan (496 - 547)
Emperor Xiaowu (510 - 535) For information regarding your data privacy, visit acast.com/privacy