A Chaotic Age

After the Six Garrisons Rebellion, the Northern Wei court could no longer govern the provinces directly. Ever since Empress Dowager Ling took power in the inner court, the realm had fallen into chaos. To maintain her grip on the government, she went so far as to poison her own son and install an orphaned girl as a puppet ruler. She thought she could keep the truth hidden, but Erzhu Rong, a rising power from the Six Garrisons uprising, had already uncovered everything. As he prepared to deal a crushing blow to the nearly bankrupt Northern Wei dynasty, the storm arrived far sooner than anyone expected. The powerless royal nobles were nearly wiped out. After killing Empress Dowager Ling, Erzhu Rong launched the Heyin Incident and installed a new government. Within the realm, he put down the Hebei rebel army led by Ge Rong; beyond its borders, he struck hard at the ambitious Xiao Liang dynasty. Erzhu Rong's rise brought the Northern Wei dynasty a brief respite amid the turmoil, but it could not stop its rapid decline. In 530 AD, Yuan Ziyou, the emperor Erzhu Rong had installed, killed the powerful Northern Wei minister. Erzhu Rong's death dealt another devastating blow to the tottering dynasty. The Erzhu clan fractured, and disaster struck the Northern Wei court just as it had begun to enjoy a brief calm. It was powerless to fight back. As the Northern Wei court declined, Erzhu Rong's subordinate Gao Huan rose to power. Meanwhile, to the west of the Northern Wei court, the Ziwei Star shone faintly.