Family background

Tuoba Hong was born in 454, as Emperor Wencheng's oldest son. His mother was Consort Li, who had previously been captured in war and had become a concubine of Tuoba Ren (拓拔仁) the Prince of Yongchang, a distant relative of Emperor Wencheng, who was executed in 453 after having been accused of crimes. After Tuoba Ren's death, she was seized and taken into the palace, where she became Emperor Wencheng's concubine. In 456, Emperor Wencheng created Tuoba Hong crown prince—and, at the same time, according to Northern Wei customs, ordered Consort Li to commit suicide.

Reign

Under Yifu Huns regency

In 465, Emperor Wencheng died, and the 11-year-old Crown Prince Hong ascended the throne as Emperor Xianwen. Emperor Wencheng's wife Empress Feng was honored as empress dowager, and Emperor Xianwen's deceased mother Consort Li was posthumously honored as Empress Yuan. Power soon fell into the hands of the official Yifu Hun, who assumed dictatorial powers and killed a large number of other officials, including Yang Baoping (楊保平), Jia Airen (賈愛仁) the Duke of Pingyang, and Zhang Tiandu (張天度), Qiumuling Duohou (丘穆陵多侯), Tuoba Yu (拓拔郁) the Duke of Shunyang, and Emperor Wencheng's prime minister Buliugu Li. However, in 466, Empress Dowager Feng staged a coup and had Yifu arrested and executed. She assumed regency herself.

Under Empress Dowager Fengs regency

Empress Dowager Feng engaged Jia Xiu (賈秀), Gao Yun, and Gao Lü (高閭) as her assistants in the regency. Later, she also incorporated her brother Feng Xi (馮熙) into the decision-making circle.

Empress Dowager Feng was soon presented with a major opportunity to expand Northern Wei territory, as also in 466, rival Liu Song had a major dynastic succession struggle after Emperor Qianfei of Liu Song was assassinated in 465. Emperor Qianfei's uncle Emperor Ming of Liu Song was declared emperor in the capital Jiankang, while his brother Liu Zixun the Prince of Jin'an was declared emperor in early 466 in Xunyang (尋陽, in modern Jiujiang, Jiangxi). After Emperor Ming's forces defeated Liu Zixun's and captured and executed Liu Zixun in fall 466, the Liu Song general Xue Andu (薛安都), the governor of Xu Province (徐州, modern northern Jiangsu and northern Anhui), who had initially declared for Liu Zixun, was apprehensive that he would be punished by Emperor Ming, and so decided to surrender to Northern Wei, and soon, he was joined by Bi Zhongjing (畢眾敬) the governor of Yan Province (兗州, modern western Shandong) and Chang Zhenqi (常珍奇) the governor of Ru'nan Commandery (汝南, roughly modern Zhumadian, Henan). Empress Dowager Feng sent the general Yuchi Yuan (尉遲元) to accept the surrenders of these Liu Song generals and to secure the region just north of the Huai River, and Yuchi subsequently defeated two attempts by Emperor Ming to recapture those provinces. She also sent the general Murong Baiyao (慕容白曜) to attack and try to capture Liu Song's Qing (青州, modern central and eastern Shandong) and Ji (冀州, modern northwestern Shandong) Provinces, which were cut off from the rest of Liu Song after Xue's defection, and by 469, both provinces fell into Northern Wei hands, and all of the regions north of the Huai River were by now Northern Wei territory.

In 467, Emperor Xianwen's concubine Consort Li—a daughter of his uncle Li Hui (李惠) and therefore his cousin—bore his oldest child Tuoba Hong (different character than his own), and Empress Dowager Feng personally raised the young prince. She soon terminated her regency and returned imperial powers to Emperor Xianwen, who was 13 years old at this point.

After assuming imperial authority

As emperor, Emperor Xianwen was described as hardworking and appropriate in his awards and punishments—in particular, in promoting honest officials and demoting corrupt ones, and it was said that only starting in his reign were Northern Wei officials praised for being honest. He was also said to be heavily into studies of religions and philosophies, including both Taoism and Buddhism.

In 469, Emperor Xianwen created Tuoba Hong crown prince. As Tuoba Hong's mother Consort Li died the same year and was described in traditional histories to be missed by all in the palace, she was probably forced to commit suicide pursuant to Northern Wei customs.

In 470, resentful that Murong Baiyao had flattered Yifu Hun while Yifu was in power, Emperor Xianwen, in an act that appeared to be uncharacteristic for his reign, falsely accused Murong Baiyao of treason and put him and his son Murong Ruyi (慕容如意) to death.

Also in 470, an event would damage Emperor Xianwen's relationship with his stepmother Empress Dowager Feng. Empress Dowager Feng had taken the official Li Yi (李奕) as her lover. In 470, the official Li Xin (李訢), who was a close friend of Li Yi's brother Li Fu (李敷), was accused of corruption, and Emperor Xianwen became aware of the accusations even though Li Fu tried to suppress the reports. He had known about his stepmother's relationship with Li Yi and, while he had not taken any actions against it at that point, disapproved of it. He sentenced Li Xin to death, but then informed Li Xin that if he could report on crimes that Li Fu and Li Yi had committed, he would be spared. After initial reluctance, Li Xin did so, and another man named Fan Biao (范標) also did so. Emperor Xianwen then executed Li Fu and Li Xin. Empress Dowager Feng became resentful of Emperor Xianwen after that point.

In 471, because of Emperor Xianwen's philosophical interests, he wanted to leave the throne to spend more time on his studies. He wanted to pass his throne to his uncle Tuoba Zitui (拓拔子推) the Prince of Jingzhao, who was highly praised by all officials. He therefore summoned an imperial council to discuss the matter. The officials largely opposed Emperor Xianwen's proposal, and suggested instead that if Emperor Xianwen wanted to leave the throne, he should pass the throne to Crown Prince Hong. He therefore did so, and the four-year-old crown prince took the throne as Emperor Xiaowen. Emperor Xianwen himself took the title of Taishang Huangdi (retired emperor).

As retired emperor

As retired emperor, however, Emperor Xianwen continued to be in control of the Imperial regime, and all important matters were still submitted to him. He spent much time on criminal law matters, and during this time, the criminal cases generally were paid more attention, and while they took longer to process, the results were considered more just.

In 476, legend claims that still resentful of Emperor Xianwen, Empress Dowager Feng killed him. (Most historians, including Sima Guang, believed that she poisoned him, but another version indicated that Empress Dowager Feng readied assassins who, when Emperor Xianwen came to her palace to greet her, seized and smothered him.) However, studies by 周思源 Zhou Siyuan point out that if Feng had killed the monarch, chaos would have ensued, but nothing of the sort happened. Zhou reasons that after a failed attempt to oust Feng, the Emperor committed suicide. After his death and a smooth transition, Empress Dowager Feng assumed regency over Emperor Xiaowen.

Era names

• Tian'an (天安 tiān ān) 466–467

• Huangxing (皇興 huáng xīng) 467–471

Family

Consorts and Issue:

• Empress Si, of the Li clan of Zhongshan (思皇后 中山李氏; d. 469)

　• Yuan Hong, Emperor Xiaowen (孝文皇帝 元宏; 467–499), first son

• Zhaoyi, of the Feng clan (昭儀 封氏)

　• Yuan Xi, Prince Xianyang (咸陽王 元禧; d. 501), second son

• Guiren, of the Han clan (貴人 韓氏)

　• Yuan Gan, Prince Zhaoling (趙靈王 元幹; 469–499), third son

　• Yuan Yong, Prince Gaoyang Wenmu (高陽文穆王 元雍; 470–528), fifth son

• Guiren, of the Pan clan of Changle (貴人 潘氏)

　• Yuan Xie, Emperor Wenmu (文穆皇帝 元勰; 473–508), sixth son

• Jiaofang, of the Meng clan (椒房 孟氏)

　• Yuan Yu, Prince Guanglinghui (廣陵惠王 元羽; 470–501), fourth son

• Jiaofang, of the Gao clan (椒房 高氏)

　• Yuan Xiang, Prince Beihaiping (北海平王 元詳; 476–504), seventh son

• Unknown

　• Princess Changshan (常山公主)

　　• Married Lu Xinzhi, Duke Dong (陸昕之; d. 511), and had issue (three daughters)

　• Princess Lelang (樂浪公主)

　　• Married Lu Daoyu of Fanyang (范陽 盧道裕; 476–519)

　• Princess Pengcheng (彭城公主), sixth daughter

　　• Married Liu Chengxu (劉承緒)

　　• Married Wang Su of Langya (琊瑯 王肅; 464–501)

　• Princess Le'an (樂安公主)

　　• Married Feng Dan of Changle, Prince Nanping (長樂 馮誕; 467–495), and had issue (two sons)

　• Princess Gaoping (高平公主)

　　• Married Gao Zhao of Goguryeo (高句麗 高肇; d. 515)

Ancestry

In popular culture

• Portrayed by Shi Yunpeng in the 2018 Chinese TV series Untouchable Lovers.

生平

興光元年（454年）七月，拓跋弘出生，魏文成帝詔令群臣商議確定皇子的名字，常山王拓跋素、司徒陸麗、尚書左僕射和其奴等人商議說：「古代帝王起名，格式有五種：有信實，有德義，有物象，有假借，有仿照父名。陛下處于盛大光明的國運中，順應昌樂發達的氣數，誕生了皇子，應該以德義命名。」魏文成帝遵從了。

太安二年（456年）正月，立為太子。

和平六年（465年）五月，父親拓跋濬逝世，隨後，拓跋弘登基為帝。

皇興元年（467年）八月，獻文帝之妃李夫人誕下拓跋宏。   

皇興三年（469年）六月，李夫人被按照子貴母死的制度殺死。葬在金陵，承明元年（476年）追諡思皇后，配饗太廟。

太和二年（478年）十二月，李夫人全家都被馮太后處死。

皇興五年（471年），年僅17歲的魏獻文帝因不滿馮太后長期攝政及專權，原本要禪讓給三叔京兆王拓跋子推，被眾臣勸阻後作罷，禪讓予太子拓跋宏，且因群臣奏稱「三皇澹泊無為，所以稱皇；西漢高祖之父被尊為太上皇，是不統治天下的，而皇帝年幼，陛下仍然執政」，不稱太上皇，而稱尊號太上皇帝。雖然作為太上皇帝，但魏獻文帝仍掌握有部分的皇帝權力，並欲與馮太后爭權。

延興二年（472年），柔然來犯，魏獻文帝以太上皇帝之姿，御駕親征，大敗柔然，並追至大漠。

承明元年（476年），拓跋弘被馮太后毒死，崩於永安殿，年僅二十三歲，諡曰獻文皇帝，廟號顯祖，葬於金陵。

家庭

后妃

• 李夫人，南郡王李惠之女，18歲時被選入東宮，獻文帝即位後，封夫人，於皇興三年按照子貴母死之制處死

• 封昭儀

• 韓貴人

• 潘貴人

• 孟椒房

• 高椒房

• 張嬪，北魏散騎常侍、殿中尚書、廣平簡公張白澤之女

• 侯嬪，原為侯骨氏，第一品大酋長侯俟萬斤孫女，侍中、尚書、臨濟鎮將、日南郡公侯伊莫汗之女

•

子女

• 元宏，魏孝文帝，生母李夫人

• 元禧，北魏驃騎大將軍、太保、領太尉、咸陽王，生母封昭儀

• 元幹，北魏徵東大將軍、趙郡靈王，生母韓貴人

• 元羽，北魏散騎常侍、車騎大將軍、司州牧、廣陵惠王，生母孟椒房

• 元雍，北魏驃騎大將軍、大司馬、丞相、高陽文穆王，生母韓貴人

• 元勰，北魏侍中、驃騎大將軍、太師、彭城武宣王，生母潘貴人

• 元詳，北魏北海平王，生母高椒房

• 常山公主，嫁陸昕之

• 樂浪公主，嫁盧道裕

• 彭城公主，孝文帝第六妹

• 樂安公主，嫁馮誕

• 高平公主，嫁高肇