Background

Yuwen Yun was born in 559, as the oldest son of Yuwen Yong, then the Duke of Lu and younger brother of Emperor Ming. He was born at Tong Province (同州, roughly modern Weinan, Shaanxi), as Yuwen Yong was at that time the governor of Tong Province. His mother Li Ezi was Yuwen Yong's concubine. (Yuwen Yong had not yet officially married a wife by that point.)

In 560, Emperor Ming was poisoned to death by his cousin, the regent Yuwen Hu. Before he died, he willed that Yuwen Yong succeed him, and Yuwen Yong took the throne (as Emperor Wu). In 561, he created Yuwen Yun the Duke of Lu but did not create him crown prince. Only after Emperor Wu ambushed Yuwen Hu and killed him in 572 did he create Yuwen Yun crown prince. (Yuwen Yun's mother Consort Li was not created empress, as Emperor Wu married Empress Ashina, the daughter of Tujue's Mugan Khan Ashina Qijin in 568.)

As crown prince

Emperor Wu often sent Yuwen Yun on tours of the provinces—and when he himself would go on tours of the provinces or go on military campaigns, he would have Yuwen Yun guard the capital Chang'an.

In 573, Yuwen Yun married Yang Lihua, the daughter of the general Yang Jian the Duke of Sui, as his wife and crown princess.

It was around this time that it came to Emperor Wu's attention that most of Yuwen Yun's associates were men of low character. At the suggestion of the superintendent of the crown prince's palace, Yuwen Xiaobo (宇文孝伯), Emperor Wu made Yuchi Yun (尉遲運), the well-regarded nephew of the general Yuchi Jiong (a cousin of Emperor Wu's), Yuwen Xiaobo's deputy. He also chose a number of men whose characters he had high regard for to serve in other posts as the crown prince's assistance—but Yuwen Yun resented these personnel changes.

In 574, when Emperor Wu's mother Empress Dowager Chinu died, Emperor Wu observed a mourning period for her, and during that period, Yuwen Yun served as regent.

In spring 576, Emperor Wu sent Yuwen Yun on a campaign against Tuyuhun as its nominal commander, but put Yuwen Xiaobo and Wang Gui (王軌) in actual command of the army. In fall 576, the army completed its campaign against Tuyuhun after reaching Tuyuhun's capital Fuqi (伏俟, in modern Haixi Mongol and Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture, Qinghai). Upon return to Chang'an, Wang Gui reported to Emperor Wu that Yuwen Yun and his trusted associates Zheng Yi and Wang Duan (王端) had committed many immoral activities together. In anger, Emperor Wu battered Yuwen Yun and Zheng with a baton and removed Zheng from his post. Soon, however, Yuwen Yun reinstated Zheng to his post.

Historians also noted that Emperor Wu was very strict with the crown prince, treating him no easier than he did the officials. When he heard that Yuwen Yun liked drinking, he issued an edict forbidding any alcohol from entering the crown prince's palace, and whenever the crown prince had faults, he would whip or batter the crown prince, warning him, "Do you not know how many crown princes had been deposed in history? Is it that my other sons are unworthy of being crown prince?" He also ordered the officials at the crown prince's palace to watch the crown prince closely and submit reports on his actions. In reaction, Yuwen Yun suppressed his own behavior and pretended to have learned his lesson. Nevertheless, Wang Gui repeatedly suggested that Emperor Wu find a better heir, but Emperor Wu declined, because he believed his second son, Yuwen Zan (宇文贊) the Prince of Han to be even less competent than Yuwen Yun, and the other sons to be too young to be considered.

In 577, Emperor Wu destroyed rival Northern Qi, seizing its territory. In summer 578, however, he grew ill suddenly while preparing a campaign against Tujue, and he, after entrusting the important matters to Yuwen Xiaobo, died. Yuwen Yun took the throne as Emperor Xuan.

Reign

Emperor Xuan honored his father Emperor Wu's wife Empress Ashina as empress dowager and created his wife Crown Princess Yang empress. Other than those proper acts, however, he began to carry out a number of inappropriate ones—including immediately promoting of Zheng Yi and having sexual relations with the ladies in waiting in his father's palace. It was also said that not only did he not mourn his father's death, but as he approached his father's casket, he touched the scars from the wounds his father had previously inflicted, and cursed, "Old man, you died too late!" He soon also honored his mother Consort Li as empress dowager (with the secondary title of Di Taihou (帝太后) to distinguish Empress Dowager Ashina's title Huang Taihou (皇太后)).

Upon hearing Emperor Wu's death, Gao Shaoyi, a Northern Qi prince who had claimed Northern Qi's imperial title in exile in Tujue, tried to launch an attack to reestablish Northern Qi, but was quickly repelled and forced to retreat to Tujue territory.

Emperor Xuan then turned to killing people that he feared or had grudges against. The first target was his uncle Yuwen Xian the Prince of Qi, due to the respect that Yuwen Xian commanded on account of his military abilities, along with Yuwen Xian's friends, the generals Wang Xing (王興), Dugu Xiong (獨孤熊), and Doulu Shao (豆盧紹). He then turned against Wang Gui, Yuwen Xiaobo, and Yuwen Shenju (宇文神舉) -- all close associates of Emperor Wu—as he suspected all of them of having spoken ill of him before Emperor Wu. Yuchi Yun died in fear.

Emperor Xuan was obsessed with reestablishing changing the customary protocols that his father had established, and in spring 579, he changed the official uniforms that Emperor Wu had standardized, to instead use the uniforms styled after Eastern Han Dynasty and Cao Wei. He also abolished the penal code that his father had promulgated in 577 and declared several pardons, stating that he believed that Emperor Wu's punishments were too severe—but soon imposed an even more severe penal code. Also contrary to his father's prohibition of Buddhism and Taoism, he made public gestures to honor Taoism.

Also in spring 579, Emperor Xuan created his oldest son Yuwen Chan—then six-years-old—the Prince of Lu, and then crown prince. He also promoted Luoyang to the status of secondary capital, moving the subsidiary branches of the six central government departments from Northern Qi's old capital Yecheng (鄴城, in modern Handan, Hebei) to Luoyang.

Meanwhile, around this time, Tujue's Tuobo Khan (Empress Dowager Ashina's uncle) sought peace. Emperor Xuan, in response, created his cousin (the daughter of his uncle Yuwen Zhao (宇文招) the Prince of Zhao) Princess Qianjin, offering to marry Princess Qianjin to Tuobo Khan, but with the demand that Tuobo Khan surrender Gao Shaoyi. Tuobo Khan refused.

Less than a month after creating Yuwen Chan crown prince, Emperor Xuan formally passed the throne to Yuwen Chan (as Emperor Jing). Emperor Xuan himself claimed the atypical title of "Emperor Tianyuan" (天元皇帝, Tianyuan Huangdi), rather than the expected retired emperor title of Taishang Huang. He changed the name of his palace to Tian Tai (天台, "heavenly tower"), and doubled the number of tassels on his crown, as well as the number of imperial vehicles, litters, clothing, banners, and drums. He changed the name of the young emperor's palace to Zhengyang Palace, with the same complement of staff as his own palace. Empress Yang's title was changed to "Empress Dowager Tianyuan" (天元皇太后, Tianyuan Huang Taihou).

As retired emperor

Historians described that after Emperor Xuan passed the throne to Emperor Jing, he became particularly wasteful, megalomanic, and unrestrained. He referred to himself as "Heaven," and required officials who were to visit him to have vegetarian diets for three days and bathe—then customary for the days spent before worshipping a god. He disallowed officials from using belts or decorations for their clothing, and he forbade the use of such characters as "heaven" (天), "high" (高), "upper" (上), and "grand" (大), except by himself. He forbade women, other than the women of the palace, from using cosmetics, and for reasons unknown, he ordered that all wheels be made from single pieces of wood, disallowing assembling.

It was further recorded that whenever Emperor Xuan met with officials, he only discussed with them how to change customs or how to build palaces, disregarding the affairs of state. He spent his days in games and tours, wearing out his attendants. The officials often were caned—initially, 120 times per caning, and later increased to 240 times. The terror imposed on the officials and even the women of the palace was so great that no one dared to say anything.

In summer 579, Emperor Xuan created Emperor Jing's mother Consort Zhu Manyue "Empress Tianyuan" (天元帝后, Tianyuan Di Hou). He also set up fiefs for his uncles Yuwen Zhao, Yuwen Chun (宇文純) the Prince of Chen, Yuwen Sheng (宇文盛) the Prince of Yue, Yuwen Da (宇文達) the Prince of Dai, and Yuwen You (宇文逌) the Prince of Teng, and sent them away from Chang'an, to their fiefs.

In fall 579, in a highly unorthodox action, Emperor Xuan created two more empresses -- Consort Yuan Leshang as "Heavenly Right Empress" (天右皇后, Tian You Huanghou) and Consort Chen Yueyi as "Heavenly Left Empress" (天左皇后, Tian Zuo Huanghou), changing Empress Zhu's title to "Heavenly Empress" (天皇后, Tian Huanghou). Also around this time, when Yuchi Chifan the daughter-in-law of his cousin Yuwen Liang (宇文亮) the Duke of Qi was at the palace to greet him, he raped her.

In winter 579, Emperor Xuan officially ended the prohibitions against Taoism and Buddhism that Emperor Wu had declared, and he personally sat with the statues of Buddhist and Taoist deities. He also launched a major attack on rival Chen Dynasty. By spring 580, the Northern Zhou army had taken the territory between the Yangtze River and the Huai River from Chen. As the army was withdrawing, Yuwen Liang, serving as a general on the campaign, tried to ambush his commander Wei Xiaokuan and seize Wei's troops, and then declare a rebellion to support one of his uncles as emperor. Wei found out about Yuwen Liang's plot and was able to repel his attack, and was able to kill him. Emperor Xuan then also killed Yuwen Liang's son Yuwen Wen (宇文溫) the Duke of Xiyang, and then took Yuwen Wen's wife Duchess Yuchi as a consort. Then, against opposition that he already had too many empresses, he created her as another empress.

By this point, Emperor Xuan was becoming even more erratic in his behavior, and at one point, he became suddenly angry at Empress Yang and wanted to punish her. She, however, remained calm but firm in defense of herself, which made him more angry, and he ordered her to commit suicide. Empress Yang's mother, Duchess Dugu Qieluo, had to plead earnestly for Empress Yang's life, before he finally spared Empress Yang. Meanwhile, however, Emperor Xuan was suspicious of the abilities of Empress Yang's father Yang Jian, and he considered killing Yang Jian but ultimately did not do so. As Yang Jian and Zheng Yi were friends, Yang Jian made a secret request to Zheng to give him a post away from the capital, and soon, by Zheng's recommendation, Emperor Xuan made Yang Jian the commander of the forces against Chen (as he then prepared another attack against Chen).

Before the army could depart, however, Emperor Xuan suddenly grew ill in summer 580. He summoned his associates Liu Fang and Yan Zhiyi (顏之儀) to try to entrust the affairs to them, but when they arrived, he was already unable to speak. Liu, after consulting with fellow attendants Zheng, Liu Qiu (柳裘), Wei Mo (韋謨), and Huangfu Ji (皇甫績), decided to summon Yang Jian to attend to Emperor Xuan and to serve as regent if Emperor Xuan should die—against Yan's attempt to have Yuwen Zhao made regent. Yang initially declined, apparently fearing that it was a trap, but eventually arrived at the palace. That night, Emperor Xuan died, and Yang seized the control of the palace and the imperial troops. Within a year, Yang would seize the throne, ending Northern Zhou and establishing Sui Dynasty.

Era name

• Dacheng (大成 dà chéng) 579

Family

Consorts and Issue:

• Empress, of the Yang clan (天元大皇后 楊氏; 561–609), personal name Lihua (麗華)

　• A daughter (578–615), personal name Eying (娥英), who married Li Min (李敏; 576–614), and had issue (one daughter)

• Empress, of the Zhu clan (天大皇后 朱氏; 547–586), personal name Manyue (滿月)

　• Yuwen Chan, Emperor Jing (靜皇帝 宇文闡; 573–581), first son

• Empress, of the Chen clan (天中大皇后 陳氏; 565–650), personal name Yueyi (月儀)

• Empress, of the Yuchi clan (天左大皇后 尉遲氏; 566–595), personal name Chifan (熾繁)

• Empress, of the Yuan clan of Henan (天右大皇后 河南元氏; b. 565), personal name Leshang (樂尚)

• Lady, of the Wang clan (王氏)

　• Yuwen Kan, Prince Lai (萊王 宇文衎; d. 581), second son

• Lady, of the Huangfu clan (皇甫氏)

　• Yuwen Shu, Prince Ying (郢王 宇文術; d. 581), third son

Ancestry

生平

北周宣帝武成元年生於同州，是個暴虐荒淫的皇帝。宇文贇即位前，父親武帝對他管教極為嚴格，曾派人監視他的言行舉止，甚至只要犯錯就會嚴厲懲罰。

建德二年（573年），迎娶隨國公楊堅的長女楊麗華。

宣政元年（578年）武帝去世後，遺詔太子宇文贇襲統皇位。宇文贇即位，史稱「周天元」。宇文贇在父親死後，面無哀戚，撫摸著腳上被打的杖痕，大聲對著武帝的棺材喊道：「死得太晚了！」

宣帝即位後，整日沉迷于酒色，極其荒淫無道，最後甚至五位皇后並立，此舉打破劉聰的「三后並立」的記錄，又大肆裝飾宮殿，且猜忌近臣，濫施刑罰，人又小氣，極少賞賜大臣，還經常派親信監視大臣言行，宣政元年（578年），殺宇文憲。

大成元年（579年），在位僅一年的宣帝禪位於長子宇文闡（北周靜帝），自稱天元皇帝，楊麗華為天元皇后，住處稱為「天台」，對臣下自稱為「天」，仍實際掌控朝政，在後宮享樂。大臣朝見時，必須事先吃齋三天、淨身一天。又於全國大選美女，以充實後宮，大將軍陳山提的第八女陳月儀，儀同元晟的第二女元樂尚最受寵愛。由于縱慾過度，嬉遊無度，宇文贇的健康惡化，大象二年五月乙未（580年6月8日），宇文贇生病，下詔讓隨國公楊堅入宮陪伴。己酉（580年6月22日），宣帝去世於天德殿，時年22歲。劉昉與鄭譯矯詔讓楊堅輔政。

次年，楊堅廢靜帝（宇文衍）自立，改國號為隋，北周滅亡。

陵墓

周宣帝死後，大象二年七月丙申（580年8月8日）葬定陵，具體位置不詳。北周武帝孝陵以西已知其為北周重臣葬地，北周諸陵當在咸陽市渭城區底張鎮一帶。

評價

唐令狐德棻《周書》評價宇文贇擢髮難數、罄竹難書，罪惡多端，最終沒有受屠戮而亡，實在是很幸運：「高祖識嗣子之非才，顧宗祏之至重，滯愛同於晉武，則哲異於宋宣。但欲威之以檟楚，期之於懲肅，義方之教，豈若是乎。卒使昏虐君臨，姦回肆毒，善無小而必棄，惡無大而弗為。窮南山之簡，未足書其過；盡東觀之筆，不能記其罪。然猶獲全首領，及子而亡，幸哉。」

家庭

父母

• 周武帝宇文邕

• 李娥姿

后妃

• 天元大皇后；楊麗華

• 天大皇后；朱滿月

• 天中大皇后；陳月儀

• 天左大皇后；尉遲熾繁

• 天右大皇后；元樂尚

• 王姬

• 皇甫姬

• 高氏，齊孝昭帝高演之孫，汝南王高彥理之女

子女

• 周靜帝宇文闡，朱滿月所生

• 萊王宇文衎，581年被楊堅誅殺，王姬所生

• 郢王宇文術，581年被楊堅誅殺，皇甫姬所生

• 宇文娥英：楊麗華所生

• 細腰公主