Yuan Faseng 元法僧

Yuan Faseng 元法僧 (454-536) was a high minister and commander of the Liang dynasty 梁 (502-557), one of the Southern Dynasties 南朝 (420-589). He belonged to the imperial house of the Taɣbač (Ch. Tuoba 拓跋) who ruled over the Northern Wei empire 北魏 (386-534). Faseng was a grandson of Tuoba Ta 拓跋他 (416-488), the Prince of Huainan 淮南, and a son of Tuoba Zhongkui 拓跋鐘葵, the Prince of Jiangyang 江陽.

He was transferred from serving as Acting Administrator of the office of the Defender-in-chief (taiwen xing canjun 太尉行参軍) to become a Court Gentleman for Comprehensive Duty (tongzhilang 通直郎), General Who Pacifies the Distant (ningyuan jiangjun 寧遠將軍), clerk to the Minister over the Masses and the Minister of War (situ sima yuan 司徒司馬掾), General of the Dragon Soarers (longxiang jiangjun 龍驤將軍), and regional inspector (cishi 刺史) of the province of Yizhou 益州.

Yuan Fasheng was lacking in talent and ability. He was also greedy, cruel, and fond of killing. In the year 515, Yuan Fasheng replaced Fu Shuyan 傅竪眼 (460-529) as Inspector of Yizhou. This caused widespread rebellion among the local gentry and the common populace. Emperor Wu of the Liang 梁武帝 (r. 502-549) sent Xiao Hui 蕭恢 (476-526), the Prince of Poyang 鄱陽, who was serving as the Liang regional inspector of Yizhou, along with General Zhang Qi 張齊 (457-523), to lead forces in an assault on Yizhou. Yuan Fasheng dispatched his son, Yuan Jinglong 元景隆 (c. 490-c. 540), to lead troops against Zhang Qi, but Yuan Jinglong suffered a major defeat.

Yuan Faseng then served as Grand Master for Splendid Happiness (guanglu dafu 光祿大夫) and regional inspector of the province of Xuzhou 徐州, holding the title of General Appeasing the East (andong jiangjun 安東將軍).

In 524, when the Northern Wei empire was shaken by rebellions, he took the title of emperor with the reign motto Tianqi 天啟, ruling from Pengcheng 彭城, but when the turmoils had ended, the Northern Wei court sent an army under Yuan Jian 元鑒 (464-506), the Prince of Anle 安樂, to suppress his usurpatorious regime. Yuan Faseng, therefore, sent his son Yuan Jingzhong to the Liang court in the south to ask for support, offering his surrender. Emperor Wu of the Liang agreed and dispatched Chen Qingzhi 陳慶之 (484-539), Hu Longya 胡龍牙 and Yuan Lüe 元略 (486-528) to Pengcheng, but the joint army was first defeated by Yuan Jian. Yuan Faseng, however, repelled Yuan Jian's army. The Wei court thereafter sent a new army under Yuan Yanming 元延明 (484-530), the Prince of Anfeng 安豐, and Yuan Yu 元彧 (d. 530), the Prince of Linhuai 臨淮. Emperor Wu decided to order Yuan Faseng to Jiankang 建康 (Nanjing 南京, Jiangsu), the capital of the Liang empire, and have Pengcheng defended by two Liang commanders, namely Xiao Zong 蕭綜 (502-531), the Prince of Yuzhang 豫章, and Xiao Yuanzao 蕭淵藻 (483-549), the Marquis of Xichang 西昌侯.

In the Liang empire, Yuan Faseng was appointed Palace Attendant (shizhong 侍中), Minister of Works (sikong 司空) and invested as Duke of the Commandery of Shi'an 始安郡公, and later King of Song 宋. In 528, he received the title of General Commanding the Troops (guanjun jiangjun 冠軍將軍), and a year later, he was made General of Chariots and Cavalry (cheji jiangjun 車騎將軍). In 532, he was promoted to Defender-in-chief, Commissioned with Extraordinary Powers (shichijie 使持節), Cavalier Attendant-in-Ordinary (sanji changshi 散騎常侍), General-in-chief of Cavalry (piaoji da jiangjun 驃騎大將軍), Commander Unequalled in Honours (kaifu yitong sansi 開府儀同三司), and regional inspector of Yingzhou 郢州. His posthumous title was King Xiangli 宋襄曆王.

Yuan Faseng's sons, Yuan Jinglong, and Yuan Jingzhong 元景仲, were appointed regional inspectors of Hengzhou 衡州, and Guangzhou 廣州, respectively.