Murong Ke

Murong Ke (慕容恪) (died 367), courtesy name Xuangong (玄恭), formally Prince Huan of Taiyuan (太原桓王), was a famed general and statesman of the Chinese/Xianbei state Former Yan. He was the son of Murong Huang (Prince Wenming), and later served as the regent for his brother Murong Jun (Emperor Jingzhao)'s son Murong Wei (Emperor You).

Murong Ke was Murong Huang's fourth son, by his concubine Consort Gao. In his youth, he became known for his deep-thinking and tolerance of others, but was not viewed highly by his father because his father did not favor his mother. Only after he turned 14, when his father began to be impressed by the strategies that he had, was he given important responsibilities. Sometime before 345, he was given the important defense post of Liaodong (遼東, in modern Liaoyang, Liaoning) with the responsibility of defending the eastern border against Goguryeo. In 345, he was sent by Murong Huang to launch an attack on Goguyreo, and the attack was successful. In 346, formally under the command of his brother, the heir apparent Murong Jun, but with him in actual command, he attacked Buyeo (Fuyu (夫餘) in Chinese), capturing its capital and its king Fuyu Xuan (夫餘玄).

In 348, Murong Huang neared death, and he told Murong Jun that he should rely on his brother Murong Ke if he wanted to accomplish great things. He died soon thereafter and was succeeded by Murong Jun, who made Murong Ke one of his major generals.

In 349, as rival Later Zhao was collapsing in light of internecine wars between the sons of the deceased emperor Shi Hu and his adoptive grandson Shi Min, Murong Jun, under the advice of another brother Murong Ba, planned an invasion into the North China Plain, and Murong Ke was one of the major generals for the planned invasion. In 350, Former Yan forces quickly captured Later Zhao's You Province (幽州, modern Beijing, Tianjin, and northern Hebei). Murong Ke's military discipline was said to be so strict that not even trees and grass were harmed as his army marched through a region, and he quickly seized a number of commanderies in Ji Province (冀州, modern central Hebei) from Ran Wei, the new state established by Shi Min (who had by now changed his name to Ran Min, back to the family name that his father had before he was adopted by Shi Hu).

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