Emperor Wucheng of Northern Qi

Wucheng is the Qi ruler to whom the Zhou Shu refers. In the first month of 564, it says, the allies attacked the Qi ruler at Jinyang and failed.^[1]

He had come to the throne in 561. In 563 a Zhou army under Yang Zhong entered his territory, together with a hundred thousand Göktürk horse under Mukan. Wucheng divided his forces. He sent Hulü Guang south against Daxi Wu, and he rode north to Jinyang himself.^[2]

Of Wucheng himself, the modern narrative preserves one human detail: what happened when he entered the city. The strength of the army outside so impressed him that he meant to leave the field. He turned back and faced it only because the princes of his house pressed him to.^[2] The city held through the winter. The assault of the first month failed. In the spring he forced the allied army to withdraw.^[2]

The country around Jinyang had nonetheless been plundered. The Qi court took the lesson that the danger now came from the north.^[1] Wucheng gave up the throne in 565. He died in 569.