Empress Duan Jifei

Who is Empress Duan Jifei?

Empress Duan Jifei was an empress of the Chinese/Xianbei state Southern Yan. Her husband was the founding emperor Murong De. Her name is actually lost to history, but her courtesy name Jifei was recorded and used by historians. Her father was Duan Yi.

Duan Jifei's older sister Duan Yuanfei was the empress of Murong De's older brother, Murong Chui, the founding emperor of Later Yan. She married Murong De in or slightly before 388, when he was the Prince of Fanyang. They did not have any sons.

In 398, Murong De, displeased at how Murong Chui's son and successor Murong Bao had, through incompetence, lost most of the Later Yan territory, declared himself the Prince of Yan and established the separate Southern Yan state. In 400, he declared himself emperor and created Duan Jifei empress. After Murong De died in 405 and was succeeded by his nephew Murong Chao, she became empress dowager, but in 406 became embroiled in a plot with Murong Zhong the Prince of Beidi and the generals Murong Fa and Duan Hong to overthrow Murong Chao, but after one of the coconspirators, Feng Song was arrested, she became fearful and revealed the entire plot to Murong Chao, who then defeated the coup attempt.