Battle of Canhe Slope Battle of Canhe Slope ( 參合陂之戰 ) refers to a battle in 395 where the Chinese / Xianbei state Later Yan , then ruling over northern and central China , had launched a punitive campaign against its former vassal Northern Wei , also of Xianbei extraction . Later Yan forces were led by its crown prince Murong Bao and enjoyed some initial successes , but after being frustrated by the containment strategy by Northern Wei ' s prince Tuoba Gui ( the later Emperor Daowu ) , withdrew . Tuoba Gui then gave chase and crushed Later Yan forces at Canhe Slope . He captured a large number of Later Yan forces as captive , but in fear that releasing them would allow a later Later Yan campaign against Northern Wei , slaughtered them . The battle reversed the power relations between Later Yan and Northern Wei . After Later Yan ' s emperor Murong Chui ( Emperor Wucheng ) died in 396 and Murong Bao succeeded to the throne ( as Emperor Huimin ) , Northern Wei would launch a debilitating campaign of conquest against Later Yan , and by 398 had captured most of Later Yan ' s territory , reducing Later Yan to a small regional state . Prior Later Yan / Northern Wei relations . Northern Wei ' s predecessor state Dai had previously been a vassal to Later Yan ' s predecessor state Former Yan , before both were destroyed by Former Qin — Former Yan ' s falling in 370 and Dai falling in 376 — and the last prince of Dai , Tuoba Shiyijian , had successively married two Former Yan princesses as his wives , in 344 and 362 . After Former Qin suffered a major defeat against Jin forces at the Battle of Fei River in 383 in a failed bid to unite China , it began to disintegrate , and , among others , Later Yan , with Murong Chui , the uncle of Former Yan ' s last emperor Murong Wei , as emperor ( Emperor Wucheng ) , took over Former Yan ' s old territory and people ; and Northern Wei , with Tuoba Shiyijian ' s grandson Tuoba Gui as prince , took over Dai ' s former territory and people . After the establishment of Later Yan and Northern Wei , the lord / vassal relationship resumed between Later Yan and Northern Wei . Early in his reign , Tuoba Gui had often met opposition from powerful individuals within his own state , and had to rely on Later Yan aid to quell the rebellions . For example , in 386 , when Tuoba Gui faced a rebellion led by the Xiongnu chief Liu Xian ( 劉顯 ) and Tuoba Shiyijian ' s youngest son Tuoba Quduo ( 拓拔屈咄 ) , he turned to Later Yan for help , and Later Yan forces , commanded by Murong Chui ' s son Murong Lin the Prince of Zhao , helped Tuoba Gui to put down the rebellion . A 387 joint operation between Northern Wei and Later Yan finally crushed Liu Xian ' s power . However , Tuoba Gui was having designs against Later Yan and , when he sent his cousin Tuoba Yi ( 拓拔儀 ) the Duke of Jiuyuan to offer tributes to Murong Chui for him in 388 , he asked Tuoba Yi to carefully examine the situation at the Later Yan court to observe any weaknesses . Murong Chui , displeased that Tuoba Gui did not personally come to pay tribute , interrogated Tuoba Yi , but allowed him to depart . Tuoba Yi reported to Tuoba Gui that , in his opinion , Murong Chui was old , his crown prince Murong Bao was weak , and that Murong Chui ' s brother Murong De the Prince of Fanyang was overly ambitious , which should cause internal problems for Later Yan upon Murong Chui ' s death . He opined that while Tuoba Gui should not attack Later Yan at that time , once Murong Chui died , there would be opportunity to do so . Despite his planning , however , he continued joint operations with Later Yan , and in 390 and 391 , he and Murong Lin defeated the Helan ( 賀蘭 ) , Getulin ( 紇突鄰 ) , and Gexi ( 紇奚 ) tribes together . However , later in 391 , an incident would occur that would cause the states to break relations . Tuoba Gui sent his brother Tuoba Gu ( 拓拔觚 ) to offer tributes to Murong Chui . Murong Chui ' s sons and brothers had Tuoba Gu detained and ordered Tuoba Gui to offer good horses in exchange for Tuoba Gu ' s freedom . Tuoba Gui refused and further broke relations with Later Yan , entering into an alliance with Later Yan ' s rival for legitimate succession to Former Yan , Western Yan ' s emperor Murong Yong . Tuoba Gu , meanwhile , was kept under detention by Later Yan , albeit treated as an honored guest otherwise . In 394 , when Murong Chui led a campaign against Western Yan that eventually led to Western Yan ' s destruction , Tuoba Gui sent a relief force , commanded by his cousin Tuoba Qian ( 拓拔虔 ) the Duke of Chenliu and the general Yu Yue ( 庾岳 ) , but was unable to save Western Yan . Later Yan campaign prior to the Battle of Canhe Slope . By 395 , Tuoba Gui was not only no longer submissive to Later Yan , but was openly pillaging other tribal vassals of Later Yan . Murong Chui , despite contrary counsel from his advisor Gao Hu ( 高湖 ) , decided to launch a punitive campaign against Northern Wei , putting Murong Bao in command of 80 , 000 soldiers , assisted by his other sons Murong Lin and Murong Nong the Prince of Liaoxi , to attack Northern Wei , and putting 18 , 000 other soldiers under the command of his brother Murong De and nephew Murong Shao ( 慕容紹 ) the Prince of Chenliu as a secondary army . Tuoba Gui ' s advisor Zhang Gun ( 張袞 ) suggested to Tuoba Gui that he intentionally display weakness to draw Later Yan forces in . Tuoba Gui agreed , and he sent his troops and livestock far to the west away from his capital Shengle ( 盛樂 , in modern Hohhot , Inner Mongolia ) , crossing the Yellow River into the Ordos Desert . Meanwhile , Later Yan forces advanced to Wuyuan ( 五原 , in modern Baotou , Inner Mongolia ) , receiving the surrender of some 30 , 000 households who were Northern Wei vassals . Later Yan forces then built Fort Hei ( 黑城 ) , north of Wuyuan , and began to build boats to cross the Yellow River . Tuoba Gui , at the same time , also sent his official Xu Qian ( 許謙 ) to Later Qin to seek aid . The Later Qin emperor Yao Xing launched a relief force commanded by the general Yang Fosong ( 楊佛嵩 ) . ( Yang , however , did not arrive in time for further battles . ) The armies stalemated across the Yellow River , but Tuoba Gui managed to cut off communications between Later Yan forces and the Later Yan capital Zhongshan ( 中山 , in modern Baoding , Hebei ) by lying in wait for Later Yan messengers and capturing them . He then had the captured Later Yan messengers publicly announce that Murong Chui was dead , causing apprehension in Murong Bao ' s own army as to whether this was true . The sorcerer Jin An ( 靳安 ) , serving Murong Bao , claimed to foresee disaster and suggested an immediate retreat . Murong Bao refused . Meanwhile , Murong Lin ' s subordinate Muyu Song ( 慕輿嵩 ) , believing that Murong Chui had died , plotted a coup to have Murong Lin made emperor . Muyu ' s plot was discovered , and he was put to death , but this brought suspicions between Murong Bao and Murong Lin . As the armies stalemated into winter , Murong Bao decided to withdraw , and he burned the boats that he had built and began the withdrawal on November 23 , 395 . At that time , there were blocks of ice on the Yellow River , but it was not fully frozen , and therefore Murong Bao did not believe that Northern Wei forces could cross easily . However , on December 1 , there was a sudden storm , and the lower temperature caused the Yellow River to freeze . Tuoba Gui took 20 , 000 cavalry soldiers and gave chase . The battle . When Later Yan forces reached Canhe Slope ( in modern Baoding as well ) , the army became enveloped in darkness , probably due to the storm . The Buddhist monk Zhitanmeng ( 支曇猛 ) warned Murong Bao that Northern Wei forces must be approaching , but Murong Bao , believing that he was pulling away from Northern Wei forces , gave no heed . Only also at the urging of Murong De did Murong Bao send Murong Lin , with 30 , 000 soldiers , to branch out and serve as rear guard . Murong Lin , however , did not believe Zhitanmeng , and therefore had his soldiers hunt without paying heed to Northern Wei advances . Tuoba Gui arrived west of Canhe Slope at dusk on December 7 , with Later Yan forces east of Canhe Slope and not realizing Northern Wei forces had arrived . Tuoba Gui kept his army in full silence and , in the night , set up positions on the hills around the Later Yan encampment . On December 8 , at sunrise , Northern Wei forces launched their attack , surprising Later Yan forces . In panic , Later Yan soldiers died by the thousands by trampling each other or drowning by jumping into a nearby river . Their flight was also cut off by Tuoba Gui ' s cousin Tuoba Zun ( 拓拔遵 ) the Duke of Lüeyang . 40 , 000 to 50 , 000 Later Yan soldiers , in panic , surrendered . Only several thousands escaped , including Murong Bao and other key generals with him . Murong Shao was killed in the battle , and among Later Yan officials who were captured were Murong Chui ' s son Murong Wonu ( 慕容倭奴 ) the Prince of Luyang and nephew Murong Daocheng ( 慕容道成 ) the Prince of Guilin . Tuoba Gui kept a number of talented Later Yan officials whom he captured — Jia Run ( 賈閏 ) , Jia Run ' s cousin Jia Yi ( 賈彞 ) , and Chao Chong ( 晁崇 ) - - on his staff . He was initially intending to release the Later Yan captives to gain a good reputation among the Later Yan people . His general and brother - in - law Kepin Jian ( 可頻建 ) , however , suggested that releasing the Later Yan soldiers would merely allow Later Yan to relaunch their attack later . Therefore , the captives were all slaughtered . Aftermath . At the urging of Murong Bao and Murong De , both of whom believed that Northern Wei would pose a future threat , Murong Chui personally commanded another campaign against Northern Wei in 396 . He scored major victories against Northern Wei , killing Tuoba Qian . However , when his army arrived at Canhe Slope , he offered sacrifices to the deceased soldiers — and his own soldiers , many of whom had relatives who died , cried bitterly . He became ashamed and fell seriously ill . He thus returned to Zhongshan , and died soon thereafter . Murong Bao succeeded him ( as Emperor Huimin ) . Tuoba Gui almost immediately launched a major attack , and in 397 , Murong Bao was forced to abandon Zhongshan and retreat back to the old Former Yan capital Longcheng ( 龍城 , in modern Chaoyang , Liaoning ) , and he would be killed in an internal revolt in 398 . Northern Wei took over most of Later Yan ' s territory , save for a small northern area still controlled by Later Yan and a small southern strip , where Murong De declared himself emperor and established Southern Yan .