Yuan Yi was the brother-in-law of the Empress Dowager Ling (Empress of the Northern Wei Xuanwu Emperor). When the Empress Dowager Ling came to court, she had overwhelming power and was extremely arrogant.
Wealth breeds lust, and when you have money, you want to have sex. Yuan Yi often signaled his subordinates to inquire about beauties among the people outside the palace, and would not let go of those with better looks. He ordered people to hide the beautiful woman he liked in a food bowl, cover it with a cloth, and put it in a cage for him to enjoy. Although the gatekeeper knew it, he didn't dare to ask and could only snicker. Some frivolous children follow their fancy and indulge in drinking and sex, and even their aunts and women are like friends and prostitutes.
Qinghe Wang Yuanyi punished him many times. Yuan Yi accused Yuan Yi of treason, banned Yuan Yi's family, and the dignitaries of the court defended Yuan Yi. In July of the first year of Zhengguang (520), Yuan Yi and the eunuch Liu Teng placed the Queen Mother Ling under house arrest and imprisoned Yuan Yi in Menxia Province. He falsely accused Yuan Yi of treason and killed him. Empress Dowager Ling was imprisoned in Beigong. Yuan Yi then assisted the government with Taishi Gaoyang King Yuan Yong and others, and was often imprisoned. Emperor Xiaoming, the biological son of Empress Dowager Ling, called her uncle and granted her son the title of Duke of Yuanliang Pingyuan County.
Later, he executed the coup leader who opposed him Xiangzhou Governor King of Zhongshan Yuan Xi and Yuan Yi's former ally, right-guard general Xi Kangsheng. Two other Janissary uprisings were nipped in the bud. Several imperial guard uprisings may have resulted in the death of the eldest grandson Xin of the Changsun Fei family, who was born in the same family as Xi Kangsheng and other imperial guards. After Liu Teng's death, Yuancha relaxed his vigilance towards Queen Mother Ling. In February of the sixth year of Zhengguang (525), Emperor Xiaoming conspired with Empress Dowager Ling and Prime Minister Yuan Yong. When Yuan Cha found out, he was very frightened and resigned from his post to seek forgiveness. Therefore, Yuan Cha was appointed as the General of the Hussars, the Third Division of Yitong, the Shangshu Ling, the Attendant in the Middle, and the leader of the left and right sides. Although Yuan Cha lost military power, he still took charge of internal and external affairs, regardless of the possibility of deposing him. Later, everyone instigated Emperor Xiaoming's favored concubine Pan Wailian to speak in front of Yuanxu . Yuancha left the house and was relieved of his position as a servant. Soon, someone accused Cha and his younger brother of treason. The incident happened one day and I got his handwriting. In the second year of Xiaochang, Empress Dowager Ling ordered Yuan Yi and her younger brother Yuan Zha to die at home together at the age of forty-one.
Because of her sister, the Queen Mother posthumously presented Yuancha as envoy Chijie, Shizhong, General Huqi, Yitong Sansi, Shangshu Ling, Jizhou Governor, and was posthumously named King Jiangyang with the posthumous title Jing Zhao. After Yuan Cha's death, Hu Xuanhui had an affair with Yuan Cha's younger brother Yuan Luo .
Its epitaph and epitaph were discovered in Luoyang in 1925 and 1935 respectively. In 1974, archaeological excavation was conducted on the tomb of Yuan Yi.
Yuan Yi’s epitaph
