北魏任城王元澄(467-519)，拓跋宗室一員，生於顯祖獻文帝時期，活躍於高祖孝文帝、世宗宣武帝、肅宗孝明帝三朝。北魏自孝文帝以遷都爲開端的漢化改革起，至靈太后爲余朱榮所害止，國家的變化最爲激烈，而元澄所扮演的角色也至關重要。本文分成二大部分，第部分分析元澄在孝文帝遷都與後續的漢化改革過程中，所扮演的角色與重要性；第二部分說明世宗朝高肇專權，打擊六位輔政大臣之際，元澄利用消極的方式逃脫恐怖的整肅行動；第三部分論述元澄在政權交替之際，加入靈太后集團，支持太子肅宗繼位，並且在靈太后首次執政期問，對國家各方面政策、甚至太后本身的作爲，擔負起直言忠懇的監督者。本文於文末總結元澄功過，並說明從政過程中可供評議之處。

Yuan Cheng (元澄), a member of the House of Toba (拓跋宗室), was born in the period of Emperor Xian Wen (獻文帝) and his contribution was in three courts of Emperor Xiao Wen (孝文帝), Xuan Wu (孝文帝), and Xiao Ming (孝明帝). The government of Northern Wei (北魏) had been under tremendous change ever since the moving of the capital to Luoyang (洛陽) from the period of the Emperor Xiao-wen to that of Empress Ling (靈太后) who was murdered by Er Zhu Rong (尒朱榮) during which Yuan Cheng played an important role. This article is divided into three parts: First, studying the role and the importance of Yuan Cheng; Second, xplaining how Yuan Cheng survived when Gao Zhao (高肇) was in power: Third, discussing why he supported Empress Ling as a supervisor. This article concludes with Yuan Cheng's merits and demerits.