Prince Wenhui had four sons: Prince Yulin, Xiao Zhaoye, the son of Queen An; Prince Hailing, Xiao Zhaowen, the son of a palace maid named Xu; Prince Baling, Xiao Zhaoxiu, the son of a woman named Chen; and Prince Guiyang, Xiao Zhaocan, the son of a woman named Chu.
Prince Baling, Xiao Zhaoxiu, courtesy name Huaishang, was the third son of the prince. During the Yongming period, he was titled Duke of Qujiang, with a fief consisting of 1,500 households. In the tenth year of Yongming, he was promoted to General of Ning Shuo and Prefect of Jiyang. After Prince Yulin, Xiao Zhaoye ascended to the throne, Xiao Zhaoxiu was titled Prince of Linhai, with a fief of 2,000 households. In the first year of Longchang, he was appointed as Commissioner and Commander of Military Affairs for the Seven Provinces of Jing, Yong, Yi, Ning, Liang, and North and South Qin, with significant power over several provinces. In the first year of Yanxing, he was summoned back to the court to serve as General of Chariots and Cavalry, responsible for defending the capital, and later replaced by Prince Yongjia, Xiao Zhaocan.
In the second year of Jianwu, Palace Attendant Yu Tanlong submitted a memorial stating: "During the Zhou Dynasty, the capital was established in Luoyi, and the people of the central region were kept close to the emperor; during the Han Dynasty, Xianyang was the national barrier. After the Southern migration of the Eastern Jin Dynasty, the situation changed and the power weakened. Many counties and states near the capital became fiefs of the state. When Emperor Wu of Song founded the dynasty, he followed the ancient system and no longer granted new titles within the Central Kingdom. However, in the later years of Emperor Xiaowu, many beloved sons were enfeoffed, only to express personal feelings, which was against the ancestral regulations. In the first year of Longchang, the position of the emperor's younger brother was particularly elevated, which I believe does not conform to the ancient system. Now that the emperor rules the world wisely, the restoration of the old system should take precedence, and the fiefs in the central region should be restricted, following the previous system by granting fiefs to those who have been exiled to the provinces." The emperor handed the memorial to the Ministry of Personnel for detailed discussion. That winter, Xiao Zhaoxiu was officially renamed Prince of Baling. In the first year of Yongtai, he was assassinated when he was just sixteen years old.
Prince Xiaozhaocan of Guiyang, the fourth son of the Crown Prince. After Prince Xiaoye of Yulin ascended the throne, he was titled Prince of Yongjia Commandery and appointed Governor of Nanxu Commandery. In the first year of the Yanxing era, he was appointed Commissioner and Commander of military affairs for the seven provinces of Jing, Yong, Yi, Ning, Liang, Nan, and Bei Qin, General of the Western Guards, and Governor of Jingzhou. After Emperor Ming ascended the throne, he initially intended to appoint Prince Yaoyin of Wenxi as Governor of Jingzhou; therefore, Xiaozhaocan was reassigned as General of the Right and Chancellor of the Palace Secretariat. In the second year of the Jianwu era, Xiaozhaocan was re-titled Prince of Guiyang. Four years later, he was promoted to Grand Minister while retaining his military position. In the first year of Yongtai, he was assassinated at just eight years old.
Emperor Ming had eleven sons: Empress Jing bore Prince Baojuan of Dongjun, Prince Baoxuan of Jiangxia, Prince Baoyin of Poyang, and the future Emperor He; Lady Yin bore Prince Baoyi of Baling and Prince Baosong of Jinxi; Lady Yuan bore Prince Baoyuan of Luling; Lady Guan bore Prince Baoyou of Shaoling; Lady Xu bore Prince Baozhen of Guiyang. The other sons all died in infancy.
Prince Baoling, Yin (巴陵隐王), Xiao Baoyi (萧宝义), courtesy name Zhiyong (智勇), was the eldest son of Emperor Ming (明帝). His original name was Xiao Mingji (萧明基). In the first year of Jianwu (建武), he was appointed as Governor and Commander of Military Affairs for Yangzhou and South Xuzhou, former general, and governor of Yangzhou, granted the title of Prince of Jin'an (晋安郡王), with a fief of three thousand households. However, Xiao Baoyi had been in poor health since childhood and couldn't handle the busy life outside, so the court relieved him of these responsibilities and replaced him with Prince Shi'an (始安王) Xiao Yaoguang (萧遥光). Later, Xiao Baoyi was reassigned as the Right General, commanding troops and garrisoning Shitou City (石头城). In the second year of Jianwu, he was appointed as the governor, Commander of Military Affairs in South Xuzhou, General Who Defends the North, and governor of South Xuzhou. After Emperor Donghun (东昏侯) Xiao Baojuan (萧宝卷) ascended the throne, Xiao Baoyi was promoted to Grand General Who Conquers the North, granted the title of Duke, with the rank of Three Excellencies, and accompanied by attendants. In the first year of Yongyuan (永元), he was given twenty sword-bearing guards. After Prince Shi'an Xiao Yaoguang was killed, Xiao Baoyi was appointed as the commander of military affairs in Yangzhou and South Xuzhou, Grand General of Valiant Cavalry, and governor of Yangzhou, while retaining his responsibilities as governor. At that time, the Eastern Palace was damaged by a fire that destroyed many buildings, and the emperor was preoccupied with palace construction and could not attend to the repairs of the Eastern Palace, so Xiao Baoyi was dispatched to defend the Western Province. In the third year of Yongyuan, Xiao Baoyi was promoted to Minister of Works (司徒). After the completion of the Western Terrace of Emperor He (和帝), Xiao Baoyi was appointed as Palace Attendant and Minister of Works, while his roles as governor and military commander remained unchanged. After Prince of Liang (梁王) Xiao Yan (萧衍) established the capital in Jiankang (建康), Empress Dowager Xuande (宣德太后) appointed Xiao Baoyi as Grand Commandant and concurrently as Minister of Works. The imperial decree stated: "Without using words for moral education, his influence can reach far and wide." Contemporaries remarked that this aptly described Xiao Baoyi. After the establishment of the Liang Dynasty, Xiao Baoyi was titled Duke of Xie Mu County (谢沐县公), and shortly after, he was titled Prince of Baoling County (巴陵郡王), in service to Empress Dowager Qi (齐后). He passed away during the Tianjian era (天监).
Prince of Jiangxia, whose name was Xiao Baoxuan, courtesy name Zhishen, was the third son of Emperor Ming. In the first year of Jianwu, he was appointed General of the Conquering Barbarians, responsible for defending Shitoucheng, and was also titled as the Prince of Jiangxia Commandery. Later, he was sent to serve as the Commissioner, Commander of Yingzhou and Sizhou military affairs, General of the Western Army, as well as the Governor of Yingzhou. His official positions continued to climb one after another. In the first year of Yongtai, he was recalled to the court and appointed as the General-in-Chief, continuing to be in charge of the defense of Shitoucheng. Before he could take office, Dong Hunhou ascended to the throne, and Xiao Baoxuan's official position rose accordingly, being promoted to General of the Guard. In the first year of Yongyuan, he was further promoted to the General of Chariots and Cavalry, replacing Prince Jin'an Xiao Baoyi, to serve as the Commissioner, Commander of Nanxuzhou and Yanzhou military affairs, as well as the Governor of Nanxuzhou and Yanzhou, with his position as General remaining unchanged.
Xiao Baoxuan took Xu Xiaosi's daughter as a concubine. Later, when Xu Xiaosi was killed, he severed ties with the Xu family. The young emperor also sent him two beautiful women, but he harbored a grudge, secretly plotting something. The following year, Cui Huijing rebelled and advanced to Guangling, and even sent envoys inviting Xiao Baoxuan to become their leader. Xiao Baoxuan killed the messenger, then quickly mobilized his soldiers to bolster the city's defenses. The emperor sent Cavalry Commander Qi Ping and Outer Supervisor Huang Linfu to support Xiao Baoxuan at Jingkou. Cui Huijing was preparing to cross the river, but Xiao Baoxuan secretly colluded with Cui Huijing, killing Sima Kongjing, Chancellor Lu Chengxu, as well as Qi Ping and Huang Linfu, and opened the city gates to welcome him.
He had the Chief of Staff Shen Yizhi and the Counselor Liu Cheng lead the army, being carried in a grand sedan by eight bearers, holding red flags, following Cui Huijing into the capital city, where they took up residence in the Eastern City. Many commoners flocked to join them. After Cui Huijing was defeated, the court compiled a list of those who had allied with Xiao Baoxuan and Cui Huijing. The emperor commanded that the list be burned, stating, "If Prince Jiangxia has reached this point, is there any need to punish anyone else?" Xiao Baoxuan remained in hiding for several days before re-emerging. The emperor summoned him to the palace, draped him in a cloth, had dozens of soldiers outside beating drums and gongs, and then said to Xiao Baoxuan, "When you surrounded me recently, was it like this?" After a while, the emperor ordered him to be killed.
Prince Baoyuan of Luling, styled Zhiyuan, was the fifth son of Emperor Ming.
In the first year of Jianwu, he was appointed as the General of the Northern Central Army, stationed in Langye City, and was titled Prince of Luling Commandery. Later, he was promoted to Right General, responsible for the defense of Shitou City. He then served as Imperial Commissioner, Commander of Military Affairs in Southern Yanzhou, Yanzhou, Xuzhou, Qingzhou, and Jizhou, General of the Rear, and Governor of Southern Yanzhou, ascending the ranks one after another, basking in great prestige.
During the Jianwu era, he first became the General of the Northern Central Army, stationed in Langye City, and was given the title of Prince of Luling Commandery. He was later promoted to Right General, in charge of the defense of Shitou City. Furthermore, he was appointed as Imperial Commissioner, Commander of Military Affairs in Southern Yanzhou, Yanzhou, Xuzhou, Qingzhou, and Jizhou, General of the Rear, and Governor of Southern Yanzhou, climbing up the ranks and enjoying great glory.
After Wang Jingze was killed, Baoyuan was transferred to be the Commander of Kuaiji, Dongyang, Linhai, Yongjia, and Xin'an, with military command over the five counties, while retaining his title as General.
Wang Jingze, the guy who led a rebellion, was executed, and Baoyuan took his place, becoming the military governor of Kuaiji, Dongyang, Linhai, Yongjia, and Xin'an, and also served as the Prefect of Kuaiji, while still retaining the title of general. In the first year of Yongyuan, he was promoted to General of the East. After Emperor He ascended the throne, Baoyuan was appointed as Palace Attendant, General of Chariots and Cavalry, and Supervisor of the Palace Secretariat, while still retaining his positions as governor and military commander. Unfortunately, before he could officially take office, he passed away in the second year of Zhongxing, truly a tragic case of talent being cut short by fate.
Prince Baoyang, styled Zhiliang, was the sixth son of Emperor Ming. In the first year of Jianwu, he was granted the title of Prince of Jian'an. The following year, he served as General of the Northern Central Army, stationed at Langye City. By the third year, he was promoted to Commissioner, Commander of Military Affairs in Jiangzhou, General of the South Central Army, and Governor of Jiangzhou, with his ranks steadily increasing! After Donghun Hou succeeded to the throne, Baoyang was appointed as Commissioner and Commander of Military Affairs in Yingsi, General Conquering the Barbarians, and Governor of Yingsi, and was shortly thereafter promoted to Chief General. In the second year of Yongyuan, the court summoned him back to the capital to serve as Protector General, responsible for the defense of Shitou City, although this appointment had not yet been officially enacted. In the third year of Yongyuan, he was appointed as General of Chariots and Cavalry, and Supervisor of the Palace Secretariat, and remained in charge of the defense of Shitou City.
That autumn, Zhang Xintai, the governor of Yongzhou, and others plotted a rebellion at Xinting, killing many senior generals in the court. For more details, see "The Biography of Xintai." When the incident occurred, Wang Lingshuo, the former governor of Nanqiao, fled to Shitoucheng, taking the soldiers in the city with him, forcibly loading Baoyang onto a cart and hurrying to Taicheng. Several thousand commoners also followed, empty-handed, which caused chaos in the capital. When Baoyang reached near Du's house, it was getting dark, yet the city gates were shut, and people on the city walls shot arrows at him. Realizing the situation was dire, everyone deserted Baoyang and ran away. Baoyang fled for three days in his military uniform and surrendered to the local magistrate. The magistrate quickly reported the situation to the emperor, who personally received Baoyang at the palace and inquired about what had happened. Baoyang cried and said, "At that time, I didn't know who forced me onto the cart, and then I was taken away. I couldn't control myself at all." The emperor chuckled and reinstated his title. After Emperor He ascended the throne, the court appointed Baoyang as the envoy, commander of military affairs for the provinces of Nanxu and Yanzhou, guard general, and governor of Nanxu. Later, when the young emperor succeeded to the throne, he appointed Baoyang as the commissioner, commander of military affairs in the provinces of Jing, Yi, Ning, Yong, Liang, Nan, and Bei Qin, while his military position remained unchanged. During Empress Xuande's reign, Prince Liang was demoted to Duke Jian'an, and Baoyang was re-titled Prince Poyang. In the second year of Zhongxing, he was executed for plotting a rebellion.
Prince Baoyou of Shaoling, styled Zhixuan, was the ninth son of Emperor Ming. In the first year of Jianwu, he was appointed as the Prince of Nanping. In the second year, his title was revised. In the third year, he became the General of the Northern Central Army and was stationed in Langye City. In the first year of Yongyuan, he was appointed as the Commissioner and Commander of Military Affairs for the Five Provinces: Southern Xu, Northern Xu, Southern Yan, Qing, and Ji, as well as Governor of Southern Yan Province, while retaining his position as General of the Northern Central Army. Before he could take office, he was promoted to General of Conquering the Barbarians and was responsible for military affairs at Shitou Fort. Later, he also served as the Intendant of Danyang, and he continued to oversee Shitou Fort. After the situation with Chen Xianda was resolved, he was sent as the Commissioner, Commander of Military Affairs of Jiangzhou, Left General, and Governor of Jiangzhou. After completing his mission and returning to the capital, he was appointed as the General of the Central Army and the Director of the Secretariat. In the second year of Zhongxing, he plotted a rebellion and was executed on the orders of Empress Xuande.
Prince Baosong of Jinxi, styled Zhijing, was the tenth son of Emperor Ming. In Yongyuan II, he was appointed as the Champion General and Intendant of Danyang. Later, he was promoted to Commissioner, Commander of Military Affairs of Southern Xu and Yan Two Provinces, and Governor of Southern Xu Province, while retaining his position as Champion General. In the first year of Zhongxing, Emperor He appointed him as the Director of the Imperial Secretariat. In the second year, he plotted a rebellion and was executed.
Prince Baozhen of Guiyang was the eleventh son of Emperor Ming. In Yongyuan II, he was appointed as the Central Protector, General of the Northern Central Army, and was in charge of military affairs at Shitou Fort. In the second year of Zhongxing, he plotted a rebellion and was executed.
Historical records state: "The Spring and Autumn Annals record 'Zheng Bo defeated Duan in Yan.' When the bond between brothers is broken, the relationship between ruler and subject is highlighted." When brothers turn against each other, let alone father and son, when the situation escalates beyond repair, conflicts are inevitable. The brothers of Baoyou caused trouble for themselves, actively courting family disaster, not grasping the implications of "holding the pointer," following each other in order to protect themselves; it is truly baffling what they were thinking.
Praise: The two princes, Wenhui, mourn their tragic fates. The seven states of Ming eventually declined and fell.
