Zan Tengmu, courtesy name Hengsheng, also known as Hui, was the younger brother of the founding emperor's grandmother. During the Zhou Dynasty period, he was granted the title of Duke of Jingling for his military achievements under the founding emperor and married Princess Shunyang, the younger sister of the Martial Emperor. He rose from a Right Central Attendant to a Grand Master of Ceremonies. In the fourth year of Baoding, he was appointed as a Chancellor and granted the position of Yitong Sanqi.
Zan, a noble prince who married a princess, was handsome, loved reading, valued talent, and was well-regarded at the time, was known as Yang Sanlang. The Martial Emperor held him in high regard. During the campaign to pacify the Qi state, while other princes went to the front lines, Zan stayed behind to guard the capital. The Martial Emperor said to him, "The affairs of the six ministries in the capital are quite demanding; I entrust them all to you. I am going to fight in the east; you don't need to worry about the situation in the west!" This clearly showed the Martial Emperor's trust in him.
After Emperor Xuan ascended to the throne, Zan was promoted to a Grand Master of the Ministry of Personnel and was also given the position of Yitong Sanqi. Not long after, Emperor Xuan died, and the founding emperor Yang Jian entered the palace to take control of the court, summoning the deposed Crown Prince Yang Yong to discuss matters with him. Zan's relationship with the founding emperor was strained, and when he heard the summons, he chose not to go, saying, "Even as a Duke of Sui, I'm afraid I won't be able to keep it; it might be better to simply eliminate my clan!" After the founding emperor became Prime Minister, he promoted Zan to Grand General. Shortly after, he was appointed as Grand Duke, responsible for revising rituals and laws. He was later promoted to Senior Pillar of the State and Duke of Shaoguo.
Seeing the founding emperor ruling while the hearts of the court were not united, Zan feared it could spell trouble for his family, so he secretly thought of ways to deal with the founding emperor. However, the founding emperor remained lenient with him. When the founding emperor abdicated and took the throne, Zan was granted the title of Teng Wang. He was later appointed as the Governor of Yongzhou. The emperor frequently shared meals with him and affectionately referred to him as "A San." Later, due to some circumstances, he was dismissed from his position as Governor of Yongzhou, retaining only his title of Teng Wang and returning to his mansion.
Zan's wife, Yuwen, used to have a bad relationship with Empress Dugu. After this incident, she has been unhappy, unable to express her ambitions, and harboring secret curses against others. The Emperor reluctantly agreed to Zan's plea not to divorce her, but Yuwen was ultimately stripped of her royal status. Because of this, Zan fell out of favor with the Emperor, and the Emperor's favor towards him diminished. In the eleventh year of Kaihuang, the Emperor visited Liyuan for leisure, and Zan suddenly passed away at the young age of forty-two. It was widely rumored that he had been poisoned. His son, Yang Lun, inherited his title.
Lun, whose courtesy name was Binzhou, was tall and handsome, kind-hearted and musically talented. After the founding Emperor ascended the throne, he was appointed as Duke of Shaoguo, overseeing eight thousand households. The following year, he was promoted to Governor of Shaozhou. When the Prince of Jin married the Princess of Liangguo, the Emperor dispatched Lun to deliver gifts, and the people of Liangguo held him in high regard. However, because of his ties to King Mu, Lun always felt uneasy during the founding Emperor's reign.
When Emperor Yang of Sui ascended the throne, he grew increasingly suspicious of Lun. Anxious and fearful, Lun sought advice from an astrologer called Wang Chen. Wang Chen said, "You'll have a smooth path in your official career!" and also mentioned, "The characters 'Teng' and 'Teng' have similar pronunciations, suggesting that good luck is on the way!" Lun also had close ties with several astrologer monks, such as Huien and Jueduo, often asking them to help interpret celestial phenomena.
Later, someone reported that Lun harbored resentment and cursed the emperor, so Emperor Yang sent the Yellow Gate Attendant Wang Hong to investigate. Wang Hong, seeing the emperor angry, sided with the emperor and accused Lun of using witchcraft to curse the emperor; he deserves death. The emperor ordered the ministers to deliberate on the matter, and Yang Su and others said, "Lun hopes for chaos in the country to benefit himself. The reason for his resentment stems from his family history. At the beginning of the Sui Dynasty, when the people were united in supporting the court, it was a time that required unity, yet his family chose to oppose the court. Both father and son caused disturbances, not only aiming for the court but outright seeking to overthrow it! His crimes are grave, and he should be put to death according to the law!" The emperor, taking into account his royal status, could not bear to kill him, so he removed him from office and exiled him to Shian. His several brothers were also exiled to remote areas. In the seventh year of Daye, Emperor Yang personally led a campaign to Liaodong. Lun wanted to submit a request to join the army, but local officials stopped him. Shortly after, he was exiled even further to Zhuyai. After the chaos in the country, he was forced by bandits to flee with his wife and children to Dan'er. Later, he returned to the Tang Dynasty and was granted the title of Duke of Huaihua County. Lun's brother Tan, styled Wenzhou, was initially granted the title of Duke of Jingling County, but due to Lun's situation, he was exiled to Changsha. Tan's brother Meng, styled Wuzhou, was exiled to Hengshan. Meng's brother Wen, styled Mingzhou, was initially exiled to Lingling. Wen was studious and skilled in writing. He later wrote a piece called "Lingling Fu" to express his grief and anger, which was written with great elegance. The emperor, infuriated by this, exiled him to Nanhai. Wen's brother Shen, styled Hongzhou, had also been exiled to Lingling. The emperor, seeing his cautious nature, allowed him to inherit the title of Prince Teng, to carry on the lineage of Prince Mu. In the final years of Daye, he passed away in Jiangdu.
It's the story of Wang Jing, whose courtesy name was Xianzhou, the son of Tengmu King Zan. He was later adopted by his uncle Song. During the Zhou Dynasty, his uncle Song was granted the title of Duke of Xingcheng for his military achievements by the founding emperor, but sadly passed away young. After the founding emperor ascended the throne, he posthumously granted his uncle the title of King Dao, with the posthumous title of Xuan, and the throne was passed on to Jing. After King Jing died without an heir, his kingdom ceased to exist.
Next, let's turn to King Shuang of Weizhao, whose courtesy name was Shiren and nickname was Mingda, the half-brother of the founding emperor. During the Zhou Dynasty, when he was just a baby, he was granted the title of Duke of Tong'an for the military achievements of the founding emperor. When he was six years old, the founding emperor died, and he was raised by Empress Xian, so the founding emperor had a special fondness for this brother, favoring him over his other brothers. At the age of seventeen, he became an official overseeing the imperial archives. After the founding emperor took power, he was appointed Grand General and Commander of Qinzhou. Before he took office, he was transferred to Puzhou as Intendant, with his rank elevated to Duke. After the founding emperor proclaimed himself emperor, he was established as the King of Wei. Shortly afterwards, he was transferred to Yongzhou as the Governor, while also serving as both Left and Right General. He was later promoted to Grand General of the Right, while overseeing Bingzhou. More than a year later, he was promoted to Senior Duke, transferred to Liangzhou as its Commander. Shuang was handsome, a natural leader, and well-respected for his governance.
That year, Pai Shuang was appointed commander-in-chief, leading seventy thousand soldiers to prepare for the Turks. After setting out from Pingliang, they returned without encountering any enemy forces. The following year, Shuang again took command of a large-scale northern expedition. The Prince of Hejian, Dou Luji, Dou Rongding, Gao Feng, and Yu Qingze all acted separately, following Shuang's command. Shuang personally led four generals, including Li Chongjie, from Shuozhou, encountered the Khan of the Western Turks on the White Road, engaged in battle, and achieved a great victory, capturing over a thousand people and seizing countless livestock. The Khan of the Western Turks was severely injured and fled. Emperor Gaozu was very pleased and rewarded Shuang with a thousand households in Liang'an. Six years later, Shuang served once more as commander-in-chief, leading fifteen thousand soldiers from Hechuan. The Turks, terrified, fled. The next year, Shuang was summoned to court to serve as an advisor. Emperor Gaozu highly esteemed him.
Not long after, Shuang fell ill. The Emperor sent the shaman Xue Rongzong to check on him, claiming that many ghosts were harming him. Shuang ordered his men to banish the ghosts. A few days later, evil spirits indeed attacked Xue Rongzong, who fell down the steps and died as a result. That night, Shuang passed away at the young age of twenty-five. He was posthumously named Grand Commandant and Governor of Jizhou, and his son succeeded his titles.
As for his son, he was initially titled the Prince of Sui'an and later inherited the title of Prince of Wei. During Emperor Yang of Sui's reign, the favor shown to feudal kings diminished, and suspicions deepened. Filled with anxiety and fear, his son sought the counsel of a fortune-teller named Yu Puming and performed a ritual seeking blessings. However, someone reported that his son was plotting against the Emperor and colluding with the officials responsible for punishment, exaggerating the situation and accusing his son of treason, a crime punishable by death!
The emperor allowed the ministers to discuss this matter. They said, "Ji Zi secretly engages in those devious practices, even resorting to witchcraft to curse the emperor and his family, doing so openly and shamelessly. He shows no regard for human decency or reason; his actions violate the ancestral traditions. He is simply an enemy of the emperor and the crown prince, unforgivable! He should be punished according to the law!" At that time, Teng Wang Lun had a good relationship with Ji Zi, and the emperor was a bit reluctant to be harsh, so he issued an edict saying, "Lun and Ji are like flowers attached to the same branch, close like father and son. I granted them high titles not for their merits. They should share in the nation's fortunes and misfortunes, but they engage in evil activities in secret, indulging in wicked behavior. They are subjects, yet show no respect for the emperor; especially in critical moments, they show no regard for the bond between ruler and subjects. The ministers all say so, and I feel quite uncomfortable about it. Although everyone is equal before the law, loyalties should also be considered, but the law must also take the royal family into account, and even more so, familial bonds. I can't bear to have him executed." So, in the end, Ji Zi's title was revoked, he was demoted to a commoner, and exiled to a remote area. Later, as chaos erupted, Ji Zi's whereabouts became unknown.
Cai Wang Zhiji, the son of Cai Zheng, who was the younger brother of Gaozu and the Duke of Chenliu County. His father, Cai Zheng, was awarded the title of Duke of Chenliu County by Emperor Ming of Zhou for his military achievements alongside the Emperor. He later became the Grand Minister of Works. He fought bravely alongside Emperor Wu to pacify the Qi State and fought all the way to Bingzhou, where he died in battle. When his brother Gaozu became Prime Minister, he posthumously titled him as a Pillar of the State and Grand Minister of Works, and put him in charge of the eight prefectures of Jizhou, Dingzhou, Yingzhou, Xiangzhou, Huaizhou, Weizhou, Zhaozhou, and Beizhou. After Gaozu became Emperor, he posthumously honored his father as King of Cai, with the posthumous title of King Jing. He then allowed Zhiji to inherit his father's title. He also granted Zhiji's brother Zhiming the title of Duke of Gaoyang County, and Zhicai the title of Duke of Kaifeng County. Shortly after, Zhiji was appointed as the Governor of Yitong, with a grand procession to his inauguration.
After some time, due to Zhiji's cautious and careful nature, Gaozu came to admire him. During his tenure as Governor of Yitong, he never indulged in leisure or hunting activities, and after handling government affairs, he would sit up straight to read, and he never entertained private visitors at home. He had a few cultured individuals around him, such as the attendant Gong Sun Shangyi, and the aides Yang Junying and Xiao Deyan, who were Confucian scholars from Shandong. Zhiji often invited them to his home, serving only biscuits, fruits, and drinking only three cups of wine. Although there were singers in the house, they only performed on special occasions after receiving permission from the Empress Dowager, which showed just how simple his life was. When Gaozu was still a nobody, his father King Jing had a poor relationship with him, and his mother Lady Wei did not get along with Gaozu's Empress Dowager Dugu. As a result, Zhiji was always on edge, remaining humble and self-deprecating, and Gaozu, aware of his situation, felt sympathy for him.
Some people advised Zhi Ji to invest in some property, but Zhi Ji said: "In the past, the Pingyuan family was immensely wealthy, but in the end, they ended up in decline. I am fortunate to have no family property, so why bother to manage it?" He had five sons, only allowing them to study the Analects and the Classic of Filial Piety, and not allowing them to interact with outsiders. When asked why he did this, Zhi Ji said: "You don't understand me." He was afraid that his sons, if talented, would attract trouble. In the twentieth year of Kaihuang, he was summoned back to the capital; without any other official position, he stayed home, rarely venturing out except to pay respects to the emperor.
After Yang Guang became emperor, Prince Teng and Prince Wei were framed by others and lost their positions, and Duke Gao Yang Zhi Ming was demoted due to poor relations with others, which filled Zhi Ji with fear. In the seventh year of Daye, he was appointed as the Prefect of Hongnong, but he handed over all political affairs to his subordinates and lived a quiet life. Later, Yang Xuange rebelled, marching his troops westward from the eastern capital. Zhi Ji told his subordinates, "Yang Xuange heard that the imperial army was coming and planned to attack Guanzhong. If he succeeds, his foundation will be solid. We need to use tactics to hold him back and prevent him from advancing. In ten days, we will be able to capture him." When Yang Xuange's forces reached the city, Zhi Ji climbed the city wall to hurl insults at him. Yang Xuange was very angry and ordered a fierce attack. The city gate was burned by the rebels, so Zhi Ji ordered the gate to be set ablaze to keep the rebels out. After a few days, reinforcements led by Yu Wen Shu arrived and together they defeated the rebels.
In the twelfth year of Daye, Zhi Ji accompanied the emperor to Jiangdu and fell seriously ill. The emperor was cold towards his relatives at that time, and Zhi Ji always felt uneasy. When he fell ill, he did not even call for a doctor. On his deathbed, he said to his relatives, "Today, I finally understand that being able to keep my head and be buried after death is a blessing." People at that time felt sorry for him. He had a son named Zhi Dao Xuan.
The history books say: the Zhou dynasty honored the royal family, the Han dynasty emphasized strengthening the royal family's foundation, maintaining internal harmony and unity among the royal family, stabilizing the people externally, deepening their roots, and respecting the royal family. During times of peace, everyone shared joy together; during times of national crisis, everyone shared their worries. This practice has a long history. After the Wei and Jin dynasties, many subsequent dynasties failed to uphold this tradition, disregarding ancestral customs and looking out for their own interests. If suppressed, their power would be the same as ordinary people; if indulged, their power would be the same as the emperor's. Such overcorrection cannot be quickly resolved. The gains and losses of the previous dynasties are clearly recorded in historical books, so I will not discuss them in detail. The emotional ties among the founding emperor's siblings were weak from the start, and the conflicts within the harem were unbearable. Thus, when Prince Teng died unexpectedly, people whispered about it privately; when Prince Cai was on his deathbed, he still felt fortunate. Only Prince Wei, raised by the empress dowager, received special treatment, while the other princes were scattered in exile, not knowing where they would die. It’s truly a tragedy! They were given thatched roofs and mud, called "stone tablets," living without military protection, just like commoners. With no worries from within or outside, they had no time to consider the dangers. With so many difficulties to face, what else could they possibly hope for?
