Three Kingdoms and Six Dynasties · Ruler

Emperor Mingyuan 明元皇帝

Mingyuan Huangdi

Attested AD 408 - AD 423

Passages: 23
Chapters: 3
Histories: 1

Overview

Emperor Mingyuan was a ruler.

Other names

Type	English	Chinese	Pinyin
Temple name	Taizong	太宗	Tàizōng

Life and dates

Attested activity

AD 409 to AD 423 太宗
Dated from the passage context · Book of Wei 93, passage 7
AD 408 to AD 423 太宗在東宮至即位
Dated from the passage context · Book of Wei 39, passages 4, 16
AD 409 to AD 423 明元皇帝
Directly stated · Book of Wei 19, passage 1
AD 422 泰常七年
Dated from the passage context · Book of Wei 19, passages 9-10

Family

Immediate relationships attested in the translated histories.

Spouse of Empress Mi of the Du clan (杜密皇后)
empress 皇后 · Primary marriage
Strongly inferred · Book of Wei 19, passages 1-2
Parent of Fan (範)
father 父
Directly stated · Book of Wei 19, passages 1, 5
Parent of Mi (彌)
father 父
Directly stated · Book of Wei 19, passages 1, 4
Parent of Emperor Taiwu of Northern Wei (太武帝)
father 父
Strongly inferred · Book of Wei 19, passages 1-2
Parent of Chong (崇)
father 父
Directly stated · Book of Wei 19, passages 1, 7
Parent of Pi (丕)
father 父
Directly stated · Book of Wei 19, passages 1, 3
Parent of Jun (俊)
father 父
Directly stated · Book of Wei 19, passages 1, 7
Parent of Jian (健)
father 父
Directly stated · Book of Wei 19, passages 1, 6
Spouse of Lady Yin (尹夫人)
lady 夫人 · Secondary marriage
Strongly inferred · Book of Wei 19, passage 6
Spouse of Lady Murong (慕容夫人)
lady 夫人 · Secondary marriage
Strongly inferred · Book of Wei 19, passage 5
Spouse of Lady Da Murong (大慕容夫人)
lady 夫人 · Secondary marriage
Strongly inferred · Book of Wei 19, passage 3
Spouse of Mother of Jun (母)
mother of his son 母 · Uncertain
Strongly inferred · Book of Wei 19, passage 77

Kinship Role sons · Count 7
Directly stated · Book of Wei 19, passage 1

Key source chapters

Career and standing

AD 409 to AD 409 太宗即位
Directly stated · Book of Wei 39, passage 16

Places and affiliations

Northern Wei 魏
Relation Served
Directly stated · Book of Wei 39, passage 16
Polity Northern Wei 北魏 · Relation Ruled
Directly stated · Book of Wei 19, passage 1

References in the histories

Search passages

History

23 passages

Book of Wei, Chapter 19Volume 17: Emperor Mingyuan's Six Princes · 6 passages

明元皇帝七男。 Emperor Mingyuan had seven sons.

太宗以丕長，愛其器度，特優異之。 Because Pi was the eldest, Taizong admired his bearing and treated him with special favor.

丕之薨及日者董道秀之死也，高允遂著筮論曰：「昔明元末起白臺，其高二十餘丈，樂平王嘗夢登其上，四望無所見。 When Prince Pi died and the diviner Dong Daoxiu was put to death, Gao Yun wrote a treatise on divination, saying: "Near the end of Emperor Mingyuan's reign a White Terrace was built, more than twenty zhang tall. The Prince of Leping once dreamed that he climbed it and gazed in every direction, yet saw nothing at all.

太宗討滑臺，留守京師。 When Emperor Taizong marched against Huatai, he stayed behind to guard the capital.

魏書卷十七諸本目錄此卷注「闕」，百衲本、汲本、局本卷末有宋人校語云：「魏收書明元六王列傳亡。」 The tables of contents in various editions of the Book of Wei mark this volume as deficient. At the end of the Baibaina, Ji, and Ju editions a Song-dynasty collation note reads: "Wei Shou's original biography of Emperor Mingyuan's six princes is lost."

按此卷以北史卷一六明元六王傳補，間有溢出字句，當出於高氏小史。 This volume was restored from the biography of Emperor Mingyuan's six princes in juan 16 of the History of the Northern Dynasties; occasional stray phrases appear that likely come from the Xiaoshi compiled by the Gao family.

Book of Wei, Chapter 39Volume 34: Wang Luo Er, Che Lutou, Lu Luyuan, Chen Jian, Wan Anguo · 16 passages

太宗在東宮，給事帳下，侍從遊獵，夙夜無怠。 While Emperor Taizong was still heir in the Eastern Palace, Luoer served in his personal staff, accompanying him on the hunt by day and night without slackening.

太宗嘗獵于灅南，乘冰而濟，冰陷沒馬，洛兒投水，奉太宗出岸。 Once when Emperor Taizong was hunting at Shuainan and crossed a river on the ice, the ice broke and his horse went under; Luoer plunged into the water and brought the emperor safely to shore.

水沒洛兒，殆將凍死，太宗解衣以賜之。 The water closed over Luoer and he was nearly frozen to death; the emperor stripped off his own garment and gave it to him.

天賜末，太宗出居于外，洛兒晨夜侍衞，無須臾違離，恭勤發於至誠。 Near the end of the Tiansi reign, when Emperor Taizong was forced to live outside the palace, Luoer guarded him morning and night without leaving his side for an instant, his reverent service springing from the deepest loyalty.

元紹之逆，太宗左右唯洛兒與車路頭而已。 During Yuan Shao's revolt, of all those close to Emperor Taizong only Luoer and Che Lutou remained.

太宗還宮，社稷獲乂，洛兒有功焉。 When Emperor Taizong returned to the palace and the realm was restored to order, Luoer had earned a share of the credit.

太宗即位，拜散騎常侍。 After Emperor Taizong acceded to the throne, Luoer was appointed Regular Attendant.

太宗親臨哀慟者數四焉。 Emperor Taizong came in person to mourn him, weeping again and again.

少以忠厚選給東宮，為太宗帳下帥。 In his youth he was chosen for the Eastern Palace on account of his honesty and loyalty and became commander of Emperor Taizong's personal guard.

天賜末，太宗出於外，路頭隨侍竭力。 Near the end of the Tiansi reign, when Emperor Taizong was forced out of the palace, Lutou followed and served him with all his strength.

及太宗即位，拜為散騎常侍，賜爵金鄉公，加忠意將軍。 When Emperor Taizong acceded, Lutou was appointed Regular Attendant, enfeoffed as Duke of Jinxiang, and made General of Loyal Intent.

太宗性明察，羣臣多以職事遇譴，至有杖罰，故路頭優遊不任事，侍宿左右，從容談笑而已。 Emperor Taizong was keen and exacting; many officials were punished for faults in their duties, some even beaten with the staff, so Lutou held no active post and merely kept night watch at the emperor's side, passing the time in easy talk and laughter.

太宗亦敬納之，寵待隆厚，賞賜無數，當時功臣親幸莫及。 Emperor Taizong likewise respected and heeded him; his favor was lavish and his gifts beyond counting, and among the meritorious ministers of the day none enjoyed such intimacy.

太宗親臨哀慟。 Emperor Taizong came in person to mourn him.

太宗時，選為直郎。 During Emperor Taizong's reign he was chosen as a direct attendant.

按卷三太宗紀永興三年十二月甲午見「任城公嵇拔」，泰常四年甲戌，記「獻懷長公主子嵇敬封長樂王」，與此傳合。 Juan 3 of the Taizong Annals, twelfth month of Yongxing year 3 (day jiawu), records "Duke of Rencheng Ji Ba," and Taichang year 4 (day jiaxu) records "Ji Jing, son of the Elder Princess of Xianhuai, enfeoffed as Prince of Changle," which agrees with this biography.

Book of Wei, Chapter 93Volume 87: Morality and Righteousness: Yu Shenmen, Duan Jin, Shi Wende, Ji Gu, Wang Xuanwei, Lou Ti, Liu Kehou · 1 passage

太宗時為謁者，使喻馮跋。 Under Emperor Mingyuan he served as usher and was dispatched to deliver the court's message to Feng Ba.