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宗室 〈（案：《晉宗室列傳》，《永樂大典》僅存四篇，余多殘闕。）〉
The Imperial Clan (Note: The biographies of the Jin imperial clan in the Yongle Encyclopedia survive in only four sections; most of the rest is defective or missing.)〉
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Prince Jingwei of Guang, styled Fengxin, was Gaozu's younger paternal cousin. His father Wanquan was posthumously honored as Grand Commandant and enfeoffed as Prince of Zhao. From youth Jingwei excelled at horsemanship and archery. He served Later Tang's Emperor Zhuangzong and, for his service in battle, rose through a series of military posts. When Emperor Mingzong came to the throne, Jingwei was promoted to commander of the Fengsheng Guard. During the Tiancheng and Yingshun eras he changed army designations ten times in all, rose to Acting Minister of Works, and was granted the title of Meritorious Minister, Loyal and Obedient, Protector of Righteousness. In the Qingtai era he was further made Minister of War and commander-in-chief of the Zhangsheng Army, and held the prefecture of Changzhou in absentia. When Gaozu raised his righteous enterprise at Taiyuan, Jingwei was in Luoyang. Seeing that disaster was inevitable, he summoned his intimates and said, "That we are born only to die is the constant way of things. My elder brother is planning a great undertaking; I surely cannot cling to life and await disgrace, becoming a laughingstock to the age." He then took his own life in his private residence, and people greatly admired his courage. In Tianfu 2 he was posthumously enfeoffed by edict as Grand Tutor and buried in Henan County. In the sixth year he was posthumously enfeoffed as Prince of Guang.
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His son Xun succeeded him and rose to general of the Left Martial Guard. Jingwei's younger brother Yun. Yun, styled Dehe, (Note: text is defective below.) He was military commissioner of Shanzhou. When Emperor Shaodi took the throne, he was made concurrent grand councilor. Yun was arrogant and insolent. Whenever an envoy arrived, he invariably asked, "Is my little nephew well?" He indulged in cruelty and violence, and the people of Shan suffered under him. (Note: text is defective below. The Annals of the Young Emperor: in the twelfth month of Kaiyun 3, former Cao military commissioner Shi Yun died; he was the emperor's paternal uncle. The Ouyang History says he fell into a moat and drowned.)
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Prince Hui of Han, styled Dezhao, was a grandson of the Exalted Ancestor Emperor Xiaoping and Gaozu's paternal cousin. His father Wanyou was posthumously enfeoffed as Prince of Qin. Hui was born stout and solid, firm, bold, and upright, with breadth of character. He would not take shortcuts, and in affairs he was often resourceful. Among the clan Gaozu singled him out for generous treatment. Earlier, when Zhang Jingda besieged Jinyang, Gaozu appointed Hui commander of the assault cavalry. He often led his men where the enemy did not expect, plunging deep and fighting with all his strength. Though wounded and bleeding, with arrowheads driven through bone, his voice only grew fiercer, and Gaozu admired him. In Tianfu 2 he was appointed in absentia prefect of Hao and served as commander of the Imperial City garrison. In the fourth year he was made Acting Grand Master and appointed defender of Cao, then further made Acting Supreme Commander. In office he was frugal and caring toward his subordinates, sought no profit, and had no taste for music or performers. The people of his command lived at ease under him. After more than a year he died of illness in office and was buried at Taiyuan. In the eighth year he was posthumously enfeoffed by edict as Grand Preceptor and as Prince of Han.
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His son Xi succeeded him. (The Song History, Biography of Shi Xi: during Tianfu he served as general of the Right Divine Martial Guard, continuing through Han into Zhou as general of the Right Martial Guard and the Left Divine Martial Guard. When Emperor Gongdi took the throne, he was first made general of the Left Guard. When the king of Goryeo, Zhao, received imperial favor, Xi was ordered to serve as deputy to Dai Jiao, general of the Left Valiant Cavalry Guard, on an embassy. He died in Chunhua 4.)
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Prince Chongyin of Shan. (Note: The biographies of the princes from Prince of Tan downward were originally missing from the Yongle Encyclopedia. The Ouyang History says Chongyun was Gaozu's younger brother; whether he was close or distant kin is unknown, yet Gaozu loved him and raised him as a son. Therefore "Chong" was added to his name and he was ranked below Gaozu's sons. The Comprehensive Mirror, Annals of the Prince of Qi: Gaozu's youngest brother Chongyin died young.)〉
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Prince Chongying of Guo. (Note: The biography of the Prince of Guo was originally missing from the Yongle Encyclopedia. The Institutions of the Five Dynasties records that Chongying was Gaozu's eldest son, posthumously enfeoffed in the fourth month of Tianfu 4. This work's Tang Annals: on jichou, the seventh month of Qingtai 3, Right Guards general Shi Chongying was executed.)〉
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楚王重信，字守孚，高祖第二子，後唐明宗之外孫也。 少敏悟，有智思。 天成中，始授銀青光祿大夫、檢校左散騎常侍，俄加檢校刑部尚書，守相州長史。 未幾，遷金紫光祿大夫，超拜檢校司徒，守左金吾衛大將軍。 重信歷事唐明宗及閔帝、末帝，不恃貴戚，能克己復禮，常恂恂如也，甚為時論所稱。 高祖即位，出鎮孟津，到任逾月，去民病十餘事，朝廷有詔褒之。 是歲，範延光叛命於鄴，詔遣前靈武節度使張從賓發河橋屯兵數千人，東討延光。 既而從賓與延光合謀為亂，遂害重信於理所，時年二十。 遠近聞者，為之嘆惜。 詔贈太尉。 時執事奏曰：「兩漢子弟，生死無歷三公位者。」 高祖曰：「此兒為善被禍，予甚湣之，自我作古，寧有例乎。」 遂行冊命。 以其年十月，葬河南萬安山。 天福七年，追封沂王，少帝嗣位，改封楚王。 妃南陽白氏，昭信軍節度使奉進之女也。 重信有子二人，皆幼，長於公宮，及少帝北遷，不知其所終。
Prince Chongxin of Chu, styled Shoufu, was Gaozu's second son and a maternal grandson of Later Tang's Emperor Mingzong. From youth he was keen and perceptive, with a thoughtful mind. During Tiancheng he was first made Silver-Gleaming Grand Master of Glorious Culture and Acting Left Gentleman for Leisurely Correspondence, then soon Acting Minister of Justice and chief administrator of Xiang. Before long he was made Grand Master of Golden-gleaming Purple Purpose and promoted in one step to Acting Grand Master, commanding as general of the Left Golden Crow Guard. Chongxin served Emperors Mingzong, Min, and Mo of Tang. He did not trade on his noble kinship; he could restrain himself and return to propriety, always earnest and deferential, and won high praise from his contemporaries. When Gaozu took the throne, Chongxin was sent to govern Mengjin. Within a month of taking office he removed more than ten abuses afflicting the people, and the court issued an edict commending him. That year Fan Yanguang rebelled at Ye. An edict ordered the former military commissioner of Lingwu, Zhang Congbin, to mobilize several thousand troops at Heqiao and march east against Yanguang. Before long Congbin joined Yanguang in plotting rebellion and murdered Chongxin at his headquarters. He was twenty. All who heard of it, near and far, sighed with regret. An edict posthumously honored him as Grand Commandant. The officials at court memorialized, saying, "In the two Han dynasties, no imperial kinsman in life or death ever held one of the three top offices." Gaozu said, "This boy did good yet suffered disaster; I pity him deeply. To break precedent myself—what example is there?" The enfeoffment ceremony was then carried out. In the tenth month of that year he was buried on Mount Wan'an in Henan. In Tianfu 7 he was posthumously enfeoffed as Prince of Yi; when Emperor Shaodi succeeded, his title was changed to Prince of Chu. His consort was Lady Bai of Nanyang, daughter of Fengjin, military commissioner of the Zhaoxin Army. Chongxin had two sons, both still young and raised in the palace. When Emperor Shaodi was removed northward, their ultimate fate was unknown.
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Prince Chongyi of Shou, styled Hongli, was Gaozu's third son. From youth he was precocious and sharp, loved Confucian books, and also understood military strategy; Gaozu had long cherished him. When Gaozu took the throne, Chongyi was promoted from Beijing Imperial City commissioner to general of the Left Valiant Cavalry Guard. When the imperial carriage visited the Jun outskirts, he was made Acting Minister of Works and acting defender of the Eastern Capital. Before long Fan Yanguang rebelled at Yedu. The court sent Yang Guangyuan to suppress him and ordered former Lingwu military commissioner and Luoyang patrol commissioner Zhang Congbin to mobilize troops at Mengjin and march to Ye. Congbin then secretly communicated with Yanguang. With Lou Jiying and others he first seized Heqiao Bridge, then threw Luoyang into disorder, and murdered Chongyi in Henan Prefecture. He was nineteen. When Congbin was defeated, Gaozu expressed mourning in the side hall, suspended court audiences for three days, and issued an edict posthumously honoring Chongyi as Grand Tutor. In the tenth winter month that year, an edict sent Zhang Ying, commissioner of the imperial estates, to supervise the funeral and bury him on Mount Wan'an in Henan Prefecture. During Tianfu he was posthumously enfeoffed as Prince of Shou. His consort was Lady Li, daughter of Qi, prefect of Fen. Chongyi had no sons. His consort later took the tonsure as a nun; during Kaiyun she died in the capital.
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Prince Chonggao of Chen. (The Ouyang History: Gaozu's youngest son was called Feng Six; he died before receiving a name, was posthumously honored as Grand Tutor, enfeoffed as Prince of Chen, and given the name Chonggao.)〉
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Chongrui. (Note: According to the Khitan State Chronicles, Gaozu, weighed down by worry, fell ill. One day Feng Dao had a private audience; Gaozu ordered his young son Chongrui to come forth and bow to him, and had a eunuch place the child in Dao's arms—apparently intending Feng Dao to assist in installing him as heir. When Gaozu died, Dao discussed with Jing Yanguang, chief of the palace guards infantry and cavalry, that the state faced many difficulties and a mature ruler should be installed; they thereupon enthroned Prince Chonggui of Qi as successor. The Institutions of the Five Dynasties: Chongrui was Gaozu's seventh son, military commissioner of Xu, and had not yet received a princely title. The Ouyang History says that when he followed the deposed emperor northward, his ultimate fate was unknown.)〉
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Yanxu. (The Institutions of the Five Dynasties says Yanxu was Emperor Shaodi's eldest son and held in absentia the post of military commissioner of Shaanxi. The Comprehensive Mirror says Zhao Zaili's family wealth ranked highest among all commanders. The emperor coveted his riches and arranged a marriage between his daughter and Prince Yanxu, military commissioner of Zhenning; Zaili spent a hundred thousand strings of cash himself, while the government's expenditure was several times greater.)〉
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Yanbao. (The Institutions of the Five Dynasties: Yanbao was Emperor Shaodi's second son and held in absentia the post of military commissioner of Lu. The Comprehensive Mirror says Yanxu and his younger brother Yanbao were all Gaozu's grandsons; the emperor raised them as sons. The Institutions, citing the Veritable Records, likewise says they were all the emperor's younger cousins, raised as sons. The Ouyang History says Yanxu and the others followed the emperor northward; afterward their ultimate fates were unknown.)〉