Three Kingdoms and Six Dynasties · Ruler

Emperor Ming of Song 宋明帝

Song Mingdi

Attested AD 465 - AD 472

Passages: 10
Chapters: 1
Histories: 1

Overview

Emperor Ming of Song was a ruler.

Life and dates

Attested activity

AD 465 to AD 472 宋明帝在位
Directly stated · Book of Southern Qi 34, passages 136, 148
AD 465 to AD 471 泰始
Dated from the passage context · Book of Southern Qi 34, passage 141

Places and affiliations

Polity Id liu-song · Relation Ruled
Directly stated · Book of Southern Qi 34, passage 136

Works and attributed material

Speech · Speaker · With Rong Yanyuan (榮彥遠) · Direct quotation
Directly stated · Book of Southern Qi 34, passage 151

Events and relationships

Kept Liu Xiu at side
Court · Patron · With Liu Xiu (劉休)
Directly stated · Book of Southern Qi 34, passage 143
Poisoned Rong Yanyuan wife
Legal · Authority · With Wife of Rong Yanyuan (榮彥遠妻)
Directly stated · Book of Southern Qi 34, passage 153
Punished Liu Xiu wife for jealousy
Personal · Authority · With Wang (王氏)
Directly stated · Book of Southern Qi 34, passages 154-155
Smuggled princes concubines into palace and walled mothers
Personal · Perpetrator
Directly stated · Book of Southern Qi 34, passage 148

Assessments and attributes

Assessment detested jealous wives · Mode historian-judgment
Directly stated · Book of Southern Qi 34, passage 151
impotent, unable to attend the inner quarters
Illness
Directly stated · Book of Southern Qi 34, passage 148
naturally stout/fat
Physical description
Directly stated · Book of Southern Qi 34, passage 148

References in the histories

Search passages

History

10 passages

Book of Southern Qi, Chapter 34Volume 34 Biographies 15: Yu Wanzhi, Liu Xiu, Shen Chong, Yu Gaozhi, Wang Chen · 10 passages

休初爲駙馬都尉，奉朝請，宋明帝湘東國常侍。 Xiu first served as Commandant of Escort Cavalry, Court Attendant for Imperial Audiences, and regular attendant in the Xiangdong establishment of the future Emperor Ming of Song.

好學諳憶，不爲帝所知。 He loved learning and had a retentive memory, yet the emperor did not know him.

泰始初，諸州反，休筮明帝當勝，靜處不預異謀。 In early Taishi, when the provinces rose in revolt, Xiu divined that Emperor Ming would prevail and kept apart, taking no part in the plotters.

喜稱其才，進之明帝，得在左右。 Xi praised his gifts and recommended him to Emperor Ming; he won a place at the sovereign's side.

帝頗有好尚，尤嗜飲食。 The emperor had many pursuits, above all food and drink.

後宮孕者，帝使筮其男女，無不如占。 When women of the rear palace were with child, the emperor had him divine boy or girl; he never missed.

帝素肥，痿不能御內，諸王妓妾懷孕，使密獻入宮，生子之後，閉其母於幽房，前後十數。 The emperor was by nature stout and impotent, unable to attend the inner quarters; when princes' singing girls and concubines grew with child, he had them smuggled into the palace, and after the birth walled the mothers in secluded rooms—a dozen such cases and more.

帝憎婦人妒，尚書右丞榮彥遠以善棊見親，婦妒傷其面，帝曰：「我爲卿治之，何如？」 The emperor detested jealous wives; Vice Director of the Secretariat Rong Yanyuan was prized for skill at chess, and his wife's jealousy marred his face. The emperor said: "I shall cure that for you—how would you like it?"

其夕，遂賜藥殺其妻。 That very night the emperor sent poison and had his wife killed.

休妻王氏亦妒，帝聞之，賜休妾，敕與王氏二十杖。 Xiu's wife Wang was jealous too; when the emperor heard, he gave Xiu a concubine and ordered Wang beaten twenty times.