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列傳第五十明四王
Biographies 50: the four sons of Emperor Ming who received princely rank.
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明帝十二子：陳貴妃生後廢帝，謝脩儀生皇子法良，陳昭華生順帝，徐婕妤生第四皇子，鄭脩容生皇子智井，次晉熙王燮，與皇子法良同生。 泉美人生邵陵殤王友； 次江夏王躋，與第四皇子同生。 徐良人生武陵王贊，杜脩華生隨陽王翽。 次新興王嵩，與武陵王贊同生。 又泉美人生始建王禧。 智井、燮、躋、贊並出繼。 法良未封，第四皇子未有名，早夭。
Emperor Ming fathered twelve sons: Consort Chen’s son became the later deposed ruler; Lady Xie’s son was Prince Fa-liang; Lady Chen the Bright Consort bore Shun; Lady Xu the Fourth Prince; Lady Zheng bore Prince Zhijing; next came Prince Xie of Jinxi, Fa-liang’s full brother. Lady Quan gave birth to Prince You, posthumously ennobled as Prince Shao-ling. Next was Prince Ji of Jiangxia, the Fourth Prince’s full brother. Lady Xu of lower rank bore Prince Zan of Wuling; Lady Du the Accomplished bore Prince Hui of Suiyang. Then came Prince Song of Xinxing, Prince Zan’s twin by the same mother. Lady Quan also bore Prince Xi of Shijian. Zhijing, Xie, Ji, and Zan were each given in adoption to continue collateral houses. Fa-liang died before investiture; the Fourth Prince never even received a personal name—both perished in childhood.
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邵陵殤王友字仲賢，明帝第七子也。 後廢帝元徽二年，太尉、江州刺史桂陽王休範反誅，皇室寡弱，友年五歲，出為使持節、督江州豫州之西陽新蔡晉熙三郡諸軍事、南中郎將、江州刺史，封邵陵王，食邑二千戶。 府州文案及臣吏不諱有無之有。 順帝即位，進號左將軍，改督為都督。 昇明二年，徙都督南豫豫司三州諸軍事、安南將軍、南豫州刺史、歷陽太守。 三年，薨，無子，國除。
Prince You of Shao-ling, styled Zhongxian, was the seventh son of Emperor Ming. In 474, after Prince Xiufan of Guiyang rebelled and was executed while serving as Grand Commandant and governor of Jiang Province, the royal house was enfeebled. At five years old, You was sent out as Prince of Shao-ling and governor of Jiang Province, bearing the credentials of authority and command over the three Jiang–Yu commanderies of Xiyang, Xincai, and Jinxi, with a fief of two thousand households. In princely and prefectural archives and among his clerks and attendants, they did not observe the taboo against the word you in the phrase "having or not having" (because it matched You's name). When Shun came to the throne, You was promoted to General of the Left and his title of director was upgraded to commander. In 478 he was transferred to commander over South Yu, Yu, and Si provinces, made General for Pacifying the South, governor of South Yu, and administrator of Liyang. He died in the third year (479); heirless, his fief was abolished.
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隨陽王翽字仲儀，明帝第十子也。 元徽四年，年六歲，封南陽王，食邑二千戶。 昇明元年，為使持節、督郢州司州之義陽諸軍事、西中郎將、郢州刺史。 未拜，徙督湘州諸軍事、南中郎將、湘州刺史，持節如故。 未之鎮，進號前將軍。 二年，以南陽荒遠，改封隨陽王，以本號停京師。 齊受禪，降封舞陰縣公，食邑千五百戶。 謀反，賜死。
Prince Hui of Suiyang, styled Zhongyi, was the tenth son of Emperor Ming. In 476, at the age of six, he was made Prince of Nanyang with a fief of two thousand households. In 477 he was appointed bearer of the credentials of authority, director of Yiyang military affairs in E and Si provinces, General of the West Center, and governor of E Province. Before taking up that post, he was transferred to governor of Xiang Province as General of the South Center, retaining his credential-bearing commission. Before he took up his post, he was promoted to General of the Front. In 478, because Nanyang was too remote, his fief was moved to Suiyang and he was kept at the capital under his existing rank. When the Qi founder took the throne, Hui was reduced to county duke of Wuyin with fifteen hundred households. Convicted of plotting rebellion, he was ordered to take his own life.
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新興王嵩，字仲嶽，明帝第十一子。 元徽四年，年六歲，封新興王，食邑二千戶。 齊受禪，降封定襄縣公，食邑千五百戶。 謀反，賜死。
Prince Song of Xinxing, styled Zhongyue, was the eleventh son of Emperor Ming. In 476, at the age of six, he was made Prince of Xinxing with a fief of two thousand households. When the Qi founder took the throne from the Song, Song was reduced to county duke of Dingxiang with fifteen hundred households. Convicted of plotting rebellion, he was ordered to take his own life.
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始建王禧，字仲安，明帝第十二子也。 元徽四年，年六歲，封始建王，食邑二千戶。 齊受禪，降封荔封縣公，食邑千五百戶。 謀反，賜死。
Prince Xi of Shijian, styled Zhongan, was the twelfth son of Emperor Ming. In 476, at the age of six, he was made Prince of Shijian with a fief of two thousand households. When Qi succeeded the Song, Xi was demoted to county duke of Lifeng with fifteen hundred households. Convicted of plotting rebellion, he was ordered to take his own life.
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史臣曰：太宗負螟之慶，事非己出，枝葉不茂，豈能庇其本根。 侯服於周，斯為幸矣。
The historians observed that Mingdi’s line rested on an adopted succession: those sons were not truly of his own issue, and a sparse canopy of twigs cannot shield the trunk. To end merely as a Zhou-style fief-holder was, under the circumstances, the kinder fate.