元偓 Yuánwò

Prince Yuanwo of Zhen

Yuanwo, Prince Gongyi of Zhen, had the courtesy name Xidao. In the first year of Duangong he left the inner palace for an establishment of his own, was appointed Acting Grand Guardian and Senior General of the Left Guard, and was enfeoffed as Duke of Xu. In the second year of Zhidao he was appointed Area Commander-in-chief of Hong Prefecture and Military Commissioner of the Zhennan Army. When Zhenzong came to the throne he was additionally made Joint Manager of Affairs with the Secretariat-Chancellery and enfeoffed as Prince of Pengcheng Commandery. Soon after he was additionally made Acting Grand Mentor, moved to the commands of Jingnan and Zhanghua, and promoted to Prince of Ning. At the suburban sacrifice and at the feng sacrifice in the east he was in each case the second offerer, and when the rites were complete he was appointed Acting Grand Commandant and concurrently Chancellery Director, and Military Commissioner of the Huguo, Zhenguo and other armies. Edit

In the third year, the civil and military officials came to the palace to ask that the emperor sacrifice to Sovereign Earth, and Yuanwo, as a holder of a military command, also memorialized asking for it; an edict granted the request. When the journey was about to begin, he was made Commissioner for Bridges, Roads, Stopping Places and Relays within He and Hua. The next year, when the imperial carriage entered his territory, Yuanwo presented local products, wine and provisions, gold and silk, tea and medicines as tribute, with a very splendid display. On reaching Hezhong, he and the Administrator of the prefecture, Chen Yaosou, each led a part of the imperial train across the Pujin Bridge. The emperor climbed the Kuiqiu Pavilion and, looking at Yuanwo, said, "The careful arrangement of bridges, roads and stopping places is your doing." Yuanwo kowtowed in thanks. On the return he was additionally made Secretariat Director, given the command of the Chengde, Anguo and other armies, and his title was changed to Prince of Xiang. In the fifth year he was additionally given the post of Grand Mentor. Edit

From the time he came to the throne, Zhenzong repeatedly urged the young men of the imperial clan to learning. Yuanwo, first among the princes and kin, applied himself all the more to self-cultivation, and whenever the emperor composed a piece he always had Yuanwo write a matching one. One day the emperor said to the chief ministers, "I am always telling the young men of the clan to write poetry and practise archery. As I hear they are now quite skilled, I shall go and watch them." He then visited Yuanwo's residence and gave a banquet for his attendant officials, at which all the officers of the princely household were gathered, and poems were composed in lines of seven characters. Yuanwo raised a cup to wish the emperor long life, and the emperor gave him a suit of clothes, a gold belt, vessels and silk and strings of cash, and also shot arrows with the clan members at the southwest pavilion. In the late afternoon the attendant officials withdrew, and the emperor, with only his eunuchs in attendance, visited the palaces of Yuancheng and Yuanyan, then feasted again at Yuanwo's palace with family courtesies, stopping only at the second watch of the night. In the sixth year he was promoted to Grand Commandant. Edit

In the seventh month of the eighth year, because of a fire in the palace of the Prince of Rong, Yuanwo's palace was moved outside the Jinglong Gate, and the emperor came in person. That winter he was additionally made concurrently Director of the Department of State Affairs. In the second month of the first year of Tianxi he was moved to the two commands of Chengde and Zhenning and promoted to Prince of Xu. In the spring of the second year, embers left in his residence set fire to several buildings; Yuanwo was terrified, suffered a sudden stroke with dizziness, and died, at forty-two. The emperor came and wept for him and suspended court for five days. He was posthumously made Grand Preceptor, Director of the Department of State Affairs and Prince of Deng, and given the posthumous name Gongyi. Edit

Yuanwo was of imposing and unusual appearance, steady and of few words, and understood music. Later his title was changed to Prince of Mi, and then to Prince of Su. In the Zhiping years he was posthumously enfeoffed as Prince of Han. Edit