道彥 Dàoyàn

Daoyan, Prince of Jiaodong Commandery, was filial and careful from childhood. Earlier, when Shentong was hiding from the authorities in Hu County, he fell ill in the mountain valleys, and after some weeks their food ran out. Daoyan, in ragged clothes, begged among the people, or gathered wild fruits to bring to him; if Shentong had not eaten, he dared not eat first, and even when he was given a share, he would decline it, saying he was full, and put it away to keep for his father. At the beginning of Gaozu's reign he was enfeoffed as Duke of Yixing Commandery, and by the general rule was made a prince. Early in the Zhenguan period he was Area Commander-in-chief of Xiang Prefecture and was moved to Min Prefecture; he left office on the death of his father. He carried earth to build up the grave and planted the pines and cypresses himself, and he lay in a mourning hut, so wasted with grief that even his kin and friends no longer knew him. Taizong sighed over him and ordered Wang Gui, Director of the Chancellery, to go and console him. Edit

When his mourning ended, he was again appointed Area Commander-in-chief of Min Prefecture. From time to time he was sent among the Tangut to proclaim the might and majesty of the empire, and their settlements submitted. He followed Li Jing in attacking the Tuyuhun, and an edict made Daoyan Commander of the Chishui Circuit. The emperor had lured the Tangut with generous rewards to act as guides, and their chief, Tuoba Chici, came to Li Jing and said, "When the Sui attacked the Tuyuhun, we supplied their army, but the Sui broke faith and instead treated us as enemies and plundered us. Now, if you, General, mean nothing else, I am willing to supply grain; will you do as the Sui did?" The generals swore a blood oath with him and sent him back. When Daoyan reached the Kuo River and saw that the Tangut were off guard, he seized their cattle and sheep. The Qiang tribes were angered, and at once led troops to block the Yehu Gorge. Daoyan could not advance, and Chici fell upon him; his army was routed, with tens of thousands killed, and he fell back to hold Song Prefecture. By edict he was spared death and banished to serve as a soldier on the frontier. Some time later he was recalled as Area Commander-in-chief of Gui Prefecture. When he died he was posthumously made Minister of Rites. Edit

Earlier, those enfeoffed at the same time in the fifth year of Wude were Xiaocha as Prince of Gaomi, Xiaotong as Prince of Zichuan, Xiaoci as Prince of Guangping, Xiaoyou as Prince of Hejian, Xiaojie as Prince of Qinghe, and Xiaoyi as Prince of Jiaoxi. At that time the Tang was newly risen and was intent on spreading its branches widely to hold the empire, so the sons of the emperor's cousins, from the time they were old enough to wear adult clothing, were all given the rank of commandery prince. When Taizong came to the throne, he took the register of the imperial clan and asked his great ministers, "Is it right to make princes of all the sons of the clan throughout the empire?" Feng Deyi said, "The Han enfeoffed only the emperor's sons and his own brothers; those of more distant relation were not made princes without great merit. Even Xun and Teng under the Zhou, and Jia and Ze under the Han, could not at first obtain fiefs; this was to distinguish near kin from distant. The former reign enfeoffed them all without distinction; the ranks are exalted and the labour services many, and it treats the empire as a private source of supply, which is no way to show perfect public-mindedness." The emperor said, "I rule the empire to give peace to the common people; I will not let the common people be burdened to support my own kin." So the distant kinsmen who were princes were all reduced to dukes, and only those who had rendered merit were not reduced. So Daoyan and the others were all reduced to dukes. Edit