Mei Yin[b] (died 1405) was the son of Mei Sizu, Marquis of Runan's brother,[1] and the son-in-law of the Hongwu Emperor, the founding emperor of the Ming dynasty of China.
In 1378, the Hongwu Emperor arranged for his second daughter, Princess Ningguo, to marry Mei. Among all his sons-in-law, the Hongwu Emperor held Mei in the highest regard and even entrusted him with assisting his grandson and designated heir, Zhu Yunwen, who would later become the Jianwen Emperor. When Zhu Di, the Prince of Yan, launched his rebellion against the Jianwen Emperor, Mei was ordered to defend Huai'an against the advancing rebel forces and refused to allow them to bypass the city on their way to Nanjing. After Zhu Di seized the throne, Mei lost imperial favor due to his loyalty to the Jianwen Emperor. In 1405, while on his way to the imperial palace, Mei was pushed off a bridge in Nanjing by two officers, Tan Shen and Zhao Xi, and drowned as a result. Afterwards, Zhao Xi falsely reported that Mei had committed suicide.
Marriage and early career
In 1378, Mei married Princess Ningguo, the second daughter of the Hongwu Emperor, and was granted the title of Commandant-escort (駙馬都尉).[2] Among the sixteen imperial sons-in-law, Mei was held in special favor. At this time, Li Wenzhong, the Emperor's nephew, supervised the Imperial Academy, while Mei was appointed Provincial Educational Commissioner of Shandong. The Emperor issued an edict commending Mei's mastery of the Confucian classics and history, which earned him high esteem among court officials.[1] During the later years of the Hongwu Emperor's reign, as the imperial princes amassed increasing power, the Emperor entrusted Mei with the task of assisting his grandson and designated heir, Zhu Yunwen.[1][3]
In 1379, Mei's annual salary was fixed at 600 dan of grain.[4] In 1382, he was further granted a residence and 2,000 dan of land rent from Jiangxi.[5] In October 1384, he was dispatched to Beiping (modern Beijing) to direct disaster relief efforts in response to severe flooding.[6] In 1395, he was assigned to inspect the troops stationed at the Fengyang Garrison Command.[7]
During the Jingnan campaign
Following the death of the Hongwu Emperor in 1398, Zhu Yunwen ascended the throne as the Jianwen Emperor. The new ruler sought to weaken the power of the feudal princes through his policy of "reducing the feudatories", which provoked a rebellion in August 1399 led by his uncle Zhu Di, Prince of Yan.[8] Mei remained steadfastly loyal to the Jianwen Emperor and actively supported his cause.[3]
In December 1401, Mei was ordered to defend Huai'an, where he devoted himself to strengthening fortifications and enforcing strict military discipline.[1]
Map showing the Jingnan campaign, with the location of Huai'an, where Mei was stationed, marked.
In April 1402, Zhu Di dealt a decisive defeat to the Jianwen Emperor's forces and captured several generals, including Ping An, Ma Pu, and Xu Zhen. Shortly thereafter, he dispatched an envoy toward Huai'an, claiming to be on a mission to offer incense, in hopes of securing passage through the city. Mei firmly refused, declaring, "The late emperor [the Hongwu Emperor] forbade such incense offerings; those who disobey are unfilial". Enraged, Zhu Di wrote back, insisting, "I have raised an army to purge the evil around the Emperor (qing jun ce); this is Heaven's will, not something ordinary men can obstruct". In retaliation, Mei cut off the ears and nose of Zhu Di's messenger, sparing only his mouth so he could return with Mei's words: "I leave you your tongue that you may tell the Prince of Yan about the principles of loyalty between ruler and subject". Despite his fury, Zhu Di was forced to abandon Huai'an and instead advanced southward through Yangzhou.[1]
In June 1402, Zhu Di captured Nanjing, after which the Jianwen Emperor disappeared under mysterious circumstances. The following month, Zhu Di ascended the throne as the Yongle Emperor. Mei, still stationed at Huai'an, was compelled to respond when the Emperor forced Princess Ningguo to write a blood letter urging her husband to surrender. On receiving it, Mei wept in anguish and inquired about the Jianwen Emperor's fate. When told, "He has perished", Mei replied, "I should have shared my sovereign's life and death, but for now I must endure". Following the advice of Huang Yanqing, he conducted funeral rites for the Jianwen Emperor before proceeding to Nanjing. When Mei entered the capital, the Yongle Emperor greeted him personally, remarking, "You have endured much hardship, Prince Consort". Mei responded coldly, "Labor without achievement brings only disgrace". The Emperor remained silent.[1] Mei's resentment toward the Yongle Emperor deepened further. He expressed his discontent openly, both in words and demeanor, and the Emperor, suspicious of him, repeatedly sent spies to infiltrate Mei's residence by night. When Mei discovered these intrusions, his anger grew all the more, and the enmity between him and the Yongle Emperor became irreconcilable.[9]
Death
In 1404, Censor-in-Chief Chen Ying accused Mei of gathering a faction of loyalists and of conspiring with the female scholar Liu Shi to place curses upon the Emperor. In response, the Yongle Emperor ordered the Ministry of Revenue to reexamine the number of attendants and guards assigned to dukes, marquises, prince consorts, and barons, and further dispatched the Embroidered Uniform Guard to escort members of Mei's household to distant Liaodong.[1]
A Ming dynasty portrait of the Yongle Emperor, Mei's brother-in-law who was suspected of being behind his death.
In October 1405, Mei returned to Nanjing. While crossing Da Bridge, he was suddenly attacked by Tan Shen, the Assistant Commissioner-in-Chief of the Front Army, together with Zhao Xi, a commander of the Embroidered Uniform Guard, and others. Forced into the water, he drowned. Two officers initially reported that Mei had leapt into the river of his own accord, but soon afterward Xu Cheng, the Vice Commissioner-in-Chief, revealed the truth of the murder. The Yongle Emperor, faced with exposure, ordered the execution of Tan and Zhao, confiscated the properties of their families, and dispatched officials to preside over Mei's funeral. He was posthumously granted the name Rongding (榮定).[10]
When news of his death reached Princess Ningguo, she clung to the Emperor's robes and wept bitterly, convinced that her husband had indeed been slain at imperial command. In an attempt to soothe her grief, the Yongle Emperor conferred official posts upon Mei's two sons.[11]
Family
Uncle: Mei Sizu (梅思祖), Marquis of Runan (汝南侯; d. 1382), the younger brother of Mei Yin's father
Cousin: Mei Yi (梅義), Military Commissioner-in-chief of Liaodong, son of Mei Sizu. He was involved in the Hu Weiyong case and his family was persecuted.
Wife: Princess Ningguo (寧國公主; 1364–1434), the second daughter of the Hongwu Emperor and the eldest daughter of Empress Ma. She was also the favourite sister of the Yongle Emperor.[3]
Sons:
Mei Shunchang (梅順昌), Vice Commissioner-in-chief of the Center[10]
Mei Jingfu (梅景福), Commander of the Standard-bearer Guard[10]
Mei Yongzhen (梅永貞), Commander of Xiaoling Guard[12]
Great-great-grandson: Mei Chun (梅純), Vice Regent of the Central Capital
Chan, Hok-lam (1988). "The Chien-wen, Yung-lo, Hung-hsi, and Hsüan-te reigns". In Mote, Frederick W.; Twitchett, Denis C (eds.). The Cambridge History of China Volume 7: The Ming Dynasty, 1368–1644, Part 1. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. pp.184–304. ISBN0521243327.
Gu, Yingtai (1658). Mingshi jishi benmo明史紀事本末[Historical events from the Ming period in their entirety] (in Literary Chinese).
History Office (1418). Taizu Shilu太祖實錄[Veritable Records of Taizu] (in Literary Chinese).
History Office (1430). Taizong Shilu太宗實錄[Veritable Records of Taizong] (in Literary Chinese).
Zhang, Tingyu (1974) [1739]. Ming Shi明史[History of Ming] (in Literary Chinese). Beijing: Zhonghua Book. ISBN7101003273.
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