Mingliang was a nephew of Empress Xiaoxianchun and married a daughter of Yuntao, Prince Lü of the First Rank, in 1753. He had served as deputy lieutenant-general of the Han Plain White Banner (正白旗漢軍副都統), deputy lieutenant-general of Jilin (吉林副都統), deputy lieutenant-general of Ningguta, Commander of the Guards Division (護軍統領), general of Guangzhou (廣州將軍), deputy commander of the imperial bodyguards (內大臣), general of Chengdu, lieutenant-general of Ürümchi (烏魯木齊都統), ministerial attache of Ili (伊犁參贊大臣), ministerial attache of Uqturpan, ministerial attache of Kashgar, general of Heilongjiang, general of Ili, lieutenant-general of the Han Plain Red Banner (正紅旗漢軍都統), lieutenant-general of the Manchu Bordered Blue Banner (鑲藍旗滿洲都統), general of Xi'an, Minister of War, and in other positions. As a general, he participated in the Jinchuan campaigns, and in putting down the White Lotus Rebellion and the Miao Rebellion.