Zhu Zaizhen
| Zhu Zaizhen 朱載圳 | |||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Prince of Jing | |||||||||||
| Born | 29 March 1537 | ||||||||||
| Died | 9 February 1565 (aged 27) | ||||||||||
| Burial | Western Hills, Beijing | ||||||||||
| |||||||||||
| House | Zhu | ||||||||||
| Father | Jiajing Emperor | ||||||||||
| Mother | Consort Lu | ||||||||||
| Chinese name | |||||||||||
| Traditional Chinese | 朱載圳 | ||||||||||
| Simplified Chinese | 朱载圳 | ||||||||||
| |||||||||||
Zhu Zaizhen (29 March 1537 – 9 February 1565)[2] was a prince of the Ming dynasty. He was the fourth son of the Jiajing Emperor, and his mother was Consort Lu. In 1538, he was granted the title of Prince of Jing (景王).[3]
Biography
Zhu Zaizhen was notorious for his greed and arrogance, traits that were likely inherited from his father, the Jiajing Emperor, who was known for his violent temper. This often resulted in conflicts between the father and son, but despite their strained relationship, the Jiajing Emperor still protected his son. At the time, the Emperor only had two sons: the eldest, Zaiji, Prince of Yu, and the second son, Zaizhen. Consort Du, the mother of Zaiji, was unfavored, while Consort Lu, the mother of Zaizhen, was favored. The Emperor's indecisiveness in choosing an heir, influenced by the opinions of alchemists (方士 fāngshì), caused concerns and doubts both at home and abroad.[4]
In January 1561, the Emperor ordered Zaizhen to go to his fiefdom in De'an Prefecture (present-day Hubei Province).[1][5] He then requested for additional farmland (莊田), which was eventually approved by the Ministry of Revenue after thorough discussion. Shashi in Jingzhou was not under the jurisdiction of Prince of Jing, but he sent his officials to collect the rent. Prefect Xu Xuemo (徐學謨) refused to pay. Additionally, he collected a firewood tax from Liujiage (劉家塥) in Hanyang, which was opposed by Prefectural Judge Wu Zongzhou (吳宗周). As a result, both Xu and Wu were punished. This led to the usurpation of tens of thousands of hectares of land, fields, and lakes.[1]
In 1565, Zhu Zaizhen died of illness. Upon receiving this news, the Jiajing Emperor said to his Senior Grand Secretary Xu Jie, "This son always hoped to become heir (Taizi), and now he is gone". Zhu Zaizhen had no children and was buried in the Western Hills of Beijing. As per the Emperor's orders, all of his concubines were required to return to the capital and reside in Prince of Jing's former residence. Additionally, his princedom was abolished.[1][2]
Notes
References
Citations
- ^ a b c d History of Ming, vol. 120, p. 3647.
- ^ a b Veritable Records of Shizong, vol. 542.
- ^ History of Ming, vol. 120, pp. 3646–3647.
- ^ Cao (2008), pp. 7–9.
- ^ Veritable Records of Shizong, vol. 493.
Works cited
- Cao, Guoqing (2008). Wanli huangdi dachuan 万历皇帝大传 (in Chinese). Beijing: China Social Sciences Press. ISBN 978-7-5087-2034-0.
- History Office (1577). Shizong Shilu 世宗實錄 [Veritable Records of Shizong] (in Literary Chinese).
- Zhang, Tingyu (1974) [1739]. Ming Shi 明史 [History of Ming] (in Literary Chinese). Beijing: Zhonghua Book. ISBN 7101003273.