Zhu Zairui
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Zhu Zairui (simplified Chinese: 朱载壡; traditional Chinese: 朱載壡; pinyin: Zhū Zǎiruì; 20 October 1536[1] – 14 April 1549[1]) was a prince of the Ming dynasty. He was the second son of the Jiajing Emperor. His older brother died in 1533 as an infant, making Zhu Zairui the designated heir to the throne in 1539. He died only ten years later.
Biography[edit]
Zhu Zairui was born in 1536 as the second son of the Jiajing Emperor. His mother, surnamed Wang, was one of the emperor's concubines and held the title of Guifei ("Noble Lady"). The Jiajing Emperor's eldest son died just two months after his birth in 1533, making Zhu Zairui the eldest surviving son of the emperor. [2]
In the spring of 1539, the emperor embarked on a journey from Beijing to his birthplace in central China. Prior to this, he officially created Zhu Zairui as crown prince (taizi). Additionally, Zhu Zairui's younger brothers, Zhu Zaiji and Zhu Zaizhen, were given the titles of Princes of Yu and Jing.[3] To educate the heir, scholars Lu Shen (陸深; 1477–1544), Cui Xian (崔銑; 1478–1571), Luo Hongxian (1504–1564), Tang Shunzhi (唐順之; 1507–1560), and Huangfu Xiao (皇甫涍; 1497–1546) were selected. They were highly regarded by public opinion as the best scholars of their generation, with only Song Lian (1310–1381) from the time of the dynasty's founding surpassing them. However, the heir was sick and weak, and his education did not begin until 1546.[4]
In 1545, Zhu Zairui began representing the emperor at official ceremonies in the Ancestral Temple. In 1549, the emperor made the decision to hold the "capping" ceremony, which marked Zhu Zairui's transition into adulthood, six years earlier than was customary. During the ceremony, Zhu Zairui caught a cold and died just two days later.[4]
He was posthumously honored with the title Crown Prince Zhuangjing (simplified Chinese: 庄敬太子; traditional Chinese: 莊敬太子; pinyin: Zhuāngjìng tàizǐ).
References[edit]
Citations[edit]
- ^ a b Goodrich & Fang (1976), p. 320.
- ^ Geiss (1998), p. 462.
- ^ Liu (1984), p. 172.
- ^ a b Liu (1984), p. 173.
Works cited[edit]
- Goodrich, L. Carington; Fang, Chaoying (1976). Dictionary of Ming Biography, 1368-1644. Vol. 1, A–L. New York: Columbia University Press. ISBN 0-231-03801-1.
- Geiss, James (1998). "The Chia-ching reign, 1522-1566". In Mote, Frederick W.; Twitchett, Denis C (eds.). The Cambridge History of China. Volume 7, The Ming Dynasty 1368-1644, Part 1 (1 ed.). Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. pp. 440–510. ISBN 0521243335.
- Liu, Cunren (1984). New Excursions from the Hall of Harmonious Wind. Leiden: Brill Archive. ISBN 9789004069763.