Hongzhi Emperor

Zhu Youcheng was born to Lady Ji (紀氏) and was raised in secret by his mother, the abandoned Empress Wu, and various eunuchs who swore secrecy not to expose Zhu Youcheng and upset Emperor Chenghua's favourite concubine Consort Wan, who was trying to conceive a child of her own. To this end, Lady Wan would eliminate rival concubines and order any pregnancies to be forcibly aborted, as her own child died shortly after birth in 1466. Zhu Youcheng was only reunited with his father by 1475 at the age of five and was created crown prince. He had been a brilliant child early on and received the best education offered at that time; he was immersed in Confucian schooling and excelled in his studies.

A stele with the Hongzhi Emperor's inscription regarding the repair of the Temple of Confucius, Qufu. 1504 (17th year of the Hongzhi era)

After the Hongzhi Emperor ascended the throne in 1487, his administration was modeled after Confucian ideology and he became a hardworking and diligent emperor. He closely supervised all affairs of state, lowered taxes, reduced government spending and made wise decisions when employing ministers to government post. Individuals such as Liu Jian, Xie Qian and Wang Shu worked hand in hand with the Hongzhi Emperor, thus creating a seldom-witnessed atmosphere of cooperation within the government. In addition, the emperor also encouraged his ministers to be up front about all issues, even acknowledging criticisms directed towards the emperor himself. This created a more transparent government and introduced fresh energy into the Ming dynasty. As a result, the populace once again prospered under his rule. It was said that individual eunuchs' power was curtailed and palace intrigues, prevalent in previous reigns, were absent during his reign. The Hongzhi Emperor has been compared to the Hongwu Emperor and Yongle Emperor as one of the most brilliant emperors of the Ming dynasty.

In the spring of 1488, the shipwrecked Joseon crew of the Jeju Island official Choe Bu (1454–1504) were traveling up the Grand Canal while escorted by the Ming courier service en route back to Korea. Choe observed ferry ships passing by holding officials who were from the Ministries of War, Justice, and Personnel.[4] When he asked what was going on, it was explained to him that the new Hongzhi Emperor was ridding his government of corrupt and incompetent officials, and this was a final gesture of good will by the emperor by providing them with a comfortable passage back home by ship.[4]

The Hongzhi's policies demonstrated tolerance with Islam and Chinese Muslims; Ali Akbar Khata'i, the Ottoman geographer, recorded the relationship between the emperor and the Muslim community in China, Akbar said “he has many Muslims in his court”.[5]

The Tailing (泰陵) mausoleum where the Hongzhi emperor was buried.

Unlike almost all of his predecessors and successors who took up many concubines who bore many children to the emperor, the Hongzhi Emperor had only one Empress during his lifetime. Coupled with the fact that Empress Zhang had only two sons (one of whom died in infancy), the Hongzhi Emperor was left with only one nominee to succeed him. After the emperor died in 1505, he was succeeded by his son, the Zhengde Emperor. The Zhengde Emperor died childless in 1521 and the throne had to be passed to a cousin from Hubei named Zhu Houcong, effectively ending the Hongzhi Emperor's own line of succession.

Consort and Issue:

• Empress Xiaochengjing, of the Zhang clan (孝成敬皇后 張氏; 1471–1541)
  • Zhu Houzhao, the Zhengde Emperor (正德帝 朱厚㷖; 27 October 1491 – 20 April 1521), first son
  • Princess Taikang (太康公主; 1494 – 1 October 1498), personal name Xiurong (秀榮), first daughter
  • Zhu Houwei, Prince Dao of Wei (蔚悼王 朱厚煒; 1 January 1495 – 9 March 1496), second son

• Chinese emperors family tree (late)