Zhu Zaizhen (29 March 1537 – 9 February 1565) was a prince of the

Ming dynasty The Ming dynasty, officially the Great Ming, was an Dynasties of China, imperial dynasty of China that ruled from 1368 to 1644, following the collapse of the Mongol Empire, Mongol-led Yuan dynasty. The Ming was the last imperial dynasty of ...

. He was the fourth son of the

Jiajing Emperor The Jiajing Emperor (16September 150723January 1567), also known by his temple name as the Emperor Shizong of Ming, personal name Zhu Houcong, art name, art names Yaozhai, Leixuan, and Tianchi Diaosou, was the 12th List of emperors of the Ming ...

, and his mother was Consort Lu. In 1538, he was granted the title of Prince of Jing ().

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 a crown prince, influenced by the opinions of alchemists ( ''fāngshì''), caused concerns and doubts both at home and abroad. In January 1561, the emperor ordered Zaizhen to go to his fiefdom in De'an Prefecture (present-day

Hubei Province Hubei is a province in Central China. It has the seventh-largest economy among Chinese provinces, the second-largest within Central China, and the third-largest among inland provinces. Its provincial capital at Wuhan serves as a major politi ...

). However, upon his arrival, rumors began to spread. He then requested for additional farmland (), which was eventually approved by the Ministry of Revenue after thorough discussion.

Shashi Shashi may refer to: Places and jurisdictions China * Shashi City (), Hubei from 1949 to 1994 *Shashi District (), Jingzhou, Hubei (historically, Shashi City) since 1994 ** Apostolic Prefecture of Shashi ** Jingmen–Shashi railway, single-tr ...

in Jingzhou was not under the jurisdiction of Prince of Jing. However, he sent his officials to collect the rent, but the prefect Xu Xuemo () refused to pay. Additionally, he collected a firewood tax from Liujiage () in Hanyang, which was opposed by prefectural judge Wu Zongzhou (). As a result, both Xu Xuemo and Wu Zongzhou were punished. This led to the usurpation of tens of thousands of hectares of land, fields, and lakes. In 1565, Zhu Zaizhen died of illness. Upon receiving this news, the Jiajing Emperor said to his Senior Grand Secretary Xu Jie, "This son had always hoped to be a crown prince, and now he is gone". Zhu Zaizhen had no children and was buried in Xishan in 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.

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* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Zhu, Zaizhen Ming dynasty imperial princes 1537 births 1565 deaths Sons of emperors