Zhu Fu (Ming dynasty)
Zhu Fu was an imperial prince of the Chinese Ming dynasty. He was the seventh son of the Hongwu Emperor, the founder of the Ming. In 1370, he was granted the title of Prince of Qi, and in 1382, he relocated to Qingzhou, Shandong. From 1399 to 1403, and again in 1406, he was stripped of his titles and ranks.
Biography
Zhu Fu was born in 1364 as the seventh son of Zhu Yuanzhang. His mother was one of Zhu's concubines, Lady Da. At the time, Zhu Yuanzhang was based in Nanjing and was a prominent leader in the Red Turban Rebellion. In 1368, Zhu Yuanzhang became the emperor of the Ming dynasty and quickly unified China under his rule. In May 1370, he granted the title of prince to each of his seven sons, with Zhu Fu becoming the Prince of Qi.As a child, Zhu Fu developed a close relationship with his half-brother Zhu Di, who was four years his senior. In the late 1370s, he received training in the arts of war alongside other princes in Fengyang. Upon reaching adulthood in 1382, he relocated to Qingzhou in Shandong Province, where he oversaw the local troops. During the 1390s, he played a role in commanding Ming armies during border conflicts with the Mongols. However, he and other princes were reprimanded by their father for their arrogance and misuse of power.
In 1398, the Hongwu Emperor died and was succeeded by his grandson, the Jianwen Emperor. The new government implemented a policy of "reducing the feudatories" and one of the victims of this policy was Zhu Fu, who was stripped of his title and authority in June 1399 and placed under house arrest in Nanjing. In August 1399, Zhu Di rebelled and after a three-year civil war, the Jianwen Emperor was defeated and Zhu Di took the throne as the Yongle Emperor. Zhu Fu returned to Qingzhou in 1403 to resume his previous position.
After a few years, he was once again accused of violent behavior and in 1406, he was stripped of his princely rank.
He died in 1428, leaving behind five sons.