Zhu Shizhen


Zhu Shizhen, born Zhu Wusi, was the father of Zhu Yuanzhang, the founding emperor of the Ming dynasty.
Zhu Shizhen was a native of Jurong. His father, Zhu Chuyi, later relocated the family to Xuyi in Si Prefecture, and in subsequent years Zhu Shizhen moved with his household to Zhongli in Hao Prefecture. In 1344, when a severe drought devastated the lands north of the Huai River, Zhu Shizhen, together with his wife Lady Chen and their eldest son, succumbed one after another. In 1368, upon the founding of the Ming dynasty at Nanjing, Zhu Yuanzhang posthumously elevated his father as Emperor Chun, with the temple name Renzu, while his mausoleum was established at Fengyang as the Imperial Mausoleum.

Early life

Zhu Wusi was born in 1281 at Zhujiaxiang, Tongde Township, Jurong County, Jiangsu. His father, Zhu Chuyi, was registered as a "gold-washing household" under the Yuan dynasty, which required him to deliver a fixed amount of gold annually to the authorities. As there were no gold mines in Jurong, Zhu Chuyi was forced to sell agricultural products for cash and then purchase gold to meet the quota—an arduous and costly burden. Unable to withstand the unrelenting pressure of the officials, in 1289, when Zhu Wusi was eight years old, Zhu Chuyi moved the family to Sunjiagang, located thirteen li north of Si Prefecture.

Relocated to East Township

Zhu Wusi married a woman of the Chen clan, who bore him a son, Zhu Chongsi, and a daughter while they resided in Xuyi. After the death of his father, the family sank into poverty. For the sake of survival, Zhu Wusi and his elder brother Zhu Wuyi were compelled to abandon their ancestral home and seek livelihoods elsewhere. Zhu Wuyi settled with his household in East Township, Zhongli County, Hao Prefecture. Zhu Wusi, meanwhile, moved his family to Lingbi County, Anhui, where his second son, Zhu Chongliu, was born. They later relocated to Hong County, where his third son, Zhu Chongqi, was born, and eventually made their home in East Township, Zhongli County. On 21 October 1328, Zhu Wusi's wife gave birth to their fourth son, Zhu Chongba—later known as Zhu Yuanzhang.

Later life and death

In 1337, pressed by hardship, the family again moved, this time to West Township of Zhongli. The following year, they relocated to Gucun Village in Taiping Township of Zhongli. There, they became tenant farmers under the landlord Liu Jide, a man known for his harshness. Despite their toil, the Zhu household remained in dire straits. In 1344, the Huai River basin suffered a catastrophic drought: seedlings withered, fields cracked, and famine was soon followed by locust swarms and plague. On the sixth day of the fourth month that year, Zhu Wusi succumbed to the plague at the age of sixty-four, unable to afford medical treatment. His eldest son perished later that same night. On the twenty-second day of the same month, his fifty-nine-year-old wife also died of the illness. Zhu Chongliu and Zhu Chongba implored their landlord Liu Jide for a small burial plot to inter their parents, but he reviled them and refused. At length, Liu's elder brother, Liu Jizu, took pity and granted them a patch of land. Lacking the means for coffins, Zhu Chongba wrapped the bodies of his parents in old quilts and buried them hastily.

After death

In 1352, Zhu Chongba joined the Red Turban army under the command of Guo Zixing, at which time he adopted the name Zhu Yuanzhang. He also altered his late father's name from Zhu Wusi to Zhu Shizhen. In 1366, believing that the burial rites of Zhu Shizhen had been too modest, yet fearing that reburial might disturb the geomantic currents of the land, Zhu Yuanzhang resolved instead to enlarge the burial mound so that it might conform to the standards of an imperial mausoleum.
In 1363, Han Lin'er, the nominal sovereign of the Red Turbans, posthumously bestowed upon Zhu Shizhen a series of exalted titles: Executor and Assistant Minister of the Three Offices, Senior Pillar of the State, Head of Privy Councilor for Extraordinary Affairs, Right Chancellor of the Central Secretariat, Grand Commandant, and Duke of Wu. Lady Chen, wife of Zhu Shizhen, was simultaneously honored with the title of Duchess.
In 1368, after founding the Ming dynasty, Zhu Yuanzhang posthumously elevated his father as Emperor Chun, with the temple name Renzu, while Lady Chen was styled Empress Chun. Zhu Shizhen's resting place was renamed the Mausoleum of Emperor Renzu. In 1369, the tomb received the new designation of the Ying Mausoleum, and later that same year it was again renamed as the Imperial Mausoleum, with the establishment of the Imperial Mausoleum Guard for its protection.
Zhu Yuanzhang ordered the construction of Zhu Shizhen's mausoleum on two occasions, first in 1369 and again in 1375. The work was brought to completion in 1379.

Issue

Zhu Shizhen had six children of his marriage with Lady Chen.
  • Zhu Chongsi, later Zhu Xinglong, posthumously as Prince of Nanchang, first son
  • Zhu Chongliu, later Zhu Xingsheng, posthumously as Prince of Xuyi, second son
  • Zhu Chongqi, later Zhu Xingzu, posthumously as Prince of Linhuai, third son
  • Zhu Chongba, later Zhu Xingzong, later Zhu Yuanzhang, the Hongwu Emperor, fourth son
  • First daughter, posthumously as Grand Princess Taiyuan. Married to Wang Qiyi.
  • Zhu Fonü, posthumously as Grand Princess Caoguo, second daughter. Married to Li Zhen.

Works cited

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