Hongxi Emperor

Hongxi Emperor 洪熙
Emperor of China
Reign	7 September 1424 - 29 May 1425 (264 days)
Predecessor	Yongle Emperor
Successor	Xuande Emperor
Spouse	Empress Cheng Xiao Zhao Noble Consort Gong Su, concubine Consort Zhen Hui Su, concubine Consort Hui An Li, concubine Consort Gong Xi Shun, concubine Consort Gong Jing Chong, concubine Consort Zhen Jing Jing, concubine Consort Dao Xi Li, concubine Consort Zhen Jing Shun, concubine Consort Xian, concubine Consort Shun, concubine Consort Hui, concubine
Issue
Zhu Zhanji, Xuande Emperor Zhu Zhanxun, Prince Jing of Zheng Zhu Zhanyong, Prince Jing of Yue Zhu Zhanyin, Prince Xian of Qi Zhu Zhanshan, Prince Xian of Xiang Zhu Zhangang, Prince Xian of Jing Zhu Zhanyu, Prince Jing of Huai Zhu Zhankai, Prince Huai of Teng Zhu Zhanji, Prince Zhuang of Liang Zhu Zhanyan, Prince Gong of Wei Princess Jiaxing Zhu Yuantong, Princess Qingdou Princess Qinghe Princess De'an Princess Yanping Princess Deqing Princess Zhending
Full name
Family name: Zhu (朱) Given name: Gaochi (高熾)
Era name and dates
Hongxi (洪熙): 20 January 1425 – 7 February 1426
Posthumous name
Emperor Jingtian Tidao Chuncheng Zhide Hongwen Qinwu Zhangsheng Daxiao Zhao 敬天體道純誠至德弘文欽武章聖達孝昭皇帝
Temple name
Ming Renzong 明仁宗
House	House of Zhu
Father	Yongle Emperor
Mother	Empress Ren Xiao Wen
Born	16 August 1378(1378-08-16)
Died	29 May 1425(1425-05-29) (aged 46)
Burial	Xianling, Ming Dynasty Tombs, Beijing

The Hongxi Emperor (洪熙 [xʊ̌ŋɕí]; 16 August 1378–29 May 1425) was the fourth emperor of the Ming Dynasty in China. He succeeded his father, the Yongle Emperor, in 1424. His era name means "Vastly bright".

Biography

Hongxi was born on 16 August 1378 and was educated by prominent Confucian tutors. He often acted as regent in Nanjing or Beijing during his father's northern military campaigns.

Already in May 1421, during the reign of the Yongle Emperor, an order was issued for the suspension of Zheng He's maritime expeditions, apparently on account of their cost (although the order apparently did not affect the 6th voyage of Zheng He, staged around that time).^[1] Zhu Gaochi, as soon as he became the Hongxi Emperor in September 1424, canceled Zheng He's maritime expeditions permanently and abolished frontier trade of tea for horses as well as missions for gold and pearls to Yunnan and Vietnam.^[2] He restored disgraced Confucian officials, such as Yongle's minister of revenue Xia Yanji (imprisoned since 1421),^[2] and reorganized the administration to give high ranks to his close advisors. Hanlin academicians became grand secretaries, and they dismantled his father's unpopular militaristic policies to restore civil government. Hongxi improved finances by canceling requisitions for lumber, gold, and silver. Taxes were remitted so that vagrant farmers could return home, especially in the overburdened Yangtze River Delta. Hongxi appointed a commission to investigate taxes. He overruled his secretaries by ordering that grain should be sent immediately to relieve disaster areas.

Emperor Hongxi ordered that the capital be moved back to Nanjing from Beijing (which had been made the capital by the Yongle Emperor in 1421). However he died, probably of a heart attack, a month later in May 1425. His son had been declared heir apparent and became the Xuande Emperor at age 26. Although Hongxi had a short reign, he is credited with reforms that made lasting improvements, and his liberal policies were continued by his son.

Personal information

• Father
  • Yongle Emperor
• Mother
  • Empress Ren Xiao Wen (birth name: Xu Yihua)

Consorts

Formal Title	Maiden Name	Born	Died	Father	Mother	Issue	Notes
Empress Cheng Xiao Zhao 誠孝昭皇后	Family name: Zhang (張)	Yongcheng, Henan	1442	Zhang Qi 張麒	-	Zhu Zhanji, Xuande Emperor Zhu Zhanyong, Prince Jing of Yue Zhu Zhanshan, Prince Xian of Xiang Princess Jiaxing	Was Empress Dowager during the reign of her son, the Xuande Emperor, and Grand Empress Dowager during the first reign of her grandson, the Zhengtong Emperor
Noble Consort Gong Su 恭肅貴妃	Family name: Guo (郭)	-	1425	-	-	Zhu Zhankai, Prince Huai of Teng Zhu Zhanji, Prince Zhuang of Liang Zhu Zhanyan, Prince Gong of Wei	Was buried with Hongxi after his death
Consort Zhen Hui Su 貞惠淑妃	Family name: Wang (王)	-	1425	-	-	-	Was buried with Hongxi after his death
Consort Hui An Li 惠安麗妃	Family name: Wang (王)	-	1425	-	-	-	Was buried with Hongxi after his death
Consort Gong Xi Shun 恭僖順妃	Family name: Tan (譚)	-	1425	-	-	-	Was buried with Hongxi after his death
Consort Gong Jing Chong 恭靖充妃	Family name: Huang (黃)	-	1425	-	-	-	Was buried with Hongxi after his death
Consort Zhen Jing Jing 貞靜敬妃	Family name: Zhang (張)	-	-	Zhang Fu, Duke of Ying 英國公張輔	-	-	Her father's younger sister was Noble Consort Zhao Yi, one of the Yongle Emperor's concubines
Consort Dao Xi Li 悼僖麗妃	Family name: Li (李)	-	-	-	-	-
Consort Zhen Jing Shun 貞靜順妃	Family name: Zhang (張)	-	-	-	-	-
Consort Xian 賢妃	Family name: Li (李)	-	-	-	-	Zhu Zhanxun, Prince Jing of Zheng Zhu Zhanyin, Prince Xian of Qi Zhu Zhanyu, Prince Jing of Huai Princess Zhending
Consort Shun 順妃	Family name: Zhang (張)	-	-	-	-	Zhu Zhangang, Prince Xian of Jing
Consort Hui 惠妃	Family name: Zhao (趙)	-	-	-	-	Zhu Yuantong, Princess Qingdou

Sons

Number	Name	Formal Title	Born	Died	Mother	Spouse	Issue	Notes
1	Zhu Zhanji 朱瞻基	The Xuande Emperor	16 March 1399 Beijing	31 January 1435	Empress Cheng Xiao Zhao	Hu Shanxiang, Empress Gong Rang Zhang Lady Sun, Empress Xiao Gong Zhang fourteen concubines	Zhu Qizhen, Zhengtong Emperor Zhu Qiyu, Jingtai Emperor Princess Shunde Princess Yongqing Princess Changde
2	Zhu Zhanxun 朱瞻埈	Prince Jing of Zheng 鄭靖王	27 March 1404	8 June 1466	Consort Xian	-	Zhu Qiying, Prince Jian of Zheng	Was created Prince of Zheng on 1 November 1424
3	Zhu Zhanyong 朱瞻墉	Prince Jing of Yue 越靖王	9 February 1405	5 August 1439	Empress Cheng Xiao Zhao	Lady Wu (daughter of Wu Sheng (吳昇))	none	Was created Prince of Yue 1 November 1424
4	Zhu Zhanyin 朱瞻垠	Prince Xian of Qi 蘄獻王	1406	7 November 1421	Consort Xian	none	none	Was posthumously created Prince of Qi on 10 October 1422
5	Zhu Zhanshan 朱瞻墡	Prince Xian of Xiang 襄憲王	4 April 1406	18 February 1478	Empress Cheng Xiao Zhao	-	Zhu Qiyong, Prince Ding of Xiang	Was created Prince of Xiang in 1424
6	Zhu Zhangang 朱瞻堈	Prince Xian of Jing 荊憲王	-	1453	Consort Shun	-	Zhu Qihao, Prince Jing of Jing Zhu Qijian, Prince Huijing of Duchang	Was created Prince of Jing in 1424
7	Zhu Zhanyu 朱瞻墺	Prince Jing of Huai 淮靖王	28 January 1409	30 November 1446	Consort Xian	Lady Xiao (daughter of Nancheng military commander Xiao Zhong (南城兵馬指揮肖忠))	Zhu Qiquan, Prince Kang of Huai Zhu Qibin, Prince Xi of Poyang Zhu Qiyue, Prince Gonghe of Yongfeng three daughters	Was created Prince of Huai on 1 November 1424
8	Zhu Zhankai 朱瞻塏	Prince Huai of Teng 滕懷王	November 1409	26 August 1425	Noble Consort Gong Su	none	none	Was created Prince of Teng on 1 November 1424
9	Zhu Zhanji 朱瞻垍	Prince Zhuang of Liang 梁莊王	7 July 1411	3 February 1441	Noble Consort Gong Su	Lady Ji (daughter of Ji Zhan (紀詹)) Consort Wei, concubine (daughter of Wei Heng (魏亨))	none	Was created Prince of Liang 1 November 1424
10	Zhu Zhanyan 朱瞻埏	Prince Gong of Wei 衛恭王	9 January 1417	3 January 1439	Noble Consort Gong Su	-	-	Was created Prince of Wei in 1424

Daughters

Number	Title	Name	Born	Died	Date Married	Spouse	Issue	Mother	Notes
1	Princess Jiaxing 嘉興公主	Family name: Zhu (朱) (personal name unknown)	1409	9 March 1439	1428	Jing Yuan 井源		Empress Cheng Xiao Zhao	Created Princess Jiaxing in 1425; Her husband died in 1449 during the Tumu Crisis.
2	Princess Qingdou 慶都公主	Family name: Zhu (朱) Given name: Yuantong (圓通)	9 October 1409	12 June 1440	8 December 1428	Jiao Jing 焦敬		Consort Hui	Created Princess Qingdou on 24 April 1425
3	Princess Qinghe 清河公主	Family name: Zhu (朱) (personal name unknown)		1433	1429	Li Ming 李銘
4	Princess De'an 德安公主	Family name: Zhu (朱) (personal name unknown)						Died at the age of eight months
5	Princess Yanping 延平公主	Family name: Zhu (朱) (personal name unknown)							Died unmarried
6	Princess Deqing 德慶公主	Family name: Zhu (朱) (personal name unknown)							Died unmarried
7	Princess Zhending 真定公主	Family name: Zhu (朱) (personal name unknown)		1450	1429	Wang Yi 王誼	Wang Ying 王瑛	Consort Xian

Notes

1. ^ Dreyer 2006, p. 90.
2. ^ ^{a b} Dreyer 2006, p. 137.

References

• Dreyer, Edward L. (2006), Zheng He: China and the oceans in the early Ming dynasty, 1405-1433, The library of world biography, Pearson Longman, ISBN 0321084438 

Hongxi Emperor House of Zhu Born: August 16 1378 Died: May 29 1425
Regnal titles
Preceded by The Yongle Emperor	Emperor of China 1424–1425	Succeeded by The Xuande Emperor

Persondata
Name	Hongxi Emperor
Alternative names
Short description
Date of birth	16 August 1378
Place of birth
Date of death	29 May 1425
Place of death