- Source: Zhu Zairui
Zhu Zairui (20 October 1536 – 14 April 1549) was a prince of the Ming dynasty. He was the second son of the Jiajing Emperor. His older brother died in 1533 as an infant, making Zhu Zairui the designated heir to the throne in 1539. He died only ten years later.
Biography
Zhu Zairui was born in 1536 as the second son of the Jiajing Emperor. His mother, surnamed Wang, was one of the emperor's concubines and held the title of Guifei (Noble Consort). The Jiajing Emperor's eldest son died just two months after his birth in 1533, making Zhu Zairui the eldest surviving son of the emperor.
In the spring of 1539, the emperor embarked on a journey from Beijing to his birthplace in central China. Prior to this, he officially appointed Zhu Zairui as the crown prince (Taizi). Additionally, Zhu Zairui's younger brothers, Zhu Zaiji and Zhu Zaizhen, were given the titles of princes of Yu and Jing. The emperor selected scholars Lu Shen (陸深; 1477–1544), Cui Xian (崔銑; 1478–1571), Luo Hongxian (1504–1564), Tang Shunzhi (唐順之; 1507–1560), and Huangfu Xiao (皇甫涍; 1497–1546) to educate Zhu Zairui. They were highly regarded by the public as the best scholars of their generation, only surpassed by Song Lian (1310–1381), who contributed to the founding of the dynasty. However, he was sick and weak, and as a result, his education did not begin until 1546.
From 1545, he represented the emperor at official ceremonies in the Ancestral Temple. In 1549, the emperor ordered the "capping" ceremony to be held, which marked the boy's transition into adulthood. This was six years earlier than the customary age for this ceremony. However, during the ceremony, Zhu Zairui caught a cold and died two days later.
He was given the posthumous name Crown Prince Zhuangjing (simplified Chinese: 庄敬太子; traditional Chinese: 莊敬太子; pinyin: Zhuāngjìng tàizǐ).
