Early life

As the second son of his father, Zhu Di, the Prince of Yan, he was made a second-rank prince under the title "Prince of Gaoyang" (高陽王) in 1395.

Though he had established meritorious services during Jingnan Campaign for his father, the Yongle Emperor still made his eldest son, Zhu Gaochi the crown prince and granted Zhu Gaoxu the princedom and the title of "Prince of Han" in 1404. Even after the succession was cemented, Zhu Gaoxu attempted to oust his older brother many times.

Gaoxu's princely fief was originally located in Yunnan, he was opposed to this decision and rely on the capital. Until 1416, after finishing the second Mongols campaign, the emperor find out Gaoxu's offence, Gaoxu was forced to move to his new fief, Le'an (樂安), Shandong (today's northeastern of Guangrao County).

Rebellion

In Shandong, Gaoxu lived as a farmer but secretly trained his army since he had always intended to rebel. Through the years, Gaoxu gained much more power and recruited many generals including General Wu Sien from the marine division.

At the time his nephew became the Xuande Emperor, Gaoxu started his rebellion. The new emperor himself led 20,000 troops in his attack against Gaoxu. General Wu Sien betrayed him and turned to attack Gaoxu. Soon afterward, Gaoxu lost the battle and then surrendered. He was reduced to a commoner, six hundred rebelling officials were executed, and 2,200 were banished.

Death

The emperor did not wish to execute his uncle at the start, but later events angered the emperor so much, that Zhu Gaoxu was executed through fire torture, and all of Zhu Gaoxu's sons were executed as well. It is very likely that Zhu Gaoxu's arrogance, which is well detailed in many historic texts, offended the emperor. A theory states that when the emperor went to visit his uncle, Zhu Gaoxu intentionally tripped the emperor.

Family

Consorts and Issue:

• Princess consort of Han, of the Wei clan (漢王妃 韋氏) (created 1404)

　• 1st son: Zhu Zhanhe, Hereditary Prince Zhuangyi (懿莊世子 朱瞻壑; 1398 – 26 September 1421), no issue

　• 2nd son: Zhu Zhanqi (朱瞻圻; d. 6 October 1426), originally the Hereditary Prince (世子) (created 1421), later demoted to commoner rank and forced into house arrest in Fengyang (demoted 1425), later executed (executed 1426), no issue.

　• 3rd son: Zhu Zhantan, Hereditary Prince (世子 朱瞻坦) (created 1424), executed along with his father (executed 1426), no issue.

• Lady Guo (郭氏), daughter of Guo Ying's (郭英) second son, Guo Ming (郭銘). Her eldest sister was Noble Consort Guo, a concubine of the Hongxi Emperor.

• Lady Deng (鄧氏), daughter of Deng Yuan (鄧源)

• Unknown

　• 4th son: Zhu Zhanci, Prince of Jiyang (濟陽王 朱瞻垐) (created 1424), executed along with his father (executed 1426), no issue.

　• 5th son: Zhu Zhanyu, Prince of Linzi (臨淄王 朱瞻域) (created 1424), executed along with his father (executed 1426), no issue.

　• 6th son: Zhu Zhanyi, Prince of Zichuan (淄川王 朱瞻墿) (created 1424), executed along with his father (executed 1426), no issue.

　• 7th son: Zhu Zhanxing, Prince of Changle (昌樂王 朱瞻垶) (created 1424), executed along with his father (executed 1426), no issue.

　• 8th son: Zhu Zhanping, Prince of Qidong (齊東王 朱瞻坪) (created 1424), executed along with his father (executed 1426), no issue.

　• 9th son: Zhu Zhandao, Prince of Rencheng (任城王 朱瞻壔) (created 1424), executed along with his father (executed 1426), no issue.

　• 10th son: Zhu Zhanchang, Prince of Haifeng (海豐王 朱瞻㙊) (created 1424), executed along with his father (executed 1426), no issue.

　• 11th son: Zhu Zhanbang, Prince of Xintai (新泰王 朱瞻垹) (created 1424), executed along with his father (executed 1426), no issue.

Ancestry

簡介

為明成祖嫡次子，生母為仁孝文皇后徐氏。洪武二十八年（1395年）封高陽王。

明成祖長子朱高熾體肥，腰腹經數圍而累贅，不為成祖所喜。朱高煦身長七尺餘，有膂力，善騎射，頗類成祖，在靖難時立有戰功，多次營救成祖于危難之中，成祖曾許諾事成後立他為太子。靖難成功後，欲立他為太子，但最後衡量過各方利害後，仍立長子朱高熾為太子，而封朱高煦為漢王。

朱高煦心有不甘，想效法其父親成祖，篡奪太子朱高熾之位，在成祖在位期間，不斷找機會攻擊太子朱高熾。朱高熾肥胖，且有腳病，兩邊的宦官架著腋下行走，經常跌倒。朱高煦就在後面說：「前面的人跌倒，後面的人要懂得小心。」消遣朱高熾。皇太孫朱瞻基應聲稱：「還有更後面的人懂得小心。」不少支持太子的大臣，也在太子之爭中下獄，但最終沒有成功。朱高煦最初封于雲南，怏怏不肯去，稱「我犯了甚麼罪，為何要貶我到萬里之外？」。後封于山東青州，又稱「我犯了甚麼罪，為何要貶我到荒地？」。遂留于京師（南京）。又請得天策衛為護衛，甚喜，稱「唐太宗當過的天策上將，我當上了！」在南京多有不法，以鐵錘殺兵馬指揮使徐野驢，又肢解數人拋于江中。

永樂十四年，明成祖北伐後還南京，得知朱高煦作惡數事，欲廢其為庶人，後經太子力勸而得免，被強行遷封于山東樂安（今山東廣饒東北）。

永樂十九年，朱高煦長子、漢世子朱瞻壑死後，嫡次子朱瞻圻繼為世子，因追憾其父殺母，故屢次向成祖上奏朱高煦之過惡，都是外人不得而知的，明成祖稱：「你們是父子，為何忍心這樣？」朱高煦亦知此事。成祖北征駕崩後，朱高熾繼位，是為明仁宗，朱瞻圻在北京，凡朝廷之事，輒潛遣人馳報朱高煦，一晝夜六七行，內有稱「朝廷將發兵征樂安（朱高煦封地）」之語，意在挑唆朱高煦起兵造反。朱高煦亦每日遣數十人入京師，潛伺有變。仁宗即位後，朱高煦進京朝覲，稱朱瞻圻不孝，並將朱瞻圻向其通風報信的數十封密件呈交仁宗。仁宗召朱瞻圻，稱：「你在父子兄弟之間都可以講那麼多讒言，離間我們兄弟，何況他人呢？」朱高煦則稱：「我是他父親，他還在大行皇帝（明成祖）前詆毀我，何況是陛下呢？他的罪該死！」仁宗稱「小孩子而已，不必殺，發配鳳陽，守皇陵好了。」廢其為庶人，令守陵鳳陽，敕中都留守司分兵防護，誅其紀善李遜。仁宗隨後于永樂二十二年十月封朱高煦嫡三子朱瞻坦為漢世子，庶子朱瞻垐封濟陽王，朱瞻域臨淄王，朱瞻垶昌樂王，朱瞻墿淄川王，朱瞻坪齊東王，朱瞻壔任城王，朱瞻㙊海豐王，朱瞻垹新泰王。

明仁宗在位十個月駕崩，明仁宗駕崩時，長子朱瞻基身在南京，聞仁宗死訊後立即趕回北京即位，即明宣宗，朱高煦曾企圖趁朱瞻基途經山東時伏擊，結果失敗。

宣德元年八月初一（1426年9月2日），朱高煦趁北京地震之機，在樂安（今山東廣饒東北）謀反，是為高煦之亂，設立王軍府、千哨，分官授職，並企圖勾結英國公張輔為內應。

宣宗在大學士楊榮的勸諫下御駕親征。八日，宣宗率軍出征。二十一日，朱高煦出降，被解回京師，命于皇城西安門內築館，囚禁朱高煦夫婦及諸子。後將朱高煦鎖于皇宮右順門外之逍遙城。宣宗親自往逍遙城探視，卻被朱高煦使腿將其絆倒，宣宗惱怒，命壯士翻轉銅缸將其覆蓋在內，朱高煦力大，竟將三百斤重的銅缸扛起移動，宣宗命人將炭堆積在銅缸上然後點火，炮烙之，木炭堆積如山，火燒超過一個時辰，最後銅缸熔化，朱高煦死在其中。其妃韋氏及諸子其後也被全部處死。

家庭

妻妾

• 韋妃，正妻，永樂二年冊為漢王妃。

• 郭氏，妾，郭英庶次子郭銘之女，明仁宗郭貴妃之妹。

• 鄧氏，妾，鄧源之女。

• 《罪惟錄》稱明宣宗之妃、代宗之母吳氏原是朱高煦的妾侍，朱高煦死後被宣宗占有，生下私生子代宗。但此說法與其它史料衝突。

子女

子

• 懿莊世子朱瞻壑，建文元年生，永樂十九年八月庚申薨。無子。

• 世子朱瞻圻，永樂元年生，永樂十九年封世子。洪熙元年廢為庶人，發鳳陽圈禁。後死，無嗣。

• 朱瞻坦，永樂二年生，永樂二十二年封世子。宣德元年與父同死。無嗣。

• 濟陽王朱瞻垐，永樂二十二年封。宣德元年與父同死。無嗣。

• 臨淄王朱瞻域，永樂二十二年封。宣德元年與父同死。無嗣。

• 淄川王朱瞻墿，永樂二十二年封。宣德元年與父同死。無嗣。

• 昌樂王朱瞻垶，永樂二十二年封。宣德元年與父同死。無嗣。

• 齊東王朱瞻坪，永樂二十二年封。宣德元年與父同死。無嗣。

• 任城王朱瞻壔，永樂二十二年封。宣德元年與父同死。無嗣。

• 海豐王朱瞻㙊，永樂二十二年封。宣德元年與父同死。無嗣。

• 新泰王朱瞻垹，永樂二十二年封。宣德元年與父同死。無嗣。

影視形象

電視劇

電影

注釋