Biography

Zhu Changxun was born in 1586 to Noble Consort Zheng. He was her third child and the third son of the Chinese Wanli Emperor.

He was made Prince of Fu (福) in 1601. He was married in August 1604, for which his father levied taxes to fund the celebrations and wedding gifts. His first son, Yousong, was born to a concubine and enfeoffed as Prince of Dechang (德昌) in 1613. He moved his household to Luoyang in 1614, when he governed Henan as a fiefdom.

Zhu was killed in 1641 during an uprising led by Li Zicheng. After his soldiers fell to Li's army, Zhu fled to Ying'en Temple (迎恩寺 yíng'ēn sì) with his eldest son. Whilst Zhu was captured, his son managed to escape. The next day, Zhu was executed in front of a large crowd, presided over by Li Zicheng, at Zhougong Temple (周公廟 Zhōugōng miào). Reports claim that Zhu was killed, then his body boiled with that of a deer to make stew, and his flesh was eaten by Li Zicheng and his soldiers. A memorial stone erected by the Hongguang Emperor states that his body was interred near Mt. Mang (邙), but was moved to Nanjing later on.

Imperial succession

In 1586, the Wanli Emperor decreed that Zhu's mother should be given the title of Imperial Noble Consort. However, this met with much opposition, as the mother of the emperor's eldest son was only referred to as Consort. The emperor's actions were perceived as the precursor to declaring Zhu heir apparent, instead of his elder brother, Zhu Changluo. The emperor's advisers argued that, if Zheng were to be made Imperial Noble Consort, then the emperor should simultaneously elevate Gong to Noble Consort. Over the next decade, advisers also attempted to persuade the emperor that abandoning the tradition of primogeniture had made Zheng the object of anger and disgust, not only in the court, but also across the country.

Finally, the emperor declared his eldest son heir apparent in 1601 and gave Zhu Changxun the title Prince of Fu. However, Zhu was not made to leave the imperial court in keeping with tradition until 1614, when he moved his household to Luoyang.

Family

• Consorts

• Lady Yao (姚氏) or Tian (田氏), the primary consort and mother of Zhu Yousong. Posthumously honoured as "Empress Dowager Xiaocheng Duanhui Cishun Zhenmu" (孝誠端惠慈順貞穆皇太后) by Zhu Yousong, Zhu Youlang changed the posthumous title to "Empress Xiaocheng Duanhui Cishun Zhenmu Futian Dusheng Gong" (孝誠端惠慈順貞穆符天篤聖恭皇后)

• Lady Zou (鄒氏) the primary consort. Honoured as Empress Dowager with the title Empress Dowager Kezhen Renshou (恪貞仁壽皇太后) by Zhu Yousong

• Issues:

• Zhu Yousong succeeded the title of Prince of Fu, later enthroned as the Hongguang Emperor of Southern Ming

• Zhu Youju (朱由榘) (26 July 1609 - 1618), held the commandery princely title under the title Comm. Prince of Yingshang (潁上郡王). Later posthumously bestowed as "Prince Chong of Ying" (潁沖王) by Zhu Yousong

• Zhu Youhua (朱由樺), held the commandery princely title under the title Comm. Prince of Dechang (德昌郡王). Later posthumously bestowed as "Prince Huai of De" (德懷王) by Zhu Yousong

生平

朱常洵生於萬曆十四年正月初五日，子以母貴，神宗極為疼愛。但是按《皇明祖訓》立儲的原則，應該冊立王恭妃所生長子朱常洛為太子。神宗則想冊立朱常洵，被眾大臣極力反對。神宗因此不再上朝，以示抗議，是為萬曆怠政，最後在慈聖太后的幹預與大臣們的堅持之下，神宗終于在萬曆廿九年（1601年）屈服，立皇長子朱常洛為太子，朱常洵為福王。

萬曆四十二年（1614年）三月二十四日，朱常洵就藩洛陽，得莊田一萬九千頃。崇禎十四年（1641年）正月二十一日，李自成攻克洛陽，殺朱常洵及前南京兵部尚書呂維祺，宮眷內官百餘人自殺或被處死。李自成割朱常洵肉，和皇家園林裡的梅花鹿一同烹煮，分而食之，名曰「福祿宴」或者「福祿酒飯」。朱常洵終年五十六歲。崇禎帝輟朝三日，予祭葬從優，一切喪禮較其他藩王倍厚，賜諡曰「忠」，崇禎十六年（1643年）正月初八日葬於邙山之原。

由于朱常洵接受了明神宗大量賞賜，加上歷年來橫徵暴斂，財寶無數，「民間藉藉，謂先帝耗天下以肥王，洛陽富於大內」。朱常洵的財產成了李自成的軍隊在此之後幾年的軍費的來源。

墓誌

家人

妻妾

• 孝誠端惠慈順貞穆符天篤聖恭皇后姚氏（或作田氏）

• 恪貞仁壽皇后鄒氏

• 選侍孟氏

• 選侍蕭氏

• 選侍張氏

子

• 明安宗 朱由崧

• 潁衝王 朱由矩（1609年7月26日（萬曆37年6月二十六日乙亥）－1618年（萬曆46年5月初一日巳時）），原封潁上郡王，10歲夭折，葬邙山之原。

• 德懷王 朱由樺，原封德昌郡王

女

• 郡主某，儀賓張爾晟

諡號

其子朱由崧從洛陽逃脫，流落江淮。兩年後襲福王。1644年李自成攻入北京，明思宗在煤山上吊自殺後，他在南京被馬士英、盧九德擁立為皇帝，定年號「弘光」。國號依舊為「明」，史稱「南明」，朱常洵被追諡為貞純肅哲聖敬仁毅恭皇帝，陵曰熙陵。不久張元以恭字為遜帝之諡，議改為共皇帝，但最終改稱貞純肅哲聖敬仁懿孝皇帝。後來永曆帝追封廟號恭宗，諡號慕天敷道貞純肅哲修文顯武聖敬仁毅孝皇帝。