| Zhu Biao 朱標 | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crown Prince of the Ming dynasty | |||||||||||||
| Tenure | 1368–1392 | ||||||||||||
| Successor | Zhu Yunwen (as Hongwu Emperor's Imperial Grandson-heir) Zhu Wenkui (as Jianwen Emperor's crown prince) | ||||||||||||
| Born | 10 October 1355 | ||||||||||||
| Died | 17 May 1392 (aged 36) | ||||||||||||
| Burial | Dong Mausoleum, Purple Mountain, Nanjing | ||||||||||||
| Consorts |
| ||||||||||||
| Issue Detail | Jianwen Emperor | ||||||||||||
| |||||||||||||
| House | Zhu | ||||||||||||
| Father | Hongwu Emperor | ||||||||||||
| Mother | Empress Xiaocigao | ||||||||||||
| Chinese name | |||||||||||||
| Traditional Chinese | 朱標 | ||||||||||||
| Simplified Chinese | 朱标 | ||||||||||||
| |||||||||||||
Zhu Biao (10 October 1355 – 17 May 1392) was the eldest son of the Hongwu Emperor, the founder of the Ming dynasty. Upon the establishment of the Ming dynasty in 1368, Zhu Biao was appointed as crown prince. In order to prepare for his future reign, he received a comprehensive Confucian education. However, he died at the young age of thirty-eight in 1392, during his father's lifetime. He was succeeded by his eldest surviving son, Zhu Yunwen, who ascended the throne six years later as the Jianwen Emperor.
Zhu Biao was born in Taiping (present-day Anhui), the seat of Zhu Yuanzhang at the time, and was his first son. In 1364, when his father declared himself King of Wu, he named Zhu Biao as his heir. After Zhu Yuanzhang proclaimed himself emperor of the Ming dynasty, Zhu Biao was given the title of crown prince (皇太子, huang taizi). He received an intensive education in Confucian teachings under the guidance of Song Lian and grew up to be an educated and humane politician, similar in these qualities to his mother.[1] From 1377, he actively participated in the emperor's meetings with ministers and played a role in the day-to-day management of the state.[1]
Zhu Biao's first wife was the daughter of Chang Yuchun. They married in 1371 and had two sons, Zhu Xiongying (1374–1382) and Zhu Yuntong (1377–1417).[1] His second wife was the daughter of Lü Ben (吕本; d. 1382), a Yuan official who had joined Zhu Yuanzhang early in his rise. They had three sons, Zhu Yunwen (the Jianwen Emperor), Zhu Yunjian (d. 1402), and Zhu Yunxi (1391–1406).[1]
In September 1391, Zhu Biao was sent to inspect the province of Shaanxi with the task of considering moving the capital to Chang'an (present-day Xi'an).[1] He returned from his journey at the end of the year, but before any measures could be taken, he fell ill in January 1392 and died a few months later.[1] He was buried in a mausoleum at the foot of Zhong Mountain on the outskirts of Nanjing.
After his death, his eldest son Zhu Yunwen became the crown prince and posthumously named him emperor after ascending the throne. However, the third Ming emperor, the Yongle Emperor, overthrew the Jianwen Emperor and abolished the imperial status of Zhu Biao.[2][1] It was not until two centuries later, in 1644, that Zhu Biao was once again posthumously promoted to emperor.[3][c]
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