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About Taichang Emperor
Lifespan: 1582-1620 A.D
Reign Years: 1620 A.D
Given Name: Zhu Changluo
Reign Name: Taichang
Taichang Emperor
Taichang Emperor – Ming Dynasty
Emperor Taichang was given the name Zhu Changluo. He was the Ming Dynastys 15th emperor and the eldest son of Emperor Wanli. In 1620, Zhu Changluo succeeded his father as the new emperor of the Ming.
Unfortunately, his rule came to an abrupt end a month after his ascension. Thats because he was found dead one morning in the imperial palace due to severe diarrhea.
After his death, he was succeeded by Zhu Youjiao, his son, and was crowned as Emperor Tianqi.
The name Taichang translates to grand prosperity, and among all the Ming Dynasty emperors, his rule was the quickest.
The Life of Zhu Changluo before Becoming Emperor
Zhu Changluo was born in the year 1582, which was the 10th year of the Wanli period. His father was Emperor Wanli, while his mother was Lady Wang, a palace attendant.
Upon learning of Wangs pregnancy, the emperor then urged his mother to turn the attendant into his concubine. He then gave her the title Consort Gong of the 2nd grade. Unfortunately, she wasnt Emperor Wanlis favorite consort, so Zhu Changluo was often ignored by his father after being born.
He was the emperors firstborn son, and by default, was the crown prince based on the Ming Dynastys rules. But despite this, he was still ignored.
To note, he was born after his older sister, Princess Rongchang. She was the eldest and only child with Emperor Wanlis main wife, Empress Xiao Duan Xian.
Emperor Wanli wanted to have his son born from his favorite consort as the crown prince. However, he was opposed by a lot of Confucian-educated ministers and insisted that he followed the dynastys traditions.
Stuck in this political issue, Zhu Changluo wasnt assigned a regular tutor. He was even provided with a systematic Confucian education even after studying at the age of 13. This age was quite late for the Ming princes to start their education.
After making everyone wait on his decision, Emperor Wanli finally gave in to pressure in 1601. There, Zhu Changluo was formally named the crown prince and the heir apparent.
Palace Assault
In 1615, the imperial court of the Ming had a mysterious scandal. A male named Zhang Chai was able to drive away the eunuchs protecting the palace. He only armed himself with a wooden staff, which made the situation quite suspicious.
This man was able to break into the crown princes quarters, the Ciqing Palace. Luckily, he was subdued even before he could cause any harm.
Initial investigations state that he was a lunatic. Yet further inspection led by the magistrate Wang Zhicai had Zhang Chai confess about a plot started by two eunuchs. These two individuals were said to function under the Noble Consort Zheng, Emperor Wanlis favorite consort.
Zhang Chai said that he was promised rewards when he assaulted the crown prince based on the confession. They indirectly implicated Lady Zheng in this assassination plan.
Because of the damaging evidence and extent of the accusations, Wanli personally took over the case to spare Lady Zheng. He then placed all the blame on the eunuchs, who were eventually executed together with Zhang Chai.
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Buy Now!The Reign of Emperor Taichang
The Taiching Emperors father died in August 1620. From there, he succeeded the throne as the Ming Dynasty emperor a couple of days after. Thats when Zhu Changluo adopted the name Taichang which meant grand prosperity.
His first few days of rule were promising, as was recorded in the history of Ming. Troops who guarded the border were given 2 million taels of silver. Important posts that were left vacant due to Emperor Wanlis inactivity started getting filled.
Unfortunately, a couple of days after his coronation, Emperor Taichang fell ill. So, all plans for his birthday celebration were cancelled.
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Buy Now!The Emperors Death
Based on non-official resources, the illness of Emperor Taichang was due to excessive sexual indulgence. This was after he was presented with some maidens by Lady Zheng.
The severe condition was made even worse by extreme diarrhea after he took laxatives. This was recommended by a eunuch named Cui Wensheng.
Lastly, to counter the laxatives effects, the Taichang Emperor took a red pill provided by Li Kezhuo. He was a minor court official who dabbled in pharmacy.
According to the official Ming Dynasty histories, the Ming emperor felt better after taking the red pill. He then praised Li Kezhuo repeatedly for this and for being a loyal subject. Later that afternoon, he took another pill yet was found lifeless the next morning.
The death of an emperor who was in good health shocked the Ming Empire. It led to a lot of rumors spreading in the area.
Possible Causes of Emperor Taichangs Death
The mystery that surrounded Emperor Taichangs death became the Case of the Red Pills. It became one of the most notorious mysteries that occurred in the Ming Dynasty.
From a historical view, Emperor Taichangs rule based on its period is only a footnote in the dynastys history. It was a time when the Ming Dynastys autocratic system was exposed as a constitutional weakness.