Longqing Emperor
The Longqing Emperor (simplified Chinese: 隆庆帝; traditional Chinese: 隆慶帝; pinyin: Lóngqìng Dì; 4 March 1537 – 5 July 1572), also known by his temple name as the Emperor Muzong of Ming (Chinese: 明穆宗), personal name Zhu Zaiji (朱載坖), art name Shunzhai (舜齋), was the 13th emperor of the Ming dynasty, reigned from 1567 to 1572. He was initially known as the Prince of Yu (裕王) from 1539 to 1567 before he became the emperor. He succeeded his father, the Jiajing Emperor. "Longqing", the era name of his reign, means "great celebration".
| Longqing Emperor 隆慶帝 | |||||||||||||||||
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Palace portrait on a hanging scroll, kept in the National Palace Museum, Taipei, Taiwan | |||||||||||||||||
| Emperor of the Ming dynasty | |||||||||||||||||
| Reign | 4 February 1567 – 5 July 1572 | ||||||||||||||||
| Enthronement | 4 February 1567 | ||||||||||||||||
| Predecessor | Jiajing Emperor | ||||||||||||||||
| Successor | Wanli Emperor | ||||||||||||||||
| Prince of Yu | |||||||||||||||||
| Tenure | March 1539 – 23 January 1567 | ||||||||||||||||
| Born | 4 March 1537 Jiajing 16, 23rd day of the 1st month (嘉靖十六年正月二十三日) | ||||||||||||||||
| Died | 5 July 1572 (aged 35) Longqing 6, 26th day of the 5th month (隆慶六年五月二十六日) | ||||||||||||||||
| Burial | Zhaoling Mausoleum, Ming tombs, Beijing | ||||||||||||||||
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| House | Zhu | ||||||||||||||||
| Dynasty | Ming | ||||||||||||||||
| Father | Jiajing Emperor | ||||||||||||||||
| Mother | Empress Xiaoke | ||||||||||||||||
After the death of the Jiajing Emperor, the new Longqing Emperor inherited a country in turmoil due to years of mismanagement and corruption. Recognizing the extent of the chaos caused during his father's lengthy reign, the emperor worked to restore order in the state administration. He reinstated talented officials who had been previously exiled and dismissed corrupt officials and Taoist priests who had surrounded Jiajing. Additionally, he lifted the ban on foreign trade, boosting the empire's economy, and reorganized the border troops to strengthen security on the inland and coastal borders. The seaports of Zhejiang and Fujian were fortified to defend against coastal pirates, who had been a constant nuisance during the previous government. The emperor also successfully repelled Altan Khan's Mongol army, which had breached the Great Wall and reached Beijing. A peace treaty was signed shortly after, allowing for the resumption of the exchange of horses for silk.
During the reign of the Longqing Emperor, the power of palace eunuchs was diminished compared to previous rulers. However, towards the end of his reign, Grand Secretary Gao Gong supported eunuch Meng Cong (孟沖), who eventually gained control over the inner court. Meng won the emperor's favor by introducing Nu Er Huahua, a dancer of Turkish descent, to him. Her beauty captivated the emperor, causing him to neglect his duties and indulge in personal pleasures. Furthermore, he reversed his initial decision to keep Taoist priests out of the court.
The Longqing Emperor's personal name was mistakenly recorded as Zhu Zaiji (朱載塈) by Wu Weizi during the Wanli period, and as Zhu Zaihou (朱載垕) by Zhu Guozhen and others during the Chongzhen period. This has caused confusion in the records of the emperor's name in Qing dynasty, Vietnamese, and Korean documents.