His father is King Xingxian Zhu Youqi, and his mother is Queen Cixiaoxian Jiang. Zhu Houcong was the second son of Xingxian King Zhu Youqi.
His father Zhu Youqi was the fourth son of Emperor Xianzong of the Ming Dynasty. He was granted the title of King Xing on July 11, the 23rd year of Chenghua (July 30, 1487), and was granted the title of King Xing on September 10th, the seventh year of Hongzhi. On the 8th (October 16, 1494), he arrived at Fanhu, Guang'an and Luzhou.
Zhu Houcong’s mother, Jiang, was the daughter of Jiang Cao, the commander of the army and horses in Beijing (posthumously named Yutian Bo). She married Zhu Youfu in 1493, and followed him to Anlu in 1494. Extended information
Zhu Houcong was extremely intelligent when he was young. After his father taught him to read poems several times, he could recite them accurately. When he was a little older, he studied ancient books under the guidance of his father, became familiar with "The Classic of Filial Piety", "The Great Learning", and cultivated himself to manage the family and the country. Not only that, his father also allowed him to participate in sacrifices and ceremonies in the palace, so he became familiar with various etiquette and norms at a very young age.
On June 17, the 14th year of Zhengde (July 13, 1519), King Xingxian Zhu Youqi fell ill. Zhu Houcong, who was only 12 years old, succeeded him as King Xing. Zhu Houcong was assisted by Yuan Zonggao, the chief historian. Take over the palace.
On April 20, the 16th year of Zhengde (1521), Wuzong of the Ming Dynasty passed away. Since Wuzong died without heirs, Empress Dowager Zhang (the mother of Wuzong of the Ming Dynasty) and Yang Tinghe, the chief minister of the cabinet, decided to change the situation from recent times to Zhu Houcong, a cousin of the imperial family and Wu Zong's cousin, succeeded to the throne.
At the beginning of Zhu Houcong's accession to the throne, he gradually gained control of the imperial power through great ritual discussions. In the early days of his reign, he was wise and strict in controlling officials, governing the people with leniency, rectifying the government, reducing taxes and servitude, and revitalizing state affairs. He created the Jiajing Zhongxing situation and laid the foundation for the Longqing New Deal, Zhang Juzheng's reform, and Jialong's Wanda Reform.
In the later period, he believed in Taoism and favored Yan Song and others, which led to corruption in the government. In the 21st year of Jiajing (1542), he almost died at the hands of a palace maid during the "Renyin Palace Rebellion". After that, Ming Shizong ignored government affairs for a long time, superstitious the alchemists, wasted people's power, and eventually provoked a peasant uprising. At the same time, the Mongolian Tatars attacked the border and invaded Beijing. In the 29th year of Jiajing (1550), their troops came to Beijing, which was known as the "Gengxu Revolution" in history.
Japanese pirates also invaded the southeastern coast of China, and the "Southern Japanese and Northern Japanese pirates" were always troubled, causing a great negative impact.
Ming Shizong was a smart man, especially in calligraphy and literary literacy. At the same time, he is very sensitive, but he is also very diligent. He often reviews memorials until late at night.
In the forty-fifth year of Jiajing (1566), Emperor Jiajing died in Qianqing Palace at the age of 60. The temple name is Shizong, and the posthumous title is Emperor Qintianludaoyingyishenxuanwenguangwuhongrendaxiaosu. He was buried in the Yongling Tombs of the Thirteen Tombs in Beijing, and passed down the throne to his third son, King Yu Zhu Zaihe.
Baidu Encyclopedia-Zhu Houcong