The Wanli Emperor, the 14th emperor of the Ming dynasty of China, had 18 children, eight sons and ten daughters, by eight women. Of these, five sons and two daughters lived to adulthood. The most important women in his life were his mother, Empress Dowager Li, and his favorite concubine, Lady Zheng. Other prominent women included Empress Wang and Lady Wang, the mother of his eldest son. The Emperor also had numerous other consorts of various ranks.
In 1578, the Wanli Emperor married 13-year-old Wang Xijie and made her empress. Like his mother, she was of commoner origin. Empress Wang had one daughter and no sons. She maintained a dignified public image and showed respect toward Empress Dowager Li. She supported the Emperor's eldest son in the succession struggle over Lady Zheng's son, but she was known for her strictness and cruelty within the imperial palace, causing fear among those who served her. The Empress died in 1620, shortly before the Wanli Emperor's own death.
Lady Wang was a servant in the Empress Dowager's palace. In late 1581, during one of his visits to his mother, the Emperor took notice of the young Lady Wang, who soon became pregnant with his child. Although the Wanli Emperor initially wanted nothing to do with the child, his mother convinced him to acknowledge paternity by providing records of his visits. In August 1582, Lady Wang gave birth to the Emperor's first son, Zhu Changluo. Two years later, the Emperor's concubine Lady Zheng gave birth to a daughter, Zhu Xuanshu, and quickly gained the Emperor's favor and trust, causing his interest in Lady Wang to diminish. Lady Wang lived in seclusion in the Forbidden City, and the Emperor neglected her. It was not until 1606, after the birth of Zhu Changluo's first son (the later Tianqi Emperor), that she was granted the title of "Imperial Noble Consort" (Huang Guifei), which was appropriate for the mother of an heir. Empress Dowager Li supported Zhu Changluo's position as heir apparent during the succession dispute with Zhu Changxun, Lady Zheng's son. When the Emperor objected that his eldest son was born to a mere palace servant, she replied that the Emperor himself was also the son of a mere servant. Lady Wang died in 1611.
Lady Zheng was chosen to join the Emperor's harem in 1582, and soon after her arrival, she captured his attention and love. In 1586, after giving birth to Zhu Changxun, she was promoted to the position of "Imperial Noble Consort", which was just one step below that of empress. She and the Emperor had a total of six children, but their desire to name Zhu Changxun as the successor instead of the eldest son, Zhu Changluo, caused a political crisis. Despite the Emperor's efforts, he was unable to overcome the strong opposition of his ministers and officials, and the decision was postponed for almost two decades. It was not until 1601 that he finally appointed Zhu Changluo as heir to the throne. In 1615, Lady Zheng was suspected of involvement in the attempted assassination of Zhu Changluo in the "case of the attack with the stick", although these allegations were based on rumor and were never proven. Zhu Changluo fell ill shortly after taking the throne as the Taichang Emperor and died after just one month of reign. Once again, it was rumored that Lady Zheng was responsible for his death, but there was no concrete evidence to support these accusations. She died in 1630.
List
+ Consorts and children of the Wanli EmperorConsortsChildrenEmpress Xiaoduanxian Princess Rongchang (), personal name Xuanying (), first daughter. Married in 1596 to Yang Chunyuan (; d. 1616).Empress Xiaojing Zhu Changluo (), the Taichang Emperor (; 1582–1620; ), first son Princess Yunmeng (), personal name Xuanyuan (), fourth daughterImperial Noble Consort Gongkehuiyonghejing Princess Yunhe (), personal name Xuanshu (), second daughterZhu Changxu (), Prince Ai of Bin (), second sonZhu Changxun (), Prince Zhong of Fu (; 1586–1641), third sonZhu Changzhi (), Prince Huai of Yuan (), fourth sonPrincess Lingqiu (), personal name Xuanyao (), sixth daughterPrincess Shouning (; 1592–1634), personal name Xuanwei (), seventh daughter. Married in 1599 to Ran Xingrang (; d. 1644).Imperial Noble Consort Gongshunyongzhuangduanjing Zhu Changrun (), Prince of Hui (; 1594–1646), sixth sonZhu Changying (), Prince Duan of Gui (; 1597–1645), seventh sonConsort Zhao Consort Ronghuiyi Consort Wenjingshun Consort Duanjingrong Princess Jingle (), personal name Xuangui (), third daughterConsort Zhuangjingde Consort Duan Zhu Changhao (), Prince of Rui (; 1591–1644), fifth sonConsort Qinghuishun Zhu Changpu (), Prince Si of Yong (), eighth sonPrincess Tiantai (), personal name Xuanmei (), tenth daughterConsort Xi Concubine De Princess Xianju (), personal name Xuanji (), fifth daughterPrincess Taishun (), personal name Xuanji (), eighth daughterPrincess Xiangshan (), personal name Xuandeng (), ninth daughterConcubine Shen Concubine Jing Concubine Shun Concubine He Concubine Dao Concubine Rong
Notes
References
Citations
Works cited