The Jiajing Emperor, the 12th emperor of the Ming dynasty of China, had three empresses during his reign, as well as a large number of consorts of various ranks. His first empress was Lady Chen, who was chosen by his aunt, Empress Dowager Zhang. Lady Chen became empress in 1522. In 1528, following a dispute with the Emperor over her jealousy toward two other consorts, she suffered a miscarriage while pregnant and died shortly afterward on 21 October of that year. The Emperor showed his displeasure by granting her only a modest burial and the uncomplimentary posthumous name Daoling (). In 1536, on the advice of Grand Secretary Xia Yan, the name was changed to Xiaojiesu.
The second empress, surnamed Zhang, was the daughter of a guard officer and entered the palace in 1526. After Lady Chen died, the Jiajing Emperor chose Lady Zhang as the new empress and she officially ascended on 8 January 1529. In early 1534, she was inexplicably deposed, possibly due to her intervention on behalf of Empress Dowager Zhang. She died in 1536.
The third empress, Lady Fang, came from the south, specifically from the Nanjing region. She entered the palace in 1530 and became empress on 28 January 1534. The Emperor is said to have chosen her because she shared his views on ceremonies. In 1542, she thwarted an assassination attempt on the Emperor by a group of palace women, but the Emperor held a grudge against her for the execution of his favorite consort after the plot. In 1547, when the palace caught fire, the Emperor refused to issue an order to save her, resulting in her death. Despite this, he gave Empress Fang a lavish funeral and bestowed upon her an auspicious posthumous name.
The Emperor had a total of eight sons and five daughters, but only two sons and two daughters survived into adulthood. The eldest son died at two months of age in 1533. The Emperor declared his second son, Zhu Zairui, the heir to the throne in 1539. The same year, he appointed his third son, Zhu Zaiji, as the Prince of Yu and his fourth son, Zhu Zaizhen, as the Prince of Jing. After Zhu Zairui's death in 1549, the Emperor struggled to choose a new successor, leading to rivalry between the two remaining princes. Eventually, in 1561, Zhu Zaizhen left Beijing for his residence in Anlu, Huguang, where he died on 9 February 1565. After the Jiajing Emperor's death in 1567, Zhu Zaiji ascended the throne as the Longqing Emperor.
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+ Consorts and children of the Jiajing EmperorConsortsChildrenEmpress Xiaojiesu Miscarriage (1528)Deposed Empress Empress Xiaolie Empress Xiaoke Zhu Zaiji (), the Longqing Emperor (; 1537–1572; ), third sonImperial Noble Consort Duanhegongrongshunwenxi Zhu Zairui (), Crown Prince Zhuangjing (; 1536–1549), second sonImperial Noble Consort Zhuangshunanrongzhenjing Imperial Noble Consort Ronganhuishunduanxi Zhu Zaiji (), Crown Prince Aichong (), first sonNoble Consort Gongxizhenjing Noble Consort Rong'an Consort Daoyingong Consort Duan Zhu Shaoying (), Princess Chang'an (; d. 1549), first daughterZhu Luzheng (), Princess Ning'an (), third daughter. Married in 1555 to Li He ().Consort Huairongxian Consort Duanhuianyongjing Zhu Zaizhen (), Prince Gong of Jing (; 1537–1565), fourth sonConsort Su Zhu Zaishang (), Prince Shang of Ying (), fifth sonConsort Yi Zhu Zaijian (), Prince Huai of Qi (), sixth sonConsort Yong Zhu Zaikui (), Prince Ai of Ji (), seventh sonZhu Ruirong (), Princess Guishan (; d. 1544), fourth daughterConsort Zhaojinghui Zhu Fuyuan (), Princess Sirou (; 1538–1549), second daughterZhu Zaifeng (), Prince Si of Jun (), eighth sonConsort Rongzhaode Zhu Suzhen (), Princess Jiashan (; d. 1564), fifth daughter. Married in 1557 to Xu Congcheng ().Consort Rong'anzhen Consort Shu Consort Gongxili Consort Gongshuanxirong Consort Duanhuiyong Consort An Consort Chen Consort Shou Consort Yi Consort Jing Consort Mu Consort Zhuang Consort Min Consort Chang Consort An Consort He Consort Ping Consort Ding Consort Shun Consort Huai Consort Yi Consort An Consort Jing Consort He Consort An Consort Yi Consort Kang Consort Zhuang Concubine He Concubine Hui Concubine Zhuang Concubine Jing Concubine Shun Concubine Yu Concubine Shu Concubine Yi Concubine Rong Concubine Jing Concubine Ning Concubine Yu Concubine Wan Concubine Ning Concubine Chang Concubine Chang Concubine Chang Concubine Chang Concubine Chang Concubine Chang Concubine Kang Concubine Chang Concubine Chang Concubine Chang Concubine An Concubine Li Concubine He Concubine Chang Concubine Chang Concubine Chang Concubine Chang
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