Chapter 26 2. Princess of the Ming Dynasty

The Ming emperor had 85 princesses (the daughters of Xingzong and Ruizong were not counted).Among these princesses, 50 were married as adults.There are very few historical materials in the records of the princesses. I will tell the deeds of the five princesses of the Ming Dynasty and their concubines. Ningguo Princess Mingtai's granddaughter, born to Empress Ma.In the eleventh year of Hongwu (1378), she married Mei Yin.Yin, respectful by nature, proficient in classics and history, has strategy, and has a long bow and horse.Yin was once secretly ordered to assist Emperor Jianwen, the grandson of the emperor.And when the Yan army forced the south, Emperor Jianwen ordered Mei Yin to be the commander-in-chief to guard Huai'an.The king of Yan knew that Mei Yin's army was powerful and it was inconvenient to attack hard, so he sent envoys to falsely teach Yin in the name of offering incense.Yin replied: "Purchasing incense is prohibited by the emperor's examination, and those who do not obey it are not filial." The king of Yan was furious, and ordered the envoys of Mei Yin to cut off the ears and noses, and the attached letter replied: "Leave your mouth for your highness to speak about the righteousness of the monarch and ministers." Emperor Yongle When he ascended the throne, Yin still supported Huai.Emperor Yongle forced the princess to gnaw her finger blood and write a book for Yin.Yin Deshu wept bitterly and returned to Nanjing.After entering, Emperor Yongle greeted Lao and said: "The son-in-law has worked hard." Yin said: "Toil without merit, you are ashamed of yourself!"When Yin noticed it, he became more and more furious.

In the second year of Yongle (1404), the capital censor Chen Yingzuo Mei Yin recruited and went into exile, and made friends with the female scholar Liu Shi and cursed.Emperor Yongle ordered Zhimei Yin's family to be sent to Liaodong.In the winter of next year, the son-in-law Mei Yin entered the early dynasty, the governor Tan Shen and the commander of Jin Yiwei Zhao Xi squeezed Yin under the Da (da) Bridge (near the Confucius Temple in Nanjing) and drowned.Xu Cheng, the governor and acquaintance, exposed the matter.Emperor Yongle's crime was deep, Xi.The two said to each other: "This is the fate, how can I kill the minister!" Emperor Yongle was furious, and he ordered the warriors to hold the gold (zhao), knock out the teeth of the two, cut off the hands and feet of the two, and then beheaded, disemboweled and sacrificed to the son-in-law mayym.The princess was shocked to hear that the son-in-law had died, she pulled Emperor Yongle's clothes and cried, and asked: "Where is the son-in-law?" Emperor Yongle smiled and said: "Don't worry about yourself, the princess will protect the two sons." It was the official's two sons. (Volume 18 of "Ming History Chronicles" volume 18) A letter to the princess said: "Although the son-in-law Yin is at fault, the brother and even the relatives don't ask. Compared with hearing about drowning, the brother is very suspicious. The murderer pays attention to the law, and I will report it to my sister." Princess Ningguo was widowed for 30 years and died in the ninth year of Xuande (1434) at the age of seventy-one. ("History of Ming Dynasty Princess Biography" Volume 121)

The eighth daughter of Princess Zhengtong of Chongqing, and the same mother as Emperor Chenghua.In the fifth year of Tianshun (1461), he married Zhou Jing.Jing, born in Anyang, Henan, is good at learning and good at calligraphy.Emperor Zhengtong loved him very much.Emperor Chenghua was established and ordered to be in charge of the family affairs.Zhou Jingju is an honest and prudent official, and he has nothing but poetry and books.The princess is very filial to her parents-in-law, and her clothes and shoes are handmade.Every morning in Zhou Jing, the princess will take care of the diet.The virtue of a princess is unprecedented in modern times.In the eighth year of Hongzhi (1495), Zhou Jing died.Four years later, the princess died at the age of 54. ("History of Ming Dynasty: Biography of Chongqing Princess" Volume 121)

Princess Yongning In the tenth year of Wanli (1582), Princess Yongning, the younger sister of Emperor Wanli, chose Liang Bangrui, a son of the rich and wealthy capital of the capital, as her son-in-law.The man was sick and thin, and people said he would not live for a few days.The great eunuch Feng Bao received tens of thousands of gold in bribes, and Zhang Juzheng also insisted on getting married.When the princess was married, the son-in-law "had a bloody nose and wet the sleeves of his robe, which is hardly a courtesy".The palace supervisor said congratulations, calling it a good omen for hanging red.Just after the full moon, he couldn't get up, and died soon.The princess died of being a widow for several years, but she didn't know the affairs of the world. (Volume 5 of "Wanli Ye Huo Bian")

Concubine Zheng, the mother of Princess Shouning, is the beloved daughter of Emperor Wanli and married Ran Xingrang.He was ordered to come to court every five days. "History of Ming Dynasty Princess Biography" is Princess Shouning, and "Wanli Yehuobian" is Princess Shouyang, from the former.When the princess is married, the old palace is usually sent to take charge of the affairs of the princess's pavilion. She is called the housekeeper, and the son-in-law and the princess are restricted in every move.The princess and the son-in-law have to donate tens of thousands of gold and bribe the housekeeper so that the husband and wife can have sex.In the autumn of the 40th year of Wanli (1612), on a moonlit night in the autumn, Princess Shouning announced her son-in-law to her bedroom. The housekeeper, Liang Yingnv, was having a drink with the "good friend" eunuch Zhao Jinchao. Ran's son-in-law drove them out of the house.The princess persuaded and cursed again.The princess was so sad and angry that she was so humiliated that she didn't want to live.The next morning, the princess went to complain to her mother, Concubine Zheng, but Yingnv had already "succumbed first to the villain", adding fuel to the matter.The mother and concubine were furious and refused to see the princess.Ran's son-in-law, Gu Shu, went to the court and had a drink with eunuchs last night, but was beaten by the eunuch Zhao Jinchao's henchmen in the court, "the clothes were ruined, and the flesh and blood were messed up".Ran's son-in-law, disheveled and barefoot, returned to the mansion, and was about to be estranged again, but the imperial decree was issued, and he was severely reprimanded and sent to Guoxue for three months of self-reflection.

The princess endured the humiliation with tears in her eyes and returned it alone.As for the handling of his housekeeper, he had to go back to the palace and arrange another errand. (Volume 5 of "Wanli Ye Huo Bian") Princess Le'an, Ming Taichang's daughter, married Gong Yonggu.Yonggu, a native of Wanping (today's Beijing), was good at studying and talented.In February of the 16th year of Chongzhen (1643), Emperor Chongzhen summoned Gong, Hou, and Boy to the Dezheng Hall and said: "The ancestral system, the son-in-law of the honored ministers goes to prison to study, learn martial arts, and bow horses. Do all the ministers have children? "Yonggu went to Shu alone, please study in Taixue.The emperor praised it.In the spring of the seventeenth year of Chongzhen (1644), Li Zicheng broke up Datong and Xuanfu.In an emergency, Emperor Chongzhen secretly summoned Yonggu and Liu Wenbing, Marquis of Xinle, to escort them.The two kowtowed and said, "If your relatives don't hide armor, it's hard for your ministers to fight against thieves empty-handed." They all wept at each other.On the 19th, the capital fell.At that time, the princess had passed away and was not yet buried. Yonggu tied the five children with yellow ropes to the coffin, and raised a sword to kill herself. ("History of Ming Dynasty: The Biography of Princess Le'an", Volume 121)