Ming · Ming Emperor

Emperor Xuanzong 宣宗

Xuanzong

Attested AD 1424 - AD 1435

Passages: 38
Chapters: 3
Histories: 1

Overview

The translated histories identify Emperor Xuanzong as a royal family member and ruler. This record brings together 38 passages from 3 chapters across 1 history, with names, dates, relationships, offices, and events preserved as source-backed claims.

Names

Type	English	Chinese	Pinyin
Personal	Emperor Xuanzong	宣宗	Xuanzong
Title	crown prince	皇太子
Title	emperor	帝
Title	Emperor Xuanzong	宣宗
Regnal	Xuande Emperor	宣德	Xuande
Temple name	Xuanzong	宣宗	Xuanzong
Temple name	Xuanzong	宣宗	Xuānzōng

Identity

Historicity: Historical
Identification: Named
Sex: Male

Sex: male
Strongly inferred · mingshi:057:s0152
Sex: male
Explicit · mingshi:058:s0060

Roles

Royal Family Member
Ruler

Life and dates

Death

Explicit · mingshi:058:s0188

Attested activity

Source Date: Text: 十二月 · Western Year: AD 1424
Explicit event contextual date · mingshi:058:s0059, mingshi:058:s0060
Source Date: Text: 宣宗即位 · Western Year: AD 1426
Explicit event contextual date · mingshi:169:s0053
Source Date: Text: 宣宗崩 · Western Year: AD 1435
Explicit · mingshi:058:s0188
Source Date: Text: 宣宗故事 · Western Interval: Start: AD 1426 · End: AD 1435
Explicit · mingshi:057:s0155
Source Date: Text: 宣德四年十月 · Western Year: AD 1429
Explicit · mingshi:057:s0152
Source Date: Text: 洪熙元年 · Western Year: AD 1425
Explicit · mingshi:058:s0156, mingshi:058:s0157

Family

Immediate source-linked family. Drag to pan, scroll or pinch to zoom, and select a person to open their record.

Child of Zhu Gaochi (朱高熾)
Kinship Term: crown prince / 皇太子 · Parentage: biological · Subject Role: son · Object Role: father
Child of Empress of Renzong (仁宗皇后)
Kinship Term: mother / 母后 · Parentage: biological · Subject Role: mother · Object Role: son

Places and affiliations

Label: Ming / 明 · Relation: ruled
Explicit · mingshi:057:s0152
Label: Ming / 明 · Relation: served
Explicit · mingshi:169:s0053
Polity: Ming / 明 · Relation: served
Explicit · mingshi:058:s0188
Place: Liangxiang / 良鄉 · Relation: traveled-to
Explicit · mingshi:058:s0157
Place: Nanjing / 南京 · Relation: traveled-from
Explicit · mingshi:058:s0157

Works and attributed material

Kind: speech · Role: speaker · Other Person Ids: Jian Yi (蹇義), Xia Yuanji (夏原吉)
Explicit · mingshi:058:s0177, mingshi:058:s0180
Kind: speech · Role: speaker
Explicit · mingshi:058:s0173

Events and relationships

Kind: ritual · Role: crown-prince · Action: performed-Taizong-burial-and-comforting-rites
Explicit · mingshi:058:s0096, mingshi:058:s0121
Kind: military · Role: sovereign · Action: planned-suburban-troop-review · Date Context: Source Date: Text: 宣德四年十月 · Western Year: AD 1429
Explicit · mingshi:057:s0152
Kind: construction · Role: planner · Action: planned-Xianling-on-frugal-scale
Explicit · mingshi:058:s0181, mingshi:058:s0182

References in the histories

Open any source group to read the Chinese and English passage in context.

History of Ming, Chapter 57Volume 57 Treatises 33: Rites 11 · 2 passages

宣德四年十月，帝將閱武郊外，命都督府整兵，文武各堂上官一員、屬官一員扈從。 In the tenth month of the fourth year of Xuande, the emperor was about to review troops in the suburbs and ordered the Regional Military Commission to ready the army; one chief official and one subordinate from each civil and military bureau were to attend as escorts.

兵部引宣宗、英宗故事，請行之。 The Ministry of War cited precedents from Emperors Xuanzong and Yingzong and requested that it be carried out.

History of Ming, Chapter 58Volume 58 Treatises 34: Rites 12 · 33 passages

遣官以葬期告天地宗社，皇帝衰服告几筵，皇太子以下皆衰服隨班行禮。 Officials were dispatched to announce the burial date to Heaven and Earth and the ancestral altars; the emperor in full mourning announced to the spirit table; the crown prince and all below wore full mourning and followed in rank to perform the rites.

是夕，設辭奠，帝后太子以下皆衰服，以序致祭。 That evening a farewell offering was set up; the emperor, empress, crown prince, and all below wore full mourning and offered sacrifice in order of rank.

皇帝暨皇太子以下衰服四拜。 The emperor, crown prince, and all below in full mourning performed four bows.

皇太子、親王以次侍立。 The crown prince and imperial princes stood in attendance in order of rank.

皇帝由殿左門出，后妃、皇太子、親王及宮妃後隨。 The emperor exited through the hall's left gate, followed by empresses, the crown prince, imperial princes, and palace consorts.

皇太子、親王以下哭送出端門外，行辭祖禮。 The crown prince, imperial princes, and all below escorted the bier weeping to outside the Upright Gate and performed the rite of bidding farewell to the ancestors.

皇太子易常服，捧神帛，由左門入，至褥位跪，置神帛於褥，興，正立於神後跪。 The crown prince changed into regular dress, bore the spirit silks, entered through the left gate, knelt at the cushion, placed the spirit silks upon it, rose, and knelt upright behind the spirit.

皇太子俯伏，興。 The crown prince prostrated himself, then rose.

贊五拜三叩頭畢，皇太子捧神帛興，以授禮官。 After five bows and three kowtows were completed, the crown prince bore the spirit silks, rose, and handed them to the rites official.

皇太子仍喪服，親王以下隨行。 The crown prince again put on mourning dress; imperial princes and all below followed along.

梓宮由大明中門出，皇太子以下由左門出，步送至德勝門外，乘馬至陵，在途朝夕哭奠臨。 The imperial bier exited through the Great Bright central gate; the crown prince and all below left through the left gate and escorted it on foot to outside the Victorious Virtue Gate, then mounted horses for the tomb, weeping and offering libations morning and evening along the way.

執事官奉梓宮入，皇太子、親王由左門入，安奉訖，行安神禮。 Officiants reverently brought the imperial bier inside; the crown prince and imperial princes entered through the left gate; once placement was complete, they performed the rite of settling the spirit.

皇太子四拜，興，奠酒，讀祝。 The crown prince bowed four times, rose, offered wine, and read the prayer.

將掩玄宮，皇太子以下詣梓宮前跪。 When the underground palace was about to be sealed, the crown prince and all below him proceeded to kneel before the imperial bier.

皇太子四拜興，奠酒，進贈。 The crown prince bowed four times, rose, offered wine, and presented the burial gifts.

執事官捧玉帛進於右，皇太子受獻，以授內執事，捧入皇堂安置。 Officiants brought jade and silks forward on the right; the crown prince received the offering and passed it to inner attendants, who carried it into the imperial hall and set it in place.

設皇太子拜位於前，北向。 The crown prince's place for bowing was set before it, facing north.

皇太子四拜，初獻，奠帛酒，讀祝，俯伏，興。 The crown prince bowed four times, made the first offering, presented silks and wine, read the prayer, then prostrated himself and rose.

在途，皇太子行禮。 Along the route, the crown prince performed the rites.

皇太子隨，仍朝夕奠。 The crown prince followed along, still offering libations morning and evening.

皇太子以下陪拜。 The crown prince and all below him accompanied him in bowing.

皇太子還自南京，至良鄉，宮中始發喪，宣遺詔。 The crown prince was returning from Nanjing; when he reached Liangxiang, mourning was first announced in the palace and the final testament was proclaimed.

易素服，迎皇太子於盧溝橋，橋南設幕次香案。 They changed into plain dress and went to welcome the crown prince at Lugou Bridge; south of the bridge a tent pavilion and incense table were set up.

皇太子至，常服，詣次四拜。 When the crown prince arrived, still in regular dress, he proceeded to the pavilion and bowed four times.

皇太子就喪次東，見母后。 The crown prince took his place to the east of the mourning pavilion and met the empress dowager.

親王以次見皇太子畢，各居喪次，行祭告禮。 Imperial princes, in order of rank, after meeting the crown prince, each took their place in the mourning pavilion and performed the announcement sacrifice.

服除，禮臣請帝服淺淡色衣、烏紗翼善冠、黑角帶，於奉天門視事。 When the mourning period ended, rites officials requested that the emperor wear light-colored garments, a black gauze Yishan cap, and a black horn belt, and conduct affairs at the Gate of Receiving Heaven.

帝曰：「朕心何能忍，雖加一日愈於已。」 The emperor said: "How can my heart bear this — even one day more is better than ending it now."

帝命候山陵事畢。 The emperor ordered them to wait until the mountain tomb affairs were finished.

先是，詔營獻陵，帝召尚書蹇義、夏原吉諭曰：「國家以四海之富葬親，豈惜勞費。 Earlier, an edict had ordered the construction of Xianling; the emperor summoned the ministers Jian Yi and Xia Yuanji and instructed them: "The state possesses the wealth of all under Heaven to bury a parent — how could it begrudge labor and expense.

其制較長陵遠殺，皆帝所規畫也。 Its scale was far reduced compared with Changling, and all of it was planned by the emperor himself.

吏部尚書蹇義等請祔廟後，素服御西角門視事。 Minister of Personnel Jian Yi and others requested that after enshrinement at the temple, the emperor conduct affairs in plain dress at the West Corner Gate.

宣宗崩，喪葬如獻陵故事。 When Emperor Xuanzong died, the funeral and burial followed the Xianling precedent.

History of Ming, Chapter 169Volume 169 Biographies 57: Gao Gu, Hu Ying, Wang Zhi · 3 passages

宣宗即位，仍遷禮部左侍郎。 When Xuande succeeded, Hu Ying was again made left vice minister of rites.

歷事仁宗、宣宗，累遷少詹事兼侍讀學士。 Under Renzong and Xuanzong he rose to junior chamberlain and lecturing academician.

正統三年，《宣宗實錄》成。 In Zhengtong three the Veritable Records of Xuanzong were completed.