Zhu Houhua

Yizhuang Wang Zhu Houye, courtesy name Wuzhai, was born on October 25, 1498, and died on June 28, 1556. He was the eldest son of Yidao Wang Zhu Youbin and the second prince of the Ming Dynasty's Yiwang peers. Born in the 11th year of Hongzhi (1498), he was crowned heir in the 4th year of Zhengde (1509) and succeeded as Yiwang in the 20th year of Jiajing (1541). He reigned for fifteen years and passed away in the 35th year of Jiajing (1556) at the age of 59, posthumously honored as Zhuang. Zhu Houye had no children; the next year, his younger brother, Chongren Wang Zhu Houxuan, succeeded him.

His primary consort was Lady Wang, daughter of Wang Lün, a Pingpan of Jingzhou Prefecture. She was crowned heir lady in September of the 10th year of Zhengde (1515) but died later. His second consort was Lady Wan, daughter of Wan Zitang, deputy commander of soldiers in Nancheng.

Zhu Houye’s tomb is located at Jinhua Mountain, Chang Tang Village, Hongmen Town, Nancheng County, Jiangxi Province. The tomb was excavated in 1958, and the artifacts unearthed are now collected by the National Museum of China. Historical records such as the “History of Ming” and Zhang Shiche’s “Eizhuang Wang’s Spirit Way Inscription” document his life and deeds.