Princess Penglai

Princess Penglai was born in the year 1557. She was the eldest daughter of Emperor Mu of the Ming Dynasty, and her mother was Princess Consort Li (posthumously honored as Empress Xiao Yizhuang). The princess died in the year of her birth, living only a few months. Her date of death was on the Renyin day of August 1557. At that time, her father was still Prince Yu and had not yet been granted a peerage; due to his young age, he was not awarded a formal title. The Ministry of Rites recommended that she be buried with the rites of a princess. However, Emperor Shizong of Ming (father of Emperor Mu) determined that since she had not been officially ennobled, she should not receive full rites, and thus ordered the funeral rites to be reduced by half. In the first year of the Longqing era (1567), Emperor Longqing posthumously honored her as Princess Penglai and oversaw the restoration of her tomb.