Princess Nankang

Zhu Yuhua was born in 1373 during the Ming Dynasty, the eleventh daughter of Ming Taizu Zhu Yuanzhang, her mother being Lady Lin. She was born in the sixth year of Hongwu (1373) and was bestowed the title of Nankang Princess in the twenty-first year of Hongwu (1388). Later, she was gradually elevated to the position of Senior Nankang Princess, and in the early Yongle period, she was further promoted to Nankang Grand Senior Princess. Her marriage was with Hu Haizi, Marquis of Dongchuan, also known as Hu Guan. Hu Haizi was previously stripped of his official stipend and fertile land due to crimes, but his marriage retained his original land and stipend. In the third year of Jianwen (1401), Hu Guan accompanied Li Jinglong on the northern expedition and was later captured by the forces of the Prince of Yan, Zhu Di. In the early Yongle period, Zhu Di pardoned Hu Guan. Subsequently, Hu Guan was impeached for forcibly taking a maiden from the people, marrying a prostitute as a concubine, being dismissed from his official position, and ultimately committed suicide. During the Xuande reign, the princess petitioned on behalf of her son Hu Zhong to succeed her. She was promoted to a Deputy Commander of the Xiaoling Guard and later to a Tongzhi (Associate) official. The princess died in October, the jimao day of the third year of Zhengtong (November 15, 1438), at the age of sixty-six.