Empress Consort Tang

Empress Consort Tang, born in 1438 in Nanfeng County, Jianchang Prefecture, Jiangxi Province. Her full name is unknown; her father was Tang Xing, a deputy commander of the Jinyiwei (Imperial Bodyguard). She was the Imperial Noble Consort of Emperor Jing Tai of the Ming Dynasty, Zhu Qiyu, but her title was revoked when Emperor Yingzong of Ming was restored to the throne. There are no precise records of when she began serving Emperor Jing Tai; Mao Qiling mentioned in the "Lost Records of the Shengchao Tong History" that she entered the palace in the seventh year of Jing Tai (1456). In the first year of Jing Tai (1451), Emperor Jing Tai rewarded the women born to Hang Yu and Tang Xing, and both Tang and Empress Hang served in the palace. In the fifth year of Jing Tai (1454), she was promoted to Assistant Commander of the Jinyiwei, and in the seventh year of Jing Tai (1456), she was deified as Imperial Noble Consort, becoming the first Imperial Noble Consort of the Ming Dynasty. According to historical records, after Empress Hang’s death, Tang was conferred the title of Imperial Noble Consort in August and may have overseen palace affairs. In February 1457, during Emperor Jing Tai’s serious illness, a conspiracy was launched by Marshal Shi Heng of Wu Qing and others, using eunuchs to stage a coup to restore Emperor Yingzong, known as the "Door Snatching Incident." After Yingzong’s restoration, he and Jing Tai Emperor co-ruled; later, he was deposed to Prince of Cheng and died on February 19. Afterwards, Tang Xing was imprisoned, her family’s assets confiscated, her title revoked in February, and Tang Empress Consort’s title was also abolished. After Jing Tai Emperor's death, Tang remained silent, participated in the funeral, and was buried at Jīnshān. According to historical records, she was the last confirmed imperial concubine of the Ming Dynasty to be buried with her emperor.