Princess Rongchang

Princess Rongchang (1582–1647) was a Chinese princess during the Ming dynasty. She was the eldest child of the Wanli Emperor and the sole daughter of Empress Xiaoduanxian. Her life spanned significant events in Chinese history, including the decline of the Ming dynasty and the transition to Qing rule.

In 1596, Zhu Xuanying was granted the title of Princess Rongchang. That year, she married Yang Chunyuan, who was subsequently given a command by the Wanli Emperor. Their marriage produced a son named Guangkui, born in 1600. The princess's family maintained close ties to the imperial court; in 1608, her eldest son was appointed to the Jinyiwei, a royal military guard organization. According to the Ming Shilu records, Princess Rongchang participated in court ceremonies and rituals alongside her siblings—Princess Shouning, the King of Gui, and the King of Rui—up until 1620.

In May 1621, her nephew, the Tianqi Emperor, issued honors to his paternal aunts and uncles, elevating Princess Rongchang to the title of Princess Supreme Rongchang (大長公主榮昌). This recognition reflected her status within the imperial family hierarchy.

Her marriage encounter difficulties in 1604 when she quarreled with her husband, Yang Chunyuan. The Wanli Emperor, displeased on his daughter's behalf, issued an edict reprimanding Yang, who then abandoned his command and returned to his parents' hometown in what is now Gu'an County. The Emperor responded by removing Yang's father from official positions and deploying Jinyiwei to bring Yang back to Beijing. Yang subsequently returned voluntarily, repented, and was subjected to a 100-day course of lectures at the Guozijian to restore his family's positions. Following his mother's death in January 1606, Yang Chunyuan mourned intensely and refused to eat for seven days before passing away, leaving Princess Rongchang a widow with five sons.

During the fall of Beijing in 1644, a rebellion led by Li Zicheng resulted in the death of four of her children. After the Qing forces, led by the Shunzhi Emperor, entered Beijing on 5 June 1644, Princess Rongchang attempted to support the Qing military by providing food. However, her efforts were hampered as tenant farmers on her lands refused to surrender crops. Her property was confiscated by the military, and she was relocated to her husband's hometown in Gu'an County, reportedly with her remaining son and thirteen grandchildren.

In the Qing period, Princess Rongchang received honors from the Shunzhi Emperor, who appointed two of her grandsons—Yang Qingyu and Yang Qiyu, children of her fourth son Guangyi—to the Jinyiwei. She died in 1647, notable as the last surviving child of the Wanli Emperor.

References include historical records such as the "Veritable Records of the Ming" and scholarly works on Ming history.