Noble Consort Zheng

Noble Consort Zheng (1565–1630), was a Ming dynasty concubine of the Wanli Emperor. She is known for having been his most beloved consort and, in an attempt to please her, he tried to make her son his heir apparent. This act caused over a decade of conflict and factionalism in the imperial court. Early life Zheng was born in Daxing District of southern Beijing in 1565. In 1581, the imperial court opened selections for the emperor's harem and Zheng was selected. Imperial life Soon after arrival in the imperial harem, Zheng was elevated to the status of Imperial Concubine with the honorific name Shu (淑). Her father was made a member of the Jinyiwei, with authority over 1,000 households. In 1582, Zheng was given the rank of Virtuous Consort and her father was awarded a command. In January 1584, the Wanli Emperor ordered the Ministry of Rites to confer the rank of Noble Consort upon Zheng, to celebrate the birth of the Princess Yunhe. The Wanli Emperor also gave his seneschal 100,000 silver taels to organise celebrations. In 1585, Zheng gave birth to the emperor's second son. The child died soon after birth and was given the posthumous title Prince Ai of Bin. In early 1586, she gave birth to another son, named Zhu Changxun. In 1589, Zheng's one-year-old daughter Zhu Xuanyao died. She was posthumously given the title Princess Lingqiu.