# Zhu Shuang

Zhu Shuang (3 December 1356 – 9 April 1395) was an imperial prince of the Chinese Ming dynasty. He was the second son of the Hongwu Emperor, the founder of the Ming. In May 1370, the Hongwu Emperor granted the title of Prince of Qin to him, with a princely fiefdom in Xi'an. As he was the imperial second eldest son, he took the office of director of the Imperial Clan Court.

## Biography

Zhu Shuang was born on 3 December 1356, as the second son of Zhu Yuanzhang and his first wife, Lady Ma. At the time, Zhu Yuanzhang was a prominent leader in the Red Turban Rebellion. In 1368, he ascended to the throne as the emperor of the Ming dynasty and successfully unified China under his rule. In May 1370, he bestowed the title of prince (王; wang) upon seven of his sons, including Zhu Shuang who became the Prince of Qin (秦王).
In October 1371, Zhu Shuang married the sister of the Mongol warlord Köke Temür. However, the marriage did not bring the desired results as Köke remained loyal to the Mongol Khan (and Yuan emperor) Ayushiridara. Zhu Shuang preferred his second wife, the daughter of the general Deng Yu, whom he married in late 1375. He had six sons and two daughters.
Upon reaching adulthood in April 1378, he moved to Xi'an, the center of the former Qin dynasty and now the capital of Shaanxi province. Although he had no official authority over the local administration, he had a personal guard consisting of three regiments and a large household led by experienced advisors and officials such as Zheng Jiucheng (鄭九成), Wang Kerang (王克讓), and Wen Yuanji. This gave him considerable power. From the late 1380s, he was one of several sons of the emperor who were given command of the border troops on the northern and northwestern borders.
After the death of Crown Prince Zhu Biao in 1392, Zhu Shuang was the natural candidate to succeed him. However, the emperor's advisors, particularly Liu Sanwu (劉三吾; 1312–1399), advocated for the appointment of Zhu Biao's young son, Zhu Yunwen. While Zhu Biao had been trained to be a Confucian ruler through gentleness and primarily civilian means, Zhu Shuang was primarily a general who fought against the Mongols and had many Mongol mercenaries in his service. The selection of Zhu Yunwen, who was surrounded by literati and officials, promised to continue the intended trend of civilizing and moderating the government. Zhu Shuang's promotion was also hindered in the eyes of the court and the emperor due to his violent nature and numerous instances of abuse of power and minor and major offenses.
In early 1395, he led a military expedition against the Tibetans. Shortly after his return, he died in Xi'an on 9 April 1395. His first wife, Lady Wang, committed suicide in response to his death, while Lady Deng had previously hanged herself after an argument with her husband.

## Family
### Consorts and issue

* Consort Minlie, of the Wang clan (愍烈妃 王氏; d. 1395), the primary consort, younger sister of Köke Temür
* Lady, of the Deng clan (鄧氏), the secondary consort, daughter of Deng Yu (鄧愈)
** Zhu Shangbing, Prince Yin of Qin (秦隱王 朱尚炳; 25 November 1380 - 21 April 1412), 1st son
** Zhu Shanglie, Prince Yijian of Yongxing (永興懿簡王 朱尚烈; 29 September 1384 - 22 February 1417), 2nd son
** Zhu Shangyu, Prince Daoxi of Bao'an (保安悼僖王 朱尚煜; 20 November 1385 - 25 February 1410), 3rd son
* Lady, of the Zhang clan (張氏)
** Zhu Shangzhou, Prince Gongjing of Xingping (興平恭靖王 朱尚烐; 19 October 1389 - 15 May 1449), 4th son
* Unknown
** Zhu Shanghong, Prince Huaijian of Yongshou (永壽懷簡王 朱尚灴; 17 April 1390 - 19 September 1420), 5th son
** Zhu Shangkai, Prince of Anding (安定王 朱尚炌; b. 4 December 1394), 6th son
** Princess Pucheng (蒲城郡主), 1st daughter
*** Married Wu Lun (吳倫)
** Princess Chang'an (長安郡主), 2nd daughter
*** Married Ru Jian (茹鑒), son of Ru Chang (茹瑺)