# Zhu Youdun

Zhu Youdun (7 February 1379 – 8 July 1439) was an imperial prince of the Ming dynasty. He was the eldest son of Zhu Su, Prince Ding of Zhou, who was the fifth son of the Hongwu Emperor, the first emperor of the dynasty. He was renowned for his talents as a poet, writer, and playwright, particularly in the zaju genre.

## Biography

Zhu Youdun was born on 7 February 1379 in Fengyang, the eldest son of Zhu Su, Prince of Zhou, who was the fifth son of the Hongwu Emperor, the first emperor of the Ming dynasty. His mother was Zhu Su's first wife, the daughter of General Feng Sheng. He lived with his father in Fengyang and later moved to Kaifeng, the capital of Henan Province, in 1381. In 1389, when his father was summoned to Nanjing by the Ming government for traveling to Fengyang without permission, Zhu Youdun took over the management of the princely household. His father did not return to Kaifeng until late 1391 or early 1392. During this time, Zhu Youdun was named his father's successor (世子) in the spring of 1391.
In the spring (on the third day of the third month) of 1395, Zhu Youdun married the daughter of the military commander Lü Gui (呂貴). The following year, he participated in military campaigns in the Beijing area on the northern border.
In 1398, following the ascension of the Jianwen Emperor, Zhu Su's second son, Zhu Youxun, accused his father of treason. As a result, Zhu Su, along with his entire family and servants, was arrested and taken to Nanjing. Both father and son were demoted to the status of ordinary subjects and exiled to Yunnan. After the Jianwen Emperor's defeat in the civil war, the Yongle Emperor took the throne in 1402. He then summoned Zhu Su and his son back to Nanjing and restored their titles and palace in Kaifeng in early 1403. In exchange, Zhu Youxun was exiled to Yunnan. The Yongle Emperor was impressed by Zhu Youdun's loyalty to his father, which he had demonstrated in 1398. The emperor even composed a poem himself to praise Zhu Youdun.
Zhu Youdun then lived in Kaifeng and wrote his first plays in the zaju genre. In the second decade of the 15th century, he shifted his focus to painting and calligraphy rather than theatre. He also collected calligraphy and published works by old masters. For example, in 1417, he published a collection of five versions of Wang Xizhi's famous Preface [to the Collection written during] the Purification Ceremony at Orchid Pavillion. Although his paintings have not survived, they were described in the poems of Kaifeng high-ranking official Li Changqi (李昌期). It is believed that Zhu Youdun enjoyed painting flowers, particularly peonies. He was personally acquainted with writer-storyteller Qu You, who served as a tutor in the household of the Prince of Zhou from 1403 to 1408, and Li Changqi, who served as the left administration commissioner of Henan from 1425 to 1439, with a brief interlude. It is possible that their influence led Zhu Youdun to emphasize the importance of plot in his theoretical works on theatrical plays. Another important poet and writer in Kaifeng was Yu Qian, who served as the grand coordinator in Henan and Shaanxi provinces from 1430 to 1447.
In September 1425, Zhu Youdun's father died, and on 3 January 1426, he officially became the Prince of Zhou. After a hiatus, Zhu Youdun returned to writing plays in the late 1420s and continued to do so for the next decade, producing over thirty zaju plays. He was considered the most prolific and influential playwright of his time. His plays can be categorized into two distinct groups. The first group comprises celebratory works that were specifically created to be performed during court festivities, holidays, and anniversaries. These plays often feature elaborate scenes with multiple groups of dancers and singers, as well as special effects. On the other hand, the second group of Zhu Youdun's plays are classical zaju pieces that focus on promoting the virtues of a loyal courtier. In contrast, some of these plays also satirize dishonest merchants and disloyal courtiers. In addition to his plays, Zhu Youdun also wrote poetry, mainly in the genres of shi and sanqu. Only a small portion of his works have survived, including 46 shi poems, a collection of three hundred sanqu songs, and a single ci poem. He also wrote a medical book called Xiuzhenfang (Handy Prescriptions).
Zhu Youdun, who was unable to have children, decided to adopt the eldest son of Zhu Youxun. However, after Zhu Su's death, Zhu Youxun requested that the adopted son be returned to him in hopes of increasing his chances of inheriting the title of Prince of Zhou. On 8 July 1439, Zhu Youdun died and was given the posthumous name Prince Xian of Zhou (周憲王). His wife and six concubines committed suicide on 29 July 1439 in order to be buried with him, despite his own request to the emperor to abolish the custom.
In the mid-1420s, Zhu Youxun, who had been rehabilitated by the Yongle Emperor in 1422, had aspirations of succeeding Zhu Youdun. However, in 1428, he (along with Zhu Youxi, Zhu Su's fifth son) became embroiled in a conspiracy against the Xuande Emperor, resulting in his demotion to a commoner and imprisonment in Beijing. As a result, the title of Prince of Zhou was passed down to Zhu Su's third son, Zhu Youjue.