Hongxi Emperor

Hongxi Emperor 洪熙帝
Palace portrait on a hanging scroll, kept in the National Palace Museum, Taipei, Taiwan
Emperor of the Ming dynasty
Reign	12 August 1424 – 29 May 1425
Enthronement	7 September 1424
Predecessor	Yongle Emperor
Successor	Xuande Emperor
Crown Prince of the Ming dynasty
Tenure	12 May 1404 – 12 August 1424
Predecessor	Zhu Wenkui, Crown Prince Hejian
Successor	Imperial Grandson-heir Zhu Zhanji
Hereditary Prince of Yan
Tenure	4 November 1395 – 17 July 1402
Born	16 August 1378
Died	29 May 1425(1425-05-29) (aged 46) Hall of Imperial Peace, Forbidden City, Beijing, Ming dynasty
Burial	Xian Mausoleum, Ming tombs, Beijing, China
Spouse	Empress Chengxiaozhao ​ ​ (m. 1396⁠–⁠1425)​
Issue Detail	Xuande Emperor Zhu Zhanjun, Prince Jing of Zheng
Names Zhu Gaochi (朱高熾) Era name and dates Hongxi (洪熙): 20 January 1425[1] – 7 February 1426 Posthumous name Emperor Jingtian Tidao Chuncheng Zhide Hongwen Qinwu Zhangsheng Daxiao Zhao (敬天體道純誠至德弘文欽武章聖達孝昭皇帝)[2] Temple name Renzong (仁宗)
House	Zhu
Dynasty	Ming
Father	Yongle Emperor
Mother	Empress Renxiaowen
Chinese name
Chinese	洪熙帝
Transcriptions Standard Mandarin Hanyu Pinyin Hóngxī Dì Wade–Giles Hung2-hsi1 Ti4 IPA [xʊ̌ŋ.ɕí tî]

The Hongxi Emperor (16 August 1378 – 29 May 1425), also known by his temple name as the Emperor Renzong of Ming, personal name Zhu Gaochi, was the fourth emperor of the Ming dynasty, reigning from 1424 to 1425. He was the eldest son of the Yongle Emperor and Empress Renxiaowen and the maternal grandson of Xu Da, Prince of Zhongshan. He ascended the throne after the death of his father, but his reign lasted less than a year.

Zhu Gaochi was born on 16 August 1378, as the eldest son of Zhu Di, who was the fourth son of the Hongwu Emperor. After the death of the Hongwu Emperor, Zhu Di emerged victorious in a civil war against the Jianwen Emperor and became the Yongle Emperor in 1402. He prioritized providing his eldest son with a comprehensive education based on Confucian principles. During his father's military campaigns, Zhu Gaochi served as a regent in either Nanjing or Beijing.

As soon as Zhu Gaochi ascended to the throne, he discontinued Zheng He's overseas expeditions, halted the trade of tea for horses with Asian nations, and put an end to the gold and pearl missions to Yunnan and Jiaozhi (present-day northern Vietnam). He pardoned officials who had been disgraced by the previous regime and restructured the government, appointing his trusted advisors to key positions. He also strengthened the authority of the Grand Secretariat, the highest governing body. He abandoned his father's unpopular militaristic policies, made changes to the financial and tax system, abolished many mandatory provisions, and encouraged the return of displaced peasants, particularly in the lower regions of the Yangtze River. His Confucian ideals influenced the style of governance for the next century.

He made the decision to relocate the capital back to Nanjing. However, just a month later, in May 1425, he died, most likely due to a heart attack. His 26-year-old son, Zhu Zhanji, assumed the throne and carried on his father's progressive policies, leaving a lasting influence.