Empress Xu (Ming dynasty)

Empress Renxiaowen
Born	1362 Yingtian, Yuan Empire
Died	July 1407 (aged 45) Nanjing, Jiangsu, Ming Empire
Burial	Changling, Ming dynasty tombs
Spouse	Yongle Emperor
Issue	Zhu Gaochi, Hongxi Emperor Zhu Gaoxu, Prince of Han Zhu Gaosui, Prince Jian of Zhao Princess Ancheng Princess Xianning
Full name Xu Yihua (徐儀華) Posthumous name 仁孝慈懿誠明庄獻配天齊聖文皇后
Father	Xu Da
Mother	Lady Xie

Empress Xu (徐皇后) (1362 – July 1407), formally Empress Renxiaowen (仁孝文皇后), birth name Xu Yihua (徐儀華), was the empress consort to the Yongle Emperor and the third empress of China's Ming dynasty. She was well educated, compiling bibliographies of virtuous women, an activity connected with court politics.^[1]

Biography

Xu Yihua was born in 1362, as the eldest daughter of Xu Da and Lady Xie (謝氏). She had four brothers—Xu Huizu (徐輝祖), Xu Tianfu (徐添福), Xu Yingxu (徐膺緒), and Xu Zengshou (徐增壽)—and two younger sisters, who were the wives of Zhu Gui, Prince Jian of Dai (thirteenth son of the Hongwu Emperor) and Zhu Ying, Prince Hui of An (twenty-second son of the Hongwu Emperor). On 17 February 1376, she married the Zhu Di, Prince of Yan, the Hongwu Emperor's fourth son. After Zhu Di ascended the throne as the Yongle Emperor on 17 July 1402, Xu Yihua, as his primary wife and consort, was created empress in December 1402.

A devout Buddhist, Xu is the first person credited with transcribing a Buddhist sutra from a dream revelation. The work is entitled Da Ming Ren xiao Huang hou meng kan Fo Shuo di yi xi yu da gong de jing (The sutra of great merit of the foremost rarity spoken by the Buddha which the Renxiao empress of the great Ming received in a dream). In her introduction to the sutra, the empress wrote that one night after meditating and burning incense, Guanyin appeared to her as if in a dream, and took her to a holy realm where the sutra was revealed to her in order to save her from disaster. After reading the sutra three times, she was able to memorize it and recall it perfectly upon awakening and writing it down. The sutra conveys conventional Mahayana philosophies, and the mantras for chanting were typical of Tibetan Buddhist practices.^[2]

Family

• Father
  • Xu Da
• Mother
  • Lady Xie (謝氏), second daughter of Xie Jianxing (謝再興)
• Husband
  • Yongle Emperor

Sons

Number	Name	Formal Title	Born	Died	Spouse	Issue	Notes
1	Zhu Gaochi 朱高熾	The Hongxi Emperor	16 August 1378	29 May 1425	Lady Zhang, Empress Cheng Xiao Zhao 11 concubines	Zhu Zhanji, Xuande Emperor Zhu Zhanxun, Prince Jing of Zheng Zhu Zhanyong, Prince Jing of Yue Zhu Zhanyin, Prince Xian of Qi Zhu Zhanshan, Prince Xian of Xiang Zhu Zhangang, Prince Xian of Jing Zhu Zhanyu, Prince Jing of Huai Zhu Zhankai, Prince Huai of Teng Zhu Zhanji, Prince Zhuang of Liang Zhu Zhanyan, Prince Gong of Wei Princess Jiaxing Zhu Yuantong, Princess Qingdou Princess Qinghe Princess De'an Princess Yanping Princess Deqing Princess Zhending
2	Zhu Gaoxu 朱高煦	Prince of Han 漢王	30 December 1380	6 October 1426	Consort Wei 韋妃	Zhu Zhanhe, Heir Apparent Yi Zhuang Zhu Zhanqi, Heir Apparent Zhu Zhanci, Prince of Jiyang Zhu Zhanyu, Prince of Linzi Zhu Zhanyi, Prince Zichuan Zhu Zhanxing, Prince of Changle Zhu Zhanping, Prince of Qidong Zhu Zhandao, Prince of Rencheng Zhu Zhanchang, Prince of Haifeng Zhu Zhanbang, Prince of Xintai
3	Zhu Gaosui 朱高燧	Prince Jian of Zhao 趙簡王	19 January 1383	5 October 1431	Lady Xu (daughter of Xu Zhang (徐章)) Lady Mu (daughter of Mu Cheng (沐晟))	Zhu Zhanba, Heir Apparent Daoxi of Zhao Zhu Zhanque, Prince Hui of Zhao a son	Created Prince of Zhao on 12 May 1404

Daughters

Number	Title	Born	Died	Date Married	Spouse	Issue	Notes
1	Princess Ancheng 安成公主	1384	16 September 1443	1402	Song Hu 宋琥 (second son of Song Cheng, Marquess of Xining)	-
2	Princess Xianning 咸寧公主	1385	27 July 1440	1403	Song Ying 宋瑛 (third son of Song Cheng, Marquess of Xining)	-

Notes

1. Ellen Soullière, "Palace Women in the Ming dynasty: 1368-1644" (Doctoral dissertation, Princeton University, 1987) 19, 22-24.
2. Yü, Chun-fang. "Ming Buddhism" The Cambridge History of China v.8. pp 913-915