Zhu Cilang

Zhu Cilang (; 26 February 1629 – June 1644) was a crown prince of the Ming dynasty. He was the eldest son of the Chongzhen Emperor and Lady Zhou, Empress Xiaojielie, and he was made the crown prince in 1630. Biography Attempts to move south Peasant rebellions were ravaging northern China and threatening the Ming capital of Beijing. In February 1644, rebel leader Li Zicheng founded the Shun dynasty in Xi'an and proclaimed himself king. In March, his armies captured the important city of Taiyuan in Shanxi. The capture of Taiyuan by Li Zicheng's forces gave his campaign additional momentum; garrisons began to surrender to him without a fight. Through February and March 1644, the Chongzhen Emperor and the court discussed proposals to move the court south to Nanjing. Officials Li Mingrui and Li Banghua proposed that the Chongzhen Emperor retreat south and set up an alternative Southern Ming regime in Nanjing while the crown prince be left behind in Beijing as jianguo (監國; regent) to protect the northern capital and guard the imperial altars. This proposal was rejected by the emperor. An alternative proposal was made when Li Banghua submitted a secret memorial to the emperor that the role be reversed, proposing that the emperor stay behind in Beijing to lead the Ming defense while the crown prince would be sent south. Chongzhen secretly wanted to retreat south himself, but not wanting to appear weak to the court and faced with oppositions of the majority of the capital officials, he angrily rejected the suggestion and all further discussions to move the court. On 9 April, the general Li Jiantai brought up the proposal to transfer the court to the south one last time with the crown prince leading ahead and then the emperor following behind. However, this was also rejected after one official Guang Shiheng accused the proponents of plotting to force the emperor to abdicate and installing the crown prince as new emperor as was done with Emperor Suzong of Tang during the An Lushan Rebellion.