The Yongle Emperor, personal name Zhu Di, was the third emperor of the Ming dynasty, reigning from 1402 to 1424.
The Hongxi Emperor, also known by his temple name as the Emperor Renzong of Ming, personal name Zhu Gaochi (朱高熾), was the fourth emperor of the Ming dynasty, reigned 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. After ascending the throne, he announced the Chinese New Year of 1425 to be the beginning of the era of "Vastly Bright", Hongxi.
The Xuande Emperor, personal name Zhu Zhanji (朱瞻基), was the fifth emperor of the Ming dynasty, reigned from 1425 to 1435. His era name "Xuande" means "proclamation of virtue". Ruling over a relatively peaceful period within Ming history, he was also personally fond of painting and literature. The Emperor ordered tax reductions on burdened farmers and attempted to purge corruption from the revenue collectors. His attempts to reform meritocracy within the military were unsuccessful, and he was forced to recognize the independence of Vietnam when the Mongol threat diverted his attention.
The Jiajing Emperor, personal name Zhu Houcong (朱厚熜), was the 12th emperor of the Ming dynasty, reigning from 1521 to 1567. He was the former Zhengde Emperor's cousin. His father, Zhu Youyuan (1476–1519), Prince of Xing, was the fourth son of the Chenghua Emperor and the eldest son of three sons born to the emperor's concubine, Lady Shao. The Jiajing Emperor's era name, "Jiajing", means "admirable tranquility".
Emperor Yingzong of Ming, personal name Zhu Qizhen, was the sixth and eighth emperor of the Ming dynasty. He ascended the throne as the Zhengtong Emperor in 1435, but was deposed in 1449, in favour of his younger brother the Jingtai Emperor, after being captured by the Northern Yuan dynasty during the Tumu Crisis. In 1457, he deposed the Jingtai Emperor and ruled again as the Tianshun Emperor until his death in 1464.
Empress Renxiaowen, of the Xu clan, 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.
Zhu Gaoxu was the second son of the Yongle Emperor and Empress Renxiaowen. During the Jingnan campaign, which brought his father to the throne, he proved himself to be a capable military leader. In 1426, he revolted against his nephew, the Xuande Emperor, but was quickly defeated and executed.
Empress Xiaogongzhang, of the Sun clan, was a Chinese empress consort of the Ming dynasty, married to the fifth Ming emperor, the Xuande Emperor. She was mother of Zhu Qizhen, Emperor Yingzong.
Empress Hu, personal name Hu Shanxiang, was a Chinese empress consort of the Ming dynasty, married to the Xuande Emperor. She was posthumously honoured with the title Empress Gongrangzhang.
Empress Chengxiaozhao, of the Zhang clan, was a Chinese empress consort of the Ming dynasty, married to the fourth Ming ruler, the Hongxi Emperor. He only ruled for one year, so she then served as Empress dowager after the accession of her son the Xuande Emperor. She later served as the Regent of China during the minority of the reign of her grandson, Emperor Yingzong of Ming, from 1435 until 1442.
Empress Xiaocigao, commonly known as Empress Ma, was a Chinese empress consort of the Ming dynasty, married to the Hongwu Emperor and acting as his political adviser, exerting a large amount of influence during his reign.
Imperial Noble Consort Wan (1428－1487), born Wan Zhen'er, was an imperial consort during the Ming dynasty. She is sometimes known as Consort Wan or Lady Wan and was the favorite consort of the Chenghua Emperor. She was approximately fifteen to seventeen years older than the emperor.
Empresses in the Palace is a 2011 Chinese television series based on the novel of the same name by Liu Lianzi. Directed by Zheng Xiaolong, it stars Sun Li in the title role of Zhen Huan. The series started airing in China for the first time on 17 November 2011.
The Zhu Gaoxu rebellion, also known as the Dingnan Incident (定難之變), was a rebellion by Zhu Gaoxu, the Prince of Han, second son of the Yongle Emperor against his nephew, the Xuande Emperor, grandson of the Yongle Emperor through his first son, the Hongxi Emperor. The rebellion ultimately failed.
The Imperial Doctress is a 2016 Chinese television series based on the story of Tan Yunxian, a female physician during the Ming dynasty in China. It stars Cecilia Liu as the titular character. The series aired every day at 7.30pm on Jiangsu TV and Dragon TV, from 13 February to 9 March 2016.
Xie Jin, courtesy name Dashen (大紳), art name Chunyu (春雨), was a Chinese calligrapher, poet, and politician during the Ming dynasty.
Empress Dowager Xiaoyi, of the Wu clan, was a concubine of the Xuande Emperor.
The Promise of Chang'an is a 2019-20 Chinese television series directed by Yin Tao, starred by Cheng Yi, Zhao Yingzi, and Han Dong. It premiered in Tencent Video on 10 September 2020 until 5 November 2020 every Thursdays-Saturdays. Beside that, it also aired at Line TV, LiTV, and iQIYI Taiwan.
Royal Feast is a historical costume drama series directed by Wang Wei and Bai Yunmo, starring Xu Kai, Wu Jinyan and Wang Churan in main roles. The drama tells the inspirational emotional story of Yao Zijin, a girl who was selected as the - maid of the Shangshi Bureau, during the Yongle period in the Ming Dynasty. The drama was broadcast on Mango TV on February 22, 2022.
