Prince Zhuang of Liang - Burial Goods

Prince Zhuang's epitaph is inscribed on the top and bottom of this tablet. The top is inscribed with four characters “梁庄王墓”, which reads "Tomb of Prince Zhuang of Liang". The bottom of the tablet is inscribed with a record of the prince's life in 190 characters.

These 190 characters tell the story of Prince Zhuang's life. Prince Zhuang's birthname was Zhu Zhanji. He was the 9th son of the Hongxi Emperor and his mother was the Lady Guo. Prince Zhuang was born on the 17th day of the 6th month, in the 9th year of the Yongle Emperor (1411) and took two wives. In the 22nd year of the Yongle Emperor (1424), he was appointed prince of Liang, with a fiefdom in Anlu in Huguang (present day Zhongxiang City, Hubei Province). In the fourth year of the Xuande Emperor (1429), he officially took up his fief. The prince died of an illness on the 12th day of the 1st month in the 6th year of the reign of the Zhengtong Emperor (1441) and was buried in Yuling Mountain within his fief.

The inscription records that the prince was not only heroic and handsome, but also a diligent, courteous, kind, and helpful person. His early passing greatly saddened the Zhengtong Emperor, who declared three days of mourning at the court and granted the prince the posthumous title of Zhuang.

On the west side of Prince Zhuang's epitaph is the epitaph of the princess, likewise inscribed on the top and bottom of a tablet. The top contains a 9-character inspection: 大明梁庄王妃圹志文 (Epitaph of the Princess of Prince Zhuang of Liang of the Great Ming Dynasty).

On the west side of Prince Zhuang's epitaph is the epitaph of the princess, likewise inscribed on the top and bottom of a tablet. The top contains a 9-character inspection: 大明梁庄王妃圹志文 (Epitaph of the Princess of Prince Zhuang of Liang of the Great Ming Dynasty). The bottom of the tablet records the life of Lady Wei, wife of Prince Zhuang, in 166 characters. The Lady Wei was the daughter of the commander of horse for the Nancheng Army and her mother had the maiden name Chen. On the 3rd day of the 7th month in the 8th year of the Xuande Emperor (1433), the Lady Wei became princess of Liang. When Prince Zhuang died of an illness on the 12th day of the 1st month in the 6th year of the reign of the Zhengtong Emperor (1441), the grief-stricken princess wished to be buried along with her husband. However, the emperor commanded her to live and care for the prince's two young daughters. On the 17th day of the 3rd month in the 2nd year of the reign of the Jingtai Emperor (1451), Lady Wei died of an illness at the age if 38 and was buried with the prince in Yuling Mountain.

The end of the inscription tells us that the Lady Wei came from a common family, but was chosen as the consort of the prince, who tragically died young. The story of this common woman raised to the rank of princess is truly amazing.

In the early Ming dynasty, the imperial court ruled that the burial practices for princes must conform to the standards set by the burial of General Chang Yuchun in the second year of the Hongwu Emperor (1369). The burial goods to be sealed in the tomb included weapons, household items, figurines, and kitchenware. The household items were made of tin to show thrift. This system of standards gradually coalesced after the time of the Hongwu Emperor.