Early life

Zhu Yousong was born 5 September 1607 as the eldest son of Zhu Changxun, Prince of Fu, and his wife, Lady Yao. Zhu Changxun was the third and favorite son of the Wanli Emperor, who ruled the Ming dynasty from 1572 to 1620. His mother, Lady Zheng, was one of the emperor's concubines. The emperor and Lady Zheng wanted their son to become the heir to the throne, but Zhu Changxun was not chosen due to pressure from officials who were part of the Donglin movement, a faction of scholar-officials that formed to oppose what they saw as moral and intellectual corruption during the late Ming. Instead, the emperor appointed his eldest son Zhu Changluo, later the Taichang Emperor, as crown prince. The Wanli Emperor provided for Zhu Changxun 120,000 hectares of land in the provinces of Henan, Shandong, and Hubei (then part of the Huguang Province), which had been confiscated from the local population. In 1614, Zhu Changxun went to his fief in Luoyang, Henan. He lived a life of luxury and splendor, and the administrators of his estates were known for their brutality towards their tenants. In 1617, the Wanli Emperor granted Zhu Yousong the title of Prince of Dechang. In 1641, peasant rebels led by Li Zicheng, a former government courier, captured Luoyang. Li's rebels burned Zhu Changxun's palace for three days. They then proceeded to burn the prince and divide his roasted meat among themselves, with Li Zicheng even drinking the prince's blood. Zhu Yousong and his mother were able to escape, and in 1643, he was named the Prince of Fu in his father's place.

Ascension

On 25 April 1644, Li Zicheng's forces captured the Ming capital of Beijing, and the Chongzhen Emperor committed suicide. Li then established the Shun dynasty but was in turn defeated by the Manchu-led Qing dynasty, which soon controlled northern China. The news of the Chongzhen Emperor's suicide was met with consternation when it reached Nanjing in mid May and the officials in Nanjing began discussing the appointment of a new emperor. Two potential candidates emerged: Zhu Yousong, Prince of Fu, and Zhu Changfang, Prince of Lu. Despite doubts surrounding his candidacy, Zhu Yousong's right to succession was stronger than that of Zhu Changfang. Zhu Yousong was the closest living male relative of the deceased emperor and a direct descendant of the Wanli Emperor, while Zhu Changfang, a nephew of the Wanli Emperor, had his candidacy for the throne supported by officials linked to the Donglin movement. However, officials described Zhu Yousong as being illiterate, avaricious, and cruel. His supporters, led by Ma Shiying, Viceroy of Fengyang, quickly arranged for him to travel to Nanjing from his residence in northern Jiangsu. Under Ma Shiying's military pressure, Shi Kefa, the effective head of government in Nanjing, accepted Zhu Yousong's candidacy. On 5 June, the assembled officials ceremoniously welcomed Zhu Yousong and on 7 June, following the precedent set by the appointment of the Jingtai Emperor, he was declared "Administrator of the Realm" and moved to the Nanjing imperial palace. On 19 June 1644, he was proclaimed emperor and it was announced that the following year (1645) would be the first year of the Hongguang era.

Reign

The first year of the Hongguang era was also its last. The Nanjing regime was weak in terms of military, financial, and organizational strength. Its influence was limited to a few provinces near the capital, and even there, collecting taxes was often challenging due to banditry. The government was further weakened by internal conflicts between the Shi Kefa and Ma Shiying factions, and in some areas, the army had descended to the level of common bandits. Many officials still believed that the main threat to the state came from rebel groups like Li Zicheng's, rather than the Qing. In fact, some even welcomed the Qing army's suppression of rebellions in the north.

In the early spring of 1645, an impostor named Wang Zhiming appeared in Nanjing, claiming to be the son of the Chongzhen Emperor. Ma Shiying imprisoned him, but rumors began to spread that he was the real heir, and the populace of Nanjing was inclined to declare the Hongguang Emperor illegitimate. Shortly after, a woman surnamed Tong was also jailed after alleging she was the Hongguang Emperor's concubine. Rumors of the emperor's sexual debauchery, his mistreatment of Lady Tong, and her death in prison further damaged the regime's reputation. These rumors, along with fears that Li Zicheng would flee into Huguang, prompted the Ming general Zuo Liangyu to march east towards Nanjing on 19 April with the stated goal of "cleansing the surroundings of the ruler". Even as Qing forces under Manchu prince Dodo were entering Jiangnan, Ma Shiying considered Zuo Liangyu's invasion a greater threat, as he believed the Qing could be appeased. Ma ordered several Ming commanders north of the Yangtze River to halt Zuo's advance, thereby weakening Shi Kefa's defensive position in Yangzhou, a city north of Nanjing.

In May 1645, the Qing army captured Yangzhou, executing Shi Kefa and massacring the city's population. Following this victory, they crossed the Yangtze River. Upon hearing this news, the Hongguang Emperor fled Nanjing on June 3. He sought temporary refuge with General Huang Degong's troops in Wuhu, Anhui Province. However, on 15 June, when the Qing troops arrived, Huang's officers betrayed their commander, joined the enemy, and handed over the emperor to them. Prince Dodo berated the emperor's battle strategy, stating that the Southern Ming could have won if they had attacked the Qing forces before they crossed the Yellow River. This accusation left the Hongguang Emperor speechless, unable to mount a defense. On 18 June, the Qing troops brought the Hongguang Emperor back to Nanjing. After locals publicly humiliated him and he had a "face-to-face confrontation" with the impostor Wang Zhiming, the emperor was taken to Beijing. There, he, along with Wang and other Ming princes, was executed on 23 May 1646.

A few months after the Hongguang Emperor was captured, Zhu Yujian, Prince of Tang, a ninth-generation descendant of the Ming founder, the Hongwu Emperor, ascended the throne as the Longwu Emperor in Fuzhou, in the southeastern province of Fujian. The Longwu Emperor conferred on the Hongguang Emperor the regnal title of Emperor Sheng'an. Later, the last Southern Ming ruler, the Yongli Emperor, conferred upon him the temple name of Anzong and the posthumous name Emperor Jian. Another Ming pretender, Zhu Yihai, conferred upon him the temple name of Zhizong and the posthumous name Emperor Nan, later changed to Emperor An, but these names were less commonly known than those granted by the Yongli Emperor.

Assessment

Although the Hongguang Emperor's regime faced similar issues as the Ming government before 1644, such as inadequate government revenue compared to expenditure, Chinese historians and society have traditionally placed a significant portion of the blame for the fall of Ming rule in central China on him and his chief minister Ma Shiying. The emperor is often portrayed as more interested in indulging in women, wine, and theater than governing, while Ma Shiying is depicted as a greedy and arrogant leader. This portrayal of the two figures at the top of the power hierarchy aligns with traditional stereotypes in Chinese history, where the downfall of a dynasty is attributed to the personal flaws of its rulers. As a result, until the reign of the Qianlong Emperor, Chinese historiography considered the Hongguang Emperor, rather than the Chongzhen Emperor, to be the last emperor of the Ming dynasty.

Consorts

• Empress Xiaozhejian of the Huang clan

• Empress Xiaoyi of the Li clan

• Noble Consort of the Jin clan

• Consort of the Tong clan

• Consort of the Wang clan

• Consort of the Chen clan

• Lady of Gentleness of the Huang clan

• Lady of Gentleness of the Guo clan

• Lady of Selected Service of the Mou clan

• Palace Lady of the Zhang clan

• Palace Lady of the Wang clan

• Ye Zimei

• Palace Lady of the Xu clan, personal name Shuxiu

References

• Zhu_Yousong (Wikipedia)

生平

身世

朱由崧小字福八，明神宗孫，福忠王朱常洵嫡長子。萬曆三十五年（1607年）七月乙巳生于福王府邸，生母姚氏。萬曆四十二年（1614年）隨福王朱常洵就藩于洛陽。萬曆四十八年（1620年）七月甲辰，封德昌王，後進封福王世子。

崇禎十四年（1641年）正月，農民軍首領李自成攻克洛陽，福王朱常洵縋城出，藏匿于迎恩寺，後被搜出，遇害。朱由崧縋城逃脫，前往懷慶避難，崇禎十六年五月襲封福王。崇禎帝手擇宮中玉帶，遣內使賜之。

崇禎十七年正月，懷慶聞警，朱由崧逃亡衛輝，投奔潞王朱常淓。三月初四衛輝聞警，朱由崧隨潞王逃往淮安，與南逃的周王朱恭枵、崇王朱慈爚四位藩王的80餘艘船同日抵達淮安相會，漕運總督路振飛、淮安鎮總兵劉澤清迎接，出于安全考慮，安排四王一同寓居于河下西湖嘴舟中。三月十一日，年已六十五歲的周王薨于舟上，三月十八日，福王等三王上岸，住在山西太原鹽商杜光紹的綰秀園中 。三月十九日李自成陷北京，崇禎帝自縊，是為甲申之變。廿九日，消息傳至淮安。

四月崇禎帝自盡的消息，傳至南京，北京淪陷後，南京以及南方各省仍在明朝的控制之下。南京諸臣皆認為國不可一日無君，議立新帝。但對大寶誰屬，則有一番論戰。

從血統上來說，崇禎帝殉國，其子太子朱慈烺及永王朱慈炤、定王朱慈炯陷入清軍之手，而崇禎帝已無在世兄弟，而崇禎兄長天啟帝無子，其他兄弟皆在未成年之前已死而無後，而故應從崇禎帝父親明光宗諸弟中選擇。福王朱常洵為光宗諸弟中居長，雖於崇禎十四年被李自成殺害，但朱由崧為朱常洵長子，因此在崇禎太子及定、永二王無法至南京繼位的情況下，福王本為第一順位。東林黨人則持相反意見，他們恐朱由崧即位後追究昔日「三案」及國本之爭攻訐鄭貴妃（朱由崧祖母）之事，主張立明神宗之侄潞王朱常淓。前山東按察司僉事雷演祚、禮部員外郎周鑣往來遊說；乃言：『福王，神宗孫也，倫序當立；而有七不可，貪、淫、酗酒、不孝、虐下、不讀書、幹預有司也。』。史可法並稱福王「在藩不忠不孝，恐難主天下」。四月二十六日，張慎言、高弘圖、姜曰廣、李沾、郭維經、誠意伯劉孔昭、司禮太監韓贊周等在朝中會議，李沾、劉孔昭、韓贊周議立福王，議遂定以福王繼統，告廟並修武英殿。鳳陽總督馬士英與江北四鎮黃得功、高傑、劉良佐、劉澤清等人前往淮安迎接朱由崧。四月二十七日甲申，南京禮部率百司迎福王于儀真。

即位

崇禎十七年四月二十八日乙酉，朱由崧至浦口，魏國公徐弘基等渡江迎接。翌日舟泊觀音門燕子磯。四月三十日丁亥，南京百官迎見朱由崧于龍江關舟中，請其為監國。朱由崧身穿角巾葛衣，坐于臥榻之上，推說自己未攜宮眷一人，準備避難浙東。眾臣力勸，朱由崧乃同意。

五月初一戊子，朱由崧騎馬自三山門環城而東，拜謁孝陵和懿文太子陵，隨後經朝陽門入東華門，謁奉先殿，出西華門，以南京內守備府為行宮。五月初二群臣至行宮勸進，朱由崧以太子及定王、永王不知下落，且瑞王、惠王、桂王均為叔父行，應擇賢迎立。諸臣再三勸進，乃依明代宗故事監國。五月初三·庚寅（1644年6月7日），自大明門入大內，至武英殿行監國禮。是日吳三桂引清攝政王多爾袞入北京。

崇禎十七年五月十五·壬寅（1644年6月19日），朱由崧即皇帝位于武英殿，以次年為弘光元年。其國號依舊為「大明」，史稱「南明」。

朱由崧即位後，于六月戊午追封祖母鄭貴妃為孝寧太皇太后，父福忠王朱常洵為貞純肅哲聖敬仁毅恭皇帝（後改謚孝皇帝），立廟于南京，墓園稱熙陵。上嫡母鄒氏尊號為恪貞仁壽皇太后，生母姚氏為孝誠端惠慈順貞穆皇太后。追封洛陽城陷時遇害的胞弟潁上王朱由矩為潁王，謚曰衝。六月辛酉上崇禎帝廟號為思宗，謚號烈皇帝。七月己丑追複懿文太子帝號，追崇建文帝、景泰帝廟號謚號。

政治

朱由崧在外以史可法督師江北，設淮、揚、鳳、廬四鎮，以黃得功、劉良佐、劉澤清、高傑為總兵統領，南明出現軍閥化的趨勢。前線將領不但因爭權而互相攻擊，也有掠奪平民的行為。

朱由崧即位後，下令選淑女入宮，派宦官于南京城中四出搜巷，凡是有女之家，必以黃紙貼額，持之而去，南京城中騷動。朱由崧又下令修西宮西一路為慈禧殿，以安置繼母鄒太后。當年八月鄒太后自河南至南京，八月十四日諭戶、兵、工三部「太后光臨，限三日內搜括萬金，以備賞賜」。八月十六日御用監又令造龍鳳床座、床頂架、宮殿陳設金玉等項，越數十萬兩。造皇后冠，命內臣採購貓眼石、祖母綠及大珠重一錢以上者百餘顆。崇禎十七年除夕，弘光帝獨坐興寧宮中，愀然不樂。太監韓贊周問道：「宮殿新落成，皇上應當歡喜，而悶悶不樂，是思念皇兄嗎？」弘光帝不應，繼而回答說：「梨園殊少佳者」。弘光元年（1645年）正月，弘光帝又下令修南京奉先殿、午門及左右掖門，並派太監田成至杭州、嘉興二府選淑女。

崇禎十七年九月初三，弘光帝下令為北京殉難諸臣上謚號，計文臣二十一人、勛臣二人、戚臣一人。隨後又給郢國公馮國用、宋國公馮勝、濟國公丁德興、德慶侯廖永忠、長興侯耿炳文等開國功臣追上謚號；給方孝孺、齊泰、黃子澄、陳迪、景清、卓敬、練子寧等建文朝死難諸臣，蔣欽、陸震等正德朝死諫諸臣，左光斗、周朝瑞、周宗建、袁化中、顧大章、周起元等天啟朝死閹黨諸臣上謚號。

弘光元年三月初一甲申，有自稱崇禎太子朱慈烺者至南京，朱由崧命令將其關入兵馬司監獄，後命百官審「北來太子」于午門外，終裁斷為偽太子王之明(駙馬王昺之侄孫)，是為「崇禎太子案」、「南都太子案」。三月庚申，寧南侯左良玉乃舉兵于武昌，以「救太子、誅士英」為名順流而下，黃得功、阮大鋮率兵御之，南明發生內訌。正值此時，清軍在豫王多鐸率領下大舉南下，攻陷歸德、潁州、太和、泗州等地。

弘光元年四月辛未，清軍圍攻江北重鎮揚州。督師江北的兵部尚書史可法率城中百姓抵禦清軍，清軍圍困百日，損失慘重。史可法急忙向朝廷求援，但卻因為鎮將們個個擁兵自重、意圖觀望，最終揚州在被圍五天後淪陷。清軍攻破揚州之後進行了十天屠殺，史稱「揚州十日」。四月甲子，弘光帝在南京貢院選淑女，七十人中選中一人，即阮大鋮的侄女。四月壬戌，杭州送來淑女五十人，弘光帝選中周姓一人，王姓一人。

弘光元年五月初八己丑，清軍自瓜洲渡江，鎮江巡撫楊文驄逃奔蘇州，靖虜伯鄭鴻逵逃入東海，總兵蔣雲台投降。南京閉城門。五月初十辛卯，朱由崧傳旨放歸所選淑女，當天午夜尤召梨園入宮演劇。翌日凌晨二漏時，朱由崧率內官四五十人騎馬出通濟門，莫知所蹤。天亮後百官入朝，見宮女、內臣、優伶雜沓逃奔西華門外，方知弘光帝已出逃。南京城內大嘩，馬士英攜鄒太后出奔，市民救北來太子出獄，扶其入宮，在武英殿即位。五月十二日癸巳，朱由崧至太平府，以按察院為行宮，尋即移駕蕪湖，投奔靖國公黃得功軍營。五月十五日丙申，清軍入南京，魏國公徐胤爵、保國公朱國弼、靈璧侯湯國祚、定遠侯鄧文鬱，及尚書錢謙益、大學士王鐸、都御史唐世濟等人剃髮降清。

清軍攻克南京後，多鐸命降將劉良佐帶清兵追擊弘光帝。五月二十二日癸卯，總兵田雄、馬得功、丘鉞、張杰、黃名、陳獻策衝上御舟，劫持弘光帝，將其獻給清軍。豫王多鐸命去鎖鏈，以紅繩捆綁。五月二十五日丙午，朱由崧乘無幔小轎入南京聚寶門，頭蒙緇素帕，身衣藍布袍，以油扇掩面，兩妃乘驢隨後，夾路百姓唾罵，有投瓦礫者。多鐸在靈璧侯府設宴，命朱由崧居于北來太子之下。宴罷，拘弘光帝于江寧縣署。

被害

南明弘光元年（1645年）閏六月，唐王朱聿鍵即位于福州，改元隆武，遙上朱由崧尊號為「聖安皇帝」。同年九月甲寅，朱由崧與皇太后鄒氏、潞王朱常淓等人被押送至北京，由清朝太醫院安置居住，日時饋宴，朱由崧酣飲極樂。

清順治三年（1646年）五月十九日，有人向清攝政王多爾袞告發，稱居住北京的前明衡王朱由棷、荊王朱慈煃欲謀反。同年五月甲子，弘光帝與秦王朱存極、晉王朱審烜、潞王朱常淓、荊王朱慈煃、徳王朱由櫟、衡王朱由棷等十七人被斬首於菜市口（一說弘光帝以弓弦絞死）。

陵墓

朱由崧王妃黃氏之弟黃調鼎購得棺木，與黃妃合葬于河南孟津縣東山頭村。

追謚

弘光帝凶訊南傳後，監國魯王朱以海上謚號為赧皇帝，不久又上廟謚為質宗安皇帝。永曆帝立，于永曆十一年四月改弘光帝廟號曰安宗，謚號奉天遵道寬和靜穆修文布武溫恭仁孝簡皇帝。

評價爭議

根據明末清初筆記記載，朱由崧是個十分昏庸腐朽的君主，整日只知吃喝玩樂，沉湎于酒色之中，不理朝政。崇禎十七年（1644年）除夕，當清軍南下之際，朱由崧卻在群臣面前感嘆「後宮寥落，旦新春南都無新聲」，下令廣選美女。由於縱欲無度，還命人替他捉蛤蟆配製春藥，金陵的百姓叫他「蛤蟆天子」。

在其即位之前，史可法曾寫信給馬士英說明「福王七不可立」──貪、淫、酗酒、不孝、虐下、無知和專橫。由史可法、張慎言、高弘圖等17人簽名送與馬士英。後人稱其為明朝及南明最昏庸的帝王，唯知享樂，不問政事，沉湎酒色，荒淫透頂。然而有學者認為細檢史籍傳聞難據，並認為其緣由多為東林黨人因國本之爭對福王藩一系的成見所致，而其本來的經歷顯現的是並非昏庸且頗有個性的政治家形象；如曾任弘光朝給事中李清《三垣筆記》、《南渡錄》及《甲申日記》對荒淫縱欲之事，且加辯誣。李清說他「蕪居深宮，每徘徊詫嘆，謂諸臣無肯為我用，于聲色罕近也。然讀書少，章奏未能親裁，故內閹外壬，相倚為奸，卒歸過于上。如端門捕蝦蟆，此宮中舊例，而加以穢言；且謂孌童季女，死者接踵，內外諠謗罔辯也。及國亡，宮女逸出，始得其真。惟一為士英所挾，太阿旁落，亂政亟行，以淪胥于亡。蓋帝仁厚有餘，剛明不足。論者謂士英聽阮大鋮奸謀，欲以三朝要典興黨人之獄」，「他獨不允，亦可想見其為人矣」。又，「舊輔吳甡寓居溧水，曾見一大璫，詢及宮府事，言」他「飲酒宴樂有之，縱淫方藥等，傳聞非確，惜為大學士馬士英所挾耳。」此外，朱由崧為靖難之變殉難的明惠帝一系君臣平反，並貶抑事發當時擴大迫害的陳瑛及轉投迎附的胡廣，還彙整受到明太祖忌憚的開國名臣以及明朝各代的能臣以作補諡。因此其政治得失尚有爭議。

錢海岳《南明史》評價弘光帝「北京顛覆，上膺鼎籙，豐芑奠磐，徵用俊耆。卷阿翽羽，相得益彰。故初政有客觀者。性素寬厚，馬、阮欲以《三朝要典》起大獄，屢請不允。觀其諭解良玉，委任繼咸，詞婉處當；拒納銀贖罪之議，禁武臣罔利之非，皆非武、熹昏騃之比。顧少讀書，章奏未能親裁，政事一出士英，不從中制，坐是狐鳴虎噬，咆哮恣睢，紀綱倒持。及大鋮得志，眾正去朝，羅罻高張，黨禍益烈。上燕居神功，輒頓足謂士英誤我，而太阿旁落，無可如何，遂日飲火酒，親伶官優人為樂，卒至觸蠻之爭，清收漁利。時未一朞，柱折維缺。故雖遺愛足以感其遺民，而卒不能保社稷云。」

家庭

后妃

皇后

• 孝哲懿莊溫正仁靖儀天昭聖簡皇后黃氏

• 孝義端仁肅明貞潔熙天詒聖皇后李氏

妃

• 金貴妃，洛陽人，本為鄒太后侍女，弘光帝即位後入宮；其後弘光帝被清軍拘拿在江寧縣，鄒太后與金妃同居一室，之後被清軍驅趕北渡，渡淮河時，乘間隙投水而死。

• 童妃，存疑，見童妃案

• 陳妃，淮陽妓女，被清軍拘拿

• 汪妃，淮陽妓女，被清軍拘拿

• 淑女黃氏

• 淑女郭氏

• 選侍某，南京失陷後出家，法名真修

• 張宮人，南京失陷後投水自殺

• 王宮人，南京失陷後出家

• 葉子眉

• 宮人徐淑秀，南京失陷後再嫁邵某，號「昭陽遺子」

兄弟

• 潁衝王 朱由榘，原封潁上郡王

• 德懷王 朱由樺

子女

子

• （早夭）

女

• 長女（夭折）

影視形象

電影

電視劇

參考資料

• 弘光帝 (維基百科)