Early years

Born as heir apparent of a vassal prince, Zhu Houcong was not brought up to succeed to the throne. However, the throne became vacant in 1521 after the sudden death of the Hongzhi Emperor's son, the Zhengde Emperor, who did not leave an heir. Prior to the Zhengde Emperor's death, the line of succession was as follows:

• 15px Zhu Jianshen, Chenghua Emperor (1447–1487)

　• Unnamed son (1466–1466)

　• Zhu Youji (1469–1472)

　• 15px Zhu Youcheng, Hongzhi Emperor (1470–1505)

　　• 15px Zhu Houzhao, Zhengde Emperor (1491–1521)

　　• ''Zhu Houwei, Prince Dao of Wei (1496–1497, title posthumously)

　• Zhu Youyuan, Prince Xian of Xing (1476–1519)

　　• Zhu Houxi, Prince Huai of Yue (1500–1500, title posthumously)

　　• (1) Zhu Houcong, Prince of Xing (b. 1507)''

The 13-year-old Zhu Houcong, then heir presumptive, succeeded to the throne, and so relocated from his father's princedom (near present-day Zhongxiang, Hubei) to the capital, Beijing. As the Jiajing Emperor, Zhu Houcong had his parents posthumously elevated to an "honorary" imperial rank, and had an imperial-style Xianling Mausoleum built for them near Zhongxiang.

Reign as emperor

Custom dictated that an emperor who was not an immediate descendant of the previous one should be adopted by the previous one, to maintain an unbroken line. Such a posthumous adoption of Zhu Houcong by the Hongzhi Emperor was proposed, but he resisted, preferring instead to have his father declared emperor posthumously. This conflict is known as the "Great Rites Controversy." The Jiajing Emperor prevailed and hundreds of his opponents were banished, flogged in the imperial court (廷杖), or executed. Among the banished was the poet Yang Shen.

The Jiajing Emperor was known to be intelligent and efficient; whilst later he went on strike, and choose not to attend any state meetings, he did not neglect the paperwork and other governmental matters. The Jiajing Emperor was also known to be a cruel and self-aggrandizing emperor and he also chose to reside outside of the Forbidden City in Beijing so he could live in isolation. Ignoring state affairs, the Jiajing Emperor relied on Zhang Cong and Yan Song to handle affairs of state. In time, Yan Song and his son Yan Shifan – who gained power only as a result of his father's political influence – came to dominate the whole government even being called the "First and Second Prime Minister". Ministers such as Hai Rui and Yang Jisheng challenged and even chastised Yan Song and his son but were thoroughly ignored by the emperor. Hai Rui and many ministers were eventually dismissed or executed. The Jiajing Emperor also abandoned the practice of seeing his ministers altogether from 1539 onwards, and for a period of almost 25 years refused to give official audiences, choosing instead to relay his wishes through eunuchs and officials. Only Yan Song, a few handful of eunuchs and Daoist priests ever saw the emperor. This eventually led to corruption at all levels of the Ming government. However, the Jiajing Emperor was intelligent and managed to control the court.

The Ming dynasty had enjoyed a long period of peace, but in 1542 the Mongol leader Altan Khan began to harass China along the northern border. In 1550, he even reached the suburbs of Beijing. Eventually the Ming government appeased him by granting special trading rights. The Ming government also had to deal with wokou pirates attacking the southeastern coastline.

Starting in 1550, Beijing was enlarged by the addition of the outer city.

The deadliest earthquake of all times, the Shaanxi earthquake of 1556 that killed over 800,000 people, occurred during the Jiajing Emperor's reign.

Plot of Renyin year

Due to the Jiajing Emperor's cruelty and promiscuous lifestyle, his concubines and palace maids plotted to assassinate him in October 1542 by strangling him while he slept. His pursuit of eternal life led him to believe that one of the elixirs of extending his life was to force virgin palace maids to collect menstrual blood for his consumption. These arduous tasks were performed non-stop even when the palace maids were taken ill and any unwilling participants were executed on the Emperor's whim. A group of palace maids who had had enough of the emperor's cruelty decided to band together to murder him in an event known as the Renyin Plot. The lead palace maid tried to strangle the emperor with ribbons from her hair while the others held down the emperor's arms and legs but made a fatal mistake by tying a knot around the emperor's neck which would not tighten. Meanwhile, some of the young palace maids involved began to panic and one (Zhang Jinlian) ran to the empress. The plot was exposed and on the orders of the empress and some officials, all of the palace maids involved, including the emperor's favourite concubine (Consort Duan) and another concubine (Consort Ning, née Wang), were ordered to be executed by slow slicing and their families were killed. The Jiajing Emperor later determined that Consort Duan had been innocent, and dictated that their daughter, Luzheng, be raised by Imperial Noble Consort Shen.

A porcelain vase with glazed fish designs, from the Jiajing era.

Taoist pursuits

The Jiajing Emperor was a devoted follower of Taoism and attempted to suppress Buddhism. After the assassination attempt in 1542, the emperor moved out of the imperial palace, and lived with a small, thin, 13-year-old girl who was able to satisfy his sexual appetite (Lady Shan). The Jiajing Emperor began to pay excessive attention to his Taoist pursuits while ignoring his imperial duties. He built three Taoist temples: Temple of the Sun, Temple of the Earth and Temple of the Moon, and extended the Temple of Heaven by adding the Earthly Mount. Over the years, the emperor's devotion to Taoism was to become a heavy financial burden for the Ming government and create dissent across the country.

Particularly during his later years, the Jiajing Emperor was known for spending a great deal of time on alchemy in hopes of finding medicines to prolong his life. He would forcibly recruit young women in their early teens and engage in sexual activities in the hope of empowering himself, along with the consumption of potent elixirs. He employed Taoist priests to collect rare minerals from all over the country to create elixirs, including elixirs containing mercury, which inevitably posed health problems at high doses.

Legacy and death

After 45 years on the throne (the second longest reign in the Ming dynasty), the Jiajing Emperor died in 1567 – possibly due to mercury overdose from Chinese alchemical elixir poisoning – and was succeeded by his son, the Longqing Emperor. Though his long rule gave the dynasty an era of stability, the Jiajing Emperor's neglect of his official duties resulted in the decline of the dynasty at the end of the 16th century. His style of governance, or the lack thereof, would be emulated by his grandson later in the century.

The time when the Jiajing Emperor was buried was very close to the time of completion of the manuscript copy of the lost Yongle Encyclopedia was completed. Jiajing Emperor died in December 1566, but was buried three months later, in March 1567. One possibility is that they were waiting for the manuscript to be completed.

Portrayal in art

The Jiajing Emperor was portrayed in contemporary court portrait paintings, as well as in other works of art. For example, in this panoramic painting below, the Jiajing Emperor can be seen in the right half riding a black steed and wearing a plumed helmet. He is distinguished from his entourage of bodyguards as an abnormally tall figure.

Family

Consorts and Issue:

• Empress Xiaojiesu, of the Chen clan (孝潔肅皇后 陳氏; 1508–1528)

• Empress, of the Zhang clan (皇后 張氏; d. 1537), personal name Qijie (七姐)

• Empress Xiaolie, of the Fang clan (孝烈皇后 方氏; 1516–1547)

• Empress Xiaoke, of the Du clan (孝恪皇后 杜氏; d. 1554)

　• Zhu Zaihou, the Longqing Emperor (穆宗 朱載垕; 4 March 1537 – 5 July 1572), third son

• Imperial Noble Consort Duanhe, of the Wang clan (端和皇貴妃 王氏; d. 1553)

　• Zhu Zairui, Crown Prince Zhuangjing (莊敬皇太子 朱載壡; 1536–1549), second son

• Imperial Noble Consort Zhuangshun, of the Shen clan (莊順皇貴妃 沈氏; d. 1581)

• Imperial Noble Consort Rong'an, of the Yan clan (榮安皇貴妃 閻氏; d. 1541)

　• Zhu Zaiji, Crown Prince Aichong (哀衝皇太子 朱載基; 7 September 1533 – 27 October 1533), first son

• Noble Consort Gongxi, of the Wen clan (恭僖貴妃 文氏)

• Noble Consort Rong'an, of the Ma clan (榮安貴妃 馬氏)

• Consort Daoyingong, of the Wen clan (悼隱恭妃 文氏; d. 1532)

• Consort Duan, of the Cao clan (端妃 曹氏; d. 1542)

　• Princess Chang'an (常安公主; 1536–1549), personal name Shouying (壽媖), first daughter

　• Princess Ning'an (寧安公主; 1539–1607), personal name Luzheng (祿媜), third daughter

　　• Married Li He (李和) in 1555, and had issue (one son)

• Consort Huairongxian, of the Zheng clan (懷榮賢妃 鄭氏; d. 1536)

• Consort Jing, of the Lu clan (靖妃 盧氏; d. 1588)

　• Zhu Zaizhen, Prince Jinggong (景恭王 朱載圳; 29 March 1537 – 9 February 1565), fourth son

• Consort Su, of the Jiang clan (肅妃 江氏)

　• Zhu Zaishang, Prince Yingshang (潁殤王 朱載墒; 8 September 1537 – 9 September 1537), fifth son

• Consort Yi, of the Zhao clan (懿妃 趙氏; d. 1569)

　• Zhu Zai?, Prince Qihuai (戚懷王 朱載?; 1 October 1537 – 5 August 1538), sixth son

• Consort Yong, of the Chen clan (雍妃 陳氏; d. 1586)

　• Zhu Zaikui, Prince Ji'ai (薊哀王 朱載㙺; 29 January 1538 – 14 February 1538), seventh son

　• Princess Guishan (歸善公主; 1541–1544), personal name Ruirong (瑞嬫), fourth daughter

• Consort Hui, of the Wang clan (徽妃 王氏)

　• Princess Sirou (思柔公主; 1538–1549), personal name Fuyuan (福媛), second daughter

• Consort Rong, of the Zhao clan (榮妃 趙氏)

　• Zhu Zaifeng, Prince Junsi (均思王 朱載堸; 23 August 1539 – 16 April 1540), eighth son

• Consort Rongzhaode, of the Zhang clan (榮昭德妃 張氏; d. 1574)

　• Princess Jiashan (嘉善公主; 1541–1564), personal name Suzhen (素嫃), fifth daughter

　　• Married Xu Congcheng (許從誠) in 1559

• Consort Rong'anzhen, of the Ma clan (榮安貞妃 馬氏; d. 1564)

• Consort Duanjingshu, of the Zhang clan (端靜淑妃 張氏)

• Consort Gongxili, of the Wang clan (恭僖麗妃 王氏; d. 1553)

• Consort Gongshurong, of the Yang clan (恭淑榮妃 楊氏; d. 1566)

• Consort Duanhuiyong, of the Xu clan (端惠永妃 徐氏)

• Imperial Concubine Ning of the Wang clan (王宁嫔) d. 1542) head of the Renyin plot

Ancestry

人物生平

在位初期

明世宗朱厚熜是明憲宗第四子興獻王朱祐杬次子，是明孝宗之姪，明武宗之堂弟；明武宗正德二年（1507）生，母興王妃蔣氏。

正德十六年（1521年），明武宗駕崩，無子嗣，內閣首輔吏部尚書、武英殿大學士楊廷和定策，援引《皇明祖訓》，推找皇位繼承人，而武宗唯一弟弟朱厚煒幼年夭折，於是上推至武宗父明孝宗一輩，孝宗是明憲宗的第三子，兩名兄長皆早逝無子嗣，四弟興王朱祐杬雖已在正德十四年（1519年）薨，但有二子，興王長子（朱厚熙）早夭，遂以「兄終弟及」的原則，徵正在服喪的興王次子，興國世子朱厚熜入京即位。朱厚熜先繼承興王頭銜，後即帝位，改元「嘉靖」，是為明世宗。

大禮議

朱厚熜十四歲入繼大統，因想追封親生父母「皇帝、皇后」的尊號，但首輔楊廷和與其子楊慎等舊臣要求他改以明孝宗為義父，因而引發了長達三年半的大禮議之爭，期間廷杖打死十六人；世宗不顧朝臣反對，追尊生父為獻帝、生母為興國皇太后，改稱孝宗曰「皇伯考」。嘉靖十七年（1538年）九月興獻帝被追尊為「睿宗知天守道洪德淵仁寬穆純聖恭簡敬文獻皇帝」，並將睿宗的牌位升袝太廟，排序在明武宗之上，改興獻王墓為顯陵，大禮議事件至此最終結束。

嘉靖中興

嘉靖帝前期推行了改革，成效顯著。河南道御史劉安說：「今明天子綜核于上，百執事振于下，叢蠹之弊，十去其九，所少者元氣耳。」張居正在萬曆三年（1575）以自己少年時的親身體驗對嘉靖前期整頓學政的成就予以極高的評價。他說：「臣等幼時，猶及見提學官多海內名流，類能以道自重，不苟徇人，人亦無敢幹以私者。士習儒風，猶為近古。」

隆慶二年（1568）進士李樂對嘉靖前期革除鎮守中官的積極作用給予的評價，言道：「世宗皇帝繼統，年齡雖小，英斷夙成，待此輩不少假借。又得張公孚敬以正佐之，盡革各省鎮守內臣，司禮監不得幹預章奏。往瑾時，公卿大臣相見，無敢抗禮，甚有拜伏者。自張公當國，司禮以下各監局巨璫，見公竦息敬畏，不敢並行並坐，至以『張爺』呼之，不動聲色，而潛消其驕悍之心。蓋自漢唐宋元以來，宦官斂戢，士氣得伸，國體尊嚴，未有如今日者，誠千載一時哉！」

因應外戚為害天下，嘉靖帝和張璁、方獻夫在革除外戚世封的問題上達到了共識，下令永遠廢除此制，《明通鑑》編纂者說：「安昌伯錢維圻卒，其庶兄維垣請嗣爵，下吏部議。尚書方獻夫等言：『外戚之封，不當世及。』歷引漢、唐、宋事以証。璁以為然，力主之。上善其言，詔：『自今外戚封爵者，但終其身，毋得請襲。』自是，外戚遂永絕世封。」

明代史學家何喬遠《名山藏》總結嘉靖前期「勵精化理，湔濯海內觀聽，挈清政本，杜塞旁落，奮武揆文，網羅才實。至于稽古禮典，取次厘毖一切，創必表章，軼往憲來，赫然中興，多孚敬（張璁）所翼贊」。何喬遠認為嘉靖前期出現的國家中興是得益于內閣首輔張璁推行的改革。

而在嘉靖中後期，海瑞于嘉靖四十五年亦言：世宗「二十餘年不視朝，法紀弛矣」。

施政無方

世宗濫用夫役與國家財政之力大事興建，迷信方士、尊崇道教，好長生不老之術，每年不斷修設齋醮，造成巨大的靡費。

世宗好房中術秘方，多採處女之經血煉丹，方士陶仲文與佞臣顧可學、盛端明等進獻媚藥得以倖進，世宗為人暴躁兇殘，朝鮮國使臣的著作，也稱他對宮女：「若有微過，多不容恕，輒加箠楚。因此殞命者，多至二百餘人。」嘉靖二十一年（1542年）十月爆發「壬寅宮變」，幾死於宮女之手。明朝的太醫許紳用「虎狼之藥」救活世宗，但是，由于他在急救世宗皇帝時，承受著「不效必殺身」的巨大壓力，不多久，許紳得了病，臥床不起，嘉靖帝來看望他。他說：「吾不起矣，曩者宮變，吾自度不效必殺身，因此驚悸，非藥石所能療。」病卒，賜謚恭僖。此後世宗相繼遷居西苑萬壽宮及玉熙宮謹身精舍，至死不曾回到紫禁城大內居住，直至瀕死前才在徐階以明武宗死在宮外為例子勸說下回到大內居住。首輔嚴嵩專國二十年，殘害忠良，楊繼盛、沈鍊等朝臣慘遭殺害。

嘉靖朝吏治敗壞，爆發多起農民起義，如：山東礦工起義、陳卿起義、蔡伯貫起義、浙贛礦工起義、李亞元起義、賴清規起義，邊事廢弛，1524年以後爆發多起大同兵變，1535年爆發遼東兵變，1560年爆發振武營兵變，長城北方蒙古韃靼俺答汗寇邊，倭寇侵略中國東南沿海，就是「北虜南倭」的問題，後賴朱紈、戚繼光、俞大猷等人率軍肅清倭寇。世宗在位之時，葡萄牙人遠航當時屬廣東省香山縣管轄的澳門，並「借地晾曬水浸貨物」為藉口開始於澳門定居，從而在澳門展開了接近450年的葡萄牙租借及殖民時期。

嘉靖四十四年（1565年）正月，方士王金等偽造《諸品仙方》、《養老新書》，制長生妙藥獻世宗。嘉靖四十五年二月，（1566年）戶部主事海瑞上《治安疏》，世宗初大怒，擲疏於地，並下詔讓錦衣衛及三法司論罪。但後重置御案上數日內再三閱讀。後法司擬處大闢的刑罰，但世宗審閱後卻留中不發，以致海瑞終未獲刑。

任內發生的重大事件

嘉靖大地震

嘉靖三十四年農曆臘月十二（1556年1月23日），山西、陝西和河南同時發生地震。這次地震分布在陝西、山西、河南、甘肅等地，地震波及大半個中國大陸，有感範圍遠達福建、兩廣等地。百姓民眾因壓砸、焚溺、與飢疫而死者無法估計，其奏報有名者便達83萬有多，不知名者不可勝數。死亡人口之多幾達當時人口的百分之一，也是古今中外地震史上僅有的案例。這次大地震致使陝西、山西、河南等省97州受災，101個縣受害，災區面積大約28萬平方公里。地震有感範圍為5省227個縣。「餘震月動三五次者半年，未止息者三載，五年漸輕方止」。由于明代後期吏治腐敗，國庫空虛。地震發生後明朝從國庫調撥大量資金用于救災，導致明朝國庫連續兩年虧空，加上地震引發的自然災害和瘟疫導致明朝政府稅收減少，對明朝的國力和財政狀況亦造成不同程度的影響。

駕崩

嘉靖四十五年十二月初八，世宗免去臘宴。十四日，世宗病篤，時隔二十多年重新住回大內。當日午時，於乾清宮駕崩。徐階請裕王入宮主持大行皇帝喪禮。裕王自東安門入，至乾清宮御榻前發喪。次日，大行皇帝小殮，並發佈遺詔。十六日，大殮，並上廟號世宗。

隆慶元年三月十一日，世宗梓宮及祔葬孝潔皇后、孝恪皇后梓宮離開北京。十六日，世宗及孝潔皇后、孝恪皇后梓宮抵達永陵。次日，世宗入葬永陵。

遺詔

任用官員

宰輔

• 楊廷和

• 蔣冕

• 毛紀

• 費宏

• 張璁

• 賈詠

• 楊一清

• 謝遷

• 翟鑾

• 方獻夫

• 夏言

• 顧鼎臣

• 嚴嵩

• 許讚

• 張治

• 李本

• 徐階

• 袁煒

名將

• 俞大猷

• 胡宗憲

• 戚繼光

• 李成梁

太監

• 黃錦：初任朱厚熜伴讀。世宗期間掌司禮監、東廠。稱其為「黃伴」，頗受信任。權勢強大，但能自我約束的一個太監。

• 孫洪：御馬監太監。成化十三年入宮。此人清廉奉公。

• 畢雲：提督東廠。辦事清廉、勤勞謹慎。

• 孫彬：內官監太監。此人好學，善于楷書。

• 陳洪：御馬監掌印太監，後為司禮監掌印太監。

人物評價

嘉靖皇帝醉心于西苑修仙齋醮，直到他最後死去，卻一直是「雖深居淵穆而威柄不移」，雖數十年不見朝臣，仍能做到「大張弛、大封拜、大誅賞，皆出獨斷，至不可測度。」明世宗非常聰明，也十分勤奮，批閱奏書票擬經常到後半夜。但嘉靖後期，朝中官員貪污納賄、奢侈靡費，確已成普遍的現象。

• 《明史·世宗本紀》：「贊曰：世宗御極之初，力除一切弊政，天下翕然稱治。顧迭議大禮，輿論沸騰，幸臣假託，尋興大獄。夫天性至情，君親大義，追尊立廟，禮亦宜之；然升祔太廟，而躋於武宗之上，不已過乎！若其時紛紜多故，將疲於邊，賊訌於內，而崇尚道教，享祀弗經，營建繁興，府藏告匱，百餘年富庶治平之業，因以漸替。雖剪剔權奸，威柄在御，要亦中材之主也矣。」

• 《國榷》：「世廟起正德之衰，釐革積習，誠雄主也。因議禮自裁，好稽古右文之事，諸臣迎附，祗諍于儀節，反實政略焉。」

• 《名山藏》：「臣喬遠曰：臣每見故縉紳父老，若為郎時尚接先朝皆御之臣，多好言嘉靖時事，其謨猷合聖賢，動作掀天地，真中興之主矣。晚節西苑崇玄，帝心固以為敬天，雖萬幾在宥而精神無時不運，於天下者四十餘年如一日，所以饗世獨久歟。」

家庭成員

祖先

后妃

嘉靖帝為明代正式冊封妃嬪最多的皇帝。世宗性卞，宮人多不測。

皇后

• 孝潔肅皇后陳氏，明世宗致其流產，病死。初謚悼靈，後改謚孝潔，葬于天壽山皇貴妃、皇太子陵園。隆慶帝加謚曰孝潔恭懿慈睿安莊相天翊聖肅皇后，遷葬帝陵，祔廟。

• 廢后張七姐，初為順妃，陳后崩後，立為皇后，後被廢。死後葬于金山皇族園寢。

• 孝烈皇后方氏，繼后，葬永陵，謚曰孝烈端順敏惠恭誠祗天衛聖皇后，正史記載病死，勝朝彤史拾遺記和明朝進士何喬遠所寫的《十三朝遺史》記載說，方皇后死于西宮大火，世宗不准許太監救火。世宗遺命以她為元配皇后祔廟，但穆宗改以孝潔皇后祔太廟，移孝烈皇后神主弘孝殿。

• 孝恪皇太后杜氏，穆宗生母，初為康嬪，後為康妃，崩，謚榮淑康妃，其後穆宗即位，尊謚為孝恪淵純慈懿恭順贊天開聖皇后，遷葬永陵，祀主神霄殿。

皇貴妃

• 沈皇貴妃，初為宸妃，謚曰莊順安榮貞靜皇貴妃。

• 閻皇貴妃，初為麗妃，皇長子哀衝太子朱載基之母。謚曰榮安惠順端僖皇貴妃。

• 王皇貴妃，生莊敬太子朱載𡓝，謚曰端和恭榮順溫僖皇貴妃。

貴妃

• 文貴妃，初為敬妃，後晉封貴妃。

• 馬貴妃，生平、徽號不詳，謚曰榮安貴妃。（疑與榮安貞妃馬氏為一人，二人姓氏、諡號相同，繁體「貴」、「貞」字形相近，可能是誤記）

• 周貴妃，生平不詳，嘉靖十九年九月二十六日，葬於孝潔皇后陵次。

妃

• 曹端妃，常安公主和寧安公主之生母，於壬寅宮變中被陷為同謀而被凌遲處死。

• 盧靖妃，景王之母。

• 江肅妃，《國榷》則作汪肅妃。

• 鄭賢妃，謚曰懷榮賢妃。

• 趙懿妃

• 陳雍妃

• 馬貞妃

• 張德妃，宮人張氏和其女朱素嫃多次陪同沉迷于齋醮的世宗齋戒，因此輔助齋醮的宮人張氏被晉封為德妃，後加謚曰榮昭德妃。

• 張淑妃，謚曰端靜恭惠淑妃。

• 楊榮妃，以宮婢身份於皇宮火災中護主遇難，喪葬禮儀視皇貴妃例的四分之三，謚曰恭淑安僖榮妃。

• 文恭妃，因罪被責罰幽禁死而僅以嬪禮下葬，謚曰悼隱恭妃。

• 陳靜妃

• 王麗妃，謚曰恭僖麗妃。

• 包宜妃

• 徐永妃，謚曰端惠永妃。

• 沈安妃

• 王宸妃

• 王靖妃

• 王徽妃

• 王貞妃

• 王懷妃

• 何睦妃

• 尚壽妃，原為輔助齋醮的宮婢，後封為美人。

• 高和妃

• 耿平妃

• 吳定妃

• 褚靜妃

• 李順妃

• 于宜妃

• 張安妃

• 王莊妃，以宮婢身份入宮多年仍未能引起嘉靖帝的注意，便吟詩自嘆而封為莊妃，常告誡家人不可驕侈。

• 褚晏妃

• 杜莊妃

• 甘妃，徽號不詳。嘉靖四十三年（1564年），甘氏於發現懷孕後三個月患上了瘧疾，太醫院官朱林讓其服下三劑柴胡桂技湯，甘氏的病情便好轉了。怎料甘氏與宮娥戲龍舟時不慎觸動龍胎而流產，甘氏匿情曠奏且歸咎於太醫，世宗大怒將所有太醫發落至六部九卿治罪，或斬或流放。

嬪

• 王裕嬪

• 王寧嬪，壬寅宮變之主謀，孝烈皇后方氏命人凌遲處死王氏。

• 盧和嬪

• 李敬嬪

• 任順嬪

• 王莊嬪

• 宋麗嬪

• 田靜嬪

• 楊常嬪

• 劉常嬪

• 孟安嬪

• 傅常嬪

• 王宜嬪

• 余榮嬪

• 韋惠嬪

• 劉淑嬪

• 趙婉嬪

• 王懷嬪

• 任和嬪

• 郭寧嬪，朝鮮史料稱河南郭姓平民於壬戌年間獻其十四歲女于世宗，該女不僅姿色絕美，而且才技脫凡、書法尤奇。世宗正請僧道設置齋壇祈禱神佛，破戒為難，便置該女於宮中，僅能稍稍暱近，世宗對齋醮之事的態度漸不如前，未知是否為郭寧嬪。

• 劉康嬪

• 張昭嬪

• 武常嬪

• 高常嬪

• 王常嬪

• 張常嬪

• 李常嬪

• 陳常嬪

• 馬常嬪，未正式封為妃就早逝。

子女

子

• 哀衝太子朱載基（1533年），生兩月而夭折，母皇貴妃閻氏。

• 莊敬太子朱載𡓝（1536－1549，13歲），早薨，母皇貴妃王氏。

• 穆宗朱載坖（1537－1572，35歲），原封裕王，母康妃杜氏。

• 景恭王朱載圳（1537－1565，28歲），母靖妃盧氏，嘉靖四十四年薨，無子國除。

• 潁殤王朱載𪉖（1537年），生一日即夭折，母肅妃江氏。

• 戚懷王朱載����（1537－1538），生未逾歲殤，母懿妃趙氏。

• 薊哀王朱載㙺（1538年），生半月而夭折，母雍妃陳氏。

• 均思王朱載����（1539－1540），生未逾歲殤，母榮妃趙氏。

女

• 常安公主朱壽媖（1536－1549），母曹端妃，未下嫁。十三歲薨

• 思柔公主朱福媛（1538－1549），母徽妃王氏，未下嫁。十一歲薨

• 寧安公主朱祿媜（？－？），又作成平公主，母曹端妃，嘉靖三十四年下嫁李和。

• 歸善公主朱瑞嬫（1541－1544），母陳雍妃，三歲夭折，追冊，葬祭視太康公主。

• 嘉善公主朱素嫃（？－1564），又作安泰公主，母張德妃，嘉靖三十六年下嫁許從誠。四十三年薨。

影視作品

相關條目

• 大禮議

• 壬寅宮變

• 嘉靖中興

• 嘉靖大地震

• 大明王朝1566

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