Zhu Shizhen (1281–1344), born Zhu Wusi,[1] a native of Jurong (present-day Jurong, Jiangsu), was the father of Zhu Yuanzhang, the founding emperor of the Ming dynasty.[2] The Zhu family originally lived in Pei but later relocated to Jurong. Zhu Shizhen's father, Zhu Chuyi, then moved to Xuyi in Si Prefecture (present-day Xuyi, Jiangsu), and Zhu Shizhen himself later moved to Zhongli in Haozhou (present-day Fengyang, Anhui).[3]
Zhu Shizhen was member of the impoverished peasant class. In 1344 there was a great drought in Huaibei, and his entire family died of starvation, save for two of his sons.[4]
In 1363, Han Lin'er posthumously accorded Zhu Wusi the titles Executor and Assistant Minister of the Three Offices (開府儀同三司), Senior Pillar of the State (上柱國), Head of Privy Councilor for Extraordinary Affairs (錄軍國重事), Right Chancellor of the Central Secretariat (中書右丞相), Grand Commandant (太尉), and Duke of Wu (吳國公). His wife, Lady Chen, was posthumously accorded the title Duchess (公夫人).[5]
Mote, Frederick W (1988). "The rise of the Ming dynasty, 1330–1367". In Mote, Frederick W.; Twitchett, Denis C (eds.). The Cambridge History of China Volume 7: The Ming Dynasty, 1368–1644, Part 1. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. ISBN0521243327.
Hung, Hing Ming (2016). From the Mongols to the Ming Dynasty: How a Begging Monk Became Emperor of China, Zhu Yuan Zhang. New York: Algora Publishing. ISBN9781628941524.
