The Most Devoted Emperor in Chinese History: A Monarch Who Loved and Married Only One Person His Whole Life

Despite possessing all the wealth and thousands of concubines, these kings only loved and respected one woman in their lifetime. Who are these three kings?

Minh Hieu Tong

Polygamy was common in ancient feudal societies. Having three wives and four concubines was considered normal for a man. As the ruler, the emperor had the duty to marry many wives and have many children.

However, in ancient China, there was an emperor who only had one wife throughout his life, Minh Hieu Tong Chu Huyu Duong (1470-1505). The reason was due to his birth and upbringing.

Chu Huyu Duong was the son of Minh Hien Tong Chu Kien Tham, who was infatuated with older women. Minh Hien Tong favored Vạn Quý Phi, who was more than ten years older than him. Vạn Quý Phi could not conceive a child and did not allow any other concubine to get pregnant. If anyone was found to be pregnant, she would make the child disappear.

Chu Huyu Duong’s mother was a lowly palace maid who became pregnant after a sudden romantic encounter with Minh Hien Tong. Vạn Quý Phi ordered another palace maid to poison Chu Huyu Duong’s mother. However, this palace maid refused to carry out the order because she had a good relationship with Chu Huyu Duong’s mother.

After the child was born, Vạn Quý Phi sent a eunuch named Truong Man to harm the child. Truong Man grew dissatisfied with Vạn Quý Phi and secretly raised the young prince in the imperial palace. The child grew up without parents by his side, and he didn’t even have a name until he was six years old.

One day, Minh Hien Tong lamented about not having a child despite having many wives. It was at this time that Truong Man revealed the truth to the emperor. Minh Hien Tong met his only son for the first time when the child was six years old and named him Chu Huyu Duong, with the title of his mother being the Kỷ phi.

Vạn Quý Phi learned about this and ordered the death of Kỷ Phi and eunuch Truong Man. Chu Huyu Duong grew up in a tragic environment, witnessing many tragedies in the imperial harem, and always felt insecure.

Minh Hien Tong had only one son, so he appointed Chu Huyu Duong as the crown prince. Vạn Quý Phi made several unsuccessful attempts to harm the crown prince because Chu Huyu Duong was always cautious and never consumed anything unfamiliar.

Vạn Quý Phi knew that if Chu Huyu Duong ascended the throne, she would be the first one to be killed, so she begged Minh Hien Tong to depose the crown prince. At that moment, Mount Thai Son suddenly collapsed due to an earthquake. The courtiers urged the emperor not to depose the crown prince, using the earthquake as a sign from heaven. Chu Huyu Duong escaped unharmed.

Chu Huyu Duong married Truong Thi, who came from a prestigious family with expertise in calligraphy and painting. At the age of 17, Chu Huyu Duong ascended the throne and was titled Minh Hieu Tong, while Truong Thi became the Hieu Kinh Empress. After his father passed away, the imperial court faced chaos and disorder.

Minh Hieu Tong implemented comprehensive political reforms, valued talented individuals, and focused on governing the country. Due to his traumatic childhood experiences and witnessing the tragedies in the harem, he always felt a lack of security.

Minh Hieu Tong had only one wife and pledged to live with the Hieu Kinh Empress for a lifetime, as they were soulmates.

During the reign of Minh Hieu Tong, the Ming Dynasty prospered, and the economy thrived. The people praised it as a “prosperous reign.”

Minh Thai To

Minh Thai To’s real name was Chu Nguyen Chuong. He was famous for being a decisive and ruthless king. However, thanks to his contributions to the empire, Chu Nguyen Chuong is considered one of the greatest emperors in Chinese history.

Chu Nguyen Chuong was not only ruthless towards his military generals but also towards his concubines and palace ladies. If he suspected that they were disloyal, he would have a thousand ways to punish them for adultery. However, in his lifetime, this notorious and ruthless emperor was faithful to only one woman, Queen Ma.

Queen Ma’s real name is unknown, and local legends refer to her as Ma Tu Anh. She was married to Minh Thai To when he was still a young man. From a nameless beggar, he rose to the position of Vice Marshal, and after their marriage, Chu Nguyen Chuong faced a lot of jealousy and conspiracies. During his difficult times in captivity, Ma Tu Anh was always by his side, feigning illness to secretly bring him food through a hidden passage to his prison cell. Her unwavering loyalty and genuine sincerity left a deep impression on Chu Nguyen Chuong, even when he had the power and all the kingdoms in his hands.

The love story between Chu Nguyen Chuong and Ma Anh Tu is depicted in the film “The Beggar Emperor and the Big-footed Queen.” The story revolves around the founding emperor of the Ming Dynasty, Chu Nguyen Chuong (Tran Hao Dan), and his wife Ma Tu Anh (Ninh Tinh) – the famous “big-footed” queen who did not bind her feet like the women of that time. Despite being the ruler of a country, Chu Nguyen Chuong remained devoted to Ma Tu Anh. Their love story has been passed down through generations and has become a shining legend.

In addition, the TV series “The Secret History of Emperor Chu Nguyen Chuong” released in 2004, starring actor Huu Quan, vividly portrays the life of the greatest emperor in Chinese history. Huu Quan brought to life a vibrant Chu Nguyen Chuong, with his strategic thinking, decisiveness, flexibility, and intelligence, matching the director’s vision.

Minh Anh Tong

Minh Anh Tong (Chu Ky Tran) was a rare emperor in Chinese feudal history who ascended the throne twice. The first time was when he was still a child and ruled until he was 22 years old. The second time was when he was 30 years old and ruled until he fell ill and passed away at the age of 38.

Minh Anh Tong was praised by later generations as a faithful and affectionate king, especially towards his first wife. Despite her later illness and disability, he remained loyal to her and treated her with deep affection. In fact, before his departure, he even ordered to be buried with her in the same tomb.

The woman was Hieu Trang Due queen or former queen. She was the only queen of Emperor Minh Anh Tong. He always loved her dearly, even when the queen became disabled. Before his departure, he ordered to be buried with her in the same tomb. However, later on, Empress Chu disobeyed the emperor’s command and did not allow the burial of Queen Hieu Trang Due with Minh Anh Tong. The court officials wept outside the Van Hoa Gate to exert pressure. In the end, the tomb was divided into three chambers so that Empress Chu and Queen Hieu Trang Due could be buried together with the emperor.

However, Empress Chu secretly ordered to seal the passage between the palace of Minh Anh Tong and Queen Hieu Trang Due. When the truth was revealed, Emperor Minh Hieu Tong wanted to fix it, but he couldn’t, so the tomb of Empress Chu remains separated from the tomb of her husband.

The TV series “The Legend of Nv Y Minh Phi” refers to the romantic relationship of the lovesick Emperor Minh Anh Tong. The work is centered around the first imperial medical practitioner in the Ming Dynasty, named Dam Doan Hien, played by Liu Thi Thi. Alongside her is the “sharp-tongued” emperor Chu Ky Tran, played by Huo Kien Hoa. Despite his rebellious nature, every time Doan Hien faced difficulties, Ky Tran was always the first one to help. The series portrays Emperor Minh Anh Tong with some fictional elements and differs from historical records.