《明史》與相關明代文獻記載，明太祖朱元璋於洪武三十一年（1398年）去世時，宮中確實發生妃嬪殉葬的情形。根據史料統計，約有數十名未生育皇子的妃嬪被要求隨葬，傳統說法多指四十餘人。這些女子多半出身並不顯赫，一旦皇帝駕崩，在宗法與宮廷制度的壓力下，被視為「無所依歸」之人，最終成為殉葬對象。

史書對當時場景的描述相當淒厲。殉葬妃嬪被集中帶入宮殿之內，在安排好的空間中自縊而亡，史料稱為「雉頸」，亦即以繩索縊死。據傳當時哭聲震動宮闈，氣氛悲慟壓抑。這種做法本質上是一種制度化的人殉，其目的在於象徵對皇權的絕對忠誠，同時也反映出早期明朝在制度建構上仍殘存部分承襲自元代甚至更早時期的殉葬觀念。

值得注意的是，中國歷代王朝多在秦漢以後逐步廢除活人殉葬，以陶俑或明器取代，但在某些時期仍有零星恢復的現象。明初由於朱元璋對宮廷秩序與皇權威嚴的高度強調，加上其性格嚴峻，導致這種制度在洪武年間重新出現。此後，這一做法延續至建文、永樂、洪熙、宣德數朝，在皇帝駕崩時仍有妃嬪被迫殉葬的紀錄，前後約六十餘年。

轉折點出現在明英宗朱祁鎮。朱祁鎮一生經歷跌宕，正統十四年（1449年）於土木堡之變中被瓦剌俘虜，成為中國歷史上少見的被敵國擄走的在位皇帝。其後復辟登基，史稱「奪門之變」。由於他在軍事與政治決策上的失誤，歷來評價頗具爭議。然而，在臨終前，他留下遺詔明確表示：「用人殉葬，吾不忍也。此事宜自我止，後世勿復為。」這道遺命等於正式終結明朝延續數十年的妃嬪人殉制度。

從制度史的角度來看，朱祁鎮的這項決定具有重要意義。它不僅代表對生命價值的重新肯認，也象徵皇權在禮制與倫理觀念上的調整。自此之後，明朝再未出現大規模強制妃嬪殉葬的情況，人殉正式退出國家層級的喪葬制度。

因此，儘管朱祁鎮在位期間因土木堡之變、宦官專權等問題飽受批評，但他廢除人殉的舉措，往往被後世史家視為其少數值得肯定的仁政之一。在殘酷宮廷制度的歷史背景下，這道遺詔為無數可能被迫殉葬的女子，劃下一條生死分界線，也為明代禮制發展寫下重要的一頁。

According to the History of Ming (Ming Shi) and related historical records, when the Ming dynasty’s founding emperor Zhu Yuanzhang (the Hongwu Emperor) died in 1398 (the 31st year of the Hongwu reign), concubine sacrifice did indeed take place within the palace. Historical sources indicate that more than forty concubines—most of them women who had not borne sons—were forced to follow him in death. These women were often of relatively modest backgrounds, and once the emperor died, they were regarded within the rigid patriarchal and court system as having no future security, ultimately becoming victims of the burial ritual.

Descriptions in the official histories portray a grim and tragic scene. The selected concubines were gathered and brought into a palace hall, where they were made to hang themselves. The records use the term “zhi jing” (literally “pheasant-necked”), a euphemism referring to death by hanging. It is said that their cries echoed through the palace, and the atmosphere was one of overwhelming grief and terror. This practice was essentially a form of institutionalized human sacrifice, intended to symbolize absolute loyalty to the emperor and to reinforce imperial authority. It also reflects how, in the early Ming period, certain funerary customs retained elements inherited from earlier dynasties, including the Yuan and even more ancient traditions.

Although large-scale human sacrifice had largely been abandoned in China after the Qin and Han dynasties—replaced by burial figurines and funerary objects—there were occasional revivals in later periods. In the early Ming, Zhu Yuanzhang’s strict emphasis on court discipline and imperial supremacy, combined with his severe governing style, contributed to the reappearance of this practice. The system continued through several reigns, including the Jianwen, Yongle, Hongxi, and Xuande emperors. When these rulers died, there were still records of concubines being compelled to die alongside them. Altogether, the practice persisted for more than sixty years.

A turning point came during the reign of the Zhengtong Emperor, Zhu Qizhen (later known as the Tianshun Emperor after his restoration). His life was marked by dramatic upheaval. In 1449, during the Tumu Crisis, he was captured by the Oirat Mongols, becoming one of the rare reigning Chinese emperors taken prisoner by a foreign power. After his eventual release and a political coup known as the “Duomen Incident,” he regained the throne. Because of the military disaster at Tumu and subsequent political turmoil, his historical reputation remains controversial.

However, before his death, Zhu Qizhen issued a final edict declaring: “I cannot bear the use of human beings for burial sacrifice. Let this practice end with me, and let future generations never resume it.” This decree formally abolished the concubine sacrifice system that had continued in the Ming court for decades.

From an institutional and ethical perspective, this decision was significant. It represented not only a rejection of ritualized human sacrifice but also an affirmation of the value of human life within imperial policy. After this edict, there were no further large-scale cases of forced concubine sacrifice in the Ming dynasty, and the practice effectively disappeared from state-level funerary rites.

Thus, although Zhu Qizhen’s reign is often criticized for political and military failures, particularly the Tumu Crisis and issues of eunuch influence, his abolition of human sacrifice is widely regarded by later historians as one of the few genuinely humane and commendable acts of his rule. In the context of a harsh and hierarchical court system, his final decree marked a decisive break from a brutal custom and stands as an important moment in the evolution of Ming dynasty ritual and governance.