usin Zhu Houcong (born 1507) ascended to the throne as the Jiajing Emperor. Zhu Houzong was the son of Zhu Youyuan, Prince of Xing, who had died in 1519. Zhu Youyuan was the younger brother of the Hongzhi Emperor and the uncle of the Zhengde Emperor. The installation of the Jiajing Emperor was decided by Senior Grand Secretary Yang Tinghe and Empress Dowager Zhang, who was the widow of the Hongzhi Emperor and the mother of the Zhengde Emprror. This decision was supported by existing ministers and officials who were concerned about potential disputes over the throne. Zhu Houcong resided in his estate in Anlu, located in central China. On the day of the emperor's death, Yang Tinghe, with the backing of the eunuchs from the Directorate of Ceremonial and Empress Dowager Zhang, issued an edict inviting the prince to Beijing to take the throne. On 7 May, Zhu Houcong was visited by a delegation in Anlu, who informed him of Empress Dowager Zhang's edict. He agreed to ascend the throne and set off for Beijing. On 26 May, when he was only 30 km away from the city, officials from the Ministry of Rites informed him of the plans for further action, and the first disputes arose. Zhu Houcong insisted on entering the city through the main gate as emperor, rather than the side gate as prince. Despite the insistence of Yang Tinghe, who personally arrived at the suburbs, Zhu Houcong did not yield. He was able to secure his entry into the city with imperial honors on 27 May 1521, and on the same day, he ceremoniously ascended the throne. Yang Tinghe insisted that the new emperor be officially adopted by the Hongzhi Emperor in order to establish his legitimacy as the younger brother of the late Zhengde Empe