Zhu Cilang (Chinese: 朱慈烺; pinyin: Zhū Cílǎng; Wade–Giles: Chu Tz'ǔ-lang; 26 February 1629 – June 1644[2]) was a crown prince of the Ming dynasty.
The capture of Taiyuan by Li Zicheng's forces gave his campaign additional momentum; garrisons began to surrender to him without a fight.
On 9 April, the general Li Jiantai brought up the proposal to transfer the court to the south one last time with the crown prince leading ahead and then the emperor following behind.
[3][4] The easy transition between the Ming and Qing dynasties has been ascribed to the Chongzhen Emperor's refusal to move southward when his capital had been under rebel threat.
This allowed the Qing dynasty to capture an entire corps of qualified civil servants to administer the country, and also ensured that the Southern Ming pretenders would suffer from infighting due to their weak claims on the throne.
[3][5] Zhu would be held in Li's camp before his defeat by the Manchu Qing under Prince-Regent Dorgon and former Ming general Wu Sangui at the Battle of Shanhai Pass on 27 May 1644.
[3] After the battle, Zhu fell into the hands of Wu Sangui who wanted to restore him to the throne, but Dorgon rejected this idea and was determined to claim the Mandate of Heaven for the Qing.