The maid sent by Concubine Wan to spy on Xiaozong's mother pitied her, and lied to her mistress, saying that Xiaozong's mother was not pregnant, but had caught a strange disease. Concubine Wan, nevertheless still suspicious, had Xiaozong's mother placed under house arrest.  Xiaozong was born shortly afterwards, and survived with the help of the deposed empress and Zhang Min, a eunuch. 

One day six years later,  on looking at his white hair as Zhang Min helped him comb it, the emperor felt sorrow at having no son. Zhang Min took this opportunity to tell him of his son, Xiaozong. The emperor was overjoyed, and immediately ordered his son be brought to the court, whereupon Xiaozong was crowned, and placed under the care of the empress dowager. In 1488 Xiaozong was enthroned. He knew that without the love and protection of good people, he could never have survived to become emperor. This awareness undoubtedly contributed to the excellence of his reign.

After coming to power, Jiajing conferred the title of Emperor Ruizong on his late father and converted his father's tomb in Hubei Province into an imperial tomb, naming it Xianling Mausoleum. This is the largest single Ming tomb that contains both an old and a new tomb chamber. Emperor Jiajing was criticized for excessive spending and manpower in renovating this tomb, but he would be gratified to know that in December 2000 the Xianling Mausoleum was listed a world cultural heritage site by UNESCO.

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