Wangfu Terrace

Wangfu Terrace

Salt City’s Wangfu Terrace is located on the eastern shore of Sheyang Lake, west of the Jialiang River in Xinyang Village, Jianyang Town, Jianhu County, Yancheng (present-day Jianhu County, Yancheng). It was built by Princess Longqing, the daughter of Emperor Yingzong of the Ming Dynasty, to mourn her late husband, You Tai, from afar. The terrace is thirty-six feet high and features a flying-eaves, glazed-tile ceremonial hall on top, housing the spirit tablet of You Tai, who held the title of Imperial Son-in-Law. Beside the ceremonial hall, there is another building that served as Princess Longqing’s residence.

According to the *Yancheng County Annals* and

the *Genealogy of the You Clan*, You Tai’s grandfather, You Yanqing, migrated from his native place, Wuyuan County in Anhui Province (now part of Jiangxi Province), to Jiaomu Village in the northwest of Yancheng during the early Ming Dynasty. You Tai, styled Shangtai, was a man of extraordinary stature and strength, with remarkable physical power and exceptional skills in horseback riding and archery. During the reign of Emperor Yingzong, when the ethnic minority leader Esen invaded, the eunuch Wang Zhen coerced the emperor into personally leading a military campaign, which led to the disastrous Tumu Crisis. At the time, You Tai served as a squad leader in the army and earned merit through managing grain transport and defending the capital. Around this time, the eldest princess of Emperor Yingzong was selecting a royal son-in-law, and You Tai was chosen after a banquet and betrothal ceremony, later officially marrying into the royal family and receiving a noble title. However, due to the political turmoil following the Tumu Crisis, the couple endured separation. Emperor Yingzong’s mother-in-law later relocated to the southern palace, and the princess, bound by imperial decree, could not accompany him, leading to a painful separation. You Tai, feeling wronged and resentful after being demoted and sent back to his hometown, soon died of sorrow. When the tragic news reached the capital, Princess Longqing was devastated, blaming her father’s cruelty. Defying all advice, she resolved to mourn her husband in person, traveling day and night with their young son, You Xuan, to You Tai’s hometown. There, at the place where You Tai once toiled—on the eastern shore of Sheyang Lake—she built an earthen terrace, constructed a ceremonial hall atop it, and visited daily to offer prayers.

The marriage of You Tai and Princess Longqing is indeed recorded in the *History of Ming · Biography of Princesses*.

There are many folk legends about Wangfu Terrace. One tale says that You Tai was originally a duck herder who gained superhuman strength from frequently eating large eels—he could lift massive stone rollers with both arms and carry them for miles, and could stop a spinning windmill just by grabbing it. Though born into a farming family, he harbored great ambitions, honing his martial skills through labor in hopes of serving his country. In the autumn of 1449, during the Zhengtong era of Emperor Yingzong, the powerful Mongol Oirat leader Esen led an invasion from the north. Emperor Yingzong was captured at Tumu Fort, and enemy forces advanced to the gates of Beijing, creating an extremely critical situation. A nation cannot go a single day without a ruler, so Grand Secretary Yu Qian quickly enthroned Yingzong’s younger brother, Prince Cheng, as Emperor Jing, while simultaneously recruiting soldiers and organizing resistance. Hearing the news, You Tai enlisted in the army with great fervor. He charged into battle with a broadsword, invincible in every assault. While escorting grain ships, he deterred enemy attacks, ensuring the supply of provisions for both troops and civilians. During the defense of the capital, he fought bravely alongside Yu Qian, fearlessly killing Esen’s brother, Soro, and the chancellor, Maonahai, which led to the lifting of the siege. After the rebels were subdued, Emperor Yingzong was released and returned to the capital. The court rewarded its meritorious officials, ennobling many, and You Tai was appointed as an Imperial Son-in-Law, marrying Princess Longqing and receiving the official title of Imperial Son-in-Law. Several years later, when Emperor Jing fell gravely ill, the deposed Emperor Yingzong, who had been living in seclusion in the Southern Palace, seized the opportunity to reclaim the throne. Soon after resuming power, however, he dismissed all the officials who had served under Emperor Jing, regardless of their contributions—even his own son-in-law was not spared. You Tai was expelled from the Son-in-Law’s Manor and sent back to his hometown. Bound by imperial decree, Princess Longqing could not follow and was forced to part from her husband with deep sorrow. Stricken with grief and indignation after his demotion, You Tai soon died of melancholy. When the tragic news reached the capital, Princess Longqing was heartbroken, furious at her father’s cruelty, and refused all dissuasion. Determined to mourn her husband, she set off with their young son, You Xuan, traveling day and night to his hometown to hold a memorial service. There, on the eastern shore of Sheyang Lake where You Tai once labored, she built an earthen terrace, erected a ceremonial hall on it, and visited daily to offer prayers.

Another legend says that after You Tai was sent back home, enemy forces invaded again. Putting the kingdom first, he bid farewell to the princess and rejoined the army. The princess, longing for her husband at war, built a terrace by the lake and climbed it every day to look northward. After You Tai died heroically on the battlefield, the princess was heartbroken and would climb the terrace at sunset every day to pray toward the sky until her death. The name “Wangfu Terrace” originates from this story.

As time passed and seasons changed, the once ornately carved and painted Wangfu Terrace has long turned into a pile of rubble. Yet the legends surrounding it continue to be widely told among the people of Yancheng and Funing.