By the time of Emperor Jingzhi of Nanzheng State, there was, for the first time, a precedent for founding household establishments for princesses, specifically established for Eldest Princess Zheng Tianxin. As the first child born after Emperor Jingzhi's ascension, Zheng Tianxin was the only child to receive Emperor Jingzhi's affection, but shortly after her birth, Emperor Jingzhi's health started to decline.
Emperor Jingzhi had been ill since childhood with a frail body and chronic sickness. By then, many already favored the robust and strategically gifted Prince Duan, who temporarily stayed his hand because it seemed Emperor Jingzhi wouldn't live long and as the eldest son, he had the orderly progression of inheritance on his side. Moreover, Emperor Jingzhi had no male heir after many years of marriage to Empress Xiao without news of childbirth.
