Ming Dynasty

Author: Hu Yuewei / Qian Facheng / Yao Bochu
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2002-01-01
Features: In the sixth year of the Longqing reign (1572), Emperor Muzong entrusted his regency, and the ten-year-old Prince Zhu Yijun ascended the throne, adopting the era name "Wanli." The chief counselor of the Grand Secretariat, Zhang Juzheng, "wholeheartedly took the world upon himself," meticulously guiding the young emperor in studying and governing. With the support of the Empress Dowager Cisheng, he radically implemented the "Wanli New Policies" in areas such as administration, defense, taxation, transportation, and academies.
In the fifth year of the Wanli reign, Zhang Juzheng's father passed away in Jiangling. The conservatives, citing the ancient custom, demanded that the chief counselor return to his hometown for a three-year mourning period, causing an uproar in and out of court. Zhang Juzheng and the eunuch in charge of the Imperial Secretariat, Feng Bao, (collaborated to) arrange for the emperor to "remain in office despite mourning" (). After the fifteen-year-old emperor's wedding, at the empress dowager's command, nine concubines were enfeoffed, and Zheng Yuxiao, a commoner from Hebei, emerged as the most favored imperial concubine, becoming the emperor's lifelong beloved.
After ten years of reform, "the land was pacified, and the four barbarians submitted. The granaries of the Taicang could sustain the empire for years, and the Ministry of War accumulated over four million taels of gold." Zhang Juzheng's power reached its zenith. However, under the influence of eunuchs, the young emperor committed scandalous acts, enraging the empress dowager, who ordered Zhang Juzheng to draft the "Self-Exculpatory Edict" and proclaim it nationwide. From then on, the emperor harbored deep resentment toward Zhang Juzheng and Feng Bao.
Zhang Juzheng was "skilled in governing the state but clumsy in managing his own fate." Despite several attempts to resign, he could not, and he fell ill from overwork, dying of an earthquake in the Grand Tutor's residence in the capital at the age of fifty-eight. Meanwhile, Qi Jiguang pacified the rebellious Ming army in Liaodong through strategy. Upon taking personal rule, the emperor consolidated power, and the conservatives launched a counterattack. Influenced by the concubine Zheng and the eunuchs, the emperor ordered the confiscation of Zhang's property and the imprisonment of Feng Bao in Nanjing's Xiaoling Tomb, while the renowned general Qi Jiguang, who guarded the capital, was transferred to Guangdong.
The emperor intended to appoint Chang Xun, the son of the concubine Zheng, as the crown prince, but this was opposed by the empress dowager, the Grand Secretariat, and the Six Ministries. From then on, the emperor secluded himself in the palace, indulging in wine, women, and luxury, while the "succession dispute" () lasted for twenty years. To vie for the throne, the concubine Zheng and her allies orchestrated the three infamous cases in Ming history: the "Staff Strike Case," the "Red Pill Case," and the "Palace Transfer Case."
Meanwhile, Nurhaci rose to power in the north, and the Ming army suffered successive defeats. In the south, peasant uprisings erupted one after another, shaking the foundation of the dynasty. Amid internal turmoil and external threats, the emperor, who ruled for forty-eight years, passed away in the Qianqing Palace.
Upon ascending the throne, the crown prince Zhu Changluo restored order and exonerated Zhang Juzheng, but tragically, he reigned for only twenty-nine days before dying from the "red pill." Zhu Yijun and Zhu Changluo, father and son with deep enmity, were laid to rest in the same hall, a rare occurrence in history. Each was buried in their (previously constructed mausoleums on Tianshou Mountain), now known as the Thirteen Tombs, a famous tourist attraction.