The Prelude to a Political Earthquake

In the sweltering summer of 1572, the Ming court stood on the brink of a seismic power shift. The tenth day of the sixth lunar month marked the beginning of an extraordinary political confrontation that would reshape the dynasty’s future. Feng Bao, the influential Director of Ceremonial, arrived at his office to find a memorial that would send shockwaves through the imperial bureaucracy.

This document, authored by Grand Secretary Gao Gong, contained a bold proposal that struck at the heart of eunuch power: it demanded the emperor reclaim authority from the Directorate of Ceremonial and punish those eunuchs who dared meddle in state affairs. On the surface, this appeared to be a straightforward bureaucratic challenge, but in the intricate world of Ming politics, it represented a carefully calculated move in a high-stakes game of power.

The Bureaucratic Chessboard

The Ming government operated on a delicate system of checks and balances that had evolved significantly since its founding. While in theory memorials went directly to the emperor, the reality by the late 16th century was quite different. Emperors had grown increasingly disengaged from daily governance, leaving documents to be processed through a complex workflow:

1. Memorials received by eunuchs
2. Forwarded to the Grand Secretariat for draft responses (“ticket proposals”)
3. Returned to eunuchs for vermillion endorsement
4. Finally implemented as official policy

This system gave tremendous power to both the Grand Secretaries who proposed solutions and the eunuchs who controlled access to the imperial seal. Gao Gong’s decision to challenge this arrangement directly was either remarkably bold or extraordinarily foolish.

The Opening Gambit

When Feng Bao first read Gao Gong’s memorial, his reaction was not fear but bewilderment. The experienced eunuch immediately recognized the tactical oddity of the move—why would Gao Gong submit such a document knowing full well it would pass through his very hands? In an act of breathtaking audacity, Feng Bao intercepted the memorial and personally endorsed it with six dismissive characters: “Acknowledged. Follow ancestral precedent.”

This response, while seemingly innocuous, carried deep implications. The vague reference to “ancestral precedent” was a classic bureaucratic maneuver—appearing compliant while actually maintaining the status quo. Gao Gong’s reaction to this brush-off revealed his true strategy. Rather than showing anger, he coolly remarked to his colleagues Zhang Juzheng and Gao Yi: “How can a ten-year-old child govern the empire?”

The Trap Springs Shut

Gao Gong’s next move demonstrated why he was considered one of the most formidable politicians of his era. He submitted a second memorial, this time specifically requesting it bypass the emperor and go directly to the Grand Secretariat—in other words, to himself. When Feng Bao reluctantly complied, Gao Gong performed an astonishing bureaucratic judo flip: he endorsed his own memorial with glowing praise for his proposal’s wisdom and loyalty.

This self-referential endorsement, while seemingly absurd, served a crucial purpose. By creating an official record of his proposal’s approval, Gao Gong had laid the groundwork for his next assault. On June 12, 1572, with this paperwork secured, he launched his second wave of attacks.

The Political Tsunami

June 13, 1572 marked Feng Bao’s darkest hour. Censors from multiple ministries simultaneously submitted scathing indictments against the eunuch leader. The accusations were devastating:

– Providing the late emperor with dangerous aphrodisiacs that contributed to his death
– Forging imperial edicts to consolidate power
– Gross abuse of authority

The coordinated nature of these attacks revealed Gao Gong’s masterful political machine at work. As supervising secretaries, the accusers commanded networks of junior censors who amplified the campaign, creating an unstoppable wave of condemnation. Feng Bao found himself isolated, with Gao Gong controlling both the bureaucratic apparatus and holding that crucial approved memorial as trump card.

The Fatal Miscalculation

On June 14, Gao Gong made what he believed were final preparations. He visited his fellow Grand Secretaries—the ailing Gao Yi and the seemingly supportive Zhang Juzheng. While Gao Yi offered noncommittal silence, Zhang Juzheng enthusiastically pledged allegiance, even declaring that removing Feng Bao would be “as easy as turning over one’s hand.”

This moment of apparent triumph contained the seeds of Gao Gong’s downfall. His confidence blinded him to the possibility that Zhang Juzheng might be playing a deeper game. Even as Gao Gong worked to consolidate his victory, Zhang was secretly meeting with Feng Bao to plot a counterattack.

The Decisive Blow

Zhang Juzheng’s strategy was diabolical in its simplicity. He advised Feng Bao to exploit their most powerful—and unexpected—ally: the ten-year-old emperor Wanli. By slightly modifying Gao Gong’s earlier comment about the “ten-year-old child” governing the empire, they transformed a political critique into what sounded like treasonous contempt for the throne.

The presentation to Emperor Wanli and the Empress Dowager Li was masterfully staged. Feng Bao played the loyal servant uncovering sedition, while Zhang Juzheng allegedly reinforced the narrative with tales of Gao Gong plotting to depose the young emperor. The effect was electric. The empress dowager, already protective of her son’s position, reacted with maternal fury.

The Final Act

On June 16, the trap closed on Gao Gong. Summoned to court expecting victory, he instead faced a humiliating edict accusing him of arrogance and contempt for the throne. The punishment was severe: immediate dismissal and banishment from the capital without the usual travel privileges accorded to fallen officials.

The speed and brutality of Gao Gong’s fall shocked the court. From powerful Grand Secretary to disgraced exile in mere days, his fate served as a stark warning about the perils of high politics. Zhang Juzheng’s role in this drama became clear when he sent messengers to offer Gao Gong travel certificates—a gesture that mixed mercy with mockery, which the proud Gao Gong refused.

The Aftermath and Historical Significance

Gao Gong’s downfall marked a pivotal moment in Ming history. Zhang Juzheng emerged as the undisputed power behind the throne, beginning his famous decade-long administration that would implement sweeping reforms. The events of those nine days in June 1572 revealed several key aspects of late Ming politics:

1. The delicate balance between scholar-officials and eunuchs
2. The vulnerability of even the most powerful officials to rhetorical attacks on their loyalty
3. The growing importance of imperial women in politics during minority reigns
4. The sophisticated bureaucratic warfare practiced by Ming elites

Gao Gong’s story serves as a timeless lesson about the volatility of political favor and the dangers of overconfidence in high-stakes power struggles. His rival Zhang Juzheng would go on to dominate the Ming government until his death in 1582, leaving behind a transformed—though still troubled—empire.