The Rise and Fracture of the Homecoming Faction

The mid-15th century witnessed one of Ming Dynasty’s most dramatic political upheavals following the Tumu Crisis of 1449. After Emperor Yingzong’s capture by Mongol forces and his eventual return from captivity, a powerful coalition known as the “Homecoming Faction” emerged to restore him to power through the “Duomen Coup” of 1457. This alliance brought together unlikely bedfellows: the ambitious scholar-official Xu Youzhen, the military strongman Shi Heng, and the eunuch Cao Jixiang.

Xu Youzhen represented a peculiar contradiction in Ming politics – a highly educated Confucian scholar with ruthless political instincts. His classical training at the Hanlin Academy contrasted sharply with his willingness to employ Machiavellian tactics. Shi Heng and Cao Jixiang, conversely, embodied cruder forms of ambition, seeking wealth and influence without Xu’s intellectual pretensions. This ideological mismatch sowed seeds of discord even as they jointly overthrew the Jingtai Emperor and reinstated Yingzong.

The Cracks Begin to Show

Following their successful coup, the faction’s internal contradictions surfaced rapidly. Xu Youzhen, now Grand Secretary, attempted to govern seriously while his allies engaged in blatant corruption. Shi Heng notoriously inflated the list of coup participants to 4,000 names to distribute rewards, while Cao Jixiang installed numerous relatives in government positions. Xu’s growing disgust manifested in his increasing distance from his former allies, marking the beginning of their bitter rivalry.

The first open confrontation occurred in May 1457 when censor Yang Xuan, likely acting on Xu’s orders, accused Shi and Cao of corruption before the emperor. Xu’s momentary triumph proved short-lived, as he underestimated his opponents’ resources and the emperor’s growing wariness of concentrated power.

Cao Jixiang’s Deadly Countermove

The eunuch Cao Jixiang demonstrated why Ming Dynasty’s palace eunuchs remained formidable political operators. Discovering that Xu had privately discussed sensitive matters with the emperor, Cao arranged for palace eunuchs to leak these conversations. By strategically revealing confidential information Xu had shared with Yingzong, Cao painted Xu as untrustworthy and indiscreet – fatal flaws in imperial politics.

This brilliant maneuver exploited the emperor’s deepest fears about ministerial overreach. The revelation that “everyone outside knows” what should have been private discussions destroyed Xu’s credibility. Yingzong’s subsequent coldness toward his former ally marked the beginning of Xu’s precipitous decline from power.

The Hidden Mastermind: Li Xian’s Gambit

Beneath the surface conflict between Xu and the eunuch-military alliance, another player was quietly manipulating events. Li Xian, ostensibly Xu’s protégé, maintained secret connections with all factions while pursuing his own agenda. His refusal of Shi Heng’s offer to become Minister of Personnel appeared selfless but actually positioned him perfectly to play all sides.

Li Xian’s true motivations became apparent only later. Unlike the self-serving Homecoming Faction members, he sought to avenge the unjust execution of the virtuous statesman Yu Qian, who had saved Beijing during the Tumu Crisis. By allowing Xu to attack Shi and Cao before engineering Xu’s downfall, Li Xian demonstrated political brilliance that would eventually restore stability to the Ming court.

Xu Youzhen’s Dramatic Downfall

Xu’s final miscalculation came when he organized another impeachment attempt against Shi Heng through censor Zhang Peng. Forewarned, Shi and Cao staged an emotional appeal before the emperor, accusing Xu of monopolizing power. The charge of “ministerial dictatorship” struck Yingzong’s deepest insecurities, prompting Xu’s immediate arrest and imprisonment in the same jail that had held Yu Qian.

Though spared execution due to an opportune thunderstorm interpreted as heavenly displeasure, Xu was exiled to Yunnan as a common soldier at age fifty. His final years back in Suzhou were marked by public contempt, a stark contrast to his brief moment of triumph. The man who had orchestrated Yu Qian’s death now lived with the consequences of his ambition.

Legacy of the Homecoming Faction’s Collapse

The Homecoming Faction’s implosion illustrates several enduring aspects of Chinese political culture. The rapid transition from united front to internal strife reflects the challenges of maintaining coalitions built on convenience rather than shared principles. Xu Youzhen’s trajectory particularly demonstrates how intellectual sophistication without moral compass leads to self-destruction.

Li Xian’s subsequent rise as a reforming senior minister helped stabilize Yingzong’s second reign (known as Tianshun), showing how capable administrators could emerge from political chaos. The episode also reinforced the Ming system’s checks against ministerial dominance, contributing to the balance between scholar-officials, military leaders, and eunuchs that characterized the dynasty’s governance.

Ultimately, this historical episode serves as a timeless study of how power corrupts, how alliances fracture, and how the pursuit of justice can sometimes emerge from the most unlikely places in political systems. The complex interplay of personalities and institutions during this period continues to offer insights into the dynamics of political survival and the consequences of unrestrained ambition.