A Dynasty at Its Zenith

The year 1587, known as the fifteenth year of the Wanli era in Ming Dynasty China, marked a peculiar turning point in what historians would later call “the last golden age” of imperial China. The mighty Ming Empire, having weathered nearly two centuries of challenges since its founding in 1368, stood at an apparent peak of stability and prosperity under the reign of the Wanli Emperor. Yet beneath this veneer of success, subtle tremors hinted at coming seismic shifts that would ultimately contribute to the dynasty’s decline.

The young Wanli Emperor, having ascended the throne at just ten years old in 1572, initially showed remarkable promise as a ruler. After the death of his powerful regent Zhang Juzheng in 1582, the twenty-year-old monarch threw himself into governance with unprecedented vigor, working ten-hour days and often summoning ministers late into the night to discuss state affairs. His dedication seemed boundless, exemplified by his dramatic personal intervention during the Beijing drought of 1583 when he walked the five kilometers from the Forbidden City to the Temple of Heaven to lead rain prayers—a gesture that awed his subjects and demonstrated his physical endurance.

The Three Events That Changed Everything

Historians have long puzzled over why this energetic young ruler, who had shown such promise in his early reign, suddenly withdrew from active governance beginning in late 1586. The transformation became unmistakable by 1587, when Wanli began skipping court sessions with increasing frequency, eventually retreating almost completely from public life—a pattern that would continue for decades. This dramatic shift coincided with three significant events that year, each representing the passing of an era in Ming politics and culture.

The first was the death of Qi Jiguang in February 1587. This legendary military commander, who had spent thirty-six years defending China’s borders—first against Mongol incursions in the north and then against Japanese pirates along the southeastern coast—died at age sixty in his hometown of Dengzhou. His final words proudly proclaimed: “In thirty years, I fought over a hundred battles on land and sea, north and south, and never suffered a single defeat.” Qi’s passing removed one of the dynasty’s last great military minds at a time when new threats were emerging on the horizon.

The second event was the death of Hai Rui in November 1587. This famous incorruptible official had become a living legend—so revered that common people began pasting his image on their doors as a new kind of protective “door god.” Hai’s uncompromising integrity made him both admired and feared within official circles. His final act typified his lifelong obsession with fairness: on his deathbed, he instructed a servant to return six qian of silver (about 22 grams) that had been overpaid in his winter fuel allowance from the Ministry of War. An inspection of his estate revealed only patched clothing and simple wooden boxes—the sum total of possessions accumulated over thirty years as a high-ranking official. His funeral procession stretched for miles as mourners lined the roads to pay respects.

The Emperor’s Mysterious Withdrawal

The third and most consequential event of 1587 was Wanli Emperor’s complete withdrawal from active governance. Beginning in late 1586, the once-diligent ruler started neglecting his duties—delaying document approvals, skipping court sessions, and eventually refusing to meet with most officials. When questioned, he complained of dizziness and exhaustion. By 1587, his retreat from public life became total, marking the start of what historians would later call “the Wanli strike”—an unprecedented work stoppage by a sitting emperor that would last for decades.

This sudden transformation remains one of the great unsolved mysteries of Ming history. What caused the energetic young ruler to abandon his responsibilities? Palace records offer no clear explanation. Some scholars speculate about personal disappointments or power struggles within the Forbidden City, while others point to broader structural issues in the Ming bureaucratic system that may have frustrated the emperor. Whatever the reason, Wanli’s withdrawal created a leadership vacuum at the empire’s center that would have profound consequences.

The Gathering Storm

While 1587 appeared calm on the surface, astute observers might have noticed disturbing signs at the empire’s periphery. That year, reports began trickling in from coastal officials about unusual Japanese activities—mass purchases of nautical charts, ship designs, and large quantities of timber and gunpowder. More alarming was news that the Japanese warlord Toyotomi Hideyoshi was constructing a massive castle in northern Kyushu (modern-day Nagoya), strategically positioned to overlook the Korea Strait.

These scattered intelligence reports, buried under routine administrative paperwork, hinted at preparations for what would become one of the most significant military conflicts of the late sixteenth century. Just five years later, in 1592, Hideyoshi would launch a full-scale invasion of Korea with over 150,000 troops—the opening move in what became known as the Imjin War. The Ming Dynasty, despite its internal troubles, would be drawn into this devastating conflict that would strain its resources and expose growing weaknesses in its military and administrative systems.

Legacy of a Pivotal Year

Looking back, 1587 represents a watershed moment when the Ming Dynasty’s fortunes began their slow but irreversible decline. The deaths of Qi Jiguang and Hai Rui removed two iconic figures who embodied the martial and moral ideals of early Ming rule. Meanwhile, Wanli Emperor’s withdrawal from governance initiated a pattern of neglect at the highest levels of power that would persist until his death in 1620—creating institutional paralysis at precisely the moment when new challenges demanded decisive leadership.

The events of this unassuming year demonstrate how historical turning points often pass unnoticed in their own time. The real significance of 1587 only became clear in hindsight, as its consequences unfolded over subsequent decades—the weakening of central authority, the erosion of border defenses, and the gradual loss of bureaucratic efficiency that would leave the dynasty vulnerable to internal rebellions and external threats in the seventeenth century.

In many ways, the story of 1587 serves as a case study in how great powers decline—not through sudden collapse, but through gradual erosion of the institutions and values that made them strong. The Ming Dynasty would survive for another half-century after this pivotal year, but the cracks that appeared in 1587 would ultimately contribute to its downfall when faced with the combined pressures of peasant uprisings and Manchu invasions in the 1640s. For historians, this mysterious year continues to fascinate as both an endpoint and a beginning—marking the conclusion of one era and the uncertain start of another.