A Court in Turmoil: The Reign of Emperor Longqing

The year 1572 marked a turning point for China’s Ming Dynasty, as political intrigue, personal rivalries, and a sudden imperial crisis converged in the Forbidden City. At the center of this drama were three key figures: Emperor Longqing (Zhu Zaihou), his chief ministers Gao Gong and Zhang Juzheng, and the influential eunuch Feng Bao. The emperor’s sudden illness and death would set off a chain of events that reshaped Ming politics for decades.

Emperor Longqing had inherited a weakened empire in 1567, following the chaotic reign of his father, the Jiajing Emperor. Unlike his reclusive predecessor, Longqing delegated authority to his grand secretaries, particularly the assertive Gao Gong. However, the emperor’s personal indulgences—especially his notorious preoccupation with his concubines—took a toll on his health. By March 1572, he was gravely ill, yet he continued to push himself, even attending court sessions until his dramatic collapse during a meeting with his ministers.

The Emperor’s Final Hours

On that fateful day in May 1572, as Gao Gong delivered a lengthy report, the emperor suddenly stood, muttered incoherently, and collapsed backward—a victim of what appeared to be a stroke. His attendants, including the shrewd eunuch Feng Bao, rushed to his aid. The grand secretaries—Gao Gong, Zhang Juzheng, and the ailing Gao Yi—were summoned to the emperor’s bedside, where they found him barely conscious.

With the ten-year-old crown prince Zhu Yijun (the future Wanli Emperor) at his side, Longqing issued a final decree through Feng Bao: the three ministers were to guide the young ruler and uphold the dynasty. Gao Gong, overcome with grief, wept openly—a rare display of emotion from the normally unyielding statesman. Zhang Juzheng, though equally moved, remained outwardly composed, already calculating the shifting political landscape.

The Rise of Feng Bao and the Fall of Gao Gong

The emperor’s death exposed long-simmering tensions. Feng Bao, a cultured and ambitious eunuch, had been sidelined by Gao Gong in favor of less competent rivals. Now, with the boy emperor under his influence, Feng Bao swiftly consolidated power, ousting his rival Meng Chong as head of the Directorate of Ceremonial.

Gao Gong, initially dismissive of Feng Bao’s threat, soon grew alarmed when reports surfaced of secret meetings between Zhang Juzheng’s servant, You Qi, and Feng Bao’s allies. The implications were clear: Zhang, long seen as Gao’s subordinate, might be aligning with the eunuchs to seize power.

The Coup of 1572

In a matter of days, the balance of power shifted decisively. While Zhang Juzheng ostensibly traveled to inspect the emperor’s burial site, Feng Bao secured the support of the empress dowager and the young Wanli Emperor. Gao Gong, realizing too late the danger, attempted to rally opposition—but his allies, including the infirm Gao Yi, were powerless.

On June 10, 1572, Wanli ascended the throne. Zhang Juzheng, conveniently pleading illness, avoided the coronation. When Gao Gong visited him, Zhang feigned loyalty, vowing to serve “until death.” Yet within days, Feng Bao and Zhang orchestrated Gao Gong’s removal, accusing him of overstepping his authority. The once-mighty grand secretary was forced into retirement, leaving Zhang Juzheng as the undisputed leader of the Ming government.

Legacy of the 1572 Crisis

The events of 1572 set the stage for Zhang Juzheng’s decade-long regency, a period of ambitious reforms that temporarily revitalized the Ming bureaucracy and economy. Yet the alliance between Zhang and Feng Bao also deepened court factionalism, while the young Wanli Emperor’s resentment of their control would later fuel his infamous withdrawal from governance.

Gao Gong, in exile, penned the Deathbed Testament (Bingta Yiyan), casting himself as a loyal minister betrayed by scheming rivals. His downfall underscored the precarious nature of Ming politics, where alliances between scholar-officials and eunuchs could make or break careers—and dynasties.

For historians, the crisis of 1572 remains a vivid case study in power transitions, revealing how personal ambitions, institutional rivalries, and the sudden vacuum of imperial authority could reshape an empire. The Ming Dynasty would never fully recover from the tensions exposed that year, as the seeds of its eventual decline were sown in the shadow of a dying emperor’s bed.