Being the most powerful person in the empire must be nothing but the good life, right? Well... not so much. And especially with the truly dysfunctional Ming system facing the newly-adult Wanli Emperor, it's a system that promises all the perks, but delivers only drudgery, frustration, and disappointment. Not even 5,000 concubines can make up for that...

Time Period Covered:

1582-1600 CE

Major Historical Figures:

The Wanli Emperor (Zhu Yizhun) [r. 1572-1620]

Empress Xiaoduan (Wang Xijie) [1564-1620]

Noble Consort Wang [1565-1611]

Prince Zhu Changluo, "First Imperial Son" [1582-1620]

Noble Consort Zheng [1565-1630]

Prince Zhu Changxun, "Third Imperial Son" [1586-1641]

Grand Secretary Zhang Zhuzheng [d. 1582]

Major Sources Cited:

Duhalde, Marcelo. “Life inside the Forbidden City: how women were selected for service” in South China Morning Post (July 12, 2018).

Huang, Ray. 1587, A Year of No Significance: The Ming Dynasty in Decline.

Huang, Ray. “The L’ung-ch’ing and Wan’li Reigns, 1567-1620” in The Cambridge History of China, Vol. 7: The Ming Dynasty, 1368-1644, Part I.

Toshima, Yoriko [Su Chung]. Court Dishes in China. 

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