At 29, the weak and ineffectual Longqing Emperor take the Dragon Throne in 1567. But it won't be long before the curse of the House of Zhu strikes him down, leaving Great Ming to his 9-year-old son, Wanli. That means - of course - the government is in the hands of the court ministers and its all-powerful Grand Secretary, the ruthlessly conniving Zhang Juzheng.

Time Period Covered:1567-1582 CE

Major Historical Figures:The Longqing Emperor (Zhu Zaihou) [r. 1567-1572]The Wanli Emperor (Zhu Yijun) [r. 1567-1620]Grand Secretary Xu Jie [1503-1583]Grand Secretary Gao Gong [1513-1578]Senior Grand Secretary Zhang Juzheng [1525-1582]

Sources Cited:Huang, Ray. 1587, A Year of No Significance: The Ming Dynasty In Decline.Huang, Ray. “Lung-ch’ing and Wan-li Reigns” in The Cambridge History of China, Vol. 7: The Ming Dynasty, 1368-1644, Part 1.Melvin, Shelia. “China’s Reluctant Emperor” in The New York Times (11/07/2011).Miller, H. State Versus Gentry In Late Ming Dynasty China, 1572-1644.Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices