The emperor is an essential topic in the study of Ming Dynasty history, but few people take the time to study the eunuchs who are around the emperor. In fact, you will find the changing rules of imperial power and the emperors’ working ability through the eunuch.
As long as the emperors are very capable, eunuchs around them often can’t interfere with politics, such as the founder of the Ming Dynasty, Zhu Yuanzhang. He strictly restricted the expansion of eunuchs’ power to ensure the security of his throne.
After the Yongle Emperor came to power, his expectations for the eunuch became higher and higher, so that more work was assigned to the eunuchs. As a result, his descendants couldn’t live without eunuchs after Yongle passed away.
Provide Considerate Service
As many history buffs know, Ming emperors had numerous concubines, which was also a common feature of ancient Chinese emperors. The number of concubines was determined by the emperor’s needs. Besides, it was impossible to rely on maids alone to serve the emperor and concubines.
Because some heavy physical work needed men to finish, and it was the eunuch’s identity that meet this service demand. On the one hand, although eunuchs lost their reproductive ability, they could engage in heavy physical work.
On the other hand, Emperors didn’t worry about the legitimacy of the successor because the eunuch had been castrated. In other words, the eunuch is a kind of slave with male labor characteristics and no fertility.
There were thousands of eunuchs responsible for the lives of emperors and concubines in the imperial palace of the Ming Dynasty. Without these eunuchs, the life of the palace would become less convenient.
Political Tools for Power Balance
In the reign of Yongle Emperor, he broke his father’s rules and allowed more eunuchs to work in the non-duty. As a result, the role of eunuch changed a lot.
The change in the nature of work was caused by the need for the emperor to monitor officials. Since 1402, eunuchs had gradually become the emperor’s political tools. Not only did they need to serve the emperors and concubines well, but they also required to engage in espionage for the emperor to ensure the safety of the throne.
It seemed to be a very delicate arrangement of the emperor, but once the eunuchs were granted excessive power, they would become agents of the imperial power.
It turned out that many eunuchs became ambitious after gaining the emperors’ trust. The eunuchs would not only actively induce the emperor to indulge in playing, but would also do anything to suppress political opponents.
So, if the emperor wanted to ensure the safety of throne, he had to keep away from eunuchs and guard against their excessive interference in politics.
Emperor’s Confidant
Although the Ming emperors were supreme, they were subject to strict etiquette. Most of the time, their mood was very terrible. In this case, eunuchs often became confidants of the emperor.
Because the eunuchs were always with the emperor, and they were extremely loyal to him, they would become the object of the emperor’s emotional outpouring whenever the emperor was upset.
For example, the eunuch Feng Bao was deeply trusted by Wanli Emperor. He not only provided thoughtful services for Wanli, but also was the teacher of Wanli.
When the emperor felt depressed, Feng Bao’s appearance often brought a ray of sunshine. It was the reason why the Ming emperor couldn’t live without eunuchs.
In Conclusion
Eunuchs were loyal slaves of the Ming emperor. Not only did they care about the emperor, but they reached a political understanding with the emperor.
However, it was worrying that the physical defects of eunuchs often cause their psychological distortion. Under such circumstances, once the eunuchs became the agents of the imperial power, political turmoils were often unavoidable.
