Ep. 270 | Eunuchs in China (Part 4)
Three of the Four Tigers, Wang Zhi, Liu Jin, and Wei Zhongxian get a once over this time around in Part 4. Many historians agree these guys offered the most generous contribution to the fall of the Ming Dynasty. At least no emperors were captured in battle during their time in the palace. But one emperor did have to hang himself from a tree thanks in no part to one of them.
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Terms in Episode
| Pinyin/Term | Chinese | English/Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| Bā Hǔ | 八虎 | The Eight Tigers, a cabal of very powerful eunuchs during the Zhengde Era, and led by Liu Jin |
| Chénghuà | 成化帝 | Ninth Ming Emperor who tried to do his best but he could not. By the end of his reign, eunuchs controlled palace affairs |
| Duìshí | 对食 | A special kind of palace relationship between palace women, a eunuch and a palace woman or between two eunuchs. |
| Dōnglín Dǎng | 东林党 | Dōng Lín Faction |
| Emperor Chóngzhēn | 崇祯 | The final emperor of the Ming Dynasty, reigning 1627-1644 |
| Empress Zhang | 懿安皇后 | Don't get her confused with the Empress Zhang above. She lived 1606-1644 and was the Empress Consort to the Tianqi Emperor. Also known as Empress Yian 懿安皇后 |
| Empress Zhāng | 孝成靖皇后 | Also known as Empress Xiaochengjing (1471-1541),wife of the Hongzhi Emperor |
| Guìzhōu | 贵州 | Province in Southwest China |
| Guǎngxī | 广西 | Province in Southwest China, just west of Guangdong |
| Gāo Lìshì | 高力士 | The chief Eunuch during the period of Xuánzōng. Lived 684-762 |
| Gōnggong | 公公 | An archaic usage of a familial term for court eunuchs |
| Gǔnlóngpáo | 滚龙炮 | Dragon Robes, a kind of garment reserved only for the emperor |
| Han Emperor Wǔ | 汉武帝 | Great Han emperor who reigned 157-87 BCE |
| House of Zhū | 朱家族 | House of Zhū was the ruling family of the Ming Dynasty, founded by Zhu Yuanzhang |
| Huīzōng | 徽宗 | Northern Song emperor from 1100-1126, featured in CHP episodes 132 to 135 |
| Hóngzhì | 弘治 | Son of the Chenghua emperor and successor as emperor. reigned 1487-1505 |
| Jiājìng emperor | 嘉靖帝 | Ming Emperor 1521-1567 |
| Jǐngtài emperor | 景泰帝 | Emperor who reigned after the Zhengtong Emperor was captured. Jingtai reigned 1449-1457 |
| Li Ka-shing | 李嘉诚 | Sir Li Ka-shing, born June 13, 1928, one of the wealthiest men in the world, founder of a huge business empire. Also a great philanthropist |
| Liú Jǐn | 刘瑾 | 1451-1510, very powerful eunuch dictator and leader of the so-called Eight Tigers. He climbed to the top on the back of the Zhengde Emperor |
| Língchí | 凌迟 | The dreaded death of a thousand cuts |
| Lóngqìng | 隆庆帝 | Ming Emperor 1567-1572 |
| Lǐ Fǔguó | 李辅国 | Most powerful and influential eunuch during the reign of Emperor Suzong. Lived 704-762 |
| Madame Kè | 客氏 | Partner in crime with Wei Zhongxian. She served the Tianqi Emperor as his nanny and mother figure |
| Míng Xiànzōng | 明宪宗 | Temple name of the Chenghua Emperor |
| Qing Dynasty | 清朝 | The last imperial dynasty of China that lasted 1644-1911 |
| Qín Èrshǐ | 秦二世 | The second Qín Emperor |
| Shǎnxī | 陕西 | Province in China. Xian is the capital |
| Sùzōng | 肃宗 | Tang Emperor from 756-762 |
| Tiānqǐ | 天启 | Foolhardy Ming Emperor who reigned 1620-1627 |
| Táng Xiànzōng | 唐宪宗 | Tang emperor who reigned from 805-820 |
| Tóng Guàn | 童贯 | 1054-1126, Eunuch general, politician and adviser during the time of Emperor Huizong |
| Tǔmù Fort | 土木堡 | The site of the Tǔmù Fortress Crisis of September 1, 1449 that saw Emperor Zhengtong captured by Oirat Mongols |
| Wàn Zhēn’ér | 万贞儿 | The Chenghua Emperor's nanny and later most beloved consort |
| Wànlì | 万历帝 | Ming Emperor 1572-1620 |
| Wáng Zhèn | 王振 | First of the most notorious bad eunuchs of the Ming Dynasty. He engineered the whole Tumu Crisis |
| Wèi Zhōngxián | 魏忠贤 | 1568-1627, Chief Eunuch during the Ming Tianqi Emperor |
| Wāng Zhí | 汪直 | We'll look at this second eunuch dictator next episode. He served during the Chenghua Emperor's reign. |
| Wǔzōng | 武宗 | Temple name of the Zhengde Emperor |
| Xiàozōng | 孝宗 | Temple name of the Hongzhi Emperor |
| Xuánzōng | 玄宗 | Also known as Emperor Míng of Táng. He reigned during one of the two peaks of the Tang but also helped bring the dynasty down. Reigned 712-756. His personal name was Li Longji (see below) |
| Xuāndé | 宣德 | Ming Emperor who reigned 1425-1435 |
| Xīchǎng | 西厂 | The Western Depot, an office setup for and managed by the dreaded eunuch Liu Jin |
| Xīzōng | 僖宗 | Tianqi Emperor's Temple Name |
| Yáng Yīqīng | 杨一清 | An official who conspired with one of the Eight Tigers, Zhang Yong to bring Liu Jin down |
| Yáozú | 瑶族 | The Yao people of China and Vietnam. They often teamed up with the Miao people in a long struggle with Imperial China |
| Yúnnán | 云南 | Province in Southwest China |
| Yǒnglè Emperor | 永乐帝 | Also known as Emperor Chengzu, reigned 1402-1424 |
| Zhào Gāo | 赵高 | Died 207 BCE, a life shrouded in myth and legend, served all three Qin emperors |
| Zhèngdé emperor | 正德帝 | Ming emperor 1505-1521, and not a very good one |
| Zhèngtǒng Emperor | 正统 | Also known as Emperor Yingzong of Ming, reigned as both the 6th and 8th Ming Emperor |
| Zhāng Yǒng | 张永 | One of the Eight Tigers who worked in tandem with Yang Yiqing to bring an end to Liu Jin's career (and life) |
| Zhū Jiànshēn | 朱见深 | Personal name of the Chenghua Emperor |
| Zhū Yuánzhāng | 朱元璋 | Personal name of the Ming Dynasty founder who reigned as Emperor Tàizǔ or the Hóngwǔ Emperor |
| Zhū Yòuchěng | 朱祐樘 | A.K.A. the Hongwu Emperor, founder of the Ming Dynasty who reigned 1368-1398 |
| Zhū Yóujiào | 朱由校 | Personal Name of the Tianqi Emperor |
| Zhū Zhìfán | 朱寘鐇 | The Prince of Ānhuà 安化王子 who led a rebellion against eunuch domination of the imperial court in May of 1510 |
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