Early reign (1572–1582) Zhu Yijun ascended the throne at the age of eight and adopted the regnal name "Wanli", thus he is historically known as the Wanli Emperor. For the first ten years of his reign, he was aided by a notable statesman, Zhang Juzheng, who governed the country as Wanli's regent.During this period, the Wanli Emperor deeply respected Zhang as a mentor and a valued …

Wei Zhongxian (1568 – December 12, 1627) was a Chinese court eunuch who lived in the late Ming dynasty.He is considered by most historians [who?] as the most powerful and notorious eunuch in Chinese history. He is best known for his service in the court of the Tianqi Emperor (r. 1620–1627), when his power eventually appeared to rival that of the emperor.