Liu Jin

Liu Jin (1451–1510) was a Chinese eunuch who held significant power in the government of the Zhengde Emperor of the Ming dynasty from 1506 to 1510. He was part of a group of eunuchs known as the " Eight Tigers" who had served the Zhengde Emperor since his childhood. Upon the Zhengde Emperor's ascension to the throne in 1505, the "Tigers" were promoted and Liu Jin emerged as the dominant figure in the government. He implemented a series of reforms aimed at increasing state revenues, which also led to a rise in the influence of eunuchs at the expense of officials. These reforms sparked unrest and opposition from officials throughout the empire. In 1510, Liu Jin was accused of treason by his former allies among the eunuchs and subsequently executed.

Biography

Origin and rise to power

Liu Jin, born in 1451, was from Xingping County in Shaanxi province. Originally surnamed Tan (), he was castrated as a young boy and adopted by a eunuch serving in the Forbidden City under the Chenghua Emperor. Known for his intelligence and eloquence, Liu Jin was eventually assigned to Zhu Houzhao, the young son of the Hongzhi Emperor and the crown prince. In 1505, the Hongzhi Emperor died and Zhu Houzhao ascended to the throne as the Zhengde Emperor. Unlike his father, the Zhengde Emperor favored the eunuchs he grew up with, particularly the " Eight Tigers", which included Liu Jin, over civil officials.

After the Zhengde Emperor ascended to the throne, he was significantly promoted. He took over the leadership of the Bells and Drums Office (; ''Zhonggusi'') and became a commander of the Beijing garrison, specifically in charge of firearms in the "Division of Five Thousand" (; ''Wuqianying'') and later the "integrated division" (; ''tuanying''). He convinced the emperor that the lack of state revenue was due to the incompetence and corruption of the officials responsible for finance. He suggested that they be checked and punished if found to be corrupt. The eunuchs of the Eastern Depot (the Ming secret police) were uncompromising in their demand for officials to fulfill their duties. For example, in 1505, they discovered that only 25,000 skeins of silk had been collected for taxes in and around Suzhou, instead of the prescribed 300,000. As a result, they ordered the Ministry of Revenue to arrange for the delivery of 50,000 skeins of owed silk every 10 days. Officials who did not comply with this command would be sent to prison.

In 1506, a group of high officials, led by the Grand Secretaries Liu Jian () and Xie Qian (), formed an alliance with high-ranking eunuchs, including Wang Yue (), the director of the East Wing. This alliance was formed due to the fear of the "Tigers" rising in power. They agreed on a petition to have Liu Jin executed, although some of the eunuchs involved only wanted him to be transferred to the south. However, on 27 October, Minister of Revenue Han Wen () presented a petition to the emperor, requesting the execution of all eight individuals involved. Although the emperor refused the execution, he agreed to some form of punishment. However, Minister of Personel Jiao Fang () informed Liu Jin of the action against him, and the Eight were able to reach the emperor at the last minute. They convinced him that their critics had conspired to gain unchecked power. This enraged the emperor, who immediately promoted the "Tigers" to positions of power. Liu Jin became head of the Directorate of Ceremonial, and the eunuch allies of the Liu–Xie group were transferred to Nanjing, where they were killed on the way south. At the morning audience on 28 October, it was announced that the emperor had already made a decision regarding the eight individuals. The grand secretaries, except for Li Dongyang, responded by resigning. Four days later, Jiao Fang was appointed Grand Secretary. Other allies of the Eight were also added to the Grand Secretariat. From October 1506 to September 1510, the eunuch-official alliance, led by Liu Jin, dominated the court. However, Liu himself was not well-educated, so he relied on capable ministers, such as Minister of Personel Zhang Chai (), to manage the country's administration. Among his allies were Grand Secretary Liu Yu (), Minister of War Cao Yuanjin (), and the commanders of the Embroidered Uniform Guard, Yang Yu () and Shi Wenyi ().

Reforms

At the head of the government (or as head of the Directorate of Ceremonial, the most influential eunuch office), Liu Jin focus was on increasing the emperor's income, and he did so by implementing various tactics. For example, his agents would impose additional silver levies on mines in Fujian and Sichuan. They also engaged in the illegal sale of salt, which often resulted in their own imprisonment when caught by officials. Liu Jin's ultimate goal was for the profits from salt sales to become the second largest source of state revenue, following the land tax. To achieve this, he employed a secret police force led by eunuchs to track down and capture salt smugglers across the country. He also used fear and intimidation to ensure that officials responsible for finance and taxes met their quotas, threatening them with heavy fines if they failed to do so. This often left these officials in a state of financial hardship, as they were also forced to provide supplies to the north. Liu Jin's rule was characterized by brutal terror, as he used force to maintain the obedience of officials. This often put him at odds with the other seven "Tigers", who were also powerful figures in the government.

The increase in state revenue through higher taxation of military households caused widespread discontent in the borderlands, leading to a rise in banditry in the northern metropolitan area in 1509 and an open rebellion in 1510 that spread from Beijing to the Yangtze River. In Shaanxi province, the dissatisfaction of soldiers and officers led to the rebellion of the Prince of Anhua.

In March 1507, a decree was issued that placed eunuch intendants in the provinces on equal footing with leading provincial officials, giving them authority over administrative and legal matters. This increase in power for eunuchs sparked strong opposition from officials.

While Liu Jin managed state affairs, the emperor indulged in pleasure. During one of his entertainments, Liu Jin presented him with state documents to sign, but the emperor dismissed him, saying he was only employing him to avoid the tedious task of reading and signing decrees. After that, Liu Jin no longer bothered the emperor with state documents. The emperor continued to indulge in the new "Leopard Quarter", surrounded by eunuchs, officers, musicians, lamas, and beautiful girls.

Downfall

In May 1510, Zhu Zhifan, Prince of Anhua, led a rebellion in Shaanxi, taking advantage of the opposition to Liu Jin's reforms. However, the rebellion was quickly suppressed by local troops within eighteen days. In response, the emperor sent one of the "Eight Tigers", Zhang Yong, to lead the army against the rebels. Additionally, Yang Yiqing, an official familiar with local affairs, was also sent to Shaanxi. During their efforts to de-escalate the situation, Yang Yiqing convinced Zhang Yong that he was in danger of being overthrown by Liu Jin in another coup.

After returning to Beijing, Zhang Yong joined forces with the other six "Tigers". On 13 September 1510, they accused Liu Jin of plotting against the emperor. It was reported that Liu Jin intended to assassinate the emperor and put his own great-nephew on the throne. The coup was planned to take place on 17 September 1510, at the funeral of Liu Jin's older brother, who had recently died. Despite the emperor's initial reluctance to believe in Liu Jin's betrayal, he eventually allowed himself to be convinced. The next day, Liu Jin was transferred to Nanjing and his property was confiscated. When the emperor saw the weapons and vast treasures that Liu had accumulated, he ordered his execution, despite Liu's claims of innocence. On 16 September, Liu Jin was arrested and his three-day execution began on 27 September.

Historians have varying accounts of the size of Liu Jin's treasure. For example, Goodrich reports that it consisted of 300,000 ''liang'' of gold, 50 million ''liang'' of silver, and 25 bushels of precious stones. Meanwhile, Barmé claims that the treasure included 2.5 million ''liang'' of gold and silver, two gold suits of armor, 25 pounds of precious stones, 3,000 gold rings and brooches, 500 gold plates, and over 4,000 jeweled belts. Eberhard's account differs even more, stating that the treasure contained 57,800 pieces of gold, 240,000 gold bars (each ten times heavier than a liang), 791,800 ''liang'' of silver, 5 million silver bars (each weighing five ''liang''), 3 bushels of precious stones, two gold armors, and 3,000 gold rings, among other items. One ''liang'' was equivalent to 37.301 grams, meaning that 1 million ''liang'' would weigh approximately 37.3 tons.

Liu's allies were removed, and his reforms were reversed. The reform documents were also destroyed, resulting in the failure of the only substantial attempt to change the administrative structure of the Ming dynasty and expand the emperor's direct control through eunuch officials.

While classical historians harshly criticize Liu's group, they did attempt to streamline the administration of the empire and prevent the decline of the authority of the center. Liu also aimed to prevent officials from serving their personal interests, anticipating similar efforts by Zhang Juzheng. However, the fact that the reforms were initiated by eunuchs was enough for them to be rejected by the conservative part of the bureaucracy.

References

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{{DEFAULTSORT:Liu, Jin
Ming dynasty eunuchs
1510 deaths
People executed by the Ming dynasty
16th-century executions by China
Year of birth unknown
Politicians from Xianyang
Ming dynasty government officials
People executed by flaying
Executed people from Shaanxi
Cannibalised people
1451 births
Directorate of Ceremonial