The Most Infamous Corrupt Eunuch in Chinese History
During the middle and late Tang Dynasty in China, the power of the eunuchs reached its peak. They not only held military power, but some eunuchs even manipulated the lives of the emperors.
In the year 824, Prince Li Jian ascended to the throne with the title of Emperor Jing Zong. Despite becoming the emperor, this young ruler, who was barely 20 years old, was notorious for his distaste for court affairs and disapproval of official documents. He preferred organizing folk games such as kicking the shuttlecock, boat racing, wrestling, and hunting. Due to his neglect of state affairs, Emperor Jing Zong allowed his corrupt eunuch, Liu Ke Ming, to cause chaos not only in the court but also in the harem.
Being the adopted son of the grand eunuch Liu Quang Shi, Liu Ke Ming was brought into the palace to serve Prince Li Jian since he was a child. Relying on the power of his foster father, Liu Ke Ming had access to the royal family without going through a marriage ceremony. This began the start of a disaster.
According to Tang history, Liu Ke Ming was described as having a handsome appearance with a fair complexion and a very feminine demeanor. Particularly, this eunuch was naturally unable to grow a beard. Therefore, Liu Ke Ming lived for a long time in the palace, but his true identity was never discovered.
Living in the palace for a long time, surrounded by thousands of beautiful women selected for the emperor, Liu Ke Ming became increasingly uncontrollable. Furthermore, Emperor Jing Zong’s indulgence in pleasure-seeking activities caused Liu Ke Ming and his eunuch faction to lose all restraint. Initially, Liu Ke Ming only dared to seduce the palace ladies discreetly. After a long period of acting recklessly, Liu Ke Ming not only became fearless but also grew bolder. Recognizing that many of the emperor’s concubines were young, abandoned, and lonely, he incessantly flirted with them, enticing them into secret affairs. First, it was Dong Shu Fei, followed by other concubines who were captivated by Liu Ke Ming. Their illicit affairs spread throughout the harem, but never reached the ears of Emperor Jing Zong.
Liu Ke Ming was no ordinary person. Although he was able to temporarily suppress information using his power and wealth, this corrupt eunuch knew that “the concealed needle will eventually reveal itself.” The day the truth was exposed would also be the day Liu Ke Ming met his downfall. To avoid potential disaster, Liu Ke Ming continually strengthened his power, enticing others to join his plot to kill the emperor and change the throne.
Each night, while Liu Ke Ming engaged in illicit affairs with the concubines, Emperor Jing Zong was preoccupied with his passion for hunting. Once, while secretly visiting the palace of Dong Shu Fei, Liu Ke Ming was mistaken for a fox and shot by Emperor Jing Zong himself. When questioned, Liu Ke Ming cleverly claimed that he had hidden in the bushes to lure the fox out for Emperor Jing Zong to shoot. The emperor, without any suspicion, believed the story. However, he regarded this eunuch with doubts, suspecting that his affair with the concubine was not far from being discovered.
One night in January 827, upon returning from a hunting trip, Emperor Jing Zong, Liu Ke Ming, and a group of other eunuchs held a feast. Taking advantage of Emperor Jing Zong’s drunkenness, Liu Ke Ming and a few eunuchs extinguished the lights, and using their daggers, fatally stabbed the emperor right in the palace.
The Corrupt Eunuch Who Killed the Emperor, Manipulated the Court, and Finally Met a Bitter End
After killing Emperor Jing Zong, Liu Ke Ming issued false imperial edicts and crowned Emperor Li Ngo (a relative of Emperor Jing Zong) to the throne, summoning the major officials to court. Liu Ke Ming also arranged subordinates to hold crucial positions in the palace, intending to eliminate all opposing forces through violence and establish a puppet emperor.
Some officials, such as Vương Thủ Trừng and Ngụy Tòng Gián, disagreed with Liu Ke Ming’s actions and suspected that the death of Emperor Jing Zong was highly suspicious. They declared that Liu Ke Ming’s faction was a rebellious party that killed the emperor and mobilized the Forbidden Army, the Phi Long Army (the names of two imperial guard units during the Tang Dynasty), to storm the palace and eliminate all corrupt eunuchs. Seeing that the situation was hopeless, Liu Ke Ming burst into tears and jumped into a well to commit suicide. Subsequently, Liu Ke Ming’s body was retrieved and displayed as a warning to the world.
After the coup, Prince Lý Hàm (the younger brother of Emperor Jing Zong) was assisted by Vương Thủ Trừng in ascending to the throne with the title of Emperor Văn Tông. Emperor Văn Tông made every effort to prevent eunuch power from running rampant but failed. The Tang Dynasty continued to decline.
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