Career
He was a hoodlum and gambler, his initial name was Wei Si (literally, Wei Fourth). He took the step of becoming a eunuch and entering palace service to escape from his creditors, taking the name Li Jinzhong. After entering the palace, he got into the service of Madam Ke, the wet-nurse of the future Ming emperor. The couple began manipulating the Tianqi Emperor, who renamed him Wei Zhongxian.
Upon ascending the throne at the age of 15, the Tianqi emperor preferred to devote his time to carpentry rather than to statecraft. In any case, he was too weak and indecisive to provide leadership. Wei, therefore, was able to take advantage of the monarch and become the actual ruler. The emperor's favour later gave Wei absolute power over the court.
In 1624 Wei induced the emperor to give him what amounted to a power of attorney. He hired a division of eunuch troops to control the palace and created a network of spies throughout the empire. Extortionate taxes were levied in the provinces, and the government became filled with unprincipled opportunists. Wei persecuted anyone who opposed his decisions, resulting in the death and imprisonment of many officials. He later proclaimed himself to be Nine-Thousand Years, which meant that he was symbolically the second most important person in the country, just after the emperor, who is called the Ten-Thousand Years.
When members of the Donglin party, a group of idealistic Confucian officials dedicated to government reform, attempted to oppose Wei, he responded with a wide-ranging attack on Donglin supporters. Hundreds of loyal officials were put to death or driven out of office.
The remaining officials became sycophants vying for Wei’s favour. Temples were erected in his honour, auspicious omens were ascribed to his influence, and in one memorial he was even likened to Confucius. When the emperor died in 1627, however, Wei fell from power. Banished by the new emperor, the eunuch hanged himself to avoid trial.