Wei Zhongxian, the powerful eunuch of the Ming Dynasty who was powerful during the Apocalypse and was known as "nine thousand years old", fell from the clouds in just a few months after Chongzhen ascended the throne, and the power edifice that seemed to cover the sky with one hand collapsed in an instant. The main reasons are as follows:
1. Change of imperial power: The root of Wei Zhongxian's power came from the emperor's trust and authorization. Ming Xizong Zhu Youxiao was extremely favored by Wei Zhongxian, but with Zhu Youxiao's death and the new emperor Chongzhen ascended the throne, this trust disappeared immediately. Chongzhen had no dependence on Wei Zhongxian, and was determined to rectify the dynasty and restore imperial power.
2. Chongzhen's wrist: At the beginning of Chongzhen's ascension to the throne, although he was young, he showed political wisdom and skill beyond his age. He quietly withdrew his power support for Wei Zhongxian, and gradually weakened Wei Zhongxian's position through clever means, such as secretly recalling and reading out the indictment, resulting in Wei Zhongxian's isolation and helplessness.
3. The turn of the civilian clique: Wei Zhongxian's forces were mostly opportunistic politicians who depended on him, and once the wind changed, these officials quickly turned the ship around and drew a line with Wei Zhongxian, no longer defending the once formidable eunuch.
4. Lack of military foundation: Under the Ming system, although eunuchs could hold a certain amount of political power, they were never able to directly control the army, which was the basis for Wei Zhongxian to have the strength to oppose imperial power like some powerful ministers in history.
5. Public Opinion Pressure and Psychological Warfare: Chongzhen released rumors that Wei Zhongxian would be held accountable for his crimes, which caused Wei Zhongxian to fall into great fear, and the betrayal of the people around him and the despair in his own heart eventually led him to commit suicide in fear of crime. There was no large-scale armed conflict in this process, which shows that Chongzhen effectively achieved the goal of eliminating traitors with the help of public opinion and psychological tactics.
To sum up, the reason why Wei Zhongxian couldn't fight the young Chongzhen Emperor was that he lost the source of power when the imperial power was transferred, and Chongzhen's precise use of political means made the originally seemingly solid power network collapse in an instant, revealing the essence of the supremacy of individual power in history after all.
