Succession Struggle in the Jiajing Reign

In the 28th year of Jiajing's reign in the Ming Dynasty, the Crown Prince passed away, leaving the position of heir vacant. The struggle between Yu and Jing entangled countless lives, honors, and humiliations. On one side stood Prince Yu, Zhu Zaihou, who held the order of seniority, commanded the support of the entire court of pure-minded officials, and was regarded by the literati as the rightful heir by virtue of ancestral tradition. On the other side stood Prince Jing, Zhu Zaizhen, backed by Grand Secretary Yan Song, whose disciples and former subordinates were all pushing for his ascension to the Eastern Palace, to perpetuate the power of the Yan faction. At this time, Zhang Juzheng a...