Ming Grand Secretariat Grand Secretaries in Power (1501–1510)

Timeline

1. 1501–1505Wenyuan Pavilion, Beijing · BeijingGrand Secretaries Liu Jian, Xie Qian, and Li Dongyang, enjoying the Hongzhi Emperor's trust, handled draft endorsements and managed military and state affairs. The Grand Secretariat, the Six Ministries, and the Censorate formed a relatively checks-and-balances bureaucratic system; the Hongzhi reign is traditionally regarded as one of the Ming's periods of good governance.
2. 1505–1510Beijing · BeijingAfter the Zhengde Emperor ascended the throne, Liu Jian and others memorialized requesting the execution of the eunuch 'Eight Tigers' without success; Xie Qian and Liu Jian successively retired. During Liu Jin's dominance, most secretariat draft endorsements were withheld or altered, and the grand secretaries' political influence fell to a low point, with Li Dongyang alone remaining in the Grand Secretariat, maintaining it through compromise.