Accession of the Chenghua Emperor

Timeline

1. 1464Palace of Heavenly Purity, Beijing · BeijingIn January 1464, Ming Yingzong Zhu Qizhen died in the Palace of Heavenly Purity at age 37, having survived captivity after the Tumu Crisis, confinement in the Southern Palace, and restoration through the Gate Coup; he was succeeded by crown prince Zhu Jianshen.
2. 1464Hall of Heavenly Affairs, Beijing · BeijingCrown prince Zhu Jianshen ascended the throne in the Hall of Heavenly Affairs, changing the era name from Tianshun to Chenghua and honoring Yingzong as Emperor Rui. The new emperor was seventeen, assisted by Empress Dowager Zhou and Grand Secretary Li Xian.
3. 1464–1465Beijing · BeijingIn the early Chenghua years the court restored the reputations of loyal Jingtai-era officials such as Yu Qian, addressed some accumulated problems of the Tianshun era, and continued reforms of frontier defense, grain transport, and taxation. The Grand Secretariat and Directorate of Ceremonial divided drafting and rescript duties, setting the tone for Chenghua governance.