Factional strife in the Zhengtong era

Timeline

1. 1441–1444Beijing · Beijing CityWith Yang Rong and Yang Pu successively dying, the Grand Secretariat fell to Yang Shiqi alone; the civil officials tried to maintain their drafting authority, but as the Yingzong grew older and inner-court power rose, the balance began to loosen.
2. 1445–1447Forbidden City, Beijing · Beijing CityOfficials such as Liu Qiu and Jiang Qin memorialized to denounce Wang Zhen's usurpation of power, only to be imprisoned and beaten to death or demoted, showing the open and intensifying conflict between the upright civil officials and the eunuch faction.
3. 1448–1449Beijing · Beijing CityWang Zhen's power overshadowed civil remonstrance, leaving the court without effective checks on major decisions such as the western campaigns; factional infighting left the late Zhengtong era rife with political crisis.