text: Ministers, eunuchs, grand secretaries Traditional historians often praise the rule of the Jingtai Emperor, particularly when compared to the corrupt and inept eunuchs who had controlled the government in the previous decade. However, it is important to note that power did not completely transfer from eunuchs to officials during his reign. Eunuchs still held a considerable amount of influence. Instead, after 1449, both eunuchs and officials collaborated to revitalize the country.
  To some extent, the Jingtai Emperor's regime followed the tradition of the "Three Yangs" who ruled the empire from the mid-1420s to the early 1440s. This continuity was embodied by Wang Zhi, who held the position of Minister of Personnel from 1443 to 1457. During the 1440s, Wang Zhi was a constant opponent of Wang Zhen, but after 1449, he began to cooperate with Yu Qian. From 1451 to 1453, he was assisted in his duties by co-minister He Wenyuan, who was later replaced by Wang Ao. Yu Qian supported Wang Ao's rise, and he successfully defended Liaodong, as well as later Guangdong and Guangxi. Wang Ao remained Minister of Personnel until his death in 1467 at the age of 73. The widely respected Ministers of Personnel, along with their careful selection of capable officials, contributed to a high level of administration in the third quarter of the fifteenth century.