Frost and Splendor in the Forbidden City

The middle to late years of the Wanli reign of the Ming Dynasty, approximately 1590 to 1620. This period was chosen because the emperor neglected state affairs, factional struggles grew fierce, the imperial treasury dwindled, and border troubles worsened. These factors created a more complex political and economic backdrop, as well as greater social pressure, for conflicts within the imperial harem. The palace struggles were about more than winning favor: they were quietly bound up with the rise and fall of families and the fate of the nation.