ABSTRACT
Most scholars of the Ming consider the long reign of Zhu Yijun, the Wanli Emperor, to be the turning point of the dynasty, or at least the beginning of the end. Chinese historians are also beginning to re-assess the enigmatic Wanli Emperor. Wanli was enraged upon hearing of the capture of Qijiang by the rebels. He deprived Tan Xisi and Jiang Dongzhi of all posts and demoted them to commoner status and he bestowed on Li Hualong the double-edged sword giving him full military authority. Wanli's ability to recognise the talent he had at his disposal is a subject which has heretofore gone unstudied, probably because of his miserable record when it came to making civil appointments. Fan Shuzhi considers the conquest of Bozhou and incorporation of its territories into the regular Ming administrative structure as one of the outstanding achievements of the Wanli Emperor.
