Zhang Yong was from Baoding, a city in the northern Chinese province of
Hebei. He served as a eunuch under Zhu Houzhao, the young son of the
Hongzhi Emperor and the crown prince. In 1505, the Hongzhi Emperor died and Zhu Houzhao ascended to the throne as the Zhengde Emperor. Unlike his father, the Zhengde Emperor favored the eunuchs he had grown up with, particularly the group known as the "
Eight Tigers", which included Zhang, over civil officials. The most influential member of the "Tigers" was
Liu Jin. Zhang was appointed as the director of the palace carpentry workshops and in 1506, he was also given command of the Artillery Camp (
Shenjiying) in the Beijing garrison. In May 1510, Zhu Zhifan, Prince of Anhua, led a rebellion in
Shaanxi in opposition to Liu Jin's reforms. The rebellion, known as the
Prince of Anhua rebellion, was quickly suppressed by local troops within eighteen days. During this time, Zhang was sent with an army of 30,000 to quell the rebellion, and the Emperor also dispatched
Yang Yiqing, an official familiar with the local area, to assist in the situation. While working together to resolve the conflict, Yang convinced Zhang that he was in danger of being overthrown by Liu Jin in another coup. Upon his return to Beijing, Zhang was hailed as a national hero and personally welcomed by the Emperor at Dong'an Gate. He joined forces with the other six "Tigers" and on 13 September 1510, they accused Liu Jin of plotting against the Emperor. Despite the Emperor's initial reluctance to believe in Liu Jin's betrayal, he eventually succumbed to their persuasion. The following day, Liu Jin was transferred to Nanjing and his property was confiscated. When the Emperor saw the weapons and vast treasures that Liu had accumulated, he ordered his execution. Zhang's own reputation soon came under scrutiny as he was accused of accepting bribes. As a result, he was stripped of all his ranks and titles. In 1514, as relations with the Mongols on the northern border deteriorated, the Emperor once again promoted him. He was reinstated as the leader of the palace carpentry workshops and was also appointed as commander-in-chief in
Datong and
Xuanfu. Under Zhang's leadership, the Mongols were successfully pushed beyond the borders. After the Zhengde Emperor's death in 1521, the new
Jiajing Emperor stripped Zhang of his rank and transferred him to
Nanjing. ==Notes==