Zhang Juzheng

Zhang Juzheng was appointed Grand Secretary of the Ming court, effectively becoming the chief minister. He dominated the government during the early reign of the Wanli Emperor, wielding unprecedented power to implement his reform agenda.

Zhang Juzheng overhauled the civil service examination system to reduce cheating and favoritism. He limited the number of successful candidates, emphasized practical statecraft over literary style, and required examiners to be more rigorous, aiming to select more competent officials.

Zhang Juzheng introduced the Single Whip tax system, which consolidated various taxes and corv