He implemented a series of reforms aimed at increasing state revenues, which also led to a rise in the influence of eunuchs at the expense of officials.
[1][2] Originally surnamed Tan (談), he was castrated as a young boy and adopted by a eunuch serving in the Forbidden City under the Chenghua Emperor.
[1][2] Known for his intelligence and eloquence,[1] Liu Jin was eventually assigned to Zhu Houzhao, the young son of the Hongzhi Emperor and the crown prince.
Unlike his father, the Zhengde Emperor favored the eunuchs he grew up with, particularly the "Eight Tigers", which included Liu Jin, over civil officials.
[4] In 1506, a group of high officials, led by the Grand Secretaries Liu Jian (劉健) and Xie Qian (謝遷), formed an alliance with high-ranking eunuchs, including Wang Yue (王岳), the director of the East Wing.
However, on 27 October, Minister of Revenue Han Wen (韓文) presented a petition to the emperor, requesting the execution of all eight individuals involved.
[8] Liu Jin's ultimate goal was for the profits from salt sales to become the second largest source of state revenue, following the land tax.
[4] He also used fear and intimidation to ensure that officials responsible for finance and taxes met their quotas, threatening them with heavy fines if they failed to do so.
[10] The increase in state revenue through higher taxation of military households caused widespread discontent in the borderlands,[9] leading to a rise in banditry in the northern metropolitan area in 1509 and an open rebellion in 1510 that spread from Beijing to the Yangtze River.
[9] In March 1507, a decree was issued that placed eunuch intendants in the provinces on equal footing with leading provincial officials, giving them authority over administrative and legal matters.
[13] In May 1510, Zhu Zhifan, Prince of Anhua, led a rebellion in Shaanxi, taking advantage of the opposition to Liu Jin's reforms.
During their efforts to de-escalate the situation, Yang Yiqing convinced Zhang Yong that he was in danger of being overthrown by Liu Jin in another coup.
[18] The reform documents were also destroyed, resulting in the failure of the only substantial attempt to change the administrative structure of the Ming dynasty and expand the emperor's direct control through eunuch officials.
[12] While classical historians harshly criticize Liu's group, they did attempt to streamline the administration of the empire and prevent the decline of the authority of the center.