Gao Gong, Date of Birth, Place of Birth, Date of Death
TweetGao Gong
Chinese politician and scholar of Ming period
Date of Birth: 19-Jan-1513
Place of Birth: Zhejiang, China
Date of Death: 04-Aug-1578
Profession: politician
Zodiac Sign: Capricorn 
About Gao Gong
- Gao Gong (Chinese: ??; pinyin: Gao Gong; Wade–Giles: Kao Kung; 1512–1578) courtesy name Suqing (??), art name Zhongxuan (??), was a Chinese politician of the Ming dynasty. Gao was born in Xinzheng, Henan.
- He became jinshi in 1541, then held a post at Hanlin Academy.
- Since 1552, he served as tutor to the then heir apparent, later the Longqing Emperor for nine years, which made the emperor trust him fully.
- He served successively as Vice Minister of Rites, Vice Minister of Personnel, and Minister of Rites.
- In 1566, he was promoted to the Grand Secretariat of Wenyuan Chamber with recommendation from Xu Jie.
- After the enthronement of the Longqing Emperor,Gao's higher status catalyzed a sudden escalation of antagonism between Gao and Xu.
- Impeached by several censors, he was forced to retire in 1567.
- Zhang Juzheng did his utmost to persuade the emperor to recall Gao for political reasons.
- Thus, Gao returned to Beijing in 1569.
- He replaced Li Chunfang, the former Senior Grand Secretary, who was defeated in the political struggle by the death of the emperor.
- Zhang was hostile to him afterwards.
- The eunuchs in the Directorate of Ceremonial headed by Feng Bao brooked no weakening of their power by Gao.
- Hence, an alignment grew up between Zhang and Feng aimed at marginalizing Gao.
- They criticized Gao before Empress Dowager Xiaoding.
- Gao had to retire and return home once again.
- He finished the memoir Bingta yiyan (????) [The last words left on my sickbed] in his later years.
- In 1578, Gao died at home.Although Gao's term was quite brief, he made great efforts with Zhang to subsume Altan Khan's Tumed into the tributary system.
- Consequently, he was granted the Grand Preceptor as the posthumous title in 1602.
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