Lei Yungong (died 23 July 1022) was a

Song dynasty The Song dynasty (; ; 960–1279) was an imperial dynasty of China that began in 960 and lasted until 1279. The dynasty was founded by Emperor Taizu of Song following his usurpation of the throne of the Later Zhou. The Song conquered the rest ...

palace

eunuch A eunuch ( ) is a male who has been castrated. Throughout history, castration often served a specific social function. The earliest records for intentional castration to produce eunuchs are from the Sumerian city of Lagash in the 2nd millennium ...

who rose to power after foiling fellow eunuch Zhou Huaizheng's coup. He dominated court politics following Emperor Zhenzong's death, by associating with the powerful grand councilor Ding Wei. However, just a few months later he was beaten to death for illegally moving Emperor Zhenzong's burial site to acquire treasures.

During Emperor Zhenzong's reign

Lei Yungong was a native of

Kaifeng Kaifeng () is a prefecture-level city in east-central Henan province, China. It is one of the Eight Ancient Capitals of China, having been the capital eight times in history, and is best known for having been the Chinese capital during the Nort ...

, the

capital. Described as a clever and cunning

, he quickly rose among the ranks of the Palace Domestic Service. The emperor

Zhao Heng Emperor Zhenzong of Song (23 December 968 – 23 March 1022), personal name Zhao Heng, was the third emperor of the Song dynasty of China. He reigned from 997 to his death in 1022. His personal name was originally Zhao Dechang, but was changed ...

(posthumously known as Emperor Zhenzong) was a devout follower of

Taoism Taoism (, ) or Daoism () refers to either a school of Philosophy, philosophical thought (道家; ''daojia'') or to a religion (道教; ''daojiao''), both of which share ideas and concepts of China, Chinese origin and emphasize living in harmo ...

in his later life. In May 1019, he sent Lei Yungong to the sacred

Mount Mao The Shangqing School (Chinese:上清派), also known as Supreme Clarity or Highest Clarity is a Taoist movement that began during the aristocracy of the Western Jin dynasty. Shangqing can be translated as either 'Supreme Clarity' or 'Highest Clar ...

in Jiangning Prefecture to cast his "jade tablet with a golden dragon". During the religious ceremony, seven cranes circled above the altar—or so reported Ding Wei, the prefect of Jiangning, to the emperor, who was very much pleased. On August 12, 1020, Ding Wei was named grand councilor of the state. Eunuch and Palace Courier Zhou Huaizheng plotted to assassinate him, but failed and was executed on August 16, 1020. Lei was one of the eunuchs who exposed Zhou's forgery of the "Heavenly Text". Lei had been serving

Zhao Zhen Emperor Renzong of Song (30 May 1010 – 30 April 1063), personal name Zhao Zhen, was the fourth emperor of the Song dynasty of China. He reigned for about 41 years from 1022 to his death in 1063, and was the longest reigning Song dynasty empe ...

, the young

heir apparent An heir apparent, often shortened to heir, is a person who is first in an order of succession and cannot be displaced from inheriting by the birth of another person; a person who is first in the order of succession but can be displaced by the b ...

. In May 1021, he was made director of Zhao Zhen's residential palace in charge of his household, as well as supervisor of the school for imperial princes. In November 1021, he was further promoted, along with his subordinate Liu Congyuan (), to become Palace Courier (), the same position Zhou Huaizheng held before his death. Lei then lied to Liu Congyuan about the edict, claiming all it stated was to honor his aunt—and thus monopolized power in the imperial palace. Whenever a summon asked for a stored item, Lei would simply provide it without any documentation.

During Emperor Renzong's reign

Zhao Heng died in March 1022 and was succeeded by 11-year-old Zhao Zhen (posthumously known as Emperor Renzong).

Notes and references

* * {{cite book, last=Li Tao, author-link=Li Tao (historian), title= Xu Zizhi Tongjian Changbian ''(續資治通鑑長編)'', trans-title=Extended Continuation to ''Zizhi Tongjian'', year=1183, ref={{harvid, ''Xu Zizhi Tongjian Changbian'' Song dynasty eunuchs 1022 deaths People from Kaifeng Executed people from Henan Executed Song dynasty people