Gong Shi () was a policy in ancient China during the reigns of emperors Dezong () and Shunzong () of the Tang dynasty in which the emperor would send eunuchs to civilian markets to purchase goods by force at very low prices. This system was abolished by Reformists led by Wang Shuwen () under the rule of Emperor Shunzong. History Researches published by City University of Hong Kong and Fudan University show that the earliest record of Gong Shi can be traced back to 707, according to two biographic sketches of Emperor Zhongzong (). At first, the Gong Shi was merely certain kind of imperial entertainment, until the period of the Emperor Xuanzong (), when the entertainment tended to become a commercial practice adopted to serve the need of the palace. Before the Zhenyuan () period of the reign of Emperor Dezong, if the palace required supplies, then the officials responsible for procurement would settle the bill immediately after a purchase. Originally these officials were called The Envoy of Imperial purchasing (), but later they were renamed the Envoy of Emperor's purchasing (). At that time, the purchase and management of charcoal, which was the main fuel for the imperial household, was part of the daily operations of the whole palace in the Tang dynasty. Various officials were appointed to act as The Envoy of Charcoal Purchasing (). At first, the eunuchs were simply The Envoys of Emperor's purchasing, whose responsibility did not include buying charcoal, but this changed as the eunuchs' power increased during a period which saw power struggles among the officials of court, and the role of The Envoy of Charcoal Purchasing slowly merged with their existing duties. Charcoal was only one commodity among many that were plundered by the government using the Gong Shi practice. Because of this, the imperial family started sending eunuchs to make purchases towards the end of the Zhenyuan period and the practice of purchasing goods at low prices began to develop, and even the official documents needed to permit and justify such purchases gradually vanished. Although the Expostulatory Officials () often suggested that Emperor Dezong should abolish Gong Shi, he did not do so. Implementation The implementation of Gong Shi basically involved shops operated by eunuchs within the palace. Taking advantage of imperial power to bully the citizens, these eunuchs would often send men to markets located at both the east