 The imperial household was staffed almost entirely by eunuchs and ladies with their own bureaus . Female servants were organized into the Bureau of Palace Attendance , Bureau of Ceremonies , Bureau of Apparel , Bureau of <unk> , Bureau of the Bedchamber , Bureau of Handicrafts , and Office of Staff Surveillance . Starting in the 1420s , eunuchs began taking over these ladies ' positions until only the Bureau of Apparel with its four subsidiary offices remained . Hongwu had his eunuchs organized into the Directorate of Palace Attendants , but as eunuch power at court increased , so did their administrative offices , with eventual twelve directorates , four offices , and eight bureaus . The dynasty had a vast imperial household , staffed with thousands of eunuchs , who were headed by the Directorate of Palace Attendants . The eunuchs were divided into different directorates in charge of staff surveillance , ceremonial rites , food , utensils , documents , stables , seals , apparel , and so on . The offices were in charge of providing fuel , music , paper , and baths . The bureaus were in charge of weapons , <unk> , laundering , headgear , <unk> , textile manufacture , wineries , and gardens . At times , the most influential eunuch in the Directorate of Ceremonial acted as a de facto dictator over the state . 
