▁morning ▁on ▁September ▁ 2 6 , ▁ 1 6 2 0 . ▁▁ ▁The ▁death ▁of ▁an ▁em peror ▁who ▁was ▁seem ingly ▁in ▁good ▁health ▁within ▁the ▁span ▁of ▁a ▁month ▁sent ▁shock ▁waves ▁through ▁the ▁M ing ▁Empire ▁and ▁rum ours ▁started ▁spread ing . ▁The ▁much ▁talked ▁about ▁mystery ▁surrounding ▁the ▁Ta ich ang ▁Emperor ' s ▁death ▁became ▁known ▁as ▁the ▁inf am ous ▁" Case ▁of ▁the ▁Red ▁P ills " ▁( 红 丸 <0xE6> <0xA1> <0x88> ), ▁one ▁of ▁three ▁not orious ▁' m yst eries ' ▁of ▁the ▁late ▁M ing ▁dynast y . ▁The ▁fate ▁of ▁Li ▁Ke z hu o , ▁whose ▁p ills ▁were ▁at ▁the ▁center ▁of ▁this ▁controvers y , ▁became ▁a ▁hot ly ▁cont ested ▁subject ▁between ▁compet ing ▁power ▁fa ctions ▁of ▁officials ▁and ▁e un uchs ▁v ying ▁for ▁influence ▁at ▁the ▁M ing ▁imperial ▁court . ▁Op in ions ▁r anged ▁from ▁award ing ▁him ▁money ▁for ▁the ▁em peror ' s ▁initial ▁recovery ▁to ▁executing ▁his ▁entire ▁family ▁for ▁murder ing ▁the ▁em peror . ▁The ▁question ▁was ▁finally ▁settled ▁in ▁ 1 6 2 5 ▁when ▁Li ▁Ke z hu o ▁was ▁ex iled ▁to ▁the ▁border ▁regions ▁on ▁the ▁order ▁of ▁the ▁powerful ▁e un uch ▁Wei ▁Zh ong x ian , ▁sign alling ▁the ▁total ▁domin ance ▁of ▁e un uchs ▁during ▁the ▁reign ▁of ▁the ▁Ta ich ang ▁Emperor ' s ▁son , ▁the ▁T ian qi ▁Emperor . ▁ ▁Leg