an li ▁Emperor ▁were ▁also ▁rev oked ▁at ▁this ▁time . ▁However , ▁ten ▁days ▁after ▁his ▁coron ation , ▁the ▁Ta ich ang ▁Emperor ▁became ▁so ▁ill ▁that ▁celebr ations ▁for ▁his ▁birth day ▁( by ▁Chinese ▁calculation ) ▁were ▁cancel led . ▁ ▁The ▁Red ▁P ills ▁ ▁According ▁to ▁non - o fficial ▁primary ▁sources , ▁the ▁Ta ich ang ▁Emperor ' s ▁ill ness ▁was ▁brought ▁about ▁by ▁excess ive ▁sexual ▁indul gence ▁after ▁he ▁was ▁presented ▁with ▁eight ▁ma id ens ▁by ▁Lady ▁Zh eng . ▁The ▁em peror ' s ▁already ▁serious ▁condition ▁was ▁further ▁comp ounded ▁by ▁severe ▁di arr ho ea ▁after ▁taking ▁a ▁do se ▁of ▁la x ative , ▁recommended ▁by ▁an ▁att ending ▁e un uch ▁C ui ▁W ens h eng ▁on ▁ 1 0 ▁September . ▁Finally ▁on ▁ 2 5 ▁September , ▁to ▁counter ▁the ▁effects ▁of ▁the ▁la x ative , ▁he ▁asked ▁for ▁and ▁took ▁a ▁red ▁pill ▁presented ▁by ▁a ▁minor ▁court ▁official ▁named ▁Li ▁Ke z hu o , ▁who ▁d ab bled ▁in ▁ap othe c ary . ▁ ▁Death ▁ ▁It ▁was ▁recorded ▁in ▁official ▁M ing ▁histor ies ▁that ▁the ▁Ta ich ang ▁Emperor ▁felt ▁much ▁better ▁after ▁taking ▁the ▁red ▁pill , ▁reg ained ▁his ▁app et ite ▁and ▁repeatedly ▁pra ised ▁Li ▁Ke z hu o ▁as ▁a ▁" loy al ▁subject ". ▁That ▁same ▁afternoon , ▁the ▁em peror ▁took ▁a ▁second ▁pill ▁and ▁was ▁found ▁dead ▁the ▁next