Why did Ming emperors increasingly rely on eunuchs?

Ming emperors increasingly relied on eunuchs primarily as a result of the administrative structure established by the dynasty’s founder, the Hongwu emperor. By abolishing the office of prime minister and fragmenting executive authority among six ministries, the Hongwu emperor made himself the sole coordinator of the government. Later emperors, finding this highly centralized and fragmented system inefficient and inconvenient, often withdrew from the burdens of daily governance.123

As emperors became less involved in state affairs, they delegated increasing power to palace eunuchs to manage the bureaucracy and handle imperial responsibilities. Eunuchs, who served as chamberlains and confidential advisers, occupied a unique position of trust within the palace, which allowed them to exert significant influence over their royal masters. While this reliance provided emperors with a way to bypass the formal civil service, it frequently led to the exploitation of weak emperors by powerful eunuchs—such as Wang Zhen, Liu Jin, and Wei Zhongxian—who dominated the government, engaged in vicious factionalism, and purged officials who opposed them.342