Wei Zhongxian
When the Wanli Emperor and his heir, the Taichang Emperor, both died in 1620, the palace bureaucracy was thrown into a succession crisis. The death of the Taichang Emperor brought Madame Ke, Wei Zhongxian, and Zhu Youxiao under the supervision of Lady Li, the Taichang Emperor's favorite consort, whom Zhu Youxiao hated. Not wanting China to fall under the temporary rule of a regent (Zhu Youxiao was still 15, and underage) Donglin activist Yang Lian invaded the Forbidden City, captured Zhu Youxiao, and had him proclaimed emperor in his own right. With Lady Li essentially deposed, it became much easier for Wei and Madame Ke to influence the imperial court's decisions.