Tianqi Emperor
Since his death, Wei has been seen by Chinese people and scholars as the instigator of the Tianqi era's collective atrocities. According to historical Chinese scholars, Wei's faults lay not necessarily in his persecution of the Donglin party, but in wielding power that was only supposed to be used by emperors themselves. Stories and dramatizations of this persecution were written just months after his death, and gained a large public audience. In 2009, a 42-hour primetime television series dramatizing Wei Zhongxian and Madam Ke's power during the reign of the Tianqi Emperor was shown on Chinese television. The series also portrayed the Wei Zhongxian and the Tianqi Emperor in a negative light.