魏忠贤
In 1627, the Tianqi Emperor died without issue, all the pregnancies of his consorts and concubines having ended in miscarriages or deaths in infancy. In the unclear succession crisis, Wei Zhongxian attempted to usurp the throne by a plot in which he convinced some palace women to falsely claim pregnancy, a pregnancy he would have a male accomplice made true. Empress Zhang thwarted the plot by securing the throne for the brother of the late emperor instead.