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Culture War Roundup for the week of November 9, 2026

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The idea of eunuch officials is that since they won't get married* and have children of their own, they are now outside the kind of familial network that leads to plots around diverting royal/imperial power to your close kindred (as per the Tudor court, where the old established families feuded and schemed for power with the newcomers who rose and fell with the King's favoritism based on who was his current wife/mistress). The Empress' or favourite concubine's family might trade off that for comfy sinecures, high office, etc. but a eunuch hasn't those connections so will - at least in theory - be loyal to the Emperor above all.

Of course, that didn't stop coalition building, blocs forming behind rival claimants amongst the Emperor's sons for position as potential Crown Prince, and selling favours and access when nobles knew Eunuch Gao had the Emperor's ear, but no system is going to be 100% perfect.

Long time now since I read it, but the Dream of the Red Chamber in one of the many sub-plots shows the kind of influence, and influence-peddling, the eunuchs had at court; if they wanted to make or break a rich (or now on its uppers) family, they could do so via scheming and false reports of potential treason.

*Though apparently at some periods eunuchs could marry.