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When a rival faction at court accused Zhang of all sorts of corruption, the emperor and his mother, believing in the wisdom and benevolence of Zhang's policies, defended him, having a number of the accusers stripped of office or even executed. Upon the death of his father, Zhang refused to resign his position in order to return home, to practice the proper [[filial piety|filial]] mourning observances, claiming that he was needed at Court, for the benefit of the empire. Here, too, the emperor and empress dowager defended his decision, despite opposition and criticism from factions at court, including many associated with the [[Donglin Academy]].<ref>Schirokauer, et al, 265.</ref>

When a rival faction at court accused Zhang of all sorts of corruption, the emperor and his mother, believing in the wisdom and benevolence of Zhang's policies, defended him, having a number of the accusers stripped of office or even executed. Upon the death of his father, Zhang refused to resign his position in order to return home, to practice the proper [[filial piety|filial]] mourning observances, claiming that he was needed at Court, for the benefit of the empire. Here, too, the emperor and empress dowager defended his decision, despite opposition and criticism from factions at court, including many associated with the [[Donglin Academy]].<ref>Schirokauer, et al, 265.</ref>

However, after Zhang's death in [[1582]], Zhang's successor as Grand Secretary, Zhang Siwei, began to convince the emperor that Zhang Juzheng had in fact been corrupt all along, living an extremely lavish lifestyle, and essentially just using the emperor in order to allow himself to maintain such personal wealth. Further, Siwei convinced the emperor that much of the prosperity of the previous ten years only appeared so on paper, and that Zhang Juzheng's policies were in fact misguided and damaging. Convinced of this, the Wanli Emperor then ordered that some significant portion of the land and wealth of Zhang's heirs' be seized.

However, after Zhang's death in [[1582]], Zhang's successor as Grand Secretary, Zhang Siwei, began to convince the emperor that Zhang Juzheng had in fact been corrupt all along, living an extremely lavish lifestyle, and essentially just using the emperor in order to allow himself to maintain such personal wealth. Further, Siwei convinced the emperor that much of the prosperity of the previous ten years only appeared so on paper, and that Zhang Juzheng's policies were in fact misguided and damaging. Convinced of this, the Wanli Emperor then ordered that some significant portion of the land and wealth of Zhang's heirs' be seized. Even after Siwei's death, and succession as First Grand Secretary by [[Shen Shixing]], accusations against Zhang and his "lackeys" (including Shen) continued until [[1585]], three years after Zhang's death.<ref>Huang, 70.</ref>

In the end, it remains unclear whether Zhang was the upright, selfless advisor he claimed to be, or the selfish, manipulative vizier his enemies accused him of being.

In the end, it remains unclear whether Zhang was the upright, selfless advisor he claimed to be, or the selfish, manipulative vizier his enemies accused him of being.