WI: Renyin Plot succeeds-Jiajing Emperor dies

Jiajing Emperor was said to have been a cruel and neglectful emperor. He did a lot of Taoist Alchemy, to make himself immortal. A lot of these alchemy involved palace women, and a lot of the test were cruel to them. IN 1542, this lead to the palace women to conspire and murder the emperor, called the Palace plot of Renyin year, in which the Jiajing Emperor would be strangled in his favorite consorts room to frame her. However, the Emperor survived, and one of the women got cold feet, and told the Empress, who had all the conspirators killed.

However, what if the Jiajing Emperor did die during the plot? What if 20 years of his reign was cut short? Who would succeed him? OTL Longqing Emperor, who was 5 at the time? Would Empress Fang become Empress-Regent? How would this effect Ming Policies and Politics without a young emperor?
 
So if the Jiajing Emperor died earlier, how would the politics of Ming be with a five-year old and an Empress Regent? What court faction court emerge to control the politics, and what point could the Longqing Emperor can actually rule?
 
Wasn't the plot foiled because the poor girl didn't know how to tie a knot properly?

I remember discussing this with @Zulfurium and they said it was practically a 'no-brainer' for a POD to let China follow a different route to OTL.
 
Wasn't the plot foiled because the poor girl didn't know how to tie a knot properly?

I remember discussing this with @Zulfurium and they said it was practically a 'no-brainer' for a POD to let China follow a different route to OTL.
Yep. One of the girls got cold feet and reported it to the Empress. Then all involve including that girl, were executed.

However, this included the Jiajing Emperor’s favorite consort, which made him mad, and allowed the empress to die in a fire
 
Yep. One of the girls got cold feet and reported it to the Empress. Then all involve including that girl, were executed.

However, this included the Jiajing Emperor’s favorite consort, which made him mad, and allowed the empress to die in a fire
I don't know much about the period, but I'd be fascinated to see what happens
 
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