This day in history: The Tianjing Incident, or “Why it’s never a good idea to make all of your subordinates kings”

Picture this if you can: The lunatic figurehead of a populist movement, a man given not just to delusions of grandeur, but to fully-formed hallucinations of his messianic nature. He is surrounded by a motley crew of advisors and allies, each possessed of their own deranged agendas and protecting personal fiefdoms. He feels beset on all sides by his enemies — imagined and real — and decides the best way to move forward is to purge his team with fire and bring in new blood.

Tough to imagine in this day and age, right?