In the early 17th century, a group of European Jesuit missionaries, led by Matteo Ricci, embarked on an ambitious mission to gain influence and spread Catholicism in the Forbidden City, the imperial palace of the Chinese Ming dynasty. Ricci, a brilliant scholar and mathematician, presented himself as a bearer of knowledge and won the favor of the Chinese court. However, as the Jesuits' presence grew, so did the suspicion and hostility of other factions within the imperial court, particularly the conservative Confucian officials. The power struggle between the Jesuits and their rivals intensified, leading to a series of conflicts and intrigues that ultimately resulted in the expulsion of the missionaries from the Forbidden City in 1735.
