After the uprising, the Jiajing Emperor did not stop creating red lead. Instead, he ordered restrictions on girls entering the palace to be tightened. In 1547, 300 girls between the ages of 11 and 14 were selected as new palace women.
In 1552, a further 200 girls were selected to serve in the palace, but the minimum age limit was reduced to eight years old.[3] Three years later, in 1555, 150 girls below the age of eight were taken into the palace to be used for making the emperor's medicine.[3]
當時嘉靖帝迷信道教，為求長生不老藥，在宮廷中建起齋醮，命方士煉丹。當時皇帝迷信，認為未有經歷性行為的宮女的經血可保長生不老，令禮部派員在京城、南京、山東、河南等地挑選了民間年少處女進宮，成為宮女。為保持宮女的潔淨，宮女們不得進食，而只能喫桑葉、飲露水，動輒予以毆打，有二百多位宮女被打死，被徵召的宮女都不堪其苦。
然而實際上，曹端妃其實並不知楊金英等人的謀殺。後來世宗才得知其冤[3]。據《世宗方皇后傳》所記載，世宗清醒後，知愛妃慘死，深為懷念惋惜。多方查問，證實端妃確與謀弒事無關，實為含冤受屈而死，從此對方皇后極為怨恨[4]。
嘉靖二十六年十一月，方皇后去世。《勝朝彤史拾遺記》和明朝進士何喬遠所寫的《十三朝遺史》記載說，西宮大火，世宗不准許太監救火致使方皇后被燒死。另有研究者表示，這場火災的發生其實就是世宗授意所為[5]。