Chapter 613: How Can Sparrows Understand the Aspirations of Eagles?

Entering the North Anmen of the imperial city and passing through the West Gate with yellow tiles on the right, one could see twenty or thirty houses with blue bricks and red tiles. These buildings were even larger than those of the Si She Jian and Shi Yi Jian, which were located opposite each other at the East Gate with yellow tiles. This place was the Nei Guan Jian—the second most important among the twenty-four eunuch offices, second only to the Si Li Jian.

Due to Zheng He and Wang Jinghong, the eunuchs in charge of the Nei Guan Jian, spending years at sea, most matters within the office were handled by two junior supervisors. Over time, the younger eunuchs who entered the palace later even didn’t recognize these two as their real superiors. Even though Zheng He returned last year and often stayed in the palace, he rarely got involved in the affairs of the Nei Guan Jian. Rumors suggested that the position of head eunuch of the Si Li Jian was reserved for him, but he paid no attention to such things.

Having fought on battlefields, traveled to the Western Seas, and held status equal to dukes and marquises abroad, he was merely an eunuch inside the palace. For Zheng He, although returning to land after years at sea brought a sense of peace, the accompanying irritability and fear troubled him even more, making him even less willing to get entangled in power struggles. Not long after his voyage to the Western Seas, he received an order to return early due to disasters in the three main halls, so he returned a year earlier than planned. Moreover, based on what he saw and heard upon his return, he came to a disheartening conclusion: This was likely his last voyage to the Western Seas. From now on, that sea had nothing to do with him anymore.

“Eunuch Zheng, Eunuch Zheng!”
Hearing this call, Zheng He, dressed in a bright red imperial robe, snapped out of his reverie. When he opened his eyes, his gaze was calm, free from any trace of sadness or disappointment. Seeing that the young eunuch was only about fourteen or fifteen years old and stood there respectfully with clasped hands, he couldn’t help but recall his own past self. Realizing he was now in his own home in the palace, he asked indifferently, “Didn’t I say that if it’s a matter related to the Nei Guan Jian, the two junior supervisors should make the decision? If they can’t decide, isn’t there still Eunuch Wang?”

“Eunuch Wang happened to be out with the Crown Prince today. It was Eunuchs Lin and Xue who sent me to seek your advice,” the young eunuch replied. He was just a messenger in the Nei Guan Jian, and being sent by his superiors made his legs tremble. He quickly knelt down in fear, “The Xia family secretly sent someone to deliver something to Minister Xia in prison… no, Xia Yuanji. But it was caught, and the matter reached Eunuchs Lin and Xue. They said since Eunuch Zheng has returned, it should be you who makes the decision…”

Before he could finish speaking, Zheng He, who had been lazily leaning back in the recliner, suddenly sat up straight, a hint of coldness evident in his eyes. He then sneered even more sharply, “They think they can decide such matters on my behalf. In the past, they were quick to get involved in various schemes. Do they really think I don’t know anything just because I’ve been away for so many years?”
Knowing that the little eunuch would surely be unable to answer, he didn’t bother to waste words on such a minor figure. Pushing himself up from the armrest, he ordered the two middle-aged eunuchs standing motionless in the room like wooden posts, “Go and get my Qilin robe!”
Although Zheng He had been back for over half a year, aside from occasionally being summoned to the Qianqing Palace to accompany the emperor, or being ordered to deliver items outside, or staying at his residence outside the palace for a few days, he rarely appeared in public, let alone in the main hall of the Eunuch Bureau. Thus, when Zheng He appeared dressed in a bright red satin robe embroidered with gold and depicting a qilin, everyone was shocked. Especially those officials who had never seen him before instinctively lowered their heads under his intense gaze.
“A trivial matter turned into such a big deal. If this gets out, it’ll seem like the Eunuch Bureau has no rules or judgment at all!” hedenouncedured sternly before asking directly, “Who received the items sent by the Xia family? Were any letters hidden inside?”
“Reporting to Your Excellency, it was me! Although no letters were hidden, they sent clothes, shoes, socks, and snacks!”
As soon as he finished speaking, a shrewd little eunuch, clearly well-informed, stepped forward, knelt down respectfully, and kowtowed again, saying, “I happened to see the two attendants carrying bundles into the prison, so I followed them secretly. As a result, I saw them handing something to Xia Yuanji! Xia Yuanji was ordered by the emperor to be transferred from the Jinyiwei prison to the Eunuch Bureau prison. It’s strictly forbidden to visit him or bring in private items—this is clearly a disregard for imperial orders!”
Faced with such a serious accusation, the two attendants, who were already nervous, immediately groaned inwardly and hurriedly knelt down as well. One of them even blurted out in defense, “Your Excellency Zheng, I’m truly innocent! The Crown Prince once instructed that since Minister Xia is loyal and serves the public, we should show him proper consideration…”
“Your Excellency Zheng, listen! Xia Yuanji is no longer the Minister of Revenue, and his family has even had their property confiscated. Yet they still call him minister! If he were truly loyal and serving the public, why would the emperor be so enraged as to imprison him and then order the confiscation of his family’s property?”
“Enough!”

Hearing this fierce verbal battle, Zheng He’s face turned ashen, and he roared in anger. Seeing those below—some gloating, some shaking their heads in sighs, some acting indifferent, some marveling—his anger grew even more. With a cold glance at the eunuch who had first reported him, he pointed at him and ordered, “Drag this disrespectful scoundrel down, tie him up, stuff his mouth, and throw him into the woodshed. Starve him for a few days to teach him what discipline means!”

Though he didn’t handle affairs frequently, he was still a favored courtier. At his words, everyone was momentarily stunned before several strong servants rushed in, covered the man’s mouth with a handkerchief, and dragged him out. Only after the muffled sounds completely ceased did he look at the officials below, whose expressions varied.

“From now on, any such trivial matters that cause a fuss will be dealt with in this manner. The Eunuch Supervision Office is a crucial part of the twenty-four eunuch bureaus—it’s not a noisy marketplace. Even if the emperor places someone in the Eunuch Supervision Office under special custody, they must still be treated with respect as scholars and officials until execution. How can there be any mistreatment or neglect? As long as they don’t bring in letters, documents, clothes, shoes, socks, food, etc., they can be sent in. Isn’t that how the Jinyiwei’s prison works? Don’t you know? To make such a fuss over such a trivial matter—wouldn’t that be shameful if it got out?”

At that time, few of the eunuchs in the Eunuch Supervision Office had experienced the Jingnan Campaign, let alone seen Zheng He wielding a sword to protect Zhu Di. Many had even never seen the usually indifferent Lord Zheng lose his temper like this. Yet, despite being rebuked so harshly, Xue Ming, the left supervisor, was unwilling to accept it and suddenly asked, “If Lord Zheng says so, what if the emperor blames us?”

“If the emperor blames us, I’ll take the blame!”

With Zheng He’s decisive action, the Eunuch Supervision Office quickly returned to its usual calm. At noon, Wang Jinghong and Yang Qing, eunuchs in charge of the office who had heard the news, arrived. The three of them had traveled to the West several times together. Even if there had been differences before, those had been completely resolved through shared hardships. Sitting together now, they all sighed. Having spent most of their time outside the palace, they had grown tired of these schemes and intrigues.

“Thankfully it was you today. If it were me, I really couldn’t control these lords with eyes on top of their heads!”

Wang Jinghong entered the palace only after reaching adulthood. Thanks to his experience sailing at sea, he had in-depth knowledge of maritime hydrography and geography, which enabled him to rise through the ranks step by step. This was incomparable to Zheng He, who had served the emperor since childhood and enjoyed his favor. Moreover, to be honest with himself, even if he had once supported the crown prince, he wouldn’t be able to speak with such conviction. Just like when on diplomatic missions abroad, Zheng He could often convince those foreign princes with just a few words, while he couldn’t do the same.

“I was forced into it too. If I can’t even suppress such matters, then all my time in the Prince of Yan’s mansion was in vain!” Zheng He narrowed his eyes and then sighed. “I’d rather deal with pirates and princes at sea than argue with these fools in the palace… By the way, are the soldiers who went on our voyages to the West doing well in Nanjing?”

“Of course not,” replied Yang Qing. Although the Supervision of Monks ranked lowest among the twelve supervisions, no one dared to underestimate him because he had accompanied Zheng He on his voyages. He had always cared about those soldiers. Seeing the two eunuchs from different backgrounds staring at him, he spread his hands and said, “After returning from the voyages, they’re no different from ordinary soldiers. They only get meager rations, and there are always those who embezzle money. As far as I know, they’d rather go to sea.”

All three in the room understood that the soldiers preferred to go on voyages because the spices and other goods they brought back could last for several years. As for them, they preferred to go because they were regarded as high-ranking envoys of the Celestial Empire in the eyes of those foreign princes, but back in the capital, there were countless rules and rituals to follow.

“Eunuchs, Lord Zhang from the Imperial Supply Bureau has arrived!”

Hearing this report from his trusted attendant outside, Zheng He smiled at his two colleagues and said, “Now that Zhang Qian has come, almost all of us who have been on voyages are here!” After saying that, he ordered, “Please invite Lord Zhang in right away!”

When Zhang Qian entered the room, he saw the three of them sitting together. After a moment of surprise, he smiled. Since they were all people who had seen the world, he didn’t bother with empty talk. After chatting briefly about the day’s events, he became serious: “Last year, the taxes collected by the Maritime Trade Bureau were more than those in the year before last and the year before that combined. There were also as many tribute missions as ever. All the officials are saying we should abandon sending treasure ships to the West. Given the current situation, it seems everyone will have to take a break for the next couple of years. Lord Zheng, someone asked me to ask you—have you collected any plant seeds on the islands in the West?”

Seeing Zheng He’s stunned expression, Zhang Qian realized he had been a bit abrupt. Since Zhang Yue had come to him specifically earlier, he had no choice but to force a laugh and say, “I have a cousin who’s very interested in plants from foreign lands, so I was asked to inquire. If none exist, I’ll tell him to give up.”
“There are indeed some. A few of my officers are particularly fond of dealing with such things overseas. I’ll send someone to Nanjing to check.”
Since Wang Jinghong agreed right away, Zhang Qian breathed a sigh of relief. However, he had no desire to spend more time on Zhang Yue’s peculiar request. He leaned forward suddenly, his voice dropping to a very low tone, “There’s another reason I’ve come to see you. Ever since Lao Huang Yan died, that position has been vacant for a long time, and many people are eyeing it. Naturally, chaos has ensued in the palace. But it seems everyone has forgotten that the emperor once granted the title of eunuch in charge of ceremonial affairs to Hou Xian, who hasn’t really been in charge these past few years. He’s shrewd and capable—why not appoint him directly? He has already served as an envoy to the Western Regions five times and has sufficient reputation and experience.”
Zheng He and the others weren’t interested in the position of eunuch in charge of ceremonial affairs and were already tired of the intrigues within the palace. Hearing this, they were greatly intrigued. Before anyone could respond, a sudden commotion came from outside. Soon after, the door curtain was flung open, and it was a minor eunuch who had been waiting outside.
“Eunuch Zheng, Princess Yongping has hanged herself! Besides that, there’s news from the Qianqing Palace—the emperor suddenly fell ill, and both imperial physicians were driven away after taking his pulse!”