Hong Kong Young Writers Anthologies Non-Fiction 2019 | Page 21

Zheng He and his glorious voyages of dream and power
Immaculate Heart of Mary College, Cheung, Ching Po Chris - 14
When the Asian world was waiting to see the bewitching glory of Ming Dynasty, the Yongle Emperor, Zhu
Di, seized the best moments to send his diplomat to let other Asian countries have the first glimpse of The
Great Ming Empire. However, to whom did the emperor give his credence to? Who was the lucky man to
be chosen to carry out this historical and glorious mission of Ming Dynasty? It all started with a 10-year old
boy who was selected to serve in the palace of the Chinese Emperor…
In the 15 th century, Yunnan, which was located in southwest China, was filled with the tense atmosphere
between Mongols and ethnic Han Chinese; the villagers could smell the smoke of fire, bombs, ambition and
hatred in the constant conflicts and wars. The volatile situation was meant to continue until Zhu
Yuanzhang, the Hongwu Emperor, conquered China and ended the Mongol-led Yuan Dynasty in 1368.
During the wars between Mongols and ethnic Han Chinese, numerous of mighty and loyal soldiers were
killed, including the father of a young boy, Ma He.
As a 10-year-old boy, the childish smile of Ma He disappeared because of the tragic loss of his beloved
father. With no time to mourn for the death of his father, Ma He was then being captured by a Chinese
general and sent to Nanjing to serve in the emperor's palace. He was among all the chosen young boys,
having the deepest fear in their hearts, missing their families and shivering in the unspeakable darkness. They
were then castrated and sent into the unknown world of Chinese armies and palaces, without any single idea
about their future.
The charming and enticing appearance and intelligence of Ma He shone brightly in Chinese Emperor's
court, and his sparkling eyes could not hide his talents in military service and diplomatic affairs. The young
Ma He was sent to serve in the Emperor's court, and he was a playmate of the Hongwu Emperor's son, Zhu
Di, when he was small, and playing with Zhu Di must have helped Ma He forget his own unbearable past,
and of course, more importantly earn the trust of the Emperor's family. When Zhu Yuanzhang died, he only
passed his power to his son, Zhu Biao, but Zhu Biao died early. The son of Zhu Biao succeeded the power
and became the Jianwen Emperor. However, after the Jianwen Emperor was in reign, he carried out harsh
campaigns against the lords in order to weaken the power of his uncles, fearing that one day his throne
would be taken away.
Witnessing the harsh and terrible cut of land and power, some of his uncles found the policy was too hard to
bear, and the cruel reality forced them to end their lives. Zhu Di was the exceptional case, he decided to
fight against the authority. Zhu Di pretended to be a mad man and found his way to get more support,
especially from Li Jinglong and the prince's half-brother, Zhu Hui, and they played the important role of
Zhu Di's success as they opened the gate for him in Nanjing in July, 1402. It was also known that Zhu Di
also had superior tactics and capable Mongol auxiliaries to help him overthrow the rule of the Jianwen
Emperor. It was believed that Ma He was one of the soldiers who facilitated Zhu Di to reign in power.
Zhu Di, the Yongle Emperor, rewarded Ma He for his help during his rebellion; he gave the surname
"Zheng" to Ma He. Ma He then changed his name into Zheng He, and he became the most powerful man
who served Zhu Di in the Emperor's court. He was also promoted to Grand Eunuch, the highest rank that a
eunuch could be promoted to.
When Zhu Di had settled everything as the new Emperor of China, he then decided to revive the
traditional tribute system. In the past, countries on China's borders agreed to recognise China as their
superior and the Chinese Emperor as Lord of "All under Heaven". These countries offered the emperor gifts
regularly in exchange for some benefits like providing them with military protection or signing trade treaties.
The Yongle Emperor, one of the most ambitious and aggressive emperors in Chinese history, seized the
chance to commission his favourite servant, Zheng He, to start the lavish expeditions to other Asian
countries to overwhelm the Asians with Chinese advanced naval technology and show them the power of
the Great Ming Dynasty.