Chapter 30 Three, the wise eunuch

Ming Taizu Zhu Yuanzhang established his capital in Nanjing. In view of the failure of the eunuchs of the previous generation, there were less than a hundred eunuchs.There are regulations: eunuchs are not allowed to hold civil and military titles for foreign ministers, are not allowed to be crowned and uniformed by foreign ministers, and are not allowed to pass the fourth rank.A special iron plate was engraved and placed at the gate of the palace: "The ministers are not allowed to interfere in political affairs, and those who forewarn them will be cut off."However, Zhu Yuanzhang also violated the regulations. Zhao Cheng was an envoy to Hezhou to buy horses within the eighth year of Hongwu (1375).King Yan's soldiers approached Nanjing, and many eunuchs fled into the army and reported the falsehood to the court.The King of Yan thought he was loyal to himself, but the Gou'er generation were lucky because of their military exploits, so they made many appointments after they ascended the throne.In the first year of Yongle (1403), the eunuch Li Xing went to comfort the king of Siam (now Thailand) under imperial edict.Three years (1405), the eunuch Zheng He was sent to lead a boat division to the West.He also ordered the eunuch Ma Jing to be in Gansu, and Ma Qi to be in Jiaozhi (now Vietnam).The eunuchs of the Ming Dynasty started their envoys, conscripts, military supervision, and division of towns, and most of them started from Yongle.Eunuch literacy started from Xuande.Emperor Xuande set up an inner study hall, and selected two or three hundred young eunuchs in the palace around the age of ten to study in the inner study hall, so it was custom-made.After the digital transmission, the momentum has accumulated, starting with Wang Zhen and ending with Wei Zhongxian.

When it comes to eunuchs, the impression is very bad.In fact, it is not the case, eunuchs also have sages.The Ming Dynasty, such as Zheng He, Hou Xian, Huai En, Li Fang, Chen Ju, etc., were kind and upright and made contributions. Zheng He, also known as the Sanbao eunuch, the story of Zheng He's voyages to the West is well known to all women and children.During the three dynasties of Yongle, Hongxi, and Xuande, the treasure-making ship was 44 feet long, 18 feet wide, and 62 ships. It is also an unprecedented feat in the history of cultural exchanges between China and foreign countries.

Hou Xian, the young supervisor of the Ritual Supervisor, was ordered to travel thousands of miles to Uzang (now Tibet). After returning to the court, he was summoned by Emperor Yongle in Fengtian Hall in Nanjing, and held a grand blessing ceremony in Linggu Temple in Nanjing.It is said in history: "Showing talent and discernment, being strong and daring to be appointed, five envoys to the absolute domain, and achievements with Zheng Heya." ("History of the Ming Dynasty Hou Xianzhuan" Volume 344) Hou Xian ruled Tibet for the Ming Dynasty, and also served as the Han-Tibetan, Confucian Contribute to Buddhist cultural exchanges.

Huai En, a native of Gaomi, Shandong, his father's official Tai Pu Si Qing, was implicated in a crime and his home was ransacked.En was made a young eunuch by the palace when he was young, and he was given the name Wynn.Being castrated, but also "Wynn"!During the reign of Emperor Chenghua, he was in charge of the Rites Supervisor.At that time, the eunuch Wang Zhi supervised Lixi Factory.Enban is in the front, loyal and loyal, unstoppable, respected and feared by all eunuchs.Wynn has four things that are touching.The first thing is that Yuanwailang Lin Junshu impeached the eunuch and was sentenced to prison, and the emperor wanted to punish him.In front of the emperor, Huai En urged him with reason.Emperor Chenghua was furious, grabbed the inkstone, threw it at Wynn, and said: You helped Lin Jun slander me!Wynn took off his hat and cried on the ground.Emperor Chenghua, let him go out.After Wynn returned to the palace, he said he couldn't afford it.Emperor Chenghua lost his anger, and sent the imperial doctor to see Huai En, and ordered Lin Jun to be released.The second thing, one time, encountered a star change, and passed on to the eunuch.Wang Min, the eunuch of the Royal Horse Supervisor, please keep the eunuch of the stable, and Emperor Chenghua agrees.When Wang Min visited Huai En, En scolded: "The star change is only for me to corrupt the state affairs of Cao. Now I want to correct it, but it is also corrupted for you, and the sky thunder strikes you!" Wang Min felt ashamed and died soon.In the third piece, Zhang Jin presented gems and asked to be the governor of Jinyiwei, but Huai En refused, saying: "The governor is in charge of the prison, so why use bribes to enter!" : "Loyalty and righteousness in the world are just people." At the end of Emperor Chenghua, Wangui concubine said that he wanted to change the crown prince, and he fought hard.The emperor didn't like it, so he repelled him from Fengyang.Emperor Hongzhi was established and called back, and he was still in charge of the supervisor of ceremonies. He urged the emperor to expel treacherous officials and use Wang Shu.Wang Shu served as Minister of the Ministry of Officials, and died of illness at the age of ninety-three.It is said in history: "Shu Yang has a history of more than 40 years at home and abroad, and he has been upright, upright and strict, and has always been consistent." ("History of Ming Dynasty Wang Shu Biography" Volume 182) At that time, gentlemen came in, and Huai En had a lot of power. ("History of Ming Dynasty Huai En Biography" Volume 344)

Li Fang, the eunuch of Longqing Dynasty.In the early Jiajing Dynasty, Lugou Bridge and other projects were embezzled seriously, and hundreds of people took the title.In February of the first year of Longqing (1567), Li Fang was impeached, but the same kind hated him.At that time, the eunuchs and eunuchs who were in charge of ceremonies were favored, and they competed to be Aoshan lanterns. They used strange skills and ingenuity to lure the emperor to swim and drink at night.Li Fang remonstrated, and Emperor Longqing was angry. He first ordered Fang to live idle, followed by Zhang Fang at eighty, and sent him to the prison of the Ministry of Punishment to be sentenced.Shangshu Mao Kai and others applied for rescue.The three great eunuchs squandered state funds, and they still wore Jinxian crowns during the sacrifices, and they were rewarded and thanked with Liuqing.The impeachment of officials will all cut down their membership.But Fang Du has been in prison for a long time. ("History of Ming Dynasty Li Fang Biography" Volume 350)

Chen Ju, a native of Ansu (now Hebei Daming).In Wanli, he was the eunuch who was in charge of Li Bingbi, and also the admiral of Dongchang.Both factions of courtiers bribed Chen Ju.Chen Ju sternly refused.Emperor Wanli wanted to advise Jiang Shichang to participate in politics, but he stopped with Chen Ju's persuasion.The people of Yunnan killed Yang Rong, the tax supervisor, and the Emperor Wanli wanted to arrest all the rioters, but he was exempted by Chen Juyan.Next year, according to the imperial edict, Cao Xuecheng, the censor, will be imprisoned for ten years to prevent the closure of the Japanese chieftain.It was already secret and white, but it was reinterpreted, and Yu Yiduo was vindicated.He will die next year, and the forehead of the temple will be called Qingzhong.In his later years, there were very few people who did things, and there was green grass growing in Dongchang Prison.In the past, the emperor's regular meal was served in rotation by the rites, but later there was no one to serve the ceremonies. ("History of Ming Dynasty Chen Ju Biography" Volume 350)

In addition, at the beginning of Jiaqing, there was a palace supervisor Zhang Jinzhong, who criticized the mouth of the little eunuch, nicknamed "Mouth Zhang".He was loyal by nature, stern, and his subordinates were prudent.Emperor Jiaqing inquired about it, and Zhang said: "How can there be a master of ten thousand vehicles lying down to read the world's memorials?" Emperor Jiaqing immediately sat upright.Eunuch Zhang praised the sparse entry, and Emperor Jiaqing praised it very much. ("Xiaoting Miscellaneous Records" Volume 7) Among the crowd, the eunuch group, like other groups, has both sages and villains.Thousands of sages are too few, but one villain is too many.Be tolerant, accumulate kindness, be close to gentlemen, and be far from villains.