Chapter Thirteen: Eunuch Xing'an

Night Watchmen were the most elite and fearless warriors stationed at the various frontier forts, accustomed to patrolling the borders and, at times, venturing a hundred miles deep into the northern territories. They were adept at reconnaissance, ambush, kidnapping, and assassination—there was little they could not do. Only those with exceptional skill and courage could be chosen for this unit. Yet, because they constantly clashed with Mongol raiders, casualties were high. The army provided them with generous pay, rewards, and pensions, and their promotions came faster than those of ordinary soldiers. Thus, Night Watchmen were greatly envied, and any man who could join their ranks considered it a badge of honor.

Zhao Er, when he served as a border soldier, had attempted several times to pass the tests to join the Night Watchmen, but alas, his skills fell short and he always failed. Over time, seeing that seven out of ten who joined did not return, his envy faded. Still, he held deep respect for those brave enough to become Night Watchmen. Now, recognizing that their savior was indeed one of these men, he was overwhelmed with emotion.

Zhao Da, too, felt an immense relief at surviving such calamity. He gazed at the approaching Night Watchmen, wanting to utter words of gratitude, but found himself speechless.

In contrast, Eunuch Guo remained calm. Once he realized their rescuers were Night Watchmen from the border garrison, his earlier panic had vanished, replaced with an inscrutable expression. Though the place was not far from the border wall, it was still some twenty or thirty miles away. The border forts stood close to the wall, and the Night Watchmen mostly patrolled outside it—so what brought them suddenly so deep into the heartland?

The sudden appearance of the Night Watchmen left Lu Qing with a flicker of doubt, but he quickly set it aside. No matter the reason, these men were his saviors. Without them, it was uncertain whether he could have escaped with Eunuch Guo. As the Night Watchmen galloped up, gratitude filled his heart.

There were five Night Watchmen in total, all mounted. Their leader was a decurion. By the firelight, Lu Qing could make out that this decurion was young—about his own age. The details of his features were unclear in the dim light, but a scar running from his brow to his chin was unforgettable. The other four were sturdy men, their tall felt hats adorned with red tassels lending them an imposing presence.

The decurion, noticing Lu Qing’s gaze, shot him a cold look. That glance, coupled with the scar, sent a chill through Lu Qing, who later realized it was the aura of a man used to killing.

Noticing Lu Qing wore the uniform of a border soldier, the decurion was surprised but did not linger, leading his men down the slope.

After four horse thieves were shot dead, the two remaining immediately abandoned Zhao Er and fled. Lu Qing expected the young decurion to pursue them, but the decurion, seemingly wary of the bandits, did not give chase. Instead, he reined in his horse at the bottom of the slope and remained still.

When the two fleeing bandits had disappeared into the darkness and the sounds of galloping hooves faded into the distance, the decurion finally pulled his reins and led his men back up the hill.

From the receding hoofbeats, it was clear the two escapees had headed west.

At the decurion's command, two men leapt from their horses to check whether any of the fallen bandits yet lived. Three were dead, felled by arrows to vital points. The fourth still breathed faintly, but was mortally wounded, mouth frothing with blood. Seeing this, one of the men, without a word, drew his blade and severed the man’s head, blood spurting forth. Without waiting for the gushing to stop, he picked up the head and, with another, went to decapitate the remaining three.

In the Ming army, merit was counted in enemy heads, so Lu Qing and the others were not surprised by the Night Watchmen’s actions—if anything, they approved.

Zhao Er, still jittery from the bandits, wanted to vent his anger and tried to help with the decapitations. But as he approached and saw the grisly, bloody heads, his courage failed him and he vomited loudly, emptying his stomach to the amusement of the Night Watchmen, who burst into laughter.

Only after his men had severed all four bandits’ heads did the decurion rein in his horse atop the hill, dismount, and stride over to Lu Qing and Eunuch Guo. After sizing them up, he asked, “Who are you, and why are you spending the night here?”

Lu Qing was about to answer when Eunuch Guo spoke first, asking in return, “And who are you? What brings you so far from your post?”

“You—” The decurion was startled by Eunuch Guo’s unusual voice, instinctively looking at his face and asking, “Are you from the palace?”

Eunuch Guo did not hide it and nodded. “That’s right. I am Guo Jing, Chief Eunuch of Datong.”

Chief Eunuch of Datong, Guo Jing?

The four Night Watchmen, each holding a severed head, were stunned and turned to stare at Eunuch Guo.

The decurion had not expected to encounter such a high-ranking official in the wilderness. After a moment’s hesitation, he stepped forward, knelt, and saluted respectfully. “Subordinate Zhou Yunyi, Decurion of the Left Watch Post at Linbao, Right Guard of Wanquan, pays respects to Lord Guo!” Seeing this, the four others hastily knelt as well.

“Enough, rise,” said Eunuch Guo, well pleased by their respect but replying, “You are soldiers from Xuanfu, not Datong. I hardly dare accept such courtesy. If Lord Ge hears of this, he’ll say I disregard him.” His tone was distinctly sour.

The Lord Ge he mentioned was Ge Quan, Chief Eunuch of Xuanfu, an ally of Xing An, the Chief Secretary of the Directorate of Ceremonies.

It was said that Xing An was a noble from Jiaozhi. When the Duke of England, Zhang Fu, campaigned in Jiaozhi in the fifth year of Yongle, Xing An was only eighteen. Having received a Chinese education and being of noble birth, Zhang Fu took a liking to him, had him castrated, and brought him back to the palace.

In the first year of Xuande, Xing An was promoted to Attendant of the Directorate of Imperial Treasures. That same year, when Admiral Wang Jinghong returned from the Western Seas, it was Xing An who inspected the treasures he brought. His capable service won him favor with the Xuande Emperor, who sent him to various provinces to oversee salt laws, select soldiers, and resolve legal cases. His diligence earned him steady promotion—first to Deputy Director and then Director of Imperial Treasures, with the privilege of wearing dragon-embroidered robes and a generous stipend.

When the current Emperor ascended, Xing An was named Chief Secretary of the Directorate of Ceremonies in the ninth year of Zhengtong, becoming one of the palace’s most powerful officials, second only to Wang Zhen and Jin Ying. Earlier this year, he even presided over a joint tribunal with Grand Secretary Wang Wen, setting a precedent for eunuchs overseeing the Three Judicial Offices—a mark of imperial favor.

By contrast, Ge Quan’s background was far more humble. He entered the palace already in his twenties during the third year of Xuande and, being illiterate, never gained favor with the senior eunuchs. He spent the Xuande era as a mere doorkeeper, unremarked and unappreciated—a path much like that of the infamous Wei Zhongxian.

But since the current Emperor’s accession, Ge Quan somehow gained entry into Xing An’s circle and, with quick wit and diligence, won his patron’s favor. Over a dozen years of promotion led him to become Chief Eunuch of Xuanfu—a meteoric rise that many in the palace, including Guo Jing, found hard to stomach.

Guo Jing had endured four reigns and only after years of service was named Deputy Director of the Inner Court, barely escaping demotion. Had he not aligned himself with Wang Zhen, he would never have been posted as Chief Eunuch of Datong. Naturally, he looked down upon the likes of Ge Quan, who soared through the ranks, and the rivalry between Wang Zhen and the other chief eunuchs only deepened the animosity between Datong and Xuanfu. It was no wonder Guo Jing’s words carried such bitterness.

Of course, these court intrigues were unknown to men like Lu Qing and Zhou Yunyi. They merely sensed something was off in Guo Jing’s manner but could not put their finger on it.

After rising, Zhou Yunyi found it odd that the Chief Eunuch of Datong would be in such a remote place, but dared not question further. Glancing at the cart, he hesitated before asking, “May I ask what brings you here, Lord?”

But Eunuch Guo did not answer, instead complaining, “Why did you let those bandits escape?”

“Your humble servant, Lord Guo, those were not ordinary bandits but Mongol raiders from the north. I suspected they had reinforcements, so I did not pursue, for fear of ambush.”

Though Zhou Yunyi resented showing such deference to a eunuch, he remained as respectful as possible, not wanting to offend. The four men behind him also disliked palace eunuchs, but like their decurion, dared not show the slightest discontent.

Lu Qing, watching the Night Watchmen closely, had at first thought them master archers, able to shoot with deadly accuracy in the dark. But now he realized they carried crossbows, not bows.

“Mongol raiders from the north?” Eunuch Guo’s face changed at Zhou Yunyi’s words. “Has Arla led his army into Xuanfu?”

“No,” Zhou Yunyi shook his head, then added proudly, “With General Yang commanding Xuanfu, the Mongols wouldn’t dare invade!”

“Hmph!” Eunuch Guo snorted, glancing at Zhou Yunyi with a sharp tone, “If the Mongols fear your General Yang so, how did these raiders slip in?”