The Sage, the Swordsman and the Scholars

by Pierre Dimaculangan

  “I’m getting too old for hide-n-seek,” he grumbled. He clenched his chest. The sensation of tightening worsened. An elderly woman creaked open the back door of the adjacent shop and glanced blankly at Fox, and casually closed the door. She did not want to get involved in any way.

  It was dawn by the time he found the estate of Zhang Sunzan. He barely paused to catch his breath. He presented the Scholars’ plaque to the keeper of the house and was immediately led into a study where ink, brush, and paper were immediately provided. He hastily scribbled a message to the League of Scholars. He wrote of everything of the conspiracy within the bureaucracy, the emperor’s induced illness, and what had happened to Zhou Liang and Wei Qiuyuan. He rolled the letter tightly along with notes from Wei Qiuyuan and slipped them snug into a small bamboo cylinder. Zhang Sunzan’s raptor was perched in a large cage in the room and he strapped the case onto its back. He released the hawk just as Zhang Sunzan instructed and it flew high and fast. He stood there watching it quickly disappear into the sky. In exhaustion, Fox collapsed onto the chair and passed out on the desk.

  ****

  It was the end of the week and night had come. After the Martial Scholars had all retired into their rooms and studies, Tian Qiu the polymath quietly made his way deep down into the Hall of Knowledge and Records— a large library and study where copied documents and original manuscripts of the Middle Kingdom’s histories, known sciences, collected philosophies, and treatises on many subjects could be found. The hall had a hundred shelves of tomes and scrolls, and displayed a collection of great inventions from the geniuses and polymaths of history whom Tian Qiu greatly admired. Knowledge and technology lost to the dynasty in which it was learned had finally found its home in the Academy. A great armillary sphere adorned one corner of the room. On the other corner stood Bi Sheng’s Moveable Type printing press first invented some four hundred years ago. Next to it was a replica of Zhang Heng’s earthquake detecting device lavishly called “Instrument for Measuring the Four Winds and Movements of the Earth”. On the opposite end of the room was an erect structure that nearly touched the ceiling. It was a model of Su Song’s Cosmic Engine— a hydraulically powered clock tower that not only told the time in hours, minutes, and seasons, but traced the passing of the stars through the use of an attached armillary sphere and celestial globe. Such a complex and advanced device had been long forgotten in the Middle Kingdom since it fell under the occupation of the Menggu.

  The only surviving model now remained safely in the hall of the academy and is now only known to the Scholars.

  There, in the darkness of the hall, Tian Qiu brought the flame of his candle into an oil circuit running along the walls and the torches arranged along the length of the hall were set alight. Countless books and scrolls of paper and bamboo strips stored in the large underground library contained over two and a half thousand years of collected knowledge. Much of it has been lost or forgotten in society, but it had found a safe haven in the Martial Scholar’s Academy. It surpassed even the library at Hanlin Academy in the imperial capital Beijing.

  Everything from government records from bygone times to entire columns dedicated to the comings and goings of every dynasty was within his reach. The hall was his favorite place and he often spent much time there in study. Tian Qiu consumed the next several hours scouring books and scrolls on geography and the nations and kingdoms surrounding the Middle Kingdom and beyond. He pored over countless maps and searched for any clues in the histories that mentioned anything about the Pale Foreigners. He found nothing helpful. Not even the rarest records from the most distant lands led to any clues. Tian made his way to the far end of the library complex in an area where he had yet explored. Wiping away cobwebs and sweeping off dust, he found a chest tucked away in a dark corner. Stacks of papers and an assortment of books forgotten for many decades revealed themselves in the candle light as well.

  He gathered the chest including the papers and pamphlets that accompanied it, and moved to a desk at the corner of the room to examine what he had found. With patience and skill, he picked the lock and was rewarded with a solid click. The chest opened for the first time in several decades. The fact it had been locked so tightly was very curious indeed. What Tian Qiu had found astonished him.

  They were, in fact, the actual preserved records of the legendary naval expeditions of the Imperial Treasure Fleet of the Dragon Throne led by the great eunuch admiral Zheng He.

  “A great series of journeys that began seventy years ago and had abruptly ended some three decades later,” Tian Qiu thought aloud, his eyes wide, and jaw somewhat dropped.

  Records of the expeditions were laid out clearly in the documents. Tian blew away the dust and skimmed through the papers, reading rosters and inventories, names and roles of the crew, diplomatic missions to foreign kings, lists of tributaries and their tributes, blue prints of various ships, illustrations of foreign cities, and even naval engagements against hostile powers had all been recorded in great detail.

  This massive maritime project was started and funded by Emperor ‘Yongle’ Zhu Di and was quickly forgotten as soon as it ended. The very records that Tian held in his hands were thought to have all been destroyed or hidden decades ago by the vice president of the Ministry of War, Liu Daxia.

  It appeared however, that the scholars before him were wise enough to have obtained them somehow, perhaps with the aid of scribes and other minor officials.

  “Impossible. These should have been destroyed many years ago!” Tian exclaimed excitedly to himself. The great fleet of the Ming Empire was the most formidable of the known world and was on the verge of controlling all the known seas. No other navy came close to its size and majesty. It was quite a shame that the expeditions were abruptly ceased at the untimely death of the Admiral Zheng.

  Tian, however, sensed there was a greater reason as to why the voyages were brought to a crashing halt. Momentarily distracted from his research he took the materials to a nearby workstation and examined what he had found closely.

  The significance and splendor of the great voyages have unfortunately faded into history and is altogether just a distant and controversial memory in the Imperial Court. He turned his attention to a smaller iron box stashed inside the chest. He diligently picked the lock until he heard the metallic ping. What he found was just as fascinating. Specific accounts of Zheng He’s later adventures were extensively written by his chief chronicler and interpreter Ma Huan. The log books were stacked in the box. Ma Huan’s personal thoughts, feelings, and experiences were quite insightful and entertaining for Tian to read, but it was a few select days that caught his full attention. He unpacked the stack and untied the cordage that bound them together. He grabbed a chair and opened the first pages.

  The Records of the Treasure Fleet of the Dragon Throne

  13th Year of Reign of Emperor Yongle,

  First Day of the Eight Month

  Our return trip home was not without some spectacle and we were in a place to worry since our ships were heavy-laden with many precious cargos and foreign envoys from the nations in the South West. What we have encountered in the recent days could not be explained nor have we seen anything of the sort. Nowhere in the seas we have traversed nor in the harbors of the barbarian lands where we set foot have we seen such a vessel. It was a ship of admirable proportions and it approached us from the South with great speed, and the soldiers and the crew attempted to hail it to no effect. Had it continued on its course, a collision with the fleet would have been inevitable. Cannons were on the ready to defend the fleet formation should it have approached too closely. The lone mystery ship was not so much a concern as it was a curiosity and it kept a distance of approximately one half li at the rear of the fleet’s formation. It trailed us for two days and a half whilst maintaining a consistent distance from our defensive formation. We remained curious however, but the crew became rather uneasy and on edge with the foreign ship following us closely. There were no visible men on board the deck
of the foreign ship and yet it efficiently managed the raising and lowering of its silvery sails with relative ease. Upon the advice of the military personnel on board, we fired warning shots in the direction of the foreign vessel after which it came to a full stop when our bombs crashed into the waters around it. The vessel floated freely in the water where it had stopped and our fleet increased the distance from it. After we had distanced ourselves one full li, it returned fire upon us with spouts of blue flame that landed bombs with great range and accuracy. The bombs arched into the sky and fell harmlessly in the water landing quite precisely port and starboard of one of the Treasure Ships which, I should add, always sails at the heart of the fleet’s formation. The foreign vessel had sent us a clear message and we understood. In fair circumstances, I doubt the Admiral would ever desire to combat ships with such weapon capability.

  Tian Qiu became enthralled with his discovery.

  “Wait, could it be? The first mention of an imperial encounter with the Pale Foreigners! Astounding!” he exclaimed.

  Despite what the other Scholars thought, he too held his country’s safety and security a top priority. He did swear the same oath upon joining the League, after all. He continued to sift through the historical records looking for more clues concerning the foreign ship they encountered while homeward bound. With further investigation, Tian Qiu began to learn the truth behind the fate of the Treasure Fleet. He continued to read through the accounts of Chronicler Ma Huan and the Treasure Fleet’s records and perused the summary of notes attached to the official accounts:

  The passing of the Emperor Yongle many years after the first naval expedition marked a great hiatus in the voyages of the Treasure Fleet. The Yongle Emperor’s son Zhu Gaozhi had ascended the throne as the Xuande Emperor and with the counsel of his most trusted officials ordered all ocean-going missions and the building of ocean-going ships to be banned permanently. The Ming Dynasty had turned into a nation of a closed-door policy and forsook the ‘vanities’ and the expensive projects of funding large expeditions across the oceans. Upon learning the news of a mysterious ship that had eluded the Ming fleet, a great flame of curiosity burst out of Emperor Zhu Gaozhi. In secret, he had proposed a new expedition for Admiral Zheng He to seek out the origins of the mysterious great ship that he had encountered on their journey home. Together they re-assembled the fleet to its largest size; three hundred vessels of varying proportions and purposes were built in the shipyards and they were armed with the latest naval weaponry the empire had to offer should anything go awry. Emperor Zhu Gaozhi ensured the palace officials that the expedition was strictly for the purpose of enforcing the peace between the rivaling tributary nations in the South West and to restore the relationship between the Ming Dynasty and the nations that paid the empire handsome tribute. He issued an edict saying the that lands beyond the Ming Empire have not been informed of his new reign and thus sends Zheng He to proclaim the news and inform the nations to obey Heaven’s will and take care of the people in order to enjoy great fortunes and lasting peace. Therefore, the installation of many weapons upon the ships was most discreet to avoid any political complications within and beyond the court. Thus began the Treasure Fleet’s seventh voyage. It began with stopovers at key harbors and ports in Maliujia and in Sumendala, the land of abundant gold. Here, Zheng He and his crew proclaimed the Emperor’s edict and began their investigations, questioning any of the authorities who may have witnessed or learned news of the large and mysterious ships with silvery sails. The investigation bore very little results and any clues about the ships came in the form of rumors, sightings, and vague encounters made by merchants who frequented the southern seas. Unsatisfied with their findings in Maliujia and Sumendala, the Treasure Fleet sailed west towards Yindu— a vast land of many kingdoms and princedoms, gods, and spices. The journey to Yindu was not without its hostile encounters. A squadron of local pirates with their ships of triangular sails challenged Zheng He and the fleet and fired upon them. The Treasure Fleet managed to subdue the pirates and capture the captain of the flagship who was not in the least bit awestruck by the massive treasure fleet. Upon interrogation of the pirate lord as to why he attacked such an overwhelming force of ships, he only rambled what sounded like nonsense and continuously made claims of a great and mighty force from the Far South beyond the seas of Yindu. The pirate’s surviving companions mocked the mighty Ming Treasure Fleet which they called “insignificant” and scoffed at Zheng He and his crew saying those of the Middle Kingdom who are under heaven “will be humbled” upon encountering the ones whom they claimed to be sent by Demigods”. Unsure of what to make of the pirates’ ramblings, the Admiral and the fleet continued on to another major harbor in Yindu where we restocked supplies, made repairs, and continued our investigations. According to the pirates, the mystery ships, it seemed, have been making visitations to Yindu during the Ming Fleet’s absence. The governors of Yindu claimed to have described what they have seen as large warships with silvery-white sails anchored in the distance. Those on board landed on their coast and frightened the locals of the harbor. The officials described them as very pale, tall, and mysterious in their ways. They also appeared to be very wealthy and sophisticated and presented a level of cultural development that not even the Ming possessed. They also spoke the language with an unpleasant and heavy accent and demanded tribute and allegiance to their name in exchange of jewels and precious stones never before seen in Yindu. They were thus obliged to comply and the pale visitors once again set sail unwaveringly south as soon as all diplomatic processions had concluded. Other shipping routes testified to the passing of the mighty foreign fleet heading southward at a pace that defied the prevailing wind directions Zheng He requested the princes and leaders of Yindu to reestablish their tributary relationship with the Ming Empire and vowed to be a powerful ally and defender . To his dismay they were compelled to refuse his request in fear of the consequences from their pale visitors whom they consistently called the Terukk. Zheng He was outraged at these unforeseen turn of events and vowed to continue his investigation in order to restore what he believed was the natural “international balance of power” where the Ming Empire reigned supreme over all the other nations who would pay tributes to the emperor. He and his crew of thirty thousand made preparations for their journey south to seek out the origin of the mystery ships and this new race of men called Terukk and once and for all “settle” their disputes. He wrote a letter to the Xuande Emperor telling of all the things they have learned thus far in their investigation and how he plans to proceed to south to the uncharted oceans. He then sent a small squadron of ships back to Beijing to deliver the message. The Treasure Fleet finally set sail to find the Terukk despite the insistent protests of the pirates currently being held in their cells below deck.

  What Tian Qiu found at the bottom of the records caused him to stay the night to continue his readings on these lost and forgotten accounts of Zheng He’s voyages. The following records as written by Ma Huan chronicled the events taking place after leaving port from Yindu. The entries were as follows:

  First Entry Since Leaving Yindu Kingdoms

  Our journey to the uncharted waters south of Yindu began with great anticipation and anxiety for the crew of this Treasure Fleet. We did not know what waited for us at the end of this voyage or whether what we were to find will be unpleasant or beneficial. The Admiral deemed the Terukk’s demand for tribute to our subservient nations as an insult to the Dragon Throne and thus endeavors to “right this great wrong”. The days become shorter, the nights grow longer, and the weather gets colder the more we continued on our voyage of discovery. It is strange to note however, that favorable, although, unexpected winds have been carrying our fleet in haste since we have left Yindu, as if some unseen “will” is conducting our journey. I cannot be certain.

  Second Entry Since Leaving Yindu Kingdoms

  We were fortunate enough to have been prepared for the frigid temperatures of this region. The seas in this plac
e are forever locked in perpetual shadows and the waters flowed as an eternal sea of cold and ice. Many amongst the crew have begun to question the sanity of voyaging into such a realm, or if we had entered into another world altogether. Many weeks of sailing have finally brought us to our destination, though mere words would not suffice to describe what we have discovered here. As our ships continued to plow through the frozen sea, we entered a very dense fog with a thickness can be felt through our fingertips and in the lashes of our eyes. Upon emerging from the dreadful mist, we beheld before us a monumental mountain of snow and ice of which an enormous cave had been carved into its face. On either side of the cave stood two towering figures of stone shaped like man and monster. Many of us could not decipher what the figures represented but many, including the Admiral, took their sight as an ill omen, very foreboding and mysteriously ancient. Nonetheless, Zheng He commanded the fleet to proceed into the mouth of the cave and into the shadows.

  Third Entry Since Leaving Yindu Kingdoms

  For several hours now the fleet has been navigating through this colossal cave of stone and ice, and the men could not help but marvel at its immensity, pondering upon the sheer scale of its construction. It was not complete darkness as we had anticipated for the cave glowed with a soft sapphire and cobalt blue emitting from the numerous stone formations that was laid throughout the walls of the cave. A steady wind is conveniently blowing through the cave, gently propelling the fleet at a sound pace. This cave seems to go on forever, barely meandering, and unwavering in size and shape. Many sections of the wall of the cave are carved with signs and enigmatic symbols that none, not even I, are able to decipher them. Ghastly images and statues have been mounted on either side of the cave as if standing guard, forever watchful of the pass, with their eyes of stone and metal seemingly following our ships as we passed by… although I observe that those following eyes were mere illusions, perhaps the making of my own mind. The air feels heavy and unnatural though I could not smell anything foul or out of the ordinary. The men have grown fearful and have resorted to burning incense and reciting prayers to various gods and spirits for deliverance and good fortune. The sheer weight of the cave is beginning to become overwhelming. Does this tunnel have an end?