China by Edward Rutherfurd (historical books to read TXT) 📕

“Your foolish servant cannot say,” I answered.

“Normally, after their basic training, we sort the new recruits into two categories. Those who show little talent are sent out to be servants in the houses of nobles and high officials in the city. Those who show promise receive further training and education for all kinds of special tasks—anything from keeping accounts to becoming musicians. They may work in any of several dozen departments. Mr. Chen, for instance, has made his career in food procurement. Once allocated, everyone’s performance is reviewed after three years, and again at six years. At the six-year review, a few may be selected to work in the household of a member of the royal family. Most eunuchs remain in quite humble jobs. About one in ten rises to official rank, as Mr. Chen has done. Long service and seniority also mean—absent some heinous crime—that the eunuch has a position for life.” He paused a moment. “I assume that you are hoping for both security and promotion to official rank. Is that correct?”

“If I am found worthy,” I said softly, and bowed very low.

“Well, the reason I’m keeping you here is to deny your hopes. You will remain under my eye so I can ensure that you receive no promotion and no rewards of any kind. You’ll be assigned menial tasks, in obscure corners of the Forbidden City—places where you’ll never even catch a glimpse of the emperor’s family. You’ll have to stay here as a drudge as long as you live, and when you die, you’ll be buried in the poor eunuchs’ cemetery. Because you’ll certainly never earn enough to buy your balls back. What do you think of that?”

I stared at him in horror. I couldn’t believe my ears. “But why?” I cried.

“Can’t you guess?” He gave me a bland smile. And then I began to understand.

“Since I have given satisfaction, honored sir,” I said slowly, “I am wondering if this has something to do with Mr. Chen.”

“You are correct. You have a quick brain.” He nodded. “Were the circumstances otherwise, you might go far. It’s really a pity, but there it is.”

“Honored sir,” I ventured, “if you intend to ruin my life, would you graciously tell your servant why he is to be destroyed.”

“I detest Mr. Chen and all persons like him.”

“Because we were not castrated until after we had families?”

“Exactly. You think you can have it both ways. The rest of us were denied everything you enjoyed. In compensation, we receive the protection and opportunities of service in this palace. But then interlopers like you and Mr. Chen, who’ve paid none of the penalty, come in and steal our rewards for yourselves.”

“Do most of the palace people feel the same about us?” I asked.

“Probably. But what matters is what I feel. Although I outrank Mr. Chen, I can’t touch him because he has tenure. But thanks to your presence, I can humiliate him. He brings in a talented protégé. He boasts about him. Excellent. I watch. Then I see to it that you get no favor or promotion of any kind. There will be nothing he can do about it. For he has no say over any department outside his own, you see. You are completely in my power.”

“And you’re going to sacrifice me.”

“Yes, I am. By sacrificing you, I show that his scheme to infiltrate more of his own kind into the palace will never work. Everyone will know. I shall make sure they do. Mr. Chen is going to lose face. And that will please me. More important still, married men are hardly likely to apply in the future, once they hear what happened to you.”

It made sense. I couldn’t deny it. So everything I had gone through was for nothing. Both I and my family were destroyed. I looked at him with hatred. I couldn’t help it.

“Don’t look at me like that,” he said sharply.

“Why not?” I said. “You’re going to destroy me anyway.” I had nothing to lose. “Do you know why I came here?” I said. “My little boy was sick. We thought he was going to die. We saved him, but the medicine cost us everything we had. So I said to myself, what if he gets sick again? And then I met Mr. Chen. What would you have done in my place?”

“This isn’t going to do you any good, you know,” he replied. I noticed he was watching me, but I couldn’t make out what he was thinking. Was there just a hint of sympathy in his eyes when I told him about my son? Did he respect me for standing up for myself? Or was he just waiting, like a cat playing with a mouse? I couldn’t guess which. Looking back on it, I daresay it could have been all three things at the same time.

“You’re going to have a very unhappy life,” he said. “Now get out.”

And I thought to myself: Now what am I going to do?

1858

In the spring of 1858, Cecil Whiteparish had taken a chance. Of course he couldn’t be certain. It was a shot in the dark.

“It’s never worked before,” he said to Minnie, “but it just might, this time.”

Since the expedition with Read, Cecil’s life in Hong Kong had been pretty good. His marriage to Minnie was happy. He had three children now.

The Hong Kong missions were all thriving. As well as tracts and Bibles, their printing presses were turning out all kinds of lively Christian works. The Pilgrim’s Progress was a particular favorite. And missionary scholars were translating Chinese classics into English. “We must help our people understand this country better,” Cecil liked to say. “That’s part of our task, too.”

Mr. Legge, the Scots Congregationalist minister, had started a seminary where Chinese converts were training to become missionaries themselves. And some of these converts were showing great promise.

Perhaps