Powerful Eunuchs

Before Reading:

Hi, this is Rochin.

I really like the following novel and want to share it with you.

I’m not a native English speaker, and just being in US for half a year. But I want to give it a try to translate this wonderful work. The story is set in Ming Dynasty, but all the characters are imaginary.

If there is any mistake please just point out in the comments or via e-mails.:)

I already acquired the right to translate it from the author. But all copyrights still belong to the original author, Tong Zi, 童子. 【Sina Weibo:  @折一枚针】

Thanks for watching. Hope you enjoy it.

Da Dang

Powerful Eunuchs

Written by Tong Zi

Beneath the eaves neatly stood a row of men, all in scarlet yisan* embroidered of spun gold, a mile away, yelled respectfully," The forefather* is back."

Out of the snow came forwards a sixty or seventy-year-old man, with a pair of young understrappers* holding him up. As he walked near,  people under the eave were about to kneel down, the old reached out a brown-stained hand, which had thick knuckles and a wide palm, slightly wiggled and said,"Nah," in a dumb and old voice, trembling," It’s quite cold now."

"Did the Majesty* slumber?" The leader of the red yisans took him from the young understrappers, gingerly supported him and led him into the room. "Yea." As he was to have stepped forward, suddenly, he stopped, in front of the threshold, winked his dim-sighted eyes, then looked straightly through the crowd, "That is….."

All turned their heads along with his sight. That"s a boy holding a silk umbrella in both hands, eleven or twelve years old, in thin clothes, shivering in cold.

"New in the palace?" The old asked.

"Forefather really have a sharp eye!  Kids were just led inside this afternoon, I picked the bests."

The old beckoned to the kid, "From Goryeo*?"

"Yes, yes. He was tributed by Goryeo. Forefather, your clear eyes do rejuvenate!"

The Reds were vying for flattery, one said," You are still so vigorous!" while another said, "Even more energetic with age!"

The kid approached, seeming uneducated. He raised up his head which there was a pair of watery slanted eyes embedded in. The old looked at him for long, just like sinking into it. Unexpectedly he brushed the kid"s immature cheek with his sere hand and ask," Surname?"

The kid could speak Chinese, he responded in a slight and soft voice," It’s Kim."

The old shook his head," Zhang is better."

The kid was stupefied, but Reds answered quickly," Surname Zhang, we"re going to change the roster now."

The old man turned to the room, immediately following the kid was pushed in. That was a really huge room, but just with several candles lighting. There hung a coa.r.s.e bow and a timeworn backsword on the wall. The child turned to look around, feeling that it was not what a room belonged to a high-ranking eunuch served in Sili Jian* should look like. The only thing that fairly showed brilliant momentum was the fan ornamented with golden calligraphy. The fan was made of red lacquered bone and green faces, with gold decorated on both sides and a few Mencius" words on it.

The old man himself took off the muntjac skin cloak, exposing the inner scarlet tieli* which had a boa pattern in the center. He was tall, might have been a stalwart man when he was young but now hunchbacked. He pointed to the dessert box laboriously," Have a taste, there are some silk nest candies*."

The child glanced at the box, there were full of big bullions, ringing sweets*, Jackfruits, and etc. All were precious desserts. But he rubbed his hands instead tactfully and asked obediently," Grandpa*, which kind of incense do you want?"

The old man laughed out though being choked, probably because the kid called him "grandpa". He coughed and panted, but still very glad and said:" Just Blossomed in Chill, it smokes straightly, and would call back many dated memories."

The kid immediately put the copper breast-like foot stove* onto the small side table, then used tweezers to pick the incense ball out of the regiment and slightly threw it into the stove. After the ball was lit, he blew on it, then turned back to check. However, the old man already fell asleep leaning against the chair back with his head slant.

Smog rose curvaceously, but it was truly straight. The kid crunched down near the table, clasping his legs, while his eyes straightly on the smog. When he was younger, he heard from someone that every time Blossomed in Chill was burnt, there would be immortals riding the white crane downwards along the smog.

*da dang:大珰, a kind of jade or gold ornaments that once used on the eunuchs’ official hats, then always be used to present powerful eunuchs.

*yisan: 曳撒, also as "jjsum" in Mongolian, a kind of costume during Ming Dynasty, originally from Mongolia.

*forefather: in the original text, the word is "Lao Zu Zong", 老祖宗，a respectful address term for those old men in a clan or elders in power.

*understrapper: in the original text, the word is "Huo Zhe", 火者，people in the lowest status among eunuchs.

*Majesty: in the original text, the word is "Wan Sui Ye", 万岁爷，which means the man who can live for ten thousand years, always a respectful term for the Emperor in ancient China.

*Goryeo: also spelled Koryŏ, was a Korean kingdom established in 918 by King Taejo.

*Sili Jian: 司礼监, the most powerful one of the twelve departments that imperial palace set up to deal with business in the palace and manage eunuchs. Its main responsibility is to deal with all the stuff related to etiquette and host the fetes.

*tieli:贴里, a kind of robes that has stripes under the oxters appeared in Ming Dynasty.

*grandpa: in this situation, the kid used this word just to show intimacy and respect and besides, there was no kinship between them. I know that maybe in English people just use "sir"  or "Mr." to express this, but it"s really weird to me to use these two in this ancient scene.

1.yisan:

2.tieli:

3. silk nest candy:

4. ringing sweet(sweet tower):

5. copper breast-like foot stove；

Film:

“Flying Swords of Dragon Gate”  2011

The film has the similar background with the novel. Maybe it can help you have a general impression of that period.