“Zheng He was born in 1371” (“Zheng He - Encyclopedia.com” 1). “From a minority group in central Asia, he was taken captive and castrated when the Ming army conquered his native province of Yunnan” (“Discovery Channel - Ancient China”). “When the Han Chinese overthrew the Mongols and founded the Ming dynasty in the later 14th century, they took over the fleet and an already extensive trade network. The enterprising spirit of the Ming era reached a climax following the rebellion of the warrior prince Zhu Di, who usurped the throne in 1402. Disapproved of by the Confucian "establishment," Zhu Di put his trust in the worldly eunuchs who had always sought their fortunes in commerce. During his revolt, Zhu Di's right-hand man had been the Muslim eunuch Zheng He, whom he now appointed to command the treasure fleet (“NOVA Online | Sultan's Lost Treasure | Ancient Chinese Explorers”).” “On every voyage, Zheng He presented gifts and invited the host sovereign to send emissaries to China and traded for precious stones, ivory and dyestuffs, bringing back rare animals like the giraffe, lion, ostrich and leopard for the Chinese emperor(“Discovery Channel - Ancient China”).”

“Zheng was an excellent navigator, keeping a logbook and used one of the first compasses in the world. He made nautical charts that were later called Zheng He's Nautical Charts, the first of its kind in the world. Today, there are landmarks named after Zheng, such as Sanbao Harbour and Sanbao Pagoda in Thailand, and Sanbao Temple in Java. Malacca in Malaysia is known also as the City of Sanbao(“Discovery Channel - Ancient China”).” Unfortunately for this great explorer, when the Hongxi Emperor began his reign in 1402 he put Zheng He's expeditions to an end.

In book one, Zheng He's expeditions were the primary focus of the exposition. It is on his treasure fleet that Bold is "picked up," Kyu is castrated, and both characters are sold into slavery (Kim Stanley Robinson 33). On He's ship Kyu makes his transformation into the vengeful soul who later sets out on a mission to kill the emperor.




“Discovery Channel - Ancient China.” 17 Feb 2008 <http://www.discoverychannelasia.com/ancient_china/famous_chinese_figures/zheng_he/index.shtml>.

“NOVA Online | Sultan's Lost Treasure | Ancient Chinese Explorers.” 16 Feb 2008 <http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/sultan/explorers.html>.

Robinson, Kim Stanley. The Years of Rice and Salt. New York: Bantam Books,
2002.

“Zheng He - Encyclopedia.com.” 17 Feb 2008 <http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1B1-383327.html>.