View source for Zheng He

==Adulthood and military career==
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|quote =The power of the [[Tianfei|goddess]], having indeed been manifested in previous times, has been abundantly revealed in the present generation. In the midst of the rushing waters it happened that, when there was a hurricane, suddenly a [[St. Elmo's fire|divine lantern]] was seen shining at the masthead, and as soon as that miraculous light appeared the danger was appeased, so that even in the peril of capsizing one felt reassured and that there was no cause for fear.
|source =— ''Admiral Zheng He and his associates (Changle inscription) about witnessing [[Tianfei]]'s divine lantern, which represented the natural phenomenon [[St. Elmo's fire]]''<ref>Translation by Duyvendak (1939; 1949). Cited in {{cite book|last=Needham|first=Joseph|year=1959|title=Science and Civilisation in China, Volume 3: Mathematics and the Sciences of the Heavens and the Earth|location=Cambridge|publisher=Cambridge University Press|page=558}}</ref>
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Zheng He's appearance as an adult was recorded: he was seven ''[[chi (unit)|chi]]''{{NoteTag|A ''chi'' is thought to vary between 26.5–30 cm / 10.5–12 inches{{Sfn|Dreyer|2007|p=19}}}} tall, had a waist that was five ''chi'' in circumference, cheeks and a forehead that was high, a small nose, glaring eyes, teeth that were white and well-shaped as shells, and a voice that was as loud as a bell. It is also recorded that he had great knowledge about warfare and was well-accustomed to battle.{{sfnm|Levathes|1996|1p=62|Dreyer|2007|2pp=18–19}}

The young eunuch eventually became a trusted adviser to the prince and assisted him when the [[Jianwen Emperor]]'s hostility to his uncle's feudal bases prompted the 1399{{ndash}}1402 [[Jingnan Campaign]], which ended with the emperor's apparent death and the ascension of Zhu Di, Prince of Yan, as the [[Yongle Emperor]]. In 1393, the Crown Prince had died, thus the deceased prince's son became the new heir apparent. By the time the emperor died (24 June 1398), the Prince of Qin and the Prince of Jin had perished, which left Zhu Di, the Prince of Yan, as the eldest surviving son of the emperor. However, Zhu Di's nephew succeeded the imperial throne as the Jianwen Emperor. In 1398, he issued a policy known as ''xuēfān'' ({{zh |labels = no |c = 削藩 }}), or "reducing the feudatories", which entailed eliminating all princes by stripping their power and military forces. In August 1399, Zhu Di openly rebelled against his nephew. In 1399, Ma He successfully defended Beiping's city reservoir, Zhenglunba, against the imperial armies.{{sfnm|Dreyer|2007|1pp=19–23|Levathes|1996|2pp=67, 72–73}} In January 1402, Zhu Di began with his military campaign to capture the imperial capital, Nanjing. Zheng He would be one of his commanders during that campaign.{{sfn|Levathes|1996|p=70}}

In 1402, Zhu Di's armies defeated the imperial forces and marched into Nanjing on 13 July 1402.{{sfnm|Levathes|1996|1p=70|Dreyer|2007|2pp=21–22}} Zhu Di accepted the elevation to emperor four days later.{{sfn|Dreyer|2007|pp=21–22}} After ascending the throne as the Yongle Emperor, Zhu Di promoted Ma He as the Grand Director ({{lang|zh-Hant|太監}}, ''tàijiān'') of the Directorate of Palace Servants ({{Lang|zh-Hant|内宫監}}).{{sfn|Dreyer|2007|pp=21–22}} During the [[Chinese New Year]] on 11 February 1404, the Yongle Emperor conferred the surname "Zheng" to Ma He, because he had distinguished himself defending the city reservoir against imperial forces in 1399.{{sfnm|Dreyer|2007|1pp=22–23|Levathes|1996|2pp=72–73}} Another reason was that the eunuch commander also distinguished himself during the 1402 campaign to capture the capital, Nanjing.{{sfn|Levathes|1996|pp=72–73}}

In the new administration, Zheng He served in the highest posts as Grand Director and later as Chief Envoy ({{zh|labels=no|t=正使|p=zhèngshǐ}}) during his sea voyages.{{sfnm|Mills|1970|1p=5|Levathes|1996|2pp=61–63|Perkins|2000|3p=621}} Over the next three decades he conducted seven of the voyages on behalf of the emperor, trading and collecting tribute in the western Pacific and Indian Oceans.

In 1424, Zheng He traveled to [[Palembang]] in Sumatra to confer an official seal{{NoteTag|The ''Taizong Shilu'' 27 February 1424 entry reports that Zheng He was sent to deliver the seal because the old seal was destroyed in a fire. The ''Xuanzong Shilu'' 17 September 1425 entry reports that Zhang Funama delivered a seal, because the old seal was destroyed in a fire. The later ''Mingshi'' compilers seem to have combined the accounts, remarking that Shi Jisun's succession was approved in 1424 and that a new seal was delivered in 1425, suggesting that only one seal was destroyed by fire.{{Sfn|Dreyer|2007|p=96}}}} and letter of appointment upon Shi Jisun, who was placed in the office of Pacification Commissioner.{{sfn|Dreyer|2007|pp=95 & 136}} The ''Taizong Shilu'' 27 February 1424 entry reports that Shi Jisun had sent Qiu Yancheng as envoy to petition the approval of the succession from his father Shi Jinqing, who was the Pacification Commissioner of Palembang, and was given permission from the Yongle Emperor.{{sfn|Dreyer|2007|p=95}} When Zheng He returned from Palembang, he found that the Yongle Emperor had died during his absence. On 7 September 1424, Zhu Gaozhi had inherited the throne as the Hongxi Emperor after the death of the Yongle Emperor on 12 August 1424.{{sfnm|Dreyer|2007|1pp=136–137|Duyvendak|1938|2p=388}}{{sfnm|Dreyer|2007|1pp=95, 136–137|Duyvendak|1938|2p=387}}

On 7 September 1424, the [[Hongxi Emperor]] terminated the undertaking of further treasure voyages.{{sfn|Dreyer|2007|p=137}} On 24 February 1425, he appointed Zheng He as the defender of Nanjing and ordered him to continue his command over the treasure fleet for the city's defense.{{sfn|Dreyer|2007|pp=139–140}} On 25 March 1428, the Xuande Emperor ordered Zheng He and others to take over the supervision for the rebuilding and repair of the [[Great Bao'en Temple]] at Nanjing.{{sfn|Dreyer|2007|pp=142}} He completed the construction of the temple in 1431.{{sfn|Dreyer|2007|pp=135 & 144}}

On 15 May 1426, the [[Xuande Emperor]] ordered the Directorate of Ceremonial to send a letter to Zheng He to reprimand him for a transgression. Earlier, an official{{NoteTag|Unnamed official who served as a Department Director under the Ministry of Works, who had departed for Nanjing to supervise the renovation of government buildings and to reward the skilled workers.{{sfn|Dreyer|2007|p=141}}}} petitioned the emperor to reward workmen who had built temples in Nanjing. The Xuande Emperor responded negatively to the official for charging the costs to the court instead of the monks themselves, but he realised that Zheng He and his associates had instigated the official. According to {{harvtxt|Dreyer|2007}}, the nature of the emperor's words indicated that Zheng He's behaviour in the situation was the last straw, but there is too little information about what had happened earlier. Nevertheless, the Xuande Emperor would eventually come to trust Zheng He.{{sfn|Dreyer|2007|pp=141–142}}

In 1430, the new [[Xuande Emperor]] appointed Zheng He to command over a seventh and final expedition into the "Western Ocean" (Indian Ocean). In 1431, Zheng He was bestowed with the title ''Sanbao Taijian'' ({{zh|labels=no|t={{linktext|三寶|太監}}}}), using his informal name Sanbao and the title of Grand Director.{{sfn|Mills|1970|pp=6–7}}