Travel with Rain

You would think that having rank would mean not worrying about offending a servant, or eunuch, but Min Gong Rui knew better.  He knew it was always best to be furtive than to draw attention under any circumstance.  Such complex webs were weaved among the people here.  Someone could be a lowly servant, but they might just be the favorite servant of the royal consort.  For that reason, it was necessary to tread lightly, and look in all directions before stepping. 

Rui knew tacitly not to let off an angry retort when tripping over a servant rushing between houses, but there were some more pugnacious residents of the forbidden city.  Avoiding attention was made easier by avoiding these more capriciouscourtiers.  For that reason, Rui had become very punctiliousduring his visits to the court. 

This visit had started off like all other visits to pay tribute, as was his duty.  He had gone about the parts of the city where he was allowed in a very taciturnmanner, carefully avoiding any attention, when two unfortunate things happened at the same time.  Out of the corner of his eye he saw a eunuch rushing toward him, bent over and carrying a tray of some kind.  He was able to step out of the eunuch’s path.  Unfortunately the sudden splash of the eunuch falling into a little fish pond as Gushan Beizi Yi lethargically stumbled into the eunuch meant trouble.  Yi was the lowest ranked prince, and thus had no real responsibilities.  He spent his time eating and drinking.  He fell into the more pugnacious category of residents, and was typically avoided by Rui.

Rui watched as Yi shouted obscenities after the eunuch before stumbling onward, and being ensconced in the cover of a nearby villa.   Rui turned his attention back to the eunuch brushing mud and debris from his clothing just in time to see their head come up and catch sight of him.  The eunuch’s expression went from surprise to very angry.  Before Rui could say a word, the eunuch gathered up what had been dropped, and rushed off.

Rui tried remaining calm by telling himself that he was a duke, and had nothing to fear from a lowly eunuch.  When that didn’t work, he told himself that he was of a low enough rank to be unknown anyway.  All day he continued this way, until it was time to sleep.  As he lay sleepless, he thought to himself that he need only get through that night, and the next day he would be returning to the province. 

The next morning he jumped out of bed, and began rushing his servants to load up their caravan.  With everything loaded up, he hurried them to the exit, hoping to put some distance between himself and his anxiety. 

As they approached the guards, one of them looked up sternly and asked, “you are Min Gong Rui?”.

His voice became thick with dread as he responded in the affirmative.  This did not bode well for him.  He watched as the guard called his superior over, and started speaking to him in whispers that Rui could not make out. 

“You will have to turn back.  A messenger will come to your villa with instructions” said the guard.

This was terrible.  He could only imagine that somehow he had offended the eunuch, and that the eunuch had some connection somewhere.  Every imaginable punishment began flying through Rui’s mind.  Maybe it would be poisoning, or being fed to the fish.  It didn’t matter he thought, the end would be coming soon regardless of how.

He sat despondent in his luxurious villa, waiting for the messenger of doom.  Finally his servants came to announce the messenger, and he slowly stood up to receive them.  The messenger bowed low, and gave him the note with both hands before backing away and leaving.  Rui opened the message, and saw only the beginning, “You are required to be in attendance before the highest court of the Son of Heaven.… At that point he dropped the note and sank back into his chair.  This was worse than he could have possibly imagined.  That eunuch must have been a servant of the emperor himself.  If there had been any doubt before, the note had confirmed his demise.

Later that day the royal servants came to collect him.  The servants, seeing how he dragged his feet, placed him in a chair and carried him the rest of the way.  Rui marveled to himself at the lengths they were taking to ensure he did not escape his fate.  As they drew closer he could hear music and laughing.  Again his heart sank, they were so eager for his demise that they were celebrating. 

The servants ushered him into a courtyard with tables arranged in a semicircle.  They were practically overflowing with the most incredible arrangements of dishes.  He was so impressed that for the moment he forgot about his impending doom. 

Rui was startled from his thoughts when his name was announced loudly by one of the eunuchs.  He suddenly found himself being conveyed to one of the large tables.  Now he was completely confused about what was happening.

While he was trying to wrap his head around this strange turn of events a eunuch suddenly announced loudly the two princes, and then the emperor himself.  Everyone bowed as the emperor moved to his table. 

Rui was startled to see prince Yi coming toward him.  Before he could react the prince sat at his table and started speaking to him. 

“I have watched you over the years here in the court, and grown fond of you.  You know I have no children as well.” Said the prince.

Rui was without words at this strange turn of events, but did his best to acknowledge what the prince was saying with nods and signals in the affirmative.  He could barely believe what he was hearing.

“Yesterday you saved me from embarrassment when you distracted my sister’s favorite eunuch by the pond.  I have decided to bring you into my family as my adopted son.  Your rank will be increased, and you will now be in charge of 5 provinces.  This celebration is for you.”.