History

Born Ma He in 1371, He was raised in a Muslim Chinese household in Western China, the descendant of mongols. "He" was his given name and Ma his family name. They lived under the rule of a Mongol prince. When the Imperial Ming Army invaded, He's father died in the fighting. He was a teenager when he was captured and ripped away from his people. They made him a servant to the imperial family. To be a servant in the imperial family, every male servant had to be castrated. Men who are castrated are known as eunichs. It's believed that castrated men are better workers because they don't have the hormones to distract them.  Once in the service of the Imperial family, He befriended the young prince. The Prince was 11 years older but grew to enjoy the company of He. As young men, the Prince ruled from Beijing and He took a role in the military fighting the Mongols in the north.  When the Emperor died, Prince Zhu Di was his only surviving son. However, the Empe