Why did the Ming court rely so heavily on imperial eunuchs like Zheng He to carry out its policies rather than on traditional Confucian officials?

The Ming court relied on imperial eunuchs like Zheng He for several reasons, primarily their loyalty to the emperor and their lack of political ambitions that often complicated the roles of Confucian officials. Eunuchs were seen as more trustworthy because they were physically incapable of establishing hereditary power, which made them less likely to challenge the emperor's authority. Additionally, their unique positions allowed them to operate with greater flexibility and sometimes circumvent bureaucratic inertia, enabling more direct implementation of imperial policies, especially in military and maritime endeavors.