Chang-ch’un, the brother of the one to whom Ling had applied in his
determination, was confidently stated to be one of the richest persons
in Canton. So great was the number of enterprises in which he had
possessions, that he himself was unable to keep an account of them,
and it was asserted that upon occasions he had run through the streets,
crying aloud that such an undertaking had been the subject of most
inferior and uninviting dreams and omens (a custom observed by those who
wish a venture ill), whereas upon returning and consulting his written
parchments, it became plain to him that he had indulged in a very
objectionable exhibition, as he himself was the person most interested
in the success of the matter. Far from discouraging him, however, such
incidents tended to his advantage, as he could consistently point to
them in proof of his unquestionable commercial honourableness, and in
this way many persons of all classes, not only in Canton, or in the
Province, but all over the Empire, would unhesitatingly entrust money
to be placed in undertakings which he had purchased and was willing to
describe as “of much good.” A certain class of printed leaves--those in
which Chang-ch’un did not insert purchased mentions of his forthcoming
ventures or verses recording his virtues (in return for buying many
examples of the printed leaf containing them)--took frequent occasion of
reminding persons that Chang-ch’un owed the beginning of his prosperity
to finding a written parchment connected with a Mandarin of exalted rank
and a low caste attendant at the Ti-i tea-house among the paper
heaps, which it was at that time his occupation to assort into various
departments according to their quality and commercial value. Such
printed leaves freely and unhesitatingly predicted that the day on which
he would publicly lose face was incomparably nearer than that on which
the Imperial army would receive its back pay, and in a quaint and
gravity-removing manner advised him to protect himself against an
obscure but inevitable poverty by learning the accomplishment of
chair-carrying--an occupation for which his talents and achievements
fitted him in a high degree, they remarked.
In spite of these evilly intentioned remarks, and of illustrations
representing him as being bowstrung for treacherous killing, being
seized in the action of secretly conveying money from passers-by to
himself and other similar annoying references to his private life,
Chang-ch’un did not fail to prosper, and his undertakings succeeded to
such an extent that without inquiry into the detail many persons were
content to describe as “gold-lined” anything to which he affixed his
sign, and to hazard their savings for staking upon the ventures. In all
other departments of life Chang was equally successful; his chief wife
was the daughter of one who stood high in the Emperor’s favour; his
repast table was never unsupplied with sea-snails, rats’ tongues,
or delicacies of an equally expensive nature, and it was confidently
maintained that there was no official in Canton, not even putting aside
the Taotai, who dare neglect to fondle Chang’s hand if he publicly
offered it to him for that purpose.
It was at the most illustrious point of his existence--at the time,
indeed, when after purchasing without money the renowned and proficient
charm-water Ho-Ko for a million taels, he had sold it again for
ten--that Chang was informed by his brother of the circumstances
connected with Ling. After becoming specially assured that the matter
was indeed such as it was represented to be, Chang at once discerned
that the venture was of too certain and profitable a nature to be put
before those who entrusted their money to him in ordinary and doubtful
cases. He accordingly called together certain persons whom he was
desirous of obliging, and informing them privately and apart
from business terms that the opportunity was one of exceptional
attractiveness, he placed the facts before them. After displaying a
number of diagrams bearing upon the matter, he proposed that they should
form an enterprise to be called “The Ling (After Death) Without Much
Risk Assembly.” The manner of conducting this undertaking he explained
to be as follows: The body of Ling, whenever the spirit left it, should
become as theirs to be used for profit. For this benefit they would pay
Ling fifty thousand taels when the understanding was definitely arrived
at, five thousand taels each year until the matter ended, and when that
period arrived another fifty thousand taels to persons depending upon
him during his life. Having stated the figure business, Chang-ch’un
put down his written papers, and causing his face to assume the look of
irrepressible but dignified satisfaction which it was his custom to wear
on most occasions, and especially when he had what appeared at first
sight to be evil news to communicate to public assemblages of those
who had entrusted money to his ventures, he proceeded to disclose the
advantages of such a system. At the extreme, he said, the amount which
they would be required to pay would be two hundred and fifty
thousand taels; but this was in reality a very misleading view of the
circumstance, as he would endeavour to show them. For one detail, he had
allotted to Ling thirty years of existence, which was the extreme amount
according to the calculations of those skilled in such prophecies; but,
as they were all undoubtedly aware, persons of very expert intellects
were known to enjoy a much shorter period of life than the gross and
ordinary, and as Ling was clearly one of the former, by the fact of his
contriving so ingenious a method of enriching himself, they might with
reasonable foresight rely upon his departing when half the period had
been attained; in that way seventy-five thousand taels would be restored
to them, for every year represented a saving of five thousand. Another
agreeable contemplation was that of the last sum, for by such a time
they would have arrived at the most pleasurable part of the enterprise:
a million taels’ worth of pure gold would be displayed before them, and
the question of the final fifty thousand could be disposed of by cutting
off an arm or half a leg. Whether they adopted that course, or decided
to increase their fortunes by exposing so exceptional and symmetrical a
wonder to the public gaze in all the principal cities of the Empire, was
a circumstance which would have to be examined within their minds when
the time approached. In such a way the detail of purchase stood
revealed as only fifty thousand taels in reality, a sum so despicably
insignificant that he had internal pains at mentioning it to so wealthy
a group of Mandarins, and he had not yet made clear to them that each
year they would receive gold to the amount of almost a thousand taels.
This would be the result of Ling making smooth his surfaces, and it
would enable them to know that the person in question actually existed,
and to keep the circumstances before their intellects.
When Chang-Ch’un had made the various facts clear to this extent, those
who were assembled expressed their feelings as favourably turned towards
the project, provided the tests to which Ling was to be put should prove
encouraging, and a secure and intelligent understanding of things to be
done and not to be done could be arrived at between them. To this end
Ling was brought into the chamber, and fixing his thoughts steadfastly
upon Mian, he permitted portions to be cut from various parts of his
body without betraying any signs of ignoble agitation. No sooner had
the pieces been separated and the virtue of Ling’s existence passed from
them than they changed colour and hardened, nor could the most delicate
and searching trials to which they were exposed by a skilful worker
in metals, who was obtained for the purpose, disclose any particular,
however minute, in which they differed from the finest gold. The hair,
the nails, and the teeth were similarly affected, and even Ling’s
blood dried into a fine gold powder. This detail of the trial being
successfully completed, Ling subjected himself to intricate questioning
on all matters connected with his religion and manner of conducting
himself, both in public and privately, the history and behaviour of his
ancestors, the various omens and remarkable sayings which had reference
to his life and destiny, and the intentions which he then possessed
regarding his future movements and habits of living. All the wise
sayings and written and printed leaves which made any allusion to the
existence of and possibility of discovery of the wonderful gold fluid
were closely examined, and found to be in agreement, whereupon those
present made no further delay in admitting that the facts were indeed
as they had been described, and indulged in a dignified stroking of
each other’s faces as an expression of pleasure and in proof of their
satisfaction at taking part in so entrancing and remunerative an affair.
At Chang’s command many rare and expensive wines were then brought
in, and partaken of without restraint by all persons, the repast being
lightened by numerous well-considered and gravity-removing jests having
reference to Ling and the unusual composition of his person. So amiably
were the hours occupied that it was past the time of no light when Chang
rose and read at full length the statement of things to be done and
things not to be done, which was to be sealed by Ling for his part and
the other persons who were present for theirs. It so happened, however,
that at that period Ling’s mind was filled with brilliant and versatile
thoughts and images of Mian, and many-hued visions of the manner in
which they would spend the entrancing future which was now before them,
and in this way it chanced that he did not give any portion of his
intellect to the reading, mistaking it, indeed, for a delicate and very
ably-composed set of verses which Chang-ch’un was reciting as a formal
blessing on parting. Nor was it until he was desired to affix his
sign that Ling discovered his mistake, and being of too respectful and
unobtrusive a disposition to require the matter to be repeated then, he
carried out the obligation without in any particular understanding the
written words to which he was agreeing.
As Ling walked through the streets to his chamber after leaving the
house and company of Chang-Ch’un, holding firmly among his garments the
thin printed papers to the amount of fifty thousand taels which he had
received, and repeatedly speaking to himself in terms of general and
specific encouragement at the fortunate events of the past few days, he
became aware that a person of mean and rapacious appearance, whom he
had some memory of having observed within the residence he had but
just left, was continually by his side. Not at first doubting that
the circumstance resulted from a benevolent desire on the part of
Chang-ch’un that he should be protected on his passage through the city,
Ling affected not to observe the incident; but upon reaching his own
door the person in question persistently endeavoured to pass in also.
Forming a fresh judgment about the matter, Ling, who was very powerfully
constructed, and whose natural instincts were enhanced in every degree
by the potent fluid of which he had lately partaken, repeatedly threw
him across the street until he became weary of the diversion. At
length, however, the thought arose that one who patiently submitted
to continually striking the opposite houses with his head must have
something of importance to communicate, whereupon he courteously invited
him to enter the apartment and unweigh his mind.
“The facts of the case appear to have been somewhat inadequately
represented,” said the stranger, bowing obsequiously, “for this
unornamental person was assured by the benignant Chang-ch’un that the
one whose shadow he was to become was of a mild and forbearing nature.”
“Such words are as the conversation of birds to me,” replied Ling, not
conjecturing how the matter had fallen about. “This person has just left
the presence of the elegant and successful Chang-ch’un, and no word that
he spoke gave indication of such a follower or such a service.”
“Then it is indeed certain that the various transactions have not been
fully understood,” exclaimed the other, “for the exact communication to
this unseemly one was, ‘The valuable and enlightened Ling has heard and
agreed to the different things to be done and not to be done, one
phrase of which arranges for your continual presence, so that he will
anticipate your attentions.’”
At these words the truth became as daylight before Ling’s eyes, and
he perceived that the written paper to which he had affixed his sign
contained the detail of such an office as that of the person before him.
When too late, more than ever did he regret that he had not formed some
pretext for causing the document to be read a second time, as in view of
his immediate intentions such an arrangement as the one to which he had
agreed had every appearance of becoming of an irksome and perplexing
nature. Desiring to know the length of the attendant’s commands, Ling
asked him for a clear statement of his duties, feigning that he had
missed that portion of the reading through a momentary attack of the
giddy sickness. To this request the stranger, who explained that his
name was Wang, instantly replied that his written and spoken orders
were: never to permit more than an arm’s length of space to separate
them; to prevent, by whatever force was necessary for the purpose, all
attempts at evading the things to be done and not to be done, and to
ignore as of no interest all other circumstances. It seemed to Ling,
in consequence, that little seclusion would be enjoyed unless an
arrangement could be effected between Wang and himself; so to this end,
after noticing the evident poverty and covetousness of the person in
question, he made him an honourable offer of frequent rewards, provided
a greater distance was allowed to come between them as soon as Si-chow
was reached. On his side, Ling undertook not to break through the
wording of the things to be done and not to be done, and to notify to
Wang any movements upon which he meditated. In this reputable manner
the obstacle was ingeniously removed, and the intelligent nature of the
device was clearly proved by the fact that not only Ling but Wang also
had in the future a much greater liberty of action than would have
been possible if it had been necessary to observe the short-sighted and
evidently hastily-thought-of condition which Chang-ch’un had endeavoured
to impose.