NICHOLAS RESOLVES UPON A DANGEROUS ADVENTURE.
The following morning when Nicholas saw the merchant, he said,
"Yesterday the worthy Yang would have learned the object of my visit to
Pekin. I would gain admittance to the imperial palace. Will he aid me?"
"Alas! my nephew, nothing can be more difficult, for it is crowded with
bonzes, and I fear worse--rebels, who swarm around the royal person like
hornets; but whom seekest thou within the outer palaces?"
"Even the Son of Heaven himself, at the feet of whose throne I would
kneel."
"Is the youth bereft of his senses? does he not know that it is certain
death to pass the prohibited wall of the inner palace?"
"May then the illustrious Prince Woo-san-Kwei be found within the
palace?" asked Nicholas.
"Nay, even if thou couldst boast the friendship of the great
Woo-san-Kwei thou wouldst not be safe. The prince is too honest and
brave to be much in favor just now. Wouldst thou be safe, youth, thou
must seek the Prince Li-Kong."
"The vile traitor," muttered Nicholas at the name.
"Hist, hist! thou wilt assuredly lose thy head, boy," said Yang, placing
his finger upon his lips.
"Let the friend of the merchant of the south open his lips to a purpose.
Can, or can he not, aid me to gain admittance within the palace? for it
is my father's command that I should seek the Emperor or the Prince
Woo-san-Kwei, and at the peril of my life he must be obeyed," said
Nicholas firmly.
"Since thou art determined, take this," said Yang placing a ring on the
boy's finger; adding, "It will pass thee through the guards of the outer
palaces and courts as far as the prohibited wall, and then proceed no
further, as you value your life, but await the approach of one of the
officers of the guard, to whom you must show that ring, and tell him
that you have business with the red-girdled Prince Woo-san-Kwei;
further, be prudent, or thou wilt seek thy death."
"The worthy Yang has indeed filled me with gratitude," said Nicholas,
who then sent Chow for a chair. When the boy returned he asked his
master to what part of the city he would be carried.
"To the palace."
"By the five social relations the noble Nicholas is tired of this world,
for he has no sooner escaped one death than he seeks another," said
Chow.
"Wag not thy foolish tongue, O Chow, but if thy heart fails thee stay
behind."
"And leave the noble Nicholas to go to the world of spirits alone? that
would indeed be base. No, no; Chow will follow; but my noble master has
forgotten his sword, he may require it," said the boy.
"I am sufficiently armed," replied Nicholas showing the hilt of a small
dagger beneath his robe, adding, "Now let us proceed."
They then passed through the streets, which swarmed with people who were
as busy as bees in a hive, some making purchases of itinerant
tradespeople, viewing the wonderful feats of jugglers, mountebanks, or
players, listening to the marvelous narratives of _viva voce_ novelists,
or testing their fates with cheating fortune-tellers. As they approached
the palace, they found crowds of people gazing at the great observatory,
upon the top of which the astronomers of the court, in full dress, were
engaged in watching the heavens. When they arrived at the wall which
confined the city of buildings that made up the imperial residence,
Nicholas dismissed the chairman, and they passed into the first court,
which was as large and full of houses as a small country town. It took
half an hour to walk through; and as they had to traverse seven more of
these courts, which took them three hours, you may imagine the great
extent of the whole palace. The last but one was surrounded with the
palaces of the princes of the red girdle, or those more distant in blood
from the throne. This court was crowded with mandarins, officers,
eunuchs, and soldiers of the Emperor, who were earnestly peering through
telescopes at the sun, which from a deep blood red became yellow and
dim, and gradually more and more opaque, till the whole world seemed to
be enveloped in darkness, and darkness blacker than midnight, for there
was no moon.
When the earth's light became extinguished, the mandarins fell flat upon
their faces, moaning aloud, while the noise from thousands of drums
shook the very walls.
"Let us fall upon our faces, O my master, and pray to the terrible
dragon," exclaimed Chow, suiting the action to the word, and endeavoring
to drag Nicholas with him. As, however, Nicholas was averse to this
superstition, he refused to comply, and stood looking upon the people as
if they had been performing for his especial and solitary benefit.
Whatever was the superstition, it laid firm hold of Chow, who, long
after the light had returned to the heavens and the other people to
their feet, continued to moan, kick his legs, and knock the earth with
his forehead. At length, after repeatedly calling to him in vain,
Nicholas turned him upon his back, when, opening his eyes and finding
the light had returned, he jumped upon his feet, and, as the sweat of
fear rolled from his brow, said, "Thank the gods, the greedy monster of
a dragon has not swallowed the sun and moon. O master, what would become
of us all; what would become of day and night without the sun and moon?"
"Art thou foolish, O Chow, to believe that this eclipse was caused by
the effort of a monster dragon to swallow the heavenly luminaries?"
"Who is thy servant, O noble Nicholas, that he should doubt, when
learned mandarins believe?" said Chow.
"Know, O Chow, that the mandarins believe in it no more than thy
master, but perform a ceremony handed down to them by their ancestors."
When the people who had been praying of the dragon not to swallow the
poor sun and moon began to disperse, the boys continued their journey
till they came to the outer or prohibited wall of the inner palace,
when, pointing to a soldier who stood at the gate with a naked sabre in
his hand, Chow said. "Look, my master, to pass yon tiger of war will be
to seek Yen-Vang in the other world," and at the same moment the soldier
said, "Are the slaves tired of their lives that they approach the
prohibited wall without bowing to the earth?"
Having performed the required ceremony, Nicholas presented the
merchant's ring to the soldier, saying, "Let the eyes of the war tiger
rest upon this token, for by its means his servant would seek the
illustrious yellow girdle, Woo-san-Kwei."
"The power of the token may not be doubted, for it bears the character
of the prince; yet may the noble youth not see the barbarian-subduing
prince, for he is in council with the colaos," said the soldier.
"Then, by the toe of the Emperor, (may he live ten thousand years,) we
are as good as in our coffins; for know, O my master, it is death to
sleep within the walls of the palace," said the trembling Chow.
"Surely," said Nicholas, placing a piece of silver in the soldier's
hand, "the brave warrior can secure lodging within the walls for a youth
whose duty compels him to risk his life rather than leave the palace
without speaking with the great Woo-san-Kwei."
"Truly it will be hazardous," but before the soldier could finish his
reply, the officer of the night came up with the relief guard.
"Who are these vile dogs that are so openly seeking their death?" said
he.
"This youth, O noble commander, bears the ring of the great
Woo-san-Kwei, whose presence he seeks; but as the patriot prince cannot
be seen, with the noble commander's permission the youth shall lodge
with me this night."
"The noble and unfortunate Ki utters judicious words, and shall command
in this thing," replied the officer, to the surprise of Nicholas, who
could not comprehend an officer of the guard being so politely
submissive to a man so much his inferior.
The permission, however, did not extend to Chow, whom the officer
undertook to convey back again out of the palace.
"Then slit me into bamboo slips, thou Captain of war tigers, for the
servant dare not leave his master," said Chow, who refused so
obstinately that the soldiers had to carry him away.
As Ki led the way through the streets and passages on the way to his
quarters, Nicholas was not a little surprised to find that he was
respectfully saluted by all whom they passed. Again, instead of the
common room appropriated to soldiers of his humble station, his quarters
consisted of a house by itself. Neither could Nicholas get rid of his
puzzle, till Ki said, "Has the name of the colao Ki ever fallen into the
ears of the honorable youth?"
"Truly so; for whose ears could be so dull as not to have drunk in his
fame as a wise minister of state?"
"Yet such is the viscissitude of fortune, that the colao is now before
thee, O youth, plucked of the peacock feather, and the golden ball torn
from his cap."
"The great and good colao degraded to a mean soldier! Are such things
possible? O unfortunate man!" said Nicholas, bowing respectfully to the
fallen noble.
"The purest sky is sometimes shaded by the blackest cloud. The cloud
over the head of Ki is the Prince Li-Kong, to whom every thing is now
possible; but open thy lips, youth, and send forth thy wishes with the
Prince Woo-san-Kwei. If it be to ask promotion to some office, know that
he has none to give, for the shadow of Li-Kong stands between him and
the Majesty of China."
"Thy servant seeketh nothing for himself, O noble Ki, but to serve the
Emperor, to whom through the great Woo-san-Kwei, he would present a
petition."
"All petitions now pass through the Prince Li-Kong," said Ki
sorrowfully.
"Then, by the vermilion pencil, I will seek the Emperor himself, O noble
Ki."
"Thou wouldst be slain in the attempt, O daring boy; there is but one
means."
"Name it, O noble Ki, and thy name shall be buried in my heart," said
Nicholas impetuously.
"It would be but to condemn thee to death."
"Thou art laughing at me, O noble Ki," replied Nicholas bitterly.
"Not so, youth; and since thou hast set thy heart upon the venture, open
thine ears to the only means," said Ki; adding, "Know that the Emperor
has one young and beautiful daughter, who apart from the bonzes and
Li-Kong, alone dares to present a petition to his majesty."
"Again, I say, thou art laughing at me, O cruel Ki; for how is it
possible for a strange youth to pass the guard that surrounds the palace
of the ladies?"
"Know then, further, that every morning the princess, with her ladies,
walks in those gardens just beyond the prohibited wall; through the
outer gate you can pass by means of this key," said Ki, giving him a
key; adding, "Near the inner wall there is a tall mulberry-tree, up
which you must climb, and so reach the top, and fall into the gardens;
then hide thyself till the royal lady passes. She will be attended by
the lady Candida Hiu, at whose feet throw thyself, proclaim thy mission,
and she will influence her beautiful mistress to deliver thy petition to
the Emperor; but remember, O youth, should you cross the path of one of
the eunuchs of the palace thy hours are numbered."
"Noble Ki, I am thy servant for life," said Nicholas, kneeling and
clasping the knees of the old colao; adding, "but say, O Ki, who is this
Lady Candida Hiu?"
"The pupil of the good Christian fathers whom the bonzes would have
massacred, the Lady Candida is the friend and teacher of the princess,
and but for her influence over her royal mistress, the punishment would
be death for worshiping in any of the many churches erected by the lady
herself."
"Art thou then a disciple of the Saviour of mankind, O Ki?"
"To the teaching of the lady Candida Hiu am I indebted for having
forsworn the stupid worship of Fo and the selfish philosophy of
Confucius," replied the colao; adding, "But ask no more, O youth, for to
speak of Christ out of the pale of that lady's influence is to earn
disgrace, if not death." So saying the ex-minister retired, leaving
Nicholas to his own thoughts.