NICHOLAS UNVEILS A REBEL CHIEF, AND OBTAINS A TITLE.
When Nicholas arose the following morning, his first care was for the
safety of Chow, whom he discovered to be still in the custody of the
criminal tribunal, where by the laws, he would be kept till the will of
the chief colao became known. Feeling, however, satisfied that the boy
would meet with no harm, now that he himself was in such high favor, he
prepared for the promised private audience; and scarcely had he donned
the state habiliments, which had been supplied to him by the
chamberlain, than he received the imperial summons, and having been
conducted through a series of large courts, he was shown into the
innermost apartment of the palace, where in deep thought over a letter,
sat the Emperor; upon the left (the place of honor) stood the young
prince; upon his right, the aged Woo.
Having complied with the court etiquette by running quickly up the
apartment, throwing himself on his knees, and performing the kow-tow,
the Emperor commanded him to arise, and, placing his hand upon the
letter, said, "The noble youth, then, is the son of the daring writer of
these terrible characters, which declare most boldly that the noblest
of our generals and relations is a traitor and rebel."
"The life of thy servant, O great prince, is at the will of his
sovereign if those characters are not as truthful as the sacred books
themselves," replied Nicholas.
"We dare not doubt them, youth, if these other characters are not forged
by some villain," said the Emperor, placing a letter in the hands of
Woo; adding, "Let the venerable Woo, who knoweth all things, declare the
pencil that portrayed them."
Falling upon his knees and taking the letter, the aged man said, "Truly,
O prince, these characters are from the hand of the General Li-Kong,
whose treason is indeed stupendous, for he offers the supreme command of
the four seas, and the sovereignty of the barbarous island of Formosa,
to the merchant pirate, providing that sea chief will, with his
multitudinous ships and great wealth, aid him (may the sound of the
words not deprive me of reason) in subverting the dynasty of his holy
Emperor. The crime, O my sovereign, is too huge to be conceived, and its
author should be hewn into ten thousand pieces. Yet the eyes, nay, the
very reason of thy aged servant, may be failing him, therefore it
behoves us to have greater proof that these characters are not forged;
for, though great is the cunning of villainy, surely so great a crime
cannot exist beneath heaven."
"The words of the aged noble are magnanimous, for surely the Prince
Li-Kong is the enemy of him and his; yet, though magnanimity is taught
by the sacred books, it must not endanger the life of our great
sovereign and father," said the Prince Yong-Li; adding, "Surely Li-Kong
is famous for his vileness; his character is known to us all, yet if
greater proof be wanting, let it be sought from the lips of this noble
youth, whose life will be the penalty of so false an accusation."
"It would ill become so mean a person to traduce so great a general as
the Prince Li-Kong, yet the safety of his sovereign must unseal his
lips. Know, then, dread Emperor, that the General Li-Kong is at this
very moment plotting thy ruin," said Nicholas, who then gave in detail
the conversation he had heard at the palace of retirement, which the
Emperor had no sooner heard than he said hastily, "Convey our command, O
noble Woo, to the general thy son, to search for this traitor, and bring
him in chains before us."
"Thy servant is unfortunate, for this is not possible, my sovereign. The
brave Woo-san-Kwei, knowing his duty too well to remain in idleness at
Pekin, while the Tartar-barbarians were harassing his army like hungry
wolves,--truly the body was of little use without the head,--departed
for his command after the council yesterday," replied Woo.
"How!" said the Emperor passionately; "dared the general take his
departure without an audience of leave."
"Let not thy wrath, O great sovereign fall upon the head of thy faithful
servant, who presumed so far because his Emperor has, of late, foregone
the salutary ceremonies laid down by his ancestors," said the aged
minister.
Angry at this rebuke yet feeling its truthfulness, the weak prince
despairingly threw himself backward in his chair, when the young prince
said "Surely the throne should be defended by its heir. Thy son, O my
Emperor and parent, will depart with the guards of the palace and bring
this arch-traitor to his father's feet;" and not receiving a denial, the
prince respectfully took his leave, when, having recovered his
equanimity, the Emperor again took up Chin-Chi-Loong's letter.
"Truly, boy," said his majesty, "this daring pirate, thy father, knows
more than the Emperor or his ministers. How know we that he is not as
great a traitor as the prince he denounces, for surely by commerce alone
he could not have obtained this wealth of ships, men, and money, which,
like a king, he so insolently offers to his sovereign and master?"
"Truly, O great Emperor, if my illustrious parent were a traitor, he
would not have placed the life of his only son, thy mean servant, in so
great a danger," said Nicholas.
"The words of the youth, O prince, are as true as his deeds are brave,"
said Woo; adding, "Let then thy slave pray that the sunshine of the
Emperor's favor may fall upon his race; for, fearing that the intentions
of this great merchant were treasonous, I have long caused his actions
to be watched and his ships to be harassed by the sea mandarins; but
indeed with little use, for the noble Chin-Chi-Loong overcame them all,
to the disgrace of the board of arms of thy empire.
"How! did the slave pirate dare to overcome our sea tigers?" said the
Emperor in a rage.
"He has presumed, O prince to chastise traitors who wielded thy royal
commission but for their own purposes, which, if a crime, he now offers
to amend by sending his only son to beg that he may receive an order,
signed by the vermilion pencil, to command that great fleet in his
sovereign's name alone. The powerful pirate, for whose head the
Emperor's ministers have offered great rewards, now places himself and
his fortune at the disposal of the Son of Heaven," said Nicholas.
So great an offer having restored the Emperor to a better humor, he
said, "It is a presumptuous request, yet loyal, if this bold man can
give us a guarantee that he intends not playing us false."
"That guarantee is the life of thy servant, his only son, O my prince,"
replied Nicholas.
"These words are good and loyal, O my Emperor; for surely if this bold
merchant hath sought wealth and power for his descendants, lo! he places
his heir in thy hands," said Woo.
"The words of the aged Woo are wise and far-seeing. We grant this bold
man's petition, and should he help us to root out from the land this
growing rebellion we will secure to him the island promised by the
villain Li-Kong. As for thyself, brave youth, to whom we are so greatly
indebted, we grant thee the title of Princess-defending Tiger of War,
and appoint thee to a command in the guards of the palace; and,
moreover, will keep thee in our favor, of which this shall be a token,"
said the Emperor, taking from his girdle an embroidered purse, and
handing it to Nicholas, who fell reverently upon his knees and held his
hands above his head to receive the present.
At that moment the Prince Yong-Li entered, threw himself at the foot of
the throne, and said, "Thy son, O my sovereign, is deserving of
punishment, for the traitor has escaped."
"Escaped!" repeated the Emperor, bitterly.
"Truly so, my father; no sooner did the council of yesterday disperse,
than, fearing the discovery of his guilt, he assembled his officers and
guards and quitted the city."
"Let the fleetest of our horsemen follow immediately," added the
Emperor.
"It would be in vain, my father, for ere they can overtake him the
traitor will be in the midst of his own troops and province," replied
the prince.
"It would be wise to have the gates closely guarded and the defences of
the city examined," said Woo.
"The villain dares not carry his treason so far as to invade our
capital," replied Wey-t-song.
"Let not the generous nature of my prince carry him too far, for by
insidious arts and treacherous gifts this Li-Kong has gained the hearts
of the people of the provinces, and is vile enough to attempt the
greatest of crimes," said the minister.
"By the tombs of our ancestors, the venerable noble is wise, and we
should be prepared for the vilest of crimes. Let the barbarian-subduing
General Woo-san-Kwei and his army be recalled from Leao-tong."
"And so exchange a small traitor for the Tartar king, who, though a
barbarian, is brave and powerful; rather let my royal father call around
him in council the doctors of war and the ablest of his generals, who
from the military books will doubtless find sure means of defending the
city," said the prince; adding, "Then, O my sovereign parent, let the
army be assembled, and permit thy son and this noble youth to meet the
rebel on his way. Let this be so, my Emperor, and thy son will bring the
traitor's head to thy feet, or be himself brought there upon his own
shield."
"Thy heart is brave, but thy years too few, O my son, for so great a
trust," replied the Emperor.
"At my years the illustrious Tait-sou, the founder of our race, planted
the first seeds of his glory in the field," said the young prince,
warmly.
"The royal prince, thy chosen heir, is both wise and brave, my
sovereign, for his name and rank will be a banner, around which the
loyal will flock as plentifully as locusts, while his youth and bravery
will shame the rebels into submission," said the censor.
"The counsel of the venerable Woo is bold," said the Emperor; adding,
"After the council of war my son shall seek to emulate the bravery of
his ancestors."
"The tongue of thy son is too feeble to speak his thanks, my sovereign,"
exclaimed the impetuous prince, falling upon his knees.