NICHOLAS AND THE PRINCE HAVE AN ADVENTURE AND SAVE THE LIFE OF CHOW.
The morning after the audience Nicholas wrote to his father a detailed
account of his adventures, and the disgrace and danger of the great
Christian father, who, he assured him, would be destroyed, if proofs of
his innocence were not speedily produced. When he had placed the letter
in the hands of the flying-horse, or court messenger, who was about to
start with the imperial cang-ho, he went in search of Chow, and, to his
surprise, found the boy had been released under an order signed by
Li-Kong, immediately before his abrupt departure. This, however, but
puzzled him the more, for surely had the boy been released he would have
sought out his master and friend. Then he began to fear that Chow had
been decoyed away by some of the many designing traitors he more than
suspected to be hovering about the palace, for the purpose of finding
from the servant the history of the master. He sat for some time
pondering what to do, and at length resolved upon searching through the
whole city. With this determination he arose to depart, when he heard
the trampling of footsteps, and the chief officer of the imperial prince
entered the apartment, followed by four men, carrying a litter, which
they placed upon the ground.
"The son of the great Emperor (may he live ten thousand years) sends the
noble youth a royal robe, and arms, in token of his amity and
brotherhood," said the officer, bowing to the ground.
At the name of the prince, Nicholas performed the ko-tow, and ordered an
incense table to be brought, that he might receive the royal message
with befitting respect. The officer, however, added, "Further, O noble
stranger, that all men may know his gratitude for the safety of his
beloved sister, the great prince commands that the ceremony of the
incense may be dispensed with, for the son of the Son of Heaven holds
the noble youth as his brother in love as well as arms. Moreover, that
he may prove his sincerity, the prince will wave his illustrious rank
and visit the preserver of the princess his sister." So saying the
eunuch withdrew.
The present consisted of a complete military equipment befitting his new
rank:--the war cap or helmet, a robe, embossed with plates of gold, both
for ornament and protection, boots of rich costly leather, sword,
shield, bow, and quiver of arrows, each of which bore the imperial
crest, the five-clawed dragon. Delighted more with the gift than its
costliness, Nicholas did not stay to examine the present, for fear the
prince might speedily arrive; and he was right, for he had scarcely
finished attiring himself in his new uniform before Yong-Li,
unannounced, entered the room.
In an instant Nicholas threw himself at his feet, and began to pour
forth his gratitude, but, taking his hand, the prince said, "Arise,
these are not times for ceremonies between brothers, banded together in
so holy a cause; the sacred books themselves intended them alone for
times of peace and luxury."
"May those times soon return, O my prince," said Nicholas.
"May my brother's wish be realised; but to obtain peace we must earn it
by the sword," replied the prince; adding, gloomily, "I come from the
board of generals and doctors of war."
"Upon what has their wisdom determined, O prince?"
"Nothing--they are dogs, traitors all; each general of a section
declared the walls to be impassable by an enemy, and that the troops
were numerous, well exercised, and prepared for a sudden attack," said
the prince.
"These are the words of indolent cowards or designing traitors, but your
royal father the Emperor----"
"Was present," said the prince; "but, alas! so loves his ease and the
counsel of his bonzes, that he gave a ready ear to their reports, nay,
promoted them all one step for their vigilance."
"Surely my prince lifted his voice in council?" said Nicholas.
"My brother, yes; but it was as the sound of a zephyr amidst the
roarings of a hurricane; that of a youth among the aged and did but
cause his majesty to forbid my seeking the rebel Li-Kong in the field."
"Then, my prince, our farther-seeing eye balls must be used for the
benefit of the blind," said Nicholas.
"Thus it is that I seek thy companionship in a journey round the walls,
when, if I find them as I expect, woe be to the indolent cowards who
dare deceive their Emperor," said the prince.
Nicholas then followed them to the courtyard, where they found awaiting
them a squadron of the body guard with two richly caparisoned horses,
one of which Yong-Li presented to Nicholas, and they proceeded upon
their journey amidst the lavish adorations of thousands, who bowed to
the earth as they rode through the streets.
"If my prince would truly see the manner in which the officers and
soldiers perform their duties, would it not be wise for him to proceed
in a chair and with the attendants only of a mandarin of the third
order?" said Nicholas.
"Thy words are good," replied the prince, ordering the soldiers to stop
at the house of a mandarin, who, having formerly been his military
tutor, he knew would keep his rank concealed. Shortly afterward they
were met by some soldiers who were conveying several malefactors to the
place of execution. Seeing the prince, the soldiers and prisoners knelt
with their faces to the ground till he had passed. No sooner, however,
had he passed the unhappy men than the son of the Emperor, with tears in
his eyes, said, "How unhappy is the lot of a prince, to witness such a
sight as that!"
"Surely, my prince, the rogues deserve their punishment, the law awards,
and the safety of the state demands it," said Nicholas.
"Truly, I weep not, my brother, at the punishment of these men, for
without rewards and punishments the good are not encouraged, and the
wicked are not restrained; moreover, chastisement is as necessary to the
government of a kingdom, as bread is for the sustenance of the people.
But I weep because my time is not so happy as that of old when the
virtues of the prince served as a bridle to the people, and his example
was sufficient to restrain the vices of his subjects without other
chastisement."
The warlike nature and education of Nicholas not permitting him to
sympathize with the kind-hearted Yong-Li, he maintained a respectful
silence, not however, without a fear for the fate of a prince whose
amiable nature was so unfitted for such turbulent times. When they
reached the house of the mandarin, the prince dismissed his guard, and,
having borrowed from that officer his robe, cap, and chair of state, and
a garment of plain green silk for Nicholas, the two youths entered the
chair and proceeded on their journey with the usual attendants, one of
whom went before, as a kind of _avant-garde_, and with a whip to beat
them a passage through the crowded streets. At the first guard-house the
prince stepped out of the sedan, made himself known to the sentries, and
passed in; when, instead of finding the troops engaged in exercising,
or in any of the many games permitted by the board of war, some were
gambling, some goading crickets with their chopsticks till the insects
killed each other, some were singing profane songs, and disporting in
the most riotous and unseemly manner, while many who had been drinking
deeply, and still held the spirit cups in their hands were reeling about
the pavement, but most remarkable of all, no officers except those of
the most subordinate grade were to be seen.
"These, then, are the vile dogs to whom the defence of the Imperial City
is entrusted. These are the rogues whom the traitor generals commended,"
said the prince, indignantly; adding, "Truly the royal house is punished
for its sins, for this looketh indeed like the decadence of a dynasty."
"These are but the hands, O my prince for whose acts the heads must be
made accountable," said Nicholas.
"Nevertheless the dogs shall be punished, my brother; but let us
return," said the prince, going to the gate, where the sentry,
recognizing the prince, fell at his feet. "Rise, dog, and as thou
wouldst save thy miserable head, say who is the general of this
section," said Yong-Li.
"The noble Leang, O Grandson of Heaven," replied the trembling soldier.
"Cans't thou be honest and silent as to my visit?"
"Both, as thy slave values his miserable life," replied the soldier.
"I will trust thee, man, and if I find you so, only till the rising of
to-morrow's sun, thou shalt be promoted," said the prince; adding, "This
rogue Leang must be degraded, and thou, O noble Nicholas, take his
command." Thus they visited some half-dozen of the chief and most
important points of the fortified walls with similar results. With the
works themselves he was satisfied, as was also Nicholas, who, young as
he was, had often examined the fortifications of the southern province;
and, indeed, the whole line of coast between Siam and Japan.
"Nought, my prince, but the treachery of the defenders, or the
death-dealing cannon of the red-haired barbarians from the West, could
effect an entrance into the city," said he.
"Has my brave brother then seen in use those terrible instruments of war
that can crumble the strongest towers of stone to the dust, from beyond
the reach of bow-shot?" said the prince.
"Such has been thy servant's fortune, O my prince; it could not be
otherwise, for they are used on board the war-ships of my noble father."
"By the tombs of my ancestors, thou art a bold boy," replied the prince;
adding, with vehemence,
"As I hope to continue the circle of succession, I would forfeit ten
years of life to be in possession of a few, that we might sweep these
rebels and Tartars from the face of the earth."
At that moment there arose a great clamor of voices, and, looking out of
the chair, the prince saw a great crowd assembled upon one of the canal
bridges, when, having ordered the attendant with the whip to beat a
passage through the people, they witnessed the following extraordinary
sight:--
Upon a high platform, near the edge of the bridge, stood a large tub,
the top of which was covered with some flimsy material, like silk or
cotton, through which something, that in the distance bore a resemblance
to a human head, bobbed up and down like a jack-in-the-box. Upon the
platform, around the tub, stood six priests.
"How lowly must the dynasty of the great Tait-sou have fallen, that
these miserable bonzes are permitted thus shamefully to extort money
from the people," said the prince.
"If thy servant's eyeballs play him not false, O my prince, yonder
priests are preparing to sacrifice a human life to their wretched gods,"
said Nicholas.
Not waiting to hear more, the prince leaped from the chair, and,
followed by Nicholas forced a way through the crowd till they reached
the platform.
All, however, that could be seen of the victim was the forehead, nose,
and eyes; the latter rolled so convulsively and glared so terribly,
that, notwithstanding the crowd, Nicholas would have attempted a rescue,
had not the prince caught hold of his arm, saying, "Stay, my brother, it
is the duty of a prince to see justice done;" then addressing the chief
bonze, he said, "What crime can this man have committed, O miserable
priest, that he should be thus tortured without the presence of the
officers of the tribunal of justice?"
"Great has been his crime, O noble youth, and self sought his
punishment," replied the bonze, taken aback by the bold tone of the
prince; adding, as he pointed to the head, which bobbed suddenly as he
spoke, "He admits my words."
"Open thy lips to the purpose, priest, and as you value your wretched
life, let us hear his crime," replied the indignant prince.
"The youth must be a stranger to the capital, indeed, if he has not
heard the order of the Son of Heaven, which commands that the villain
Christians, who have taken advantage of the great Emperor's kindness to
raise and nourish a rebellion throughout the land, should be destroyed."
"Such an order has reached thy servant's ears," said the prince, bowing
lowly at the name of his father.
"Know, then, that this wretch was long the slave and follower of one of
these Christian dogs--see, he admits it, (and the head bobbed up again;)
but, fortunately, the gods changing his heart in time, sent him to our
pagoda repentantly declaring his villainy and demanding his punishment
(here the head gave another bob of acquiescence) from the priests of Fo,
who, consulting the gods, obtained permission for him to choose his own
chastisement: his choice was to leap from this platform into the canal."
"But the canal is deep, and the man will drown, priest," said the
prince, sternly.
"Surely the youth is strangely ignorant that such a feat is a happiness
thousands would willingly seek. We have but given him the preference but
for his zeal and virtue. (Here the head again gave an acquiescent bob.)
Again, at the bottom of the canal he will be met by charitable spirits,
who will not only welcome him with honor, but conduct him to the yellow
stream." So saying, the bonzes commenced preparations for the final act
of the tragedy.
The prince, however, unable any longer to restrain his rage, drew his
sword, exclaiming, "Desist, thou murdering rogue; release thy victim
immediately."
This violence to their priests so aroused the anger of the pagan crowd,
that they would probably have torn Yong-Li to pieces, but for Nicholas,
who, beating them backward, cried, "Back, slaves! would you molest the
son of your Emperor, the good prince Yong-Li?" and the terrified slaves
instantly fell upon their faces. The bonze, though no less dismayed at
the presence of the prince, was quicker witted, and said, "Surely the
magnificent son of the Son of Heaven would not arrest the flight of a
happy soul, impatient to be on its way to the yellow stream."
"Let the miserable wretch speak for himself," said the prince.
"He dares not so anger the gods, who would not only condemn him, but
destroy the whole city in their wrath," replied the bonze, giving a sly
signal to his brethren to surround the tub, in the event of a rescue
being attempted.
[Illustration: Chow in the hands of the Bonzes.]
"Nevertheless, the wretch shall be saved," said the prince; adding,
aloud, "Let the deluded rascal open his lips, or he shall be left to his
fate."
At this, the head gave another and stronger jerk upward, but without
rising further through the silk, and the eyes rolled and glared more
terribly than ever. At which the bonze said, "Cannot the heavenly eyes
of the great prince see that the poor creature is suffering from such
violent language? See, he is almost distracted and will assuredly expire
with grief at so much profanity."
"This is some foul trick, my prince," said Nicholas, who leaped upon the
platform so quickly, that, striking one of the priests, he fell against
four others, and all were sent flying into the midst of the crowd, who,
in their turn, began to pummel them severely for falling so heavily upon
their heads and shoulders.
Once upon the platform, Nicholas lost no time in cutting asunder the
silk covering of the tub, when, lo! the victim shot up with the rapidity
of a rocket, dragging with him, by the hair of his head, a small bonze,
in whose hand was the dagger which he had been from time to time
plunging into the victim's calves in order to make him utter the
responses.
But what was the surprise of the prince when the hands of the intended
victim were unbound and the gag removed from his mouth, to see him fall
at the feet of Nicholas, clasp his legs, and exclaim, "My noble, noble,
master, this is indeed a joyful meeting. Nought but the God of the
Christians could have saved Chow's life."
The wretched face, the bleeding legs of the poor boy, so filled the
heart of Nicholas with indignation and sorrow, that while tears fell
down his cheeks, all he could say was, "My poor, poor friend Chow, this
is indeed a fortunate day."
"Then the sacrifice was not thine own seeking, my poor fellow?" said the
prince.
"My own seeking, O mighty son of Ming? Look at thy slave's legs, which
the rascals have punctured into lace-work. Surely, had Chow sought the
yellow stream, he would have chosen to go in a perfect and decent
manner." Then the boy would have fallen, but for Nicholas, who held him
in his arms, when he said, "I demand justice on the rogues, O great
prince, for I am the servant of the noble Nicholas, thy friend, and was
with him a prisoner in the Palace Royal, till the night of the audience,
when a eunuch came to me and said the Emperor had signified his gracious
wish that poor Chow was to be chopped into ten thousand pieces, but that
a great lord taking compassion on me would save my life, and give me
great promotion, if I would watch and note down the words and actions of
my noble master."
"Didst thou hear the name, surname, and title of the villain lord, O
Chow?" said the prince.
"Thy slave was not so fortunate, great prince."
"What answer didst thou make, O Chow?" said Nicholas.
"That they might not only cut thy servant into as many pieces as they
chose, but never bury them in the tombs of his ancestors, before he
would comply. Whereupon, they gave poor Chow over to these rascal
bonzes, who intended to torture him with a dagger in that tub, till
agony caused him to leap into the canal."
"Sad must have been thy sufferings, my poor Chow," said the prince; who
then ordered his attendants to convey the boy to the palace, in order
that the imperial doctors might attend him. Then sending for a body of
yah-yu, he ordered them to take the bonze and his assistants to the
great prison, to await a trial; after which they returned to the palace.
"Thanks be to Tien, my brother, we have saved thy friend from those vile
bonzes," said the prince.
"Would O prince, that we could as easily save the servants of the true
God of heaven from their villainies," replied Nicholas, thinking of the
sufferings of the Christian fathers.