CRUEL DEATH OF THE AGED WOO.--A BATTLE.--BRAVERY OF THE BOYS.--CHOW
TAKEN BY THE ENEMY.
With terrible anxiety, Nicholas awaited the return of the party sent in
search of the princess, but when evening came and they brought not the
slightest clue, his grief grew beyond all bounds, and he resolved to
seek the general's permission to go himself in search, but, as on the
following day, a deserter from the enemy brought news that the main body
of the rebels was within a few miles of Lao-yang, he was compelled to
remain with Woo-san-Kwei, at least till the enemy had been destroyed or
beaten back from whence they came.
Then terrible preparations were made for a close fight, in the event of
the enemy assaulting the town before the arrival of the Tartars; but
when Li-Kong came in sight, with an army so vast that it covered the
country for miles, the hearts of Woo-san-Kwei's troops grew faint, for
should the Tartars deceive them, they were lost, for against such
numbers it was impossible they could hold out many days. Still, the
greatest coward grew courageous when he thought of the merciless cruelty
of Li, knowing it would be a far more easy death to fall upon the walls
than into his hands, and so for days they held out bravely against the
attacks which had now become incessant. Then, through the continued
efforts, both by day and night, made by the two youths, to sustain the
courage of the troops, the latter recovered their spirits, and so
gallantly did the boys help in repelling the assailants, that they were
praised by the general in front of the whole army.
Fourteen days had they defended the town, when the provisions became so
scarce, that, again losing hope, the troops grew mutinous and threatened
to throw down their arms, when, upon the fifteenth, upon a hill that
arose far behind the rebel army, there shot up to the heavens a vast
body of blue fire, upon which, forgetting their troubles, the soldiers
became frantic with joy, offered thanks to Fo, and returned to their
duties with renewed energy; and no wonder, for it was the signal that
the Tartars were on their march to relieve them.
Li-Kong must also have understood the signal, for from the moment of its
appearance one-half of his army began to manoeuvre, so as to present a
good front to the new enemy, while the other commenced a fierce assault
upon the town. Seeing assistance at hand, Woo-san-Kwei ordered his
troops to reserve their arrows and ammunition till their ally had so
weakened the enemy's rear that he could judiciously leave the town, and
attack them in front. When, however, the besieged slackened fire, the
assaulting party retired, and a body of their cavalry, holding their
great shields before them to receive stray arrows, rode forward to
within half a bow-shot from the walls, when they came to a dead halt.
"What mean the dogs? surely they escort an envoy from the rash rebel,"
said the general, commanding silence along the walls; and then ordering
one of his officers to shout to the party, that they might remove their
shields without fear.
This having been done, the men let fall their shields, when the sight
that presented itself caused the brave general to reel, so that he would
have fallen but for the support of Nicholas. As for Chow, he placed an
arrow in his bow, and would have sent it flying at the chief of the
party, had not an officer struck the arrow from its rest, saying, "How,
wouldst thou disobey the general?" and brought to his senses, the boy
stood stamping his feet, gnashing his teeth, and twitching the bow with
suppressed rage. Well might the sight cause such consternation on the
part of the general, for there upon horseback, heavily laden with
chains, sat his father the venerable Woo, with his long gray hair
flowing down his bared neck, accompanied by an executioner, who stood by
his side, holding a naked sabre.
[Illustration: The aged Woo brought in chains before the walls.]
"What would the General Li-Kong with Woo-san-Kwei, that he thus humbles
him?" said Woo-san-Kwei.
"Let the venerable Woo answer the question of his rebel son," said the
chief of the party.
Then with a glance of fierce defiance at his guards, the old noble said,
"It is well known, O my son, that the heavens, earth, and fate cause
strange vicissitudes of fortune; even so have they deposed the Emperor
Wey-t-song, and placed in his royal seat the Emperor Li-Kong, who, if
thou wilt make a virtue of necessity, acknowledge his dominion, and
serve him as a faithful tributary, will confer upon thee the title and
dignity of a king; but if thou refusest submission, the head of thy
parent will be the penalty. Such are the words the aged Woo hath been
commanded to deliver; it is now for his brave son to consider what he
oweth to him who gave him life."
So great was the indignation of the troops of Woo-san-Kwei, that but for
the danger of Woo, whom the rebels had placed in their front, they would
have shot down the whole party. As for the general, he stood for some
minutes bewildered; had it been his rank, fortune, or life, that was in
danger, his filial love would have prevented an instant's hesitation;
but was he not the son of a man whose whole life had been dedicated to
the people? alas! this knowledge made his agony the greater; for the
better the man, the greater reason his life should be saved at any cost.
At any? No--not at the cost of his honor, and the safety of the people,
whom this Li-Kong was decimating hourly.
With terrible patience the chief of the party awaited a reply. It was
given. Woo-san-Kwei fell upon his knees. "Pardon, O my venerable and
noble parent," said he aloud, "but it is not under heaven that thou
couldst wish thy son to do this thing; if it be so, let this be the
answer: He that is not faithful to the people will never be faithful to
his son; therefore, if you forget your duty and fidelity to the imperial
family, and the people, by demanding that thy son should be guilty of so
great a crime, no man will blame Woo-san-Kwei for forgetting his duty
and obedience to such a father." Then, turning to the chief, the general
added sternly, "Take back these words, thou dog: That the son of the
venerable Woo will die the dog's death rather than acknowledge so great
and cruel a thief as this Li-Kong."
"These are fragrant words, O my noble son; for hadst thou been guilty of
so monstrous a crime, the names both of father and son would have
sounded hateful in the ears of posterity: the father, that he had
brought up a son so basely; and the son, that he could save so bad a
parent," replied the venerable noble.
"Shall it go down to posterity that the noble Woo-san-Kwei was the
assassin of his parent?" said the chief of the party.
"Thou hast thy answer, dog, and if thou art within bow-shot longer than
the next five minutes thy miserable life shall be the forfeit," said the
general; adding sorrowfully, "Farewell, O my venerable parent. May the
great Tien pardon me, if I have not chosen virtuously."
"Thy choice, O noble son, will make happy the last moments of thy
father," said the old noble; when, interrupting him, the rebel chief
said, "Still thou shalt have another chance to save this old man's life,
thou obstinate rebel;" adding, "I will grant thee another hour, and if
within that time a fire is made upon your walls, I shall take it as the
token of your submission; but if at the end of the hour such a signal
has not been made, then shall a similar signal from the Emperor's camp
proclaim thy parent to be on his journey to the yellow stream."
After this the party hastened back to their camp, leaving the agonized
general standing in melancholy thoughtfulness, till just as the fifth
minute expired his attention was called to a small party of horsemen,
who, led by Nicholas and Chow, were at full gallop after the envoy. It
was rashness, nay, madness, for they were rushing upon the very outposts
of the enemy, and nothing less than a miracle could save the foolish
youths; when, turning to an officer, he cried, "Haste thee with what
horse you can collect to the rescue of those foolish boys."
The order was obeyed, and some two hundred horse galloped forward, and
reached them in time to save Nicholas alone; as for Chow, having
recognized in the chief of the party the mandarin who had slain his
father, he had galloped greatly beyond his own party, when the mandarin,
fearing for the safe custody of Woo, pressed forward with such haste,
that, getting far ahead of his own party, Chow found himself a prisoner
before he knew where he was. Enraged at his danger, Nicholas would have
followed, but for the soldiers sent by Woo-san-Kwei, who, coming up to
him, caught hold of the rein of his horse, and in the name of the
general commanded him to return to the city. By the time, however, he
returned to the town, Woo-san-Kwei had determined to make a dash at the
rebels with a faint hope of saving his father,--a hope that was not
unreasonable, especially as the advanced guards of the Tartars were now
seen to attack Li-Kong from the opposite side. The little army was
ready; the general was at their head; but before they had marched far, a
bright flame shot up from the camp of Li-Kong. The head of Woo-san-Kwei
fell upon the neck of his horse; he sobbed aloud, "The assassin has
taken thy life, my noble parent;" but arousing himself, he added, "For
this one deed, O thou villain, thou shalt be hunted from the land;" and
so great were the numbers of the Tartars, and the bravery of
Woo-san-Kwei and his little army, that before midnight Li-Kong had been
driven from his position with the loss of at least one-half of his great
power.