The War Tiger Part 14

"Alas! dread prince, thy servant's days have been too long, for he has lived to see a successor of the great Emperors, Yu and Yaou, forget that Heaven had made him the father of his people," said Woo, sadly.

"What words are these? Surely the n.o.ble Woo presumes upon his age, for has it not been wisely said that the will of the Emperor is omnipotent?"

"It is written in the sacred books, O prince, that it is equally criminal in the Emperor and the subject to violate the laws. Truly the life of the minister is the property of his sovereign, but the dignity of his office belongs to the country, which is even now torn into shreds by maladministration," replied the firm old n.o.ble; adding, "For when the Emperor becomes negligent of his duty, and sinks into a lover of luxury and ease, the spirit of indolence must pervade the occupant of every mandrinate; so, at the present time, every viceroy and governor has grown to think himself the sovereign, instead of the father and teacher of his province; each minister, in defiance of the law, sells places to those unfit to occupy them; and thus the people, being oppressed, have arisen in rebellion over the empire, to the advantage of rogues and thieves, who await but the finding of some bold bad man to enable them to change, O prince, thy very dynasty. Yet surely this is not without cause, for hath it not been asked, 'Why hath Heaven placed the Emperor upon the throne, if not to be our parent?' and therefore he ought not to make himself feared, but in proportion as he deserves to be loved for his goodness and virtue; therefore, at the risk of his life, the censor dares tell his dread sovereign that while the people are suffering, the Emperor should forget his pleasures, fast in his palace, punish the offending mandarins, remit the taxes of the suffering provinces, and employ his whole thoughts in alleviating their misfortunes. Like the Emperors of old, he should lament night and day till the evils are remedied. Such are the words of the aged Woo, who hath lived through the reigns of six of thy ill.u.s.trious predecessors, and they have been called forth, O dread prince, by thy neglect of the pet.i.tions which he has laid upon the imperial table. If thy slave offendeth, O prince, let his worthless head be the penalty, for he has done his duty; and the old n.o.ble again fell at the feet of Wey-t-song, who, giving way to a paroxysm of pa.s.sion, rose, and, placing his hand upon the hilt of his sabre, exclaimed, 'What words are these old man? Is the Emperor a slave that thou darest so far?' But, despot and even cruel as he was, the age and daring of the old n.o.ble had excited in the eyes of the surrounding courtiers such unmistakable gleams of satisfaction, that, really afraid of proceeding to extremities, he fell back upon his throne, saying, "Arise, n.o.ble Woo, and that in the licence of thy office thou hast uttered words of wind against thy Emperor, the rebel-subduing General Li-Kong will testify."

Upon this, the Prince Li-Kong, falling upon his knees, said, "Truly, O august and sovereign Emperor, the age of the n.o.ble Woo must have diminished his eyeb.a.l.l.s, or he would have seen in the Imperial Gazette that the Emperor, our father, having heard of the rebellion in the provinces, had despatched his mean servant, myself, with a correcting army, and that thy unworthy relation had secured a lasting internal peace."

"And thy reward, prince?" said the Emperor."

"The generals.h.i.+p of the home armies, and the favor of my great sovereign, who will not open his heavenly ears to the words of these rogues, who accuse thy servant and mean relation of ingrat.i.tude and treason."

"This reminds us that the reward is inadequate to thy services, most princely Li. Let it therefore be proclaimed throughout the empire that the grateful Wey-t-song is about to bestow upon the kingdom-soothing Prince Li-Kong the hand of his only daughter in marriage," said the Emperor.

But before the prince could thank the Emperor, the General Woo-san-Kwei fell upon his knees before the throne, saying, "The humblest but most devoted of thy servants would dare to claim the heavenly ears of his most august prince."

"If the barbarian-subduing general has aught to counsel let him open his lips."

"Then, truly, O dread Emperor, it must be at the risk of my life; for so many moons has thy servant been engaged in defending the frontiers of the empire against the Tartar barbarians, that he has lost the submissive tones fitted to thy heavenly ears," said Woo-san-Kwei.

"Let the general open his lips, for although his words may be more warlike, they cannot be rebellious, like those of his n.o.ble parent."

"The words of the n.o.ble Woo flowed from his heart, O prince, and were approved by his son, who now, as in duty bound, would counsel his sovereign, that, although the services of the rebel-exterminating general have been great, his reward has been greater than his merits, for does he not hold the golden seals of the highest military command?

As for the princess, she is the daughter of the empire, and too exalted to be bestowed upon the n.o.ble Li-Kong. Remember O Emperor, it will be the duty of the historians to record that the Emperor Wey-t-song, instead of commanding, had been weak enough to purchase the services of a powerful lord, tainted with treason, with the only daughter of his house; setting aside the wise custom of his ancestors, who bestowed their daughters upon tributary kings, whereby alliances were formed for the prosperity of the empire," said the Prince Woo-san-Kwei; adding, "At the risk of his life has thy servant spoken, O prince, for fear that thy too great generosity may smear thy page in history."

Scarcely dissembling his enmity, Li-Kong spoke, "Truly my sovereign is too generous to permit the envy of his servant's enemies to have weight in his dragon ears."

"The kingdom-soothing general speaks well, for who is this turbulent lord, and what the value of his services, that he dares be so rebellious?" said the Emperor; adding, angrily, "Let the dog be arrested;" when the young prince threw himself before the throne, and said--

"Let my ill.u.s.trious parent not so far forget his royal dignity as to vent his anger upon the honest Woo-san-Kwei, who has saved the kingdom from the Tartars, and offered his counsel only by right of his high rank. No, O my sovereign, rather let the hand of my dear sister be withheld until the Prince Li has further proved his merits, by showing to his Emperor that he has really performed those wonderful feats of conquest which he now boasts, but all others deny."

At this speech a half-suppressed murmur of approbation rang through the hall, which brought a heavy frown upon the forehead of Wey-t-song. As, however, he really feared a quarrel with either of these powerful princes, he said, "Though young, the words of the Prince Yong-Li are wise, for it is not fitting that our people should be feasting and rejoicing at the marriage of our daughter, while it is not certain that the rebels are subdued, and the Tartars upon the frontiers. It is, therefore our will that our daughter's hand be withheld till entire peace be restored."

Then the whole court bowed to the ground three times in submission to the imperial will, and the Emperor moved the sleeves of his robe, as a token that the audience was at an end, when the chief of the eunuchs ran quickly up the avenue formed by the court, till he reached about half way, when he stood with his head erect and his arms by his side for a minute, then having performed the usual prostrations, he ran to the foot of the throne, where he threw himself upon his knees.

"Is the slave mad, that he dares intrude in this our highest council-chamber?" said the Emperor.

"The life of the slave is in the hands of his master, yet must he perform his duty. Treason is within the very walls, O my sovereign."

At the word treason the blood of Tait-sou became weak as water, for the royal face became livid with fear. He grasped his sabre, saying, "What says the slave?"

"Two boys, O dread sovereign, have been found within the prohibited wall; one even within the sacred precincts of the imperial gardens."

At the words two boys there was a half-suppressed t.i.tter, probably at the little cause the Emperor had had to fear; but at the mention of the garden of the inner palace, the aged Woo said, "Surely, O great sovereign, the worthy eunuch has overstepped his duty; these young slaves should have been handed over to the police tribunals."

"The n.o.ble Woo is right," replied the Emperor. "What has the dog of a eunuch to say for intruding in our presence with such matters?"

"The will of the Emperor is the life-blood of the meanest of his slaves, and but little else is that of the princess in whose presence one of the dogs was found, and at whose command he is brought hither," replied the trembling eunuch.

"The profane slave!" muttered the surrounding mandarins, clutching the hilts of their swords.

"The will of our beloved daughter is law; let the audacious slave be brought before us," said the Emperor.

CHAPTER XXIII.

AUDIENCE WITH THE SON OF HEAVEN.--NICHOLAS ACCUSES A GREAT PRINCE OF TREASON.

Nicholas was led into the hall between two inferior mandarins, and had no sooner prostrated himself at the foot of the throne, than the Prince Li-Kong said, "Surely the eyes of the Emperor of the earth are too holy to be darkened by such mean dogs as this. Let the common executioner deal with him, for there can be no doubt of his guilt."

"Stop not the fountain of justice at its very source, O my sovereign, for when was it that a good king refused to listen to the meanest of his slaves?" said Woo; but before the Emperor could reply, one of the great officers of the palace ran up to the steps of the throne, performed the prostrations, and being commanded to speak,

"The great and beautiful princess, thy daughter, begs an audience of her ill.u.s.trious father," said the officer.

The Emperor having signified his a.s.sent, the princess, accompanied by the Lady Candida, and both veiled, knelt before the Emperor, who, lifting her from her kneeling position, said affectionately, "Truly my daughter must have matter of weighty import upon her lips, thus to break through the delicacy of her s.e.x and rank."

"Pardon, great prince, if thy daughter has forgotten what is due either to her parent or her s.e.x, but it is a common saying, 'that those who forget favors conferred upon them are unfit to live,' and therefore thy daughter would protect the life of one who saved her from a cruel death," said the princess.

"Has the safety of the pearl of my life been endangered?" said the Emperor, trembling at the possibility of such a catastrophe, and placing his hands upon her head; adding, "What words are these, my daughter, for is not the empire crowded with those who would deem happiness if it were to save their princess from danger."

"Not one of whom could have saved her from the savage sin-fin, who, having escaped from his cage, had seized her, when yonder bold youth slew the beast."

The Lady Candida then described the whole scene in the gardens to the Emperor, who forgetful of the desecration of the place by the profane feet of Nicholas, nay, of every thing but the escape of his beloved child from a fearful death, commanded the release of Nicholas; but again the general Li-Kong stepped forward.

"It is true," said he, "that the beautiful and ill.u.s.trious princess has been saved from great peril, and the whole empire will rejoice; yet it is a maxim, 'that the laws should be enforced even upon the imperial kindred.' Moreover, my sovereign, in his generosity, forgets that the cage of the beast could not have opened itself, and that the slave merits death for being in the garden."

"Though not generous, the words of the rebel-exterminating general are just," replied the weak prince; adding, to Nicholas, sternly, "What says the boy; what traitorous errand brought him within the sacred gardens of our palace?"

"The life of the slave belongs to the master. The personal safety of thy servant, O great prince, was nothing when he desired to place in thy hands a letter of the greatest moment, from one far greater than the lords around thy throne."

"These are wild words, O youth; for know you not that it was the duty of our chief colao to receive thy letter?" said the Emperor, interrupting.

"Mean as is thy servant, O prince, he knew that treason was within the palace, and that the letter would never reach thy royal hands; therefore, that it should not fail to do so, I sought the imperial gardens with the daring hope of meeting thy royal daughter, knowing that if my life were sacrificed, my mission would be fulfilled," said Nicholas; adding, "Such has been the crime, and the criminal awaits his punishment."

"This letter," said the Emperor.

"Is here, great prince," and Nicholas presented the doc.u.ment to Wey-t-song, who tore open the seals, and for some minutes became lost in the perusal of its contents, after which, to the surprise of the court, he placed it beneath his vest, saying, "This letter must be for the consideration of our inner council. Youth, thy honesty and loyalty are beyond doubt, and we permit thee to name thy own reward."

"Thy slave, O prince, would ask one so great, that the greatest of thy tributaries would seek it upon his knees," was the reply, to the astonishment of the lords, who expected it would be nothing less than the hand of the princess. "No less, indeed, than a private audience,"

added Nicholas, which, with a smile at this novel and modest request, the Emperor granted.

"May this not be a trap, O my prince, to beguile thy person within reach of the a.s.sa.s.sin's dagger?" said the artful but baffled Li-Kong.

"The dagger to be feared by thy sovereign, base prince, is beneath thine own vest," said Nicholas.

"Dares the dog so far?" said the exasperated Li-Kong.