The War Tiger

by William Dalton

  CHAPTER XVII.

  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 toPekin. I would gain admittance to the imperial palace. Will he aid me?"

  "Alas! my nephew, nothing can be more difficult, for it is crowded withbonzes, and I fear worse--rebels, who swarm around the royal person likehornets; but whom seekest thou within the outer palaces?"

  "Even the Son of Heaven himself, at the feet of whose throne I wouldkneel."

  "Is the youth bereft of his senses? does he not know that it is certaindeath to pass the prohibited wall of the inner palace?"

  "May then the illustrious Prince Woo-san-Kwei be found within thepalace?" asked Nicholas.

  "Nay, even if thou couldst boast the friendship of the greatWoo-san-Kwei thou wouldst not be safe. The prince is too honest andbrave to be much in favor just now. Wouldst thou be safe, youth, thoumust seek the Prince Li-Kong."

  "The vile traitor," muttered Nicholas at the name.

  "Hist, hist! thou wilt assuredly lose thy head, boy," said Yang, placinghis 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 itis my father's command that I should seek the Emperor or the PrinceWoo-san-Kwei, and at the peril of my life he must be obeyed," saidNicholas firmly.

  "Since thou art determined, take this," said Yang placing a ring on theboy's finger; adding, "It will pass thee through the guards of the outerpalaces and courts as far as the prohibited wall, and then proceed nofurther, as you value your life, but await the approach of one of theofficers of the guard, to whom you must show that ring, and tell himthat 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 hismaster 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," saidChow.

  "Wag not thy foolish tongue, O Chow, but if thy heart fails thee staybehind."

  "And leave the noble Nicholas to go to the world of spirits alone? thatwould indeed be base. No, no; Chow will follow; but my noble master hasforgotten his sword, he may require it," said the boy.

  "I am sufficiently armed," replied Nicholas showing the hilt of a smalldagger beneath his robe, adding, "Now let us proceed."

  They then passed through the streets, which swarmed with people who wereas busy as bees in a hive, some making purchases of itineranttradespeople, viewing the wonderful feats of jugglers, mountebanks, orplayers, listening to the marvelous narratives of _viva voce_ novelists,or testing their fates with cheating fortune-tellers. As they approachedthe palace, they found crowds of people gazing at the great observatory,upon the top of which the astronomers of the court, in full dress, wereengaged in watching the heavens. When they arrived at the wall whichconfined 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 tookhalf an hour to walk through; and as they had to traverse seven more ofthese courts, which took them three hours, you may imagine the greatextent of the whole palace. The last but one was surrounded with thepalaces of the princes of the red girdle, or those more distant in bloodfrom the throne. This court was crowded with mandarins, officers,eunuchs, and soldiers of the Emperor, who were earnestly peering throughtelescopes at the sun, which from a deep blood red became yellow anddim, and gradually more and more opaque, till the whole world seemed tobe enveloped in darkness, and darkness blacker than midnight, for therewas no moon.

  When the earth's light became extinguished, the mandarins fell flat upontheir faces, moaning aloud, while the noise from thousands of drumsshook the very walls.

  "Let us fall upon our faces, O my master, and pray to the terribledragon," exclaimed Chow, suiting the action to the word, and endeavoringto drag Nicholas with him. As, however, Nicholas was averse to thissuperstition, he refused to comply, and stood looking upon the people asif they had been performing for his especial and solitary benefit.

  Whatever was the superstition, it laid firm hold of Chow, who, longafter the light had returned to the heavens and the other people totheir feet, continued to moan, kick his legs, and knock the earth withhis forehead. At length, after repeatedly calling to him in vain,Nicholas turned him upon his back, when, opening his eyes and findingthe light had returned, he jumped upon his feet, and, as the sweat offear rolled from his brow, said, "Thank the gods, the greedy monster ofa dragon has not swallowed the sun and moon. O master, what would becomeof 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 bythe effort of a monster dragon to swallow the heavenly luminaries?"

  "Who is thy servant, O noble Nicholas, that he should doubt, whenlearned mandarins believe?" said Chow.

  "Know, O Chow, that the mandarins believe in it no more than thymaster, but perform a ceremony handed down to them by their ancestors."

  When the people who had been praying of the dragon not to swallow thepoor sun and moon began to disperse, the boys continued their journeytill 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 inhis hand, Chow said. "Look, my master, to pass yon tiger of war will beto seek Yen-Vang in the other world," and at the same moment the soldiersaid, "Are the slaves tired of their lives that they approach theprohibited wall without bowing to the earth?"

  Having performed the required ceremony, Nicholas presented themerchant's ring to the soldier, saying, "Let the eyes of the war tigerrest upon this token, for by its means his servant would seek theillustrious yellow girdle, Woo-san-Kwei."

  "The power of the token may not be doubted, for it bears the characterof the prince; yet may the noble youth not see the barbarian-subduingprince, for he is in council with the colaos," said the soldier.

  "Then, by the toe of the Emperor, (may he live ten thousand years,) weare as good as in our coffins; for know, O my master, it is death tosleep within the walls of the palace," said the trembling Chow.

  "Surely," said Nicholas, placing a piece of silver in the soldier'shand, "the brave warrior can secure lodging within the walls for a youthwhose duty compels him to risk his life rather than leave the palacewithout speaking with the great Woo-san-Kwei."

  "Truly it will be hazardous," but before the soldier could finish hisreply, the officer of the night came up with the relief guard.

  "Who are these vile dogs that are so openly seeking their death?" saidhe.

  "This youth, O noble commander, bears the ring of the greatWoo-san-Kwei, whose presence he seeks; but as the patriot prince cannotbe seen, with the noble commander's permission the youth shall lodgewith me this night."

  "The noble and unfortunate Ki utters judicious words, and shall commandin this thing," replied the officer, to the surprise of Nicholas, whocould not comprehend an officer of the guard being so politelysubmissive to a man so much his inferior.

  The permission, however, did not extend to Chow, whom the officerundertook to convey back again out of the palace.

  "Then slit me into bamboo slips, thou Captain of war tigers, for theservant dare not leave his master," said Chow, who refused soobstinately that the soldiers had to carry him away.

  As Ki led the way through the streets and passages on the way to hisquarters, Nicholas was not a little surprised to find that he wasrespectfully saluted by all whom they passed. Again, instead of thecommon room appropriated to soldiers of his humble station, his quartersconsisted of a house by itself. Neither could Nicholas get rid of hispuzzle,
till Ki said, "Has the name of the colao Ki ever fallen into theears of the honorable youth?"

  "Truly so; for whose ears could be so dull as not to have drunk in hisfame as a wise minister of state?"

  "Yet such is the viscissitude of fortune, that the colao is now beforethee, O youth, plucked of the peacock feather, and the golden ball tornfrom his cap."

  "The great and good colao degraded to a mean soldier! Are such thingspossible? O unfortunate man!" said Nicholas, bowing respectfully to thefallen noble.

  "The purest sky is sometimes shaded by the blackest cloud. The cloudover the head of Ki is the Prince Li-Kong, to whom every thing is nowpossible; but open thy lips, youth, and send forth thy wishes with thePrince Woo-san-Kwei. If it be to ask promotion to some office, know thathe has none to give, for the shadow of Li-Kong stands between him andthe Majesty of China."

  "Thy servant seeketh nothing for himself, O noble Ki, but to serve theEmperor, to whom through the great Woo-san-Kwei, he would present apetition."

  "All petitions now pass through the Prince Li-Kong," said Kisorrowfully.

  "Then, by the vermilion pencil, I will seek the Emperor himself, O nobleKi."

  "Thou wouldst be slain in the attempt, O daring boy; there is but onemeans."

  "Name it, O noble Ki, and thy name shall be buried in my heart," saidNicholas 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, openthine ears to the only means," said Ki; adding, "Know that the Emperorhas one young and beautiful daughter, who apart from the bonzes andLi-Kong, alone dares to present a petition to his majesty."

  "Again, I say, thou art laughing at me, O cruel Ki; for how is itpossible for a strange youth to pass the guard that surrounds the palaceof the ladies?"

  "Know then, further, that every morning the princess, with her ladies,walks in those gardens just beyond the prohibited wall; through theouter gate you can pass by means of this key," said Ki, giving him akey; adding, "Near the inner wall there is a tall mulberry-tree, upwhich 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 bythe lady Candida Hiu, at whose feet throw thyself, proclaim thy mission,and she will influence her beautiful mistress to deliver thy petition tothe Emperor; but remember, O youth, should you cross the path of one ofthe eunuchs of the palace thy hours are numbered."

  "Noble Ki, I am thy servant for life," said Nicholas, kneeling andclasping the knees of the old colao; adding, "but say, O Ki, who is thisLady Candida Hiu?"

  "The pupil of the good Christian fathers whom the bonzes would havemassacred, the Lady Candida is the friend and teacher of the princess,and but for her influence over her royal mistress, the punishment wouldbe death for worshiping in any of the many churches erected by the ladyherself."

  "Art thou then a disciple of the Saviour of mankind, O Ki?"

  "To the teaching of the lady Candida Hiu am I indebted for havingforsworn the stupid worship of Fo and the selfish philosophy ofConfucius," replied the colao; adding, "But ask no more, O youth, for tospeak of Christ out of the pale of that lady's influence is to earndisgrace, if not death." So saying the ex-minister retired, leavingNicholas to his own thoughts.