The Eagle and the Dragon, a Novel of Rome and China

by Lewis F. McIntyre

  “Dong Ch’u, I have more sympathy for Wang Ming in this matter than for you. You have arrested the entire Da Qin delegation based on the slenderest of evidence, most of which appears to come from the Anxi, who clearly and frequently have expressed their distaste for the Da Qin presence here. Spies of Anxi accusing the Da Qin of spying? Just yesterday afternoon, we received messengers from the Son of Heaven announcing his intent to meet with the Da Qin immediately on his return tomorrow. How shall I explain to the Son of Heaven that they are jailed on Anxi fabrications?”

  “Excellency, I erred grievously,” answered the Minister of Guards.

  “You did. You shall promptly order the release of the entire Da Qin party with both out personal apologies for the misunderstanding, to be conveyed by you in person. For now they are to be confined to the palace, but they are otherwise to be free to go about their business in preparation for their meeting with the Son of Heaven.”

  Dong Ch’u nodded in acknowledgement.

  Tingwei Feng Chou continued,“Wang Ming, your case against Si Huar has some merit. Shall I pursue charges of attempted murder against her? The lump on your head bears ample evidence, though mind you, there are some in the Palace who feel you deserved it. Many consider your beatings of her to be both unmanly and inharmonious.”

  “I do wish to pursue those charges, Excellency,” answered Ming.

  “You are aware of her special status holding documents putting her under the special protection of the Da Qin emperor. Therefore, she is a member of the Da Qin envoy. Given the sensitivity of this case, if you wish to go forward, I feel it is prudent that I defer her case to the Son of Heaven for his personal adjudication. I expect this case will be heard immediately before he meets with the envoys, so that meeting may proceed most harmoniously. In the meanwhile, Si Huar is to be confined to her quarters in the concubinage, with all necessary provision for her comfort in preparing for her trial.”

  Ming swallowed hard. He had expected the tingwei to try the case. Cases adjudicated by the Son of Heaven were as likely to result in penalties for the accuser as for the accused if the Son of Heaven found fault with their case. And the trial would take place tomorrow, leaving him little time to prepare. But retracting his charges now would make him appear to be a liar before the senior judge.

  He acknowledged the decision with yet another wordless bow.

  “You are dismissed,” ordered the tingwei.“Weiwei, please return after you have released the prisoners to discuss your handling of this case.”

  Both bowed and left.

  Ming located Si Nuo to act as translator, and hurried with the Minister of Guards along with other senior security officials to the grimy cell in which the Da Qin were kept. The two guards snapped erect at the arrival of the high-level entourage, and the three Romans struggled to their feet, brushing off straw and other things they might not want to know about. The weiwei ordered the guards to release the prisoners, and they fumbled with keys until the locked cage opened.

  This was obviously a formal moment, and although Marcus and the three exchanged glances, they said nothing and asked no questions. Marcus allowed just a wisp of a smile to flicker across his lips, enough to convey that the news would be good.

  The weiwei said something in Hanaean, with an expression like he had eaten something disagreeable, and Marcus translated:“The Minister of Justice has ordered your immediate release, with his apologies and my own, for this embarrassing misunderstanding. You are to return to your quarters and you are free to move about the palace, to prepare for a meeting with the Son of Heaven in the next several days.”

  “That is good news,” replied Aulus, “though not the way I had been expected to receive word of our meeting with Emperor He. Tell the minister that we accept the apology, and appreciate his hospitality in these temporary accommodations.”

  Marcus translated. The weiwei’s face darkened a bit as Marcus gave him an exact translation, but he nodded, and the three left their cell with Marcus and a security escort to their quarters.

  “I don’t know ‘bout yer, but I am ready fer a bath!” chuckled Antonius. “Marcus, I suspect yer’ll fill us in on the events?”

  “I will, Antonius, I certainly will.”

  The Minister of Guards, senior leadership and two guards escorted the group to their quarters in the palace. They whirled and departed without a word. Aulus fumbled with the door, opened it, and held it for the rest. “Antonius, why don’t you go first for the bath? Gaius and Marcus and I will catch up, but please don’t linger, the fleas are feasting on me!”

  “Sure, won’t be long, I’ll warm it up fer yer.” Antonius stripped and bundled his clothes up, located a bag, tied them up inside it, and went into the bath of to the side.

  “So Marcus, do you know what is happening?” asked Aulus.

  “Unfortunately, yes, and that news is not good. My sister faces trial for attempted murder – before Emperor He. She will probably be sentenced to death,” replied Marcus. The Hanaean side of his upbringing did a good job of choking back his emotions, but his Roman side allowed much more to show than he wanted.

  “We are sorry to hear that. She is under the protection of Emperor Trajan. That’s a thread we can pull later as we know more. When is the trial?”

  “Probably immediately on Emperor He’s return, immediately before your meeting with him. I think tomorrow or the day after. Gaius and Antonius may be called as witnesses.”

  “Great timing!” answered Aulus, his face contorted in disgust.

  “The Minister of Justice would normally hear the case, but he has apparently decided it’s so sensitive the ruling needs to be made by Emperor He himself.”

  Gaius introduced himself into the conversation. “Ming is still alive. Was he hurt?”

  “No, and the gossip in the concubinage and among the eunuchs is that he got what he deserved.”

  “Where is Marcia?” asked Gaius.

  “I don’t know. I haven’t seen her since this whole thing blew up.”

  “All right, on to us. Do you know what happened to us last night?”

  “Other than you were arrested and jailed in unpleasant circumstances? I don’t know the circumstances of your arrest. I surmise that Wang Ming got the Minister of the Guard to arrest you on some trumped-up story. I know he and Ming met with the Minister of Justice first thing this morning, and they lost considerable face. The Minister of Guards apologized to you personally. That is unheard of, a minister apologizing to foreigners. Apparently the Minister of Justice ordered him to do so. Your mission is extremely important to the Emperor.”

  “Nice of him to keep us waiting almost four months, and make us miss our ship home!” interjected Aulus. “So what is our status until the trial followed by the meeting?”

  “I was told you are free to come and go within the palace itself. As you are witnesses to my sister’s trial, you may not leave the building. Your passes at the gate have been confiscated, so if by any chance you were able to leave the compound, you would not be able to reenter.”

  Antonius emerged from the bath much refreshed, retired to his room to re-emerge in a few minutes in a Roman army tunic. “Time ter remember how ter dress like a soldier,” grumbled the centurion. “Next fer the bath, gentlemen.”

  CHAPTER 50: A PLAN FOR CLEMENCY

  The emperor returned from his southern tour with a great deal more fanfare than on his departure, arriving at Luoyang’s south wall by the waterfront with a blast of trumpets and heralds announcing his arrival. He was riding in the rear of an ornate four-wheeled chariot with a low yellow umbrella over him to shield him from the sun and weather, side rails of gold-leaf dragons, with red and green trim. The chariot was accompanied by four very tall and muscular armor-clad Hanaean soldiers whose faces evinced no emotion or even thought; white cloths inscribed with five Hanean characters circled their close-cropped heads. The crowd gawked from a respectful distance as they escorted their equally impassive royal burden, sitting cross legged on purpl
e silk cushions, through the Pingchengmen Gate and then directly into the southern gate of the palace compound. Inside the compound, a single trumpet blast, loud enough to be heard throughout the pavilion, announced his arrival. Long vertical flags of green and yellow, shaped like upraised knife blades emblazoned with Hanaean inscriptions, snapped erect on the parapets.

  This done, the procession continued in silence north across the vast compound to the eastern palace itself, where the Guangluxun Minister of the Household stood awaiting him, flanked by six armed guards at the foot of the imperial stairs. He did his ritual obeisance, hands clasped in front of his bowed head, for about a minute, until the Son of Heaven acknowledged him. The Guangluxun then stood erect with eyes downcast., while the chariot escorts gently assisted Emperor He in dismounting. He ascended the palace steps slowly in silence, followed by the Minister of the Household and his guards. Inside, he was escorted to the royal apartments, where servants awaited to cleanse him of the dust of the long road trip, and dress him in his dark blue and black silk ceremonial robes. With him dressed, they fitted the ceremonial flat black hat surrounded by dangling jewels on his head. Any movement of his head set the tiny jewels to swinging just inside his eyes’ focal range, making him feel that he was in a swarm of insects.

  About an hour later, he convened a meeting of his three Excellencies in the throne room for an update on events in the northern provinces during his absence. The three Excellencies sat on cushions on the floor, kneeling on their haunches, also clad in the dark blue and black silk robes preferred by Emperor He. After recapping a rather uneventful winter, the Excellency of the Masses requested permission to call in the tingwei to update the Son of Heaven on recent events involving the Da Qin envoys. The Minister of Justice was ushered in.

  Emperor He listened impassively as the tingwei recounted how the Da Qin were wrongfully arrested by the Minister of Guards, based on inaccurate information, kept overnight in an abominable prison, but released the following morning with apologies conveyed in person by Minister of Guards.

  “Tingwei Feng Chou, you did well to rectify a bad situation. Weiwei Dong Ch’u is to be dismissed from his post, imprisoned in that same cell for thirty days, then banished from the palace and from Luoyang. Do you have more recommendations for me?”

  “Yes, Son of Heaven. I recommend that you try a concubine for attempted murder. She is also accused of infidelity with the Da Qin soldier called An-Dun.”

  “And why should the Son of Heaven involve himself such a trivial matter?”

  “Son of Heaven, the concubine was a translator for the Gan Ying expedition to the Da Qin¸ and returned with their envoy under special protection of their emperor, because she is Da Qin by ancestry. I did not feel it wise to allow her consort to execute or otherwise punish her, as would be his ordinary right, nor to pass judgment myself which is also in my purview, on a case of such import to you. If I erred in judgment, it is my mistake.” The Tingwei bowed his head.

  “And who is the consort of this concubine at the center of this disturbance?”

  “Son of Heaven, the consort is Master Wang Ming.”

  The Emperor sat in thoughtful silence, while the tingwei and the Excellencies did likewise, their eyes downcast, intently studying the waterway separated them from the Emperor.

  At last the Emperor bestirred himself. “And if you were to try this concubine, what sentence might you pass upon her?”

  “Son of Heaven, I would show clemency if she has not been unfaithful. Master Ming has a …a reputation for cruelty to his consorts. One certainly has a right to maintain discipline among his own, but many in the court felt that he is excessive, and disturbs the harmony of the court rather than restoring it.”

  “And if she was unfaithful with the Da Qin soldier?”

  “She was separated from Master Wang Ming for several months, and I believe she thought her consort dead or lost. I would recommend in that case a symbolic lashing of ten strokes, no more.”

  “And the Da Qin soldier?”

  “Son of Heaven, she is an attractive woman and the journey was long.”

  “I accept your recommendations, tingwei Feng Chou. And please convey to Master Wang Ming that he is to refrain from beating his concubines. It is inharmonious for the strong to oppress the weak to no purpose.”

  The tingwei was excused. The Emperor rose from his chair on the dais, sweeping his ceremonial robe around himself in a swirl of silk, and the three Excellencies rose likewise, saluted with a bow, and remained standing while Emperor He departed toward the rear.

  CHAPTER 51: THE TRIAL

  A few hours after the Romans had cleansed themselves from their overnight stay in prison, both the Minister of Justice and Minister of the Household sent representatives to prepare them for their meeting with Emperor He the following afternoon. Marcus translated.

  “The trial will be first,” Marcus said with a choke in his voice, as his Hanaean side struggled to control his emotions. “Marcia will enter, then Antonius, you will be called as a witness.”

  “What is the charge?” asked Antonius.

  “She attempted to kill Wang Ming, and a question of infidelity… with you, Antonius.”

  “That’s a crock of manure!” exploded Antonius, disturbing the Hanaean representatives with his emotional rant. “That’s a crock and yer know it! If I had seen him strike her, I’d a kilt him mesel’, an’ saved her the trouble. An’ she an’ I have never done nothin’ but talk, yer know that, too! Tell them that!”

  “No, Antonius, I won’t. That would make it worse.”

  “Marcus is right, calm down in front of the Hanaean representatives, or this may affect the trial,” said Aulus, trying to calm the furious centurion. “Marcus, what is the procedure here for trials?” He was expecting something like a Roman court of law, with attorneys, questioning, statements and the like.

  “It is run entirely by the Emperor. He will ask all the questions, she will answer, he makes a decision. There is no procedure… Marcia will enter first, prostrate herself, and remain that way until the Emperor grants her permission to rise to a sitting position. Antonius, you will then enter, and do likewise. Answer only the questions asked, and do not look at the Emperor. When he is ready, he will render a decision. He will dismiss you, and you rise, back out of the court, keeping your head bowed.”

  “I ain’t ever prostrated meself before any man, an’ I don’t intend to start now!” growled Antonius.

  “What is the likely outcome?” asked Gaius.

  Marcus choked again, his Hanaean face trying very hard to remain impassive. “I… I hope her death will be a merciful one!”

  Aulus was as angry as Antonius. He controlled the tone of his voice, but his face was livid with emotion. “Is that all from these two?” he said, indicating the two representatives with a head nod.

  Marcus exchanged some words with the two, they nodded. “That is all.”

  “Tell them they are dismissed. And phrase it just that way, the way your emperor would say it! I represent my own emperor here.”

  Marcus complied and the two Hanaeans’ eyes went wide briefly, then they bowed and scurried out.

  Aulus declared, “Gentlemen, we have a problem. The solution will probably cost us our mission and our lives, but I cannot let a Roman citizen and a member of my diplomatic mission go to her death on a trumped-up charge with no one to speak on her behalf!”

  “I agree!” said Gaius.

  “Whatever yer want to do, I am in, sir!” said Antonius.

  “What do you have in mind?” asked Marcus.

  “We are going to show them how Romans conduct a court of law, and I, as Marcia’s attorney, intend to present her case. Erect, of course, and looking the Emperor square in the eye.”

  “You won’t get to say much,” said Marcus

  “I don’t expect to be able to say much,” replied Aulus, with a wry grin.

  “You will be executed!” said Marcus.

  “Yes, and then we will sh
ow them how Romans die. We did not come all the way around the world to grovel at the feet of their god-king while he executes a fellow citizen who is innocent of any crime. That is not the message Trajan would want us to present. Gentlemen, I am going to wear my Senatorial toga, and I would like you to be wearing your military kit tomorrow. I want to make a good impression before they haul us off to the killing grounds.”

  “Marcus, you may wear my toga,” offered Gaius, “since I will be in uniform. A bit above your status with an equestrian stripe, but you have earned it.”

  Marcus gulped, but nodded, his Hanaean side and his Roman side struggling for control.

  Aulus produced another bottle of Falernian wine. “What is it the gladiators say, “morituri te salutamus, we who are about to die, salute you! We might as well enjoy this and several more tonight, because we probably won’t be coming back tomorrow.”

  The following day, they dressed around mid-morning. Gaius and Antonius donned their gear, assisting each other with straps and clips.

  Finally, Antonius gave Gaius a punch in the chest, to check for rattles and loose fitting connectors. “Integer? Are you complete?” the centurion asked, in the standard pre-battle checkout.

  Gaius returned the punch to Antonius’ chest with a laugh. “Integer! Complete as hell!” They were both feeling the euphoria that precedes a hopeless battle, which usually evaporates at the moment of contact.

  They then helped Marcus with the toga. “There’s an art to wearing it,” Gaius said. “Just never move your left arm, or we’ll have to drape you all over again.”

  Antonius chuckled, and said, “Yer know, we are in one hell of a fine humor fer people probably looking at the last day of our lives. I hate to ruin the mood, but I’ve noticed that the further east yer goes, the more creative ways they find to make you die. I got some aconite poison in me medic’s capsula. Here’s a packet fer each of yer. Don’t open it until you’re ready to take it, it can be absorbed through the skin. But give yerself time, it takes an hour or so.”