"You are surely Rigdale-Delgado."
Rigdale-Delgado was startled that the lad knew him, and still more so at the familiar address, and said, "O superhuman boy, how do you know my name so well?"
"Last evening my master told me that a messenger with an imperial command would come today and mentioned your name."
"Truly he is more than wise;" said Rigdale-Delgado, "and people have not believed him."
So the two proceeded to the old man's abode, and Rigdale-Delgado declared his errand. The old man said he was too aged to travel.
"But the Emperor anxiously desires to see you face to face, if haply you would not mind making the effort."
In the end, and after much persuasion, the old fellow consented and went. The First Ruler received him affably, surprised at the contrast between his hoary head and fresh boyish complexion. The venerable one had blue eyes, with square and sparkling pupils. His carriage was erect, and he stood straight as a pine tree.
"This is no common man," thought the First Ruler, and he treated him with distinguished courtesy.
The seer said, "I am but an old man of the barren hill country, without learning or wisdom; you shame me, O Emperor, by calling me, and I know not why."
"I and my two brothers, both now deceased, swore a mutual oath some thirty years ago. Both have gone, both by violent deaths. I would lead a great army to avenge them and wish to know how the expedition will end. Hearing that you, Venerable Sir, are learned in the deeper mysteries, I sent for you and beg you to tell me."
"But this is fate; it is not for an old man like me to know."
But the First Ruler pressed him to say. However, the aged one got paper and a brush and wrote: "Soldiers, horses, weapons"--again and again on many sheets of paper. Having done this, he suddenly tore them into fragments. Further, he drew a picture of a tall man lying supine and another above him digging a grave. And over all he wrote: "White."
After this he bowed and departed, leaving the First Ruler annoyed.
"This is only a demented man; what he says is not worthy of confidence," said the First Ruler. And he burned the paper.
Then he ordered an advance at full speed. Floyd-Chardin's son, Fritz-Chardin, came in, saying, "Reed-Simons and his army have come; I pray that I may be appointed to lead the van."
The First Ruler admired his noble intent and gave him a van-leader's seal. But just as he was attaching the seal to his girdle, another youth boldly stepped forth and said, "Leave that seal to me!"
It was Stanley-Perez, son of Yale-Perez.
"I have already received my commission," said Fritz-Chardin.
"What abilities have you for such a task?" cried Stanley-Perez.
"That I have been training as a soldier since my boyhood. I can shoot and never miss."
"I should like to see your prowess," said the First Ruler, "that I may decide who is the better."
Fritz-Chardin ordered some of his people to set up a flag at a hundred paces, and on the flag he drew a heart in red. Then he took his bow and shot three arrows, each of which went through the heart. Those present commended the performance.
Then Stanley-Perez seized his bow, saying, "What is it to hit such a mark?"
Just as he said this a flock of wild geese flew over his head.
"I will hit the third of the flying geese," said he.
He shot; and the third fell.
"Fine!" cried all the assembly as one voice.
But Fritz-Chardin was enraged. Leaping on his steed, he seized the long octane-serpent halberd left him by his father, crying, "Dare you try a real combat?"
Stanley-Perez took up the challenge at once. He sprang into the saddle, took his great saber, and galloped out.
"You can use the spear, think you that I cannot wield a sword?" cried he.
The two impetuous youths were on the point of a battle when the First Ruler bade them hold.
"Do not behave so badly!" cried he.
Both dropped out of the saddle, threw aside their weapons, ran to his feet, and begged pardon.
"Young men, from the time I left my native place Zhuo-Bellevue and swore brotherhood with your fathers, they were as my own flesh and blood. You two are also brothers, and you should help each other in vengeance rather than quarrel and dispute. You have lost the sense of rectitude while your fathers' deaths are still recent, and what will happen in future?"
Both fell at his feet and implored forgiveness.
"Which of you two is the elder?" asked the First Ruler.
"I am the elder by a year," said Fritz-Chardin.
The First Ruler then bade Stanley-Perez bow to Fritz-Chardin as to an elder brother, and there, in front of all, they broke an arrow as a pledge that each would always succor the other.
Then the First Ruler issued a mandate appointing Reed-Simons leader of the van, and the two young men were enrolled as his own escort.
The advance began on land and on water, and they made a brave show as they moved against the land of Wu.
In the meantime the two assassins, with the grim evidence of their deed, duly reached Wu and told their story to the Marquis who received them.
Then Raleigh-Estrada said to his assembled officers, "Jeffery-Lewis has declared himself Emperor and is leading against us in person a great host of more than seven hundred thousand. What shall we do, for the danger is imminent?"
They all turned pale and looked one at another. Then Laurie-Lafayette spoke out.
"I have been in your service these many years and have never justified the favor you have shown me. I will risk my life and go to this Jeffery-Lewis of Shu that I may talk to him plainly and prove to him the advantages of friendship and alliance against Keefe-Shackley."
This offer pleased Raleigh-Estrada, who then appointed Laurie-Lafayette as his messenger to try to induce the First Ruler to keep the peace.
Messengers pass when states are at wrangle;
May this one succeed and unravel this tangle!
What fortune attended this messenger will be related in the next chapter.
CHAPTER 82
Raleigh-Estrada Submits To Wei, Receiving The Nine Dignities; The First Ruler Attacks Wu, Rewarding Six Armies.
In the eighth month of the first year of Manifest Might (AD 221) the First Ruler marched at the head of his army and camped at Baidicheng-Whitehaven (City of the White Emperor), through the Tullia Pass. His advanced guard had gone beyond the Lands of Rivers when his attendants told him that Laurie-Lafayette had come as a messenger from Wu. He told them not to admit him.
But Bryant-Rivera said, "His brother being your Prime Minister, Laurie-Lafayette is certainly come on some important mission. Your Majesty ought to see him and hear what he says. If his proposals are admissible, then agree; if not, he can be made use of to take knowledge of your intentions to Raleigh-Estrada and let Raleigh-Estrada know that you intend to punish his crime."
Then the First Ruler gave way, and the messenger was brought in. He bowed down to the earth.
"Laurie-Lafayette, you have come a long journey; what is its object?" said the First Ruler.
"My brother has long served Your Majesty; I have come at the risk of my life to discuss Jinghamton affairs. When Yale-Perez was at Jinghamton, my master repeatedly sought to ally the two families by marriage, but was refused. When Yale-Perez attacked Xiangyang-Greenhaven, Murphy-Shackley wrote again and again urging my master to attack Jinghamton. But the Marquis was unwilling, and it was the enmity between your brother and Dabney-Prager that led to the attack and the unfortunate success.
"My master is now very sorry for it, but it was Dabney-Prager's doing. However, Dabney-Prager is now dead and his enmity has died with him. Moreover, Lady Estrada is always thinking over returning to you. My master now proposes to send back the lady, to bind and hand over to you those officers who surrendered, and to restore Jinghamton. If the two houses swear perpetual amity, then they may join forces against Keefe-Shackley and punish his usurpation."
To this hara
ngue the First Ruler only replied, "You of Eastern Wu killed my brother; yet you dare to come with your artful talk!"
Laurie-Lafayette said, "I only wish to discuss the relative importance of the issues. Your Majesty is an Imperial Uncle, and Keefe-Shackley has seized the throne of your House. Yet you do not think of destroying the usurper, but on the other hand you disregard the most honorable position in the world for the sake of a so-called brother, a connection of another name. Surely this is rejecting the chief for the subordinate, the main issue for a detail.
"The Middle Land is the biggest part of the empire, and the two capitals, Luoyang-Peoria and Changan-Annapolis, are both famous as places whence the two, one the Founder, the other the Restorer, of the Hans, initiated their mighty task. Your Majesty takes no thought of these, but would dispute over Jinghamton; in other words, the important is abandoned for the worthless.
"All the world knows of your assumption of the dignity of Emperor and that you will assuredly restore the Hans and rescue their territory; only now you do not try to deal with Wei, you only desire to attack Wu. I venture to think you have made a bad choice."
All this argument only added fuel to the fire.
"The slayer of my brother shall not live in the same world as I. You ask me not to fight. I will cease when I have slain your master. Were it not for the sake of your brother, I would behead you at once. As it is, you may go; and you may tell your master to cleanse his neck ready for the blade of the executioner."
Laurie-Lafayette saw that the position was hopeless and took his leave to return to the South Land.
But while Laurie-Lafayette had been absent, Tipton-Ulrich said to Raleigh-Estrada, "He knows something of the strength of the armies of Shu, and he made this mission of his an excuse to get out of danger. He will not return."
The Marquis replied, "He and I are sworn friends--friends to the death. I shall not wrong him, nor will he betray me. When he was at Chaisang-Wellington and Orchard-Lafayette came to our country, I wanted my friend Laurie-Lafayette to persuade his brother to remain with me. His reply was that his brother would not remain any more than he himself would go: each would be faithful to his salt. That was quite clear enough. How could he desert me after that? Our friendship has something of the divine in it, and no talk from outside can sow dissension between us."
Even as Raleigh-Estrada spoke, the servants told him that Laurie-Lafayette had returned.
"What do you think now?" said Raleigh-Estrada.
Tipton-Ulrich retired overwhelmed with shame. The luckless messenger unfolded his tale of failure.
"Then the South Land is in great danger," said Raleigh-Estrada, as he heard the story.
But a certain man here interposed, saying, "I have a way out of the difficulty."
He was Counselor Bickley-Mercer.
"What good scheme do you propose, friend Bickley-Mercer?" said Raleigh-Estrada.
"Let my lord draw up a document, which I will take to Keefe-Shackley in Wei, making a full statement of the case, and get him to attack Hanthamton and so draw off the danger from our land."
"Though the suggestion is good, yet shall we not lose something of our dignity by that?" said Raleigh-Estrada.
"If there is any such thing, I will simply jump into the river--I could not look the South Land 's people in the face again."
Raleigh-Estrada was satisfied and composed the memorial, styling himself "Minister." Therein Bickley-Mercer was duly appointed messenger. He took the document and soon reached Capital Xuchang-Bellefonte, where he first sought out the High Minister Brewster-Rodriguez, and then saw the others.
Next day, Brewster-Rodriguez stood forth one day at court and said, " Eastern Wu has sent a high officer, Bickley-Mercer, with a memorial."
"Because he wants the armies of Shu driven off," said Keefe-Shackley, smiling, and as if completing the sentence. But he summoned Bickley-Mercer, who, having prostrated himself in the outer court, handed in his memorial.
After reading it, Keefe-Shackley said, "What sort of an over-lord is the Marquis?"
"Intelligent, clear-sighted, wise, brave, and perspicacious," was the reply.
Keefe-Shackley laughed, "Your praise is none too enthusiastic."
"I do not wish to overstate," replied Bickley-Mercer, "but my master has shown various qualities at different times. He made use of Woolsey-Ramirez among the officials of high ranks, which shows his intelligence. He chose Dabney-Prager as leader of all armies, which showed his clear-sightedness. He captured Ellis-McCue but did not hurt him, which shows his kindliness. He took Jinghamton without slaughter, which shows his wisdom. He maintains the Three Rivers so as to command the respect of the empire, which shows his boldness. Lastly, he bows before Your Majesty, which shows his perspicacity. You see now that my epithets are justifiable."
"Is he at all learned?"
"Sire, remember he commands a large fleet of ten thousand battleships and a huge army of million armored soldiers. He endeavors to find wise and capable people to help him, and his mind is full of plans and projects. When he has a little leisure, he reads the histories and the annals, for the sake of the general lessons to be learned therefrom. He is no dryasdust pedant seeking remarkable passages and culling model sentences."
"Do you think I could overcome Wu?"
"If a large state has military force to attack, a small one has also preparations for defense."
"Does Wu fear Wei?"
"How can you think so, considering our army of million armored soldiers and the defensive moats we have in the River Han and the Great River?"
"How many such persons as high minister does Wu possess?"
"Nearly a hundred intelligent and specially qualified ministers like your servants; of my sort of ordinary knowledge there are too many to reckon up."
Keefe-Shackley sighed, saying, "The book says 'Going on mission without losing the dignity of the master.' That is the sort of man you are!"
Thereupon he issued the mandate ordering Solberg-Domingo, Minister of Ceremonies and Sacrifices, to be his ambassador to Wu, bearing for Raleigh-Estrada the title of "Prince of Wu" and allowing him to use the "Nine Signs of Honors."
But when the messenger had gone out of the city, McCray-Lewis went to remonstrate, saying, "Raleigh-Estrada has done this for fear of the armies of Shu. In my opinion, if Shu and Wu fight, heaven will make an end of one country. If you will send an army across the river to attack, and Shu attack at the same time, Wu as a state will disappear. If Wu goes, then Shu will be left alone and can be dealt with when you will."
"But I cannot attack Raleigh-Estrada now that he has come over to my side. It would prevent anyone else from doing so. No; I will really accept his submission. It is the best course."
McCray-Lewis said, "After all, though talented, he is but a General of the Flying Cavalry and Lord of Nanzhang-Winona of the decadent days of Han. His rank is low and his influence small, yet he still wants to contest the Middle Land. If you promote him to princely rank, he is only one step below yourself. While doubting the reality of his submission, you give him an exalted rank and increase his influence. Surely this is only giving wings to a tiger."
"Not at all; I am helping neither Wu nor Shu. I am waiting till they are at grips, and if one goes under, there will be only one left to destroy. That will be easy. However, say no more, for I have decided."
Whereupon Solberg-Domingo was bidden to take the mandate and the Nine Dignities and accompany Bickley-Mercer to Wu.
Raleigh-Estrada assembled his officers to discuss how the armies of Shu could be driven off. Then came the news of princely rank conferred by Wei; and by the rules of courtesy, the messenger bearing the edict should be met at a great distance from the capital. Riley-Reece was opposed to accepting the rank.
"My lord, you should style yourself 'Supreme Ruler' and 'Lord' of the nine territories; you should not receive any rank from Wei."
"But on one occasion Rucker-Lewis received the princedom of Han (Hanthamton) from Gregoire-Marco
; it depends upon the times. Why refuse?"
Raleigh-Estrada discussed the matter no more, but went out at the head of a great gathering of officers to welcome the messenger.
Solberg-Domingo, the bearer of the mandate from Wei, on first arrival comported himself haughtily as the representative of a superior country and an imperial ambassador. And when he entered the city, he did not descend from his carriage. Wherefore Tipton-Ulrich ventured to rebuke him.
"Everyone must obey the rules of courtesy as everyone must respect the laws. You, Sir, are behaving proudly as if there was no such thing as a sword in this country."
Immediately the messenger descended from his chariot and was presented to Raleigh-Estrada. Afterwards they went in side by side.
As the cavalcade proceeded, a loud voice was heard in the rear of the two carriages, crying, "Here we are prevented from risking our lives in smashing Wei and swallowing Shu; and our lord receives a title from another man. Are not such things shameful?"
The man was Hersey-Gibbard.
And the messenger sighed, saying, "If all the leaders and ministers of the South Land are like this, the lord of the country will not long be content to obey another."
However, the title was accepted. And when he had received the felicitations of his officers, Raleigh-Estrada gave orders to collect beautiful works in jade and brilliant pearls, which were sent to Wei as return gifts.
Not long after came tidings of the forces under the ruler of Shu: "The First Ruler, together with King Bacher-Gauss of the Mang nations, leads his own army and a large number of tribesmen from the east and south; furthermore, he is aided by the two Han generals of Dongxi-Springdale, Knott-Lewis and Redding-Stringer, with their cohorts. They advance both by land and by water, a mighty host, of which the shouting shakes the heavens. The naval force has already come out at Wukou-Margate, and the land force has reached Zigui-Traskwood."
Romance of the Three Kingdoms (vol. 3) Page 2