The Book and The Sword

by Jin Yong

  "How do you intend to deal with this man Chen?"

  "His society is large and widespread and many of his followers are martial arts masters who would die for him, so I have been polite to him throughout while waiting for an opportunity to deal with them all at once. I want to remove the roots as well as chopping off the grass."

  The Dowager's expression softened slightly. "Is this true?"

  Qian Long knew the secret had leaked. With no room left to maneouvre, he decided he had no choice but to swear to destroy the Red Flower Society.

  "I will see to it that Chen is beheaded within three days," he said.

  The shadow of a smile appeared on the Dowager's forbidding face. "Good," she said. "Only then will you be holding to the wishes of our ancestors." She stood up. "Come with me," she added.

  She stood up and walked over to the main hall of the Martial Hero Pavilion with Qian Long close behind. As they approached, a eunuch gave a shout and the huge doors were opened. Inside the brightly-lit hall, two files of eunuchs stretched away from the entrance towards eight princes kneeling on the floor to receive the Emperor. The Dowager and Qian Long walked over to two chairs on the dais in the centre of the hall and sat down. Qian Long saw all eight princes were of the immediate Imperial family, including his own brothers. He wondered uneasily what the Dowager was planning.

  "When the late Emperor passed away," she began slowly, "he left orders that the command of the Imperial Banner troops should be divided amongst eight members of the Imperial family. But because of the constant dispatch of forces to the Muslim border regions in the past few years, it has never been possible to act on the Emperor's last wish. Now, thanks to the blessed protection of the Ancestors, the Muslim areas have been pacified, and from today, the leadership of the Banners will be divided amongst the eight of you." The princes kowtowed and expressed their great gratitude.

  So she has decided to disperse my military strength, Qian Long thought.

  "Please make the assignments, Your Highness," the Dowager said to him. He knew he was in a losing position, but he decided that as long as he did not attempt a revolt, a temporary dispersal of military power would be of no great consequence. The Dowager, he could see, had been very thorough, and he guessed that she had also made preparations in case he refused. So he assigned each of the eight princes to be commander of one of the Banners.

  Meanwhile, the eight princes, all full of curiosity, were thinking: "Based on the wishes of the founder of our dynasty, three of the Banners should be under the direct leadership of the Emperor, and the other five subordinate to them. The Dowager's action to divide the Banners among us is a serious violation of rules laid down by the Ancestors and is obviously intended to weaken the Emperor's power." None of them dared to directly refuse the Dowager's command, but all decided it would be best to return the command to the Emperor the following day in order to avoid the possibility of execution.

  The Dowager signalled with her hand and one of the princes came forward holding a tray on which was placed a small iron box. He knelt before her and she picked the box up and opened it, and took out a small scroll. Qian Long glanced at it out of the corner of his eye and saw the inscription, written in the Emperor Yong Zheng's hand, read "Posthumous Edict." Next to this was a line of smaller characters: "If there should be any political changes, the eight princes who lead the Banners must gather together and open this."

  Qian Long's face drained of colour as he realised his father had long ago taken precautions to guard against his secret ever being revealed. If he dared to alter in any way the instructions of his ancestors, let alone attempt to overthrow the Manchus, the eight Banner commanders would be required to dispose of him and set up a new Emperor. He steadied himself.

  "The late Emperor was far-sighted indeed," he said. "If I can match even a ten thousandth of his abilities, then you have no need to worry further, Madame."

  The Dowager passed the scroll to the most senior of the eight princes and said: "Take this edict of the late Emperor and have it placed in the Lama Temple. Assign one hundred bodyguards to guard it day and night." She hesitated for a moment, then added: "They are not allowed to leave their posts for a second, even if ordered to do so by the present Emperor."

  The prince complied with her command and left with the scroll for the Lama Temple. The temple was in the northern part of the city near the Gate of Serenity, and had been used by the Emperor Yong Zheng as his home before ascending the throne. After he died, Qian Long had had the residence expanded and turned into a Tibetan Lamaist temple in memory of his grandfather.

  Her arrangements complete, the Dowager yawned lazily. "The achievements of our Ancestors must be safeguarded," she sighed.

  7

  Immediately after seeing the Empress Dowager out of the Martial Hero Pavilion, Qian Long called for his bodyguards. Bai Zhen came forward to report.

  "Master Chen has escorted the lady back to the palace, and she is now awaiting Your Highness in the Precious Moon Pavilion," he said.

  Qian Long was delighted with the news and walked briskly to the door of the Martial Hero Pavilion. Then he stopped and turned. "Was there any trouble on the road?" he asked.

  "Your slaves came across a large number of Red Flower Society fighters at one point, but luckily, Master Chen intervened and prevented an incident."

  When Qian Long arrived at the Precious Moon Pavilion, he found Princess Fragrance seated as before, facing the wall.

  "Did you have fun at the Great Wall?" he asked happily. She ignored him. Qian Long decided to deal with more pressing matters first before questioning her further. He went into the adjoining room and gave orders for his favourite, Fu Kangan, to be summoned.

  Before too long, Fu rushed in and Qian Long ordered him to lead a troop of Imperial Guardsmen and lay an ambush around the Lama Temple. After he had departed, Qian Long ordered Bai Zhen to also hide near the temple.

  "I intend to hold a great feast in the Lama Temple tomorrow evening," he added. "Tell Master Chen and all of the senior Red Flower Society people to attend."

  Bai Zhen immediately guessed the Emperor intended to deal with all the Red Flower Society leaders at one stroke and shuddered at the thought of the slaughter that would take place.

  "Also," Qian Long added, "summon the Head Lama of the temple immediately."

  As the old Lama kowtowed his way into the Imperial presence, Qian Long asked: "How many years is it since you came to the capital?"

  "Your vassal has served the Emperor for twenty-one years."

  "Do you want to go back to Tibet?"

  The Lama kowtowed again but said nothing.

  "There are two Living Buddhas in Tibet, the Dalai Lama and the Panchen Lama," Qian Long continued. "Why isn't there a third?"

  "Your Highness, that has always been the way, ever since…"

  Qian Long silenced him with a wave of his hand. "If I made you the third Living Buddha and gave you an area to govern, no-one would dare to defy the order, would they?"

  The Lama's joy soared to the skies, and he kowtowed furiously, unable to believe his luck. "Your Reverence's benevolence will be difficult to repay," he said.

  "I want you now to do something for me. Go back to the temple and gather together all your trusted lamas and prepare gunpowder, firewood and other inflammable materials." He pointed at Bai Zhen. "When he gives you the signal, you will put the temple to the torch."

  The Head Lama began frantically kowtowing again, this time in fright. "But it is the former residence of the late Emperor," he protested. Many of his possessions are there, I wouldn't dare…"

  "Do you dare to disobey my command?" Qian Long roared, sending the old Lama into a cold sweat.

  "I…I will do as Your Highness commands," he replied in a quavering voice.

  "If half a breath of this matter leaks out, I will have you and every single one of your eight hundred lamas executed." After a moment, he added in a more friendly tone: "There will be Banner troops guarding the Suicheng
Pavilion in your temple, so you must be careful. When the time comes, I want those troops trapped inside and burned to death. When things have been successfully completed, you will be the third Living Buddha of Tibet. Now go!" He waved his hand and the Lama left with Bai Zhen, thanking the Emperor for his benevolence as he went.

  His preparations completed, Qian Long considered how his plan would enable him to kill two birds with one stone, both the Red Flower Society and the Dowager's forces. After tomorrow evening, his position secured and stable, he could continue his reign in peace.

  He felt very satisfied. Looking round, he noticed a lute sitting on a tabletop and went over to play it. After a few phrases, his playing became increasingly strident and aggressive, and with a twang, the seventh string broke. He started in surprise and laughed loudly. Then, pushing the lute aside, he stood up and walked back to the other room.

  Princess Fragrance was sitting at the window staring up at the moon. As she heard his footsteps, there was a glint of light as she pulled the dagger out again. Qian Long frowned and sat down at a distance.

  "When you and Master Chen were at the Great Wall, did he tell you to kill me?"

  "He told me to do as you said."

  "Are you going to disobey him?"

  "I would never do that."

  Qian Long was both delighted and jealous. "Then why are you still carrying the dagger? Give it to me!"

  "No, I'll wait for you to become a good emperor first."

  Aha, thought Qian Long, so that's how he hopes to control me. Anger, jealousy, lust and hatred rose within him all at once, and he laughed harshly. "I am already a good emperor," he replied.

  "Huh! I heard you playing the lute just now. You're going to kill people, you're going to kill many, many people. You're…you are evil."

  Qian Long realised that his thoughts had indeed revealed themselves through his playing. "Yes," he replied. "I am going to kill people. I have already caught your Master Chen, but if you do as I say, I can release him. If you don't do as I say…" He laughed again. "Then you know I will kill many people."

  Princess Fragrance was shocked. "You would kill your own blood brother?" she asked in a quavering voice.

  Qian Long's face went white. "So he told you everything?"

  "I don't believe you've caught him. He's much cleverer than you."

  "Cleverer? Huh! And even if I haven't got him today, what about tomorrow?" She did not answer. "I advise you to forget this idea," he went on. "Whether I'm a good emperor or a bad emperor, you are never going to see him again."

  "But you promised him that you would be a good emperor," Princess Fragrance protested. "How can you renege on your promise?"

  "I will do whatever I want," he roared. "No-one can tell me what to do." All his pent up anger from the humiliating audience with the Dowager spilled out.

  His words struck Princess Fragrance like a fist-blow to the chest. "So the Emperor is going to cheat him," she thought in anguish. "If only we had known earlier, I wouldn't have had to come back here." She almost fainted at the shock of it.

  Seeing her face suddenly go pale, Qian Long immediately regretted being so coarse. "If you will treat me well," he said, "I will naturally not harm him. In fact, I will make him a senior official and allow him to become rich and powerful."

  But Princess Fragrance was not listening. She was trying to work out a way of letting Chen know of the Emperor's deceitfullness, so that he wouldn't fall into a trap. She frowned deep in thought, her expression adding to the beauty of her face, and Qian Long stared at her, mesmerized.

  "Everyone in the palace is a servant of the Emperor," she thought. "So who can deliver a letter for me? There's only one way to do it."

  "So you promise not to harm him?" she said.

  Qian Long was delighted. "I promise, I promise," he replied immediately. There was not the slightest touch of sincerity in his voice, and Princess Fragrance glanced at him in hatred.

  "Early tomorrow, I want to go to a mosque," she said evenly. "I will only do as you say after I have prayed to Allah."

  Qian Long smiled. "All right," he replied. "But there is to be no more delay after tomorrow."

  Princess Fragrance watched him leave, laughing as he went, then found a pen and paper and wrote out a letter to Chen warning him of the Emperor's intentions, and telling him that the plan to overthrow the Manchus was just a dream. She urged him to quickly devise away to rescue her. When she had finished, she wrapped the letter in a blank sheet of paper and wrote on it in the Moslem script: "Please deliver speedily to the Great Helmsman of the Red Flower Society, Chen Jialuo." She knew the respect all Muslims had for her father and sister, and the way in which they worshipped her herself, and felt certain that if she just had a chance to pass the letter on to any Muslim in the mosque, they would certainly find a way to deliver it.

  Having written the letter, her heart felt much easier. She was certain Chen was capable of anything and would easily find a way to rescue her. At that point, a sense of indescribable warmth and sweetness swept over her, and tired out from the day's exertions, she fell fast asleep.

  Through the mists of slumber, she became aware of bells chiming around the palace, and opened her eyes to find the sky was already growing light. Hurriedly, she arose and washed herself, then combed her hair. The maid servants went to look after her knew she would allow no-one near her and watched from a distance. She carefully secreted the letter in her sleeve and then left the pavilion. Eunuchs were already waiting outside with a palanquin and took her to the mosque on the West Avenue of Eternal Peace while bodyguards crowded round both before and aft.

  Seeing the round dome of the mosque as she descended from the palanqin, she felt both happiness and anguish. She walked through the mosque's entrance with head bowed and noticed two men walking on either side of her. They were dressed as Muslims, and she was about to pass the letter to one of them, then stopped herself. His features and manner were not at all those of her people. She glanced at the other man and saw he was the same.

  "Were you sent by the Emperor to guard me?" she asked quietly in the Muslim tongue. Both men nodded, not understanding what she had said.

  Disappointed, she turned round and saw there were another eight palace guards dressed as Muslims behind her, and that all the real Muslims were being kept at a safe distance. She walked over to the chief Imam of the mosque and said: "Please make sure this letter is delivered no matter what happens." The Imam started in shock as Princess Fragrance pushed the letter into his hand. A guard rushed forward and snatched the letter away and gave the Imam a heavy push on the chest, causing him to stumble and almost fall. The other worshippers looked at each other in surprise, wondering what was going on.

  "What do you people think you're doing?" the Imam demanded angrily.

  "Mind your own business," the guard hissed at him. "We are from the palace."

  Severely frightened, the Imam did not dare to say another word, and turned to lead the gathering in prayer.

  Princess Fragrance knelt down with the others and tears welled out of her eyes like water from a spring. In the midst of her pain and sorrow only one thought remained: "How can I warn him to be on his guard? I must let him know even if I die doing it, but how?"

  "By dying!" The realisation streaked across her brain like a flash of lightning. "If I die here, word will get out and he will hear of it. That's it. There's no other way!"

  Then the Prophet's words sounded in her ears like thunder: "Those who take their own life will fall into the eternal fires and will never escape." She was not afraid of death, and believed that people who died could ascend to Paradise and be re-united with their loved ones for eternity. But with suicide, there was nothing to look forward to but never-ending pain!

  A violent shiver ran through her and she suddenly felt extremely cold. She listened for a moment to the congregation reciting the scriptures.

  For a true religious believer there is nothing more terrible than the consignment of the soul
to eternal Hell, but she could see no other way. Love overcame the greatest fear of all.

  "Most sacred and Holy Allah," she whispered. "It is not that I don't believe you care for me. But there is no other way except by using my own blood."

  She took the dagger out of her sleeve and on the stone in front of her, carved out the words "Don't trust the Emperor." Then she lightly called out the word "Brother!" and thrust the blade into the purest, most beautiful breast in this world.

  8

  That morning, while the Red Flower Society heroes were discussing the situation in their quarters in Twin Willow Lane, a servant appeared to announced the arrival of the Emeror's chief bodyguard, Bai Zhen. Chen went out alone to meet him. Bai Zhen passed on the Emperor's invitation to all the leading members of the Red Flower Society to attend a banquet in the Lama Temple that evening to be hosted by the Emperor himself. He explained that the banquet was being held outside the palace in order to avoid raising the suspicions of the Empress Dowager and the Manchu nobles. Chen expressed his thanks. He assumed the news indicated Princess Fragrance had already done what had to be done and had given in to the Emperor, and felt an inexpressible mixture of emotions. After having seen Bai Zhen out, he returned to discuss matters with the heroes, who were very excited that the Emperor was keeping his part of the bargain, although they were also painfully aware of the sacrifice Chen had made to make it possible.

  They passed the rest of the morning in kung fu training, and Chen showed the others some of what he had learned inside the White Jade Peak. Just as they were in the midst of the practice, they heard wailing and mournful singing outside. At first, they did not take much notice, but the noise gradually increased in volume, as if thousands of people were gathering in an state of extreme grief.

  Xin Yan had lived in the desert for a long time and recognised the song as a Muslim funeral dirge. His curiosity aroused, he ran out to find out what was going on, and returned a while later, unsteady on his feet and ashen-faced. He walked over to Chen. "Master!" he exclaimed, his voice shaking.