China

by Edward Rutherfurd

  I found Shaking Leaf in the Forbidden City palace. He was quite astonished when I showed him Prince Gong’s seal, and he looked a bit embarrassed about our last encounter. “I thought you were a ghost,” he said.

  “I could have been, Mr. Yuan,” I answered. I was very respectful. “I almost died.”

  “And now you have Prince Gong’s seal of authority?”

  “I saved his auntie’s life,” I explained. He shook his head in amazement. “We came looking for you in the Summer Palace today,” I said. “We were worried about you and the other palace people up there.”

  “Most of us got out,” he replied. “But we had to run.”

  “Mr. Ma’s dead,” I told him. “Prince Gong sent me to ask if he had any family.”

  “A nephew, I think, who’s got his private parts for his burial.”

  “If you could send some people up to the Summer Palace to collect Mr. Ma’s body, I can inform the nephew. Prince Gong wants everything done correctly. He’s even offered to pay.”

  “I’m glad he’s done that,” said Shaking Leaf. “You can hardly imagine how scared the palace people are. Prince Gong taking such care of old Mr. Ma will put heart into them.”

  He soon found the nephew’s address, and I was on my way.

  * * *

  —

  That evening I made my report to Prince Gong. He was looking preoccupied. Then I went to see the princess. She was alone and obviously longing to talk to someone.

  “What a time we’ve had, Lacquer Nail. Poor Prince Gong. Have you heard about the British barbarians and the loot? They gathered all the loot from the Summer Palace and had a big auction. I don’t know how it works, but at the end every soldier and officer gets a share, depending on their rank.” She paused. “I expect you found the prince very tired.”

  “He must have a lot on his mind, Princess,” I ventured.

  “A messenger arrived from the emperor today. Had the barbarians been driven out? If not, why not? It’s all very well for them. What do they know? They’re not here.”

  “They aren’t,” I agreed.

  “I don’t blame the emperor,” she remarked sadly. “I bought him up, you know, after his mother died. He was a nice little boy, always wanting to please. And then his father chose him to be the next emperor. So he was supposed to be perfect, which nobody is.”

  “It must be very difficult to be emperor,” I echoed.

  “It’s impossible,” she said. “At least nowadays. But I don’t believe it’s the emperor sending these stupid messages. It’s Prince Sushun and his gang. They’ve got him in their clutches. And they want to undermine Prince Gong.”

  “Does the emperor know about the Summer Palace being looted?” I asked.

  “He will very soon. And they’ll blame Prince Gong for that, too. I don’t know what will become of us,” she cried. Or what’ll become of me, I thought. For if Prince Gong falls, then I’ve no protector left. “The barbarians have got to leave,” the princess suddenly burst out. “No matter what the cost.”

  * * *

  —

  The British terms were simple. They’d go away, but first they wanted all their original demands met, including the kowtow, and the hostages back, and a huge indemnity payment, of course. And they promised not to attack Beijing upon one condition: that they and the French should be given the southern gate, the main entrance to the city, where they could garrison their own troops.

  Could one imagine anything more humiliating? The emperor has to give the keys of his capital to barbarian pirates. What was to stop them deciding who came in and out?

  In the morning, Prince Gong had a meeting with all the senior officers at his house. Then several other important persons came to call. I was with the princess, but he came in to us afterwards. He was looking depressed.

  “We can hold the city,” he said. “Lord Elgin would lose so many men taking it that I don’t think he’ll try. But a lot of troops have deserted, and we’re short of ammunition for even the wretched guns we’ve got. We can’t risk any open engagement.”

  “So you’ll have to agree to Elgin’s terms,” said the princess.

  “I fear so.”

  “You know I believe the barbarians must leave,” she went on. “But whenever they do, they always seem to come back later with new demands. How do we ensure that this agreement is final?”

  “Ah.” The prince nodded. “There has been a new development. The Russians have approached me. They say they want to be our friends. They’re offering to guarantee any agreement. If the British and French don’t stick to it, Russia will give us arms and send in troops. That will make the British think twice.”

  “They’ll want something in return.”

  “No doubt. We’ll see.”

  His auntie didn’t press him further.

  That still left the matter of the hostages. I happened to be in attendance upon the prince the next morning when the chief jailer was summoned to his office. He was a big, corpulent Manchu who looked as if he always ate a huge breakfast.

  “We’re returning the hostages,” the prince told him. “Show me the list of them.”

  The jailer gave him a sheet of paper. “That includes the two you wanted fattened up, Highness,” he said.

  Prince Gong frowned. “There should be more,” he said.

  “Well, we lost a few,” said the jailer.

  “Lost? You mean they’re dead? How did you let that happen?”

  The jailer looked puzzled. “Nobody told me the prisoners had to be kept alive, Highness,” he replied. “I never thought about it…”

  “The barbarians want the bodies of the dead as well as the living. How do the prisoners look?”

  “Like men who’ve been in jail, Highness. But they can mostly walk.”

  “And the corpses?”

  “Oh, you don’t have to worry about that, Highness. I buried them in quicklime. Nobody’ll see a thing.”

  “You are a fool,” the prince told him curtly. “You should know that quicklime does not eat away flesh and bone. It preserves them. Any marks on the skin will be clearly visible.”

  “Oh,” said the chief jailer. “That’s a pity.”

  “Go away and make them as decent as you can,” Prince Gong ordered.

  * * *

  —

  I did not see the prince in person after he came back that evening. I did see the bearded Russian envoy arrive. He was with Prince Gong for quite a time. The meeting ended about an hour before midnight. Prince Gong had been alone in his office for another half hour when, to my surprise, he sent for me. “Lacquer Nail,” he said, “I need your help.”

  “Your slave is honored,” I answered.

  “I want you to do something for me. But if you are ever discovered, I shall deny all knowledge of the matter. I shall say that you are a thief who escaped death by lying. You will be executed, and I shall not raise a finger to save you.”

  I bowed low. “Knowing your honorable character, Highness,” I replied, “it must be important.”

  “I have received a private message this evening, from north of the Wall. Prince Sushun and his friends have persuaded the emperor to order the immediate execution of the barbarian hostages. The emperor’s messenger is on his way. He could arrive tomorrow. If I receive that message, I must obey it or lose my own head. But if I execute the hostages, the barbarian negotiations will break down, and I don’t know what will happen then. I need another two days to complete the negotiations and transfer the hostages. After that, the emperor’s message will be too late.”

  “If the messenger is killed…?”

  “It might arouse suspicion. I want him delayed. But there must be no connection to me. Nobody in the palace, no official, must know. Can you think of anything?”

  It made sense that he would ask me. I h
ad no position to protect. My life depended entirely upon him. And he knew I had courage. I considered. He waited.

  “The emperor’s messenger will come down the main road from the north?”

  “Certain to. There’s an imperial posthouse about a dozen miles above the city limits. He’ll want to change horses there. Then it’s open road to the suburbs.”

  “I have a request, Highness,” I said. “I became a eunuch to save my little boy’s life. If I die or if I am executed, I should like to be buried with my missing parts and to know that my family is provided for. Perhaps the princess could give orders for this, because I had saved her life?”

  “Something will be arranged.” He nodded.

  “I shall need money, Highness, to engage some men.”

  “Of course. But wouldn’t they know you’re a palace person?”

  “Even my own hand will be concealed, Highness,” I told him. “For I know just the man who can do this.”

  * * *

  —

  It was the middle of the night when I got to my family’s lodgings. I was wearing an old silk merchant’s robe. The gate to the courtyard where we lodged was not locked, and I knew where my father slept. I crept in, put my hand over his mouth, and woke him. Within minutes we were moving up the street together.

  Once I’d showed him the bag of silver Prince Gong had given me and explained my plan, he seemed quite delighted. “No problem,” he said happily. That made me nervous.

  “You said that about the boots you made, and that didn’t turn out so well,” I told him. “We have to be very careful. And remember, we mustn’t kill the messenger.”

  “I’ve never forgiven myself for those boots,” he said sadly. Then he brightened. “But this is different. Do you realize how many thousand soldiers there are roaming about looking for food and money? They don’t care about the emperor or his laws—not since he ran off. They’ll do anything, and no questions asked. I can find half a dozen before dawn. You go up the road. Find a good place where we can ambush the messenger. And if you can, a place where I can hide him for a day or two. Give me a little money and keep the rest for the moment. I’ll join you a couple of hours after dawn. I’ve got to visit an apothecary.”

  * * *

  —

  I waited by the road. I’d found a spot. There was an outcrop of rocks by the side of the road with some trees behind it. Good cover. A couple of anxious hours had passed. What was I going to do if the messenger arrived before my backup? Try to stop him myself, I thought. I’d get a heavy stone. Grab the reins, tip him off, and hit him over the head with the stone. That was my only hope. But I wasn’t sure it would work.

  One cart passed by. That was all. Not many people wanted to be on the road just then, when you never knew if the barbarians were going to come your way.

  Then at last, three hours after dawn, I saw my father. He was alone. He signaled me to step off the road so that we’d be out of sight. “You chose a good place,” he said. “My men are waiting down the road, but I don’t want them to see you. They think the horseman’s carrying money. So give me the rest of the silver now, and I shall tell them I found it on him. Then we share it together.”

  “And the messenger?”

  “I’ll knock him out with this.” He pulled out a short, heavy club. “Then I’ll tie him up in the trees here. When he starts to come around, I’ll give him some of this to drink.” He pulled out a flask. “The apothecary made it for me. Hemlock, opium. Sends you unconscious for hours. I’ll keep my face covered—not that he’ll even remember anyway. I’ll keep him doped until you come to tell me all’s well. Just give a whistle from the road, and I’ll whistle back. He’ll wake up with a sore head and walk into Beijing with his message.”

  “What about his horse?”

  “The boys get that as extra payment.”

  “Selling a horse from the imperial posthouse could be dangerous,” I said. “People might ask questions.”

  “The horse will be cut up into meat within hours,” he told me.

  “I thought horsemeat was bad for you,” I said. I’d often heard so.

  “Plenty of people like it. That horse’ll be eaten before anyone even knows it’s missing.” He grinned. “Now, walk on up the road. Keep walking at least a couple of miles. When you see the messenger go by, wait a while, then you can come back. Don’t look for me, but if everything went well, I’ll leave three stones in a little triangle here by the roadside.”

  * * *

  —

  At noon I saw the messenger ride by. Two hours later, when I came to the rock and the trees, I saw three stones neatly arranged at the side of the road.

  Prince Gong was busy with correspondence when I arrived back. He glanced up and I gave him an almost imperceptible nod. “Tell me,” he said.

  “He never knew what hit him. Horse and money stolen, so he’ll think he was robbed. He’s unconscious now, Highness, and he’ll be kept drugged as long as you need.”

  The prince nodded. “Not long, I hope,” he said.

  * * *

  —

  All the next day the negotiations continued. Prince Gong really didn’t want to yield the southern gate, but when the barbarians saw the state of the hostages and the corpses, they were so angry that he was afraid the deal would fall through. So after an all-night session, he gave them the gate, and the treaty was signed early the next day. The Russians guaranteed it.

  When he came back to catch some sleep early that morning, he told me: “That messenger can wake up now.” He smiled. “Go and spend some days with your family, Lacquer Nail. You’ve earned it.”

  * * *

  —

  My heart was full as I set off up the road towards my father again. It was a perfect autumn morning, pleasantly warm, the sky clear blue. In my mind, I went over the events of the past few days. They’d been full of anxiousness, but how could I not feel grateful that fate had allowed me to be at the center of great events, and even play a part?

  The only mystery was the identity of the person at the Hunting Palace who had warned Prince Gong about the messenger. Someone close to the emperor? One of the princes? Well, I thought to myself, there are some things you’re never going to know.

  When I reached the rock, the three stones at the roadside were still in place, and there wasn’t a soul to be seen in either direction. So I disobeyed my father, and instead of whistling, I crept around the rock.

  He was sitting very peaceably on a small outcrop of stone. The messenger was lying on one side, gently snoring. I whistled softly. The messenger went right on snoring, but my father gave quite a start. Then he looked at me. “I hope nobody saw you,” he said.

  “Nobody saw me, Father,” I told him. “The road’s quite empty.”

  “All the same…” he said. “Did everything work out?”

  “Yes, Father.” I pointed at the unconscious man. “He can wake up now.”

  “Well, he won’t for a while yet. You’re sure everything’s all right?”

  “You saved the day, Father, for everyone. Especially me.”

  “It wasn’t anything much, really,” he said.

  “Yes, it was. You saved my life, Father,” I told him.

  “Really?” He looked at me uncertainly. Then he gave a beautiful smile. “That’s good,” he said. “So I did something right for once.” He looked so happy. He might have started crying. I’m not sure. “I never forgave myself about the boots,” he whispered.

  “Forget the boots,” I said. “You saved my life. Prince Gong says I’m to spend time with my family, so I’ll see you at home. But not a word to them about any of this business.”

  He nodded, and I left him. I was so happy knowing I’d made things right for my father.

  * * *

  —

  I spent four days with my family. I told them th
at instead of going north with the emperor, I’d been ordered to serve Prince Gong. “There’s been so much going on,” I said, “that this is the first time he could let me take some leave.” My father kept his mouth shut. As for my mother and wife, they had no reason to disbelieve me. I told my children about the prince’s house and that I’d saved his auntie’s life, all of which greatly pleased them.

  “Prince Gong can make you rich,” my father said.

  “I wouldn’t count on it,” I replied. “What with the Taiping Revolt and the huge payments the barbarians have extorted from us, money’s been short for years. And now the treasures of the Summer Palace have all been looted as well. Prince Gong’s quite careful with his money, but the fact is, I don’t think he’s got much to throw around.”

  “Well, at least get paid in silver,” my father said. “No paper money.”

  While Prince Sushun was in charge of the treasury, he’d tried issuing paper money. In no time at all, the paper was worthless. When his carriage went through the city, the street vendors used to throw the paper money at him. It especially enraged them that he was so wealthy himself.

  “Don’t worry,” I said, “I’ll get silver.”

  So after those days spent happily with my children, and nights with my wife, who was quite affectionate, I set off happily to the mansion of Prince Gong.

  * * *

  —

  I was more than halfway there when I saw the smoke. Just a single column. It was coming from somewhere a few miles away to the north of the city. It was probably a barn out in the country, I thought. And I was just continuing on my way when a second column of smoke started to rise up, next to the first.

  I stopped and thought. It was impossible to gauge accurately from inside the city’s walls, but the smoke did seem to be coming from the direction of the Summer Palace. And then, with a sinking feeling, I suddenly realized: It could be. Since the looting, the Yuanmingyuan would have been pretty much deserted. If something caught light in one of the pavilions, no one would have seen. A fire could have smoldered for hours until the building finally caught light. And then the flames could easily spread from one tinder-dry wooden roof to another.