the wallet of kai lung-第41节

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officials；　and；　chief　of　all；　the　execution　of　the　evil…minded　and



depraved　Mandarin　Ping　Siang；　whose　cruelties　and　extortions　had　made



his　name　an　object　of　wide　and　deserved　loathing；　the　agents　only



regarded　the　city　as　a　bright　spot　in　the　line　of　blood　and　fire　which



they　were　fanning　into　life　from　Peking　to　Canton；　and　which　would



presumably　burst　forth　and　involve　the　entire　Empire。







Although　it　had　of　late　become　a　plain　fact；　by　reason　of　the　manner



of　behaving　of　the　people；　that　events　of　a　sudden　and　turbulent



nature　could　not　long　be　restrained；　yet　outwardly　there　was　no



exhibition　of　violence；　not　even　to　the　length　of　resisting　those　whom



Ping　Siang　sent　to　enforce　his　unjust　demands；　chiefly　because　a



well…founded　whisper　had　been　sent　round　that　nothing　was　to　be　done



until　Tung　Fel　should　arrive；　which　would　not　be　until　the　seventh　day



in　the　month　of　Winged　Dragons。　To　this　all　persons　agreed；　for　the



more　aged　among　them；　who；　by　virtue　of　their　years；　were　also　the



formers　of　opinion　in　all　matters；　called　up　within　their　memories



certain　events　connected　with　the　two　persons　in　question　which



appeared　to　give　to　Tung　Fel　the　privilege　of　expressing　himself



clearly　when　the　matter　of　finally　dealing　with　the　malicious　and



self…willed　Mandarin　should　be　engaged　upon。







Among　the　mountains　which　enclose　Ching…fow　on　the　southern　side　dwelt



a　jade…seeker；　who　also　kept　goats。　Although　a　young　man　and　entirely



without　relations；　he　had；　by　patient　industry；　contrived　to　collect



together　a　large　flock　of　the　best…formed　and　most　prolific　goats　to



be　found　in　the　neighbourhood；　all　the　money　which　he　received　in



exchange　for　jade　being　quickly　bartered　again　for　the　finest　animals



which　he　could　obtain。　He　was　dauntless　in　penetrating　to　the　most



inaccessible　parts　of　the　mountains　in　search　of　the　stone；　unfailing



in　his　skilful　care　of　the　flock；　in　which　he　took　much　honourable



pride；　and　on　all　occasions　discreet　and　unassumingly　restrained　in



his　discourse　and　manner　of　life。　Knowing　this　to　be　his　invariable



practice；　it　was　with　emotions　of　an　agreeable　curiosity　that　on　the



seventh　day　of　the　month　of　Winged　Dragons　those　persons　who　were



passing　from　place　to　place　in　the　city　beheld　this　young　man；　Yang



Hu；　descending　the　mountain　path　with　unmistakable　signs　of　profound



agitation；　and　an　entire　absence　of　prudent　care。　Following　him



closely　to　the　inner　square　of　the　city；　on　the　continually　expressed



plea　that　they　themselves　had　business　in　that　quarter；　these　persons



observed　Yang　Hu　take　up　a　position　of　unendurable　dejection　as　he



gazed　reproachfully　at　the　figure　of　the　all…knowing　Buddha　which



surmounted　the　Temple　where　it　was　his　custom　to　sacrifice。







〃Alas！〃　he　exclaimed；　lifting　up　his　voice；　when　it　became　plain　that



a　large　number　of　people　was　assembled　awaiting　his　words；　〃to　what



end　does　a　person　strive　in　this　excessively　evilly…regulated



district？　Or　is　it　that　this　obscure　and　ill…destined　one　alone　is



marked　out　as　with　a　deep　white　cross　for　humiliation　and　ruin？



Father；　and　Sacred　Temple　of　Ancestral　Virtues；　wherein　the　meanest



can　repose　their　trust；　he　has　none；　while　now；　being　more　destitute



than　the　beggar　at　the　gate；　the　hope　of　honourable　marriage　and　a



robust　family　of　sons　is　more　remote　than　the　chance　of　finding　the



miracle…working　Crystal　Image　which　marks　the　last　footstep　of　the



Pure　One。　Yesterday　this　person　possessed　no　secret　store　of　silver　or



gold；　nor　had　he　knowledge　of　any　special　amount　of　jade　hidden　among



the　mountains；　but　to　his　call　there　responded　four　score　goats；　the



most　select　and　majestic　to　be　found　in　all　the　Province；　of　which；



nevertheless；　it　was　his　yearly　custom　to　sacrifice　one；　as　those　here



can　testify；　and　to　offer　another　as　a　duty　to　the　Yamen　of　Ping



Siang；　in　neither　case　opening　his　eyes　widely　when　the　hour　for



selecting　arrived。　Yet　in　what　an　unseemly　manner　is　his　respectful



piety　and　courteous　loyalty　rewarded！　To…day；　before　this　person　went



forth　on　his　usual　quest；　there　came　those　bearing　written　papers　by



which　they　claimed；　on　the　authority　of　Ping　Siang；　the　whole　of　this



person's　flock；　as　a　punishment　and　fine　for　his　not　contributing



without　warning　to　the　Celebration　of　Kissing　the　Emperor's　Facethe



very　obligation　of　such　a　matter　being　entirely　unknown　to　him。



Nevertheless；　those　who　came　drove　off　this　person's　entire　wealth；



the　desperately　won　increase　of　a　life　full　of　great　toil　and



uncomplainingly　endured　hardship；　leaving　him　only　his　cave　in　the



rocks；　which　even　the　most　grasping　of　many…handed　Mandarins　cannot



remove；　his　cloak　of　skins；　which　no　beggar　would　gratefully　receive；



and　a　bright　and　increasing　light　of　deep　hate　scorching　within　his



mind　which　nothing　but　the　blood　of　the　obdurate　extortioner　can



efficiently　quench。　No　protection　of　charms　or　heavily…mailed　bowmen



shall　avail　him；　for　in　his　craving　for　just　revenge　this　person　will



meet　witchcraft　with　a　Heaven…sent　cause　and　oppose　an　unsleeping



subtlety　against　strength。　Therefore　let　not　the　innocent　suffer



through　an　insufficient　understanding；　O　Divine　One；　but　direct　the



hand　of　your　faithful　worshipper　towards　the　heart　that　is　proud　in



tyranny；　and　holds　as　empty　words　the　clearly　defined　promise　of　an



all…seeing　justice。〃







Scarcely　had　Yang　Hu　made　an　end　of　speaking　before　there　happened　an



event　which　could　be　regarded　in　no　other　light　than　as　a　direct



answer　to　his　plainly　expressed　request　for　a　definite　sign。　Upon　the



clear　air；　which　had　become　unnaturally　still　at　Yang　Hu's　words；　as



though　to　remove　any　chance　of　doubt　that　this　indeed　was　the



requested　answer；　came　the　loud　beating　of　many　very　powerful　brass



gongs；　indicating　the　approach　of　some　person　of　undoubted　importance。



In　a　very　brief　period　the　procession　reached　the　square；　the



gong…beaters　being　followed　by　persons　carrying　banners；　bowmen　in



armour；　others　bearing　various　weapons　and　instruments　of　torture；



slaves　displaying　innumerable　changes　of　raiment　to　prove　the　rank　and



consequence　of　their　master；　umbrella　carriers　and　fan　wavers；　and



finally；　preceded　by　incense　burners　and　surrounded　by　servants　who



cleared　away　all　obstructions　by　means　of　their　formidable　and　heavily



knotted　lashes；　the　unworthy　and　deceitful　Mandarin　Ping　Siang；　who



sat　in　a　silk…hung　and　elaborately　wrought　chair；　looking　from　side　to



side　with　gestures　and　expressions　of　contempt　and　ill…restrained



cupidity。







At　the　sign　of　this　powerful　but　unscrupulous　person　all　those　who



were　present　fell　upon　their　faces；　leaving　a　broad　space　in　their



midst；　except　Yang　Hu；　who　stepped　back　into　the　shadow　of　a　doorway；



being　resolved　that　he　would　not　prostrate　himself　before　one　whom



Heaven　had　pointed　out　as　the　proper　object　of　his　just　vengeance。







When　the　chair　of　Ping　Siang　could　no　longer　be　observed　in　the



distance；　and　the　sound　of　his　many　gongs　had　died　away；　all　the



persons　who　had　knelt　at　his　approach　rose　to　their　feet；　meeting　each



other's　eyes　with　glances　of　assured　and　profound　significance。　At



length　there　stepped　forth　an　exceedingly　aged　man；　who　was　generally



believed　to　have　the　power　of　reading　omens　and　forecasting　futures；



so　that　at　his　upraised　hand　all　persons　became　silent。







〃Behold！〃　he　exclaimed；　〃none　can　turn　aside　in　doubt　from　the



deliberately　pointed　finger　of　Buddha。　Henceforth；　in　spite　of　the



well…intentioned　suggestions　of　those　who　would　shield　him　under　the



plea　of　exacting　orders　from　high　ones　at　Peking　or　extortions



practised　by　slaves　under　him　of　which　he　is　ignorant；　there　can　no



longer　be　any　two　voices　concerning　the　guilty　one。　Yet　what　does　the



knowledge　of　the　cormorant's　cry　avail　the　golden　carp　in　the　shallow



waters　of　the　Yuen…Kiang？　A　prickly　mormosa　is　an　adequate　protection



against　a　naked　man　armed　only　with　a　just　cause；　and　a　company　of



bowmen　has　been　known　to　quench　an　entire　city's　Heaven…felt　desire



for　retribution。　This　person；　and　doubtless　others　also；　would　have



experienced　a　more　heartfelt　enthusiasm　in　the　matter　if　the　sublime



and　omnipotent　Buddha　had　gone　a　step　further；　and　pointed　out　not



only　the　one　to　be　punished；　but　also　the　instrument　by　which　the



destiny　could　be　prudently　and　effectively　accomplished。〃







From　the　mountain　path　which　led　to　Yang　Hu's　cave　came　a　voice；　like



an　exp