the wallet of kai lung-第48节

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occupation　of　a　person　of　low　class；　and　with　his　own　hands　ploughs　an



assigned　portion　of　land　in　order　that　the　enlightened　spirits　under



whose　direct　guardianship　the　earth　is　placed　may　not　become　lax　in



their　disinterested　efforts　to　promote　its　fruitfulness。　In　this



charitable　exertion　he　is　followed　by　various　other　persons　of



recognized　position；　the　first　being；　by　custom；　the　Guarder　of　the



Imperial　Silkworms；　while　at　the　same　time　the　amiably…disposed



Empress　plants　an　allotted　number　of　mulberry　trees；　and　deposits　upon



their　leaves　the　carefully　reared　insects　which　she　receives　from　the



hands　of　their　Guarder。　In　the　case　of　the　accomplished　Emperor　an



ingenious　contrivance　is　resorted　to　by　which　the　soil　is　drawn　aside



by　means　of　hidden　strings　as　the　plough　passes　by；　the　implement　in



question　being　itself　constructed　from　paper　of　the　highest　quality；



while　the　oxen　which　draw　it　are；　in　reality；　ordinary　persons



cunningly　concealed　within　masks　of　cardboard。　In　this　thoughtful



manner　the　actual　labours　of　the　sublime　Emperor　are　greatly　lessened；



while　no　chance　is　afforded　for　an　inauspicious　omen　to　be　created　by



the　rebellious　behaviour　of　a　maliciously…inclined　ox；　or　by　any　other



event　of　an　unforeseen　nature。　All　the　other　persons；　however；　are



required　to　make　themselves　proficient　in　the　art　of　ploughing；　before



the　ceremony；　so　that　the　chances　of　the　attendant　spirits　discovering



the　deception　which　has　been　practised　upon　them　in　the　case　of　the



Emperor　may　not　be　increased　by　its　needless　repetition。　It　was



chiefly　for　this　reason　that　Lo　Yuen　had　urged　Quen　to　journey　to



Peking　as　speedily　as　possible；　but　owing　to　the　very　short　time　which



remained　between　his　arrival　and　the　ceremony　of　ploughing；　not　only



had　the　person　in　question　neglected　to　profit　by　instruction；　but　he



was　not　even　aware　of　the　obligation　which　awaited　him。　When；



therefore；　in　spite　of　every　respectful　protest　on　his　part；　he　was



led　up　to　a　massively…constructed　implement　drawn　by　two　powerful　and



undeniably　evilly…intentioned…looking　animals；　it　was　with　every　sign



of　great　internal　misgivings；　and　an　entire　absence　of　enthusiasm　in



the　entertainment；　that　he　commenced　his　not　too　well　understood　task。



In　this　matter　he　was　by　no　means　mistaken；　for　it　soon　became　plain



to　all　observersof　whom　an　immense　concourse　was　assembledthat　the



usually　self…possessed　Guarder　of　the　Imperial　Silkworms　was



conducting　himself　in　a　most　undignified　manner；　for　though　he　still



clung　to　the　plough…handles　with　an　inspired　tenacity；　his　body



assumed　every　variety　of　base　and　uninviting　attitude。　Encouraged　by



this　inelegant　state　of　affairs；　the　evil　spirits　which　are　ever　on



the　watch　to　turn　into　derision　the　charitable　intentions　of　the



pure…minded　entered　into　the　bodies　of　the　oxen　and　provoked　within



their　minds　a　sudden　and　malignant　confidence　that　the　time　had



arrived　when　they　might　with　safety　break　into　revolt　and　throw　off



the　outward　signs　of　their　dependent　condition。　From　these　various



causes　it　came　about　that　Quen　was；　without　warning；　borne　with



irresistible　certainty　against　the　majestic　person　of　the　sacred



Emperor；　the　inlaid　box　of　Imperial　silkworms；　which　up　to　that　time



had　remained　safely　among　the　folds　of　his　silk　garment；　alone　serving



to　avert　an　even　more　violent　and　ill…destined　blow。







〃Well　said　the　wise　and　deep…thinking　Ye…te；　in　his　book　entitled



'Proverbs　of　Everyday　Happenings'；　'Should　a　person　on　returning　from



the　city　discover　his　house　to　be　in　flames；　let　him　examine　well　the



change　which　he　has　received　from　the　chair…carrier　before　it　is　too



late；　for　evil　never　travels　alone。'　Scarcely　had　the　unfortunate　Quen



recovered　his　natural　attributes　from　the　effect　of　the　disgraceful



occurrence　which　has　been　recorded　（which；　indeed；　furnished　the



matter　of　a　song　and　many　unpresentable　jests　among　the　low…class



persons　of　the　city）；　than　the　magnanimous　Empress　reached　that　detail



of　the　tree…planting　ceremony　when　it　was　requisite　that　she　should



deposit　the　living　emblems　of　the　desired　increase　and　prosperity　upon



the　leaves。　Stretching　forth　her　delicately…proportioned　hand　to　Quen



for　this　purpose；　she　received　from　the　still　greatly　confused　person



in　question　the　Imperial　silkworms　in　so　unseemly　a　condition　that　her



eyes　had　scarcely　rested　upon　them　before　she　was　seized　with　the



rigid　sickness；　and　in　that　state　fell　to　the　ground。　At　this　new　and



entirely　unforeseen　calamity　a　very　disagreeable　certainty　of



approaching　evil　began　to　take　possession　of　all　those　who　stood



around；　many　crying　aloud　that　every　omen　of　good　was　wanting；　and



declaring　that　unless　something　of　a　markedly　propitiatory　nature　was



quickly　accomplished；　the　agriculture　of　the　entire　Empire　would　cease



to　flourish；　and　the　various　departments　of　the　commerce　in　silk　would



undoubtedly　be　thrown　into　a　state　of　most　inextricable　confusion。



Indeed；　in　spite　of　all　things　designed　to　have　a　contrary　effect；　the



matter　came　about　in　the　way　predicted；　for　the　Hoang…Ho　seven　times



overcame　its　restraining　barriers；　and　poured　its　waters　over　the



surrounding　country；　thereby　gaining　for　the　first　time　its



well…deserved　title　of　'The　Sorrow　of　China'；　by　which　dishonourable



but　exceedingly　appropriate　designation　it　is　known　to　this　day。







〃The　manner　of　greeting　which　would　have　been　accorded　to　Quen　had　he



returned　to　the　official　quarter　of　the　city；　or　the　nature　of　his



treatment　by　the　baser　class　of　the　ordinary　people　if　they　succeeded



in　enticing　him　to　come　among　them；　formed　a　topic　of　such　uninviting



conjecture　that　the　humane…minded　Lo　Yuen；　who　had　observed　the　entire



course　of　events　from　an　elevated　spot；　determined　to　make　a



well…directed　effort　towards　his　safety。　To　this　end　he　quickly



purchased　the　esteem　of　several　of　those　who　make　a　profession　of



their　strength；　holding　out　the　hope　of　still　further　reward　if　they



conducted　the　venture　to　a　successful　termination。　Uttering　loud　cries



of　an　impending　vengeance；　as　Lo　Yuen　had　instructed　them　in　the



matter；　and　displaying　their　exceptional　proportions　to　the



astonishment　and　misgivings　of　all　beholders；　these　persons　tore　open



the　opium…tent　in　which　Quen　had　concealed　himself；　and；　thrusting



aside　all　opposition；　quickly　dragged　him　forth。　Holding　him　high　upon



their　shoulders；　in　spite　of　his　frequent　and　ill…advised　endeavours



to　cast　himself　to　the　ground；　some　surrounded　those　who　bore



himafter　the　manner　of　disposing　his　troops　affected　by　a　skilful



leader　when　the　enemy　begin　to　waverand　crying　aloud　that　it　was



their　unchanging　purpose　to　submit　him　to　the　test　of　burning



splinters　and　afterwards　to　torture　him；　they　succeeded　by　this



stratagem　in　bringing　him　through　the　crowd；　and　hurling　back　or



outstripping　those　who　endeavoured　to　follow；　conveyed　him　secretly



and　unperceived　to　a　deserted　and　appointed　spot。　Here　Quen　was



obliged　to　remain　until　other　events　caused　the　recollection　of　the



many　to　become　clouded　and　unconcerned　towards　him；　suffering　frequent



inconveniences　in　spite　of　the　powerful　protection　of　Lo　Yuen；　and　not



at　all　times　being　able　to　regard　the　most　necessary　repast　as　an



appointment　of　undoubted　certainty。　At　length；　in　the　guise　of　a



wandering　conjurer　who　was　unable　to　display　his　accomplishments　owing



to　an　entire　loss　of　the　power　of　movement　in　his　arms；　Quen　passed



undetected　from　the　city；　and　safely　reaching　the　distant　and



unimportant　town　of　Lu…Kwo；　gave　himself　up　to　a　protracted　period　of



lamentation　and　self…reproach　at　the　unprepossessing　manner　in　which



he　had　conducted　his　otherwise　very　inviting　affairs。











　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　SECOND　PERIOD：　THE　TEMPLE　BUILDER







TWO　hand…counts　of　years　passed　away　and　Quen　still　remained　at



Lu…kwo；　all　desire　of　returning　either　to　Peking　or　to　the　place　of



his　birth　having　by　this　time　faded　into　nothingness。　Accepting　the



inevitable　fact　that　he　was　not　destined　ever　to　become　a　person　with



whom　taels　were　plentiful；　and　yet　being　unwilling　to　forego　the



charitable　manner　of　life　which　he　had　always　been　accustomed　to



observe；　it　came　about　that　he　spent　the　greater　part　of　his　time　in



collecting　together　such　sums　of　money　as　he　could　procure　from　the



amiable　and　well…disposed；　and　with　them　building　temples　and　engaging



in　other　benevolent　works。　From　this　cause　it　arose　the　Quen　o