the wallet of kai lung-第9节

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Mandarin's　journey　to　Peking　as　soon　as　he　understood　that　the　rebels



were　certainly　in　the　neighbourhood。







〃The　wise　and　ornamental　Li　Keen　is　undoubtedly　consistent　in　all



matters；〃　said　Ling；　with　some　refined　bitterness。　〃The　only



information　regarding　his　duties　to　which　this　person　obtained　from



him　chanced　to　be　a　likening　of　war　to　skilful　chess…play；　and　to　this



end　the　accomplished　person　in　question　has　merely　availed　himself　of



a　common　expedient　which　places　him　at　the　remote　side　of　the　divine



Emperor。　Yet　this　act　is　not　unwelcome；　for　the　responsibility　of



deciding　what　course　is　to　be　adopted　now　clearly　rests　with　this



person。　He　is；　as　those　who　are　standing　by　may　perceive；　of　under　the



usual　height；　and　of　no　particular　mental　or　bodily　attainments。　But



he　has　eaten　the　rice　of　the　Emperor；　and　wears　the　Imperial　sign



embroidered　upon　his　arm。　Before　him　are　encamped　the　enemies　of　his



master　and　of　his　land；　and　in　no　way　will　he　turn　his　back　upon　them。



Against　brave　and　skilful　men；　such　as　those　whom　this　person



commands；　rebels　of　a　low　and　degraded　order　are　powerless；　and　are；



moreover；　openly　forbidden　to　succeed　by　the　Forty…second　Mandate　in



the　Sacred　Book　of　Arguments。　Should　it　have　happened　that　into　this



assembly　any　person　of　a　perfidious　or　uncourageous　nature　has　gained



entrance　by　guile；　and　has　not　been　detected　and　driven　forth　by　his



outraged　companions　（as　would　certainly　occur　if　such　a　person　were



discovered）；　I；　Ling；　Commander　of　Bowmen；　make　an　especial　and



well…considered　request　that　he　shall　be　struck　by　a　molten



thunderbolt　if　he　turns　to　flight　or　holds　thoughts　of　treachery。〃







Having　thus　addressed　and　encouraged　the　soldiers；　Ling　instructed



them　that　each　one　should　cut　and　fashion　for　himself　a　graceful　but



weighty　club　from　among　the　branches　of　the　trees　around；　and　then



return　to　the　tents　for　the　purpose　of　receiving　food　and　rice　spirit。







When　noon　was　passed；　allowing　such　time　as　would　enable　him　to　reach



the　camp　of　the　enemy　an　hour　before　darkness；　Ling　arranged　the



bowmen　in　companies　of　convenient　numbers；　and　commenced　the　march；



sending　forward　spies；　who　were　to　work　silently　and　bring　back



tidings　from　every　point。　In　this　way　he　penetrated　to　within　a　single



li　of　the　ruins　of　Ki；　being　informed　by　the　spies　that　no　outposts　of



the　enemy　were　between　him　and　that　place。　Here　the　first　rest　was



made　to　enable　the　more　accurate　and　bold　spies　to　reach　them　with



trustworthy　information　regarding　the　position　and　movements　of　the



camp。　With　little　delay　there　returned　the　one　who　had　brought　the



earliest　tidings；　bruised　and　torn　with　his　successful　haste　through



the　forest；　but　wearing　a　complacent　and　well…satisfied　expression　of



countenance。　Without　hesitation　or　waiting　to　demand　money　before　he



would　reveal　his　knowledge；　he　at　once　disclosed　that　the　greater　part



of　the　enemy　were　rejoicing　among　the　ruins　of　Ki；　they　having



discovered　there　a　quantity　of　opium　and　a　variety　of　liquids；　while



only　a　small　guard　remained　in　the　camp　with　their　weapons　ready。　At



these　words　Ling　sprang　from　the　ground　in　gladness；　so　great　was　his



certainty　of　destroying　the　invaders　utterly。　It　was；　however；　with



less　pleasurable　emotions　that　he　considered　how　he　should　effect　the



matter；　for　it　was　in　no　way　advisable　to　divide　his　numbers　into　two



bands。　Without　any　feeling　of　unendurable　conceit；　he　understood　that



no　one　but　himself　could　hold　the　bowmen　before　an　assault；　however



weak。　In　a　similar　manner；　he　determined　that　it　would　be　more



advisable　to　attack　those　in　the　village　first。　These　he　might　have



reasonable　hopes　of　cutting　down　without　warning　the　camp；　or；　in　any



event；　before　those　from　the　camp　arrived。　To　assail　the　camp　first



would　assuredly；　by　the　firing；　draw　upon　them　those　from　the　village；



and　in　whatever　evil　state　these　might　arrive；　they　would；　by　their



numbers；　terrify　the　bowmen；　who　without　doubt　would　have　suffered



some　loss　from　the　matchlocks。







Waiting　for　the　last　light　of　day；　Ling　led　on　the　men　again；　and



sending　forward　some　of　the　most　reliable；　surrounded　the　place　of　the



village　silently　and　without　detection。　In　the　open　space；　among



broken　casks　and　other　inconsiderable　matters；　plainly　shown　by　the



large　fires　at　which　burned　the　last　remains　of　the　houses　of　Ki；　many



men　moved　or　lay；　some　already　dull　or　in　heavy　sleep。　As　the　darkness



dropped　suddenly；　the　signal　of　a　peacock's　shriek；　three　times



uttered；　rang　forth；　and　immediately　a　cloud　of　arrows；　directed　from



all　sides；　poured　in　among　those　who　feasted。　Seeing　their　foemen



defenceless　before　them；　the　archers　neglected　the　orders　they　had



received；　and　throwing　away　their　bows　they　rushed　in　with　uplifted



clubs；　uttering　loud　shouts　of　triumph。　The　next　moment　a　shot　was



fired　in　the　wood；　drums　beat；　and　in　an　unbelievably　short　space　of



time　a　small　but　well…armed　band　of　the　enemy　was　among　them。　Now　that



all　need　of　caution　was　at　an　end；　Ling　rushed　forward　with　raised



sword；　calling　to　his　men　that　victory　was　certainly　theirs；　and



dealing　discriminating　and　inspiriting　blows　whenever　he　met　a　foeman。



Three　times　he　formed　the　bowmen　into　a　figure　emblematic　of　triumph；



and　led　them　against　the　line　of　matchlocks。　Twice　they　fell　back；



leaving　mingled　dead　under　the　feet　of　the　enemy。　The　third　time　they



stood　firm；　and　Ling　threw　himself　against　the　waving　rank　in　a　noble



and　inspired　endeavour　to　lead　the　way　through。　At　that　moment；　when　a



very　distinguished　victory　seemed　within　his　hand；　his　elegant　and



well…constructed　sword　broke　upon　an　iron　shield；　leaving　him



defenceless　and　surrounded　by　the　enemy。







〃Chief　among　the　sublime　virtues　enjoined　by　the　divine　Confucius；〃



began　Ling；　folding　his　arms　and　speaking　in　an　unmoved　voice；　〃is　an



intelligent　submission〃　but　at　that　word　he　fell　beneath　a　rain　of



heavy　and　unquestionably　well…aimed　blows。











　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　VII







BETWEEN　Si…chow　and　the　village　of　Ki；　in　a　house　completely　hidden



from　travellers　by　the　tall　and　black　trees　which　surrounded　it；　lived



an　aged　and　very　wise　person　whose　ways　and　manner　of　living　had



become　so　distasteful　to　his　neighbours　that　they　at　length　agreed　to



regard　him　as　a　powerful　and　ill…disposed　magician。　In　this　way　it



became　a　custom　that　all　very　unseemly　deeds　committed　by　those　who；



in　the　ordinary　course；　would　not　be　guilty　of　such　behaviour；　should



be　attributed　to　his　influence；　so　that　justice　might　be　effected



without　persons　of　assured　respectability　being　put　to　any



inconvenience。　Apart　from　the　feeling　which　resulted　from　this　just



decision；　the　uncongenial　person　in　question　had　become　exceedingly



unpopular　on　account　of　certain　definite　actions　of　his　own；　as　that



of　causing　the　greater　part　of　Si…chow　to　be　burned　down　by　secretly



breathing　upon　the　seven　sacred　water…jugs　to　which　the　town　owed　its



prosperity　and　freedom　from　fire。　Furthermore；　although　possessed　of



many　taels；　and　able　to　afford　such　food　as　is　to　be　found　upon　the



tables　of　Mandarins；　he　selected　from　choice　dishes　of　an



objectionable　nature；　he　had　been　observed　to　eat　eggs　of　unbecoming



freshness；　and　the　Si…chow　Official　Printed　Leaf　made　it　public　that



he　had；　on　an　excessively　hot　occasion；　openly　partaken　of　cow's　milk。



It　is　not　a　matter　for　wonder；　therefore；　that　when　unnaturally　loud



thunder　was　heard　in　the　neighbourhood　of　Si…chow　the　more　ignorant



and　credulous　persons　refused　to　continue　in　any　description　of　work



until　certain　ceremonies　connected　with　rice　spirit；　and　the　adherence



to　a　reclining　position　for　some　hours；　had　been　conscientiously



observed　as　a　protection　against　evil。







Not　even　the　most　venerable　person　in　Si…chow　could　remember　the　time



when　the　magician　had　not　lived　there；　and　as　there　existed　no　written



record　narrating　the　incident；　it　was　with　well…founded　probability



that　he　was　said　to　be　incapable　of　death。　Contrary　to　the　most



general　practice；　although　quite　unmarried；　he　had　adopted　no　son　to



found　a　line　which　would　worship　his　memory　in　future　years；　but　had



instead　brought　up　and　caused　to　be　educated　in　the　most　difficult



varieties　of　embroidery　a　young　girl；　to　whom　he　referred；　for　want　of



a　more　suitable　description；　as　the　daughter　of　his　sister；　although



he　would　admit　without　hesitation；　when