University of Virginia Library

CHAP. III.[22]

THE Mandarine Tieh-u-sheh, was
not two days longer in prison, before
the Emperor sent him a private answer
to his petition. When every body
was retired, he opened it, and found
an order to go, and apprehend the
persons in question: at this he greatly
rejoiced, and making an offering
of fire, prayed for the Emperor[23] .

Then he took the letter, and folded
it up again: and proposed to his
son, to set out both of them upon
the search. "Pardon me, Sir, said
Tieh-chung-u, that must not be. It will
excite suspicion: somebody will acquaint
Tah-quay of your being abroad,
and we shall be disappointed. Let me
rather go privately, and when I have
broke open the gates, and found the
three persons, do you be ready, mount
your horse, and bring with you the
Emperor's order, openly proclaiming
it to be a power to apprehend them."
To this his father assented.

By this time the Mandarine of the
prison came, and inquired what news?
for he saw, that they had been making
an offering of fire. Tieh-u-sheh injoining

him secrecy, informed him of the
private order he had received. He
then said to his son, "Now go, but be
very careful." The youth accordingly
withdrew, and went to tell his mother
all that had happened. He then
asked her for his brazen mace, weighing
twenty catty[24] : which although
so heavy, he had been able to manage
at eleven or twelve years old, but
his parents had taken it from him, lest
he should do mischief with it. His mother
was suprized at his demand, and
said, "Your father ordered me to lay it
up, and never give it you: why do you
ask for it? "I am going, replied
Tieh-chung-u, to the den of a tiger: if
I have not that with me, how shall I
defend myself?" When he had received
it, he asked for wine, and drank
till he made his heart glad: after
which, he put on his soldier's habit,
and his other dress over it; then ordered
a white horse to be got ready,
which he mounted, commanding twenty
servants of the house to come after him
at a distance, but Siow-tan to follow
him near.

This done, he rode softly on, 'till he
was got without the gate of the city:
then he set out full speed, till he came
to a splendid palace. Here he stopped

and alighted. Walking about a little, he
came to a court, with three gates, very
strong and lofty, and curiously wrought:
over the middlemost of these, were
inscribed the three characters, Yanghien
tang, or the name of the palace.
These gates he perceived to be
too strong, and too closely shut, for
him possibly to open them: but he imagined
there must be another entrance
besides this to so magnificent a building:
and looking round, in an alley he
discovered a little gate painted red;
over which was this inscription:

Tieh-chung-u finding a crack in the
door, peeped through, and saw a great
many servants waiting within, and

whispering to one another. He then
withdrew as softly as he could to
his servant: and taking off his upper
coat, which covered his soldier's dress,
and grasping at the same time his arms,
mounted his horse; appearing with all
the glory of an hero, or rather an
angel[25] , in the beauty and gracefulness
of his person, and brightness of his
arms.

"Go now, said he to Siow-tan,
and acquaint the servants that are
behind to come up: afterwards you
shall go to the great Mandarine
your master in the prison, and desire

him to come presently." Then riding
up to the red gate, and there dismounting,
he knocked, and called out,
saying, "I come here by the Emperor's
order, and must speak with the
Mandarine Tah-quay; acquaint him
with it immediately." The servants
answered roughly, "Our master is
not here, he is at his palace in
the city." " 'Tis false, said he, he
is here in the house: ye slaves, do
ye mean to oppose the commands
of the Emperor?" They stood silent.
"Open the door, proceeded he, without
delay." One of the servants answered,
"As our master is not here,
who dares open the door? And if it
were open, who dares enter, in defiance
of the Emperor's order to the
contrary?" Tieh-chung-u in a rage answered,
"I have the Emperor's order:
if you don't open the door, I shall
open it myself." Then lifting up his
foot against the gate, and striking the
lock with his brazen mace, at one
blow he burst it open; this done, he
entered, notwithstanding all the resistance
of the Mandarine's people.
Upon this, some of them ran to acquaint
their master, who was employed
in examining and punishing
the old people, each of them apart,
for refusing him their daughter: remonstrating,
that it was in his power
to make them amends; and that as
they were poor, it was foolish obstinacy
not to comply with his desires. Poor
as they were, they replied, they could
not consent to things so unreasonable.
"I am a Doctor of the law, said the
old man, though of the second degree,
and of no mean extraction; and had
rather live in indigence, than act so unworthily:
your riches will have no effect
upon me." Tah-quay grew outrageous
at this, and commanded him
to be stripped naked, and bound, in
order to be whipped. At this instant
four or five of his people came running
in, who cried out, "Bad news! a very
bad affair has happened!" He inquired
what. They told him, a very bold
young man had forced open the door,
under pretence of the Emperor's order.

By this time, Tieh-chung-u was advanced
as far as the great hall: at which
Tah-quay was greatly surprized, and
was going to hide himself: but the
other came too suddenly upon him.

"Ching-leao, your servant Sir, said
the youth as he came forward: I
am come here by the Emperor's order,
to speak with you: why are you denied
to me?" "If you have such an order,
said the other, why did not you
advise me of it before-hand, instead of
forcing your way in, with so much
noise, impertinence, and insult?" Tieh-chung-u
answered, that his order was
private, and admitted of no previous
notice. Then advancing, with one
hand he seized him, and with the other
his sword: asking him at the same
time, if the Emperor did not give
this, for a house of retirement and
pleasure, and not for a place to administer
public justice: and if so,
why was that person stripped naked,
and bound? "That man, said he,
is my servant, and neither public
justice, nor the Emperor, are concerned
in what I do to him." "I am
not his servant, cry'd the old man, I
am a Doctor of law, and independent
of him." "If you are a Doctor, said
Tieh-chung-u, how came you to be chastised
here in this manner? what is
your name?" He replied, "Han-yuen."
"If your name is Han-yuen,
when the Emperor's order came out
for your appearance, why did you
conceal yourself?" Then looking
back, he gave a signal to Siow-tan to
call in his servants. "Here, said he
to them, take that old man into custody,
he is a person under cognizance of
the Emperor's tribunal." Tieh-chung-u
then renewed his question, why he
came there? "I was forced here, answered
he, on account of my daughter:
and had no more power to resist, than a
kid has to withstand a tiger.[26] If you
had not come as you did, I know not
whether I should have been alive by
this time." He then asked him, "Is
your daughter here, or your wife?"
he answered, "My wife is in an adjoining
room; my daughter also is
within: she every day persists in her refusal
of Tah-quay, and would rather die
by her own hands than submit: so that
I know not, whether she be dead or
alive." Tieh-chung-u at this was deeply
affected, and sent his people instantly
to secure the mother and daughter.
This alarmed Tah-quay, who began to
bluster: "How dare you, said he, violate
this place, by breaking open the
doors, and laying hands on the owner.
If I have done amiss, you ought to produce
the Emperor's order: without it,
you are guilty of an unpardonable outrage."
This said, he endeavoured,
but in vain, to force away his hand.
He then called out to his people, to
come and assist him: but Tieh-chung-u
bade them it do at their peril: "Who
will dare to offer violence to me, who
act under the Emperor's authority?
who will lay hands on me?" So saying,
he took their master by the girdle, and
swung him round, beating down the
people, that came to his assistance:
until he cried out, "Forbear, forbear;
dispute with him no longer."