University of Virginia Library

CHAP I.[1]

SHUEY-keu-yé when he came home,
saw to his great satisfaction his
daughter grown up to woman's estate,
and highly improved in her beauty
and accomplishments. He told her
the troubles he had met with had not
been able to render him unhappy, neither
was he at all elevated by his promotion.

"My greatest pleasure, said
he, is to see you again, and to find you
in health." He concluded with telling
her, that at court he had met
with a young gentleman, whom he
had chosen for his son-in-law, one who
was in every respect answerable to his
utmost wishes. It struck the young
lady that this might possibly be Tieh-chung-u;
she therefore answered, "Sir,
you are far advanced in years: it is
a great while since the death of my
mother: you have no child but me: it
is therefore my duty to serve you as long
as I live: and however undeserving I
may be, I will never cease to attend
you." The Mandarine her father smiled
and said, "You must not persist
in these resolutions, however commendable
they may be. It would be very
wrong to let slip the opportunity of
being happily married upon any such
considerations. If my adopted son-in-law
were not a person of superior merit,
I should hardly have made choice
of him: nay if he had the least fault
in the world, I should not have accepted
him without having first consulted
you. But he is a youth of fine
understanding, and of spotless integrity:
he is deficient in no one valuable accomplishment.
I found him in all respects
so unexceptionable, that I did not
think it necessary to apply to you first
for your consent." The young lady,
who by this description was confirmed
in her opinion, that it must be
the son of the Mandarine Tieh-ying,
made answer, that indeed nothing
could be objected to such a person as
he had described: "But who knows,
added she, whether there may not be
other objections to the marriage-contract?
whether it may be lawful—?"
These words made the Lord President
recall to mind those of the young gentleman,
insomuch that he could not
help remarking their resemblance:
he therefore said, "Do you know
the person of whom I speak; it is the
son of the Supreme Viceroy." "Sir,
she replied, had it been any one else,
I would never have consented: and
as it is he, he never will agree to any
such marriage." "Why not?" said
her father. She answered, "Because it
would be to break through all the
regards due to that [honourable engagement,
and to violate its most
solemn rites.] Shuey keu-yé was surprized
at these words: "This youth,
said he, is of no ill descent; but
pure and untainted as yourself: why
then do you talk of any violation that
would accrue to the rites of marriage?"
With that Shuey-ping-sin related to
him all that happened during his absence.
"And now, added she, after
all this, how can such an alliance
take place without intailing everlasting
shame and disgrace on us both?"
When he had heard this relation,
her father was charmed with her delicacy
and nice sense of honour: "If
this be true, said he to himself, my
daughter hath not her equal among
women, any more than Tieh-chung-u is to
be matched among men." "Daughter,
said he aloud, I am glad to see you
keep so closely to the paths of virtue:
there is none but you fit to be paired
with so good and virtuous a youth
as I have chosen. Heaven seems to
have created you both for each other:
this marriage was ordained to take
place between you. I have engaged
to see it performed: you must not
therefore think any thing wrong or
amiss in it."

Such were the resolutions of the father
of Shuey-ping-sin, whom we shall
leave at present, to inquire after Kwo-khé-tzu,
[her unsuccessful admirer.]

When Chun-kéé returned [as we have

seen] without success, nothing could
equal that youth's disappointment: yet
his friend exhorted him not to be cast
down: "Your father, said he, hath
petitioned the Emperor against Shuey-keu-yé,
and against an officer espoused
by him; who will both be sentenced to
lose their heads." Kwo-khé-tzu listened
to this account with pleasure, and they
continued to indulge themselves in the
hope of being revenged for the slight
put upon them, when at length[2] the
news arrived that Shuey-keu-yé was recalled
from exile, and promoted to a
higher office; and all by the interposal
of Tieh-chung-u; in return for which he
had engaged to give him his daughter
in marriage. The report so affected
Kwo-khé-tzu, that he raved and stamped
like a madman, and at last swooned
away. By the assistance of the people,
who came to his relief, he at length recovered,
and retiring with Chun-kéé,
said, "How indefatigable have I been?
what steps have I taken? what expence
have I been at? and what perplexity
have I suffered? and at length
Tieh-chung-u without any pains at all
hath carried off the prize. But, if I
die for it, I will prevent the ceremony
from being compleated. Come, said
he to his friend you must set your wits
at work for me." "Alas! replied
the other, when she was lone and friendless
all our attempts proved ineffectual:
her father is now advanced in
dignity, and will quickly be at home;
what likelyhood then is there now of
success?" "Well, said the youth, I
can now have no hopes of succeeding
myself: I shall be sufficiently satisfied,
if I can but prevent and disappoint the
other." "We know very well, replied
his friend, the nice and scrupulous temper
of her father, and his advancement
will render him still more jealous of the
reputation of his family; let us apply to
some of his acquaintance, and get them
to inform him of the secret correspondence
between Tieh-chung-u and his
daughter: if he hears of this he will
certainly break off the marriage. But
if he should disregard it, we then
will get your father to apply to the
Ko-tau Public Censor[3] : whose complaint
against him will cause the Emperor
to take away his employment,
and set aside their nuptials." Kwo-khé-tzu
thought this a well-concerted
scheme: and said, "To-morrow I will
endeavour to make this matter as public
as I can among all the Mandarines
of the city." "By no means, said his
friend, for the Che-foo and Che-hien know
the whole truth of the affair, and can
contradict such a report: besides they will
now be disposed to solicit the favour of
Shuey-keu-yé, who will be upon the spot.
Let us rather defer it till there come
two new magistrates, for the present will
soon go to court to solicit farther preferment."
"Well, said the other, but
although two new Mandarines should
arrive, they will inquire into the truth
of such a report, and the people of
their audience will be able to set them
right." "If we consider every objection,
and are discouraged by it, replied
Chun-kéé, we had better desist
and give up the affair. However I
now recollect a more effectual means
than any we have thought of: when
I was at court, I observed a very great
intimacy between your father, and Tah-quay,
the great Mandarine who was
so disgraced by your adversary Tieh-chung-u.
The wife of this noble-man
was newly dead, and he was looking
out for a young and handsome woman
to succeed her. Dispatch a letter therefore
to your father, and desire him to
recommend Shuey-ping-sin to him; for
although Tieh-chung-u hath made proposals
of marriage, it is not concluded.
Thus your father will at once
oblige his friend, by helping him to
a young and handsome wife, and you
will be revenged on your adversary;
whose reputation will also suffer by
the disappointment: at the same time
the whole affair will be conducted without
disturbance or danger." "There is
one difficulty attends this method, said
the youth: Tah-quay's confinement is
not yet expired, and no body is permitted
to converse with him openly: so
that my father can only visit him in
secret, and therefore cannot assist him
so much as he would, notwithstanding
his power." "This is very true, said
Chun-kéé, [and will somewhat retard
the attempt,] but I have still another
resource, which is not liable to the
same objection. Your father hath also
contracted a close intimacy with one
of the great Eunuchs of the palace;
one of whom the whole court stands in
awe, as being about the Emperor's person,
and having his ear. This gentleman,
who is called[4] Chou-thay-kien or
the Eunuch of danger, hath a niece who
is very ugly, and not yet married.
Get your father to recommend Tieh-chung-u
as a fit husband for her; he will
not dare to reject the offers of so powerful
a courtier as her uncle. Now when
he is once married to the Eunuch's
niece, undoubtedly so great a Man-darine
as the Lord President of Arms,
will never give him his only daughter
for a second wife or concubine."
Kwo-khé-tzu was so pleased with this
advice, that he resolved to write to his
father immediately: "But this affair,
said he, is of too much moment to be
intrusted to a common servant; shall
I once more intreat you to embark
in it?" His friend readily assented:
and being furnished with money and
other necessaries once more set out for
the court.

[While these plots were contriving,]
Tieh-chung-u lived retired in his country
house: where he pursued his studies

with such application and success,
that at the time of the examination of
students, he was admitted to the degree
of Kiu-jin, or Licentiate[5] : this happened
in autumn, when the examination is
made through all the provinces. And
soon after when the [second] examination
was held at court he offered himself
again, and appeared to such advantage
that he was created Doctor of
Law, and put foremost on the list.
He was soon after made one of the first
doctors of the empire, being chosen
into the royal college or Han-lin[6] ,
and appointed by the Emperor to be
one of the tutors to his son. He had
now attained his twenty second year[7] ,
and his father and mother only waited
for Shuey-keu-yé's return to court, in
order to compleat the marriage, which
they resolved the nice scruples of their
son should not set aside.