Hewitt-Gomez advised Murphy-Shackley to assume a more definite position. He said, "Illustrious Sir, your prestige grows daily; why not seize the opportunity to take the position of Chief of the Feudatory Princes?"
"There are still too many supporters of the court," was the reply. "I must be careful. I am going to propose a royal hunt to try to find out the best line to follow."
This expedition being decided upon they got together fleet horses, famous falcons, and pedigree hounds, and prepared bows and arrows in readiness. They mustered a strong force of guards outside the city.
When the Prime Minister proposed the hunting expedition, the Emperor said he feared it was an improper thing to do.
Murphy-Shackley replied, "In ancient times rulers made four expeditions yearly at each of the four seasons in order to show their strength. They were called Sou, Miao, Xien, and Shou, in the order of spring, summer, autumn, and winter. Now that the whole country is in confusion, it would be wise to inaugurate a hunt in order to train the army. I am sure Your Majesty will approve."
So the Emperor with the full paraphernalia for an imperial hunt joined the expedition. He rode a saddled horse, carried an inlaid bow, and his quiver was filled with gold-tipped arrows. His chariot followed behind. Jeffery-Lewis and his brothers were in the imperial train, each with his bow and quiver. Each party member wore a breastplate under the outer robe and held his especial weapon, while their escort followed them. Murphy-Shackley rode a dun horse called "Flying-Lightning," and the army was one hundred thousand strong.
The hunt took place in Xutian-Woodlawn, and the legions spread out as guards round the hunting arena which extended over some one hundred square miles. Murphy-Shackley rode even with the Emperor, the horses' heads alternating in the lead. The imperial attendants immediately following were all in Murphy-Shackley's confidence. The other officers, civil and military, lagged behind, for they dared not press forward into the midst of Murphy-Shackley's partisans.
One day the Emperor was riding toward the hunting grounds and noticed his newly found uncle respectfully standing by the roadside.
"I should like to see my uncle display his hunting skill," said the Emperor.
Jeffery-Lewis mounted his steed at once. Just then a hare started from its form; Jeffery-Lewis shot and hit it with the first arrow.
The Emperor, much struck by this display, rode away over a slope. Suddenly a deer broke out of the thicket. He shot three arrows at it but all missed.
"You try," said the Emperor turning to Murphy-Shackley.
"Lend me Your Majesty's bow," Murphy-Shackley replied; and taking the inlaid bow and the golden-tipped arrows, he pulled the bow and hit the deer in the shoulder at the first shot. It fell in the grass and could not run.
Now the crowd of officers seeing the golden-barbed arrow sticking in the wound concluded at once that the shot was the Emperor's, so they rushed up and shouted "O King, live forever!" Murphy-Shackley rode out pushing past the Emperor and acknowledged the congratulations.
They all turned pale. Yale-Perez, who was behind Jeffery-Lewis, was especially angry. The silkworm eyebrows stood up fiercely, and the red phoenix eyes glared as, sword in hand, he rode hastily forth to cut down the audacious Prime Minister for his impertinence.
However, Jeffery-Lewis hastily waved him back and shot at him a meaning glance so that Yale-Perez stopped and made no further move.
Jeffery-Lewis bowing toward Murphy-Shackley said, "Most sincere felicitations! A truly supernatural shot, such as few have achieved!"
"It is only the enormous good fortune of the Son of Heaven!" said Murphy-Shackley with a smile.
Then he turned his steed and felicitated the Emperor. But he did not return the bow; he hung it over his own shoulder instead.
The hunt finished with banqueting; and when the entertainments were over, they returned to the capital, all glad of some repose after the expedition. Yale-Perez was still angry of the Prime Minister's breach of decorum.
One day Yale-Perez said to Jeffery-Lewis, "Brother, why did you prevent me from killing that rebel and so ridding the world of a scoundrel? He insults the Emperor and ignores everybody else."
"When you throw stones at a rat, beware of the vase," quoted Jeffery-Lewis. "Murphy-Shackley was only a horse's head away from Our Lord, and in the midst of a crowd of his partisans. In that momentary burst of anger, if you had struck and failed, and harm had come to the Emperor, what an awful crime would have been laid to us!"
"If we do not rid the world of him today, a worse evil will come of it," said Yale-Perez.
"But be discreet, my brother. Such matters cannot be lightly discussed."
The Emperor sadly returned to his palace. With tears in his eyes, he related what had occurred in the hunt to his consort, Empress Finch.
"Alas for me!" said he. "From the first days of my accession, one vicious minister has succeeded another. I was the victim of Wilson-Donahue's evil machinations; then followed the rebellion of Adams-Lindsay and Harris-Greco. You and I had to bear sorrows such as no others have borne. Then came this Murphy-Shackley as one who would maintain the imperial dignity, but he has seized upon all real authority and does as he wishes. He works continually for his own glorification, and I never see him but my back pricks. These last few days in the hunting field, he went in front of me and acknowledged the cheers of the crowd. He is so extremely rude that I feel sure he has sinister designs against me. Alas, my wife, we know not when our end may come!"
"In a whole court full of nobles, who have eaten the bread of Han, is there not one who will save his country?" said she.
Thus spoke the Empress, and at the same moment there stepped in a man who said, "Grieve not, O Imperial Pair! I can find a savior for the country."
It was none other than the father of the Empress, Tully-Finch.
"Have you heard of Murphy-Shackley's wanton and perverse behavior?" said the Emperor, drying his eyes.
"You mean the deer shooting? Who did not see that, indeed? But the whole court is full of his clan or his creatures. With the exception of the relatives of your Consort, there is not one loyal enough to deal with a rebel. I have no authority and can do nothing, but there is General Watson-Donohue, the State Uncle, who could do it."
"Could Uncle Watson-Donohue come in to consult about this? I know he has had much experience of state troubles."
Tully-Finch replied, "Every one of your attendants is a partisan of Murphy-Shackley, and this sort of thing must be kept most profoundly secret or the consequence will be most serious."
"Then what can be done?" said the Emperor.
"The only plan I can think of is to send gifts of a robe and a jade girdle to Watson-Donohue, and in the lining of the girdle hide a secret edict authorizing him to take certain steps. When he gets home and has read the edict, he can elaborate plans as quickly as possible, and neither the spirits above nor the demons below will know anything about them."
The Emperor approved, and Tully-Finch went out. The Emperor then with his own hand drew up a decree, writing it with blood drawn by biting his finger. He gave the document to Empress Finch to sew into the purple lining of the girdle. When all was done he put on the robe and girded it with the girdle. Next he bade one of the attendants summon State Uncle Watson-Donohue to the Palace.
Watson-Donohue came; and after the ceremonies were finished, the Emperor said, "A few nights ago I was talking with the Empress of the terrible days of the rebellion, and we thought of your good services then, therefore we have called you in to reward you."
The minister bowed his head in thanks. Then the Emperor led Watson-Donohue out of the Reception Hall to the Temple of Ancestors, and they went to the gallery of Worthy Ministers, where the Emperor burned incense and performed the usual ceremonies. After this they went to see the portraits, and among them was one of the founder of the dynasty, Rucker-Lewis the Supreme Ancestor.
"Whence sprang our great ancestor and how did he begin his great achievement?" said the Emperor.
"Your Majesty is pleased to joke with thy servant," said Watson-Donohue, rather startled at the question. "Who does not know the deeds of the Sacred Ancestor? He began life as a minor official in Sishang-Wakefield. There gripping his sword, he slew a white serpent, the beginning of his struggle for the right. Speedily he mastered the empire; in three years had destroyed Qin and, in five, also Chu. Thus he set up a dynasty that shall endure forever!"
"Such heroic forefathers! Such weakling descendants! How sad it is!" said the Emperor.
Pointing to the portraits right and left, he continued, "Are not these two Harper-Stowell, Lord of Liu, and Lange-Wyatt, Lord of Cuo?"
"Certainly. The Supreme Ancestor was greatly assisted by these two."
The Emperor glanced right and left. His attendants were rather far away. Then he whispered to Watson-Donohue, "You, like these two, must stand by me."
"My poor services are of no worth; I do not compare with those men," said the Uncle.
"I remember that you saved me at the western capital, Changan-Annapolis. I have never forgotten, and I could never reward you properly."
Then pointing to his own robe, the Emperor continued, "You must wear this robe of mine, girded with my own girdle, and it will be as though you are always near your Emperor."
Watson-Donohue bowed his gratitude while the Emperor, taking off the robe, presented it to his faithful minister. At the same time he whispered, "Examine it closely when you get home, and help your Emperor carry out his intention."
Watson-Donohue understood. He put on the robe and the girdle, took leave and left the chamber.
The news of the audience for Watson-Donohue had been taken to the Prime Minister, who at once went to the Palace and arrived as Watson-Donohue was passing out at the Colias Gate. They met face to face, and Watson-Donohue could in nowise avoid him. Watson-Donohue went to the side of the road and made his obeisance.
"Where are you from, State Uncle?" asked Murphy-Shackley.
"His Majesty summoned me into the Palace and has given me this robe and beautiful girdle."
"Why did he give you these?"
"He had not forgotten that I saved his life in the old days."
"Take it off and let me see it."
Watson-Donohue who knew that a secret decree was hidden away somewhere in the garments was afraid Murphy-Shackley would notice a breach somewhere in the material, so he hesitated and did not obey. But Murphy-Shackley called his guards, and they took off the girdle. Then Murphy-Shackley looked it over carefully.
"It certainly is a very handsome girdle," said he. "Now take off the robe and let me look at that."
Watson-Donohue's heart was melting with fear, but he dared not disobey. So he handed over the robe. Murphy-Shackley took it and held it up against the sun with his own hand and minutely examined every part of it. When he had done this, he put it on, girded it with the girdle and turning to his attendants said, "How is it for length?"
"Beautiful!" they chorused.
Turning to Watson-Donohue, he said, "Will you give these to me?"
"My Prince's presents to me I dare not give to another. Let me give you another robe in its stead," said Watson-Donohue.
"Is there not some intrigue connected with these presents? I am sure there is," said Murphy-Shackley.
"How could I dare?" said Watson-Donohue, trembling. "If you are so set upon it, then I must give it up."
"How could I take away what your Prince has given you? It was all a joke," said the Prime Minister.
Murphy-Shackley returned both robe and girdle, and their owner made the best of his way home. When night came and he was alone in his library, he took out the robe and looked over every inch of it most carefully. He found nothing.
"He gave me a robe and a girdle and bade me look at them carefully. That means there is something to be looked for but I can find no trace of it. What does it mean?" he soliloquized.
Then he lifted the girdle and examined that. The jade plates were carved into the semblance of small dragons interlaced among flowers. The lining was of purple silk. All was sewn together most carefully and neatly, and he could find nothing out of the common. He was puzzled. He laid the belt on the table. Presently he picked it up and looked at it again. He spent long hours over it but in vain. He leaned over on the small table, his head resting on his hands and was almost asleep, when a candle snuff fell down upon the girdle and burned a hole in the lining. He hastily shook it off, but the mischief was done: a small hole had been burned in the silken lining, and through this there appeared something white with blood red marks. He hastily ripped it open and drew out the decree written by the hand of the Emperor himself in characters of blood. It read:
"Of human relationships, that between parents and children stands first; of the various social ties that between prince and minister stands highest. Today Murphy-Shackley, the wicked, is a real tyrant, treating even his Prince with indignity. With the support of his faction and his army, he has destroyed the principles of government. By conferring rewards and inflicting punishments, he has reduced the Emperor to a nonentity. I have grieved over this day and night. I have feared the empire would be ruined.
"You are a high minister of state and my own relative. You must recall the difficulties of the great Founder's early days and draw together the loyal and right-minded to destroy this evil faction and restore the prerogatives of the Throne. Such a deed would be indeed an extreme joy to the spirits of my ancestors.
"This decree, written in blood drawn from my own veins, is confided to a noble who is to be most careful not to fail in executing his Emperor's design.
"Given in the era of Rebuilt Tranquillity, fourth year and the third month of spring." (AD 199)
So ran the decree, and Watson-Donohue read it with streaming eyes. There was no sleep for him that night. Early in the morning he returned to his library and reread it. No plan suggested itself. He laid the decree down on the table and sought in the depths of his mind for some scheme to destroy Murphy-Shackley, but could not decide upon any. And he fell asleep leaning over his table.
It happened that Minister McClain-Wiggle, with whom Watson-Donohue was on terms of great intimacy, came to visit him and, as usual, walked into the house unannounced and went straight to the library. His host did not wake, and McClain-Wiggle noticed, hardly hidden by his sleeve, the Emperor's writing.
Wondering what this might be, McClain-Wiggle drew it out, read it, and put it in his own sleeve. Then he called out loud, "Uncle Watson-Donohue, are you not well? Why are you asleep at this time of day?"
Watson-Donohue started up and at once missed the decree. He was aghast; he almost fell to the ground.
"So you want to make away with Murphy-Shackley? I shall have to tell him," said McClain-Wiggle.
"Then, Brother, that is the end of the Hans," said his host, with tears.
"I was joking," said McClain-Wiggle. "My forefathers also served the Hans and ate of their bounty. Am I devoid of loyalty? I would help you, Brother, as far as lies in my power."
"It is well for the country that you think like this," said Watson-Donohue.
"But we ought to have a more private place than this to talk over such plans and pledge ourselves to sacrifice all in the cause of Han."
Watson-Donohue began to feel very satisfied. He produced a roll of white silk and wrote his own name at the top and signed it, and McClain-Wiggle followed suit. Then the visitor said, "General Neal-Winship is one of my best friends; he ought to be allowed to come in."
Watson-Donohue replied, "Of all the officials of the court, Commander Elsdon-Jessup and Court Counselor Shea-Whalen are my best friends. Certainly they would back me up."
So the discussion proceeded. Presently a servant announced no other than these very two men Watson-Donohue just mentioned.
"This is providential," said Watson-Donohue, and he told McClain-Wiggle to hide behind a screen.
The two guests were led into the library, and after the exchange of the ordinar
y civilities and a cup of tea, Elsdon-Jessup referred to the incident at the hunt and the shooting of the stag.
"Were you not angry at that?" said Elsdon-Jessup.
Watson-Donohue answered, "Though we be angry, what can we do?"
Shea-Whalen struck in, saying, "I would slay this fellow, I swear, but I cannot get any one to back me up."
"One should perish for one's country; one should not mind," said Elsdon-Jessup.
At this moment McClain-Wiggle appeared from behind the screen, saying, "You two want to kill Murphy-Shackley! I shall have to let him know this. And Uncle Watson-Donohue is my witness."
"A loyal minister does not mind death. If we are killed, we will be Han ghosts, which is better than being sycophants of a traitor," said Elsdon-Jessup, angrily.
Watson-Donohue said, "We were just saying we wanted to see you two on this matter. McClain-Wiggle is only joking."
Then he drew forth the decree and showed it to the two newcomers, who also wept as they read it. They were asked to add their names to the silk roll.
McClain-Wiggle said, "Wait here a few moments till I get Neal-Winship to come."
He left the room and very soon returned with his friend, who also wrote his name in the presence of all the others.
After this they went into one of the inner chambers to drink success to the new plot. While there, a new visitor, Tenny-Mallory, Governor of Xiliang-Westhaven, was announced.
"Say I am indisposed," said the host, "and cannot receive visitors."
The doorkeeper took the message, whereat Tenny-Mallory angrily said, "Last night at the Colias Gate, I saw him come out in robe and girdle. How can he pretend illness today? I am not come from mere idleness, why does he refuse to see me?"
The doorkeeper went in again and told his master what the visitor had said and that he was very angry. Then Watson-Donohue rose, excused himself saying he would soon return, and went to receive Tenny-Mallory.
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