The prince also began to fear lest somebody's life might be involved, and stopped. Pao-sz' was deeply mortified, but concealing her pain, returned into the house, convinced that in this affair the prince had only exhibited his mother's ill-will against her. Tears ran down her cheeks, while her maids begged her not to weep and grieve, for the king would manage the affair. They were still talking to her when he came in directly from court, and seeing her tresses and head-dress all in disorder, and her eyes filled with tears, exclaimed, "My sweet mistress, why haven't you made your toilet to-day ?" She seized his sleeve, and while loud sobs interrupted her words, detailed how the prince had come with servants to the Terrace to pick flowers; and then added, "I have done nothing against him, but when he saw me he both reviled and struck me, so that if my maids had not interfered, even life might have been in danger; and now, my Lord, I implore you to interpose as master." Saying this, she sobbed and cried in at most violent manner. Yiu-wang clearly perceived how the affair came about, and told her that all arose because she had not appeared at Queen Shin's levee, who had sent him. It was not the prince's own intention, and she must not think strange of him for it. Pao-sz' replied, "If the prince is to revenge his mother's ire, that will be satisfied with nothing short of my life, which of itself is perhaps of no great consequence and might not be regretted; but my single life has become two lives, on which account to preserve both mother and child, I request your Majesty will allow me to leave the palace." He said to her, "Dear mistress, please curb your wrath; I have a plan for arranging it all." He then transmitted an order, that as I-kiu, the heir-apparent, was a boy of spirit, but rather lawless, and not easily amenable to propriety, he was to be shortly sent to be under the guidance of Viscount Shin, at his own estates. The two official guardians, therefore, and those who had directed the boy's training, were declared to be remiss and unfit, though no charges had been brought, and all were deprived of their dignities. The prince wished to go in himself and tell his father all the particulars, but the door-keepers were ordered to prevent his entrance; and so he got into the carriage and went off to Shin by himself. His mother, noticing that he had not visited her for a good while, sent some of her attendants, and learned that he had been sent to Shiu in disgrace. She wrung her hands and moaned out her grief, as she wept the live long day, angry at her husband, as she thought of her son. Pao-sz' erelong bore a son, whom the king loved like a jewel, and called Peh-fuh. Thoughts of removing the rightful heir, and constituting this son of a handmaid now arose in his mind, but as there was no sufficient cause, he did not like to speak of it. However, Duke Kwoh guessed his mind, and consulting with Yin Kiu, they privately intimated to Pao-sz', that she should hint, that as the prince was now sent away from court, it was meet that Peh-fuh should be appointed heir. If she took the opportunity to speak about it in private, they would both endeavor to advance the matter in public, and together they might make it succeed. Pao sz' was delighted, and told them to use great care in their movements, promising that if Peh-fuh, through them, became heirapparent, they both should rule the land. She also employed confidential servants to go day and night to spy out the queen's faults, so that through the eyes and ears she placed in and out of the hareem, not a blade of grass was moved by the wind, about which she was not informed. The queen now lived desolate in her apartments without a companion, lamenting her condition the livelong day. An old servant, who knew her feelings, came in, kneeled to her, and said, "As your ladyship is constantly thinking about the prince, why do you not write a letter, and privately send it to the country of Shin, telling him to present a paper to the throne begging forgiveness for his fault. If his Majesty relents and recalls him, will it not be excellent to have mother and son together again?" She thought the suggestion was a good one, but regretted that she had no proper person by whom to send the letter. The other then said, "My mother, Mrs. Wăn, knows a little of medicine; your ladyship can feign sickness and call her into the palace to examine your pulse; you can then give it to her, and I will send it off by my brother, so that it will surely reach the prince." Her majesty agreed to the scheme and prepared a letter, the substance of which was that the king still madly doated on the vulgar wench, which was the cause that they two were sundered; and now that she had borne a son, it had greatly increased his passion for her. "You had better," she concluded, "therefore send in a memorial pretendimg to confess your fault, and promising reformation for the future. If your father will forgive and let you return to court, you and I can then soon again be together, and plan what we had better do." Having got this letter ready, she gave out that she was ill, took to her couch, and sent for Mrs. Wăn to feel her pulse. This proceeding was immediately reported to Pao-sz', who declared it was nothing else than a plan to convey news to some one, and told them to wait until the old crone came out of the house, and search her person to see if it was not so. and away went one of the serWhile the queen feigned to be Mrs. Wăn came to the palace; vants to tell what was going on. sick, and her pulse was examined, she took a letter from under the pillow, and told the woman to forward it by night to the country of Shin without delay, at the same time giving her two pieces of variegated silk-gauze. Taking the silk under her arm, she put the letter in her bosom, and cautiously went out of the door; but was stopped by the eunuch who guarded it, and asked where she got the two pieces of silk? "I have been examining her Majesty's pulse, and this is her present to me," said she. "Have you nothing else ?" right and left, began to susSo going up "Nothing at all," said the old woman, and began to move off, when another man spoke up, "If you don't search her person, how can you know it to be so ?" He therefore took her by the hand and brought her back, but she moved wriggling and changing color, till the door-keeper pect, and grew more determined to examine her. before her, he snatched open her dress, and there revealed the corner of the letter, which he took out. As soon as he saw a letter from the queen, the eunuch immediately took it and her to the Coral Terrace, and sent both in to Pao, who instantly broke open the seal. Greatly incensed, she locked up Mrs. Wăn in an empty room, so that nothing of the matter might leak out. Seizing the scissors she tore and cut the two pieces into strips. The king coming in and seeing the gauze all in fragments on the floor, asked what was the matter? Pao, holding in her sobs, replied, "How unhappy has been my lot in coming into the palace! How sad to have received all your hearty love, and cause such envy and jealousy in the hareem; and worst of all, to have borne a son who has excited such deep dislike! Her Majesty has just sent a letter to Prince I-kiu, in the last sentence of which she says, “And after that we can plan what we had better do." This is nothing less than an affair touching the life of me and my son, and I wish your Majesty would now do as seems best to you on my behalf." She then took out the letter and gave it to him. He recognized the handwriting of his wife, and asked who was Pao told him that it was Mrs. Wăn, who was the bearer of it. then in the house. He ordered her to be brought out to him, and without saying a word, drew his sword and cut her in two pieces on the spot. Ere the letter had left the inner palace, He revenged it by defiling his spotless blade in blood: If in future times one should ask how the matter began, That evening, as Pao was simpering and dallying with Yiuwang, she observed, "Do you know that the lives of your poor slave and her child are in the hands of the crown-prince ?" "As long as we rule, what can he do?" asked the king. When, my Lord, it happens that a successor comes after your Majesty upon the throne, it is altogether likely that it will be Prince I-kiu. The queen remains all the while in her apartments, nursing her hatred and cursing me. A myriad to one when she and her son possess the power, I and Peh-fuh will not even be allowed so much as a burial-spot." Whereupon she began to lament, and gushing tears succeeded to her sobs. "I am quite willing to remove Queen Shin and her son, and place you and Peh-fuh in their places," he answered; "but I am afraid the nobility will not at all agree to such a step. What can I do ?" "Good government," said Pao, "consists in ministers obeying their prince; but it is perverse and destructive of order for a prince to listen to his ministers. Let my Lord take this course. Issue a proclamation to the high officers suggesting the step, and just observe how they consult upon it." Yiu-wang having agreed to the plan as feasible, Pao sent a trusty man that night to apprise Dukes Kwoh and Yin, that on the morrow they must come to the council fully prepared to make the first reply. Accordingly, at the morning audience, when the ceremonies were over, the king intimated to the grandees and ministers to convene at the palace. He began by informing them that Queen Shin in her jealousy and hatred had cursed him, for doing which she ought not to be the mother of the empire; he had therefore an idea of arresting and bringing her to punishment. Duke Kwoh made answer, "The queen is mistress of all the inner palaces; even if she be guilty it is not meet to arrest and try her; for if she be proven virtuous she could no longer properly be called the throne-partner. If, however, it is your pleasure to discard her, and choose a virtuous and discreet person, suitable to be the mother of the realm, truly this will be a joy to all ages." Yin Kiu then chimed in, "I have heard that the Lady Pao is a virtuous and chaste person, worthy to preside in the inner palace." "If we discard Queen Shin, what shall we do with the prince now in the country of Shin ?" asked the king. "It is said," rejoined Kwoh," that the honor of a mother is from her son, as well as that a son gets his from his mother. Now the prince has been dismissed to Shin on account of his faults, so that the kindly duties of a filial son to you have long ceased. If, then, the mother be discarded, how can her son be retained? Your ministers prefer to support Peh-fuh as heir-apparent, and the national gods will then truly rejoice." Yiu-wang, much gratified at this decision, issued a decree to remove Queen Shin to the cold palace, and degrade I-kiu to be a commoner; also to elevate Lady Pao to the throne, and make her son Peh-fuh the heir-apparent. Whoever dared to remonstrate against this would be held to be a partisan of I-kiu, and worthy of the severest punishment. These events happened in his ninth year. All the civil and military officers were in consequence much perplexed and dissatisfied, but knowing that the royal will was fixed, deemed it foolish to bring down destruction on themselves, and therefore held their peace. The astrologer Peh Yangfu mournfully exclaimed, "The three bonds of society are at length all ruptured; why should I remain to see the ruin of the House of Chau?" He therefore resigned his office that day on account of age. A great number of dignitaries at the same time also vacated their posts and returned home, leaving only Yin, Kwoh, and Duke Tsi, with their crafty clique of minions at the sovereign's side. As for Yiu-wang, he was night and day in the hareem making merry with Pao. Although she had now reached her highest wishes, and ruled with full sway in the palace, she had never smiled once since her elevation. He, wishing to make her happy, called in musicians of every kind, singers, fiddlers, and merry-andrews to dance and carouse, but she never relaxed her gloomy countenance. He asked, "If you dislike singing and music, my dear one, what will please you ?" "I don't like anything," said she, "but I remember the other day when I was tearing the gauze to bits, how exhilarating the sound was to my ears." |