the wallet of kai lung-第43部分

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for；　as　the　Book　of　Verses　clearly　says；　〃Even　the　three…legged　mule



may　contrive　to　reach　the　agreed　spot　in　advance　of　the　others；



provided　a　circular　running　space　has　been　selected　and　the　number　of



rounds　be　sufficiently　ample。〃　It　is　this　otherwise　uninteresting　and



obtrusive　person's　graceful　duty　to　convey　to　you　the　agreeable



intelligence　that　the　honourable　and　not　ill…rewarded　office　of



Guarder　of　the　Imperial　Silkworms　has　been　conferred　upon　you；　and　to



require　you　to　proceed　without　delay　to　Peking；　so　that　fitting



ceremonies　of　admittance　may　be　performed　before　the　fifteenth　day　of



the　month　of　Feathered　Insects。'







〃Alas！　how　frequently　does　the　purchaser　of　seemingly　vigorous　and



exceptionally　low…priced　flower…seeds　discover；　when　too　late；　that



they　are；　in　reality；　fashioned　from　the　root　of　the　prolific　and



valueless　tzu…ka；　skilfully　covered　with　a　disguising　varnish！　Instead



of　presenting　himself　at　the　place　of　commerce　frequented　by　those　who



entrust　money　to　others　on　the　promise　of　an　increased　repayment　when



certain　very　probable　events　have　come　to　pass　（so　that　if　all　else



failed　he　would　still　possess　a　serviceable　number　of　taels）；



Quen…Ki…Tong　entirely　neglected　the　demands　of　a　most　ordinary



prudence；　nor　could　he　be　induced　to　set　out　on　his　journey　until　he



had　passed　seven　days　in　public　feasting　to　mark　his　good　fortune；　and



then　devoted　fourteen　more　days　to　fasting　and　various　acts　of



penance；　in　order　to　make　known　the　regret　with　which　he　acknowledged



his　entire　unworthiness　for　the　honour　before　him。　Owing　to　this　very



conscientious；　but　nevertheless　somewhat　short…sighted　manner　of



behaving；　Quen　found　himself　unable　to　reach　Peking　before　the　day



preceding　that　to　which　Lo　Yuen　had　made　special　reference。　From　this



cause　it　came　about　that　only　sufficient　time　remained　to　perform　the



various　ceremonies　of　admission；　without　in　any　degree　counselling



Quen　as　to　his　duties　and　procedure　in　the　fulfilment　of　his　really



important　office。







〃Among　the　many　necessary　and　venerable　ceremonies　observed　during　the



changing　periods　of　the　year；　none　occupy　a　more　important　place　than



those　for　which　the　fifteenth　day　of　the　month　of　Feathered　Insects　is



reserved；　conveying　as　they　do　a　respectful　and　delicately…fashioned



petition　that　the　various　affairs　upon　which　persons　in　every



condition　of　life　are　engaged　may　arrive　at　a　pleasant　and



remunerative　conclusion。　At　the　earliest　stroke　of　the　gong　the



versatile　Emperor；　accompanied　by　many　persons　of　irreproachable



ancestry　and　certain　others；　very　elaborately　attired；　proceeds　to　an



open　space　set　apart　for　the　occasion。　With　unassuming　dexterity　the



benevolent　Emperor　for　a　brief　span　of　time　engages　in　the　menial



occupation　of　a　person　of　low　class；　and　with　his　own　hands　ploughs　an



assigned　portion　of　land　in　order　that　the　enlightened　spirits　under



whose　direct　guardianship　the　earth　is　placed　may　not　become　lax　in



their　disinterested　efforts　to　promote　its　fruitfulness。　In　this



charitable　exertion　he　is　followed　by　various　other　persons　of



recognized　position；　the　first　being；　by　custom；　the　Guarder　of　the



Imperial　Silkworms；　while　at　the　same　time　the　amiably…disposed



Empress　plants　an　allotted　number　of　mulberry　trees；　and　deposits　upon



their　leaves　the　carefully　reared　insects　which　she　receives　from　the



hands　of　their　Guarder。　In　the　case　of　the　accomplished　Emperor　an



ingenious　contrivance　is　resorted　to　by　which　the　soil　is　drawn　aside



by　means　of　hidden　strings　as　the　plough　passes　by；　the　implement　in



question　being　itself　constructed　from　paper　of　the　highest　quality；



while　the　oxen　which　draw　it　are；　in　reality；　ordinary　persons



cunningly　concealed　within　masks　of　cardboard。　In　this　thoughtful



manner　the　actual　labours　of　the　sublime　Emperor　are　greatly　lessened；



while　no　chance　is　afforded　for　an　inauspicious　omen　to　be　created　by



the　rebellious　behaviour　of　a　maliciously…inclined　ox；　or　by　any　other



event　of　an　unforeseen　nature。　All　the　other　persons；　however；　are



required　to　make　themselves　proficient　in　the　art　of　ploughing；　before



the　ceremony；　so　that　the　chances　of　the　attendant　spirits　discovering



the　deception　which　has　been　practised　upon　them　in　the　case　of　the



Emperor　may　not　be　increased　by　its　needless　repetition。　It　was



chiefly　for　this　reason　that　Lo　Yuen　had　urged　Quen　to　journey　to



Peking　as　speedily　as　possible；　but　owing　to　the　very　short　time　which



remained　between　his　arrival　and　the　ceremony　of　ploughing；　not　only



had　the　person　in　question　neglected　to　profit　by　instruction；　but　he



was　not　even　aware　of　the　obligation　which　awaited　him。　When；



therefore；　in　spite　of　every　respectful　protest　on　his　part；　he　was



led　up　to　a　massively…constructed　implement　drawn　by　two　powerful　and



undeniably　evilly…intentioned…looking　animals；　it　was　with　every　sign



of　great　internal　misgivings；　and　an　entire　absence　of　enthusiasm　in



the　entertainment；　that　he　commenced　his　not　too　well　understood　task。



In　this　matter　he　was　by　no　means　mistaken；　for　it　soon　became　plain



to　all　observersof　whom　an　immense　concourse　was　assembledthat　the



usually　self…possessed　Guarder　of　the　Imperial　Silkworms　was



conducting　himself　in　a　most　undignified　manner；　for　though　he　still



clung　to　the　plough…handles　with　an　inspired　tenacity；　his　body



assumed　every　variety　of　base　and　uninviting　attitude。　Encouraged　by



this　inelegant　state　of　affairs；　the　evil　spirits　which　are　ever　on



the　watch　to　turn　into　derision　the　charitable　intentions　of　the



pure…minded　entered　into　the　bodies　of　the　oxen　and　provoked　within



their　minds　a　sudden　and　malignant　confidence　that　the　time　had



arrived　when　they　might　with　safety　break　into　revolt　and　throw　off



the　outward　signs　of　their　dependent　condition。　From　these　various



causes　it　came　about　that　Quen　was；　without　warning；　borne　with



irresistible　certainty　against　the　majestic　person　of　the　sacred



Emperor；　the　inlaid　box　of　Imperial　silkworms；　which　up　to　that　time



had　remained　safely　among　the　folds　of　his　silk　garment；　alone　serving



to　avert　an　even　more　violent　and　ill…destined　blow。







〃Well　said　the　wise　and　deep…thinking　Ye…te；　in　his　book　entitled



'Proverbs　of　Everyday　Happenings'；　'Should　a　person　on　returning　from



the　city　discover　his　house　to　be　in　flames；　let　him　examine　well　the



change　which　he　has　received　from　the　chair…carrier　before　it　is　too



late；　for　evil　never　travels　alone。'　Scarcely　had　the　unfortunate　Quen



recovered　his　natural　attributes　from　the　effect　of　the　disgraceful



occurrence　which　has　been　recorded　（which；　indeed；　furnished　the



matter　of　a　song　and　many　unpresentable　jests　among　the　low…class



persons　of　the　city）；　than　the　magnanimous　Empress　reached　that　detail



of　the　tree…planting　ceremony　when　it　was　requisite　that　she　should



deposit　the　living　emblems　of　the　desired　increase　and　prosperity　upon



the　leaves。　Stretching　forth　her　delicately…proportioned　hand　to　Quen



for　this　purpose；　she　received　from　the　still　greatly　confused　person



in　question　the　Imperial　silkworms　in　so　unseemly　a　condition　that　her



eyes　had　scarcely　rested　upon　them　before　she　was　seized　with　the



rigid　sickness；　and　in　that　state　fell　to　the　ground。　At　this　new　and



entirely　unforeseen　calamity　a　very　disagreeable　certainty　of



approaching　evil　began　to　take　possession　of　all　those　who　stood



around；　many　crying　aloud　that　every　omen　of　good　was　wanting；　and



declaring　that　unless　something　of　a　markedly　propitiatory　nature　was



quickly　accomplished；　the　agriculture　of　the　entire　Empire　would　cease



to　flourish；　and　the　various　departments　of　the　commerce　in　silk　would



undoubtedly　be　thrown　into　a　state　of　most　inextricable　confusion。



Indeed；　in　spite　of　all　things　designed　to　have　a　contrary　effect；　the



matter　came　about　in　the　way　predicted；　for　the　Hoang…Ho　seven　times



overcame　its　restraining　barriers；　and　poured　its　waters　over　the



surrounding　country；　thereby　gaining　for　the　first　time　its



well…deserved　title　of　'The　Sorrow　of　China'；　by　which　dishonourable



but　exceedingly　appropriate　designation　it　is　known　to　this　day。







〃The　manner　of　greeting　which　would　have　been　accorded　to　Quen　had　he



returned　to　the　official　quarter　of　the　city；　or　the　nature　of　his



treatment　by　the　baser　class　of　the　ordinary　people　if　they　succeeded



in　enticing　him　to　come　among　them；　formed　a　topic　of　such　uninviting



conjecture　that　the　humane…minded　Lo　Yuen；　who　had　observed　the　entire



course　of　events　from　an　elevated　spot；　determined　to　make　a



well…directed　effort　towards　his　safety。　To　this　end　he　quickly



purchased　the　esteem　of　several　of　those　who　make　a　profession　of



their　strength；　holding　out　the　hope　of　still　further　reward　if　they



conducted　the　venture　to　a　successful　termination。　Uttering　loud　cries



of　an　impending　vengeance；　as　Lo　Yuen　had　instructed　them　in　the



matter；　and　displaying　their　exceptional　proportions　to　the



astonishment　and　misgivings　of　all　beholders；　these　persons　tore　open



the　opium…tent　in　which　Quen　had　concealed　himself；　and；　thrusting



aside　all　opposition；　quickly　dragged　him　forth。　Holding　him　high　upon



their　shoulders；　in　spite　of　his　frequent　and　ill…advised　endeavours



to　cast　himself　to　the　ground；　some　surrounded　those　who　bore



himafter　the　manner　of　disposing　his　troops　affected　by　a　skilful



leader　when　the　enemy　be