Читать книгу A Thousand Pieces of Gold: A Memoir of China’s Past Through its Proverbs - Adeline Mah Yen - Страница 13

TU QIONG BI XIAN

ONE DAY BEFORE THE FUNERAL of my stepmother Niang in 1990, my brother James gave me the startling news that Niang had suddenly and mysteriously disinherited me. Although Father had died two years earlier in 1988, Niang had prevented all of us from reading his will at his funeral. Devastated by my stepmother’s unexpected rejection and desperate to know my father’s true feelings towards me, I went up to Niang’s apartment with my husband Bob to search for Father’s will. There, rummaging through Niang’s personal belongings in her bedroom, I came across several piles of letters written by my oldest sister Lydia, whose children we had helped escape from Communist China and educate in America, against Niang’s wishes. To my shock and dismay, I found that instead of affection and gratitude, Lydia’s letters were full of lies and venom, inciting Niang to hate me. After reading them, I had no doubt that Niang had disinherited me because of Lydia’s slander.

I remember feeling nauseated and dizzy while a pain gripped my chest like a vice. Then Bob gave a shout from his side of Niang’s bedroom. He had found my father’s will.

Father’s intentions were radically different from those of Niang. He had included me, and had meant to give me the same share of his estate as that left to my two other older brothers. At that moment, reading Father’s words soothed me as nothing else could have done. It seemed as if he had raised himself out of his grave to embrace me. I heard once more my father’s voice, ‘Tu qiong hi xian (when the map is unrolled, the dagger is revealed). Now you know the true reasons for your disinheritance.’

Throughout history, there have been certain defining moments when the consciousness of the world has been gripped by a singular event that then becomes the catalyst for a whole series of momentous consequences. In describing such an incident, the Chinese might use the proverb tu qiong bi xian, ‘when the map is unrolled, the dagger is revealed,’ especially if the upheaval involved an element of surprise. As mentioned before, while it is common for Chinese people to think in metaphors and apply lessons from history to current events, terms like Pearl Harbor and the Blitz are two examples of metaphors that conjure images that resonate in the national consciousness, so much so that many people still recall exactly what they were doing when they first heard the news of these calamities.

On September 11, 2001, our daughter Ann called from New York to tell us of the suicide plane crashes in that city. In the days following, the images of the blazing World Trade Center did not leave our minds. My husband Bob noted that the words September 11 would probably evolve into a new American metaphor. For the rest of our lives, Americans will be asking one another, ‘What were you doing on September 11 when you heard the news?’

Ann was the first to ask me this question. I told her that I had been reading an account of a political assassination that happened over two thousand years ago, and I was trying to choose an appropriate proverb for the chapter heading. On hearing this, Ann surprised me with two questions:

‘Why do you like proverbs so much, Mom? Do you think in proverbs?’

‘Those are very good questions. Let me think about them, and get back to you.’

The following narrative is based on extracts from Shiji, and is the text I was working on when Ann telephoned.

Following the death of Han Feizi, King Zheng of Qin stepped up his campaign to unify China. After six years of ruthless warfare, strategic alliances and Machiavellian intrigue, he was successful in annexing Han, and most of Zhao and Wei. Six years later, in 227 BC, King Zheng began to eye Yan (the area in and around present-day Beijing).

Crown Prince Dan of Yan had been born in Handan, capital of Zhao, about the same time as King Zheng. Their fathers were both political hostages and used to live close to each other. The two boys played together as children and became boyhood chums.

Prince Zheng returned to Qin at the age of ten when his father ascended the throne, and became king himself three years later, following the death of his father. The two boys grew to manhood and when they were in their twenties, Prince Dan was sent as a political hostage to Qin.

In spite of their boyhood friendship, King Zheng was cold and cruel to Prince Dan. The latter became upset and fled back to Yan. On his return, he searched for someone who would avenge his humiliation. However, his state was small and weak while Qin was rich and powerful.

Soon after Prince Dan’s return to Yan, King Zheng began moving his troops east of the mountains to invade the unconquered states. Gradually, Qin soldiers approached the borders of the state of Yan. Because the rulers and ministers of Yan were all greatly worried at the prospect of a war with Qin, Crown Prince Dan conferred with his tutor, Ju Wu, for advice. But the Grand Tutor was unable to provide a satisfactory solution.

Some months later, Fan Yuqi, a Qin general who had led an unsuccessful rebellion against King Zheng, defected to Yan as a fugitive and begged Prince Dan for asylum. The Prince received him graciously and gave him shelter. The Grand Tutor protested and gave warning.

‘You must not do this. The King of Qin is legendary for his cruelty and vengefulness. Even if he should merely dislike you without cause, everyone in Yan would already be in danger. That thought alone is sufficient to make one shiver in the height of summer! How much worse when he learns that you are actually harbouring General Fan in our state! Your action is akin to baiting a hungry tiger by throwing meat in his path. The resulting blood bath will be disastrous.

‘Instead of keeping General Fan here, you should send him up north and hand him over to the Huns. By transferring General Fan to the barbarians, you will be sure to please the King of Qin and perhaps ward off invasion.’

The Crown Prince refused. He said, ‘General Fan was in grave peril when he threw himself at me and begged for my mercy. Never, until the day I die, could I abandon the ties of compassion and surrender him to the savage and barbaric Huns, simply out of fear of retaliation from King Zheng. If I should stoop so low, it would surely be time for me to die. Will you please reconsider and come up with an alternative plan?’

The Grand Tutor was much distressed. He sighed and said, ‘To bind yourself so tightly to a single desperate man without considering the consequences will certainly bring disaster to our entire state. You are inviting retribution and risking retaliation from King Zheng, the most powerful man in the world. What else is there to talk about?’

The Prince was silent for so long that the Grand Tutor felt pity for him. As he rose from his mat to take his leave, an idea suddenly struck him and he said, ‘Perhaps Your Highness might like to consult my friend, the scholar Tian Guang. He is old and in poor health, but he is wise and has a big heart.’

The Prince summoned Scholar Tian to his palace. He personally welcomed the elderly man at the door and led him inside. When the two were alone, the Prince knelt respectfully in front of him and dusted off the mat for him to sit on. He moved close to him and said, ‘The states of Yan and Qin cannot co-exist. Will you, sir, please ponder on this and give me advice?’

‘Your Highness may have heard falsely that I am still in my prime. Alas! I have long ago lost the bloom of youth and become old. But that is no excuse for neglecting affairs of state that are of such urgency. I am much honoured that Your Highness considers me sufficiently worthy to be consulted.

‘Among my friends is a man named Jing Ke, commonly known as Master Jing. He likes to drink in the market-place, read books and handle the sword. Originally, he came from the state of Wei but, as you know, that state has largely been annexed by Qin and is now mostly under the command of King Zheng. Master Jing has become stateless and wanders from place to place looking for employment. He holds little love for King Zheng.

‘Although he likes to drink too much and mingles with butchers and musicians, he is a learned scholar and loves books. When he first came here, I invited him to stay and he lived at my home for some time. His friends are all talented, upright and honest. Master Jing is not an ordinary man. It is most unusual for a scholar to be so expert at handling the sword. Your Highness should get to know him.’

The Crown Prince listened carefully and replied, ‘I would very much like to meet him. Can you arrange this?’

Scholar Tian inclined his head and said, ‘Your wish is my command. I respectfully obey.’ He rose from his mat and the Prince escorted him to the gate. As they bade each other goodbye, the Prince added, ‘The things we have discussed today are important matters of state. Please do not divulge them to anyone.’

Scholar Tian nodded and said, ‘I will not.’

On his return, the old scholar summoned Master Jing and said, ‘Prince Dan wishes to see you in his palace. You should go there at once.’ As Master Jing prepared to leave, Scholar Tian added, ‘I have heard that when an elderly gentleman carries out a mission, he should not cause others to doubt him. But today the Prince said to me, “Please do not divulge what we have discussed.” This means that His Highness does not have full confidence in me …’ At this point, Scholar Tian hesitated and looked at Master Jing intently. Deciding to impress upon the young man the gravity of the situation and spur him into action, he continued, ‘Please go quickly to the palace and inform His Highness that I have already died. That way he will be reassured that I have neither spoken nor revealed his secret.’ Then he cut his own throat and died.

Master Jing was shocked and tried to save him but it was too late. He hurried to see the Prince, and informed him of the old man’s suicide. Prince Dan was saddened, and went to pay his respects. At the sight of Scholar Tian’s body, the Crown Prince bowed twice, knelt, approached on his knees and wept. Then he said, ‘The reason I told him not to speak was because I did not want him to jeopardise my plans. And now he has used his suicide to show me that he obeyed my instruction. It was certainly not my intention for him to do this. I am devastated.’

The two mourned the old man together. Then the Prince opened up to Master Jing. ‘Yan is weak and has suffered greatly from war,’ he said. ‘Even if I were to conscript my entire state, our forces would not be sufficient to oppose Qin. My secret scheme is to engage one of the world’s bravest and strongest men and dispatch him to Qin. Planned properly, there is a remote possibility that he might succeed in kidnapping King Zheng, thereby forcing him to return all the territory he has appropriated from the feudal lords. Wouldn’t that be splendid? But even if that were impossible, the warrior could just stab him to death. With the death of King Zheng, there would be no central commander. When Qin’s armies learn that the feudal lords from all the other states are joining together and sending a mighty united force against Qin, they would become confused due to lack of direction from the top. Each Qin general would want to be the supreme commander and a power struggle would ensue. Then Qin would surely be defeated.’

Master Jing was reluctant and protested that his capabilities were limited. But Prince Dan reminded him of the suicide of his benefactor, Scholar Tian, who had gallantly given up his life for the cause. The Prince bowed humbly before the designated assassin and pressed him not to betray his old friend’s trust or render his suicide meaningless. There was a long pause. Then Master Jing finally consented.

The Prince was delighted and immediately gave him the title of a high dignitary. He lodged him in a well-appointed house, and showered him with gold and privileges. Every day the Prince visited him, giving him carriages, horses, beautiful women, jewels, rare objects and whatever else Master Jing might desire, so as to satisfy his every whim.

After some days of reflection, Master Jing said to the Prince, ‘In order to be admitted into the court of King Zheng and come face to face with him, we must tempt him with the promise of great profit. Now, the King of Qin has offered a reward of one thousand catties of gold and the revenue from ten thousand households for the capture of General Fan. If we could find a way to get hold of General Fan’s head and present it to King Zheng along with a map of Yan’s district of Dukang, then His Majesty would be sure to admit me and grant me an audience. Thus would I get the opportunity to serve Your Highness and avenge the hatred you hold against him.’

But the Prince replied, ‘General Fan came to me as a last resort, in poverty and distress. I am unwilling to violate his trust merely to fulfil my selfish desires. Will you please come up with another scheme, sir?’

Master Jing turned the matter over in his mind and made his own plans without revealing them to the Prince. He sought out General Fan and the two men met in private.

‘King Zheng’s treatment of you cannot be said to have been kind,’ Master Jing began. ‘I hear that your father, mother and entire family have all been beheaded. And now there is a reward of one thousand catties of gold and the revenue of ten thousand households offered for your capture. Tell me, sir, do you intend to do anything about all this?’

General Fan heaved a great sigh and wept bitterly, ‘Day after day I think about it and suffer constantly. I grit my teeth and the pain seeps into my heart and marrow. But every plan I consider seems full of flaws. Verily, sir, I do not know what to do.’

Master Jing stared at the general and said, ‘I hold on my tongue a single word with which you can accomplish all that you desire. It will free Yan from its ordeal and avenge your hatred. How about it?’

The general leaned towards him and asked, ‘What is that word?’

Jing Ke replied, ‘Head!’ There was a long silence as the word sank in. Then Master Jing continued, ‘I would like to have your head in a box to present to the King of Qin. Then His Majesty will be delighted and will be sure to grant me an audience. With my left hand I will grab his left sleeve. With my right hand I will stab his chest with a dagger. That way, you will have achieved all your goals, including the repayment of your debt to the Prince who is risking his own life to give you shelter.’