Yangban

“ But Yüan-tê, in spite of Chu Chien’s memorial, waited in vain for preferment and the three brothers became very sad.
Walking along one day Yüan-tê met a Court official, Chang Chün by name, to whom he related his services and told his sorrows. Chang was much surprised at this neglect and one day at Court spoke to the Emperor about it.
Said he, “The Yellow Turbans rebelled because the eunuchs sold offices and bartered ranks. There was employment only for their friends, punishment only for their enemies. This led to rebellion. ”

“ For among the curses of Korea is the existence of this privileged class of yang-bans or nobles, who must not work for their own living, though it is no disgrace to be supported by their relations, and who often live on the clandestine industry of their wives in sewing and laundry work. A yang-ban carries nothing for himself, not even his pipe. Yang-ban students do not even carry their books from their studies to the classroom. Custom insist that when a member of this class travels he shall take with him as many attendants as he can muster. ”

“ Three descendants of Jinghis with fourteen high officials conspired to slay the first minister for his unparalleled daring. Yang Timur, learning of their plot, seized the seventeen and put to death every man of them.
Meanwhile the Empress had Asukeba proclaimed at Shang tu, and chose Prince Wan tsin, a grandson of Kamala, as first minister. She chose as commander of the army Taché Timur, a son of the minister Toto, a Kankali, and gave him the word to attack Yang Timur, who was trying to cut off Shang tu by seizing other places of importance. ”

“ On the 3d, we entered the mouth of the Yang-tse-kiang—it being remembered that kiang is the Chinese for river. The water is as muddy as that of the Pekiang. Just inside of an island, bearing the euphonic name of the orientalist and quasi-missionary, Gutzlaff, we got an English pilot who gave us the first intelligence of the doings of the rebel army, up the river, in the vicinity of Nanking. The navigation of the Yang-tse is exceedingly intricate, owing to hard and shifting bars, which rendered it necessary for a ship of our size to proceed with much caution. ”

“ Their conversation was interrupted by the opening of the door.
"It is the illustrious Yang himself, who spoke good words to the boy-correcting mandarin; may he be turned into a bamboo himself in the next world," exclaimed Chow with a writhe of remembrance.
"Thou art the son of the good merchant, my correspondent?" said Yang.
"The face of the worthy merchant, is welcome in the hour of difficulty," said Nicholas. ”

“ Tung Fel was engaged with brush and ink when Yang Hu entered. Round him were many written parchments, some venerable with age, and a variety of other matters, among which might be clearly perceived weapons, and devices for reading the future. He greeted Yang with many tokens of dignified respect, and with an evidently restrained emotion led him towards the light of a hanging lantern, where he gazed into his face for a considerable period with every indication of exceptional concern. ”

“ As Yang Hu passed through the streets of Ching-fow, which were in a great measure deserted owing to the command of Tung Fel, he was aware of many mournful and foreboding sounds which accompanied him on all sides, while shadowy faces, bearing signs of intolerable anguish and despair, continually formed themselves out of the wind. By the time he reached the Yamên a tempest of exceptional violence was in progress, nor were other omens absent which tended to indicate that matters of a very unpropitious nature were about to take place. ”

“ The village was on an in-lying island, and its headmen must have sent word across to the mainland; for one morning three big two-masted junks with lateens of rice-matting dropped anchor off the beach.
When the sampans came ashore Captain Johannes Maartens was all interest, for here were silks again. One strapping Korean, all in pale-tinted silks of various colours, was surrounded by half a dozen obsequious attendants, also clad in silk. Kwan Yung-jin, as I came to know his name, was a yang-ban, or noble; also he was what might be called magistrate or governor of the district or province. ”

“ His new generals were named Tang, Wang, Mang, and Lang—though doubtless, such information is hardly necessary. They were old friends of the King. The four arrived at the capital in time to see a huge army of hostiles encamp on the far side of the river that bordered the city. By great good fortune, the river was past fording, so holding the enemy in check. The King and his generals gazed across the river. Said he: “It is easily seen that the enemy has twenty men for every one we muster. What are your plans?” Of all his generals, only Wang seemed to have so much as the shadow of a plan. ”

“ At each successive door of the Yamên the attendant stepped back and covered his face, so that he should by no chance perceive who had come upon so destructive a mission, the instant Yang Hu uttered the sign with which Tung Fel had provided him. In this manner Yang quickly reached the door of the inner chamber upon which was inscribed: “Let the person who comes with a doubtful countenance, unbidden, or meditating treachery, remember the curse and manner of death which attended Lai Kuen, who slew the one over him; so shall he turn and go forth in safety.” ”

“ Once it was the home of many industries especially silk and now the finest satin and velvet are still produced here. Nanking has yet a greater future before her when the resources of the lower Yangtze Valley are properly developed.
In the regulation of the Yangtze I propose to cut away the town of Hsiakwan, so that the wharf of Nanking could be removed into the deep channel between Metsechow and the outskirt of Nanking. This channel should be blocked up, thereby a wet dock could be formed to accommodate all ocean-going vessels. ”

“ Will he even leave life to me?” “My son,” said Wang Khan, “how am I to renounce my own promise and counsel? We have trusted Temudjin up to this time. If without cause we think evil now of him, how can Heaven favor us?” Sengun turned in anger from his father. Wang Khan called him back to remonstrate. “It is clear, O my son,” said he, “that Heaven does not favor us. Thou wilt reject Temudjin no matter what I tell thee, thou wilt act in thy own way, I see that, but victory, if thou win it, must be thine through thy own work and fortune.” ”

“ I have been pacing the bridge between the paddle-boxes, contemplating this scene, until we dropped our anchor, and I came down to tell you of this my first experience of the Yangtze. And what will the sum of those experiences be? We are going into an unknown region, along a river which, beyond Nankin, has not been navigated by Europeans. We are to make our way through the lines of those strange beings the Chinese Rebels. We are to penetrate beyond them to cities, of the magnitude and population of which fabulous stories are told; among people who have never seen Western men ”

“ Ever under the spell of the Chinese characters, saturated with the ideas of Confucianism run to seed, having only one ideal of life—selfish advantage and the subordination of the lower classes—devoted to their sensual enjoyments, their long pipes, and their liquor, to checker-playing, gossip, and elaborate idleness, the yang-ban during five centuries did nothing to develop the soil or the resources of the country. ”

“ There is nothing to prevent a joint attack on Hungnung when we can kill the Emperor and divide the country between us,” said Li.
Kuo found this a suitable scheme, so their armies came together in one place and united in plundering the countryside. Wherever they went they left destruction behind them. Yang and Tung heard of their approach when they were yet a long way off so they turned back to meet them and fought the rebels at Tungchien. ”

“ Satun, Yang Timur’s eldest brother, died soon after he had entered on his office, and was succeeded by Tang Kichi, the eldest son of that renowned minister, and therefore brother of Peyao, the young Empress. Togan Timur, wishing now to win Yang Timur’s powerful family, had raised Peyao to the highest rank possible to a woman. Tang Kichi, fiery and envious by nature, was enraged at seeing Peyen decide by himself the highest questions, hence he formed a plot to raise to the throne Hoan ho Timur, a grandson of Mangu the Emperor and a son of Shireki. ”

“ Just beyond the Han was Han Yang, once a fine city, but now in ruins, one of the results of the Tae-ping rebellion. Across the Yang Tsze, here a mile wide, was Wuchang, the residence of the viceroy of the Hupeh province. This place was supposed to be closed to foreigners, but Charley and I had made many a secret visit, and had some rare sport among the curiosity shops, with occasionally an adventure of a less pleasing description, about which I should like to tell you if I had time. ”

“ She wanted them to say, "How lovely was Yang Yuhan, who walked with the grace of willow flowers. For her beauty, men would build cities, or lay them low. She was the most artful woman of China."
5.
Not long after sunrise the next morning, for the Chinese Court day begins early, the retinue of the young Prince Shou came for Yuhan. Outwardly the house of Yang was quiet and austere; within all was turbulence. Hearts were fluttering, tears were falling, though also there were smiles. Yang Yuan-kuei was proud of Yuhan, proud that he had played so important a part in her upbringing. ”

“ The Empress now sent Upetala, a minister of State, to Ta tu to seize each department seal. Her son Asukeba, at that time nine years of age, had been declared heir when in his fifth year, but Yang Timur, governor of the capital, was the chief of a party which wished a son of Kuluk Khan to be Emperor. Yang Timur, son of Choahugur, was distinguished as a warrior, while his position was strengthened by the fame of his father and grandfather. ”

“ Reaching Hong-kong safely, disguised as wandering mendicants, the whole of the refugees succeeded in arriving at the first rendezvous in small parties of two or three, under his guidance. At this place several hundred men mustered in arms, and recruited at other parts of their route. After many encounters with the Manchoo troops and many perilous adventures, the Ying-wang having principally contributed to the successful efforts of his comrades by [354] his distinguished gallantry, re-entered Nankin with the Kan-wang's family. ”

“ Certainty is made absolute by the proclamation addressed by Yang, king of the East, to his followers in 1852 when a considerable defection of Triads was taking place. "Moreover," he says, "you valiant men are many of you adherents of the Triad Society, and have entered into a bloody compact that you will exert your united strength and talents to exterminate the Tartar dynasty." [13] If there were large bodies of Triads in the group, were they original members of the God-worshippers, or did they join as a body just before the fighting commenced, late in 1850, as Hung Jin asserts? ”

“ The year 1868 was marked by serious anti-foreign outbreaks in widely distant provinces of the empire. At Yangchow, a wealthy city on the Grand Canal, twelve miles from the left bank of the Yangtze river, a favourite resort for retired officials, rich salt merchants, and gentry, the Inland missionaries under the orders of Mr Hudson Taylor established themselves. In no locality in China could they have been less welcome, for there they met their natural enemies in the greatest force. ”

“ The rebel force was very strong. When Li Yüeh, the late brigand, approached, Kuo Ssŭ bade his men scatter clothing and valuables along the road. The late robbers could not resist the temptation so a scramble began. The rebels fell upon the disordered ranks and did much damage. Yang and Tung could not save them so they took the Emperor away to the north.
But the rebels pursued. Li Yüeh said, “The danger is grave. I pray Your Majesty to mount a horse and go in advance.”
The Emperor replied, “I cannot bear to abandon my officers.” ”

“ The Shanghai missionaries, several of whom visited Nankin, had interesting interviews with Yin in 1860, but not with the emperor, as they refused to go on their knees before him. They were encouraged by Yin to hope for a future much needed purifying of Taeping Christianity. Yang’s revelations, however, held their ground after as well as before, and were increased by further absurdities. To such crass fanaticism was now added the inhuman cruelty with which they massacred the vanquished and wasted the conquered cities and districts. ”

“ Next day the Emperor conferred titles on those who had protected him so far and they pushed on. Soon two officers of rank came up with the cortège and they bowed before His Majesty with many tears. They were Yang Piao and Han Jung. The Emperor and Empress lifted up their voices and wept with them.
Said Han Jung to his colleague, “The rebels have confidence in my words. You stay as guard of the Emperor and I will take my life in my hands and try to bring about peace.”
After he had gone the Emperor rested for a time in Yang’s camp and then was requested to make Anihsien the capital. ”

“ Yang Timur faced all these enemies and conquered. He met Yessen Timur when four leagues from Ta tu and vanquished his army completely.
Buka Timur, uncle of Yang Timur and commander-in-chief of all forces at the Liao tung border, on hearing of Tob Timur’s accession invited Prince Yuelu Timur to join forces and march on Shang tu with him. Tao la chu, who commanded at the summer palace, sallied forth repeatedly with partisans of Asukeba, to battle [390] with besiegers, but reduced finally, he yielded. He surrendered the seal of the Empire and gave up also the rich jewels belonging to Asukeba. ”