"Do As You Think Best;" And The Father Of The Girl Was
Immediately Appointed To The Government.
Thus either through the ambition
of the parents, or through fear of the Minister, all the beautiful women
were at his beck, either as wives or mistresses.
Also he had some
five-and-twenty sons who held offices of importance, and some of these,
under the protection of their father's name, committed scandals like his
own, and many other abominable iniquities. This Achmath also had amassed
great treasure, for everybody who wanted office sent him a heavy bribe.
In such authority did this man continue for two-and-twenty years. At last
the people of the country, to wit the Cathayans, utterly wearied with the
endless outrages and abominable iniquities which he perpetrated against
them, whether as regarded their wives or their own persons, conspired to
slay him and revolt against the government. Amongst the rest there was a
certain Cathayan named Chenchu, a commander of a thousand, whose mother,
daughter, and wife had all been dishonoured by Achmath. Now this man, full
of bitter resentment, entered into parley regarding the destruction of the
Minister with another Cathayan whose name was Vanchu, who was a commander
of 10,000. They came to the conclusion that the time to do the business
would be during the Great Kaan's absence from Cambaluc. For after stopping
there three months he used to go to Chandu and stop there three months;
and at the same time his son Chinkin used to go away to his usual haunts,
and this Achmath remained in charge of the city; sending to obtain the
Kaan's orders from Chandu when any emergency arose.
So Vanchu and Chenchu, having come to this conclusion, proceeded to
communicate it to the chief people among the Cathayans, and then by common
consent sent word to their friends in many other cities that they had
determined on such a day, at the signal given by a beacon, to massacre all
the men with beards, and that the other cities should stand ready to do
the like on seeing the signal fires. The reason why they spoke of
massacring the bearded men was that the Cathayans naturally have no beard,
whilst beards are worn by the Tartars, Saracens, and Christians. And you
should know that all the Cathayans detested the Grand Kaan's rule because
he set over them governors who were Tartars, or still more frequently
Saracens, and these they could not endure, for they were treated by them
just like slaves. You see the Great Kaan had not succeeded to the dominion
of Cathay by hereditary right, but held it by conquest; and thus having no
confidence in the natives, he put all authority into the hands of Tartars,
Saracens, or Christians who were attached to his household and devoted to
his service, and were foreigners in Cathay.
Wherefore, on the day appointed, the aforesaid Vanchu and Chenchu having
entered the palace at night, Vanchu sat down and caused a number of lights
to be kindled before him. He then sent a messenger to Achmath the Bailo,
who lived in the Old City, as if to summon him to the presence of Chinkin,
the Great Kaan's son, who (it was pretended) had arrived unexpectedly.
When Achmath heard this he was much surprised, but made haste to go, for
he feared the Prince greatly. When he arrived at the gate he met a Tartar
called Cogatai, who was Captain of the 12,000 that formed the standing
garrison of the City; and the latter asked him whither he was bound so
late? "To Chinkin, who is just arrived." Quoth Cogatai, "How can that be?
How could he come so privily that I know nought of it?" So he followed the
Minister with a certain number of his soldiers. Now the notion of the
Cathayans was that, if they could make an end of Achmath, they would have
nought else to be afraid of. So as soon as Achmath got inside the palace,
and saw all that illumination, he bowed down before Vanchu, supposing him
to be Chinkin, and Chenchu who was standing ready with a sword straightway
cut his head off. As soon as Cogatai, who had halted at the entrance,
beheld this, he shouted "Treason!" and instantly discharged an arrow at
Vanchu and shot him dead as he sat. At the same time he called his people
to seize Chenchu, and sent a proclamation through the city that any one
found in the streets would be instantly put to death. The Cathayans saw
that the Tartars had discovered the plot, and that they had no longer any
leader, since Vanchu was killed and Chenchu was taken. So they kept still
in their houses, and were unable to pass the signal for the rising of the
other cities as had been settled. Cogatai immediately dispatched
messengers to the Great Kaan giving an orderly report of the whole affair,
and the Kaan sent back orders for him to make a careful investigation, and
to punish the guilty as their misdeeds deserved. In the morning Cogatai
examined all the Cathayans, and put to death a number whom he found to be
ringleaders in the plot. The same thing was done in the other cities, when
it was found that the plot extended to them also.
After the Great Kaan had returned to Cambaluc he was very anxious to
discover what had led to this affair, and he then learned all about the
endless iniquities of that accursed Achmath and his sons. It was proved
that he and seven of his sons (for they were not all bad) had forced no
end of women to be their wives, besides those whom they had ravished. The
Great Kaan then ordered all the treasure that Achmath had accumulated in
the Old City to be transferred to his own treasury in the New City, and it
was found to be of enormous amount. He also ordered the body of Achmath to
be dug up and cast into the streets for the dogs to tear; and commanded
those of his sons that had followed the father's evil example to be flayed
alive.[NOTE 4]
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