The Book and The Sword - Yong Jin (лучшие книги .txt) 📗

"Commander Fu will see us out of the city," Chen said, then looked straight at Qian Long and announced in a loud voice: "All the common people under Heaven would be happy to eat your flesh and make a bed out of your skin. If you live another hundred years, may they be one hundred years of fear-filled days and tormented, sleepless nights!" He turned to the heroes. "Let us go," he said.

The heroes pushed Fu forward and made their way towards the palace gate, carrying with them the bodies of the Twin Eagles and Zhang Jin. The Manchu guards stared at them fixedly as they passed, but did not dare to stop them.

Soon after the heroes passed out of the palace, they spotted two horsemen galloping after them, one of whom was Commander Li.

"Great Helmsman Chen!" he called as they drew near. "There is something I wish to discuss with you."

The heroes reined in their horses and waited for Li and his lieutenant, Deng Tunan, to catch up.

"His Highness says that if you allow Commander Fu to return safely, he will agree to anything," Li said.

Chen's eyebrows shot up. "Huh! Who would believe a cursed word the Emperor said any more?"

"Please, Master Chen. I ask you to express your wishes so that I can return to report."

"All right," Chen said. "Firstly, I want the Emperor to rebuild the Shaolin Monastery with his own funds, making the golden statues of Buddha even larger than before. The court and government must never harrass the monastery again."

"That is easy to arrange," said Li.

"Secondly, the Emperor must not increase the military burden on the common people in the Muslim areas and all the Muslims taken prisoner must be released."

"That is not difficult either."

"Thirdly, the Emperor must not bear a grudge against the Red Flower Society or seize any of its members no matter where they may be." Commander Li was silent. "Huh! If you really did try to seize any of us, do you think we would be afraid? Did not Master Wen here spend some time as a guest in your own military headquarters?"

"All right. I will rashly agree," Li said finally.

"Exactly one year from today, if all three demands have been fully met, Commander Fu will be released."

"All right. We will so arrange things," replied Li and turned to Fu. "Commander Fu. Great Helmsman Chen's word is very precious. Please do not worry. His Highness will certainly issue orders to see that all three requests are met. I will not allow a moment to pass without thinking of your safety, and will make sure everything is done as quickly as possible in the hope that Master Chen may see fit to release you early."

Fu said nothing.

Chen suddenly remembered how they had seen Bai Zhen and Commander Li's forces had mysteriously attacked the Banner troops guarding the Hall of Tranquillity in the Lama Temple. He did not understand the circumstances of the incident but knew it must involve a very dark secret. He decided to scare Li a little.

"Tell the Emperor that we know everything about the Hall of Tranquillity affair," he said. "If he is treacherous again, it would not be beneficial."

Li started in surprise and hastily assented.

"Commander Li, we will take our leave of you," Chen continued and saluted with his fists. "When you are promoted and become rich, take care not to oppress the common people."

Li saluted in reply. "I would not dare," he said.

Yuanzhi and Yu dismounted and walked over to Li and knelt down in front of him. Li realised sorrowfully that he would never see his daughter again.

"Look after yourself, child," he said quietly. He stretched out his hand and stroked her hair, then turned his horse round and rode back to the palace. Yuanzhi began to cry as Yu helped her onto her horse.

The heroes galloped to the city gate where 'Pagoda' Yang and 'Leopard' Wei were waiting for them. Fu ordered the city gate to be opened. The huge bell in the bell tower above sounded, ringing out the start of the fourth watch.

As they passed out of the city, the heroes saw an expanse of reeds beside the city moat flailing about in the pale moonlight. A bit further on, they came upon a graveyard, and noticed a crowd of people there wailing and singing a Muslim funeral dirge. Chen and Huo Qinging rode over to investigate.

"Who are you mourning for?" they asked the crowd.

An old Muslim man raised his head, his face coursed with tears, and said: "Princess Fragrance."

"Princess Fragrance is buried here?" Chen asked.

The old man pointed at a new grave, the yellow mud on which was not yet dry. "There," he replied.

Huo Qingtong began to cry. "We cannot allow her to remain buried here," she said.

"You're right," Chen replied. "She loved that Jade Pool in the heart of the White Jade Peak, and said how much she would like to live there forever. Let us take her remains and bury them there."

"Yes, I agree," Huo Qingtong said, swallowing her tears.

"Who are you?" the old man enquired courteously.

"I am Princess Fragrance's sister," Huo Qingtong replied.

"Ah!" another of the Muslim suddenly shouted to the other mourners. "It's Mistress Huo Qingtong!"

"Let us open up her grave," she said, and Chen and the heroes started work helped by several of the Muslims. They shifted the earth as fast as they could and in a moment, had uncovered the stone slab placed over the grave. They lifted the slab up and a perfumed fragrance emerged. But when they looked inside, they found the grave was empty.

Chen took a burning torch from one of the mourners and held it over the grave opening. On the floor was a small pool of blood and the piece of jade that he himself had given her.

"We brought Princess Fragrance's remains here and buried them ourselves," said the Muslims. "We have not left this spot since. How could her body have disappeared?"

"She was so wondrously beautiful. Perhaps she was a spirit that descended to earth," Luo Bing suggested. "Now she has returned to Heaven. Don't be distressed."

Chen bent down into the grave and picked up the piece of jade. Suddenly, he began to cry, the tears running down his face like rain. She was so beautiful, so pure. Perhaps she was a spirit.

The people sighed and covered up the grave once more, and as they finished the work, a large jade-coloured butterfly appeared and began dancing to and fro above the pile of earth.

Chen turned to the old man. "I will write a few words. Please ask a master carver to erect a stone engraved with the inscription on this spot," he said.

The old man nodded, and Xin Yan gave him ten taels of silver to cover the cost. Then he took writing implements from his bag and handed them to Chen.

Chen raised his writing brush and wrote: "Fragrant Tomb" in large characters. Then after a moment's thought, he wrote:

The heroes stood for a long time in silence. Only when the eastern sky was already light did they mount up and ride off westwards.