China by Edward Rutherfurd (historical books to read TXT) 📕

—

She was curious about everything. She wanted to know about Beijing and the Forbidden City, and how things were done there. She asked about the great rivers and the city of Nanjing, the Grand Canal and the Great Wall. All these things she had heard of, but never seen. She wanted to know about the emperor, too.

“He was only six when his father died,” he explained, “so he’s still a young boy. He’s taken the name of Tongzhi for his reign. It means ‘Union for Order’—which is certainly what we need. He’s advised by a regency council headed by his father’s senior wife—who’s very nice and quiet and doesn’t know much—and his mother, who used to be called the Noble Consort Yi, but who’s now known as Dowager Empress Cixi, a very strong character. They have the imperial seals used to authenticate royal documents. They’re advised by Prince Gong.”

“So is this Cixi really allowed a say in the government?”

“In practice, yes. In fact, just recently she’s become even more important than Prince Gong.”

“Has China ever been ruled by an empress?”

“Only once, by a very wicked woman they call the Empress Wu, during the Tang dynasty, twelve hundred years ago. She killed so many of her family to get power that after she died her gravestone was left blank.”

“Oh.” Mei-Ling sounded a bit disappointed.

“Funnily enough,” Shi-Rong went on pleasantly, “here in this region, in ancient times, the tribes were ruled by women.” He smiled. “Confucius would not have approved at all.” He noticed with amusement that when he said this, she kept silent.

She was also curious about the barbarians and the world outside the Celestial Empire. He explained how wise Prince Gong and others had discovered how to turn the barbarians to good use, as mercenaries, customs officials, and so forth.

“We have acquired their arms, and soon we shall buy their iron ships. We are even sending scholars to inspect their universities,” he told her proudly.

—

“I have one other question,” she said one day. “You spoke of buying the barbarians’ ships and guns. But what about their railroads?”

“Railroads?” He had heard the term, but was still a little vague as to what they were. The previous year, one of the barbarians had set up a few hundred yards of track with a small engine to demonstrate this invention in Beijing. Shi-Rong hadn’t seen it himself, but the authorities, having inspected the devilish contraption, had ordered it dismantled at once. “How did you hear of railroads?”

“One of my sons went to California, in America, and worked on the railroads. Thousands from our province have done the same.” And she told him all about the railroad: how it was constructed, what the engines and rolling stock were like, how much noise they made, and how these trains could carry people and goods for hundreds of miles, faster than any horse and cart. When she had finished speaking, Shi-Rong could only gaze at her in horror.

“This invention you describe sounds loathsome. We need to acquire arms from the barbarians to protect our civilization, not foul engines to destroy it. If the man we are sending to the West should encounter such a monstrous machine and report upon it, I am sure the emperor will continue to forbid its appearance here.”

Mei-Ling nodded respectfully.

But how strange it was, he thought, that an illiterate peasant woman from an obscure hamlet should know about such things when he, a highly educated mandarin, did not. And it seemed that thousands of other peasants must know about it, too.

—

Only one thing caused him unease at this time. It concerned Mei-Ling and young Peng. What did Peng think of his mistress?

The young fellow did his job well, he was respectful, and Shi-Rong had trained him not to talk too much. But he seemed rather straitlaced, and there’d been no sign of his taking up with any local women. Well, that was his business. But given that Peng’s father has told him I’m such a paragon of virtue, he thought, he may secretly disapprove of Mei-Ling. What if he were to tell his father about his feelings in a letter?

Shi-Rong knew what letters went from the prefecture to Beijing and the young man didn’t seem to have written home—a fact that rather surprised him. If this somewhat solemn young man was to tell his father that his new master’s domestic arrangements left something to be desired, Mr. Peng Senior would probably just laugh. But he might not.

Avoid trouble, Mr. Peng had advised. Play it safe. Would he think having a concubine from a country village was inappropriate behavior?

“You get along with my concubine, Mei-Ling, I think, don’t you?” he’d asked young Peng casually one morning.

“Yes, master. She’s very intelligent,” Peng added respectfully.

“Quite. And she thinks well of you.” He paused a moment. “It’s a pity that she is only a country peasant, with unbound feet, of course. She’ll return to her village when my tour of duty here is done. But I confess that I shall be sorry to part from her.”

“You will part from her?”

“Naturally.” He gave the young man a serious look. “It is very important in one’s career, Peng, to observe all the proper conventions. It’s one thing to have a concubine like Mei-Ling down here—and you may be sure that I discussed the matter with the prefect. But up in Beijing, for instance, no matter how charming and intelligent she is, it wouldn’t do. I’m sure you understand.”

“I understand, master.”

“Good. That’s all, Peng. I’ll let you get on with your work.”

This conversation should have set Shi-Rong’s mind at rest. But it didn’t. Within days he was cursing himself. I shouldn’t have raised the subject at all, he thought. All I’ve done is put it in his mind. He wondered what he could do about it.

—

When he’d first arrived at the sub-prefect’s residence at Guilin, he’d been pleased to find that it was well furnished, but not in an ostentatious manner. Much of the furniture