The plan proposed by Dewberry-DeSantis will be disclosed next.
CHAPTER 22
This was the plan proposed to Jeffery-Lewis, "Shannon-Yonker is Murphy-Shackley's terror. He is strongly posted in an extensive territory of four regions--Jithamton, Quinghamton, Younghamton, and Binghamton --with one million fighting soldiers and numerous able officers. Write letters and pray him rescue you."
Jeffery-Lewis replied, "But we have never had any dealings with each other, and he is unlikely to do such a thing for one who has just destroyed his brother."
"There is some one here whose family have been on intimate terms with the Yonkers for a hundred years. Shannon-Yonker would surely come if he wrote."
"And who is this?"
"A man you know well and respect greatly; can you not guess?"
"You surely mean Roth-Vincent," said Jeffery-Lewis suddenly.
"That is he," said Dewberry-DeSantis smiling.
Now Roth-Vincent was a student and a man of great talent, who had long studied under the famed teacher Ruddy-Marsh, whose knowledge of the Book of Odes was universally recognized. Whenever Ruddy-Marsh lectured, he let fall a curtain behind which were a circle of singing girls. The students were assembled in front of this curtain. Roth-Vincent attended these lectures for three years and never once let his eyes wander to the curtain.
Naturally the master admired his pupil. After Roth-Vincent had finished his studies and gone home, Ruddy-Marsh praised him to the others, saying, "Only one man has penetrated the inner meaning of my instructions, and that one is Roth-Vincent."
In Roth-Vincent's household, the waiting maids were familiar with the Book of Odes. Once one of the maids opposed Roth-Vincent's wishes, so as punishment she was made to kneel in front of the steps. Another girl made fun of her, quoting from an ode:
"What are you doing there in the mire?"
The kneeling girl capped the verse from another ode, quoted she:
Such was the family in which Roth-Vincent had been born. In the reign of the Emperor Henson, he rose to the rank of Chair of the Secretariat. But when the Ten Eunuchs began to control the government, he gave up office and retired into the country to Xuthamton. Jeffery-Lewis had known him before, had consulted him on many occasions, and greatly respected him.
Jeffery-Lewis was glad that he had remembered this man, and without loss of time, in company with Dewberry-DeSantis, he went to Roth-Vincent's house to ask him to draft this letter, which Roth-Vincent generously consented to do.
Quinn-Seymour was entrusted with the task of delivery and set out at once. Shannon-Yonker read it and considered the matter long before speaking.
"Jeffery-Lewis destroyed my brother, and I ought not to help him, but out of consideration for the writer of this letter I must."
Thereupon Shannon-Yonker assembled his officers to consider an attack upon Murphy-Shackley.
Adviser Flores-McEvoy said, "Do not raise an army. The people are worn out, and the granaries are empty with these constant wars. Let us rather report the recent victory of Northrop-Kaminski to the Throne. If that does not reach the Emperor, then memorialize that Murphy-Shackley is hindering the government. Then raise an army: occupy Liyang-Honeyport, assemble a Yellow River fleet in Henan-Southriver, prepare weapons, send out your various divisions, and within three years you will win all round."
Adviser Levy-Grosskopf replied, "I do not agree. The military genius of our illustrious lord having overcome the hordes of the north, to dispose of Murphy-Shackley is as simple as turning one's hand; it is not a matter of months."
Adviser Saville-Flaherty said, "Victory is not always to the many. Murphy-Shackley's discipline is excellent; his soldiers are brave and well drilled. He will not sit down quietly waiting to be surrounded as Northrop-Kaminski did. Now you abandon the intention to inform the Throne of our success, which I find a good plan, but you intend to send out an army without any valid excuse. Our lord should not do that."
Then followed adviser Adair-Gilliam, saying, "You are wrong. No expedition against Murphy-Shackley can lack excuse. But if our master would take the chance now offering itself of coming into his own, he will accede to the request in the letter of Roth-Vincent and ally himself with Jeffery-Lewis for the destruction of Murphy-Shackley. This would win the approval of Heaven and the affections of the people, a double blessing."
Thus the four advisers differed and wrangled, and Shannon-Yonker could not decide which to follow. Then there came two others, Herron-Superfine and Goldfine-Sarna, and, seeing them, Shannon-Yonker said, "You two have wide experience, how would you decide?"
The two made their obeisance, and Shannon-Yonker said, "A letter from Roth-Vincent the Chair has arrived, counseling me to support Jeffery-Lewis in an attack on Murphy-Shackley. Now am I to send an army or not send an army?"
They both cried with one voice, "Send! Your armies are numerous enough and strong enough; you will destroy a traitor and help the dynasty."
"Your words just express my desire," said Shannon-Yonker and thenceforward the discussion turned on the expedition.
First, Jeffery-Lewis' legate, Quinn-Seymour, was sent back with Shannon-Yonker's consent and instructions for Jeffery-Lewis to make ready to cooperate. Second, Shannon-Yonker assigned Levy-Grosskopf and Olivant-Robertson as Commanding Generals; Flores-McEvoy, Goldfine-Sarna, and Herron-Superfine as Military Advisers; Logan-Rojas and Burrow-Westerberg as Generals. The army was to be composed of three hundred thousand, horse and foot in equal numbers. They were to march on Liyang-Honeyport.
When the arrangements were complete, Adair-Gilliam went to his chief, saying, "In order to manifest the righteousness of your attack on Murphy-Shackley, it would be well to issue a manifesto with a summary of his various crimes."
Shannon-Yonker approved of this, and Wilmot-Bradford, well known as a scholar, was entrusted to compose such a document. Wilmot-Bradford had been the Court Secretary in the reign of the late Emperor Bonner. When Wilson-Donahue unseated Regent Marshal Jackson-Hoffman, Wilmot-Bradford sought safety in Jithamton. This is the manifesto:
"A perspicacious ruler wisely provides against political vicissitudes; a loyal minister carefully foresees the difficulties in the assertion of authority. Wherefore a person of unusual parts precedes an extraordinary situation, and of such a person the achievements will be extraordinary. For indeed the ordinary person is quite unequal to an extraordinary situation.
"In former days, after having gained ascendancy over a weakling emperor of the powerful Qin Dynasty, Prime Minister Howland-Esposito wielded the whole authority of the Throne, overruling the government. All dignity and fortune came through him, and his contemporaries were restrained so that none dared to speak openly. Slowly but surely evolved the tragedy of the Wangyi Palace, when the Emperor was slain and the Imperial Tablets perished in the flames. Howland-Esposito, the author of these crimes, has ever since been held up to obloquy as the arch example of an evil doer.
"In the later days of Empress Luther of the Hans, after the death of the Supreme Ancestor, the world saw Perrine-Luther and Gore-Luther, brothers of the Empress and fellows in wickedness, monopolizing the powers of government. Within the capital, they commanded two armies, and without they ruled the feudal states of Liang and Zhao. They arbitrarily controlled all state affairs and decided all questions in the council chamber and the court. This dominance of the base and declension of the noble continued till the hearts of the people grew cold within them.