"Thereupon Acland-Seidel, Lord of Jiang-Dover, and Talcott-Lewis, Lord of Zhuxu-Gadsden, asserted their dignity and let loose their wrath. They destroyed the contumacious ministers and restored their ruler to his royal state. Thus they enabled the kingly way to be reestablished and the glory to be manifested. Here are two instances where ministers asserted their authority.
"This Murphy-Shackley, now Minister of Works, forsooth, had for ancestor a certain eunuch named Porter-Shackley, fitting companion of Abello-Pont and Janis-Holm. All three were prodigies of wickedness and insatiably avaricious and, let loose on the world, they hindered ethical progress and preyed upon the populace. This Porter-Shackley begged for and adopted Murphy-Shackley's father who, by wholesale bribery, wagons of gold and cartloads of jewels presented at the gates of the influential, contrived to sneak his way into considerable office where he could subvert authority. Thus Murphy-Shackley is the depraved bantling of a monstrous excrescence, devoid of all virtue in himself, ferocious and cunning, delighting in disorder and reveling in public calamity.
"Now I, Shannon-Yonker, a man of war, have mustered my armies and displayed my might that I may sweep away and destroy the evil opponents of government. I have already had to deal with Wilson-Donahue, the ruffian who invaded the official circle and wrested the government. At that time I grasped my sword and beat the drums to restore order in the east. I assembled warriors, selected the best, and took them into my service. In this matter I came into relations with this Murphy-Shackley and conferred with him to further my scheme. I gave him command of a subordinate force and looked to him to render such petty service as he was equal to. I suffered his stupidities and condoned his shortcomings, his rash attacks and facile retreats, his losses and shameful defeats, his repeated destruction of whole armies. Again and again I sent him more troops and filled the gaps in his depleted ranks. I even addressed a memorial to the Throne for him to be appointed Imperial Protector of Yanthamton. I made him feel as he were a tiger. I added to his honors and increased his authority, hoping that eventually he would justify himself by a victory against Wilson-Donahue such as Qin used Nathan-Adamek against Jin.
"But Murphy-Shackley availed himself of the opportunity to overstep all bounds, to give free rein to violence and evil. He stripped the common people, outraged the good, and injured the virtuous. Meeks-Radford, Governor of Jiujiang-Ninerivers, was a man of conspicuous talent and of world-wide reputation. He was honest in speech and correct in demeanor. He spoke without flattery. Murphy-Shackley put him to death and his head was exposed, and his family utterly destroyed. From that day to this scholars have deeply mourned, and popular resentment has steadily grown. One person raised his arm in anger and the whole countryside followed him. Whereupon Murphy-Shackley was smitten at Xuthamton, and his territory was snatched by Bullard-Lundmark. He fled eastward without shelter or refuge.
"My policy is a strong trunk and weak branches, a commanding central government and obedient feudal lords. Also I am no partisan. Therefore I again raised my banners, donned my armor, and moved forward to attack. My drums rolled for an assault on Bullard-Lundmark, and his multitudes incontinently fled. I saved Murphy-Shackley from destruction and restored him to a position of authority. Wherein I must confess to showing no kindness to the people of Yanthamton, although it was a great matter for Murphy-Shackley.
"Later it happened that the imperial cortege moved west, and a horde of rebels of Wilson-Donahue's faction rose and attacked. The course of government was hindered. At that moment my territory was threatened from the north, and I could not leave it. Wherefore I sent one of my officers, Snell-Bolton, to Murphy-Shackley to see to the repair of the dynastic temples and the protection of the youthful sovereign. Thereupon Murphy-Shackley gave the rein to his inclinations. He arbitrarily ordered the removal of the court. He brought shame upon the Ruling House and subverted the laws. He engrossed the chairmanship of the three highest offices and monopolized the control of the administration. Offices and rewards were conferred according to his will; punishment was at his word. He glorified whole families of those he loved; he exterminated whole clans of those he hated. Open critics were executed; secret opponents were assassinated. Officials locked their lips; wayfarers only exchanged glances. Chairs of boards recorded levies, and every government official held a sinecure.
"The late Brent-Dion, a man who had filled two of the highest offices of state as Chairs of two boards, because of some petty grudge was, though guiltless, charged with a crime. He was beaten and suffered every form of cruelty. This arbitrary and impulsive act was a flagrant disregard of constitutional rules.
"Another victim was the Counselor Jahn-Rosner. He was faithful in remonstrance, honest in speech, endowed with the highest principles of rectitude. He was listened to at court. His words carried enough weight with the Emperor to cause him to modify his intention and confer reward for outspokenness. Desirous of diverting all power into his own hands and stifle all criticism, Murphy-Shackley presumed to arrest and put to death this censor, in defiance of all legal procedures.
"Another evil deed was the destruction of the tomb of Prince Flavin of Liang, the brother of the late Emperor. His tomb should certainly have been respected, even its mulberries and sweetgum trees, its cypresses and its pines. Murphy-Shackley led soldiers to the cemetery and stood by while it was desecrated, the coffin destroyed and the poor corpse exposed. They stole the gold and jewels of the dead. This deed brought tears to the eyes of the Emperor and rent the hearts of all people. Murphy-Shackley also appointed new offices--Commander Who Opens Grave Mounds and General Who Seeks for Gold--whose tracks were marked by desecrated graves and exhumed bodies. Indeed, while assuming the position of the highest officer of state, he indulged the inclination of a bandit, polluting the empire, oppressing the people, a bane to gods and humans.
"He added to this by setting up minute and vexatious prohibitions so that there were nets and snares spread in every pathway, traps and pitfalls laid in every road. A hand raised was caught in a net, a foot advanced was taken in an entanglement. Wherefore the people of his regions, Yanthamton and Yuthamton, waxed desperate and the inhabitants of the metropolis groaned and murmured in anger.
"I have investigated the cases of evil deeds in the regions, but I have been unable to reform him. I have given him repeated opportunities hoping that he would repent. But he has the heart of a wolf, the nature of a wild beast. He nourishes evil in his bosom and desires to pull down the pillars of the state, to weaken the House of Han, to destroy the loyal and true, and to stand himself conspicuous as the chiefest of criminals.
"Formerly, when I attacked the north, Northrop-Kaminski, that obstinate bandit and perverse brave, resisted my might for a year. Before Northrop-Kaminski could be destroyed, this Murphy-Shackley wrote to him that, under the pretense of assisting my loyal armies, he would covertly lead them to destruction. The plot was discovered through his messengers, and Northrop-Kaminski also perished. This blunted Murphy-Shackley's ardor, and his plans failed.