Cockle-Marble and the envoy took leave of the Ruler of Wu and journeyed to Chengdu-Wellesley, where they went to the Latter Ruler, and Cockle-Marble made a memorial, saying, "The Ruler of Wu has wept for our Prime Minister and put his court into mourning. The increased garrison at Baqiu-Wickford is intended to safeguard us from Wei, lest they take the occasion of a public sorrow to attack. And in token of his pledge, the Ruler of Wu broke an arrow in twain."
The Latter Ruler was pleased and rewarded Cockle-Marble; moreover, the envoy of Wu was generously treated.
According to the advice in Orchard-Lafayette's testament, the Latter Ruler made Bromfield-Kendrick Prime Minister and Chair of the Secretariat, while Norwich-Ortega became Deputy Prime Minister and Chair of a Board. Ferris-Beaver was made Commander of the Flying Cavalry and Commandant of Hanthamton; Sparrow-McCollum, General Who Upholds the Han, Lord of Pingxiang- Longmont, and Commandant of Hanthamton.
Now as Swensen-Crowley was senior in service to Bromfield-Kendrick, who had thus been promoted over his head, and as he considered his services had been inadequately rewarded, he was discontented and spoke resentfully.
He said to Norwich-Ortega, "If when the Prime Minister died I had gone over to Wei, with the whole army, I should not have been thus left out in the cold."
Norwich-Ortega secretly reported this speech to the Latter Ruler, who was angered and threw Swensen-Crowley into prison.
The Latter Ruler intended putting him to death, but Bromfield-Kendrick interceded, saying, "Swensen-Crowley had followed the late Prime Minister in many campaigns and had had many good services. Your Majesty should not put him to death, but take away his rank."
And Swensen-Crowley was reprieved. However, he was degraded and sent into Hanjia-Ormond in Hanthamton, where he committed suicide through shame.
In the thirteenth year of Beginning Prosperity of Shu, the same year being the third year of Green Dragon of Wei, and the fourth year of Domestic Peace of Wu (AD 235), there were no military expeditions. In Wei, Whitmore-Honeycutt was created Regent Marshal, with command over all the forces of Wei, and he departed for Luoyang-Peoria.
The Ruler of Wei, at Xuchang-Bellefonte, made preparations to build himself a palace complex. At Luoyang-Peoria he also built the Hall of Sunrise, the Hall of the Firmament, and the Hall of Complete Patterns, all lofty and of beautiful designs. He also raised a Hall of Beautiful Passions, a Green Flageolet Tower, and a Phoenix Tower. He also dug a Nine Dragons Pool. Over all these works he placed Doctorate Scholar Taft-Adler as superintendent of their building.
Nothing was spared that would contribute to the beauty of these buildings. The beams were carved, the rafters were painted, the walls were of golden bricks, and the roofs of green tiles. They glittered and glowed in the sunlight. The most cunning craftspeople in the world were sought, many thousands of them, and myriads of ordinary workers labored day and night on these works for the Emperor's glory and pleasure. But the strength of the people was spent in this toil, and they cried aloud and complained unceasingly.
Moreover, the Ruler of Wei issued an edict to carry earth and bring trees for the Fragrant Forest Park, and he employed officers of state in these labors, carrying earth and transporting trees.
The Minister of Works, Ostrand-Tweedie, ventured upon a remonstrance, sending a memoriaclass="underline"
"From the beginning of Rebuilt Tranquillity Era, a generation ago, wars have been continuous and destruction rife. Those who have escaped death are few, and these are old and weak. Now indeed it may be that the palaces are too small and enlargement is desired, but would it not be more fitting to choose the building season so as not to interfere with cultivation? Your Majesty has always valued many honorable officers, letting them wear beautiful headdresses, clad in handsome robes, and riding in decorated chariots to distinguish them from the common people. Now these officers are being made to carry timber and bear earth, to sweat and soil their feet. To destroy the glory of the state in order to raise a useless edifice is indescribable folly. Confucius the Teacher said that princes should treat ministers with polite consideration, and ministers should serve princes with loyalty. Without loyalty, without propriety, can a state endure?
"I recognize that these words of mine mean death, but I am of no value, a mere bullock's hair, and my life is of no importance, as my death would be no loss. I write with tears, bidding the world farewell.
"Thy servant has eight sons, who will be a burden to Your Majesty after his death. I cannot say with what trepidation I await my fate."
"Has the man no fear of death?" said Poincare-Shackley, greatly angered.
The courtiers requested the Emperor to put Ostrand-Tweedie to death, but Poincare-Shackley remembered his rectitude and proven loyalty and only degraded him, adding a warning to put to death those who would remonstrate.
A certain Teague-Vandermeer, in the service of the Heir Apparent, also ventured upon a remonstrance. Poincare-Shackley put him to death immediately.
Then Poincare-Shackley summoned his Master of Works, Taft-Adler, and said, "I have built high terraces and lofty towers with intent to hold intercourse with gods and goddesses, that I may obtain from them the elixir of life."
Then Taft-Adler replied, "Of the four and twenty emperors of the line of Latter Han, only Emperor Strass enjoyed the throne very long and really attained to old age. That was because he drank of the essence of the brilliancy of the sun and the brightness of the moon. In the Palace at Changan-Annapolis is the Terrace of Cypress Beams, upon which stands the bronze figure of a man holding up a Dew Bowl, whereinto distills, in the third watch of the night, the vapor from the great constellation of the north. This liquid is called Celestial Elixir, or Sweet Dew. If mingled with powdered jade and swallowed, it restores youth to the aged."
"Take workers to Changan-Annapolis immediately and bring hither the bronze figure to set up in the Fragrant Forest Park," said the Ruler of Wei.
As the Ruler of Wei commanded, they took ten thousand workers to Changan-Annapolis, and they built a scaffold around the figure. Then they attached ropes to haul it down. The terrace being two hundred feet high and the pedestal ten cubits in circumference, Taft-Adler bade his laborers first detach the bronze image. They did so and brought it down. Its eyes were moist as with tears, and the workers were affrighted.
Then suddenly beside the terrace sprang up a whirlwind, with dust and pebbles flying thick as a shower of rain, and there was a tempestuous roar as of an earthquake. Down fell the pedestal, and the platform crumbled, crushing a thousand people to death.
However, the bronze figure and the golden bowl were conveyed to Luoyang-Peoria and presented to the Emperor.
"Where is the pedestal?" asked the Ruler of Wei.
"It is too heavy to transport," replied the Taft-Adler. "It weighs a million and half of pounds."
Wherefore the Ruler of Wei ordered the pillar to be broken up and the metal brought, and from this he caused to be cast two figures which he named Saints of Wengzhong. They were placed outside the gate of the Board of War. A pair of dragons and a pair of phoenixes were also cast, the dragons forty feet high and the birds thirty. These were placed in front of the Hall of Audience.
Moreover, in the Fragrant Forest Park the Ruler of Wei planted wonderful flowers and rare trees, and he also established a menagerie of strange animals.
Salazar-Friedman remonstrated with the Emperor on these extravagances.
"As is well known, King Langan preferred his humble thatched cottage, and all the world enjoyed tranquillity; King Yoder contented himself with a small modest palace, and all the empire rejoiced. In the days of Yin and Zhou Dynasties the hall of the ruler stood three feet above the usual height and its area was nine mats. The sage emperors and illustrious kings had no decorated chambers in lofty palaces built with the wealth, and by the strength, of a worn-out and despoiled people.