along a coastal road somewhere south of the yangtze river , a detachment of soldier , each of they arm with a halberd , be escort a line of seven prison cart , trudge northwards in the tooth of a bitter wind .
in each of the first three cart a single male prisoner be cage , identifiable by he dress as a member of the scholar class .
one be a white-haired old man .
the other two be man of middle year .
the four rear cart be occupy by woman , the last of they by a young mother hold a baby girl at she breast .
the little girl be cry in a continuous wail which she mother 's gentle word of comfort be powerless to console .
one of the soldier march alongside , irritated by the baby 's cry , aim a mighty kick at the cart .
' stop it !
shut up !
or i 'll really give you something to cry about ! '
the baby , startle by this sudden violence , cry even louder .
under the eaves of a large house , some hundred yard from the road , a middle-aged scholar be stand with a ten - or eleven-year-old boy at he side .
he be evidently affect by this little scene , for a groan escape he lip and he appear to be very close to tear .
' poor creature ! ' he murmur to himself .
' papa , ' say the little boy , ' what have they do wrong ? '
' what indeed ! ' say the man , bitterly .
' during these last two day they must have make more than thirty arrest .
all we best scholar .
and all of they innocent , catch up in the net , ' he add in a undertone , for fear that the soldier might hear he .
that girl 's only a baby , ' say the boy .
' what can she possibly be guilty of ?
it be very wrong . '
' so you understand that what the government soldier do be wrong , ' say the man .
' good for you , my son ! '
he sigh .
' they be the cleaver and we be the meat .
they be the cauldron and we be the deer . '
' you explain " they be the cleaver and we be the meat " the other day , papa , ' say the boy .
' it be what they say when people be massacre or behead .
like meat or fish be slice up on the chopping-board .
do " they be the cauldron and we be the deer " mean the same thing ? '
' yes , more or less , ' say the man ; and since the train of soldier and prison cart be now fast receding , he take the boy by the hand .
' let 's go indoors now , ' he say .
' it be too windy for stand outside . '
indoors the two of they go , and into he study .
the man pick up a writing-brush and moisten it on the ink-slab , then , on a sheet of paper , he write the character for a deer .
' the deer be a wild animal , but although it be comparatively large , it have a very peaceable nature .
it eat only grass and leave and never harm other animal .
so when other animal want to hurt it or to eat it , all it can do be run away .
if it can not escape by run away , it get eat . '
he write the character for ' chase the deer ' on the sheet of paper .
' that be why in ancient time they often use the deer as a symbol of empire .
the common people , who be the subject of empire , be gentle and obedient .
like the deer 's , it be they lot to be cruelly treat and oppress .
in the history of the han dynasty it say " qin lose the deer and the world go chase after it " .
that mean that when the qin emperor lose control of the empire , ambitious man rise up everywhere and fight each other to possess it .
in the end it be the first han emperor who get this big , fat deer by defeat the tyrant king of chu . '
' i know , ' say the boy .
' in my story-book it say " they chase the deer on the central plain " .
that mean they be all fight each other to become emperor . '
the scholar nod , pleased with he young son 's astuteness .
he draw a picture of a cauldron on the sheet of paper .
' in olden time they do not use a cooking-pot on the stove to cook they food in , they use a three-legged cauldron like this and light a fire underneath it .
when they catch a deer they put it in a cauldron to seethe it .
those ancient emperor and great minister be very cruel .
if they do not like somebody , they would pretend that they have commit some crime or other , and then they would put they in a cauldron and boil they .
in the records of a historian lin xiangru say to the king of qin , " deceiving you majesty be a capital offence .
i beg to approach the cauldron . "
what he mean be , " i deserve to die .
put i in the cauldron and boil i . " '
' often in my story-book i have see the word " ask about the cauldron in the central plain " , ' say the boy .
' it seem to mean the same thing as " chase the deer in the central plain " . '
' it do , ' say the man .
' king yu of the xia dynasty , the first dynasty that ever be , collect metal from all the nine province of the empire and use it to cast nine great cauldron with .
" metal " in those day mean bronze .
each of these bronze cauldron have the name of one of the nine province on it and a map show the mountain and river of that province .
in later time whoever become master of the empire automatically become the guardian of these cauldron .
in the chronicle of zuo it say that when the viscount of chu be review he troops on zhou territory and the zhou king send prince man to he with he royal compliment , the viscount question prince man about the size and weight of the cauldron .
of course , as ruler of the whole empire , only the zhou king have the right to be guardian of the cauldron .
for a mere viscount like the ruler of chu to ask question about they show that he be plan to seize the empire for himself . '
' so " ask about the cauldron " and " chase the deer " both mean want to be emperor , ' say the boy .
' and " not know who will kill the deer " mean not know who be go to be emperor . '
' that be right , ' say the man .
' as time go by these expression come to be apply to other situation as well , but originally they be only use in the sense of want to be emperor . '
he sigh .
' for the common people though , the subject of empire , we role be to be the deer .
it may be uncertain who will kill the deer , but the deer get kill all right .
there be no uncertainty about that . '
he walk over to the window and gaze outside .
the sky have now turn a leaden hue show that snow be on its way .
he sigh again , ' he must be a cruel god up there .
those hundred of poor , innocent soul on the road in this freezing weather .
the snow will only add to they suffering . '
two figure catch he eye , move along the highway from the south .
they walk close together , side by side , each of they wear a coolie hat and a rain-cape .
as they draw nearer , he recognize they with a cry of pleasure .
' it be uncle huang and uncle gu , ' he say to the boy as he hurry out to greet they .
' zongxi , yanwu , what good wind blow you hither ? ' he call out to they .
the one he address as ' zongxi ' be a somewhat portly man with a plentiful beard cover the lower half of he face .
he full name be huang zongxi and he , like he host , be a man of zhejiang province .
the other one , a tall , thin man with a swarthy complexion , be gu yanwu , a native of kunshan in jiangsu province .
huang zongxi and gu yanwu be two of the foremost scholar of they day .
both of they , from patriotic motive , have go into retirement when the ming empire collapse , be unwilling to take office under a foreign power .
gu yanwu draw a little closer before reply .
' liuliang , we have something serious to discuss with you .
that be what bring we here today . '
liuliang be the man 's name , then — lü liuliang .
he family have live for generation in chongde , a prefecture in the hangzhou district of zhejiang province .
like huang zongxi and gu yanwu , to whom you have just be introduce , he be a historical personage , famous among those southern gentleman who , during the last day of the ming dynasty and the early day of the manchu conquest , bury themselves away on they estate and refuse to take part in public life .
lü liuliang observe the grave expression on he visitor ' face .
know of old how unfailingly gu yanwu 's political judgement be to be trust , he realize that what the latter have refer to as ' something serious ' must be very serious indeed .
he clasp he hand and bow to he guest politely .
' come inside , ' he say .
' drink a few cup of wine first , to warm yourselve up a bit . '
as he usher they into the study , he give a order to the boy .
' baozhong , tell you mother that uncle huang and uncle gu be here .
ask she to slice a couple of plateful of that goat 's meat pate to go with we wine . '
in a minute or two the boy come in again , accompany by he younger brother .
they be carry three set of chopstick and wine-cup which they lay on the study table .
a old servant follow they carry a wine-kettle and balance some plate of cold meat .
lü liuliang wait until the two boy and the servant be outside the room and close the study door .
' come , my friend , ' he say .
' wine first . '
huang zongxi decline gloomily with a brief shake of the head ; but gu yanwu , help himself unceremoniously from the wine-kettle , down half a dozen of the tiny cupful in quick succession .
' i suppose you visit have something to do with this ming history business , ' say lü liuliang .
' precisely , ' say huang zongxi .
gu yanwu raise he wine-cup and , in ring tone , recite the follow couplet :
the cool wind sway not i , howe'er it blow ; for i the bright moon still shine everywhere .
' that be a splendid couplet of yours , liuliang , ' he say .
' whenever i drink wine now , i have to recite it — and do it justice , too , ' he add , with a ceremonious flourish of he wine-cup .
in spite of lü liuliang 's patriotic unwillingness to serve , a local official , impress by what he have hear of lü 's reputation , have once seek to recommend he as a ' hide talent ' merit a summons to the manchu court for suitable employment ; but lü have make it clear that he would die rather than accept such a tone , recite summons , and the matter have be drop .
some time later , however , when another high-ranking official send forward he name as a ' distinguish scholar of exceptional merit ' , lü realize that he continued refusal would be construe by the court as a open slight , with fatal consequence for himself and perhaps he family .
accordingly he have have himself tonsured ( though not in fact with any intention of become a real monk ) , whereupon the government official be finally convince of he determination and cease urge he to come out of he retirement .
gu yanwu 's enthusiasm for lü 's somewhat pedestrian couplet spring from the fact that it contain a hidden message .
in chinese the word for ' cool ' be qing ( the word choose by the manchus for they new ' chinese ' dynasty ) and the word for ' bright ' be ming ( the name of the old chinese dynasty they have supplant ) .
so the couplet gu have recite could be understand to mean : the qing wind sway not i , howe'er it blow ; for i the ming moon still shine everywhere .
in other word , ' i will never bow to the manchus , however they may threaten and cajole .
for i the empire be still the ming empire , whose loyal subject i remain . '
although the poem in which these line occur could not be publish , they be familiar to all the like-minded scholar of lü 's wide acquaintance , and huang , hear they recite now by gu , respond to the challenge by raise a wine-cup in homage .
' yes , it be a very good poem , ' he say , and drain it off at a gulp .
' thank you both , but it do not deserve you praise , ' say lü liuliang .
chance to glance upward at that moment , gu yanwu find he attention catch by a large painting which be hang on one of the wall .
it must have measure near enough four foot from top to bottom and well over three yard horizontally .
it be a landscape , so magnificently conceive and boldly execute that he could not forbear a cry of admiration .
the sole inscription on this enormous painting be the phrase ' this lovely land ' write in very large character at the top .
' from the brushwork i should say this must be erzhan 's work , ' he say .
' you be absolutely right , ' say lü .
this erzhan 's real name be zha shibiao .
he be a well-known painter in the late ming , early manchu period and a good friend of the three man present .
' how be it that so fine a painting lack a signature ? ' say huang .
lü sigh .
the painting have a message , ' he say .
' but you know what a stolid , careful person erzhan be .
he would not sign it and he would not write any inscription .
he paint it for i on a sudden impulse when he be stay with i a month or so ago .
why do not you two write a few line on it ? '
gu and huang get up and go over to examine the painting more closely .
it be a picture of the yangtze , the great river , roll majestically eastward between innumerable peak , with a suitable garnishing of gnarled pine and strange misshapen rock : a very beautiful landscape be it not for the all-pervading mist and cloud which seem calculate to create a oppressive feeling of gloom in anyone look at it .
' this lovely land under the heel of the barbarian ! ' say gu yanwu .
' and we have to swallow we humiliation and go on living in it .
it make my blood boil .
why do not you do a inscription , liuliang — a poem that will give voice to what erzhan have in mind to say ? '
' very well , ' say lü liuliang , and he take the huge scroll carefully down from the wall and spread it out on the desk , while huang zongxi set about grind he some ink .
he pick up a writing-brush and for some minute could be observe mutter to himself in the throe of composition ; then , write straight on to the painting and with pause only for moisten the brush , he quickly complete the follow poem :
be this the same of great song 's south retreat , this lovely land that hide its face in shame ?
or be it after mount yai 's fateful leap ? this lovely land then scarce dare breathe its name .
now that i seem to read the painter 's mind , my bitter teardrop match he drizzling rain .
past woe i see reborn in present time : this draw the groan that no gag can restrain .
methinks the painter use poor gaoyu 's tear to mix he colour and he brush to wet .
' this lovely land ' be commentary enough ; no need be there for other word to fret .
the blind would see , the lame would walk again , could we but bring , back hong wu 's glorious day .
with what wild joy we would look down from each height and see the landscape free of mist and haze !
he throw the brush on the floor as he finish and burst into tear .
' it say all there be to say , ' say gu yanwu .
' masterly ! '
' it lack subtlety , ' say lü .
' in no way could you call it a good poem .
i merely want to put erzhan 's original idea into write so that anyone look at the picture in day to come will know what it be about . '
' when china do eventually emerge from this time of darkness , ' say huang , ' we shall indeed " see the landscape free of mist and haze " .
when that time come , we shall gaze at even the poorest , meanest , most barren landscape with a feeling of joyful liberation .
then , indeed , we shall look down with " wild joy . . . from each height " ! '
' you conclusion be excellent , ' say gu .
' when we do eventually rid we country of this foreign scum , the feeling of relief will be infinitely greater than the somewhat arid satisfaction we get from occasionally uncork we feeling as we do now . '
huang carefully roll up the painting .
' you will not be able to hang this up any more now , liuliang , ' he say .
' you would better put it away somewhere safe .
if some evil-intentioned person like wu zhirong be to set eye on it , you would soon have the authority round ask question and the consequence could be serious not only for you but probably for erzhan as well . '
that vermin wu zhirong ! ' say gu yanwu , smite the desk with he hand .
' i could willingly tear he flesh with my tooth ! '
' you say when you come that you have something serious to discuss with i , ' say lü , ' yet here we be , like typical scholar , fritter we time away on poetry and painting instead of attend to business .
what be it , exactly , that bring you here ? '
' it have to do with erzhan 's kinsman yihuang , ' say huang .
the day before yesterday gu and i learn that he have now be name in connection with the ming history affair . '
' yihuang ? ' say lü .
' you mean he be be drag into it too ? '
' i be afraid so , ' say huang .
' as soon as we hear , the two of we hurry as quickly as we could to he home in yuanhua town , but he be not there .
they say he would go off to visit a friend .
in view of the urgency , yanwu advise the family to make they getaway as soon as it be dark .
then , remember that yihuang be a good friend of yours , we think we would come and look for he here , '
' no , ' say lü , ' no , he be not here .
i do not know where he can have go . '
' if he have be here , he would have show himself by now , ' say gu .
' i leave a poem for he on he study wall .
if he go back home , he will understand when he read the poem that he be to go and hide .
what i be afraid of , though , be that he may not have hear the news yet and may expose himself unnecessarily outside and get himself arrest .
that would be terrible , '
' practically every scholar in west zhejiang have fall victim to this wretched ming history business , ' say huang .
' the manchu court have obviously get it in for we .
you be too well know .
gu and i both think that you ought to leave here — for the time be , at any rate .
find somewhere away from here where you can shelter from the storm , '
lü liuliang look angry .
' let the tartar emperor have i arrest and carry off to peke ! ' he say .
' if i could curse he to he face and get rid of some of the anger that be pen up inside i , i think i should die happy , even though it mean have the flesh cut slice by slice from my bone ! '
' i admire you heroic spirit , ' say gu , ' but i do not think there be much likelihood of you meet the tartar emperor face to face .
you would die at the hand of miserable slave .
besides , the tartar emperor be still a child who know nothing about anything .
the government be in the hand of the all-powerful minister oboi .
huang and i be both of the opinion that oboi be at the back of this ming history affair .
the reason they be make such a song and dance about it and pursue it with such ferocity be that he see in it a means of break the spirit of the southern gentry . '
' i be sure you be right , ' say lü .
' when the manchu troops first come inside the wall , they have pretty much of a free run in the whole of northern china .
it be not till they come south that they find themselves run into resistance everywhere .
the scholar in particular , as guardian of chinese culture , have give they endless trouble .
so oboi be use this business to crush the southern gentry , be he ?
humph !
what do the poet say ?
the bush fire can not burn they out . for next year 's spring will see they sprout . — unless , that be , he plan to wipe out the lot of we ! '
' quite , ' say huang .
' if we be to carry on the struggle against the tartars , we need anyone who can be of use to stay alive .
indulge in heroics at this juncture might be satisfy , but would be merely fall into they trap . '
lü suddenly understand .
it be not only to look for zha yihuang that he friend have make they journey to he in the bitter cold .
they have come because they want to persuade he to escape .
they know how impetuous he be and be afraid that he might throw he life away to no purpose .
this be true friendship and he feel grateful for it .
' you give i such good advice , ' he say , ' i can hardly refuse to follow it .
all right , then .
i 'll leave with the family first thing tomorrow . '
huang and gu be visibly delighted and chorus they approval of he decision , but lü look uncertain .
' but where can we go ? '
the whole world belong to the tartars now , it seem .
not a single patch of land be free of they hate presence .
he think of the poet tao yuanming 's story about the fisherman who , by follow a stream that flow between flowering peach tree , have stumble on a earthly paradise — a place where refugee from ancient tyranny have find a haven .
' ah , peach tree stream , ' he murmur , ' if i could but find you ! '
' come , ' say gu , ' even if there be such a place , we can not , as individual , opt out altogether .
in time like these — '
before he could finish , lü strike the desk with he hand and jump to he foot , loudly disclaim he own weakness , ' you do right to rebuke i , yanwu .
the citizen of a conquered country still have he duty .
it be all very well to take temporary refuge , but to live a life of ease in some peach tree haven while million be suffer under the iron heel of the tartars would be less than human .
i speak without think . '
gu yanwu smile .
' i have knock about a great deal during these last few year , ' he say , ' and make friend with a extraordinary variety of people .
and wherever i have be , north or south of the river , i have discover that it be not only among educate people like ourselves that resistance to the tartars be to be find .
many of we most ardent patriot be small tradesman , yamen runner , or market folk — people belong to the very lowest rank of society .
if you would care to join we , the three of we could travel to yangzhou together .
i have a number of contact there i could introduce you to .
what do you think ? '
' but that would be wonderful , ' say lü liuliang delightedly .
' we leave for yangzhou tomorrow , then .
if the two of you will just sit here for a moment , i 'll go and tell my wife to start get thing ready . '
he hurry off to the inner quarter , but be back in the study again after only a few minute .
' about this ming history business , ' he say .
' i have hear a good deal of talk about it outside , but you can not believe everything people say ; and in any case they conceal a lot of what they do know out of fear .
i be so isolate here , i have no means of find out the truth .
tell i , how do it all begin ? '
gu yanwu sigh .
' we have all see this ming history .
there be , inevitably , passage in it which be not very complimentary to the tartars .
it be write by zhu guozhen , who , as you know , be a former chancellor at the ming court .
when he come to write about the " antic of the paramount chief of the jianzhou tribe " , which be how the ming court use to refer to the tartars , it be a bit hard to see how he could have be polite . '
lü nod : ' i hear somewhere that a member of the zhuang family of huzhou pay one of chancellor zhu 's heir a thousand tael of silver for the manuscript and publish it under he own name — never dream , of course , that it would lead to such terrible consequence . '
gu go on to tell he the whole story .
