the jacket (the star-rover)-第43章

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drinking　contests　with　Taiwun。　　I　think　the　Lady　Om　guessed　the

truth　and　kept　it　to　herself；　wit　was　not　her　desire；　but；　as　Hamel

had　said；　a　bull　throat　and　a　man's　yellow　hair。



Much　that　pawed　between　us　I　shall　not　relate；　though　the　Lady　Om　is

dear　dust　these　centuries。　　But　she　was　not　to　be　denied；　nor　was　I；

and　when　a　man　and　woman　will　their　hearts　together　heads　may　fall

and　kingdoms　crash　and　yet　they　will　not　forgo。



Came　the　time　when　our　marriage　was　mootedoh；　quietly；　at　first；

most　quietly；　as　mere　palace　gossip　in　dark　corners　between　eunuchs

and　waiting…women。　　But　in　a　palace　the　gossip　of　the　kitchen

scullions　will　creep　to　the　throne。　　Soon　there　was　a　pretty　to…do。

The　palace　was　the　pulse　of　Cho…Sen；　and　when　the　palace　rocked；

Cho…Sen　trembled。　　And　there　was　reason　for　the　rocking。　　Our

marriage　would　be　a　blow　straight　between　the　eyes　of　Chong　Mong…ju。

He　fought；　with　a　show　of　strength　for　which　Yunsan　was　ready。

Chong　Mong…ju　disaffected　half　the　provincial　priesthood；　until　they

pilgrimaged　in　processions　a　mile　long　to　the　palace　gates　and

frightened　the　Emperor　into　a　panic。



But　Yunsan　held　like　a　rock。　　The　other　half　of　the　provincial

priesthood　was　his；　with；　in　addition；　all　the　priesthood　of　the

great　cities　such　as　Keijo；　Fusan；　Songdo；　Pyen…Yang；　Chenampo；　and

Chemulpo。　　Yunsan　and　the　Lady　Om；　between　them；　twisted　the　Emperor

right　about。　　As　she　confessed　to　me　afterward；　she　bullied　him　with

tears　and　hysteria　and　threats　of　a　scandal　that　would　shake　the

throne。　　And　to　cap　it　all；　at　the　psychological　moment；　Yunsan

pandered　the　Emperor　to　novelties　of　excess　that　had　been　long

preparing。



〃You　must　grow　your　hair　for　the　marriage　knot；〃　Yunsan　warned　me

one　day；　with　the　ghost　of　a　twinkle　in　his　austere　eyes；　more

nearly　facetious　and　human　than　I　had　ever　beheld　him。



Now　it　is　not　meet　that　a　princess　espouse　a　sea…cuny；　or　even　a

claimant　of　the　ancient　blood　of　Koryu；　who　is　without　power；　or

place；　or　visible　symbols　of　rank。　　So　it　was　promulgated　by

imperial　decree　that　I　was　a　prince　of　Koryu。　　Next；　after　breaking

the　bones　and　decapitating　the　then　governor　of　the　five　provinces；

himself　an　adherent　of　Chong　Mong…ju；　I　was　made　governor　of　the

seven　home　provinces　of　ancient　Koryu。　　In　Cho…Sen　seven　is　the

magic　number。　　To　complete　this　number　two　of　the　provinces　were

taken　over　from　the　hands　of　two　more　of　Chong　Mong…ju's　adherents。



Lord；　Lord；　a　sea…cuny　。　。　。　and　dispatched　north　over　the　Mandarin

Road　with　five　hundred　soldiers　and　a　retinue　at　my　back！　　I　was　a

governor　of　seven　provinces；　where　fifty　thousand　troops　awaited　me。

Life；　death；　and　torture；　I　carried　at　my　disposal。　　I　had　a

treasury　and　a　treasurer；　to　say　nothing　of　a　regiment　of　scribes。

Awaiting　me　also　was　a　full　thousand　of　tax…farmers；　who　squeezed

the　last　coppers　from　the　toiling　people。



The　seven　provinces　constituted　the　northern　march。　　Beyond　lay　what

is　now　Manchuria；　but　which　was　known　by　us　as　the　country　of　the

Hong…du；　or　〃Red　Heads。〃　　They　were　wild　raiders；　on　occasion

crossing　the　Yalu　in　great　masses　and　over…running　northern　Cho…Sen

like　locusts。　　It　was　said　they　were　given　to　cannibal　practices。　　I

know　of　experience　that　they　were　terrible　fighters；　most　difficult

to　convince　of　a　beating。



A　whirlwind　year　it　was。　　While　Yunsan　and　the　Lady　Om　at　Keijo

completed　the　disgrace　of　Chong　Mong…ju；　I　proceeded　to　make　a

reputation　for　myself。　　Of　course　it　was　really　Hendrik　Hamel　at　my

back；　but　I　was　the　fine　figure…head　that　carried　it　off。　　Through

me　Hamel　taught　our　soldiers　drill　and　tactics　and　taught　the　Red

Heads　strategy。　　The　fighting　was　grand；　and　though　it　took　a　year；

the　year's　end　saw　peace　on　the　northern　border　and　no　Red　Heads　but

dead　Red　Heads　on　our　side　the　Yalu。



I　do　not　know　if　this　invasion　of　the　Red　Heads　is　recorded　in

Western　history；　but　if　so　it　will　give　a　clue　to　the　date　of　the

times　of　which　I　write。　　Another　clue：　　when　was　Hideyoshi　the

Shogun　of　Japan？　　In　my　time　I　heard　the　echoes　of　the　two

invasions；　a　generation　before；　driven　by　Hideyoshi　through　the

heart　of　Cho…Sen　from　Fusan　in　the　south　to　as　far　north　as　Pyeng…

Yang。　　It　was　this　Hideyoshi　who　sent　back　to　Japan　a　myriad　tubs　of

pickled　ears　and　noses　of　Koreans　slain　in　battle。　　I　talked　with

many　old　men　and　women　who　had　seen　the　fighting　and　escaped　the

pickling。



Back　to　Keijo　and　the　Lady　Om。　　Lord；　Lord；　she　was　a　woman。　　For

forty　years　she　was　my　woman。　　I　know。　　No　dissenting　voice　was

raised　against　the　marriage。　　Chong　Mong…ju；　clipped　of　power；　in

disgrace；　had　retired　to　sulk　somewhere　on　the　far　north…east　coast。

Yunsan　was　absolute。　　Nightly　the　single　beacons　flared　their

message　of　peace　across　the　land。　　The　Emperor　grew　more　weak…legged

and　blear…eyed　what　of　the　ingenious　deviltries　devised　for　him　by

Yunsan。　　The　Lady　Om　and　I　had　won　to　our　hearts'　desires。　　Kim　was

in　command　of　the　palace　guards。　　Kwan　Yung…jin；　the　provincial

governor　who　had　planked　and　beaten　us　when　we　were　first　cast　away；

I　had　shorn　of　power　and　banished　for　ever　from　appearing　within　the

walls　of　Keijo。



Oh；　and　Johannes　Maartens。　　Discipline　is　well　hammered　into　a　sea…

cuny；　and；　despite　my　new　greatness；　I　could　never　forget　that　he

had　been　my　captain　in　the　days　we　sought　new　Indies　in　the

Sparwehr。　　According　to　my　tale　first　told　in　Court；　he　was　the　only

free　man　in　my　following。　　The　rest　of　the　cunies；　being　considered

my　slaves；　could　not　aspire　to　office　of　any　sort　under　the　crown。

But　Johannes　could；　and　did。　　The　sly　old　fox！　　I　little　guessed　his

intent　when　he　asked　me　to　make　him　governor　of　the　paltry　little

province　of　Kyong…ju。　　Kyong…ju　had　no　wealth　of　farms　or　fisheries。

The　taxes　scarce　paid　the　collecting；　and　the　governorship　was

little　more　than　an　empty　honour。　　The　place　was　in　truth　a

graveyarda　sacred　graveyard；　for　on　Tabong　Mountain　were　shrined

and　sepultured　the　bones　of　the　ancient　kings　of　Silla。　　Better

governor　of　Kyong…ju　than　retainer　of　Adam　Strang；　was　what　I

thought　was　in　his　mind；　nor　did　I　dream　that　it　was　except　for　fear

of　loneliness　that　caused　him　to　take　four　of　the　cunies　with　him。



Gorgeous　were　the　two　years　that　followed。　　My　seven　provinces　I

governed　mainly　though　needy　yang…bans　selected　for　me　by　Yunsan。

An　occasional　inspection；　done　in　state　and　accompanied　by　the　Lady

Om；　was　all　that　was　required　of　me。　　She　possessed　a　summer　palace

on　the　south　coast；　which　we　frequented　much。　　Then　there　were　man's

diversions。　　I　became　patron　of　the　sport　of　wrestling；　and　revived

archery　among　the　yang…bans。　　Also；　there　was　tiger…hunting　in　the

northern　mountains。



A　remarkable　thing　was　the　tides　of　Cho…Sen。　　On　our　north…east

coast　there　was　scarce　a　rise　and　fall　of　a　foot。　　On　our　west　coast

the　neap　tides　ran　as　high　as　sixty　feet。　　Cho…Sen　had　no　commerce；

no　foreign　traders。　　There　was　no　voyaging　beyond　her　coasts；　and　no

voyaging　of　other　peoples　to　her　coasts。　　This　was　due　to　her

immemorial　policy　of　isolation。　　Once　in　a　decade　or　a　score　of

years　Chinese　ambassadors　arrived；　but　they　came　overland；　around

the　Yellow　Sea；　across　the　country　of　the　Hong…du；　and　down　the

Mandarin　Road　to　Keijo。　　The　round　trip　was　a　year…long　journey。

Their　mission　was　to　exact　from　our　Emperor　the　empty　ceremonial　of

acknowledgment　of　China's　ancient　suzerainty。



But　Hamel；　from　long　brooding；　was　ripening　for　action。　　His　plans

grew　apace。　　Cho…Sen　was　Indies　enough　for　him　could　he　but　work　it

right。　　Little　he　confided；　but　when　he　began　to　play　to　have　me

made　admiral　of　the　Cho…Sen　navy　of　junks；　and　to　inquire　more　than

casually　of　the　details　of　the　store…places　of　the　imperial

treasury；　I　could　put　two　and　two　together。



Now　I　did　not　care　to　depart　from　Cho…Sen　except　with　the　Lady　Om。

When　I　broached　the　po