China Edward Rutherfurd (essential reading .txt) 📖

said. “He thinks of everything. I just wish he didn’t dislike me.” Which was all true.

“You shall stay with us, Lacquer Nail,” she said. “I’m sure Prince Gong can use a person of your abilities.”

When Prince Gong came back in the early evening, he was looking quite grim. It wasn’t long before the servants all knew what was happening. He had protested to both the French and the British barbarians about the disgraceful looting of the Summer Palace. But he’d got nothing from them except demands that he return their hostages. Worse still, the envoys he’d sent to Lord Elgin got the impression the British soldiers were angry that only the French had been given the chance to loot. And other spies reported that the French officers had been showing the British officers around the Yuanmingyuan that very day.

After he’d eaten his evening meal, Prince Gong sent for me. He gave me a curt nod. “I’ve been told about your adventures. Is it all true? I shall have you thrown in jail if you’ve lied.”

“Your slave swears on his life it is all true,” I answered.

“She wants me to employ you.” He gazed at me for a moment. “At least you can take out the chamber pots!” he suddenly cried, with a shout of laughter. Then he waved me away.

I didn’t mind. I was just glad that he was in a good mood and that I could stay there.

—

I was going to bed that evening when I was told the princess wanted me again. She received me in the same room, but her maid was already undoing her hair.

“Lacquer Nail,” she said, “I want you to perform a great service for me. In all the confusion yesterday, I left something in the Summer Palace to which I am very attached. And if it is still there and if the British barbarians come to loot the place again, I fear it may be lost forever. It is a beautiful jadeite pendant that the emperor himself gave me. It is of great sentimental value.”

“Of course, Princess,” I said with a low bow. “Your lowly servant would be honored.” And I gave her a smile to show that I really meant it.

“The pendant is on a ribbon,” she explained, “and it’s hidden inside a secret compartment in a cabinet.” And she told me where the cabinet was and explained exactly how to get the compartment open. “It takes a few moments,” she said. “You’d never know the compartment’s there. Just so long as the barbarians didn’t start breaking up the furniture.”

I couldn’t imagine even the British barbarians would start smashing the palace furniture.

“I suggest that I go at first light, before anyone goes out there,” I said.

“Do you want any soldiers to protect you?” she asked.

“I don’t think so,” I said. “If the British were to turn up early, a few soldiers wouldn’t be able to help me much. It’s probably best if I just slip in and out before anyone sees.”

—

It was early dawn when I went out of the western city gate. Before sunrise I passed through the main entrance of the Yuanmingyuan. There were no guards on duty.

I had just one task to perform: Find the princess’s jadeite pendant and return.

All the same, I did make one small detour on my way in from the entrance. I walked across to look into Mr. Ma’s enclosure of penzai trees. I didn’t expect to find him there so early; and indeed, I couldn’t have stopped to talk to him if I had. But I wanted to make sure that no one had damaged his precious trees.

—

Mr. Ma was in the entrance to the enclosure, lying on his back. His jaw was hanging open and his blue cheeks had drawn in so that his mouth made a meaningless little O. His eyes stared blankly up at the sky. There was a circle of blackened blood in the middle of his small chest where someone had shot him. I wondered why. A few of his penzai trees had had their ropes cut, as if the French troops had meant to liberate them from their bondage. But I didn’t think any of the trees had been taken to a new home. I expect he’d tried to prevent the looters from coming into the enclosure, and they’d shot him because he was in the way.

I suppose that’s how it is with war. Some people are killed for a good reason, some for a bad reason, and others for no reason at all.

—

The cabinet was just as the princess had described it—beautiful double-doored, dark rosewood—standing against one wall. There was no sign that the cabinet had been tampered with. It should be easy enough to open, I thought. I went across, opened the right-hand door, and felt inside for a little sliding panel, exactly as the princess had told me to.

Ten minutes later, I was still flummoxed. Five steps: Slide the panel, press the wood behind, slip one’s fingers into the cavity, reach up to a small lever, and pull down.

I couldn’t find the lever. Was there another panel to slide? Had she mistaken the cabinet door? Patiently I tried every different alternative I could think of. Nothing.

Had she got the sequence wrong? I spent nearly an hour trying one thing after another. Once, having opened the door on the other side, I thought I had found the lever, but though I pulled down, then up, and side to side, the cabinet remained impregnable, refusing to yield up its secret. If only I could speak to the old lady, maybe she could tell me what I was doing wrong; but obviously I couldn’t.

It occurred to me that if I’d come there with a single assistant and a cart, we could have carried the cabinet out and hauled it away in far less time than I’d already spent trying to open it. But it was too late to think of that now.

What was I