Chapter XIII

Chapter XIII The Awakening

THE day following, the Emperor called

General Yang and said to him : " In regard

to the marriage of the Princess, the Empress

Dowager issued a very urgent command that at first

quite distressed me, but learning later that the

daughter of Justice Cheung was dead, and that the

Princess's wedding had waited long for your return,

I feel that, even though your thoughts be vnth

Cheung See, the dead are the dead, and no power on

earth can restore them. You are a young man and

belong to the highest rank and therefore need a wife.

How can you yourself see to such matters as food

and dress ? A minister, too, of your standing while

he holds office ought not to remain unmarried . You are

also Lord and Prince of Wee, and at the ancestral

grave need your wife to pour out the second libation

which ought not to be lacking from the sacrifice. I

have already made the necessary preparations within

the Palace and am now awaiting the decision. Do you

still oppose the request, and refuse to marry the

Princess ? "

Yang bowed low and said : " My sins of rebellion

merit that I fall under the headsman's axe, but your

Majesty has granted me a second opportunity and

has so kindly dealt with me, that I am moved to

accede and act as though I were fearless of all pre-

sumption. My repeated refusals, heretofore, were

because of my regard for the laws of honour, and I

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The Awakening

could not help myself ; but now that Cheung See is

dead, why should I offer any objection, except to say

this, that my social standing is insufficient for it,

my gifts are mediocre, and I am in no way suited

to be the Imperial son-in-law."

His Majesty, highly delighted, at once issued an

order to the Master of Ceremonies to have a lucky day

selected and reported, and later the Chief Geomancer

announced the fifteenth day of the ninth moon as the

day agreed upon.

The Emperor said to General Yang : " The other

day, when we had not fully decided about the wed-

ding, I did not tell you all, but now that this is settled

I want to say that I have two sisters, both refined

and highly gifted, and since we can never possibly find

such another one as thee, I have been commanded

by the Dowager to have my two sisters put under

your care."

Suddenly General Yang remembered the dream

that he had- had in the guest-room of the camp, and

his mind was greatly disturbed when he thought

how unearthly it was. He bowed low and said :

" Since you have chosen me as the Imperial son-in-

law, I have tried to make my escape by all possible

means, but could find no way; I have endeavoured

to nm off but the road has been blocked. I did not

know what to do, and now your proposition that two

Princesses should serve this one man is something

never dreamed of since the world began. How can I

venture to accept any such proposal ? "

The Emperor replied : " Your service for the

State is of the very highest order, and there is no

possible way open to reward you as you deserve.

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The Cloud Dream of the Nine

That is why I propose that my two sisters should

serve you together. Also the love of these two for

one another is a born instinct with them. When

they rise each follows the other ; when they are

seated each finds support in the other ; and their

one wish is never, never to part, so that their being

given in marriage to the same man is not only their

own desire, but the wish of her Majesty the Dowager

as well. Please do not refuse it. Also there is the

palace-maid, Chin See, a daughter of a house that has

been for generations high in office. She has beauty,

too, and ability, and is specially gifted with the pen,

while the Princess regards her as her good right

hand, and treats her as her very own. On the day

of the wedding she desires to make her her married

maid-in-waiting, and this too I am to inform you

of."

The General again rose and expressed his thanks.

Cheung See had already been a Princess in the

palace for several days. Her service on the Empress's

behalf had been performed with all her heart. She,

along with Princess Orchid and Chin See, were like

born sisters, and in return the Dowager loved her

dearly.

The time for the marriage being now at hand she

said quietly to the Empress : "At first when you

decided the place of precedence for Orchid and me,

you made me sit in the upper seat, which was a very

presumptuous thing on my part, and yet to refuse it

I feared might wound the love and tenderness of my

dearest Orchid. So I yielded, and did as your Majesty

commanded me ; but this was never my wish or

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The Awakening

desire. Now when we are united to General Yang, it

will never do for Orchid to decline the first place. My

desire is that your Majesty and the Emperor will

kindly think of the proper form and arrange it so that

I shall be happy according to my station, and not be

a cause of confusion in the home."

At this Orchid replied : " Blossom's accom-

plishments and ability make her my superior, my

teacher, and though it be a ' gate of honour ' in

question, I shall, just as the wife of Cho Che-wee

resigned her place, resign mine. Since we have already

become elder and yotinger sisters, how can we again

raise the question of rank ? Though I become the

second wife I shall still not lose the reality that I am

the Emperor's daughter, but if I am pushed up to

the first place, wherein, mother dear, will lie the

purpose of your adopting Blossom ? If my sister

declines in my favour, I shall not wish then to become

a member of General Yang's household."

Then the Empress said to the Emperor : " How

shall we decide the matter ? "

The Emperor's reply was : " Orchid's wish, as

she expresses it, is from the heart ; and yet from

ancient days till the present time, I never heard of

such a thing. Please take note, however, of her hum-

ble and beautiful spirit and yield to her on the matter,"

The Empress replied : " You are right." At once

she issued a command making Princess Blossom

[41] the left hand wife of Prince Wee, while Princess

Orchid was made the right hand wife, and because

Chin See was the daughter of a high official she was

made the highest wife of second grade.

Since ancient times the marriage of a Princess had

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The Cloud Dream of the Nine

always been celebrated outside of the palace, but on

this occasion the Dowager decided that it should be

held within the Imperial precincts.

When the happy day came, General Yang, dressed

in Imperial robes and jewelled belt, went through the

ceremony with the two Princesses. The splendour

and magnificence of the scene are impossible to

describe. When all the rites were completed they sat

themselves down on the embroidered cushions, and

Chin See appeared, made her bow and was led before

the Princesses. When they were seated, lo ! they were

like three fairies gathered before him. The colours

that bedecked them reflected the brilliance of the

clouds ; and lights and shades were seen in a thou-

sand shimmering patterns. The General was dazed

by the brilliance of it, and uncertain of his own con-

sciousness. He wondered if he were amid realities or

in a dream.

That night he shared the room of the Princess

Blossom and arose early in the morning and made his

obeisance to the Empress.

She had a great feast spread, at which both the

Emperor and the reigning Empress were present, and

the whole day was spent in rejoicing. The second

night he spent with Princess Orchid, and on the

third he went to Chin See's room.

When Chin See saw him she began to weep.

Yang in wonder asked what she meant : " To-day

we should laugh and be glad, why do you weep ?

What do these tears mean ? "

Chin See made answer : " You do not know me,

and so I know you have forgotten who I am."

Then he suddenly recollected, took her white

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The Wedding: Wildgoose and Moonlight

The Awakening

hand in his, and said : " You are Chin See from

Wha-eum, are you not ? "

Chin See choked up with tears and could make no

reply.

The General said : " I thought that you had left

us, and that you were buried beneath the sod, but

here you are in the Palace. We parted in far off Wha-

eum, and your dear home was broken up so that no

one dared to speak of it. Since my flight from that

inn, not a day has passed that I have not thought of

you. But I thought you were dead and never im-

agined that we should meet again. To-day comes the

fulfilment of our contract, which I never dreamed

could come to pass." Si^

Here he drew from his pocket the verses that Chin

See had written, while Chin See drew from her bosom

what he had sent her, and they were the same as they

had despatched to each other on that day of first ac-

quaintance. Each unwrapped the piece of paper, and

their hearts melted at the sight of it and beat a tattoo

in their bosoms.

Chin See said : " The Willow song seals the con-

tract that we made so long ago. I did not know that a

little silken fan, too, was to be evidence of the union

that is consummated to-day." Then she opened a

lacquer box and took out the fan, showed it to General

Yang, and told him about it, saying : "It is due

entirely to the kindness and favour of her Imperial

Majesty, the Empress Dowager, his Majesty the

Emperor, and Princess Orchid,"

General Yang said : "At that time I made my

escape to the South Mountain and when I came back

I asked of your whereabouts. Some said you were

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The Cloud Dream of the Nine

attached to the palace ; some that you had been re-

moved to a distant county as a yamen slave ; others

that you had not escaped from the general destruction.

I did not know the exact truth, but I had. no hope and

so was compelled to seek marriage elsewhere. Always

when I passed Wha-eum or crossed the waters of the

Wee I was like the wild bird that had lost its mate.

Now, however, through the Imperial kindness, we

meet again. My one sorrow of heart is that the con-

tract we made by the way in the inn should have

turned out the contract for a subordinate wife. To

think also that you should have condescended to take

so humble a place fills me with shame."

Chin See said : "I was not unaware of my ill-

starred home and its prospects when I sent the old

nurse to the inn, and it was with the thought that if

you took me it might be even as a subordinate wife.

Now that I have won a place, second only to my

revered Princesses, I am crowned with glory and

blessed with the highest of good fortune. If I should

complain or be ungrateful, God would be displeased

with me."

The joy of meeting Chin See with old faith and

new love was very great.

The day following, the Master and Princess Orchid

met in Blossom's room, and as they sat together the

wine glass was passed. Suddenly Princess Blossom

gently summoned a waiting-maid to call Chin See.

When the Master heard her voice there was awakened

in his heart a sense of loss and sorrow that at once

showed itself in his face. On the occasion when he

visited Justice Cheung's and played the harp before

the maiden he had heard her comments on the tunes,

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The Awakening

and he remembered her face distinctly, and now to-

day the Princess's accents seemed as though they

were a voice that came from Cheung See. He had

heard the voice and now that he glanced up to see

the face, the voice was not only Cheung See's but

the face was Cheung See's as well.

He thought to himself : " In this world it happens

sometimes that those who are not sisters, and in no

way related, look exactly alike. When I made a con-

tract of marriage with Cheung See I decided in my

heart that it was for life and death, and now here am

I enjoying the delights of home felicity while poor

Cheung See's lonely spirit is wandering I know not

where. To avoid making myself conspicuous, I have

not poured out even a single glass as an offering at

her grave ; nor have I once even wept in the little

hut by her tomb. I have indeed treated dear Cheung

See very, very unkindly."

The thoughts in his heart showed themselves in

his face, and the tears were ready to come. Cheung

See, with her clear and quick perception, guessed the

sorrow that possessed him, and so caught her skirts

neatly about her and knelt to ask : "I have heard

that if the king is dishonoured, the courtiers should

die ; and that if the king is anxious it is a discredit

to his ministers. My service to my lord is like that of

a courtier to his king. I notice with anxiety that even

now when the glass is passed a hidden shade of dis-

appointment crosses my master's face. May I ask the

reason ? "

The Master thanked her and said : " There is no

reason why I should conceal from your Highness the

thoughts that trouble my soul. I, So-yoo, once went

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The Cloud Dream of the Nine

to Justice Cheung's home and there I saw his beauti-

ful daughter. Her voice was your Highness 's voice,

and her face was your Highness's face, and so my

eyes, spellbound by you, call up these recollections

and fill my soul with sorrow. I regret that I have

given you cause for anxiety. Please do not be troubled

or disappointed with me."

When Blossom heard this her cheeks suddenly

blushed crimson. She arose and hurried into the inner

chamber and did not come out again.

The Master sent a waiting-maid to invite her, but

still she did not come.

Princess Orchid said : " My sister is so greatly

loved of our mother, that her head has been turned

and her heart has grown proud over it. She is not

lowly in her disposition as I am, so that the Master's

comparing Cheung's daughter with her has made her

very indignant."

Yang then asked Chin See to beg forgiveness for

him and say to Princess Blossom that he was intoxi-

cated at the time and so said what he regretted.

" If she will please come out I will do as Prince

Chin Moon did and request that she put me in

prison."

After a long time Chin See returned but had noth-

ing to say.

The Master asked again : " What does her High-

ness say ? "

Chin See replied : " Her Highness is very angry.

What she says is too dreadful to be repeated."

The Master said : " Her Highness's dreadful

words are her own, and no fault of yours ; tell me

exactly what she said."

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The Awakening

Chin See then made reply : " Princess Blossom

says, * Even though I am contemptible and mean, I

am the Dowager's much-loved child. This girl,

Cheung See, even though she be so wonderful, is only

a common village maid. It says in the Book of Cere-

mony that men even bow before the King's horse.

That does not mean that they reverence horses in

general, but that they reverence what his Majesty

rides. If they reverence even the King's horse, should

they not reverence the daughter whom her Majesty

loves ? If the Master truly reverences the King and

reveres the court he can hardly compare me with the

daughter of a plebeian. Moreover this daughter of

Cheung, forgetful of common modesty, and pre-

suming on her knowledge, met the Master face to face

and talked with him, yes and argued with him over

the tunes he played. She can hardly be called superior.

One can read from this the sort of character she

was. She worried herself, too, over the delay in her

wedding till she brought on " impatient " sickness,

and died in her youth. When her fortunes have

turned out so unhappily, why should the Master com-

pare her with me ?

" ' In ancient days in the Kangdom of No, Chin Ho,

by means of gold, tried to tempt an honest woman who

was picking mulberries, and she, rather than jdeld

her honour to him, jumped into the stream and took

her own life. Why should I be obliged to look upon

the Master with a shamed face ? I do not wish to be

the wife of a man who has no respect for me. Besides,

the Master remembers her face after she is dead and

long departed. He thinks he still recognises her voice

in mine. I am outraged by it, and though I have not

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The Cloud Dream of the Nine

the courage to follow the woman of antiquity and

jump into the water, I shall indeed from now on

never go outside the middle gateway, but stay here

till I die. As Orchid is so very meek in her disposition

she will suit you. Be pleased to live your life with

Orchid, pray.' "

The Master grew very angry at this, and said :

" In all the world who ever saw a girl pride herself

so on her rank and station and act as Blossom does ?

You may judge of what this son-in-law is destined

to suffer."

He said to Orchid : " My meeting with Cheung's

daughter has caused this misunderstanding, and

Blossom tries to put upon me some wretched wrong

or other. I am not anxious about this myself, but the

disgrace of it affects even the dead with shame."

Orchid said : "I will go in and see my sister and

explain it to her so that she will understand." And

she turned and went in ; but to the close of day she

did not come out again. Already the lights were

trimmed and shining in the rooms.

Orchid sent a waiting-maid to say : " Though I

have explained the mistake in every possible way, my

sister will not change her mind, and I have been com-

pelled to do as she has done, and decide to live and

die with her and share her joy and sorrow. Thus

have we sworn to heaven and earth and all the gods.

If my sister means to shut herself away alone in the

inner palace, I too will do the same and shut hiyself

away. If my sister does not mean to live with the

Master, I too cannot live with him. Please let my

lord go to his dear wife Chin See and be at peace."

At this Yang's anger flamed up, but still he

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The Awakening

controlled himself and did not let it show in his words

or countenance. The empty curtains and coldly

embroidered screens seemed very comfortless to him.

He leaned on his reclining bed and looked at Chin

See. Chin See took a light and led the way for him to

her room, where she cast some dragon incense into

the golden brazier. On the ivory couch she arranged

the embroidered quilts and pillows and then said to

him : " Though I am very dull and stupid still I

have read of the Superior Man, and it says in the

Book of Ceremony : ' The secondary wife may not

appropriate the early hours of the evening.' The

two Princesses have retired to the inner palace, but

even so I cannot think of being the one to wait upon

your Excellency at this time of the night, so shall

now retire. May you sleep in peace." And with this

she quietly withdrew.

The Master, hating all this disagreeable fuss, let

her go for the sake of quiet. The prospect seemed

a hopeless one, so he drew the curtains and lay down

upon his pillow. Uneasy in heart, he said to himself :

" This company forms itself into a league and plays

all manner of tricks to befool its lord and master ;

how can I find any pleasure in praying or supplicating

them ? When I lived in the park pavilion at Justice

Cheung's, Thirteen and I enjoyed ourselves during

the happy hours of the day, and Cloudlet and I sat in

peace before the lights and passed the glass. Every

day was happy, not one failed us ; but now that I

have come to be the son-in-law of the Imperial

Family, three days have scarcely gone by before I am

lorded over and my life made miserable."

He drew aside the curtains, opened the windows,

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The Cloud Dream of the Nine

and the Milky Way was seen athwart the sky. The

Ught of the moon flooded the open cx)urt. He took

his shoes and went out, and following the shadow of

the eaves, stepped across the square to where he

saw in the distance Princess Blossom's room with

the lights burning brilliantly behind the illumined

blinds.

The Master whispered to himself : " The night

is already late ; why are they not sleeping I wonder ?

Blossom is angry with me and has sent me off ; I

would like to know if she herself has retired."

Fearing lest his shoes might make a noise he

stepped lightly and carefully, and at last reached the

outside of the window. The two Princesses were

talking and laughing together, and the sound of dice

was heard within. He peeped in through the chink of

the blind, and there was Chin See seated before the

two Princesses with another person in front of the

dice table who was calling out the numbers. When

she turned to trim the candle, behold it was Cloudlet.

Cloudlet, desirous of seeing the Princesses' wed-

ding, had already been several days in the palace, but

she had concealed her whereabouts so as not to let

the Master know.

He gave a sudden start of surprise as he said to

himself : " How in the world has Cloudlet come to

be here ? Evidently the Princesses must have invited

her."

Once again Chin See arranged the dice board and

said : " You have put down no wager, and so evi-

dently you are not interested in the game. I will

make a bet with you, Cloudlet."

Cloudlet said : " Cloudlet is only a poor low-class

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The Awakening

girl ; one dish of sweets would be a fortune for her.

But Chin See has for ages been at the side of the

Princess ; she would look on silks and satins as rough

sackcloth and would regard the daintiest fare as

common seaweed. How can you propose to me to

make a wager ? "

Then Chin See said : " If I do not win I'll give

whatever you select from the gems at my waist-belt,

or from the pins in my hair ; but if you don't win

then you must give me what I ask. Truly it will only

be very little and something that will cost you

nothing."

Cloudlet said in reply : " What will you ask, pray,

and what would you like to have ? "

Chin See said : " I have heard the two Princesses

talking together, and I understand from them that

you, Cloudlet, once became a fairy, and again became

a disembodied spirit, and so befooled the Master. I

have never heard about it definitely, so if you lose

you must tell me the story."

Cloudlet then pushed away the dice board from

her and said to Princess Blossom : " Sister, sister,

sister, you told me the other day that you loved me

dearly. Why have you reported this ridiculous story

to the Princess ? Chin See has also heard about it.

Everybody in the palace who has ears to hear will

know of it. With what face can I meet people ? "

Chin See said : " Cloudlet, in what way is the

Princess your sister ? Blossom is the wife of our lord

and Master, and Princess of Wee, and though she is

still young, her rank is exceedingly high. How can

she possibly be a sister of yours ? "

In reply, Cloudlet said : " The Ups that have been

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The Cloud Dream of the Nine

trained for years cannot change their ways in a single

morning. Our happy contests together with flowers

and sprigs of green are as yesterday. I am not afraid

of her Highness the Princess." And they all laughed

together.

Princess Orchid asked of Blossom : " Your sister

never fully heard about Cloudlet either. Did she

really deceive the Master? "

Blossom said : " The Master has been many times

deceived by Cloudlet. How can smoke come from a

chimney where there is no fire ? She only wanted to

see the frightened look in his face, but he was too

dense for that and did not know what fear was. It

reads in the Book of Ceremony, * The man who

greatly loves women is possessed of a spirit that has

died of starvation.' Evidently this is true of the

Master. Why should a spirit that has died thus fear

another spirit ? " And they all burst out laughing.

At last Yang recognised to his amazement that

Princess Blossom was none other than Cheung See.

Like meeting one from the dead, and with his startled

soul in his mouth, he was about to throw open the

window and go violently into the room, when he

thought again and said to himself : " Their desire is

to play all manner of jokes upon me, so I'll befool

them instead." Then he went quietly to Chin See's

room and slept soundly.

Early the next morning Chin See came and asked

of the waiting-women : " Is the Master up yet ? "

They replied : " Not yet."

She waited for a long time outside the window till

daylight filled the court. Breakfast too was ready, but

still the Master slept.

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The Awakening

Chin See then went in and asked : "Is your

Excellency unwell ? "

Suddenly he opened his eyes, stared blankly as

though he did not see anyone, but went on talking to

himself in a wandering way, so that Chin See asked

again : " Master, why do you act so ? "

Yang then seemed to hear but made no reply.

After a little he asked : " Who are you ? "

Chin See answered : " Does the Master not know

his wife ? I am Chin See."

Yang replied : " Chin See ? Who is Chin See ? "

She made no further answer but stroked his brow

and said : " Your head is very hot, and I am sure

you are unwell. What trouble is it that has overtaken

you, I wonder ? "

The Master replied : " All night long I saw

Cheung See in a dream and talked with her. How can

I be well ? "

Chin See asked him to tell her more fully, but he

made no reply and simply turned as if to sleep again.

In a state of great distress, Chin See told a palace-

maid to wait on the Princesses and say that the Master

was ailing and to please come at once.

When the message was given, Blossom remarked :

" One who ate and drank so freely yesterday could

hardly be seriously ill to-day. It is only a trick on his

part to get us to go to see him."

But Chin See came herself in great anxiety : " The

Master is dazed seemingly and unconscious, and does

not know anyone, but talks in a wandering way.

Would it not be well to inform his Majesty and let

the chief physician of the Court be sent for ? "

The Dowager overheard them at this point, called

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The Cloud Dream of the Nine

the Princesses, and reprimanded them, saying : " You

have gone too far in your jesting, you naughty girls.

You hear that he is very unwell and yet have not even

gone to see him. What kind of treatment is that ? Go

at once and make inquiry, and if he is very ill, get the

most experienced and skilful Court physician called

and see that he is cared for."

Blossom now finding that there was no help for it,

went with Orchid to the room where the Master

slept and waited for a little at the threshold of the

door. She made Orchid and Chin See go in first.

The Master looked at Orchid, waved his two hands,

and gazed into space as though he did not know her.

Then he whispered : " My life is going and I want

to take a long farewell of Blossom. Where is Blossom

that she does not come ? "

Orchid replied : " Why does the Master say such

things ? "

He answered : " Last night, in a vision, Cheung

See came to me and said, ' Master, why have you

broken your vow ? ' and then in great anger she up-

braided me and gave me a handful of pearls. I took

and swallowed them. Assuredly this was a dreadful

omen, for when I shut my eyes Cheung See seems

to hold my body down, and when I open them she

stands before me. Life is but a moment at best, and

that is my reason for desiring to see Blossom."

Before he had finished speaking an apparent faint-

ness came over him, and he turned his face to the

wall and talked at random.

When Orchid saw this she was alarmed and came

out and said to Blossom : "I am afraid that the

Master's illness is due to worry and anxiety. Without

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The Awakening

you there is no hope of his recovery." And she told

just how he seemed.

Blossom, half inclined to believe, and half inclined

to doubt, hesitated to go in, but Orchid took her by

the hand and they went in together. They found

Yang talking incoherently in a conversation that he

seemed to be having with Cheung See.

Then Orchid in a loud voice said : " Master,

Master, Blossom has come ; please look at her."

He raised his head for an instant, waved his hand

about several times as though he wished to get up,

then Chin See took hold and helped him. He sat on

the side of the couch and speaking to the two Prin-

cesses said : "I, So-yoo, have abused the grace of

God and have been married to you two Princesses. I

have sworn my vow that for all time to come I will

live and grow old with you, but there is one whose

purpose it is to arrest and bear me away, so I cannot

long remain."

Blossom said in reply : " Master, you are a gentle-

man of intelligence and reason. Why do you talk such

nonsense ? Even though Cheung See's frail soul and

dead spirit do exist, this inner palace is so closely

guarded by a hundred angels, who serve as its pro-

tecting force, that she could never enter here."

The Master replied : " Cheung See was just now

at my side; how can you say that she could not

enter ? "

Then Orchid answered : " The ancients saw in

the wine glass the shadow of a bow, and fell ill of fear.

I am sure that the Master's illness is because he has

mistaken the archer's bow for a serpent."

But the Master made no reply, simply waving his

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The Cloud Dream of the Nine

hands. Blossom, seeing that the matter grew gradu-

ally worse and worse, did not longer dare to keep up

the deception. She went forward, knelt down, and

said : " Master, do you want to see only the dead

Cheung See and not the living ? "

Yang, pretending that he did not understand,

replied : " What do you mean ? Justice Cheung had

one daughter only, and she has been dead for a long

time. Since the dead Cheung See visited me, what

living Cheung See can there be beside her ? If she is

not dead, why she is alive ? If she is not alive,

why she is dead ? Anybody knows that. To say some-

times of anyone, ' Why they are dead ? ' and again

sometimes ' Why they are alive? ' is nonsense. One

must inquire whether the dead person is really

Cheung See, or whether the living person is really

Cheung See. If it is true that she is really alive then

it is false that she is dead ; and if it is true that she is

really dead then it is false to say that she is alive. I

cannot understand what your Highness says."

Orchid then broke in : " Her Majesty the Dowager

adopted Cheung See as her daughter and made her

Princess Blossom, and put her and me together in

the Master's service. Princess Blossom is indeed the

same Cheung See who listened when you played the

harp. If not so, why should she be in every look and

feature the exact image of Cheung See ? "

The Master made no reply but gave a little moan

and then suddenly raised his head and said : " When

I lived at Cheung See's home, Cheung See's maid

Cloudlet waited upon me. I have something that I

want to ask of Cloudlet. Where is she now ? I want

to see her."

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The Awakening

Orchid said : " Cloudlet just now came into the

palace to see Blossom, and learning that the Master

was unwell, she is anxiously waiting outside and

wants to make her salutations."

The door opened and Cloudlet entered. She went

up to the Master and said : " Are you better, my

lord ? I certainly hope so."

Yang replied : " Let Cloudlet stay by me alone,

and let all the others go out." And so the Princesses

and Chin See withdrew and stood at the head of the

open porch.

Then the Master arose, washed, arranged his

dress and told Cloudlet to call the other three.

Then Cloudlet , bottling up her smiles , came out and

said to the two Princesses and to Chin See : " The

Master wants to see you," and so the four went in.

Yang now wore a ceremonial robe and special hat,

and held in his hand a white stone chatelaine. His

face was fresh as the spring breezes, and his mind as

clear as the autumn stream. Not a vestige was there

of anything that would mark him as ill. Blossom sud-

denly realised that she had been fooled, laughed and

bowed low, making no further inquiries as to his

health.

Orchid asked : " How is your lordship feeling

now ? "

The Master, with a serious countenance, said:

" Truly we have fallen on peculiar days when the

women of a household band together to play practical

jokes upon the husband. I am a man of high rank, of

the dignity of a first minister, and I have sought high

and low for some way by which to correct this dis-

order in my family but have not succeeded. In my

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The Cloud Dream of the Nine

anxiety I fell ill, but I am quite recovered now, so do

not be anxious, please."

Orchid and Chin See laughed with all their might

but made no reply, and then Cheung See^ said :

" This was not our doing, please. If the Master

would find full recovery from his sickness let him

look up to the Empress Mother and tell her."

Yang could no longer restrain his pent-up feelings,

but broke out laughing and said : " I had expected to

meet you only in the next world and had so planned,

but to-day you were in my dream. Is it not truly a

beautiful dream ? "

Cheung See said : " It is all due to her Gracious

Majesty's kindness to me her child, and to the un-

bounded favour of his Majesty the Emperor, and

the love and tenderness of Princess Orchid. It is

written on my bones and engraved deep in my heart.

Never can my life be able to speak all my remembered

gratitude," Then she told him everjrthing that had

come to pass, and he thanked her, saying: " The

equal of your dear-heartedness has never been re-

corded since time immemorial. I have no way to

make any return for this highest favour. My sincerest

regards and tenderest love shall all be yours while we

live our happy life together."

The Princess then spoke her thanks, saying :

" This is all due to my dearest sister's plans, and it

is her heart of love that has moved heaven to bless us.

It was no work of mine."

At this time the Empress Dowager summoned

some of the palace-maids to inquire concerning the

Master's health, and when she knew the reason for it

she laughed heartily and said : "I was indeed in

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The Awakening

doubt regarding it." So she summoned Yang to her

presence and the two Princesses came as well and sat

together with him.

The Empress said : " I hear that the Master has

united again the happy bonds that bound him to his

dead Cheung See."

Yang bowed and made answer : " Your Majesty's

kindness is great as high heaven ; though I wear

down my body and offer up the vitals of my soul I

can never pay the hundredth part of all the favours

you have shown me."

The Empress said : " That is all a joke ; why do

you talk of such nonsense ? "

On this day the Emperor received audience of the

ministers in the Grand Hall of the palace. Certain of

them said : " We learn that a great star has arisen ;

that sweetened dew has fallen ; that the waters of the

Whang-ho have become clear ; that the crops have

grown to abundance. Three subject kings have

offered their land as tribute ; the fierce Tibetan

rebels have changed in heart, and now bow in grateful

submission. This is due to the virtues of your

Majesty."

The Emperor graciously disclaimed merit and

put it all to the credit of his ministers.

But they made reply, saying : " General Yang

So-yoo remains these days long within the palace and

affairs of State are heaped up and need looking after."

His Majesty laughed and said : " The Empress

Dowager has held him fast these days and so the

General is not free to go. I shall tell him myself,

however, and see that he gets to work."

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The Cloud Dream of the Nine

The day following the Master went to the home

of Justice Cheung to look after some business, and

from there he wrote a memorial asking that he be

permitted to bring his mother. His memorial read :

" General the Prince of Wee, son-in-law of her

Majesty, bows^in humble salutation, and presents

to his Majesty this memorial. Of humble origin

from the land of Cho, I had but two or three fields

on which to live. My scholarship embraced only a

single set of the Classics. My old mother still lives,

but I have not cared for her as I should have liked.

I thought of the measures of grain that I would

have given her, and of the delicacies that I would

have prepared. When it came to parting, my

mother said to me, ' Our literatus home has fallen

to decay, and the fortunes of the family run low.

You are responsible for the future, and the lives of

the past are in your keeping. Be diligent and learn ;

win the examination and let your mother share

your renown. This is my hope. But if office or re-

ward come too quickly there is danger in it. Think

well of this.'

" I took my mother's word, wrote it in my heart,

and never have I forgotten it. Great and good for-

tune have fallen on me, for only after a few years at

Court my rank has risen by leaps and bounds. By

Imperial decree I passed others by and made the

knees of the rebel to tremble. I received orders to

go west and to bind the hands of the fierce Tibetan.

To begin with I was but an inexperienced son of

the literatus ; how could I have ever imagined

plans to attain to such as this ? It is all due to the

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The Awakening

prestige of your Majesty. The officers gladly risked

their lives and your Majesty so generously encour-

aged the little efforts that we made, and rewarded

them so liberally, that my heart is rendered uneasy

and ashamed and I would rather not speak of it.

All my mother's wishes on my behalf have come

to pass, and I am chosen as the Imperial son-in-law

with fortune unheard of. The Imperial command

has been so pressing that I could not resist it, and

ashamed as I am that the State should be dis-

honoured by one so mean, I still have had to accede.

My aged mother's hopes did not pass at first the

peck measure, and my own, too, did not go beyond

a humble office of the literati. Behold me now in

the highest seat of the land and first among my

peers. In the rush and business of the day I have

never yet had an opportunity to escort my mother

to the capital. I have lived in my beautiful home

while she has occupied a thatched hut ; I have

eaten of dainty fare while she has eaten only of the

meanest. Thus am I living in luxury and leaving

my mother to, poverty and disgrace, disregardful

of the fundamental laws and failing in the duty of

a son. My mother, too, is old ; she has no other child

but me, and the distance separating us is great,

with messengers few and far between. If I go up to

the hills and call on the clouds to bear my greetings

they heed not, and so my heart is sore. Now that

matters are quiet in the State and affairs are fallen

into repose, I humbly pray that your Majesty will

kindly consider and grant my request, giving me

two or three months so that I may go and replace

the sod on my ancestors' graves, and bring my

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The Cloud Dream of the Nine

mother here that we may both together praise

your Majesty's high and exalted virtue. If you

graciously grant me this, I shall in my turn do my

best to repay the Imperial kindness. I humbly bow

and make this petition, and may your High Majesty

please to grant me a favourable answer."

The Emperor read it and sighed, saying : " You

are a filial son, Yang So-yoo."

He gave him rich rewards, gold a thousand pieces,

eight hundred rolls of silk to be presented to his

mother, and the word of command to bring her

quickly.

The Master then entered the inner palace and

bade farewell to the Empress Dowager. She also

gave gold and silk in abundance, twice as much as

the Emperor.

Yang then withdrew and bade farewell to the two

Princesses, to Chin See and to Cloudlet, and set out

on his way. When he reached the Choh-jin Bridge,

the two dancing-girls. Moonlight and Wildgoose,

having been informed by the Governor, awaited

him at the guest-house.

The Master greeted them smilingly and said :

" This journey of mine is a private one and has no

relation to the King's commands ; how did you two

know of my coming ? "

Moonlight and Wildgoose replied : " The Master,

Prince of Wee, son-in-law of the Empress, could

hardly set out on a journey without its being known

to us. From the secluded valleys we hurried forth to

meet you. Even though we were in the deep recesses

of the hills still we had our ears and eyes; how much

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The Awakening

the more when the Governor regards us as second

only to your Excellency ? Last year when you went

by in your official capacity we won lasting glory, but

now with still higher office, and with honour still

greater, our glory will be a hundred-fold enhanced.

We have heard that you are married to the two Prin-

cesses, and are wondering if they will tolerate us."

The Master replied : " Of the two Princesses, one

is sister of the Emperor and one is a daughter of

Justice Cheung, who, at the request of the younger

Princess, became an adopted daughter of the Empress

Dowager. We have Cheung See and her sister's

kindly and loving dispositions and liberal spirit to

trust ; will they not be glad at your happiness ? "

At this Wildgoose and Moonlight looked at each

other and spoke their thanks and congratulations.

The Master spent the night and then started for

his native place. He had left his mother and begun

life's journey as a boy of eighteen. Now he was return-

ing, riding in the chair of a Minister of State, wearing

the insignia of the Prince of Wee, and having upon

him the honours of the Imperial son-in-law. All this

had taken place in four short years. Was it not a

wonder ?

He appeared before his mother, and in her joy she

took him by the hands and lovingly patting him

said : " Are you truly my boy, So-yoo ? I really

cannot believe it. When you repeated your cycle

years so long ago and began your first lessons in the

character, who would have thought that such glory

awaited you ? "

Her joy passed all limits and her tears flowed.

The Master then told her how he had won his

241 R

The Cloud Dream of the Nine

fame, of his marriage, and of the secondary wives

that he had.

She replied : " Your father always said of you that

you were to bring glory to our home. I am so sorry

that he did not live to see it for himself."

Yang visited the ancestral graves on the near hills.

The gold and silk that came from the Palace were

made ready, and then, on a great feast being given in

honour of his mother, he presented these. All the

friends and relatives were called, and the rejoicing

lasted for ten days. On its completion, in company

with his mother, he set out on his return. The

officials along the route, with the governors and

the magistrates, made their salutations and helped

to do honour to his progress. His way glittered with

splendour.

When the Master passed Nak-yang he sent word

to the magistrate to have Wildgoose and Moonlight

called, but the answer came back that they had al-

ready left for the capital. Disappointed to miss them,

he went on his way and at last reached the Imperial

City. Here he led his mother into his home and into

the Palace, where she made her deep obeisance. She

was commanded to audience and they gave her gold,

silver, silks and satins. The ministers and courtiers

were invited and for three days a feast was celebrated

amid joy and rejoicing.

The Master selected a lucky day and led her to her

new home that he had prepared as a gift. It was like

a palace with towers, pavilions and parks. Cheung

See and Orchid performed the ceremony of the bride

before the mother-in-law, and Chin See and Cloudlet

also made ceremonial salutations. By abundance

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The Awakening

of gifts and in gentleness of deportment they showed

themselves such that the mother's face shone with joy

and her soul was filled with delight

When the Master came to give all the gifts that he

had received for his mother he had three days of feast-

ing again, on which occasion the palace band of music

was sent for and tables of food were brought from the

Imperial halls that the officials shared.

The Master, dressed in coloured robes and with

the two Princesses by his side, raised high his glass,

made way for his mother, and then all joined in the

chorus. Before the feast broke up the gate guard

came in to say that just before the entrance were two

girls who had passed in their names for the ladies

and the Master.

" Doubtless Moonlight and Wildgoose," said he.

He told his mother of them, and she invited them in.

They bowed before the step way, and all the guests

remarked that Wildgoose from Nak-yang and Moon-

light from Ha-book had long been famous, beautiful

women, surpassing others.

If the Master had not been a magician how could

he have brought all this to pass ?

He commanded the two dancing-girls to entertain

the guests with special selections, and at once they

both arose, put on their dancing shoes, waved their

soft silken sleeves and made the bright-coloured folds

fly like fluttering birds as they danced together. Their

songs were like falling flowers, like the passing of

leaves on the spring breezes, like the shadows of

clouds rolling across the eave-tops of the city.

The mother and the two Princesses treated the two

dancing-girls to the most bounteous gifts ; and, as

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The Cloud Dream of the Nine

Chin See had been formerly acquainted with Moon-

light, they talked of the past with overflowing joy.

Cheung See took up the glass and specially offered

it to Moonlight to thank her for her recommendation.

But the mother said : " Do you thank Moonlight only

and forget my cousin ? You will overlook the source

of it all if you are not careful."

The Master said : " My joy to-day is due to the

priestess Too-ryon, and now, mother, that you have

come to the capital, even though no special command

is issued, she too must be specially invited to join us.

Messengers have been sent to the office to say : ' It

is three years since the teacher Too-ryon went to the

land of Chok, and the lady Yoo is greatly concerned

about her.' "

244