Read Online The Three Leaps of Wang Lun by Alfred Döblin - Free Book Online

murderous horde that has been set here under your command is growing constantly. The insurrectionaries are gaining adherents. The war-likin contributions are becoming insupportable, the tax revenues of the civil power are diminishing. Let your troops commit just a few more atrocities against citizens, and this province and Shantung and Shansi as well will erupt in rebellion. They will be beaten down five times. Other armies will come,other generals. But the war will—drag on for months.”
    Now the Tartar understood the wily mandarin. His thoughts cohered again. Carefully he probed the size of the losses in tax revenue suffered by the civil power, last month, the month before that. Now, as he approached the core of the matter, he marvelled at the sureness with which the Taot’ai had kept a grip on his thoughts, like a lathe its iron bar. And how the artful man had deceived and nearly, nearly seduced him.
    Chao Hui suggested, tentatively, turning over half the likin proceeds to the town. But T’ang declined in tones of delight, suggested that the tax might be increased a trifle for certain guilds and a third of the resulting revenue be allowed to flow to the civil power, in furtherance of Imperial commands for the suppression of rebellion. Civil and military could then at last work hand in hand. Also, in view of the considerable deficit in the town treasury, it was desirable to levy on the rich merchants a special, not too heavy, tax, proportionate to their means, in the name of the General Plenipotentiary, for three or perhaps four months. Some arbitrary portion of this tax could usefully be put to increasing the strength of the town police.
    Chao Hui agreed, with a few minor diminutions, to the Taot’ai’s proposals.
    T’ang grinned ceaselessly. He asked time and again: However could they have misunderstood each other? It was certain the town would now be at peace, with new resources flowing to the authorities. This intolerable discord between magistrate and military had (so he was reliably informed) already driven several town officials into the arms of the rebels.
    They smiled at each other, bowed countless times towards each other, showed their yellow teeth.
    Chao Hui felt a little dizzy. Red and green spots danced before his eyes.
    They lifted the covers of their teacups, drank tea from the plantations near Swatow. Chao accompanied his expansive guest quickly down the two steps to his palanquin.
    Inside he let his head fall, heavy and reeling, onto the table. With his hot forehead he kneaded the red scroll, the Imperial edict of the previous week.
    That evening the Taot’ai sent to his house two valuable sceptres, two ju-yis in white jade with finely carved birds and flowers, on the endplates verses by Ch’ien-lung.
    Chao Hui’s emissaries next morning carried into the town magistracy a screen consisting of twelve porcelain leaves; the leaves were wonderfully painted with cherry blossom and longnecked birds; finest underglazing in cobalt blue.
    Hai-t’ang asked whether T’ang Shao-yi had been sent packing, and these were presents for the new Taot’ai. Chao Hui turned his head away.

Book One
Wang Lun
 
    On the mountains of Chihli, in the plains, under the all-suffering sky they sat, against whom the armour and arrows of Emperor Ch’ien-lung were mobilized. Who passed through the walled towns, spread out through market towns and villages.
    A gentle shudder went through the land where the “Truly Powerless” appeared. For months their name—Wu-wei—had been once again on all lips. They had no abode, begged the rice, the bean broth they needed, helped the peasants, artisans at their work. They did not preach, sought no converts. The literati who mingled with them strove in vain to hear from them a religious dogma. They had no icons, did not speak of the Wheel of Existence. At night many made their camp under rocks, in the vast forests, mountain caves. Often a loud moaning and wailing rose from their