Empress Orchid - Anchee Min [159]
My questions were: If we arrested Su Shun, would we have the support of the nation? Would the foreigners take advantage of the ensuing chaos and launch an invasion?
Prince Kung felt confident about receiving the necessary support, especially if the country could be told the truth. As for the Western powers, he had been in constant contact with them. He had let the foreigners know that he envisioned a freer society for China’s future, which had secured their promise of support.
I asked Prince Kung for his thoughts about the Taiping rebels. I be-lieved that they could easily become a serious threat if we even momentarily let our guard down. I told him that according to reports from Anhwei alone, the Taipings had united with local hooligans and had been pushing their forces toward Shantung province.
Prince Kung informed me that Generals Sheng Pao and Tseng Kuofan had already made arrangements regarding the matter.
How committed were the generals, I wanted to know. I dared not assume that everyone would behave the way they were expected to. I understood the power of Su Shun’s bribery.
“Sheng Pao is ready,” Prince Kung replied. “He asked to work with Seng-ko-lin-chin’s Mongol forces. I gave him permission. Seng-ko-linchin is eager to prove his loyalty and restore his name, and this will be his opportunity. I am not sure about the Chinese: General Tseng Kuofan and General Chou Tsung-tang view our conflict with Su Shun as a squabble among Manchu nobles. They believe it is wiser to stay out of it. They prefer to wait until there is a winner.”
“I despise people who bend with the wind,” Nuharoo said. I didn’t know she had reentered the room. “His Majesty was right about never trusting the Chinese!”
“For Tseng Kuo-fan and Chou Tsung-tang the situation may be more complicated,” I said. “We must be patient and understanding. If I were those generals, I would do exactly what they are doing. After all, Su Shun’s power cannot be denied, and to offend him is to risk one’s life. We are asking people to turn their backs on Su Shun, so we should allow the generals time to weigh their thoughts.”
Prince Kung agreed. “Tseng and Chou are leading the fight against the Taipings. Although they haven’t expressed any support for us, they haven’t promised anything to Su Shun either.”
“We’ll wait, then,” Nuharoo said. “I just don’t feel comfortable that our military power is in the hands of the Chinese. When we have achieved peace, we should remove them or at least keep them away from the highest positions.”
I disagreed, but said nothing. As a Manchu I naturally felt more secure with Manchus in the top military positions. And yet there were few men of talent among the princes and clansmen. After two hundred years in power, we had degenerated into decadence. The Manchu nobles spent their time reveling in past glory. All they really knew was that they were entitled to prestige. Luckily, the Chinese had always gone along with it. The Chinese honored our ancestors and graced us with their blessings. The question was, how long would it last?
“I am leaving tonight,” Prince Kung said, “although I told Su Shun I would stay till tomorrow.”
“Who will be here to protect us when we move the coffin from Jehol to Peking?” Nuharoo asked.
Lowering his voice, Prince Kung said, “I’ll be in control. Your job is to act as normal as possible. Don’t worry. Prince Ch’un will be around.”
Prince Kung warned us to expect Su Shun’s anger. He wanted us to be prepared to receive a document submitted by a provincial inspector of justice named Tung Yen-ts’un. It would publicize Su Shun’s flaws and call Nuharoo and me “the people’s choice.” Prince Kung wanted us to keep in mind that by the time Su Shun got hold of Tung’s document, it would already have been reviewed by statesmen all over the country. Prince Kung revealed no details. I could tell he was afraid that Nuharoo wouldn’t be able to keep her mouth shut if Su Shun happened to ask.
We parted.
Before dinner, Nuharoo came to my quarters