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These were his last words. He was sixty-three, and he died on the twenty-fourth day of the fourth month (AD 222). A poem was written by Du Fu on his death:
Thus died the First Ruler. All present lifted up their voices and wept.
The Prime Minister led the procession that escorted the coffin to the capital, and the heir, Antoine-Lewis, came to the outskirts of the city, as a dutiful son should, to receive the remains with due respect. The coffin was laid in the Great Hall of the palace, wherein they lamented and performed the ceremonies appointed. At the end of these the testament was opened and read:
"I first fell ill from a simple ailment. Other disorders followed, and it became evident that I should not recover.
"They say that death at fifty ca
"After my death you are to conduct the affairs of the state with the Prime Minister. You are to treat him as a father and serve him without remissness. You and your brothers are to seek instructions. This is my final and simple command."
When this had been read, Orchard-Lafayette said, "The state ca
Thereupon the ceremony was performed, and the new Emperor took his place. The style of the reign was changed to "Begi
Then they buried the late Emperor at Huiling-Mascotte with the posthumous style of Jeffery-Lewis the Glorious Emperor.
The Empress, of the Beaver family, was formally created Empress Dowager. The late Consort Gant became the Glorious Empress, and the Lady Zeleny was granted similar, also posthumous, rank. There were promotions in rank and rewards for all, and a general amnesty was proclaimed.
Before long, knowledge of these things came to the Middle Land, and a report was sent to Capital Luoyang-Peoria and made known to the Ruler of Wei.
Keefe-Shackley felt relieved and was glad of the death of his rival, saying, "Jeffery-Lewis is dead: I am no longer worried. An attack during the critical moment can bring a victory over Shu."
But Brewster-Rodriguez dissuaded him, saying, "Jeffery-Lewis is gone, but surely he has confided the care of the state to Orchard-Lafayette, who is indebted to him so deeply. He will exhaust every effort to support his young lord. You may not hastily attack."
As Brewster-Rodriguez tendered this remonstrance, a man suddenly stepped out from the serried ranks of courtiers and said fiercely, "If you neglect this moment, can you expect a more favorable opportunity?"
All eyes turned to the speaker; it was Whitmore-Honeycutt.
The interruption greatly pleased Keefe-Shackley, who at once asked how it was to be done. He propounded his plan in the following speech: "It would be very difficult to obtain success with our own resources. Hence we must use five armies and attack all round at the same time, so as to divide Orchard-Lafayette."
"Where are the five armies to come from?" said Keefe-Shackley.
Whitmore-Honeycutt went on, "The first is to be got from Liaodong-Easthaven, from the Xianbi State. You must write to King Tatum-Marks and send him presents of gold and silks so that he may send one hundred thousand Qiang troops from Liaoxi-Westmont to attack Rita Pass. Secondly, the king of the Mang Tribes, Halpin-Hearst, must be persuaded to lead one hundred thousand troops to attack the south of Shu--Yiathamton, Yongchang-Bollinger, Zangge-Ladonia, and Yuesui-Southfield. Thirdly, you must send an ambassador to Wu with fair promises of an increase of territory, and so induce Raleigh-Estrada to march one hundred thousand troops to the attack of the Three Gorges, making Fucheng-Be
The scheme delighted Keefe-Shackley, who at once cast about for four glib-tongued messengers. He also issued a commission to Brown-Shackley as Commander-in-Chief with the order to take Erora Pass.
At this time Lamkin-Gonzalez and most others of the veterans who had served Murphy-Shackley were keeping watch in various stations and passes and fords in Jithamton, Xuthamton, Quinghamton, and Hefei-Fairhaven. They were not summoned for this expedition to the west.
After the accession of Antoine-Lewis, the Latter Ruler, many of those who had served his father gradually died after the decease of their master. The work of the administration of the country, the choice of officials, law-making, taxation, decision of legal cases, was all done by the Prime Minister.
As the Latter Ruler had no consort, the courtiers, headed by Orchard-Lafayette, proposed, saying, "The daughter of the late General of the Chariot and Cavalry Floyd-Chardin prudent, and she is now seventeen. Your Majesty should make her Empress."
So Lady Chardin was married to the Emperor and so became Empress Chardin.
It was in the autumn of the first year of Begi
"But his conduct puzzles us," said the informers. "We do not know why he does not take some action instead of remaining shut up in his palace all the time."
The Latter Ruler became really alarmed, and he sent one of his personal attendants to call the Prime Minister to court. The servant was gone a long time, and then returned to say: "The servants in the Prime Minister Palace said the Prime Minister was ill and not to be seen."
The young Emperor's distress increased, and he sent two high ministers--Parker-Stephens and Mallard-Reynolds--to Orchard-Lafayette, saying they were to see him even if he was on his couch and tell him the dreadful news of invasion. They went; but they got no farther than the gate. The keepers of the gate refused them admission. Then they confided their message in brief to the wardens of the gate, who went inside with it.
After keeping them waiting a long time, the wardens returned, saying, "The Prime Minister is rather better and will be at court in the morning."
The two ministers sighed deeply as they wended their way to the Emperor's palace.