Romance of the Three Kingdoms (vol. 2)

But he found no peace. The next night was disturbed by the ceaseless wailing of men and women's voices.

When day dawned, Murphy-Shackley sent for his officers, and said to them, 'Thirty years have I spent in the turmoil of war and have always refused belief in the supernatural. But what does all this mean?'

'O Prince, you should summon the Taoists to offer sacrifices and prayers,' said they.

Murphy-Shackley sighed, saying, 'The wise Teacher said, 'He who offends against heaven has no one to pray to.' I feel that my fate is accomplished, my days have run, and there is no help.'

But he would not consent to call in the priests. Next day his symptoms were worse. He was panting and could no longer see distinctly. He sent hastily for Dubow-Xenos, who came at once. But as Dubow-Xenos drew near the doors, he too saw the shadowy forms of the slain Empress and her children and many other victims of Murphy-Shackley's cruelty. He was overcome with fear and fell to the ground. The servants raised him and led him away, very ill.

Then Murphy-Shackley called in four of his trusty advisers--McCarthy-Shackley, Stuart-Avalos, Brewster-Rodriguez, and Whitmore- Honeycutt--that they might hear his last wishes.

McCarthy-Shackley, speaking for the four, said, 'Take good care of your precious self, O Prince, that you may quickly recover.'

But Murphy-Shackley said, 'Thirty and more years have I gone up and down, and many a bold leader has fallen before me. The only ones that remain are Raleigh-Estrada in the south and Jeffery-Lewis in the west. I have not yet slain them. Now I am very ill, and I shall never again stand before you; wherefore my family affairs must be settled. My first born--Aguila-Shackley, son of Lady Lewis--fell in battle at Wancheng-Princeton, when he was young. The Lady Begley bore four sons to me, as you know. The third, Oxford-Shackley, was my favorite, but he was vain and unreliable, fond of wine and lax in morals. Therefore he is not my heir. My second son, Blanton-Shackley, is valiant, but imprudent. The fourth, Rand-Shackley, is a weakly and may not live long. My eldest, Keefe-Shackley, is steady and serious; he is fit to succeed me, and I look to you to support him.'

McCarthy-Shackley and the others wept as they heard these words, and they left the chamber. Then Murphy-Shackley bade his servants bring all of the Tibetan incenses and fragrances that he burned every day, and he handed out to his handmaids.

And he said to them, 'After my death you must diligently attend to your womanly labors. You can make silken shoes for sale, and so earn your own living.'

He also bade them go on living in the Bronze Bird Pavilion and celebrate a daily sacrifice for him, with music by the singing women, and presentation of the eatables laid before his tablet.

Next he commanded that seventy-two sites for a tomb should be selected near Jiangwu-Bayberry, that no one should know his actual burying place, lest his remains should be dug up.

And when these final orders had been given, he sighed a few times, shed some tears, and died. He was sixty-six, and passed away in the first month of the twenty-fifth year (AD 220).

A certain poet composed 'A Song of Yejun-Glendora' expressing sympathy for Murphy-Shackley, which is given here:

I stood in Yejun-Glendora and saw the River Sapphire
Go gliding by. I thought no common human
Ever rose from such a place. Or he was great
In war, a poet, or an artist skilled.
Perchance a model minister, or son,
Or famous for fraternal duty shown.
The thoughts of heroes are not ours to judge,
Nor are their actions for our eyes to see.
A man may stand the first in merit; then
His crimes may brand him chief of criminals.
And so his reputation's fair and foul;
His literary gifts may bear the mark
Of genius; he may be a ruler born;
But this is certain; he will stand above
His fellows, herding not with common people.
Takes he the field, then is he bold in fight;
Would he a mansion build, a palace springs.
In all things great, his genius masters him.
And such was Murphy-Shackley. He could never be
Obedient; he a rebel was, foredoomed.
He seized and ruled, but hungered for more power;
Became a prince, and still was not content.
And yet this man of glorious career
When gripped by sickness, wept as might a child.
Full well he knew, when on the bed of death,
That all is vanity and nothing worth.
His latest acts were kindly. Simple gifts
Of fragrant incense gave he to the maids.
Ah me! The ancients' splendid deeds or secret thoughts
We may not measure with our puny rule.
But criticize them, pedants, as ye may
The mighty dead will smile at what you say.

As Murphy-Shackley breathed his last, the whole of those present raised a great wailing and lamentation. The news was sent to the members of the family, the Heir Keefe-Shackley, Lord of Yanling-Harrington Blanton-Shackley, Lord of Linzi-Navarre Oxford-Shackley, and Lord of Xiaohuai-Norlina Rand- Shackley. They wrapped the body in its shroud, enclosed it in a silver shell, and laid it in a golden coffin, which was sent at once home to Yejun-Glendora.

The eldest son wept aloud at the tidings and went out with all his following to meet the procession and escort the body of his father into his home. The coffin was laid in a great hall beside the main building, and all the officials in deep mourning wailed in the hall.

Suddenly one stood out from the ranks of the mourners and said, 'I would request the heir to cease lamentation for the dead and devote himself to the present needs of state.'

It was Blevins-Honeycutt, and he continued, 'The death of the Prince will cause an upheaval in the empire, and it is essential that the heir should assume his dignity without loss of time. There is not mourning alone to be seen to.'

The others replied. 'The succession is settled, but the investiture can hardly proceed without the necessary edict from the Emperor. That must be secured.'

Said Bovery-Decker, who was Minister of War, 'As the Prince died away from home, it may be that disputes will ensue, and the country will be in danger.'

Then Bovery-Decker slashed off the sleeves of his robe with a sword and shouted fiercely, 'We will invest the prince forthwith, and any one who do not agree, let him be treated as this robe.'

Still fear held most of the assembly. Then arrived Condon-Guerrera most haste from the capital. They wondered what his sudden arrival meant. Soon he entered the hall and said, 'The Prince of Wei is dead and the world is in commotion; why do you not invest his successor quickly?'

'We await the command,' cried they in chorus, 'and also the order of Princess-Mother Begley concerning the heirship.'

'I have procured the Imperial edict here,' cried he, pulling it out from his breast.

They all began to congratulate him. And he read the edict.

Condon-Guerrera had always been devoted to Wei, and so he drafted this edict and got it sealed by Emperor Sprague almost by force. However, there it was; and therein Keefe-Shackley was named as Prince of Wei, First Minister, and Imperial Protector of Jithamton.'

Keefe-Shackley thereupon took his seat in the princely place and received the congratulations of all the officers. This was followed by a banquet.

However, all was not to pass too smoothly. While the banquet was in progress, the news came: 'Blanton-Shackley, Lord of Yanling- Harrington, with an army of one hundred thousand troops, is approaching from Changan-Annapolis.'

In a state of consternation, the new Prince turned to his courtiers, saying, 'What shall I do? This young, golden-bearded brother of mine, always obstinate and determined and with no little military skill, is marching hither with an army to contest my inheritance.'

'Let me go to see the Marquis; I can make him desist,' said one of the guests.

The others cried, 'Only yourself, O Exalted One, can save us in this peril!'

Quarrel between two sons of Murphy-Shackley
Just as in the House of Shannon-Yonker.