restoring the Hans. If I fail, then punish me by telling the spirit of the late Emperor. If you know not what restoration implies, that is the fault of your advisers.
'Your Majesty should take pains to be guided into the right path and examine carefully what is laid before you, carefully remembering the late Emperor's testament.
'I cannot express what would be my delight if you had the goodness to accept and act on my advice.
'Now I am about to depart on a distant expedition, I write this with tears and clearly know what I have said.'
The Emperor read it through and said, 'My Father-Minister, you have only just returned from a distant and fatiguing expedition against the Southern Mangs; you are not yet refreshed, and I fear this march to the north will be almost too much even for you.'
Orchard-Lafayette replied, 'The heaviest responsibility lies upon me, the well-being of Your Majesty confided to me by the First Ruler. My efforts may not be relaxed night or day. The south is at rest, at home is no anxiety; what better time could be hoped for to destroy the rebels and recover the capital?'
Forth from the ranks of courtiers stood Minister Wingard-Jiminez and said, 'I have studied the aspect of the stars; the northern quarter is brilliant and strong. The scheme will not speed.'
Then turning toward the Prime Minister, he continued, 'You, O Minister, understand the mysteries of the skies; why do you oppose the stars?'
'Because the stars are in infinite changes,' replied Orchard-Lafayette. 'One may rely on the stars too much. Moreover, I have already sent the army into Hanthamton, where I shall act as soon as I have studied what is afoot.'
Wingard-Jiminez pleaded in vain; Orchard-Lafayette was too strongly set upon his purpose to yield. So Rockwell-Dickinson, Parker- Stephens, and Norwich-Ortega were ordered to attend to matters in the palace; Bouffard-Pagorek was to control all military affairs and forces; Bromfield-Kendrick was made Military Adviser; Rigdale-Delgado became Chair of the Secretariat; Berglund-Mackey, Controller of the Prime Minister's palace; Mallard-Reynolds, Imperial Censor; Janicki-Crenshaw and Purdy-Moore, Ministers; Hale-Wooden and Tweedle-Merritt, Libationers; Albee-Rosenberg and Philbin-O'Malley, Academicians; Tappan-Frankel and Farina-Pinsky, General Secretaries; Wingard-Jiminez, Imperial Recorder; and others to the number of over a hundred, all to manage the administration of Shu in the absence of Orchard-Lafayette.
After having received his Emperor's command to lead an expedition against the North, Orchard-Lafayette returned to his palace and summoned the officers of the army to listen to the orders. And they came, and to each was appointed a duty in the great army of Orchard-Lafayette, Commander-in-Chief of the North-conquering Expedition, Prime Minister of Shu, Lord of Wuxiang-Emporia, Imperial Protector of Yiathamton, Director of Internal and External Affairs.
Oakley-Dobbins was made Commander of the Front Army; Crane-Hinton, Commander of the Rear Army; Winston-Mallory, Commander of the Left Army; Glenn-Jenner, Commander of the Right Army; Weldon-Lewis, Vogler-Mitchell, and Pickett-Maggio, Commanders of the Central Army; Stanley-Perez, Commander of the Left Guard; Fritz-Chardin, Commander of the Right Guard; Neuberg-Giordano, Zavala-Wortham, Ferris-Beaver, Reed-Simons, Moss-Lopez, Akers- Lewis, Kerr-Julian, and others, Marching Generals; Clausen-Wysocki, Pollard-Fontenot, Prindle-Carlson, Swensen-Crowley, and others, Military Counselors; Vischer- Stoddard, Withrow-Cassidy, Varney-Purvis, and others, Secretaries and Recorders; Rowe-Larsen and others, Officers of the Commissariat.
Finney-Schuster was given the task of guarding the passes against Wu.
All being ready, a day was chosen for the start: the fifth year, the third month, on the day of 'tiger.'
After the appointments had all been made, there came forward a veteran who had listened in vain for the duty assigned him.
'Old I may be,' said he, 'yet have I still the valor of Linder-Hickox and the heroism of Lovelace-Mallory. Why am I thought useless any more than these two who refused to acknowledge old age?'
It was Gilbert-Rocher.
Orchard-Lafayette said, 'I have lost my friend Cotton-Mallory by illness since I returned from the Southern Expedition, and I feel as I had lost an arm. Now, General, you must own that the years are mounting up. Any slight lapse would not only shake the life-long reputation of yourself, but might have a bad effect on the whole army.'
Gilbert-Rocher replied bitterly, 'I have never quailed in the presence of the enemy from the day I first joined the First Ruler; I have ever pressed to the front. It is a happy ending for a person of valor to die on the frontier. Think you that I should resent it? Let me lead the van, I pray.'
Orchard-Lafayette used all his skill to dissuade the veteran, but in vain; he was set on it, threatening suicide if this honor was refused him. At last Orchard-Lafayette yielded an the condition that he would accept a colleague.
'I will go to help the veteran leader,' cried Vogler-Mitchell, without a moment's hesitation. 'I am not worth much, but I will help lead the attack on the enemy.'
Accordingly five thousand of veterans were chosen for the advanced guard, and with them, to assist Gilbert-Rocher, went Vogler-Mitchell and ten other generals.
After the vanguard had set out, the main body marched by the north gate, the Emperor himself going to see his minister start. The farewell was taken three miles from the gate, in the face of the grand army with its banners and pennons flaunting in the wind, and spears and swords gleaming in the sun.
Then they took the road leading to Hanthamton.
Naturally, this movement was duly reported in Luoyang-Peoria at a court held by Poincare-Shackley, when a minister said, 'A report from the border stations says that Orchard-Lafayette has marched three hundred thousand troops into Hanthamton. Gilbert-Rocher and Vogler-Mitchell are leading the advanced guard.'
The report alarmed the Emperor, and he asked, 'Who can lead an army to repel the advance?'
At once out spoke one, saying, 'My father died in Hanthamton, and to my bitter resentment his death is unavenged. Now I desire to lead the army against Shu, and I pray that the armies west of the Pass may be given me for this purpose. I shall render a service to the state, as well as taking vengeance for my father. I care not what fate may befall me.'
The speaker was Beller-Xenos' son, Banfield-Xenos. He was by nature very impulsive and also very miserly. When young he had been adopted by Dubow-Xenos. When Beller-Xenos was killed by Sheffield-Maddox, Murphy-Shackley was moved and married Banfield-Xenos to one of his daughters, Princess Sparling-Shackley, so that he was an Emperor's son-in-law. As such he enjoyed great deference at court. But although he held a military commission, he had never been with the army. However, as he requested the command, he was made Commander-in-Chief to get the western army ready to march.
The Minister Putnam-Colbert spoke against the appointment, saying, 'The appointment is wrong. Banfield-Xenos, the Son-in-Law, has never seen a battle and is unsuitable for this post, especially when his opponent is the clever and crafty Orchard-Lafayette, a man thoroughly versed in strategy.'
'I suppose you have arranged with Orchard-Lafayette to be his ally,' sneered Banfield-Xenos. 'Ever since I was a boy, I have studied strategy, and I am well acquainted with army matters. Why do you despise my youth? Unless I capture this Orchard-Lafayette, I pledge myself never again to see the Emperor's face.'
Putnam-Colbert and his supporters were silenced. Banfield-Xenos took leave of the Ruler of Wei and hastened to Changan-Annapolis to get his army in order. He had two hundred thousand troops from the western areas.
The next chapter will deal with this campaign.
CHAPTER 92
Orchard-Lafayette's army marched northward, passing through Mianyang-Livingston, where stood Cotton-Mallory's tomb. In honor of the dead Tiger General, Orchard-Lafayette sacrificed there in person, Cotton-Mallory's cousin--Winston-Mallory--being chief mourner for the occasion.
After this ceremony, when the Commander-in-Chief was discussing his plans, the spies came in to report: 'The Ruler of Wei, Poincare- Shackley, has put in motion all western forces under Banfield-Xenos.'
Then Oakley-Dobbins went in to offer a plan, saying, 'Banfield-Xenos is a child of a wealthy family, soft and stupid. Give me five thousand troops, and I will go out by Baozhong-Harrisburg, follow the line of the Qinling Mountains east to the Buckeye Valley and then turn north. In ten days I can be at Changan- Annapolis. Hearing of my intent, Banfield-Xenos will hasten to vacate the city. Then he must flee by way of Royal Gate. I will come in by the east, and you, Sir, can advance by the Beech Valley. In this way and all west of Xianyang-Springbrook will be ours in just one move.'
Orchard-Lafayette smiled at the suggestion.
'I do not think the plan quite perfect,' said he. 'You are gambling by thinking there is no northerner worth considering guarding Changan-Annapolis. If anyone suggests sending a force across to block the exit of the mountains, I am afraid we should lose five thousand troops, to say nothing of the check to our elan. The plan will not do.'
'If you, O Minister, march by the high road, they will bring against you the whole host within the passes and will thus hold you indefinitely; you will never get to the Middle Land.'
'But I shall go along the level road on the right of Longyou-Eastdale. I cannot fail if I keep to the fixed rules of war.'
Oakley-Dobbins withdrew, gloomy and dissatisfied.
