One of the guards entered, with two more behind him. He was unarmed. He bowed to Father Peng.
“To an old man, courtesy,” he said.
The Captain ordered: “Repeat what you said this morning.”
The man began: “My name is Seuen. . . .”
Father Peng whispered: “A coincidence!”
The man continued: “. . . and I have been in the Guard for ten years. When I first served, all was well in the State. Peace at home vied with the reputation for military skill over the borders.”
“He talks well,” Father Peng said. “Go on.”
“At this time,” Seuen went on, “the Emperor”—they rose and bowed—“held his court at dawn. Then Yang Kuei-fei came, and there was no more dawn court. The schools and libraries which the Emperor had ordained languished because he took no further interest in them. It was then that the men of the Guard began to talk politics. Everyone talked politics. The eunuchs gained power. You could get anything by paying money. And now, Chang-an is in the hands of the rebels and we guard this woman as she takes the Emperor away to safety. It is not a man’s empire that we have now. That is why, this morning, I questioned an order. That is all which I have to say.”
Father Peng said: “We are told by the Master not to underrate a man because of his words nor to hold what he says in small esteem because it is he who says it. Nevertheless I think that it must be pointed out that in thus voicing your opinions on politics you are stepping outside your trade. In spite of the modern carelessness of thought it yet remains true that every building starts from the ground, and therefore I would contend that before you are qualified to speak of the influence, Imperial or otherwise, of Court ladies and of eunuchs, you must prove your ability by demonstrating the soundness of your acquaintance with the art peculiar to the soldier, I refer, of course, to tactics.” He raised an eyebrow in the direction of General Tung and the Captain, and was rewarded by gestures of assent.
“There is no fault to be found with your contention,” the General agreed, “in so far as I am qualified to judge.”
The Captain said: “Yes.”
Seuen complained: “It was ever so. A man of the people, like myself, dares to take the liberty of thinking, only to find himself enmeshed in a net of words which render him helpless as a trapped duck. What you have said, sir, is made of beautiful sounds, of echoes from the past, and of quotations from great men. In this net I am not able to move. But if you feel it necessary to award to me the punishment of listening to these words, I am very grateful.”
Father Peng said: “If that is so, do not talk but listen.” Linking actions with his words, he continued: “These chopsticks which I lay here represent a ridge. This sauce-holder at the northern end of the ridge, represents an enemy city. The magistrate of this city has put his troops, these melon-seeds, astride the ridge south of the city. Here. Your commander has twice as many melon-seeds, archers, cavalry and footmen, who have just reached the southern end of this ridge, thus. What would you expect your commander to do?”
Seuen replied, hesitantly: “I cannot decide.”
Father Peng enquired softly: “And why?”
Seuen was silent.
The Captain observed: “I should not expect my men to be able to answer such a question.”
General Tung asked Seuen: “Can you answer this question?”
Seuen replied: “I can give an answer to the question, but I have no means of knowing whether my answer would be judged correct.”
Father Peng observed, apparently addressing himself to a silk scroll on the wall above Seuen’s head, and very much to the latter’s embarrassment: “When I had command of men I first read such books of military history as my circumstances permitted. I then sought information and advice from such of my friends as had studied the art. When I had gained this objective, I took with me a small number of men and moved them about the country, imagining always that their passage was prevented or imperilled by the wisdom of an enemy commander superior to me in all but fortune. Only then did I dare to engage my men in real combat. The Master has said that to lead an untrained force into action is equivalent to throwing them away. The word ‘untrained’ applies reasonably to commander as to soldier. The duty of the commander is to command, while that of the soldier is . . .” He stopped, then said suddenly: “What is a soldier’s duty?”
Seuen replied immediately, without thinking: “To obey the orders of his commander.”
Father Peng said softly: “Yet you queried an order.” He laid his hands upon the table, palms upwards.
General Tung said to the Captain: “Tell him to go and wait.”
The Captain of the Guard gave the necessary orders to the two men who were by the door. When Seuen had been taken away General Tung said: “I am not familiar with this situation. It has not occurred in any of the military histories which I have read. Would you do me the incomparable favour of resolving it for me?”