TUN-HUANG (20 page)

He had no way of knowing whether he would survive. Suddenly, Hsing-te recalled the naked woman on the board who was being sold in the marketplace outside K’ai-feng years before. As he thought of her intrepid attitude toward death, he felt courage seeping into him.

“As you say, whether you live or die depends upon fate,” said Kuang. “But in any case, let me keep your necklace for you. If you should survive, it will keep you from want. It’s dangerous to carry it around on the battlefield. The bastards in the city have no place to hide their wealth, and rich and poor are at a loss. Anyway, this town will be reduced to ashes. Outside the walled city is the desert. From the east the Hsi-hsia will come, and from the west the Muslims.”

With a bland look, Kuang spoke as if he were giving a final argument for a case. This very blandness of expression, as reflected in the shadowy dusk light, appeared to Hsing-te as complete insensitivity.

Kuang continued: “Have you looked around the city? It’s an amusing sight. No one knows what to do. They are all in a daze. The decisive ones have packed all their worldly goods on camels and horses and left, but they will soon lose everything. Even before the Muslims come to the desert, the Asha and Lung tribes, who are on the lookout, will get them. There’s no chance, as there is with us, you know. It’s a foregone conclusion that they’ll take the horses and goods, strip the men clean, and then abandon them!”

Kuang suddenly lowered his voice and continued, “But no matter what happens, I’ll do all right. I know of a place to hide valuables. Whether the Hsi-hsia or the Muslims invade, that place alone is safe.” Kuang silently watched Hsing-te as if waiting for his reply. But Hsing-te said nothing. Kuang spoke again. “How about it? I’ll store the necklace in the safest place for you. I’m not trying to take the necklace away from you. If you survive, I’ll definitely return it to you. Give me the necklace!”

Hsing-te didn’t have the remotest desire to let Kuang keep the necklace for him. As Kuang noticed his lack of interest, he changed his tone and said, “I don’t mind telling you where the hiding-place is. You’d agree to it if you could be present when we buried it, wouldn’t you? Do you still object?”

“Bury it?” Hsing-te asked.

“That’s right. I’m going to bury all the treasure until the war is over. I’m making you a kind offer to bury your necklace with the rest.”

“Where will you bury it?”

“I can’t tell you that so easily. If you’ll let me bury your necklace with my things, then I’ll tell you. If you won’t, why should I tell you? No one else knows about this place. If the treasures are buried there, they’ll be absolutely safe. Even if all of Sha-chou is turned into a battlefield, my hiding-place will be safe. No matter how many years the wars may continue, my treasures will be all right. That’s the kind of place it is.”

Kuang apparently thought that he might as well tell Hsing-te the rest, since he had told him so much already, and continued, “Since last night my men have been preparing a large storage cave. I’ve also told the Ts’ao family that, if they wished, I’d be willing to store their valuables, too. They distrust me and won’t accept my offer, but in the end they’re sure to come begging for my help. We’re leaving at dawn tomorrow, and they’ll probably come by then. You think it over. If you can’t decide by then, you’re out of luck.”

When Kuang finished, he straightened up and returned to his men.

These words left an impression on Hsing-te. He wondered if there really were such a place. Suddenly, he felt an urge to know where it was. He felt that there was something he should hide there. As yet, he was not exactly sure what it should be, but … something.

However, he shortly regained his usual composure. He was aware of Kuang’s real motives in taking advantage of the confusion. Kuang actually might know of such a place. His plan, of course, was to amass as many valuables as possible for himself later.

Apparently, Kuang felt that he alone was immune to the fate which threatened the Chinese. Even though all the others would be killed, he seemed to think that he alone would survive.

But there was no reason why Kuang should be spared. There was no telling when a stray arrow might hit him, or when he might be captured and killed. It was just that Kuang had decided that he alone would not die. At this thought, Hsing-te felt a sudden warmth which he had never before felt for this cocky scoundrel.

Hsing-te approached the bonfire where the group was huddled and motioned to Kuang with his chin, just as Kuang had done to him shortly before. Kuang came immediately and said, “How about it? Have you decided to do it? It is best to leave it with me, isn’t it?”

Hsing-te replied, “Yes, I’ll trust you with the necklace. In exchange, I’d like to see the place.”

“You can come to the place with me tomorrow. Be here at dawn.”

Kuang reflected on this for a bit, then said, “I’ll tell you because I trust you, but don’t tell another soul. If this should leak out, I’ll know that you talked. The secret cave is at Tun-huang, in the Thousand Buddha Caves of the Ming-sha mountains. I’ve located two or three suitable enclosures deep inside the stone caves.”

He looked directly at Hsing-te, as if to say, “How about that!” He continued, “The Hsi-hsia troops probably won’t touch anything there. Yüan-hao is a Buddhist. They won’t burn or destroy it. At present there are over three hundred stone caves carved out there. In several of them are half-finished holes. We’ll put the treasures in these and seal them. Even if the Muslims should invade and the Thousand Buddha Caves are devastated, there is little chance that they will discover the secret holes within. Muslims avoid approaching anything of a Buddhist nature. I doubt that they will use these caves for billets or horse stables, for instance. Even if they should, the secret holes will be safe.”

The Thousand Buddha Caves in the Ming-sha mountains were not new to Hsing-te. He had heard of them even in China. These mountains were not far from Sha-chou. At their foot were hundreds of caves. In each one were magnificent frescoes painted with brilliant colors and large and small Buddhist statues. No one knew who had started work on the caves, but it was thought that these caves had secretly been increased in size and beauty by Buddhist followers from ancient times to the present.

Naturally, Hsing-te had never seen the Thousand Buddha Caves and could only imagine their extent from his readings; but they were certainly the most famous religious site on the frontier.

Hsing-te then recalled that Kuang had informed him on the night they had met in Kua-chou that his mother’s family had had several grottoes dug at the Thousand Buddha Caves. No doubt it was because of that connection that Kuang had hit upon the idea of the caves as a hiding-place.

“How far is it to the Thousand Buddha Caves from here?” Hsing-te inquired.

“Fourteen miles. At a gallop you can be there in about an hour.”

“All right, I’ll be there by dusk tomorrow.”

“Don’t forget the necklace,” Kuang reminded him once more.

After Hsing-te had left Kuang, he walked around the city of Sha-chou, soon destined to be razed. He was not in the mood to return to his quarters.

All the streets were in confusion with residents attempting to flee. Camels and horses passed by. Sha-chou was different from any other walled town Hsing-te had seen in the western regions. Its streets were wide and lined with shade trees, and old, imposing shops now thronged with people. He left the shopping area and walked to the residential section, with its rows of large houses enclosed by mud walls. Confusion reigned here, too. The streets were a total chaos, but there was a sober quality to the uproar. Now and then the noise would subside, and an oppressive silence would prevail for a while. The moon had come out. It was blood-red.

Hsing-te went to the temple section of town. Here the temples were much larger than those in which Wang-li’s troops were billeted in the eastern part of the town. In the spacious temple grounds were large, regular-shaped monasteries standing in rows. As might be expected, only this section of the town was calm. Most probably evacuation preparations were taking place inside, but the sounds did not reach the streets.

Hsing-te passed several temples. He did not know the names of any of these, but he entered the grounds of the temple with the largest monastery. Just past the gate was a large pagoda on the right. The crimson moon hung on the shoulder of the tower. The pagoda and several buildings cast dark shadows in the dim grounds. Hsing-te stepped into these black shadows and walked further into the precincts. He soon came upon a lighted building. As the area was so still, he had thought it empty, and was surprised.

Hsing-te walked toward the light. As he walked up the low steps, he judged the building to be a repository for sacred scriptures. The front door was slightly ajar. There were several lights in the room; it was much brighter than he had thought.

As he peered into the room, he saw an enormous number of Buddhist scrolls and papers spread over the whole area. In the midst of them were three young priests who at a glance appeared to be about twenty years of age. Of the three youths, two were standing, the other was crouched over. They were so absorbed in their work that they did not even notice Hsing-te looking in.

At first Hsing-te could not make out what they were doing, but as he watched he realized that they were sorting out the religious works. At times they would hold and look over a particular work at length, while at other times they would put it down quickly to pick another one up. Hsing-te was fascinated as he watched the three men, and after a bit he spoke to them: “Tell me, what are you doing?”

The three young priests, startled, looked simultaneously toward Hsing-te.

“Who are you?” one of them shouted.

“I’m no one to be afraid of. What in the world are you up to?” Hsing-te said, as he stepped into the room.

“We’re sorting our sacred scrolls,” the same priest replied.

“What do you plan to do with them after you’ve sorted them?”

“We’re just preparing for an emergency. If the temple should catch fire, we’ll escape with the selected ones.”

“You’re going to wait until it catches fire?”

“Naturally!”

“Aren’t you evacuating? You know that evacuation orders are out, don’t you?”

“Even if such orders have been given, do you think that we could run off and leave all these sacred scrolls behind? We don’t know about anyone else, but we plan to remain here even after the fighting starts.”

“Where are the other priests?”

“They’ve left. But they do not concern us. We have chosen to do this.”

“Where is the chief abbot?”

“He’s been at the palace since last night to discuss what to do about the temple.”

“Why can’t you evacuate and leave everything behind?”

At this, the young priests expressed contempt. The youngest priest, who had remained silent until then, spoke up. “The number of sacred writings we’ve read is not worth mentioning. There is an enormous amount that we have not yet read. There are countless scrolls that we have not even opened. We want to read them.”

Those words suddenly struck a sympathetic chord in Hsing-te’s heart. For a moment he felt drained of energy. He recalled how he, too, had often uttered these very words many years before.

Hsing-te immediately left the repository. He must see Yen-hui as soon as possible. He walked the long distance from the temple to Hsien-shun’s palace. The streets were in as much chaos as before. On his way, Hsing-te ran across countless groups of evacuees; each time he had to step aside to let them pass.

When Hsing-te arrived at the palace, he requested an interview with Yen-hui through a guard. After a short wait, he was led through a maze of halls and finally into an inner chamber.

In the center of the large room, Yen-hui sat deeply sunk in a chair, just as in his own Kua-chou palace. But this room was infinitely more luxurious and beautiful than Yen-hui’s, which by now was probably burned down. All the furnishings and the rugs were opulent, and the candlesticks lighting the room were magnificent.

“What’s the matter?” Yen-hui had not actually spoken, but he raised his listless eyes toward Hsing-te as though he had just asked that question. Hsing-te asked what the ruler, Hsien-shun, was doing now.

“Nothing, really, He’s so absorbed in battle preparations that he won’t listen to anything else.” Yen-hui spoke despairingly.

“What will happen to the temples?” Hsing-te inquired.

“They’ll just burn.”

“And the priests?”

“I hear that most of them have left.”

“What about the sacred scriptures?”

“They’ll be reduced to ashes.”

“And you’ll let this happen?”

“It can’t be helped, can it? Hsien-shun shows absolutely no concern for such things.”

“Then why don’t you personally give out some orders?”

“Even if I should, it will make no difference. The chief abbots of seventeen temples are gathered in conference in the inner chamber. They’ve been discussing the problem since last night, but all they do is talk and they can’t come to any decision.”

Yen-hui left his seat and started to pace slowly about the room. Then in a low voice, as if muttering to himself, he spoke. “Actually, it’s natural they cannot come to a decision, no matter how long they discuss it. The number of scrolls in the repositories of the seventeen temples is vast. It would need days just to take them out. More days would be necessary to pack and load them on camels. And where could they take the thousands of camels loaded with scrolls? To the east? west? south? Or north? Where can you find safety?”

After he had finished speaking, Yen-hui returned to his seat. “Kua-chou was burned down. Sha-chou, too, will probably be destroyed in the same way. The city will burn. The temples will burn. And the sutras will perish in the flames.”

Hsing-te stood upright in a corner of the room. It was true that the sacred scrolls were countless. In this time of crisis, it seemed there was nothing they could do to save them.

He, in his turn, started pacing about the room. He thought with infinite compassion of the three young priests who were at this moment wrestling with the innumerable scriptures in the repository.