红楼梦Chapter4_小升初阅读_小升初-查字典英语网

红楼梦Chapter4

What your worship says is naturally right and proper， remarked the Retainer at these words， smiling sarcastically， but at the present stage of the world， such things cannot be done. Havent you heard the saying of a man of old to the effect that GREat men take action suitable to the times. He who presses， he adds， towards what is auspicious and avoids what is inauspicious is a perfect man. From what your worship says， not only you couldnt， by any display of zeal， repay your obligation to His Majesty， but， what is more， your own life you will find it difficult to preserve. There are still three more considerations necessary to insure a safe settlement.

Yue-tsun drooped his head for a considerable time.

What is there in your idea to be done? he at length inquired.

Your servant， responded the Retainer， has already devised a most excellent plan. Its this： To-morrow， when your Lordship sits in court， you should， merely for forms sake， make much ado， by despatching letters and issuing warrants for the arrest of the culprits. The murderer will naturally not be forthcoming; and as the plaintiffs will be strong in their displeasure， you will of course have some members of the clan of the Hsueeh family， together with a few servants and others， taken into custody， and examined under torture， when your servant will be behind the scenes to bring matters to a settlement， by bidding them report that the victim had succumbed to a sudden ailment， and by urging the whole number of the kindred， as well as the headmen of the place， to hand in a declaration to that effect. Your Worship can aver that you understand perfectly how to write charms in dust， and conjure the spirit; having had an altar， covered with dust， placed in the court， you should bid the military and people to come and look on to their hearts content. Your Worship can give out that the divining spirit has declared： that the deceased， Feng Yuean， and Hsueeh Pan had been enemies in a former life， that having now met in the narrow road， their destinies were consummated; that Hsueeh Pan has， by this time， contracted some indescribable disease and perished from the effects of the persecution of the spirit of Feng. That as the calamity had originated entirely from the action of the kidnapper， exclusive of dealing with the kidnapper according to law， the rest need not be interfered with， and so on. Your servant will be in the background to speak to the kidnapper and urge him to make a full confession; and when people find that the response of the divining spirit harmonizes with the statements of the kidnapper， they will， as a matter of course， entertain no suspicion.