When a dynasty was overthrown) with all possible respect and cour-in China, almost invariably, for many] tesy, and to be supplied with the years afterwards, claimants to the best food and drink that the town throne sprung up who pretended to|could supply. be descendants of the last emperor.
Meanwhile he went through the But once a new dynasty had become register of oMfcials in Wuchang and firmly established such impostors ordered all those who had recently were very rare. During the reign been in Peking to visit Huangchow of the Manchus there were a few|and have a talk with the stranger. cases of persons who pretended to Among these was, of course, our be members of the Imperial family, inspector of police. No sooner had but an actual claimant to the throne set eyes on the mysterious young. was unheard-of. In view of the man than he eried out "I's he!" almost divine honours paid to the and rushed back to Wuchang to tell 1S] occupant of the Dragon Throne such the viceroy that this was the very 'a claim would have been not merely man he had seen riding out of the id] lace majesty, but worse still, rank gate of the Forbidden City when he Western] blasphemy. The following amusing was in Peking. Other officials, when case of an Imperial impostor in late they heard the police inspector's fin'"fs Manchu times is the only one that confirmation, were quite sure that T have come across in Chinese rethe stranger' was the Emperor Kuang cords.
Hei, all the more as he himself had 'The story commences. with a told' them so with his own lips, prelude as follows:—In the late firming that he had fled south 0 metics of the last century a certain escape the murderous clutchhs of inspector of police at Wuchang, the the Empress-Dowager. capital of Hupeh, had to proceed to Shortly afterwards the police Peking on duly. One day, after at-Inspector and the prefect called on tendance at the Cabinet office, the stranger in their official robes was leaving the Forbidden City and and kneeling down before him per~ was walking rapidly out of the formed the full. ceremony in Eastern Flowery Gate when he ran cordance with correct Court etifull tilt into eunuch coming the quetta. The young man who seemed opposite way. fully acquainted with all the nice-'They exchanged angry words, the ties of the ceremony received the eunuch becoming very" threatening. homage with the greatest condescend Just as they were in the middle of sion and, as they were taking the the dispute a well-dressed and imeave, informed them that he w portant-looking young man came graciously pleased to confer on them riding out through the gate followed both high promotion as a reward for by a mounted escort. As soon as their unfailing loyalty. The two for~ he saw him the eunuch's manner tunate officials flushed with triumph '{rst changed completely.
He stopped were not slow in letting this be dead in the middle of the argument Known in the yamens at Wuchang. to make a low obeisance to the rider!
Ina short time the whole body of and then hurried away without an-officials in the province were "con other word. The _police-inspector was very anxious to find out who vineed that the Emperor Kuang Both had come amongst them, Even The great man could be who had Chang Chih-tung himself was so frightened the eunuch. But he ginning to waver, and it is interes could never discover; nobody seeming to speculate' what might have to know anything about him. happened, had not the young man Needless to say, when he returned, given himself away in a rather an to Wuchang, he' told all his friends' and colleagues about this curious adventure, 8,000 Ounces of Silver Demanded
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.