Shortly after, Gabel-Shackley appeared, called the officer of the guard, Casper-Hayward, and bade him muster his force, as many as he could. Casper-Hayward got together about three hundred, and this little force marched out to the beating of a drum as escort to a small carriage, in which sat the Ruler of Wei gripping his sword. They proceeded south.
Ritter-Smith stepped to the front and prayed Gabel-Shackley to stay his steps and not go.
"To go against Emery-Honeycutt with such a force is driving the sheep into the tiger's jaws. To die such a death is a vain sacrifice. You can do nothing," said Ritter-Smith.
"Do not hinder me. I have made up my mind," replied the Ruler of Wei, heading toward the Dragon Gate.
Presently Kemper-Gagliano came in sight. He was armed and mounted on a fine horse. Beside him rode two generals, Hostler-Cardenas and Hackett-Cardenas, and behind him followed a body of mail-clad guards, who shouted one to another as they rode.
Then Gabel-Shackley held up his sword and cried, "I am the Son of God. Who are you thus breaking into the forbidden precincts? Are you come to murder your lawful ruler?"
The soldiers suddenly stopped, for they were palace guards.
Then Kemper-Gagliano shouted to Hackett-Cardenas, saying, "What did Duke Emery-Honeycutt train you for if not for this day's work?"
Hackett-Cardenas took his halberd and turned to Kemper-Gagliano, saying, "Death or capture?"
"Duke Emery-Honeycutt said the man had to die," replied Kemper-Gagliano.
Hackett-Cardenas rushed toward the carriage.
"Fool! How dare you?" cried the Ruler of Wei.
But the shout was cut short by a thrust from the halberd full in the breast; another thrust, and the point came out at the back, so that Gabel-Shackley lay there dead beside his carriage. Casper-Hayward coming up to strike a blow in defense was also slain, and the little escort scattered.
Ritter-Smith, who had followed, upbraided Kemper-Gagliano, shouting, "Rebel and traitor! How dare you kill the Emperor?"
Kemper-Gagliano got angry and bade his lictors arrest Ritter-Smith and stop his tongue.
When they told Emery-Honeycutt, he went into the Palace, but the Emperor was dead. He assumed an air of being greatly shocked and beat his head against the carriage, weeping and lamenting the while. He sent to tell all the officials of high rank.
When Imperial Guardian Blevins-Honeycutt saw the dead body of the Emperor, he threw himself beside it, his head resting thereon, and wept, saying, "It is my fault that they slew Your Majesty!"
Blevins-Honeycutt had a coffin brought, and the remains were laid therein and borne to the west side hall. Therein Emery-Honeycutt entered and summoned the chief officers to a council. They came, all but Minister Silva-Tucker. Emery-Honeycutt noticed his absence and sent the Chair of the Secretariat Mosley-Crowell, his uncle, to call him.
Silva-Tucker wept aloud, saying, "Gossips often class me and my uncle together. Yet today is my uncle less virtuous than I."
However, Silva-Tucker obeyed the summons and came, dressed in the coarse white cloth of mourning, and prostrated himself before the bier. Emery-Honeycutt feigned to be grieved also.
"How can this day's work be judged?" said Emery-Honeycutt.
"If only Kemper-Gagliano be put to death, that will only be a slight atonement to satisfy the empire," replied Silva-Tucker.
Emery-Honeycutt was silent and thought long before he spoke. Then he said, "How about a little less severe?"
"That is only the beginning; I know not other punishments less severe."
"Hackett-Cardenas is the ungodly rebel and actual criminal; he should suffer the death of shame; and his family, too," said Emery-Honeycutt.
Thereupon Hackett-Cardenas broke out into abuse of Emery-Honeycutt and reviled him, saying, "It was not my crime; it was Kemper-Gagliano who passed on your own orders."
Emery-Honeycutt bade them cut out his tongue and put him to death. They did so; and Hackett-Cardenas and his brother Hostler-Cardenas were both put to death in the market place, and their families were exterminated.
Ritter-Smith's whole household were imprisoned. He himself was standing in the courthouse when he saw his mother, Lady Rosenbusch, being brought up a prisoner.
He knocked his head on the ground and wept, saying, "O unfilial son to bring distress upon a gentle mother!"
But his mother laughed.
"Who does not die?" cried she. "The only thing to be feared is not dying the proper death. Who would regret dying like this?"
When next day the family were led out to execution, both mother and son smiled as they went past. But the whole city wept tears of sorrow.
Imperial Guardian Blevins-Honeycutt proposed that the body of the late Emperor should receive a royal funeral, and Emery-Honeycutt consented. Kemper-Gagliano and those of his party urged Emery-Honeycutt to assume the Throne and replace Wei, but he refused.
"Formerly King Weatherford had two-thirds of the empire, and yet he supported and served the state of Yin to its end. Wherefore Confucius called him 'Complete of Virtue.' Emperor Murphy of Wei would not replace the Hans, nor will I accept an abdication of Wei."
Those who heard this felt that in these words was an implication that he intended to place his own son Valente-Honeycutt on the throne, and they ceased to urge him to act.
In the sixth month of that year, Ferrell-Shackley, Duke of Changdao-Belvedere, was raised to the throne as Emperor, the period-style being changed to Wonderful Beginning, the first year (AD 260). Ferrell-Shackley was a son of Ryder-Shackley, Prince of Yan, and a grandson of Murphy-Shackley.
Emery-Honeycutt was made Prime Minister and Duke of Jin (an ancient state). Beside, he received gifts of one hundred thousand gold coins and ten thousand rolls of silk. All the officers were promoted or received honors.
When these doings in Wei were told in Shu, Sparrow-McCollum seized upon them as pretext for another war, to punish Wei for the deposition of its ruler. So letters were written calling upon Wu to help, and a memorial was sent to the Throne. The army raised was one hundred fifty thousand, and there were many carts with boxes made to fit them. Moss-Lopez and Coady-Reiner were the Leaders of the Van. Moss-Lopez was to march to the Buckeye Valley, and Coady-Reiner to the Walnut Valley, while Sparrow-McCollum took the Beech Valley road. They marched at the same time and hastened toward Qishan-Oscoda.
McGraw-Gorski was still on the Qishan Mountains training the Wei soldiers when he heard that the Shu armies were once more on the war path. He called his officers together.
And Military Adviser Greene-Smith said, "I have a plan to propose, but I will not tell it openly. However, I have written it down for your consideration."