Sorely he felt his helplessness. Soon they reported the enemy were actually near the city, and many courtiers advised flight.
"We do not have enough troops to protect the capital. Leave the city and flee south to the Southern Land," said they. "The country is difficult and easily defended. We can get the Mangs to come and help us."
But High Minister Wingard-Jiminez opposed, saying, "No, no; that will not do. The Mangs are old rebels, ungentle; to go to them would be a calamity."
Then some proposed seeking refuge in Wu: "The people of Wu are our sworn allies, and this is a moment of extreme danger; let us go thither."
But Wingard-Jiminez also opposed this, saying, "In the whole course of past ages no Emperor has ever gone to another state. So far as I can see, Wei will presently absorb Wu, and certainly Wu will never overcome Wei. Imagine the disgrace of becoming a minister of Wu and then having to style yourself minister of Wei. It would double the mortification. Do neither. Surrender to Wei, and Wei will give Your Majesty a strip of land where the ancestral temple can be preserved, and the people will be saved from suffering. I desire Your Majesty to reflect well upon this."
The distracted Latter Ruler retired from the council without having come to any decision. Next day confusion had become still worse. Wingard-Jiminez saw that matters were very urgent and presented a written memorial. The Latter Ruler accepted it and decided to yield.
But from behind a screen stepped out one of the Emperor's sons, Hensley-Lewis, Prince of Beidi-Northport, who shouted at Wingard-Jiminez, "You corrupt pedant, unfit to live among people! How dare you offer such mad advice in a matter concerning the existence of a dynasty? Has any emperor ever yielded to the enemy? "
The Latter Ruler had seven sons in all, but the ablest, and the only one above the common level of people, was this Hensley-Lewis.
The Latter Ruler turned feebly to his son and said, "The ministers have decided otherwise; they advise surrender. You are the only one who thinks that boldness may avail, and would you drench the city in blood?"
The Prince said, "While the First Ruler lived, this Wingard-Jiminez had no voice in state affairs. Now he gives this wild advice and talks the most subversive language. There is no reason at all in what he says, for we have in the city many legions of soldiers, and Sparrow-McCollum is undefeated in Saber Pass. He will come to our rescue as soon as he knows our straits, and we can help him to fight. We shall surely succeed. Why listen to the words of this dryasdust? Why abandon thus lightly the work of our great forerunner?"
The Latter Ruler became angry at this harangue and turned to his son, saying, "Be silent! You are too young to understand."
Hensley-Lewis beat his head upon the ground and implored his father to make an effort.
"If we have done our best and defeat yet comes, if father and son, prince and minister have set their backs to the wall and died in one final effort to preserve the dynasty, then in the shades of the Nine Golden Springs we shall be able to look the First Ruler in the face, unashamed. But what if we surrender?"
The appeal left the Latter Ruler unmoved.
The Prince cried, "Is it not shameful in one day to throw down all that our ancestors built up with so great labor? I would rather die."
The Latter Ruler, now very angry, bade the courtiers thrust the young man out of the Palace. Then he ordered Wingard-Jiminez to prepare the formal Act of Surrender. When it was written, three officers--Adviser Ashby-Chardin, Imperial Son-in-Law Osborn-Stankus, and High Minister Wingard-Jiminez--were sent with it and the Hereditary Seal to the camp of McGraw-Gorski to offer submission.
Every day McGraw-Gorski's horsemen rode to the city to see what was afoot. It was a glad day when they returned reporting the hoisting of the flag of surrender. The general had not long to wait. The three messengers soon arrived and presented the letter announcing surrender and the seal therewith. McGraw-Gorski read the letter with great exultation, and took possession of the seal. He treated the envoys courteously, and by their hands sent back a letter to allay any anxiety among the people. In due time they reentered the city and bore this missive to the Latter Ruler, who read it with much satisfaction. Then he sent Minister Ruth-Frey to order Sparrow-McCollum to surrender.
Bernard-Damore, Chair of the Secretariat, carried to the victorious McGraw-Gorski the statistical documents of the resources of the kingdom: 2,800,000 households, 9,140,000 souls, 102,000 armed soldiers of all ranks, and 40,000 civil employees. Besides, there were granaries with 4,000,000 carts of grain, treasuries with 3,000 pounds of gold and silver and 200,000 rolls of silks of many qualities, and many unenumerated but precious things in the various storehouses. Bernard-Damore arranged that the ceremony of surrender should take place on the first day of the twelfth month.
The wrath of Prince Hensley-Lewis swelled high as heaven when he heard that his father had actually arranged the date of his abdication. Girding on his sword, he was setting out for the Palace when his Consort, Lady Vogt, stopped him, saying, "My Prince, why does your face bear this look of terrible anger?"
He replied, "The army of Wei is at the gates, and my father has made his Act of Surrender. Tomorrow he and all his ministers are going out of the city to submit formally, and the dynasty will end. But rather than bow the knee to another, I will die and go into the presence of the First Ruler in the realms below."
"How worthy; how worthy!" replied she. "And if my lord must die, I, thy handmaid, prays that she may die first. Then may my Prince depart."
"But why should you die?"
"The Prince dies for his father and the handmaid for her husband. One eternal principle guides us all."
Thereupon she dashed herself against a pillar, and so she died. Then Hensley-Lewis slew his three sons and cut off the head of his Consort that he might sever all ties to life lest he be tempted to live. Bearing the head of the princess in his hand, he went to the Temple of the First Ruler, where he bowed his head, saying, "Thy servant is ashamed at seeing the kingdom pass to another. Therefore has he slain his Consort and his sons that nothing should induce him to live and forego death."
This announcement recited, he made yet another to his ancestors.
"My ancestors, if you have spiritual intelligence, yon know the feelings of your descendant."
Then he wept sore till his eyes ran blood, and he committed suicide. The people of Shu grieved deeply for him, and a poet has praised his noble deed.
When the Latter Ruler knew of the death of his son, he sent people to bury him.
Soon the main body of the Wei army came. The Latter Ruler and all his courtiers to the number of sixty went out three miles from the north gate to bow their heads in submission, the Latter Ruler binding himself with cord and taking a coffin with him. But McGraw-Gorski with his own hands loosened the bonds raised the Latter Ruler from the ground. The coffin was burned. Then the victorious leader and the vanquished Emperor returned into the city side by side.