Officialdom Unmasked

40. Conduct Unbecoming

40 Conduct Unbecomin g In an instant, Madam Qu had crossed the river. As no one knew where Maste r Qu was lodged, the lady ordered her attendant to call at Master Ma's yamen at the Xiakou Sub-Prefecture. H e was to say that he had come from th e Governor General 's yamen to look for Master Qu. Further, he was to request help in findin g his master. With this order, the attendant ran out as if he was winged. Madam Qu just waited in her sedan chair nearby. This Master Ma was one of the officials with higher ability among the ranks of Sub-Prefects i n Hubei. He had cultivated a good relationship with his superiors. Even though he might have made a couple of mistakes, the incidents could always be whitewashed. Though he was an official i n his own locality, he too frequente d the theatre s an d brothels , eithe r o n th e pretex t o f suppressing th e trades , or of investigating them at night. Of late, even Master Qu and Da associated with him particularly since he knew about Qu's acquisition of Lovely Pearl as a concubine. That day when he was in his own yamen, he was informed b y the gatekeepe r that someone from the Governor-General's yamen was here to ask for Master Qu. He was immediately thrown into such a panic that farts and urine rolled out without restraint. At onc e h e said , 'Maste r Qu' s ne w residenc e i s in th e Secon d Lan e a t th e western end of Ocean Street. On entering the Lane, turn right and his house is at the third door.' Then he dispatched two soldiers to lead the way. He asked, 'Who in the Governor-General's yamen is looking for him? What is the matter about?' Conduct Unbecoming 393 Madam Qu's attendant gave some vague answer and went away with the two soldiers. Soon they found Madam Qu seated in the sedan chair and told her tha t their master was in his 'new' residence. When th e lad y heard th e words 'new residence', she at once knew tha t he r husband had found a paramour. Greatly outraged , sh e mad e for th e addres s given t o her an d asked , 'Doe s a man Qu live here?' An ol d man came out and replied, 'That's right. The surnam e i s Xu. Wher e are you from?' Madam Qu alighted from the sedan chair and called in a loud voice, 'Tell the rascal to come out, I want to speak to him! So you are engaged i n official dutie s and lie to me every day! And you have moved your bureau here, have you? Come out! I'll go and see the Governor-General with you!' Thus pouring out her abuse, she shouted to her followers, 'Smash the place for me!' Those who had followed her here were all coarse and common people. Without ascertaining whethe r i t wa s blu e o r red , o r blac k o r white , the y smashe d u p everything within sight . When th e ol d ma n sa w this, he wa s furious. H e cried , 'Thi s i s a rebellion ! Where do these robbers come from?' Madam Qu entered to take a look and found that this was the wrong place. So she said to the soldiers who had come with her, 'It is not here! Why is it the wrong place?' Knowing that she had ransacke d th e wrong place, she at once mounted he r sedan chair to leave. The old man was concerned that all his belongings had been damaged, and seeing that the y were about t o go away without saying a word, h e rushed forward and held onto the carrying bars of the sedan chair. Fortunately, the soldiers came to her aid by shouting abuse at the old man and whipping him. I n this way, the old man was frightened int o retreating. Madam Qu, on the other hand, reproached her own people and the soldier s for bringing her to the wrong address. One of the more clear-headed soldiers said, 'Could it be we had made a wrong turning? Let us go and ask the...