The mightiest rivers, however, can but run their course, and so at length, in the event of his making himself Emperor, he might have some subjects left, he commenced to banish and to pardon, and by way of rewarding his soldiers, one day when he was in a good humor, he commanded them to sell the whole of the remaining women prisoners in the public market-place, and keep the money; but as the soldiers asked such high prices, and the fathers, husbands, and brothers, of Honan, had been robbed of their property, after a two days' sale a large stock of ladies remained on hand, which they were obliged to take with them to Pekin, where, after the conquest, they hoped to obtain better prices.
Tyrants are, however, capricious; and so, being offended with his soldiers for not discovering the princess, with hideous humor Li-Kong ordered the women to be placed in sacks, and sold with other plunder at two taels each.
Now it so happened that on the morning of the sale, Chow was passing through the market-place, and seeing a crowd of people examining the sacks, which were arranged in rows and tied at the necks, with small breathing holes near the top, he stopped to watch the progress of the cruel comedy. Anxious fathers, brothers, and husbands, who had followed the army from Honan, for the purpose of rescuing their female relatives, bought sack after sack at the reduced price, each, when the purchase was completed, tearing them open; the greater number, however, giving vent to fearful cries, when they discovered that their chance in the lottery proved a blank; others, recognizing a wife, daughter, or sister, would become almost frantic with joy. Many, before purchasing, would slip behind a sack, rip it with a knife, to have a peep, and get rewarded with a sound caning for their artfulness.
Well there were only half a ton, or at least five sacks of ladies left for disposal, when a great lout of a countryman drew up in his cart, jumped out, and after looking at his almanac, said, "Truly this is a fortunate day, and I am likely to get a good wife cheap; so, although two taels is all I have obtained for my last crop of rice, I will trust to Fo; for young or old, handsome or ugly, I must have a wife to help me till my grounds." Just then a shrill scream issued from one of the sacks. "Who knows," continued the countryman, "but the gods may have sent that scream to direct my choice, for if the woman is neither young nor pretty she may be well dressed, and, consequently the wife or daughter of some wealthy mandarin, who will purchase her of me, and so make my fortune?"
"Let the noble paddy bird make his choice quickly," said a soldier.
"There are the two taels, most illustrious war tiger," said the countryman, giving the money and taking his choice.
"We will see thy choice," said one of the soldiers, about to open the sack.
"Nay, illustrious soldier, it would offend the gods if other eyes but mine saw my prize." So saying, the man took the sack up in his huge arms, lifted it into the cart, and drove slowly away, followed by Chow, who was curious to discover the kind of prize the wise-acre had drawn.
Unable to restrain his curiosity, the man no sooner reached an unfrequented part of the suburbs than he stopped by the bank of a canal, pulled a knife from his pocket, ripped open the sack; but then a change came o'er his dream, for with his body bent double, his two hands upon his knees, and his bullet head thrown to the extreme stretching of his neck, he stared with disgust for at least a minute, then in a paroxysm of rage, the disappointed ruffian placed his hands upon the woman's shoulders, screaming, "Thou vile old bamboo stick!"
The trembling woman fell upon her knees and prayed for mercy.