Yasushi Inoue - Tun-huang

“I haven’t given it much thought. I feel just as I’ve always felt before a battle. I don’t know what fate has in store for me. I don’t particularly wish to die, nor do I have any special desire to live,” Hsing-te answered.

Hsing-te actually felt this way. He knew that it was impossible for the forces in the city to repel the Hsi-hsia invasion. If they could hold out one or two days at the most, they should consider it a great feat. In all probability, Sha-chou, like Kua-chou, would be reduced to ashes and the majority of soldiers and civilians would perish. Even if their lives should be spared, it was clear that misery alone awaited them.

He had no way of knowing whether he would survive. Suddenly, Hsing-te recalled the naked woman on the board who was being sold in the marketplace outside K’ai-feng years before. As he thought of her intrepid attitude toward death, he felt courage seeping into him.

“As you say, whether you live or die depends upon fate,” said Kuang. “But in any case, let me keep your necklace for you. If you should survive, it will keep you from want. It’s dangerous to carry it around on the battlefield. The bastards in the city have no place to hide their wealth, and rich and poor are at a loss. Anyway, this town will be reduced to ashes. Outside the walled city is the desert. From the east the Hsi-hsia will come, and from the west the Muslims.”

With a bland look, Kuang spoke as if he were giving a final argument for a case. This very blandness of expression, as reflected in the shadowy dusk light, appeared to Hsing-te as complete insensitivity.

Kuang continued: “Have you looked around the city? It’s an amusing sight. No one knows what to do. They are all in a daze. The decisive ones have packed all their worldly goods on camels and horses and left, but they will soon lose everything. Even before the Muslims come to the desert, the Asha and Lung tribes, who are on the lookout, will get them. There’s no chance, as there is with us, you know. It’s a foregone conclusion that they’ll take the horses and goods, strip the men clean, and then abandon them!”

Kuang suddenly lowered his voice and continued, “But no matter what happens, I’ll do all right. I know of a place to hide valuables. Whether the Hsi-hsia or the Muslims invade, that place alone is safe.” Kuang silently watched Hsing-te as if waiting for his reply. But Hsing-te said nothing. Kuang spoke again. “How about it? I’ll store the necklace in the safest place for you. I’m not trying to take the necklace away from you. If you survive, I’ll definitely return it to you. Give me the necklace!”

Hsing-te didn’t have the remotest desire to let Kuang keep the necklace for him. As Kuang noticed his lack of interest, he changed his tone and said, “I don’t mind telling you where the hiding-place is. You’d agree to it if you could be present when we buried it, wouldn’t you? Do you still object?”

“Bury it?” Hsing-te asked.

“That’s right. I’m going to bury all the treasure until the war is over. I’m making you a kind offer to bury your necklace with the rest.”

“Where will you bury it?”

“I can’t tell you that so easily. If you’ll let me bury your necklace with my things, then I’ll tell you. If you won’t, why should I tell you? No one else knows about this place. If the treasures are buried there, they’ll be absolutely safe. Even if all of Sha-chou is turned into a battlefield, my hiding-place will be safe. No matter how many years the wars may continue, my treasures will be all right. That’s the kind of place it is.”

Kuang apparently thought that he might as well tell Hsing-te the rest, since he had told him so much already, and continued, “Since last night my men have been preparing a large storage cave. I’ve also told the Ts’ao family that, if they wished, I’d be willing to store their valuables, too. They distrust me and won’t accept my offer, but in the end they’re sure to come begging for my help. We’re leaving at dawn tomorrow, and they’ll probably come by then. You think it over. If you can’t decide by then, you’re out of luck.”

When Kuang finished, he straightened up and returned to his men.

These words left an impression on Hsing-te. He wondered if there really were such a place. Suddenly, he felt an urge to know where it was. He felt that there was something he should hide there. As yet, he was not exactly sure what it should be, but … something.

However, he shortly regained his usual composure. He was aware of Kuang’s real motives in taking advantage of the confusion. Kuang actually might know of such a place. His plan, of course, was to amass as many valuables as possible for himself later.

Apparently, Kuang felt that he alone was immune to the fate which threatened the Chinese. Even though all the others would be killed, he seemed to think that he alone would survive.

But there was no reason why Kuang should be spared. There was no telling when a stray arrow might hit him, or when he might be captured and killed. It was just that Kuang had decided that he alone would not die. At this thought, Hsing-te felt a sudden warmth which he had never before felt for this cocky scoundrel.

Hsing-te approached the bonfire where the group was huddled and motioned to Kuang with his chin, just as Kuang had done to him shortly before. Kuang came immediately and said, “How about it? Have you decided to do it? It is best to leave it with me, isn’t it?”

Hsing-te replied, “Yes, I’ll trust you with the necklace. In exchange, I’d like to see the place.”

“You can come to the place with me tomorrow. Be here at dawn.”

Kuang reflected on this for a bit, then said, “I’ll tell you because I trust you, but don’t tell another soul. If this should leak out, I’ll know that you talked. The secret cave is at Tun-huang, in the Thousand Buddha Caves of the Ming-sha mountains. I’ve located two or three suitable enclosures deep inside the stone caves.”

He looked directly at Hsing-te, as if to say, “How about that!” He continued, “The Hsi-hsia troops probably won’t touch anything there. Yüan-hao is a Buddhist. They won’t burn or destroy it. At present there are over three hundred stone caves carved out there. In several of them are half-finished holes. We’ll put the treasures in these and seal them. Even if the Muslims should invade and the Thousand Buddha Caves are devastated, there is little chance that they will discover the secret holes within. Muslims avoid approaching anything of a Buddhist nature. I doubt that they will use these caves for billets or horse stables, for instance. Even if they should, the secret holes will be safe.”

The Thousand Buddha Caves in the Ming-sha mountains were not new to Hsing-te. He had heard of them even in China. These mountains were not far from Sha-chou. At their foot were hundreds of caves. In each one were magnificent frescoes painted with brilliant colors and large and small Buddhist statues. No one knew who had started work on the caves, but it was thought that these caves had secretly been increased in size and beauty by Buddhist followers from ancient times to the present.

Naturally, Hsing-te had never seen the Thousand Buddha Caves and could only imagine their extent from his readings; but they were certainly the most famous religious site on the frontier.

Hsing-te then recalled that Kuang had informed him on the night they had met in Kua-chou that his mother’s family had had several grottoes dug at the Thousand Buddha Caves. No doubt it was because of that connection that Kuang had hit upon the idea of the caves as a hiding-place.

“How far is it to the Thousand Buddha Caves from here?” Hsing-te inquired.

“Fourteen miles. At a gallop you can be there in about an hour.”