Page:Tales from old Japanese dramas (1915).djvu/449

Rh him, for he wished to make her his queen, and thus ensure a firm friendship between the two powers. The Emperor and his Court were greatly amazed at this demand, as Kwasei was at that time hoping to give birth to a son and heir to the Ming throne. Ri Tōten tried to persuade the Emperor to agree to the request; but Go Sankei protested against it with great indignation, and ordered the Tartar King's gifts to be removed. The Tartar envoy, who was very enraged, replied: "If you refuse, I shall be obliged to use force, and carry off Madame Kwasei and the Emperor as prisoners." With these words, he was on the point of striding angrily from the presence of the Emperor, but Ri Tōten made an effort to pacify him. To make his appeal more forcible, he took a dagger in his hand and with it gouged out his own left eye, and placing it on a slab of ivory, handed it to the envoy, saying: "I, Prime Minister of China, respectfully present this to His Majesty, the King of Tartary, as a token of apology for the insult which General Go Sankei has offered to His Majesty, and to Your Excellency."

The envoy received it with great respect and departed.