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| The Book of Ser Marco Polo : vol.1 |
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Citation Information
CHAP. XXIII. THE PLOT AGAINST ACHMATH
417
her in marriage to the Bailo Achmath(for the called
. they
him ` the Bailo,' or, as we should say, ` the Vicegerent '1,3
and we will arrange for his giving you such a govern-
ment or such an office for three years." And so the man
would surrender his daughter. And Achmath would go
to the Emperor, and say : " Such a government is vacant,
or will be vacant on such a day. So-and-So is a proper
man for the post." And the Emperor would reply :
" Do as you think best ; " and the father of the girl was
immediately appointed to the government. Thus either
through the ambition of the parents, or through fear of
the Minister, all the beautiful women were at his beck,
either as wives or mistresses. Also he had some five-
and-twenty sons who held offices of importance, and
some of these, under the protection of their father's name,
committed scandals like his own, and many other abom-
inable iniquities. This Achmath also had amassed great
treasure, for everybody who wanted office sent him a
heavy bribe.
In such authority did this man continue for two-and-
twenty years. At last the people of the country, to wit
the Cathayans, utterly wearied with the endless outrages
and abominable iniquities which he perpetrated against
them, whether as regarded their wives or their own
persons, conspired to slay him and revolt against the
government. Amongst the rest there was a certain
Cathayan named Chenchu, a commander of a thousand,
whose mother, daughter, and wife had all been dis-
honoured by Achmath. Now this man, full of bitter
resentment, entered into parley regarding the destruction
of the Minister with another Cathayan whose name was
Vanchu, who was a commander of I o,000. They came
to the conclusion that the time to do the business would
be during the Great Kaan's absence from Cambaluc.
during
For after stopping there three months he used to go to
2 D
VOL. I.
1
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