All these things this person has seen." When he had finished speaking, Ling remained in deep and funereal thought for some time.

In spite of his mild nature, the words which he had heard filled him with an inextinguishable desire to slay in hand-to-hand fighting.

He regretted that he had placed the decision of the matter before Li Keen.
"If only this person had a mere handful of brave and expert warriors, he would not hesitate to fall upon those savage and barbarous characters, and either destroy them to the last one, or let his band suffer a like fate," he murmured to himself.
The return of the messenger found him engaged in reviewing the bowmen, and still in this mood, so that it was with a commendable feeling of satisfaction, no less than virtuous contempt, that he learned of the Mandarin's journey to Peking as soon as he understood that the rebels were certainly in the neighbourhood.
"The wise and ornamental Li Keen is undoubtedly consistent in all matters," said Ling, with some refined bitterness.

"The only information regarding his duties to which this person obtained from him chanced to be a likening of war to skilful chess-play, and to this end the accomplished person in question has merely availed himself of a common expedient which places him at the remote side of the divine Emperor.
Yet this act is not unwelcome, for the responsibility of deciding what course is to be adopted now clearly rests with this person.

He is, as those who are standing by may perceive, of under the usual height, and of no particular mental or bodily attainments.