On The First Of The Month Rabiya-Al-Akher, The Ambassadors Received Notice
To Go To Meet The Emperor, Who
Was then on his return from hunting; and, on
getting on horseback before day for that purpose, they found Mulana
Kazi
Yusof waiting for them at the door of their hotel, in great dejection.
Inquiring the cause, he told them privately that the emperor had been
thrown in hunting from the horse they had presented him from Shah Rokh, and
had given orders that they should be carried in chains to certain cities in
the east of Kathay. The ambassadors were much afflicted at this news, and
continued their journey for about twenty miles to the emperors camp. At
this place, the Kathayans had in one night inclosed a plot of ground 500
paces square, with walls ten feet high. This wall was composed of earth,
hard pressed down between two planks, as in a mould, leaving two gates; and
the place whence the earth was dug, served for a ditch. There were strong
guards posted at both of the gates, and other soldiers posted along the
ditch. Within this outer inclosure, there were two others, each twenty-five
cubits high, formed of yellow satin, supported upon square posts and all
set round with tents of yellow satin. When the ambassadors were arrived
within 500 paces of the imperial quarters, Mulana. Cazi Yusof desired them
to alight, and wait for the emperor, while he went forwards to the
presence. The emperor was on the point of giving orders for having the
ambassadors arrested, when Lidaji and Jandaji, officers named Setalid
and Jik-fu, in the Kathayan or Chinese language, who stood before the
emperor, and Kazi Yusof, fell prostrate before him, entreating him not to
proceed to that extremity, as it might have very bad consequences to put
them to death, and would give occasion for the world to say that the
emperor had violated the law of nations in the persons of these
ambassadors.
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