essage that the Crown Prince was returning to the
Capital to take part in certain Buddhist ceremonies, but no credit was
given to this. Wangchu then, pretending to have received orders from the
Prince, desired an officer called CHANG-Y (perhaps the Chenchu of Polo's
narrative) to go in the evening with a guard of honour to receive him.
Late at night a message was sent to summon the Ministers, as the Prince
(it was pretended) had already arrived. They came in haste with Ahmad at
their head, and as he entered the Palace Wangchu struck him heavily with a
copper mace and stretched him dead. Wangchu was arrested, or according to
one account surrendered, though he might easily have escaped, confident
that the Crown Prince would save his life. Intelligence was sent off to
Kublai, who received it at Chaghan-Nor. (See Book I. ch. lx.) He
immediately despatched officers to arrest the guilty and bring them to
justice. Wangchu, Chang-y, and Kao Hoshang were publicly executed at the
Old City; Wangchu dying like a hero, and maintaining that he had done the
Empire an important service which would yet be acknowledged. (_De Mailla_,
IX. 412-413; _Gaubil_, 193-194; _D'Ohsson_, II. 470.) [Cf. _G. Phillips_,
in _T'oung-Pao_, I. p. 220.--H. C.]

NOTE 5.--And it is a pleasant fact that Messer Marco's presence, and his
upright conduct upon this occasion, have not been forgotten in the Chinese
Annals: "The Emperor having returned from Chaghan-Nor to Shangtu, desired
POLO, Assessor of the Privy Council, to explain the reasons which had led
Wangchu to commit this murder. Polo spoke with boldness of the crimes and
oppressions of Ahama (Ahmad), which had rendered him an object of
detestation throughout the Empire. The Emperor's eyes were opened, and he
praised the courage of Wangchu. He complained that those who surrounded
him, in abstaining from admonishing him of what was going on, had thought
more of their fear of displeasing the Minister than of the interests of
the State." By Kublai's order, the body of Ahmad was taken up, his head
was cut off and publicly exposed, and his body cast to the dogs. His son
also was put to death with all his family, and his immense wealth
confiscated. 714 persons were punished, one way or other, for their share
in Ahmad's malversations. (_De Mailla_, IX. 413-414.)

What is said near the end of this chapter about the Kaan's resentment
against the Saracens has some confirmation in circumstances related by
Rashidudd