proceeding precisely as if it were a case of adoption from
one family into another: you have therefore wisely decided
that not only shall a son be adopted to the late Emperor,
but that in due course his succession will be carried on by a
grandson in the direct line of generation, so that His
Majesty's posterity may be established without a break, and
perpetuated without intermission for all time.

"The proposal in itself is excellent, but study of the
Sung Dynasty's history has led me to view the matter
with no small apprehension. The founder of that Dynasty,
the Emperor Chao Kuang-yin ( tenth century), following the
directions of his mother the Empress Dowager, made his
brother heir to the Throne instead of his son, it being under-
stood that upon his brother's death the succession should
revert to his son. ¹ Subsequently however, the brother,
having come to the Throne, and having listened to the evil
suggestions of his Privy Councillors, ignored the claims of
his nephew, and placed his own son upon the Throne. In
that instance, obedience to the wishes of his mother has
brought down upon the Emperor Chao Kuang-yin the
undying censure of posterity. If the Empress, on that
occasion, had done her duty, and had caused unbreakable
bonds to be given assuring the reversion of the succession to
the direct line, no irregularities could possibly have occurred:
the Decrees would have been as immovable as the Sacred
Mountain, and as self-evident as the nine tripods of the
Emperor Yü. It would have been impossible for any
misguided Councillors of State to justify their unlawful
interference with the rightful course of succession.

"From all this we learn that the succession, although
decided in a moment, affects all posterity. Was it not,
moreover, by self-sacrifice and strong family affections ² that

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