http://www.cruxforums.com/xf/conversations/story-discussion.9816/page-6
By that point, China was republic after the 1911 Revolution of Sun Yat Sen, though power had fallen to Chaing Kai Shek and his Generals by the 1930s. So, no Mandarins in the old sense of the word. Britain would have very much wanted good relations with China to counter Japan, and they would not have put that on the line for some ill-mannered young woman. The CF story practically writes itself, does it not?
So in all likelihood Emma would be subject to Chinese justice. I wonder what sort of exquisitely cruel punishments those inscrutable Chinese would come up with? After all, Fu Manchu was President of China back then, wasn't he?
For your approval, I offer the following possibilities . . .
PUNISHMENT OF THE SWING.
"This
man (beautiful young English woman) is suspended by
her shoulders and ankles, in a very painful situation: at intervals, two attending officers afford some trifling alleviation of
her sufferings, by supporting
her with a bamboo, passed under
her breast(
s)." (All quotes from
The Punishments Of China, Published 1801, substituting feminine forms for the masculine in the original.)
Or perhaps--
TORTURING THE FINGERS.
"This is effected by placing small pieces of wood betwixt them, and then drawing them very forcibly together with cords. It is frequently inflicted as a punishment upon disorderly women." Emma is certainly a disorderly woman.
THE PUNISHMENT OF THE WOODEN-COLLAR.
"THIS punishment is deemed very disgraceful. The collar is formed of heavy pieces of wood, closed together, and having a hole in the centre, which fits the neck of the offender (
for instance, a beautiful young English woman), who, when this machine is upon
her, can neither see
her own feet, nor put
her hands to
her mouth.
She is not permitted to reside in any habitation, nor even to take rest for any considerable length of time, an inferior officer of justice constantly attending, to prevent
her. By night and by day,
she carries this load, which is heavier or lighter, according to the nature of the crime, and the strength of the wearer. The weight of the common sort of these wooden collars, is only fifty or sixty pounds, but there are those, which weigh two hundred . . . Three months is the usual time appointed for those to bear about this collar, who have been convicted of robbery. For defamation, gambling, or breaches of the peace, it is carried a few weeks; and insolvent debtors are sometimes ordered to bear it, until they have satisfied their creditors."
Certainly Emma would be sentenced to wear the wooden collar, or
cangue, until she paid back the value of the vase she broke. Unfortunately for her, it was an ineffably beautiful white jade vase from the Qianlong period . . .
and was considered priceless.
