journey to the west 10

8/8/2019 Journey to the West 10

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Journey To The West 10

With a Stupid Plan the Dragon King Breaks theLaws of HeavenMinister Wei Sends a Letter to an Officer of HellWe shall not discuss how Chen Guangruiperformed his duties or Xuanzang cultivated hisconduct; instead weshall talk about two wise men who lived besidethe banks of the River Jing outside the city of

Chang'an. Onewas an old fisherman called Zhang Shao andthe other was a woodcutter called Li Ding. Theywere bothadvanced scholars who had never taken theofficial examination, lettered men of themountains. One day,when Li Ding had sold his load of firewood and

Zhang Shao had sold his basketful of carp inChang'an city,they went into a tavern, drank till they were halftipsy, and strolled slowly home along the banksof the Jing,each holding a bottle in his hand."Brother Li," said Zhang Shao, "it seems to methat people who struggle for fame kill

themselves for it; thosewho compete for profit die for it; those whoaccept honors sleep with a tiger in their arms;and those who


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receive imperial favours walk around withsnakes in their sleeves. Taking all in all, we aremuch better offliving free among our clear waters and blue

hills: we delight in our poverty and follow ourdestinies.""You are right, Brother Zhang," said Li Ding,"but your clear waters have nothing on my bluehills.""Your blue hills are not a patch on my clearwaters," retorted Zhang Shao, "and here is alyric to the tune ofThe Butterfly Loves the Flowers to prove it:The skiff is tiny amid the misty expanse ofwaves;Calmly I lean against the single sail,Listening to the voice of Xishi the beauty.My thoughts and mind are cleared; I have nowealth or fameAs I toy with the waterweed and the rushes."To count a few gulls makes the journey happy.In the reedy bend, under the willow bank,My wife and children smile with me.The moment I fall asleep, wind and waves arequiet;No glory, no disgrace, and not a single worry.""Your clear waters are no match for my blue

hills," said Li Ding, "and there is another lyric tothe same tuneto prove it. It goes:The cloudy woods are covered with pineblossom.Hush! Hear the oriole sing,


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As if it played a pipe with its cunning tongue.With touches of red and ample green the springis warm;Suddenly the summer's here as the seasons

turn."When autumn comes the look of things ischanged;The scented chrysanthemumIs enough for my pleasure.Soon the cruel winter plucks all off.I am free through four seasons, at nobody'sbeck and call.""You don't enjoy the good things in your bluehills that I do on my clear waters," replied thefisherman, "and Ican prove it with another lyric to the tune ofThePartridge Heaven:In this magic land we live off the cloudy waters;With a sweep of the oar the boat becomes ahome.We cut open the live fish and fry the green turtleAs steam coils from the purple crab and the redshrimps bubble.Green reed shoots,Sprouts of waterlilies,Better still, water chestnuts and the gorgonfruit,

Delicate louts roots and seeds, tender celery,Arrowhead, reedhearts and birdgloryblossom.""Your clear waters cannot compare with myblue hills when it comes to the good things theyprovide," said


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the woodcutter, and I can cite another lyric tothe tune The Partridge Heaven as evidence:Mighty crags and towering peaks reach to thesky;

A grass hut or a thatched cottage is my home.Pickled chicken and duck are better than turtlesor crabs,Roebuck, boar, venison, and hare beat fish andshrimps.The leaves of the tree of heaven,

Yellow chinaberry sprouts,And, even better, bamboo shoots and wild tea,Purple plums and red peaches, ripe gages, andapricots,Sweet pears, sharp jujubes, and osmanthusblossom.""Your blue hills are really nothing on my clearwaters," replied the fisherman, "and there isanother lyric tothe tune Heavenly Immortal:In my little boat I can stay where I like,Having no fear of the many misty waves.Drop the hook, cast wide the net, to catch freshfish:Even without fat or sauce,They taste deliciousAs the whole family eats its meal together.

"When there are fish to spare I sell them inChang'an marketTo buy good liquor and get a little drunk.Covered with my grass cloak I sleep on theautumn river,Snoring soundly


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Without a care,Not giving a damn for honour and glory.""Your clear waters still aren't as good as myblue mountains," came back the woodcutter,

"and I too have aHeavenly Immortallyric to prove it:Where I build a little thatched hut under the hillThe bamboo, orchid, plum, and pine arewonderful.As I cross forests and mountains to look for dryfirewoodNobody asks awkward questions,And I can sellAs much or as little as the world wants.I spend the money on wine and I'm happy,Content with my earthenware bowl and china

jug.When I've drunk myself blotto I lie in the shadeof the pine.No worries,No books to balance;What do I care about success or failure?""Brother Li," said the fisherman, "you don'tmake as easy a living in the hills as I do on thewater, and I canprove it with a lyric to the tune The Moon on theWest River:

The smartweed's flowers are picked out by themoonWhile the tangled leaves of rushes sway in thewind.Clear and distant the azure sky, empty the Churiver:


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Stir up the water, and the stars dance.Big fish swim into the net in shoals;Little ones swallow the hooks in swarms;Boiled or fried they taste wonderful

I laugh at the roaring river and lake.""Brother Zhang," replied the woodcutter, "theliving I make in the hills is much easier thanyours on the water,and I can prove it with anotherMoon on theWest Riverlyric:Withered and leafless rattan fills the paths,Old bamboo with broken tips covers the hillside.Where vines and creepers tangle and climbI pull some off to tie my bundles.Elms and willows hollow with decay,Pines and cedars cracked by the windI stack them up against the winter cold,And whether they're sold for wine or money isup to me.""Although you don't do too badly in your hills,your life is not as elegant as mine on the water,"said thefisherman, "as I can show with some lines to thetune The Immortal by the River.As the tide turns my solitary boat departs;I sing in the night, resting from the oars.From under a straw cape the waning moon is

peaceful.The sleeping gulls are not disturbedAs the clouds part at the end of the sky.Tired, I lie on the isle of rushes with nothing todo,And when the sun is high I'm lying there still.


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I arrange everything to suit myself:How can the court official compare with myeaseAs he waits in the cold for an audience at

dawn?""Your life on the water may be elegant, but it'snothing compared with mine," replied thewoodcutter, "and Ihave some lines to the same tune todemonstrate the point:On an autumn day I carry my axe along thegreeny pathBringing the load back in the cool of evening,Putting wild flowers in my hair, just to bedifferent,I push aside the clouds to find my way home,And the moon is up when I tell them to open thedoor.Rustic wife and innocent son greet me withsmiles,And I recline on my bed of grass and woodenpillow.Steamed millet and pear are spread before me,While the new wine is warm in the pot: This isreally civilized.""All this is about our living and the ways weprovide for ourselves," said the fisherman. "I

can prove to youthat your leisure is nowhere near as good asmine with a poem that goes:Idly I watch the white cranes as they cross thesky;


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As I Moor the boat at the river's bank, a bluedoor gives me shade.Leaning on the sail I teach my son to twist afishing line,

When rowing's done I dry the nets out with mywife.A settled nature can really know the calm of thewaves;A still body feels the lightness of the breeze.Always to wear a green straw cape and a bluestraw hatIs better than the purple robes of the court.""Your leisure doesn't come up to mine," repliedthe woodcutter, "as this poem I shall now recitedemonstrates:With a lazy eye on the white clouds in thedistance,I sit alone in a thatched but, then close thebamboo door.When there's nothing to do I teach my son toread;Sometimes a visitor comes and we play a gameof chess.When I'm happy I take my stick and walksinging along the paths,Or carry my lute up the emerald hills.Grass shoes with hempen thongs, a cloak of

coarsest cloth,A mind relaxed: better than wearing silk.""Li Ding," said the other, "how truly it can besaid of us that 'by reciting some verses webecome close


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friends: What need for golden winecups and asandalwood table?' But there is nothingremarkable in justreciting verses; what would you say if we made

couplets in which we each contributed a lineabout our livesas fisherman and woodcutter?""Brother Zhang," said Li Ding, "that is anexcellent suggestion. Please be the one tostart." Here are theircouplets:My boat is moored in the green waters amid themisty waves;My home is in the wilds, deep in the mountains.How well I like the swollen stream under thebridge in spring;My delight is a mountain peak swathed inclouds at dawn.Dragonsized fresh carp cooked at any time;Dry, rotten, firewood always keeps one warm.A full array of hooks and nets to support my oldage;Carrying wood and making twine will keep metill I die.Lying back in a tiny boat watching the flyinggeese;Reclining beside the grassy path and hearing

the wild swans call.I have no stall in the marketplace of tongues;I've left no trace in the sea of disputation.The nets hung to dry beside the brook are likebrocade;


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An axe well honed on rock is sharper than aspear.Under the shining autumn moon I often fishalone;

I meet nobody on the solitary mountain inspring.I trade my surplus fish for wine and drink it withmy wife;When I've wood to spare I buy a bottle andshare it with my sons.Singing and musing to myself I'm as wild as Icare to be;Long songs, long sighs, I can let myself becrazy.I invite my brothers and cousins and fellowboatmen;Leading my friends by the hand I meet the oldman of the wilds.As we play guessfingers the cups fly fast;When we make riddles the goblets slowlycirculate.Saute or boiled crab is a delight every morning;Plenty of fried duck and chicken cooked inashes every day.As my simple wife brews tea, my spirits areuntrammelled;While my mountain spouse cooks supper, my

mind is at ease.At the coming of dawn I wash my stick in theripples;When the sun rises I carry firewood across theroad.


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After the rain I put on my cloak to catch livecarp;I wield my axe before the wind to fell a witheredpine.

I cover my tracks and hide from the world,acting the imbecile;I change my name and pretend to be deaf anddumb."Brother Li," said Zhang Shao. "I unfairly tookthe first lines just now, so now it's your turn tocompose thefirst lines while I follow you." Thus theycontinued:The man of the mountains acting mad underwind and moon;The haughty and unwanted dotard of the river.With his share of idleness, and able to be quitefree;No sound from his voice as he revels in hispeace.On moonlit nights he sleeps secure in a cottageof thatch;He lightly covers himself at dusk with clothes ofreed.His passion spent, he befriends the pine and theplum;He is happy to be the companion of cormorant

and gull.Fame and profit count for nothing in his mind;His ears have never heard the clash of arms.One is always pouring out fresh ricewine,The other has wild vegetable soup with everymeal.


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One makes a living with two bundles offirewood;The other supports himself with rod and line.One idly tells his innocent son to sharpen the

axe of steel;The other quietly bids his slowwitted child tomend the nets.In spring one likes to see the willows turninggreen;When the seasons change the other enjoys therushes' blue.Avoiding the summer heat, one trims the newbamboo;The other gathers waterchestnuts on cool Julyevenings.When frost begins, plump chickens are killedeach day;In midautumn the crabs are at their best andalways in the pot.When the sun rises in winter, the one is stillasleep;The other keeps cool in the dog days ofsummer.Throughout the year one does as he pleases inthe hills;In all four seasons the other is happy on thelake.

By gathering firewood you can become anImmortal;There is nothing worldly about fishing.Sweet smell the wild flowers growing outsidemy door;Smooth are the green waves lapping at my boat.


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A contented man never speaks of high honors;A settled nature is stronger than a city wall.Higher than a city wall for resisting enemyarmies;

More illustrious than holding high office andlistening to imperial decrees.Those who are happy with mountains and riversare few indeed;Thank Heaven, thank Earth, and thank thespirits.When the two of them had recited their versesand matched couplets they came to the placewhere their waysparted and bowed to each other to take theirleave. "Brother Li," said Zhang Shao, "look afteryourself on yourway home and keep a sharp lookout for tigersup in the hills. If you met with an accident then'an old friendwould be missing on the road tomorrow.'" Thismade Li Ding angry."You scoundrel," he said, "I'm your friend; I'ddie for you. How could you put such a curse onme? If I'mkilled by a tiger, you'll be capsized by a wave.""I'll never be capsized!" retorted Zhang Shao."'In nature there are unexpected storms and in

life unpredictable vicissitudes,'" quoted Li Ding,"so how canyou be sure you'll never have an accident?""Brother Zhang," replied the fisherman, "despitewhat you just said, it's your life that's insecure,whereas my


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life is certain: I'm sure that I shan't have anaccident.""Your life on the water is very dangerous andinsecure," said the woodcutter, "so how can

you be so certain?""There's something you don't know," saidZhang Shao. "Every day I give a golden carp toa fortuneteller onthe West Gate Street in Chang'an, and hepasses a slip into my sleeve telling me I'll catchsomething everytime provided I go to the right place. I went tobuy a forecast from him today, and he told methat if I cast mynets to the East of the bend in the Jing Riverand lowered my lines on the Western bank, Iwould be bound toget a full load of fish and shrimps to take home.Tomorrow I shall go into town to sell them tobuy wine, andwe can continue our talk then, brother." Withthis they parted.How true it is that if you talk on the road therewill be someone listening in the grass. Apatrolling yakshafrom the Jing River Palace overheard ZhangShao's remark about always catching fish and

rushed straightback to the palace of crystal to make an urgentreport of disaster to the dragon king."What disaster?" asked the dragon king, andthe yaksha replied, "Your subject was patrollingin the water by


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the river's edge when I heard a fisherman and awoodcutter talking. Just when they were partingthey soundedvery dangerous. The fisherman said that there is

a soothsayer on West Gate Street in Chang'ancity whosepredictions are very accurate. The fishermangives him a golden carp every day, and hehands the fisherman aslip saying that he'll catch fish at every attempt.If his calculations are so accurate, won't all wewater folk bewiped out? Shall we fortify the water palace, orshall we make some leaping waves tostrengthen YourMajesty's prestige?"The dragon king seized his sword in a greatrage, intending to go straight to Chang'an cityand destroy thisfortuneteller, but then his dragon sons andgrandsons, shrimp officials, crab soldiers, shadgenerals,mandarinfish ministers, and carp premiersubmitted a joint memorial that read: "We beg

Your Majesty not toact in anger. As the saying goes, 'wordsoverheard are not to be trusted.' If Your Majesty

were to go now youwould have to be accompanied by clouds andhelped by rain; and if this frightens the commonpeople of


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Chang'an, Heaven may take offence. YourMajesty is capable of making all sorts oftransformations, and ofappearing and vanishing unexpectedly; so you

should change into a scholar for this visit toChang'an. If youfind that it is true, you will be able to punish himat your leisure; and if it turns out to be false,you will avoidkilling an innocent man." Taking their advice,the dragon king put aside his sword, andwithout raising cloudsor rain he climbed out on the back, shookhimself, and turned into a scholar dressed inwhite. He wasHandsome and noble,Towering into the clouds.His step was statelyAnd he observed the rules of conduct.In his speech he showed his respect forConfucius and Mencius,His manners were those of the Duke of Zhouand King Wen.He wore a gown of jadegreen silk,A cloth wrapped casually round his head.Once on the road he strode straight to WestGate Street in Chang'an city, where he saw a

crowd of peoplepushing and shouting. One of them wasproclaiming grandiloquently, "He who was bornunder the Dragon


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will clash with the one who belongs to the Tiger.Although the cyclical characters are supposedto be inconcordance, I'm afraid that the Year Planet

may be offended by the Sun." As soon as heheard this the dragonking knew that this was the place wherefortunes were told, so he pushed through thecrowds to look inside.He saw:Four walls covered with pearls,A room full of silken embroideries,Incense ever rising from a burner,Clear water in a porcelain pot.On either side were paintings by Wang Wei;High above the seat hung a picture of the DevilValley Hermit.An inkstone from Duanxi County,"Golden smoke" ink,On which leant a large brush of finest hairs;A forest of fiery pearls,The prediction of Guo Pu,As he diligently compared them to the TaiZheng Xin Jing.He was deeply versed in the six lines of thediagrams,A great expert on the Eight Trigrams.

He understood the principles of Heaven andEarth,And saw into the feelings of gods and devils.He knew all about the cyclical numbers,And had a clear picture of the constellations.He saw the events of the future,


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The events of the past,As if in a mirror.Which house would rise,Which house would fall,

He could tell with divine perception.He knew when good and bad was coming,Could predict death and survival.His words hastened wind and rain;When he wielded his writingbrush, gods anddevils trembled.His name was written on a signboard:Master of Divination Yuan Shoucheng.Who was he? He was Yuan Shoucheng, theuncle of Yuan Tiangang the Imperial Astrologer.He was famousthroughout the country, and the leadingmember of his profession in Chang'an. Thedragon king went in to seehim, and when they had greeted each other heasked the dragon king to sit down, while aservant brought tea."What have you come to ask about, sir?" askedthe soothsayer, and the dragon king replied, "Ibeg you touncover the secrets of the sky for me." Thesoothsayer passed him a slip of paper from hissleeve and said,

"Clouds obscure the mountain peak, mistcovers the tree tops. If there is to be rain, it willcertainly cometomorrow.""When will it rain tomorrow," asked the dragonking, "and how many inches of rain will fall?"


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"Tomorrow the clouds will gather atmidmorning; late in the morning there will bethunder; at noon it willstart to rain; and in the early afternoon the rain

will finish, after 3 feet 3.48 inches have fallen,"replied thesoothsayer."I trust that you are not fooling," said thedragon king. "If it rains tomorrow at the timeand to the depth youhave predicted I shall pay you a fee of fiftypieces of gold. If it does not rain, or if it doesnot rain at the timeand to the depth you say it will, then I'm tellingyou straight that I'll smash up your shopfront,tear down yoursign and run you out of Chang'an so that youwon't be able to deceive the people a momentlonger.""That is entirely up to you," replied the othercheerfully. "We shall meet again tomorrow afterthe rain."The dragon king took his leave and went back tohis watery palace from Chang'an. The greaterand lesserwater spirits greeted him with the question,"How did Your Majesty's visit to the soothsayer

go?""It was all right," he replied, "but he was asmoothtongued fortuneteller. When I askedhim when it would


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rain, he said tomorrow. When I asked what timeof day it would be and how much would fall, hesaid that atmidmorning the clouds would gather, late in

the morning it would thunder, at noon it wouldstart to rain, andearly in the afternoon it would stop raining. Healso said that 3 feet 3.48 inches of rain wouldfall. I made awager with him that if his prediction turned outto be true, I'd give him fifty ounces of gold; butif he got it atall wrong, I'd smash up his shopfront id drivehim out, so that he wouldn't be able to deceivethe public anylonger. The watery tribe laughed and said, "YourMajesty is the General Superintendent of theEight Riversand the Great Dragon God of the Rain, so onlyyou can know whether there will be rain. Howdare he talksuch nonsense? That fortuneteller is bound tolose, absolutely bound to."Just as all the dragon sons and grandsons werelaughing and talking about this with the fishministers and crabsoldiers a shout was heard from the sky:

"Dragon King of the Jing River, prepare toreceive an ImperialDecree." They all looked up and saw a warrior ingolden clothes coming towards the waterypalace with a


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decree from the Jade Emperor in his hands.This alarmed the dragon king, who straightenedhis clothes, stoodup solemnly, burnt incense and received the

decree. The goldclad warrior returned to thesky. Giving thanksfor the imperial grace the dragon king openedthe letter and read:"We order the Superintendent of the EightRivers to travel with thunder and lightning andsuccor the city ofChang'an with rain."The time and the amount on the decree wereexactly the same as those foretold by thesoothsayer, which sostartled the dragon king that he passed out.When he came round a moment later he said tothe watery tribe,"How can there be a man of such powers in themortal world? He is really someone who knowseverythingabout Heaven and EarthI'm bound to bebeaten by him.""Your Majesty should not worry," submittedGeneral Shad in a memorial. "There will be nodifficulty aboutbeating him. Your subject has a humble plan

that I can guarantee will shut that scoundrel'smouth." When thedragon king asked what the plan was, thegeneral replied, "Make it rain at the wrong timeand not quite


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enough, so that his predictions are wrong, andthen you will surely beat him. There will benothing to stop yousmashing his sign to smithereens and running

him out of town." The dragon king accepted hisadvice andstopped worrying.The next day he ordered Viscount Wind, DukeThunder, the Cloud Youth and Mother Lightningto go to thesky above the city of Chang'an. He waited tilllate in the morning before spreading the clouds,unleashed thethunder at noon, started the rain in the earlyafternoon, and stopped it in the late afternoon,when only threefeet and 0.4 inches had fallen. He had thuschanged the times by two hours and reducedthe amount of rain by.08 inches. After the rain he dismissed hisgenerals and his hosts and put away his clouds;then he changedback into a whiteclad scholar and charged into

Yuan Shoucheng's fortunetelling stall on WestGate Street.Without even asking for an explanation hesmashed up Yuan's sign, his brush, his

inkstone, and everythingelse, while the fortuneteller remained calmly inhis chair without moving.The dragon king brandished the door in the air,ready to hit him with it, and began to pour abuseon him: "You


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evil man, with all your reckless talk aboutblessings and disasters; you stinking deceiverof the masses. Yourpredictions are false, and you talk nonsense.

You got the time and the amount of today's rainquite wrong, butyou still sit there so high and mighty. Get out atonce if you want me to spare your life." YuanShoucheng,who was as calm and unfrightened as ever,looked up to the sky with a mocking smile."I'm not afraid," he said, "I'm not afraid. I'vecommitted no capital offence, but I fear that youhave. You maybe able to fool other people, but you can't foolme. I know who you are. You're no scholar;you're the DragonKing of the River Jing. You flouted a decree ofthe Jade Emperor by changing the time of therain and cuttingdown the amount, which is a crime against thelaws of Heaven. I'm afraid that you're for theexecutioner'sblade on the Dragonslicing Scaffold. Are yougoing to keep up that abuse of me?"On hearing this the dragon king trembled fromfear and his hair stood on end. Dropping the

door at once hestraightened his clothes and made gestures ofsubmission, kneeling to the soothsayer andsaying, "Please do


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not be angry with me, sir; I was only joking. Inever thought that it would be taken seriously.Whatever am Ito do if I have broken the laws of Heaven? I beg

you to save me, sir. If you don't I shall hauntyou after mydeath.""I can't save you," replied Yuan Shoucheng,"but I can suggest one way by which you maybe able to saveyour skin.""I beg you to tell me," implored the dragon king."Tomorrow afternoon at half past one you willhave to go to the office of the official in chargeof personnel,Wei Zheng, to be beheaded. If you want to stayalive you must report at once to the presentTang Emperor,Taizong, as Wei Zheng is a minister of his; andif you can get him to speak for you, you will beall right." Thedragon king took his leave of the soothsayerwith tears in his eyes and went away. The sunwas setting in theWest, and the moon and stars were coming out.As clouds settle round the mountains the crowsfly back to roost,

The travelers on long journeys find inns for thenight.The returning geese sleep on a sandbank by theford,As the Milky Way appears.While the hours push on


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A lamp in the lonely village burns with barely aflame.Pure is the monastery as the reed smoke curlsin the breeze;

Men disappear in the butterfly dream.As the moon sinks, flower shadows climb therails,The stars are a jumble of light.The hours are called,The night is already half way through.The Dragon King of the River Jing did not returnto his watery palace but stayed in the sky untilthe smallhours of the morning, when he put away hiscloud and his mist horn, and went straight tothe gate of theImperial Palace. At this very moment the TangEmperor dreamt that he went out of the palacegate to strollamong the flowers in the moonlight. The dragonking at once took human form, went up to himand knelt andbowed before him, crying, "Save me, YourMajesty, save me.""Who are you, that we should save you?" askedTaizong."Your Majesty is a true dragon," replied the

dragon king, "and I am a wicked dragon. As Ihave offendedagainst the laws of Heaven, I am due to bebeheaded by Your Majesty's illustrious ministerWei Zheng, the


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official in charge of personnel, so I have cometo beg you to save me.""If you are supposed to be beheaded by WeiZheng, we can save you, so set your mind at

rest and go alongnow," said the Tang Emperor. The dragon king,who was extremely happy, kowtowed in thanksand wentaway.Taizong remembered his dream when he wokeup. It was now half past four in the morning, soTaizong heldcourt before the assembled civil and militaryofficials.Mist wreathed the palace gates,Incense rose to the dragon towers.In the shimmering light the silken screenmoves,As the clouds shake the imperial glory spreads.Monarch and subject as faithful as Yao andShun,Imposing music and ritual rivaling Zhou andHan.Pages hold lanterns,Palace women hold fans,In brilliant pairs.Pheasant screens,

Unicorn halls,Shimmering everywhere.As the call "Long Live the Emperor" goes up,The Empress is wished a thousand autumns.When the Rod of Silence descends three times,The uniformed officials bow to the emperor.


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The brightly coloured palace flowers have aheavenly scent;The delicate willows on the bank sing royalsongs.

Pearl curtains,Jade curtains,Are hung high from golden hooks;Dragon and phoenix fans,Landscape fans,Rest by the royal chariot.Elegant are the civil officials,Vigorous the generals.By the Imperial Way high and low are divided;They stand by rank beneath the palace steps.The ministers with their purple corded seals ridethree elephants.May the Emperor live as long as Heaven andEarth!When the officials had all done homage theydivided into their groups. The Tang Emperorlooked at them oneby one with his dragon and phoenix eyes.Among the civil officials he observed FangXuanling, Du Ruhui,Xu Shiji, Xu Jingzong, Wang Gui and others;and among the military officers he saw MaSanbao, Duan

Zhixian, Yin Kaishan, Cheng Yaojin, Liu Hongji,Hu Jingde, and Qin Shubao among others.Every one ofthem was standing there solemnly and withdignity, but he could not see Minister Wei Zhengamong them.


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He summoned Xu Shiji into the palace hall andsaid to him, "We had a strange dream last nightin which aman came and bowed to us, claiming that he

was the Dragon King of the River Jing. He hadbroken the lawsof Heaven, and was due to be beheaded by theofficial in the personnel department, Wei Zheng.He begged usto save him, and we agreed. Why is it that theonly official missing at court today is WeiZheng?""If this dream is true," replied Xu Shiji, "WeiZheng must be summoned to the palace, and

Your Majesty mustnot let him out of doors. Once today is over theDragon King will be saved." The Tang Emperorwasoverjoyed and he sent a personal aide with adecree summoning Wei Zheng to court.That night the minister Wei Zheng had beenreading the stars in his residence and was justburning someprecious incense when he heard a crane callingin the sky. It was a messenger from Heaven witha decreefrom the Jade Emperor ordering him to behead

the Dragon King of the River Jing in a dream athalf past onethe following afternoon. The minister thankedHeaven for its grace, fasted and bathed himself,tried out the


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sword of his wisdom, and exercised his soul.This was why he did not go to court. When theimperial aidecame with a summons he was frightened and

nonplussed; but he did not dare to delay inobeying an orderfrom his monarch, so he hurriedly tidied hisclothes, tightened his belt, and went to thepalace with thesummons in his hands. He kowtowed to theEmperor and admitted his fault."We forgive you," said the Emperor. Theofficials had not yet withdrawn, so the Emperornow ordered thecurtains to be lowered and dismissed them. Theonly one of them he kept behind was WeiZheng, whom heordered to mount the golden chariot and cometo his private quarters with him, where theydiscussed thepolicies to bring peace and stability to thecountry.At about noon he ordered the palace ladies tobring a large weiqichess set and said, "We shallnow have agame of chess." The Imperial concubinesbrought in a chess board and set it on the

Emperor's table. Thankingthe Tang Emperor for his grace, Wei Zhengstarted to play with him. As each moved in turnthey built up theirlines of battle. It was just as the Chess Classicsays:


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The Way of chess:The best place is the middle of the board,The worst is the side,And the comers are neither good nor bad.

This is the eternal law of chess.The law says:"It is better to lose a pieceThan to lose the initiative.When you are struck on the left, look to theright,When attacked in the rear, keep an eye on yourfront.Sometimes the leader is really behind,Sometimes the laggard is really ahead.If you have two 'live' areas do not let them besevered;If you can survive as you are, do not link up.Do not spread yourself out too thinly,Do not crowd your pieces too closely.Rather than being niggardly with your pieces,Lose them and win the game.Rather than moving for no reason,It is better to strengthen your position.When he has many and you have few,Concentrate on survival;When you have many and he has few,Extend your positions.

The one who is good at winning does not haveto struggle;The one who draws up a good position does nothave to fight;The one who fights well does not lose;


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The one who loses well is not thrown intoconfusion.Open your game with conventional gambits,And end by winning with surprise attacks.

When the enemy strengthens himself for noapparent reason,He is planning to attack and cut you off.When he abandons small areas and does notrescue themHis ambitions are great.The man who places his pieces at randomHas no plans;The man who responds without thinkingIs heading for defeat.The Book of Songs says:"Be cautious and carefulAs if you were walking on the edge of aprecipice.'This is what it means."There is a poem that goes:The board is the Earth, the chessmen Heaven,The colours, Positive and Negative,When you reach that subtle state when all thechanges become clear,

You can laugh and brag about thechessplaying Immortals.As sovereign and minister played their game of

chess it was half past one. Although the gamewas not over,Wei Zheng slumped down beside the table andstarted to snore, fast asleep.


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"Worthy Minister," said Taizong with a smile,"you have exhausted your mind instrengthening the countryand tired yourself out building the empire; that

is why you have fallen asleep without realizingit." TheEmperor said no more and let him sleep. Notlong afterwards Wei Zheng woke up, prostratedhimself on thefloor, and said, "Your subject deserves tenthousand deaths. I fell asleep without knowingwhat I was doing,and I beg Your Majesty to forgive your subject'scriminal discourtesy to his sovereign.""What criminal discourtesy have youcommitted?" the Emperor asked. "Rise, andtake the Pieces off the boardso that we may start again." Wei Zheng thankedhim for his grace, and was just taking the piecesin his handwhen he heard shouting outside the palacegates. Qin Shubao, Xu Maogong and someothers brought in adragon's head dripping with blood, threw it tothe floor in front of the Emperor, and reported,"Your Majesty,Seas have gone shallow and rivers have run

dry,But such a sight as this was never seen byhuman eye."The Emperor and Wei Zheng rose to their feetand asked where it had come from.


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"This dragon's head fell from a cloud at thecrossroads at the end of the Thousand YardPortico, and yourhumble subjects dared not fail to report it," said

Qin Shubao and Xu Maogong."What does this mean?" the Tang Emperorasked Wei Zheng in astonishment."Your subject beheaded it in a dream just now,"replied Wei Zheng, kowtowing."But I never saw you move your hand or bodywhen you were dozing," said the shockedEmperor, "and youhad no sword, so how could you have beheadedit?""My lord," replied Wei Zheng, "your subjectWas bodily in your presence,But far away in my dream.I was bodily in your presence reaching the endof a game.When I shut my eyes and felt drowsy;I went far away in my dream, riding a magiccloud,Bursting with energy.That dragonWas on the Dragonslicing ScaffoldWhere he had been tied by the officers andsoldiers of Heaven.

Then your minister said,'You have broken the laws of Heaven,And deserve the death penalty.I bear a heavenly mandateTo behead you.'When the dragon heard he was bitterly grieved;


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Your subject marshalled his spirits.When the dragon heard he was bitterly grieved,Pulled in his claws, laid down his scales andgladly prepared to die.

Your subject marshalled his spirits,Hitched up his clothes, stepped forward andraised the blade.With a snick the sword came down,And the dragon's head fell into the void."Emperor Taizong's feelings on hearing this weremixed. On the one hand he was happy, becausehe was proudof having so good a minister as Wei Zheng; forwith a hero like that in his court he needed tohave no worriesabout the safety of the empire. On the otherhand he was distressed, because although hehad promised in hisdream to save the dragon, it had been executed.He had no choice but to pull himself togetherand order QinShubao to hang the dragon's head up in themarket place as a warning to the commonpeople of Chang'an. Healso rewarded Wei Zheng, and then all theofficials dispersed.When he returned to the palace that evening,

the Emperor was depressed as he rememberedhow the dragonhad wept so bitterly in his dream, begging to besaved. Yet the dragon had been unable to avoidits doom.


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After brooding over this for a long time he feltmore and more exhausted and uneasy. In thesecond watch ofthe night he heard sobbing outside the palace

gates, which made him more frightened thanever. As he lay in afitful sleep, the dragon king of the River Jingreappeared, this time holding a head drippingwith blood in hishands."Emperor Taizong of the Tang," he shouted,"give me back my life, give me back my life.Last night you werefull of promises to save me, so why did youdoublecross me yesterday and order WeiZheng, the official incharge of personnel, to behead me? Come out,come out, and we shall go to the King of Hell'splace to havethis out." He pulled at the Emperor's clothesand would not stop shouting. Taizong could findnothing to say,and struggled so hard to get away that he waspouring with sweat. Just at this most awkwardmoment he sawfragrant clouds and coloured mists to theSouth. A female Immortal came forward and

waved a willow twig,at which the headless dragon went off to theNorthwest, weeping pitifully. This Immortal wasthe Bodhisattva


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Guanyin, who had come to the East inobedience to the Buddha's decree to find theman to fetch thescriptures. She was now staying in the temple

of the tutelary god of Chang'an, and when sheheard the devilishhowling she came to chase away the wickeddragon. The dragon then went down to Hell tosubmit a fullreport.When Taizong woke up he shouted, "A ghost, aghost!" The empresses of the three palaces, theimperialconsorts and concubines of the six compounds,the attendants and the eunuchs were all soterrified by this thatthey lay awake trembling for the rest of thenight. Before long it was half past four, and allthe military andcivil officials were waiting for the morning courtoutside the palace gates. When dawn came andthe Emperorhad still not come to court they were sofrightened that they did not know what to do.It was not till the sun was high in the sky that adecree was brought out that read, "As our mindis not at ease

all the officials are excused court." Six or sevendays quickly passed, and all the officials wereso anxious thatthey wished they could rush to the palace gatesto see the Emperor and ask after his health, butall that


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happened was that the Empress issued a decreesummoning the royal doctors to the palace toadministermedicine. Crowds of officials gathered at the

palace gates waiting for news, and when thedoctors came out alittle later they asked what the matter was."His Majesty's pulse in not as it should be: it isboth faint and fast. He murmurs deliriouslyabout having seena ghost. His pulse stops every ten beats. Hisfive viscera lack all spirit, and I am afraid thatthe worst must beexpected within seven days." The officials wentpale from shock.Amid all the panic it was learned that Taizonghad sent for Xu Maogong, the Duke ProtectorQin Shubao, andLord Yuchi Jingde. When the three lordsreceived the decree they hurried to the lowerstory of the side palace.When they had bowed to him, a seriousfacedTaizong spoke forcefully to them."Illustrious ministers," he said, "we started tocommand troops at the age of nineteen, and hadmany hardyears of fighting from then on, conquering the

North and the South, defending in the East, andwiping out ourenemies in the West; but never once did we seeanything sinister or evil. Yet now we are seeingghosts."


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"Your Majesty has founded an empire andslaughtered men beyond number, so whyshould you be scared ofghosts?" asked Lord Yuchi.

"You don't believe us," the Emperor replied,"but outside our bedroom door at night bricksand tiles fly aboutand the ghosts and demons howl. It is reallyterrible. Daytime is passable, but the nights areunbearable.""Don't worry, Your Majesty," said Qin Shubao."Tonight I and Yuchi Jingde shall guard thepalace doors tosee whether there are any ghosts or not."Taizong agreed to his suggestion, and afterthanking him for hiskindness Xu Maogong and the other twogenerals withdrew. That evening the two ofthem put on theirequipment and took up their positions outsidethe palace gates in full armour and helmet, withgolden macesand battleaxes in their hands. Look how thesesplendid generals were dressed:On their heads were golden helmets bright,On their bodies was armour like dragon scales.Magic clouds glisten in front of their

Heartprotecting Mirrors;Their lion coats are tightly buckled.Fresh are the colours of their embroidered belts.One looks up to the sky with his phoenix eyes,and the stars tremble;


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The other's eyes flash lightning and dim themoonlight.These true heroes and distinguished ministersWill be called gateprotectors for a thousand

yearsAnd serve as doorgods for ten thousand ages.The two generals stood beside the doors tilldeep into the night, and not a single demon didthey see. Thatnight Taizong slept peacefully in the palace andnothing happened. When morning came hecalled the twogenerals in and gave them rich rewards."We had not been able to sleep for several dayssince we fell ill," he said, "but last night wasvery peaceful,thanks to the awesome might of you twogenerals. Please go and rest now so that youcan guard us againtonight." The two generals thanked him and left.For the next two or three nights they stoodguard and all wasquiet; but the Emperor ate less and less as hisillness took a turn for the worse. Not wishing toput the twogenerals to any more trouble, he summonedthem to the palace with Du Ruhui and Fang

Xuanling.These were the instructions he gave them:"Although we have enjoyed peace for the lasttwo days, we are


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unhappy about the nightlong ordeals we haveimposed on Generals Qin and Yuchi. Wetherefore wish tocommission two skilled painters to make faithful

portraits of the two generals to paste on thedoors so thatthey may be saved trouble. What do you think?"In obedience to the imperial decree the officialschose twomen who could draw a good likeness, and thetwo generals wore their armour as before whilethey werepainted. Then the pictures were stuck on thedoors, and there was no trouble that night.The next two or three days were peaceful toobut then the Emperor heard bricks and tilesbanging andcrashing once again at the Hou Zai Gate. Hesummoned his officials at dawn and said,"There has, thankgoodness, been no trouble at the front gates forseveral days now, but there were noises at theback gates lastnight that practically scared me to death." XuMaogong went forward and submitted thissuggestion: "Whenthere was trouble at the front gates Yuchi

Jingde and Qin Shubao protected Your Majesty.Now there istrouble at the back gates Wei Zheng should beordered to stand guard."


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Taizong approved his suggestion, and orderedWei Zheng to stand guard at the back gates thatnight. WeiZheng received the edict, and that night he put

on his best clothes, belted himself tightly, andtook up his vigiloutside the Hou Zai Gate. He was a true hero. HeworeA black band of silk around his forehead,A brocade gown loosely belted with jade.His hood and billowing sleeves caught the frostand dew,And he looked more ferocious than theghostquellers Shenshu and Yul ti.On his feet he wore black boots for motionlessmovement;In his hand he wielded a keenedged blade withgreat ferocity.He looked around with glaring eyes:What evil spirit would have dared approach?No devils were seen all night, but althoughnothing happened at the front or back gates theEmperor'scondition still deteriorated. One day theEmpress Dowager issued an edict summoningthe officials to discussfuneral arrangements. Taizong sent for Xu

Maogong and gave him orders about affairs ofstate, instructinghim to look after the heir to the throne in theway that Liu Bei, the ruler of Shu, had instructedZhuge Liang.


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When he had finished speaking he was bathedand put into clean clothes. All he had to do nowwas to wait forthe end. Then in rushed Wei Zheng, who

grabbed hold of his dragon robes and said, "Donot worry, YourMajesty. I can ensure Your Majesty long life.""The disease has reached my heart," replied theEmperor, "and my life will end at any momentnow, so howcan you save it?""Your subject has a letter here," said WeiZheng, "that I am offering to Your Majesty totake with you to theunderworld and give to Cui Jue, the judge ofFengdu.""Who is this Cui Jue?" asked the Emperor."He was one of the officers of Your Majesty'sexalted predecessor. From being magistrate ofCizhou he waspromoted to be vicepresident of the Ministry ofRites. When he was alive he and I were closefriends. Nowthat he is dead he is in charge of the Registersof Birth and Death in the underworld as judge ofFengdu, andhe often comes to see me in my dreams. If you

take this letter with you on your journey andgive it to him, heis bound to allow Your Majesty to come backout of consideration for your humble subject. Ican guarantee


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that Your Majesty's soul will return to thesunlight, and the dragon countenance willcertainly return to theimperial capital." Taizong took the letter and put

it in his sleeve, then he shut his eyes in death.Theempresses, consorts and imperial concubinesof the three palaces and the six compounds, thepalace servants,the heir to the throne, and the civil and militaryofficials all grieved and dressed in mourning.The imperialcoffin lay in state in the White Tiger Hall.If you don't know how Taizong came back to

life, listen to the explanation in the next chapter.

journey to the west 10

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