第三十七回

第三十七回 鬼王夜谒唐三藏 悟空神化引婴儿

却说三藏坐于宝林寺禅堂中灯下，念一会《梁皇水忏》，看一会《孔雀真经》，只坐到三更时候，却才把经本包在囊里。正欲起身去睡，只听得门外扑剌剌一声响亮，淅零零刮阵怪风。那长老恐吹灭了灯，慌忙将偏衫袖子遮住。又见那灯或明或暗，便觉有些心惊胆战。此时又困倦上来，伏在经案上盹睡。虽是合眼朦胧，却还心中明白，耳内嘤嘤听着那窗外阴风飒飒。好风，真个那：

淅淅潇潇，飘飘荡荡。淅淅潇潇飞落叶，飘飘荡荡卷浮云。满天星斗皆昏昧，遍地尘沙尽洒纷。一阵家猛，一阵家纯。纯时松竹敲清韵，猛处江湖波浪浑。刮得那山鸟难栖声哽哽，海鱼不定跳喷喷。东西馆阁门窗脱，前后房廊神鬼瞋。佛殿花瓶吹堕地，琉璃摇落慧灯昏。香炉欹倒香灰迸，烛架歪斜烛焰烟。幢幡宝盖都摇拆，钟鼓楼台撼动根。

那长老昏梦中听着风声一时过处，又闻得禅堂外，隐隐的叫一声：“师父！”忽抬头梦中观看，门外站着一条汉子：浑身上下，水淋淋的，眼中垂泪，口里不住的只叫“师父”。三藏欠身道：“你莫是魍魉妖魅，神怪邪魔，至夜深时，来此戏我？我却不是那贪欲贪嗔之类。我本是个光明正大之僧，奉东土大唐旨意，上西天拜佛求经者。我手下有三个徒弟，都是降龙伏虎之英豪，扫怪除魔之壮士，他若见了你，碎尸粉骨，化作微尘。此是我大慈悲之意，方便之心，你趁早儿潜身远遁，莫上我的禅门来。”那人倚定禅堂道：“师父，我不是妖魔鬼怪，亦不是魍魉邪神。”三藏道：“你既不是此类，却深夜来此何为？”那人道：“师父，你舍眼[1]看我一看。”长老果仔细定睛看处，——呀！只见他：

头戴一顶冲天冠，腰束一条碧玉带，身穿一领飞龙舞凤赭黄袍，足踏一双云头绣口无忧履，手执一柄列斗罗星白玉珪[2]。面如东岳长生帝，形似文昌开化君。

三藏见了，大惊失色，急躬身厉声高叫道：“是那一朝陛下？请坐。”用手忙搀，扑了个空虚，回身坐定，再看处还是那个人。长老便问：“陛下，你是那里皇王？何邦帝主？想必是边土不宁，谗臣欺虐，半夜逃生至此。有何话说，说与我听。”这人才泪滴腮边谈旧事，愁攒眉上诉前因，道：“师父阿，我家住在正西，离此只有四十里远近。那厢有座城池，便是兴基之处。”三藏道：“叫做甚么地名？”那人道：“不瞒师父说，便是朕当时创立家邦，改号乌鸡国。”三藏道：“陛下这等惊慌，却因甚事至此？”那人道：“师父呵，我这里五年前，天年干旱，草子不生，民皆饥死，甚是伤情。”三藏闻言，点头叹道：“陛下呵，古人云：‘国正天心顺。’想必是你不慈恤万民。既遭荒歉，怎么就躲离城廓？且去开了仓库，赈济黎民；悔过前非，重兴今善，放赦了那枉法冤人。自然天心和合，雨顺风调。”那人道：“我国中仓廪[3]空虚，钱粮尽绝。文武两班停俸禄，寡人膳食亦无荤。仿效禹王治水，与万民同受甘苦，沐浴斋戒，昼夜焚香祈祷。如此三年，只干得河枯井涸。正都在危急之处，忽然钟南山来了一个全真，能呼风唤雨，点石成金。先见我文武多官，后来见朕。当即请他登坛祈祷，果然有应，只见令牌[4]响处，顷刻间大雨滂沱。寡人只望三尺雨足矣，他说久旱不能润泽，又多下了二寸。朕见他如此尚义，就与他八拜为交，以‘兄弟’称之。”三藏道：“此陛下万千之喜也。”那人道：“喜自何来？”三藏道：“那全真既有这等本事，若要雨时，就教他下雨，若要金时，就教他点金。还有那些不足，却离了城阙来此？”那人道：“朕与他同寝食者，只得二年。又遇着阳春天气，红杏夭桃，开花绽蕊，家家士女，处处王孙，俱去游春赏玩。那时节，文武归衙，嫔妃转院。朕与那全真携手缓步，至御花园里，忽行到八角琉璃井边，不知他抛下些甚么物件，井中有万道金光。哄朕到井边看甚么宝贝，他陡起凶心，扑通的把寡人推下井内，将石板盖住井口，拥上泥土，移一株芭蕉栽在上面。——可怜我啊，已死去三年，是一个落井伤生的冤屈之鬼也！”

唐僧见说是鬼，唬得筋力酥软，毛骨耸然，没奈何，只得将言又问他道：“陛下，你说的这话，全不在理。既死三年，那文武多官，三宫皇后，遇三朝见驾殿上，怎么就不寻你？”那人道：“师父呵，说起他的本事，果然世间罕有！自从害了朕，他当时在园内摇身一变，就变做朕的模样，更无差别。现今占了我的江山，暗侵了我的国土。他把我两班文武，四百朝官，三宫皇后，六院嫔妃，尽属了他矣。”三藏道：“陛下，你忒也懦。”那人道：“何懦？”三藏道：“陛下，那怪倒有些神通，变作你的模样，侵占你的乾坤，文武不能识，后妃不能晓，只有你死的明白，你何不在阴司阎王处具告，把你的屈情伸诉伸诉？”那人道：“他的神通广大，官吏情熟，——都城隍常与他会酒，海龙王尽与他有亲，东岳天齐是他的好朋友，十代阎罗是他的异兄弟。——因此这般，我也无门投告。”

三藏道：“陛下，你阴司里既没本事告他，却来我阳世间作甚？”那人道：“师父啊，我这一点冤魂，怎敢上你的门来？山门前有那护法诸天、六丁六甲、五方揭谛、四值功曹、一十八位护教伽蓝，紧随鞍马，却才亏夜游神一阵神风，把我送将进来。他说我三年水灾该满，着我来拜谒师父。他说你手下有一个大徒弟，是齐天大圣，极能斩怪降魔。今来志心拜恳，千乞到我国中，拿住妖魔，辨明邪正。朕当结草衔环[5]，报酬师恩也！”三藏道：“陛下，你此来是请我徒弟，与你捉那妖怪么？”那人道：“正是！正是！”三藏道：“我徒弟干别的事不济，但说降妖捉怪，正合他宜。陛下啊，虽是着他拿怪，但恐理上难行。”那人道：“怎么难行？”三藏道：“那怪既神通广大，变得与你相同，满朝文武，一个个言和心顺，三宫妃嫔，一个个意合情投。我徒弟纵有手段，决不敢轻动干戈。倘被多官拿住，说我们欺邦灭国，问一款大逆之罪，困陷城中，却不是画虎刻鹄[6]也？”

那人道：“我朝中还有人哩。”三藏道：“却好！却好！想必是一代亲王侍长，发付何处镇守去了？”那人道：“不是。我本宫有个太子，是我亲生的储君。”三藏道：“那太子想必被妖魔贬了？”那人道：“不曾。他只在金銮殿上，五凤楼中，或与学士讲书，或共全真登位。自此三年，禁太子不入皇宫，不能够与娘娘相见。”三藏道：“此是何故？”那人道：“此是妖怪使下的计策，只恐他母子相见，闲中论出长短，怕走了消息，故此两不会面，他得永住常存也。”三藏道：“你的灾屯，想应天付，却与我相类。当时我父曾被水贼伤生，我母被水贼欺占，经三个月，分娩了我。我在水中逃了性命，幸金山寺恩师救养成人。记得我幼年无父母，此间那太子失双亲，惭惶不已！”又问道：“你纵有太子在朝，我怎的与他相见？”那人道：“如何不得见？”三藏道：“他被妖魔拘辖，连一个生身之母尚不得见，我一个和尚，欲见何由？”那人道：“他明早出朝来也。”三藏问：“出朝作甚？”那人道：“明日早朝，领三千人马，架鹰犬，出城采猎，师父断得与他相见。见时肯将我的言语说与他，他便信了。”三藏道：“他本是肉眼凡胎，被妖魔哄在殿上，那一日不叫他几声父王？他怎肯信我的言语？”那人道：“既恐他不信，我留下一件表记与你罢。”三藏问：“是何物件？”那人把手中执的金镶白玉珪放下道：“此物可以为记。”三藏道：“此物何如？”那人道：“全真自从变作我的模样，只是少变了这件宝贝。他到宫中，说那求雨的全真拐了此珪去了。自此三年，还没此物。我太子若看见，他睹物思人，此仇必报。”三藏道：“也罢，等我留下，着徒弟与你处置。——却在那里等么？”那人道：“我也不敢等。我这去，还央求夜游神再使一阵神风，把我送进皇宫内院，托一梦与我那正宫皇后，教他母子们合意，你师徒们同心。”三藏点头应承道：“你去罢。”

那冤魂叩头拜别，举步相送，不知怎么蹋了脚，跌了一个筋斗，把三藏惊醒，却原来是南柯一梦。慌得对着那盏昏灯，连忙叫：“徒弟！徒弟！”八戒醒来道：“甚么‘土地土地’？——当时我做好汉，专一吃人度日，受用腥膻，其实快活，偏你出家，教我们保护你跑路！原说只做和尚，如今拿做奴才，日间挑包袱牵马，夜间提尿瓶务脚[7]！这早晚不睡，又叫徒弟作甚？”三藏道：“徒弟，我刚才伏在案上打盹，做了一个怪梦。”行者跳将起来道：“师父，梦从想中来。你未曾上山，先怕妖怪，又愁雷音路远，不能得到，思念长安，不知何日回程，所以心多梦多。似老孙一点真心，专要西方见佛，更无一个梦儿到我。”三藏道：“徒弟，我这桩梦，不是思乡之梦。才然合眼，见一阵狂风过处，禅房门外有一朝皇帝，自言是乌鸡国王。浑身水湿，满眼泪垂。”这等这等，如此如此，将那梦中话一一的说与行者。行者笑道：“不消说了，他来托梦与你，分明是照顾老孙一场生意。必然是个妖怪在那里篡位谋国，等我与他辨个真假。想那妖魔，棍到处，立业成功。”三藏道：“徒弟，他说那怪神通广大哩。”行者道：“怕他甚么广大！早知老孙到，教他即走无方！”三藏道：“我又记得留下一件宝贝作表记。”八戒答道：“师父莫要胡缠，做个梦便罢了，怎么只管当真？”沙僧道：“‘不信直中直，须防仁不仁’。我们打起火，开了门，看看如何便是。”

行者果然开门，一齐看处，只见星月光中，阶檐上，真个放着一柄金镶白玉珪。八戒近前拿起道：“哥哥，这是甚么东西？”行者道：“这是国王手中执的宝贝，名唤玉珪。师父呵，既有此物，想此事是真。明日拿妖，全都在老孙身上。只是要你三桩儿造化低哩。”八戒道：“好！好！好！做个梦罢了，又告诵他。他那些儿不会作弄人哩？就教你三桩儿造化低。”三藏回入里面道：“是那三桩？”行者道：“明日要你顶缸、受气、遭瘟。”八戒笑道：“一桩儿也是难的，三桩儿却怎么耽得？”唐僧是个聪明的长老，便问：“徒弟呵，此三事如何讲？”行者道：“也不消讲，等我先与你二件物。”

好大圣，拔了一根毫毛，吹口仙气，叫声：“变！”变做一个红金漆匣儿，把白玉珪放在内盛着，道：“师父，你将此物捧在手中，到天晓时，穿上锦襕袈裟，去那正殿坐着念经，等我去看看他那城池。端的是个妖怪，就打杀他，也在此间立个功绩；假若不是，且休撞祸。”三藏道：“正是！正是！”行者道：“那太子不出城便罢，若真个应梦出城来，我定引他来见你。”三藏道：“见了我如何迎答？”行者道：“来到时，我先报知。你把那匣盖儿扯开些，等我变作二寸长的一个小和尚，钻在匣儿里，你连我捧在手中。那太子进了寺来，必然拜佛，你尽他怎的下拜，只是不睬他。他见你不动身，一定教拿你，你凭他拿下去，——打也由他，绑也由他，杀也由他。”三藏道：“呀！他的军令大，真个杀了我，怎么好？”行者道：“没事，有我哩。若到那紧关处，我自然护你。他若问时，你说是东土钦差上西天拜佛取经进宝的和尚。他道：‘有甚宝贝？’你却把锦襕袈裟对他说一遍，说道：‘此是三等宝贝。还有头一等、第二等的好物哩。’但问处，就说这匣内有一件宝贝，上知五百年，下知五百年，中知五百年，共一千五百年过去未来之事，俱尽晓得。却把老孙放出来，我将你梦中话告诵那太子，他若肯信，就去拿了那妖魔，一则与他父王报仇，二来我们立个名节；他若不信，再将白玉珪拿与他看。——只恐他年幼，还不认得哩。”三藏闻言，大喜道：“徒弟呵，此计绝妙！但说这宝贝，一个叫做锦襕袈裟，一个叫做白玉珪，你变的宝贝却叫做甚名？”行者道：“就叫做‘立帝货’罢。”三藏依言，记在心上。师徒们一夜那曾得睡，盼到天明，恨不得点头唤出扶桑日，喷气吹散满天星。

不多时，东方发白。行者又分付了八戒、沙僧，教他两个：“不可搅扰僧人，出来乱走。待我成功之后，共汝等同行。”才别了唐僧，打了唿哨，一筋斗跳在空中，睁火眼平西看处，果见有一座城池。你道怎么就看见了？当时说那城池离寺只有四十里，故此凭高就望见了。

行者近前仔细看处，又见那怪雾愁云漠漠，妖风怨气纷纷。行者在空中赞叹道：

“若是真王登宝座，自有祥光五色云；

只因妖怪侵龙位，腾腾黑气锁金门。”

行者正然感叹，忽听得炮声响亮，又只见东门开处，闪出一路人马，真个是采猎之军，果然势勇。但见：

晓出禁城东，分围浅草中。彩旗开映日，白马骤迎风。驼鼓冬冬擂，标枪对对冲。架鹰军猛烈，牵犬将骁雄。火炮连天振，粘竿映日红。人人支弩箭，个个挎雕弓。张网山坡下，铺绳小径中。一声惊霹雳，千骑拥貔熊。狡兔身难保，乖獐智亦穷。狐狸该命尽，麋鹿丧当中。山雉难飞脱，野鸡怎避凶？他都要捡占山场擒猛兽，摧残林木射飞虫。

那些人出得城来，散布东郊。不多时，有二十里向高田地，又只见中军营里，有小小的一个将军：顶着盔，贯着甲，裹肚花，十八札，手执青锋宝剑，坐下黄骠马，腰带满弦弓。真个是：

隐隐君王像，昂昂帝主容。

规模非小辈，行动显青龙。

行者在空暗喜道：“不须说，那个就是皇帝的太子了，等我戏他一戏。”好大圣，按落云头，撞入军中太子马前，摇身一变，变作一个白兔儿，只在太子马前乱跑。太子看见，正合欢心，拈起箭，拽满弓，一箭正中了那兔儿。

原来是那大圣故意教他中了，却眼乖手疾，一把接住那箭头，把箭翎花落在前边，丢开脚步跑了。那太子见箭中了玉兔，兜开马，独自争先来赶。不知马行的快，行者如风，马行的迟，行者慢走，只在他面前不远。看他一程一程，将太子哄到宝林寺山门之下，行者现了本身，——不见兔儿，只见一枝箭插在门槛上。——径撞进去，见唐僧道：“师父，来了！来了！”却又一变，变做二寸长短的小和尚儿，钻在红匣之内。

却说那太子赶到山门前，不见了白兔，只见门槛上插住一枝雕翎箭。太子大惊失色道：“怪哉！怪哉！分明我箭中了玉兔，玉兔怎么不见，只见箭在此间！想是年多日久，成了精魅也。”拔了箭，抬头看处，山门上有五个大字，写着“敕建宝林寺”。太子道：“我知之矣。向年间曾记得，我父王在金銮殿上差官赍些金帛与这和尚修理佛殿佛像，不期今日到此。正是‘因过竹院逢僧话，又得浮生半日闲’[8]。我且进去走走。”

那太子跳下马来，正要进去，只见那保驾的官将与三千人马赶上，簇簇拥拥，都入山门里面。慌得那本寺众僧，都来叩头拜接。接入正殿中间，参拜佛像，却才举目观瞻，又欲游廊玩景，忽见正当中坐着一个和尚。太子大怒道：“这个和尚无礼！我今半朝銮驾[9]进山，虽无旨意知会，不当远接，此时军马临门，也该起身，怎么还坐着不动？”教：“拿下来！”说声“拿”字，两边校尉一齐下手，把唐僧抓将下来，急理绳索便捆。行者在匣里魆魆[10]的念咒，教道：“护法诸天、六丁六甲，我今设法降妖，这太子不能知识，将绳要捆我师父。汝等即早护持，若真捆了，汝等都该有罪！”那大圣暗中分付，谁敢不遵，却将三藏护持定了：有些人摸也摸不着他光头，好似一壁墙挡住，难拢其身。

那太子道：“你是那方来的，使这般隐身法欺我！”三藏上前施礼道：“贫僧无隐身法，乃是东土唐僧，上雷音寺拜佛求经进宝的和尚。”太子道：“你那东土虽是中原，其穷无比，有甚宝贝，你说来我听。”三藏道：“我身上穿的这袈裟，是第三样宝贝。还有第一等、第二等更好的物哩！”太子道：“你那衣服，半边苫身，半边露臂，能值多少物，敢称宝贝！”三藏道：“这袈裟虽不全体，有诗几句。诗曰：

佛衣偏袒不须论，内隐真如脱世尘。

万线千针成正果，九珠八宝合元神。

仙娥圣女恭修制，遗赐禅僧静垢身[11]。

见驾不迎犹自可，你的父冤未报枉为人！”

太子闻言，心中大怒道：“这泼和尚胡说！你那半片衣，凭着你口能舌便，夸好夸强。我的父冤从何未报，你说来我听。”三藏进前一步，合掌问道：“殿下，为人生在天地之间，能有几恩？”太子道：“有四恩。”三藏道：“那四恩？”太子道：“感天地盖载之恩，日月照临之恩，国王水土之恩，父母养育之恩。”三藏笑曰：“殿下言之有失。人只有天地盖载，日月照临，国王水土，那得个父母养育来？”太子怒道：“和尚是那游手游食削发逆君之徒！人不得父母养育，身从何来？”三藏道：“殿下，贫僧不知。但只这红匣内有一件宝贝，叫做‘立帝货’，他上知五百年，中知五百年，下知五百年，共知一千五百年过去未来之事，便知无父母养育之恩，——令贫僧在此久等多时矣。”

太子闻说，教：“拿来我看。”三藏扯开匣盖儿，那行者跳将出来，呀的[12]，两边乱走。太子道：“这星星小人儿，能知甚事？”行者闻言嫌小，却就使个神通，把腰伸一伸，就长了有三尺四五寸。众军士吃惊道：“若是这般快长，不消几日，就撑破天也。”行者长到原身，就不长了。太子才问道：“立帝货，这老和尚说你能知未来过去吉凶，你却有龟作卜？有蓍作筮？凭书句断人祸福？”行者道：“我一毫不用，只是全凭三寸舌，万事尽皆知。”太子道：“这厮又是胡说！自古以来，《周易》之书，极其玄妙，断尽天下吉凶，使人知所趋避，故龟所以卜，蓍所以筮。听汝之言，凭据何理？妄言祸福，扇惑人心！”

行者道：“殿下且莫忙，等我说与你听。你本是乌鸡国王的太子。你那里五年前，年程[13]荒旱，万民遭苦，你家皇帝共臣子，秉心祈祷。正无点雨之时，钟南山来了一个道士，他善呼风唤雨，点石为金。君王忒也爱小[14]，就与他拜为兄弟。这桩事有么？”太子道：“有！有！有！你再说说。”行者道：“后三年不见全真，称孤的却是谁？”太子道：“果是有个全真，父王与他拜为兄弟，食则同食，寝则同寝。三年前在御花园里玩景，被他一阵神风，把父王手中金镶白玉珪，摄回钟南山去了。至今父王还思慕他，因不见他，遂无心赏玩，把花园紧闭了已三年矣。做皇帝的，非我父王而何？”

行者闻言，哂笑不绝。太子再问不答，只是哂笑。太子怒道：“这厮当言不言，如何这等哂笑？”行者又道：“还有许多话哩。奈何左右人众，不是说处。”太子见他言语有因，将袍袖一展，教军士且退。那驾上官将急传令，将三千人马都出门外住扎。此时殿上无人，太子坐在上面，长老立在前边，左手旁立着行者，本寺诸僧皆退。行者才正色上前道：“殿下，化风去的是你生身之父母，见坐位的是那祈雨之全真。”太子道：“胡说！胡说！我父自全真去后，风调雨顺，国泰民安。照依你说，就不是我父王了。还是我年孺容得你，若我父王听见你这反话，拿了去碎尸万段！”把行者咄的喝下来。行者对唐僧道：“如何？我说他不信，果然！果然！如今却拿那宝贝进与他，倒换关文，往西方去罢。”三藏即将红匣子递与行者，行者接过来，将身一抖，那匣儿卒不见了，——原是他毫毛变的，被他收上身去。——却将白玉珪双手捧上，献与太子。

太子见了道：“好和尚！好和尚！你五年前本是个全真，来骗了我家的宝贝，如今又妆做和尚来进献！”叫：“拿了！”一声传令，把长老唬得慌忙指着行者道：“你这弼马温！专撞空头祸[15]，带累我哩！”行者近前一齐拦住道：“休嚷！莫走了风！我不叫做立帝货，还有真名哩。”太子怒道：“你上来！我问你个真名字，好送法司定罪！”

行者道：“我是那长老大徒弟，名唤悟空孙行者。因与我师父上西天取经，昨宵到此觅宿。我师父夜读经卷，至三更时分，得一梦。梦见你父王道，他被那全真欺害，推在御花园八角琉璃井内，全真变作他的模样。满朝官不能知，你年幼亦无分晓。禁你入宫，关了花园，大端[16]怕漏了消息。你父王今夜特来请我降魔。我恐不是妖邪，自空中看了，果然是个妖精。正欲动手拿他，不期你出城打猎。你箭中的玉兔，就是老孙。老孙把你引到寺里，见师父，诉此衷肠，句句是实。你既然认得白玉珪，怎么不念鞠[17]养恩情，替亲报仇？”那太子闻言，心中惨慽，暗自伤愁道：“若不信此言语，他却有三分儿真实；若信了，争奈殿上见是我父王。”这才是进退两难心问口，三思忍耐口问心。行者见他疑惑不定，又上前道：“殿下不必心疑。请殿下驾回本国，问你国母娘娘一声，看他夫妻恩爱之情，比三年前如何。只此一问，便知真假矣。”

那太子回心道：“正是！且待我问我母亲去来。”他跳起身，笼了玉珪就走。行者扯住道：“你这些人马都回，却不走漏消息，我难成功？但要你单人独马进城，不可扬名卖弄。莫入正阳门，须从后宰门进去。到宫中见你母亲，切休高声大气，须是悄语低言，——恐那怪神通广大，一时走了消息，你娘儿们性命俱难保也。”太子谨遵教命，出山门分付将官：“稳在此扎营，不得移动。我有一事，待我去了就来，一同进城。”看他：指挥号令屯军士，上马如飞即转城。这一去，不知见了娘娘，有何话说，且听下回分解。

[1] 舍眼：睁眼、抬眼。

[2] 珪：古代举行重要典礼时国王或诸侯手中拿的一种玉器，多为上剑头形或圆形、下方形的长条形状。

[3] 仓廪（lǐn）：储藏米谷的仓库。

[4] 令牌：古代军中上级发给下级作为执行命令的凭证，多为银、铜或象牙制成。道教令牌多为木制的长方形法器，用来发号施令，召神遣将。

[5] 结草衔环：指报恩。据记载，春秋时魏颗不用父妾殉葬，把她嫁了。一次，魏颗和秦国的杜回作战，见一老人结草绳将回绊倒，因而捉获了杜回。夜里魏颗梦见老人来说，他就是被嫁的那个妾的父亲，这是来报恩。《续齐谐记》记载：东汉杨宝救了一只黄雀，一天夜里有一黄衣童子以四枚白环相报，后并令其子孙显贵。

[6] 画虎刻鹄：比喻好事没做成，反变了坏事。汉朝马援训诫他侄子的信中说：龙伯高是个敦厚节俭的人，我喜欢和敬重他，希望你学习他。杜季良是个豪侠好义、是非分明的人，我也喜欢和尊敬他，但不愿你学习他。因为学习龙伯高不成，还可以做个老实的人，好像刻鹄不像，还像野鸭子。如果学杜季良不成，就变成轻薄的人，好像画虎没画成，倒像一条狗了。

[7] 务脚：就是焐脚，同床两头睡，用这一个人的身体偎暖另一个人的脚叫做焐脚。

[8] “因过竹院逢僧话，又得浮生半日闲”：这是唐朝诗人李涉《题鹤林寺僧舍》诗的后两句。

[9] 半朝銮驾：古时皇帝出巡，摆列全部执事。太子只用皇帝执事的一半，所以叫“半朝銮驾”。

[10] 魆（xū）魆：暗暗，悄悄。

[11] 垢身：佛教指不干净的肉体躯壳。

[12] （bá）呀的：形容身材短小的人走路时一晃一晃的样子。

[13] 年程：同“年成”。

[14] 爱小：贪图小利。

[15] 空头祸：无缘无故引来的祸事。

[16] 大端：大概、大约、大抵。

[17] 鞠（jū）：养育，抚养。

CHAPTER 37. The ghost king visits Tripitaka Tang at night; Wukong, through wondrous transformation, leads the child.

We were telling you about Tripitaka sitting in the Chan hall of the Precious Grove Monastery. He meditated for awhile beneath the lamps on the Water Litany of King Liang,1 and he read for awhile the True Sūtra of the Peacock. Not until about the hour of the third watch did he wrap up the scriptures again in his bag. He was just about to get up and walk over to his bed when he heard the weird moan of a strong gust outside the door. Fearing that it might blow out the lamp, he tried hurriedly to shade it with the sleeve of his gown. When he saw the lamp flicker, he began to tremble, but at the same time, he was overcome by fatigue and soon dozed off with his head resting on the reading desk. Though his eyes were closed, he still seemed to be half conscious, able to hear all the time the continuous sighing of the dark wind outside his window. What a wind! Truly it

Whistled and whiffled—

It swayed and scattered—

It whistled and whiffled as fallen leaves flew;

It swayed and scattered the floating clouds.

Heaven’s stars and planets were all darkened;

The whole Earth’s dust and sand were strewn afar.

For awhile it was fierce;

For awhile it was mild.

When mild, bamboos and pines beat out their pure rhymes;

When fierce, waves of lakes and rivers heaved and churned.

It blew till mountain birds grew restless, their voices choked,

And sea fishes had no peace as they tossed and turned.

Windows and doors fell off in both east and west halls;

Gods and ghosts glowered in hallways front and back.

The Buddha Hall’s flower vase was blown to the ground;

The oil chalice tumbled and wisdom-lamp grew faint;

The incense urn turned over and ashes spilled out;

The candlesticks were tilted as flames changed to smoke.

Banners, sacred canopies were all awry.

Bell-and-drum towers were shaken to the roots!

In his dream the elder seemed to hear, after the wind had passed, a faint voice outside the Chan hall crying, “Master!” He raised his head in his dream to look and discovered a man standing outside the door who was soaked from head to toe. As tears rolled down from his eyes, he kept calling, “Master!” Tripitaka rose up and said, “Could you be a goblin or a ghost, a fiend or a demon, coming to mock me at the depth of night? I am neither a rapacious nor a wrathful person, but rather an honest and upright priest. Having received the imperial decree from the Great Tang in the Land of the East, I am on my way to the Western Heaven to seek scriptures from Buddha. I have three disciples under my command, all valiant men able to tame tigers and subdue dragons, heroic warriors capable of repelling demons and extirpating monsters. If they see you, you will be reduced to powder and dust. Take note, therefore, of my compassionate intent and my mind which knows how to use skillful means.2 Leave this place, go somewhere far away while there’s still time, and don’t come up to the door of our Chan hall.”

Reclining firmly by the door of the hall, the man said, “Master, we are not a demon or monster, nor are we a goblin or bogie.” “If you are not that kind of a creature,” said Tripitaka, “why are you here so late in the night?” “Open wide your eyes, Master,” said the man, “and look at us.” The elder indeed fixed his gaze on his visitor. Ah!

His head had on it a rising-to-Heaven cap;

A green-jade belt he tied around his waist.

He wore on his body a reddish brown robe with dancing phoenixes and flying dragons;

His feet trod on a pair of carefree boots of embroidered cloud pattern;

His hands held a white jade token adorned with planets and stars.

His face seemed the immortal King of Tai Mountain;

His form was like the civilized Lord Wenchang.3

When Tripitaka saw this figure, he paled with fright and hurriedly bowed low before his visitor, shouting, “Which dynasty do you belong to, Your Majesty? Please take a seat.” He then tried to take hold of his visitor’s hands, only to find that he succeeded in grasping nothing but thin air. Spinning around, he sat down and looked: there was the man again. The elder asked once more, “Your Majesty, in what region are you a king? Of what empire are you a ruler? Could it be that there is strife in your kindgom and you are so oppressed by treacherous ministers that you have to flee for your life and arrive here at night? What do you have to say? Please tell me.” Only then did the man,

As tears rolled down his cheeks, describe events of old;

As sorrow knitted his brow, disclose the former cause.

“Master,” he said, “our home is located due west of here, only about forty miles away, where there is a city, the place we founded our kingdom.” “What is its name?” asked Tripitaka. “To tell you the truth,” said the man, “when we established our reign, we gave it the name Black Rooster Kingdom.”

“Why is it that Your Majesty seems so frightened,” said Tripitaka, “and for what reason did you come to this place?” The man replied, “O Master! Five years ago we had a drought here, so severe that no vegetation could grow and the people were all starving to death. It was dreadful.” When Tripitaka heard these words, he nodded and smiled, saying, “Your Majesty, the ancients said, ‘When the kingdom is upright, then even the Mind of Heaven is agreeable.’ You must not have been treating your subjects with compassion. If there were drought and famine in the land, how could you forsake your domain? You should have opened up your warehouses in order to bring relief to the people; you should repent of all the sins you have committed and try to do good henceforth. When you have freed and pardoned those who were unjustly accused and condemned, then the Mind of Heaven will be pacified and the winds and the rains will become timely and auspicious once more.”

“The warehouses in my kingdom,” said the man, “were all empty and both our revenue and food were exhausted. The salaries for our civil and military officials had to be stopped, and there was not meat in our royal diet. I attempted to imitate the way King Yu conquered the flood, by suffering with our people, by ritual cleansing, maintaining a vegetarian diet, and practicing abstinence. Night and day we offered prayers and incense to Heaven. This went on for three years, but all we had as a result were parched rivers and dried wells. As we reached our most desperate moment, there came to us suddenly from Zhongnan Mountain a Daoist of the Complete Truth Order,4 who was able to summon the wind and call for rain, to transform rock into gold.5 He first presented himself to the civil and military officials, and then he met with us. We, of course, invited him to ascend the liturgical platform and offer prayers, which were indeed efficacious. As he struck aloud his ritual placard, torrential rain came down in a moment. We thought that three feet of rain would be quite sufficient, but he said that since the drought had been so severe for such a long time, he would ask for an extra two inches. When we saw how magnanimous he was, we went through the ceremony of Eight Bows with him and became bond-brothers.”

“This,” said Tripitaka, “had to be the greatest joy for Your Majesty.” “What joy was there?” asked the man.

Tripitaka said, “If the Daoist had that kind of abilities, you could tell him to make rain when you wanted rain, and to make gold when you wanted gold. What need was there that made you leave the city and come here now?”

“Indeed, we became so intimate with him that we shared our food and rest together for two years,” said the man, “when it was the time of spring again. As flowers bloomed seductively on the apricot and peach trees, every household in the kingdom was going out to enjoy the lovely scenery. At the time when our officials retired to their residences and our consorts to their chambers, we walked hand-in-hand with the Daoist into the imperial garden. When we came near our well with octagonal marble walls, he threw something in it that emitted myriad shafts of golden light and tricked us into approaching the side of the well to see what sort of treasure was in it. Moved to treachery all at once, he pushed us into the well, which he then covered with a slab of stone. He sealed off the entire well with mud and dirt, and he even transplanted a plantain tree on it. Alas, pity us! We have been dead now for three years,6 a ghost who lost his life in the well and whose wrong has yet to be avenged.”

When the Tang Monk heard that the man was in fact a ghost, he turned numb with fear as his hairs stood on end. He had, however, no choice but to question his visitor further, saying, “Your Majesty, there is something unreasonable in what you have just said. If you have indeed been dead for three years, how could those civil and military officials, those consorts of three palaces, not miss you and seek you when they had to attend court once every third morning?”

The man said, “Master, when one speaks of the Daoist’s abilities, they are truly rare in the world. Since he murdered us, he shook his body once in the garden and transformed himself into an exact image of us. Then and there he took over our empire and usurped our kingdom. Our two divisions of civil and military officials—some four hundred court ministers—and the consorts and ladies of three palaces and six chambers now all belong to him.”

“Your Majesty,” said Tripitaka, “you are too timid.” “Why timid?” asked the man. Tripitaka said, “Your Majesty, that fiend indeed must have some magic powers in order to change into your form and usurp your kingdom. The civil and military officials might not recognize him, and the consorts might not realize what has happened. But you understand, even though you have died. Why didn’t you file suit against him before King Yama in the Region of Darkness? You can at least give an account of the wrongs perpetrated.” “His magic powers are great indeed,” said the man, “and he’s intimate with most of the divine officials. The city’s tutelary guardian drinks with him frequently; the ocean’s dragon kings are his relatives; Equal-to-Heaven of the Tai Mountain7 is his dear friend, and the Ten Kings of Hell happen to be his bond-brothers. That’s why we have no place to go even to file suit.”

Tripitaka said, “Your Majesty, if you cannot bring suit against him in the Region of Darkness, why do you come here to the World of Light?”

“O Master,” said the man, “you think that this slip of a wronged soul would dare approach your gate? Before this monastery you have the various tutelary devas, the Six Gods of Darkness and the Six Gods of Light, the Guardians of Five Quarters, the Four Sentinels, and the Eighteen Guardians of the Faith, all of them closely watching over you and your horse. Just now it was the Night Patrol God who brought us in here with a gust of divine wind. He said that our water ordeal of three years is now fulfilled, and that we should come to seek an audience with you. He told us that you have under your command a senior disciple, the Great Sage, Equal to Heaven, who is able to slay fiends and subdue demons. We have come with all sincerity to plead with you. We beseech you to go to our kingdom and seize the demon, so that the true and the deviate can properly be distinguished. To repay the kindness of Master, we shall imitate those who express their gratitude by weaving grass ropes or holding bracelets in the mouth.”8

“Your Majesty,” said Tripitaka, “so you came here to ask my disciple to get rid of those monsters for you?” “Exactly! Exactly!” said the man. Tripitaka said, “My disciple may not be good in doing something else, but if you ask him to subdue demons and catch fiends, the work will suit him to a tee. But Your Majesty, though you may order him to seize the monster, I fear that he may find it difficult to carry out.”

“Why should it be difficult?” asked the man.

Tripitaka replied, “If that fiend indeed possesses such great magic powers that he has managed to transform himself into an exact image of you, then it will mean also that all the civil and military officials of the court and all your consorts have been nothing but friendly and amiable toward him. Though my disciple may be able, he would not engage in warfare recklessly. For if we were caught by the officials, who should accuse us of plotting against the kingdom and charge us with the crime of treason, we would be imprisoned in your city. Wouldn’t our efforts then be like the failed attempt of drawing a tiger or carving a heron and turning it into another creature?”9

“I still have someone in the city,” said the man. Tripitaka said, “That’s good, that’s good! He must be, I suppose, an hereditary prince of the first order, dispatched to a command post somewhere.” “No,” said the man, “I have in the palace a prince, an heir apparent of my own begetting.” “Has the prince been banished by the demon?” asked Tripitaka. “Not yet,” said the man, “but he has been asked to remain in the Hall of Golden Chimes, either to discuss the classic texts with one of the secretaries, or to sit on the throne with the Daoist. For these three years, the prince was forbidden to enter the palace and unable to see his mother.” Tripitaka asked, “For what reason?” The man said, “This was a plan of that fiend, for he feared that if mother and son had a chance to meet, their casual conversations might lead them to discover the truth.”

“Though your ordeal no doubt has been preordained of Heaven,” said Tripitaka, “it is nonetheless similar to what I had to undergo. Long ago my father was killed by a pirate, who also took my mother by force. After three months, she gave birth to me, and I escaped with my life in the waters. It was my good fortune that a gracious master at the Gold Mountain Monastery reared me till I was grown. Come to think of it,

I had neither father nor mother when I was young,

And the prince at this place has lost his parents.

How pitiful indeed! But let me ask you, though you may have a prince still in court, how can I possibly get to meet him?” “Why not?” asked the man. Tripitaka said, “He’s now guarded by the demon, and he cannot even see his own mother. I’m only a monk. For what reason would I be able to have an audience with him?”

The man said, “But he is leaving the court tomorrow.”

“What for?” asked Tripitaka. The man said, “During the time of the early court tomorrow, the prince plans to lead three thousand men and horses, together with falcons and dogs, to go hunting outside the city. Master will certainly have a chance to meet him; when you do and if you are willing to tell him what I told you, he will believe you.”

“He’s of fleshly eyes and mortal stock,” said Tripitaka. “Having been deceived by the demon into remaining in the hall, was there a day when he did not address the spurious ruler as father king? How could he possibly believe my words?” “If you are afraid that he won’t believe you,” said the man, “we shall leave with you a sign to indicate that you are telling the truth.” “What kind of sign?” asked Tripitaka. The man put down the white jade token inlaid with gold he had in his hands and said, “This thing can be a sign.” “What’s the significance of this thing?” asked Tripitaka. The man said, “After the Daoist had changed into our form, all he lacked was this treasure. When he entered the palace, he claimed that the rain-making Daoist had robbed him of this jade token, which for three years now he had not been able to recover. If our prince sees it, the sight of the thing will remind him of its true owner, and our wrongs will be avenged.”

“All right,” said Tripitaka, “let me have it, and I’ll ask my disciple to take care of you. Will you wait here?”

“We dare not,” said the man. “We plan to ask the Night Patrol God to use another gust of divine wind and send us into the inner palace, where we shall appear in a dream to our true queen of the central palace. We want to make certain that mother and son will be of one mind with all of you.” Tripitaka nodded in agreement and said, “Please go.”

The wronged soul bowed to take leave of Tripitaka, who was trying to walk outside to send him off. Somehow he tripped and fell, and when Tripitaka woke up with a start, it was all a dream. As he faced the dim, flickering lamp in fear, he cried repeatedly, “Disciples! Disciples!”

“What’s all this hollering for the local spirit?”10 mumbled Eight Rules, beginning to stir. “I used to be a man of might dedicated to passing my days by devouring humans, and I loved the taste of blood and meat. What enjoyment! You have to leave the family and ask us to protect you on a journey. I thought I was to be a monk, but in fact I’m a slave! During the day I have to pole the luggage and lead the horse, while at night, I have to carry the night pot and smell someone’s stinky feet by sharing his bed. And even at this hour, you are not asleep! What are you calling disciples for?”

“Disciples,” said Tripitaka, “just now I fell asleep on the table and had a weird dream.” Leaping up all at once, Pilgrim said, “Dreams arise from your thoughts. Before you ascended a mountain, you were afraid of monsters already. You worried over the distance to Thunderclap, which you have yet to reach; you also thought of Chang’an and wondered when you would be able to return. When your mind is restless, you have many dreams. But look at old Monkey! With true single-mindedness I seek to see Buddha in the West, and that’s why I don’t have even the tiniest dream!”

Tripitaka said, “Disciple, this dream of mine is not a homesick dream. When I closed my eyes just now, a violent gust of wind brought into my view a king standing outside the door of our chamber. He said that he was the ruler of the Black Rooster Kingdom, but his whole body was dripping wet and he was weeping.” He then proceeded to give a thorough account of their conversation in the dream to Pilgrim. “No need to say anything more,” said Pilgrim, chuckling. “If he appears in this dream of yours to you, he’s plainly trying to take care of old Monkey by giving me some business. There must be a fiend there trying to usurp the throne and seize the kingdom. Let me distinguish the true from the false for those people. When my rod reaches that place, success is assured.”

“But disciple,” said Tripitaka, “he said that the fiend has great magic power.” “Don’t be afraid of whatever greatness he has!” said Pilgrim. “Just remember that when old Monkey arrives, he’ll have no place to run.” Tripitaka said, “I also remember that he left us something as a sign.” “Master, don’t fool around,” said Eight Rules. “It’s just a dream. Why keep up this chit-chat?” Sha Monk said, “As the saying goes,

Don’t believe the honesty of the honest;

Guard against the unkindness of the kind.

Let us fetch some torches and open our door, then we can see what has happened.”

Pilgrim indeed opened the door, and as they looked together, they saw in the light of the stars and moon there was truly a white jade token inlaid with gold placed on the steps. Eight Rules walked forward and picked it up, saying, “Elder Brother, what is this?” “This is a treasure usually held by a king,” said Pilgrim, “and it’s called a jade token. Master, since we do have such a thing, the matter of your dream has to be true. You can depend entirely on old Monkey for catching the fiend tomorrow. But I want you to face three unlucky things.”

“Fine! Fine! Fine!” said Eight Rules. “It’s enough to have a dream. You have to tell him about it, too! Since when has this fellow failed to play tricks on people? Now he wants you to face three unlucky things.” As he walked back inside, Tripitaka asked, “What three things?” Pilgrim said, “Tomorrow I want you to take the blame, take abuse, and catch the plague.” “Just one of these is bad enough,” said Eight Rules, laughing. “How could one bear all three of them?” The Tang Monk, after all, was an intelligent elder. He therefore asked, “Disciple, can you tell me more about what these three things involve?” “No need to tell you,” said Pilgrim, “but first let me give you these two objects.”

Dear Great Sage! Pulling off one of his hairs, he blew on it a mouthful of divine breath and cried, “Change!” It changed instantly into a red lacquered box plated in gold. After he placed the white jade token inside the box, he said, “Master, in the morning, you should hold this thing in your hands and put on your brocade cassock. Then go sit in the main hall and recite some sūtras. Let me go first to the city to have a look; if there is indeed a fiend, I’ll slay him so that we can achieve some merit at this place. But if there is no fiend, we ought not to incur calamity on ourselves.” “Exactly! Exactly!” said Tripitaka. Pilgrim said, “If the prince doesn’t leave the city, then there may not be much that I can do. But if he indeed comes out of the city in accordance with your dream, I will certainly bring him here to see you.”

“What shall I say to him when I see him?” asked Tripitaka. Pilgrim replied, “When he arrives, let me first come in and announce him. You can then pull the cover of the box open slightly, and I shall change into a tiny monk about two inches tall so that I, too, can be placed inside the box. You can hold the whole thing in your hands. When the prince enters the monastery, he will most certainly want to pay homage to Buddha. Let him bow all he wants, but don’t you pay him any attention. When he sees that you do not even rise before him, he will surely order you seized. Let him do that—in fact, let him beat you, tie you up, or execute you.” “Hey!” said Tripitaka. “He’s capable of issuing a high military order. If he truly wants to have me executed, what shall I do?”

“No fear, for I’m around,” said Pilgrim. “When you get to the crucial moment, I’ll be there to protect you. If he asks who you are, you can identify yourself as a monk sent by imperial decree from the Land of the East to present treasures to Buddha and to acquire scriptures from him in the Western Heaven. If he asks what sort of treasure you have, you can tell him about the brocade cassock of yours. Say to him, however, that it is only a third-class treasure, and that you have in your possession good things that belong to the first and second classes. When he asks you some more, you can then tell him that there is a treasure in this box, which has knowledge of the past five hundred years, the present five hundred years, and the future five hundred years. All in all, this treasure has complete knowledge of the events of past and future for a period of one thousand five hundred years. Let old Monkey come out then, and I shall tell the prince what you heard in your dream. If he believes me, I’ll go catch the demon, so that his father king may be avenged and our reputation may be established at this place. If he doesn’t believe me, we can then show him the white jade token. I fear that he might be a bit young even to recognize the token.”

When Tripitaka heard these words, he was very pleased, saying, “O Disciple, this is a most marvelous plan! But talk about these treasures, one will be called brocade cassock and the other white jade token. What shall be the name of that treasure you will change into?”

“Let’s call him King-Making Thing,” said Pilgrim.

Tripitaka agreed and kept these words in his heart. That whole night master and disciples did not, of course, have any sleep. Impatiently waiting for the dawn, they wish they could

By nodding their heads call forth the eastern sun,

And with one breath disperse all Heaven’s stars.

In a little while, the eastern sky paled with light. Pilgrim thereupon gave the following instruction to Eight Rules and Sha Monk, “Don’t disturb the monks, so that they won’t be milling about in the monastery. When I have accomplished what I must do, then we’ll journey again.” He took leave of them and somersaulted at once into the air. Opening wide his fiery eyes to look toward the West, he discovered that there was indeed a city. “How could he see it so readily?” you ask. The fact of the matter was that the city, as we told you before, was only forty miles away. So, the moment Pilgrim rose into the air, he saw it immediately.

As Pilgrim drew near the city and stared at it carefully, he saw that it was shrouded by unending layers of eerie mists and battered by constant gusts of demonic wind. Sighing to himself in the air, Pilgrim said,

If a true king ascends his precious throne,

Auspicious light and clouds will this place enfold.

Since a fiend has usurped the dragon seat,

Rising black mist seals up the doors of gold.

He was thus speaking to himself when he heard the loud booms of cannons. As the eastern gate swung open, a troop of men and horses appeared, indeed a hunting corps most fearsome in appearance. You see them:

Leaving the capital at dawn,

They go to hunt on the meadow.

Bright banners unfurl in the sun;

White stallions race against the wind.

The lizard-skin drums roll and roll

As tasseled lances strike in pairs.

The falconers are ferocious,

And whippers-in both mean and strong.

Fire cannons rattle the heavens

And birdlime poles glow in the sun.

Each one props up his arrows;

Every man wears his carved bows.

Spreading their nets beneath the slope,

They pull taut the ropes in the paths.

At one crack like a thunderclap,

A thousand steeds charge leopards and bears.

Tricky hares cannot save their lives;

Wily deer are at their wits’ end;

Foxes are fated to expire;

Antelopes perish in the midst.

If pheasants can’t fly to escape,

Could wild fowls find refuge from harm?

All of them ransack the mountain range to capture wild beasts,

And cut down the forest to shoot at flying things!

After those people had come out of the city, they spread out in the countryside toward the east, and in a little while they reached the rice fields on the highland some twenty miles away. In the midst of the troops there was a young warrior, who

Wore a helmet

And a cuirass;

A cummerbund, too,

Of eighteen layers.

His hands held a treasure sword of blue steel and he rode a brown warhorse. A fully strung bow also hung from his waist. Truly

He seemed faintly like a king,

A ruler with noble looks.

His features were not uncouth:

Like a true dragon he moved.

Secretly pleased in the air, Pilgrim said to himself, “That one has to be the crown prince. Let me tease him a little.” Dear Great Sage! He lowered his cloud and darted straight into the army of the prince. Shaking his body once, he changed instantly into a little white rabbit, scampering about before the prince’s horse. When the prince saw it, he could not have been more delighted. Pulling out an arrow, he stretched his bow to the fullest and shot the rabbit squarely with it.

The Great Sage, of course, had made it possible for the prince to hit him; being quick of hand and eye, he actually had caught the arrow. After dropping some of the arrow’s feathers on the ground, he turned and sped away. When the prince saw the arrow had found its mark on the rabbit, he urged his horse on to give chase all by himself. He did not realize that he was being led away deliberately: when the horse galloped, Pilgrim ran like the wind, but when the horse slowed down, Pilgrim also took up a more leisurely pace just to stay slightly ahead of him. Mile after mile it went on like this, until the prince was lured right up to the gate of the Precious Grove Monastery. Changing back into his true form (the rabbit thus disappeared and only the hawk-feathered arrow was stuck on the doorpost), Pilgrim raced inside yelling to the Tang Monk, “Master, he’s here, he’s here!” He changed again, this time into a tiny monk about two inches tall, and crawled at once into the red box.

We now tell you about the prince, who chased his prey right up to the monastery gate; he could not find the white rabbit, but he saw an eagle-plumed arrow stuck on the doorpost. Greatly startled and turning pale, the prince said, “Strange! Strange! I clearly shot the white rabbit with my arrow. How could the rabbit disappear, and only the arrow be seen here? It must be that after years and months, the rabbit has turned into a spirit.” He pulled out the arrow and raised his head to look: there on top of the gate of the monastery were written seven words in large characters, “Precious Grove Monastery Built by Imperial Command.” “Now I know,” said the prince. “Years ago my father king, I recall, did send some officials from the Hall of Golden Chimes to take some gold here so that the monks could redecorate the images and the halls. I didn’t expect that I would be here today. Truly,

There, in a bamboo-shaded walk,

With a good monk I fell to talk.

So in this tedious mortal round

One afternoon of peace I found.11

Let me go inside for a walk.”

Leaping down from the horse, the prince was about to enter the monastery, when those three thousand men and horses who were accompanying him also arrived. As they crowded into the monastery, the resident monks hurriedly came kowtowing to receive them into the main hall so that they could pay homage to the images of Buddha. Afterwards, they raised their eyes to look about, intending to tour the corridors and enjoy the scenery, when they suddenly discovered that there was a monk sitting right in the middle of the hall. Becoming enraged at once, the prince said, “This monk is terribly rude! Half a throne of this dynasty has entered this monastery. Though I have issued no decree for this visit so that he has been spared from meeting us at a great distance, he should now at least get up when soldiers and horses are at the door. How dare he sit there unmoved? Seize him!”

He said “Seize,” and the guards on both sides immediately attempted to catch hold of the Tang Monk so that they could bind him with ropes. Sitting in the box, Pilgrim recited in silence a spell, saying, “You various Guardians of the Faith, the Six Gods of Darkness and the Six Gods of Light, I am drawing up a plan to subdue a fiend. This prince, ignorant of the matter, is about to have my master bound with ropes. All of you must protect him. If he’s really bound, you all will be found guilty.” When the Great Sage gave such an order in secret, who would dare disobey him! The deities indeed gave protection to Tripitaka in such a way that those people could not even touch his bald head. It was as if a brick wall had come between them, so that they could not approach him at all.

“Where did you come from, monk,” said the prince, “that you dare use this magic of body concealment to mock me?” Tripitaka walked up to him instead and saluted him, saying, “This poor monk does not know any magic of body concealment. I am the Tang Monk from the Land of the East, a priest going to present treasures to Buddha and to acquire scriptures from him in the Western Heaven.” The prince said, “Though your Land of the East is actually the central plains, it is incomparably poor. What kind of treasures do you have? You tell me!” “The cassock I have on my body,” said Tripitaka, “is a treasure of the third class. But I have in addition those of the first and second classes as well, and they are even better things.” “That garment of yours,” said the prince, “covers only one side of your body, while your arm sticks out on the other side. How much could it be worth that you dare call it a treasure?” Tripitaka said, “Though this cassock does not completely cover the body, I have several lines of a poem which will reveal its excellence. The poem says:

The Buddha’s gown’s a half robe, there’s no need to say.

It hides within the Real, free of worldly dust.

Countless threads and stitches perfect this right fruit;

Eight treasures and nine pearls fuse with the primal soul.

Maidens divine did make it reverently

To give to a monk to cleanse his sullied frame.

It’s all right to see but not to greet the Throne.

But you, your father’s wrong unrequited, have lived in vain!”

When the prince heard these words, he grew very angry, saying, “This brazen Chan monk is talking rubbish! Your clever mouth and slippery tongue may boast all you will of that half a piece of garment. But since when have I not requited my father’s wrong? You tell me.”

Taking a step forward, Tripitaka folded his hands and said, “Your Highness, how many favors does a man receive as he lives in this world?” “Four favors,” said the prince. “Which four?” asked Tripitaka. “The favor of shelter and support provided by Heaven and Earth,” said the prince, “the favor of the luminous presence of the sun and the moon, the favor of provisions from the ruler and his land, and the favor of his parents’ breeding and nurture.” With a smile, Tripitaka said, “The words of Your Highness are not quite right. A man has only the shelter and support of Heaven and Earth, the luminous presence of the sun and the moon, and the provisions from the land of his king. Where does he get his parent’s breeding and nurture?”

“This monk,” said the prince angrily, “is an idle and ungrateful man, who shaves his hair only to commit treason! If a man has no parental breeding and nurture, where does his body come from?”

“Your Highness,” said Tripitaka, “this humble monk does not know the answer, but inside this red box is a treasure called the King-Making Thing. He has knowledge of events of the past five hundred years, the present five hundred years, and the future five hundred years. All in all, he knows completely the events of past and future for a period of one thousand five hundred years, and he knows that there is no such favor of parental breeding and nurture. It is he who has ordered your poor monk to wait here for you for a long time.”

Hearing this, the prince gave the order, “Bring him here for me to see.” Tripitaka pulled open the box’s cover; Pilgrim leaped out and began to hobble all over the place. The prince said, “This little midget! What can he know?” When Pilgrim heard this remark about his size, he at once resorted to magic. Straightening up his torso, he grew about three and a half feet instantly. “If he can grow that rapidly,” said the soldiers, highly startled, “it will only be a few days before he pierces the sky.” When Pilgrim reached his normal height, however, he stopped growing. Then the prince asked him, “King-Making Thing, this old monk claims that you have the knowledge of past and future, of good and evil. Do you divine by the tortoise shell, by the stalks of plants, or do you use books to determine human fortunes?” “None of these,” said Pilgrim, “for

I need my three-inch tongue solely,

When I know all things completely.”

“This fellow, too, is babbling!” said the prince. “Since the time of antiquity, the book, Classic of Change of the Zhou dynasty, has proved to be supremely marvelous in determining throughout the world good and evil for man to seek or avoid. Therefore tortoise shells or plant stalks are used for divination. But if one relies solely on your words, what evidence is there? Your empty words on luck or misfortune can only vex the minds of people.”

Pilgrim said, “Please do not be hasty, Your Highness. You are actually a prince begotten of the King of the Black Rooster Kingdom. Five years ago, you had a severe drought here and all the people were in such great suffering that your king and his subjects had to offer fervent prayers. Though not a drop of rain came, a Daoist arrived from the Zhongnan Mountain, who was an expert in summoning wind and rain and in transforming stone into gold. The king was so fond of him that he became his sworn brother. Is all this true?”

“Yes, yes, yes!” said the prince. “Say some more.”

Pilgrim said, “After three years, the Daoist disappeared, and who is he now who uses the royal ‘we’?” The prince said, “There was indeed a Daoist, with whom father king swore to be his brother. In fact, they ate together and rested together. Three years ago when they were enjoying the sights of the imperial garden, the Daoist used a gust of magic wind and transported back to Zhongnan Mountain the gold inlaid white jade token that father king had in his hands. Even now, however, father king still misses him, and because of his absence, has closed down the garden for three years. But who is now ruling, if not my father king?” When Pilgrim heard these words, he began to snicker. The prince asked him again, but instead of replying, he only continued to snicker some more. “Why don’t you speak when you should?” said the prince angrily. “Why do you snicker like that?” “I still have plenty to say,” said Pilgrim, “but there are so many people around and it’s not convenient for me to speak up.”

When the prince saw that there might be some reason for such a statement, he waved his sleeve once to dismiss the soldiers. The captain of the guards immediately gave the order to have the three thousand men and horses stationed outside the monastery gate. The hall was thus nearly emptied of people, with only the prince sitting in the middle, the elder standing before him, and Pilgrim to his left. After even the resident monks retired, then Pilgrim went forward and said to him soberly, “Your Highness, the one who left with the wind is actually your true father, but the one who occupies the throne now is the Daoist who made rain.”

“Nonsense! Nonsense!” said the prince. “Since the departure of the Daoist, my father has governed so well that the wind and rain are seasonal, the country is prosperous, and the people are secure. But if what you say is true, then the present ruler is not my father king. It’s a good thing that I am young and I can be somewhat tolerant. If my father king hears such treasonous words from you, he will have you seized and hewn to pieces.” He dismissed Pilgrim with a snort. Turning to the Tang Monk, Pilgrim said, “You see? I said that he wouldn’t believe me, and indeed he does not. Take the treasure now and present it to him. After certifying our rescript, we can proceed to the Western Heaven.” Tripitaka handed the red box over to Pilgrim, who having received it, shook his body and the box disappeared. It was, you see, actually the transformation of his hair that was retrieved by him. With both hands, Pilgrim presented the white jade token to the prince.

When he saw the object, the prince shouted, “What a monk! What a monk! You were the Daoist of five years ago who came to cheat our household of this treasure. Now you are disguised as a monk to present it back to us? Seize him!” When he shouted the order like that, the elder was so frightened that he pointed at Pilgrim and said, “You BanHorsePlague! You have a special knack for causing trouble and bringing calamity on me!” “Don’t shout!” said Pilgrim, walking up to the prince to stop him. “Don’t let this thing leak out. I’m not called King-Making Thing, for I have a real name.” “You come up here!” said the prince angrily. “Answer me with your real name so that I can send you to the bureau of justice to sentence you.”

Pilgrim said, “I’m the senior disciple of this elder, and my name is Wukong Pilgrim Sun. Because my master and I were on our way to acquire scriptures in the Western Heaven, we arrived last night and found lodging here. My master was reading the sūtras in the night, and at about the hour of the third watch, he dreamed that your father appeared to him. Your father claimed that he was harmed by that Daoist, who pushed him into the octagonal well with the marble wall in the imperial garden. The Daoist changed into the form of your father, and this was not known to any of the court officials nor to you since you were so young. You were forbidden to enter the inner palace, and the garden was shut down so that the truth could not be discovered, I suppose. Your father king came specially in the night to ask me to subdue this demon. At first, I was afraid that the murderer was not a demon, but when I surveyed the city in midair, I could see that there was a monster-spirit all right. I was about to seize him when you came out of the city to hunt. The white rabbit that you shot with your arrow happened to be this old Monkey, who led you here to the monastery to see my master. Every word that we have said to you is the truth. If you could recognize this white jade token, how could you possibly not think of your father’s care and love and seek vengeance for him?”

When the prince heard these words, he became grief stricken, thinking to himself sorrowfully, “Even if I don’t believe him, his words seem to have at least thirty percent truth. But if I believe him, how could I face the father king now in the palace?” This is what we call

To advance or retreat is hard, so the mind asks the mouth;

To think thrice, to have patience—as the mouth asks the mind.

When Pilgrim saw how perplexed he was, he said again, “Your Highness, there’s no need for perplexity. Let Your Highness return to your kingdom, and make inquiry of your queen mother. Ask her whether the feelings between her and her husband are the same as three years before. Just this one question will reveal the truth.” Persuaded by this, the prince said, “Yes, let me go and inquire of my mother.” Leaping up, he took hold of the white jade token and wanted to leave. Pilgrim, however, tugged at him, saying, “If all these men and horses of yours return with you, someone is bound to leak out information, and it’ll be hard for me to succeed. You must, therefore, go back alone, and don’t make a show of yourself. Don’t go through the Central Gate of the Sun, but enter the palace through the Rear Gate of the Servants. When you get to see your mother in the palace, you must remember not to speak loftily or loudly; you must speak quietly and in a subdued manner. For I fear that the fiend has great magic powers, and if he ever gets wind of the news, it’ll be difficult to preserve the lives of you and your mother.” The prince obeyed this instruction; walking out the door, he gave this order to the officers; “Stay and camp here. Don’t move. I have something to attend to. When I return, we shall go back to the city together.” Look at him!

He gave his troops the order to pitch their camp,

And sped to his city on a flying horse.

As he left, we do not know what they have to say when he sees his mother; let’s listen to the explanation in the next chapter.