Tower of Myriad Mirrors: A Supplement to Journey to the West (Michigan Classics in Chinese Studies) (11 page)

The Sung generals reported victories in every campaign, but Kuei demanded retreat. In the ninth month he ordered the recall of generals from all fronts.

Monkey asked, “Did those generals return on flying horses or did they walk back to court?”

A bailiff reported, “They naturally returned on flying steeds, Your Honor.” Monkey ordered the bailiff in charge of transformations to change Ch'in Kuei into a dappled dragon horse. Several hundred fierce devils rode him and beat him. After an hour Monkey ordered him blown back to his original form and went on reading:

One day he managed to get twelve gold imperial tablets ordering the retreat of Yüeh Fei. After Fei returned, all the territory he had recovered was soon lost again. Fei repeatedly requested to be put in command of the army but was refused. The Chin general Wu-chu sent Kuei a letter and he agreed to its contents. Because Grand Master of Remonstrance Mo-ch'i Hsieh bore a grudge against Fei, Ch'in Kuei goaded Hsieh into impeaching him. Ch'in further instructed Chang Chun to impeach Wang Kuei and lured Wang Chün into bringing false charges against Chang Hsien, saying that the latter plotted for the recall of Fei's army. Kuei ordered a messenger to arrest Yüeh Fei and his son as witnesses against Chang Hsien.

Ch'in Kuei ordered Ho Chu to interrogate Yüeh Fei. Fei's robe at one moment fell open, showing the words “perfect loyalty to repay one's country” etched deep into the skin of his back. Ho Chu saw no evidence to support the charge and declared him innocent.

Ch'in Kuei then shifted the commission to Mo-ch'i Hsieh. After Hsieh had held the office for a little over a month, Yüeh Fei was sentenced to prison. Thus, due to many false testimonies, Yüeh Fei was executed. He was thirty-nine at that time.

Monkey called out, “Ch'in Kuei, how did you feel about General Yüeh's case?” He hardly finished speaking when he saw a hundred Ch'in Kueis prostrate at the foot of the steps, wailing and weeping. Monkey shouted, “Ch'in Kuei, one body is enough for you. Where would the house of Sung get a hundred empires?”

Ch'in Kuei said, “Your Honor, the other things were all right. But when you bring up the case of Lord Yüeh, your ghostly prisoner hasn't enough skin to bear the punishment. If I'm asked about it, I won't have enough words with which to answer. I'm afraid a hundred bodies are too few.”

Monkey ordered each bailiff from all the lower courts to take away one Ch'in Kuei and interrogate and torture him. At once ninety-nine
Prime Minister Ch'ins were dispersed to various places. From this side came the cry, “The case of Lord Yüeh has nothing to do with me!” From that side came, “Your Honor, be good. Spare your ghostly prisoner one stroke.”

Monkey was pleased. He turned to the bailiffs before his bench and remarked dryly, “I suppose that no criminal law was applied to this case here before?”

Bailiff Ts'ao didn't dare reply, but presented a number of documents for Monkey to look through. He opened them and found they were files from the lower courts of the Underworld. On the first sheet was written:

Court of Yen: Ch'in Kuei had the nature of “Blue Flies.”
⁴
He plotted the execution of a whole family. Yüeh Fei had moral principles white as snow and enhanced the brilliance of the Yellow Banner.
⁵
Kuei should be called “stupid thief,” and Fei, “perfect patriot.”

Monkey said, “This is too lenient. The word ‘stupid’ is not adequate for Ch'in Kuei.”

The second file read:

Court of Li: Ch'in Kuei's accusation reached an impasse; the “Sorrow of Ch'u” makes one sad.
⁶

Monkey said, “This is ridiculous! The crimes of the thief Ch'in are beyond counting and this bailiff takes the time to polish his lines. That proves that ‘literary men have difficulty judging a case.’ No need to finish it.” And he opened the third file:

Court of T'ang: An Elegy to General Yüeh

Who issued the three-word condemnation
⁷

That shattered this Great Wall of ten thousand miles?

Gaze northward: True, ‘tis worthy of tears;

On southern branches, in vain the magpies linger.

The country followed him in destruction:

Prime minister and enemies rose at once.

As the sun sets, the pine-wind rises;

Still heard, the clash of sword and spear.

Monkey said, “Here's a poem that cuts through iron and nails.” And he called out, “Ch'in Kuei, in Lord T'ang's poem the five-character line ‘Prime minister and enemies arose at once' can be called a ‘five-word condemnation.’ How would it be if I make it match your ‘three-word condemnation'? Just now, however, I don't care about your ‘three-word condemnation,’ nor will I use Lord T'ang's ‘five-word condemnation.’ I myself have a one-word condemnation.”

A bailiff said, “What is the one-word condemnation, Your Honor?”

Monkey said, “Hack!” He immediately ordered a hundred weedy-haired devils to bring out a furnace and forge twelve golden tablets. Outside the screen the drum was beaten three hundred and thirty-three strokes. Countless green-faced long-fanged devils charged in and grabbed hold of Ch'in Kuei. First they hacked him into sections like fish scales, then cut them off piece by piece and threw them in the furnace.

When the fish-scale chopping was finished, Monkey shouted, “Principal Bailiff of Orthodox Records, destroy the first gold tablet!”

Having done this, the bailiff reported in a loud voice, “Your Honor, the first gold tablet ordering the recall of General Yüeh has been destroyed!”

The drum was beaten another thunderous round. From the left fierce red-bodied devils jumped out, each carrying a knife with which to hack Ch'in Kuei. The slices they made looked like lines in ice.

Monkey again shouted, “Principal Bailiff of Orthodox Records, destroy the second gold tablet!”

The bailiff followed the order and reported loudly, “The second gold tablet ordering the recall of General Yüeh is destroyed!”

With another round of drumbeats, ten eyeless, mouthless, blood-faced crimson devils emerged from the east, each carrying a knife with which to hack at Ch'in Kuei. They slashed him into snowflakes.

When the bailiff had destroyed the next tablet he reported, “The third gold tablet ordering the recall of General Yüeh is destroyed.” The drum was beaten another round.

Suddenly a drum sounded from the outer gate. A little fish-clothed devil carried in a large red card which he presented to Monkey, who opened it and read it over. Five words were written on the card saying, “Salutations from Sung General Fei.” When Bailiff Ts'ao saw this he immediately produced a scroll containing facts about all the officials in history.

Monkey looked through it carefully, and noted the information on Yüeh Fei. The drum was again beaten at the outer gate and gold reed-pipes blew outside the screen. Both were played loudly for an hour.

A general strode forward and Monkey quickly descended from the main hall. He bowed with hands clasped, and said, “Welcome, General.” After they had climbed the stairs he again bowed deeply with hands clasped. They had just entered within the screens when dear Monkey again did obeisance and said, “Master Yüeh, your disciple has had two masters. The first was the Patriarch Subodhi;
⁸
the second was the T'ang Priest. Today I have met you, General, my third master, and the Three Teachings
⁹
are complete within me

General Yüeh demurred repeatedly, but Monkey was insistent. He continued to bow and said, “General Yüeh, today your disciple has a cup of blood wine to set your heart at ease.”

General Yüeh said, “Thank you very much, disciple, but I fear I won't be able to drink it.”

Then Monkey wrote a letter and looked around, saying “Where are the little devils who carry letters?” A group of ox-headed tiger-horned devils knelt all at once and said, “What is Your Honor's order?”

Monkey said, “I want you to go up to Heaven.”

An ox-head replied, “Your Honor, how can a bunch of sunken devils go up to Heaven?”

Monkey said, “It's just that you don't have a way of getting there. Going to Heaven is really no problem.” Taking out a piece of paper he changed it into a lucky cloud and gave the letter to the ox-head. Then he remembered, “The day before yesterday the door to Heaven was closed tight. I wonder if it's open today?” He said, “Ox-head, go on this lucky cloud. If you find the door to Heaven closed just say you have a letter from the Underworld for Tushita Palace.”
¹⁰

After Monkey had sent the ox-head off, he said, “Master Yüeh, your disciple is most happy. I'll complete a
g
th
for you.”

General Yüeh said, “Disciple, I've spent years on horseback. I've never read a single line of scripture or spoken Ch'an words. How can I give you a
g
th
to complete?”

Monkey said, “Listen, Master, and I will complete one anyway:

For your ruler, perfect your loyalty;

As an official, repay your country.

Everyone is the King of Heaven;
¹¹

Everybody is a Buddha.