Tower of Myriad Mirrors: A Supplement to Journey to the West (Michigan Classics in Chinese Studies) (17 page)

The T'ang Priest Musters His Troops Under the Midnight Moon; The Great Sage's Spirit Falters Before the Banners of Five Colors.

It was already evening when from the fold of the hill Monkey saw that his Master had indeed become a general. The matter of getting the scriptures had been shelved, and Monkey was left quite bewildered. He could think of nothing to do but take on the guise of a soldier and mingle with the troops. He passed a troubled night.

At dawn the next morning, the T'ang Priest sat in his tent and ordered soldiers to raise the banner saying, “Enlisting Soldiers. Buying Horses.” A soldier carried out the order, and by noon the new recruits and officers numbered two million. Another troubled day passed for Monkey.

The T'ang Priest appointed a minor general of the White Banner, also called his ‘minor personal general,’ who that night gave orders to build a gold-chained commander's platform and to compile a register of soldiers’ names. He then ordered a roll call to be made from the platform on the next evening.

The next night at the third watch the moon shone bright as day. The T'ang Priest ascended the platform and issued orders for all his generals, saying: “Tonight my roll call of officers and soldiers won't be the same as in the past. When one toll of the bell is heard, all soldiers will prepare their meals. When the bell is tolled twice, armor must be put on. When the bell tolls thrice, all should resolve their wills and rouse their spirits. At four tolls of the bell, the men should assemble beneath the platform for muster.”

The minor general of the White Banner received the order and told the other officers, “Pay heed and spread the order, officers. Tonight's roll call will be unusual. When one toll of the bell is heard, all soldiers are to prepare their meals. When the bell is sounded twice, armor must be put on. When the bell sounds thrice, resolve your wills and rouse your spirits.
At four tolls of the bell, assemble beneath the platform for muster. There is to be no delay.”

To which every officer and soldier in the whole camp responded, “If the commander gives an order, who dares disobey?”

The T'ang Priest again commanded, “White Banner, this is an order: The officers and men are not to call me ‘Commander,’ they are to call me ‘Reverend Commander.’” The Minor General of the White Banner relayed the order throughout the camp.

The bell on the platform was sounded once. When the officers and soldiers heard it, they quickly prepared their food. The T'ang Priest again commanded, “Little General of the White Banner, relay this order to all my officers: When I give the roll call, bring all your training to bear. Don't be lackadaisical about falling in and don't wander aimlessly.”

The bell on the platform rang twice, and the officers and soldiers hurriedly strapped on their armor. The T'ang Priest commanded, “White Banner, raise the banner for the roll call. Send the order to all regiments that waterways and mountain gorges are to be strictly controlled. Anyone allowing a freelance strategist who speaks or dresses irregularly into the camp will be beheaded.” White Banner followed the command and relayed the order across the camp.

The T'ang Priest again commanded, “White Banner, give this order to the officers and the men: If anyone is not present at the roll call, he will lose his head. The same for anyone passing in front of the commander's gate. Anyone who pretends to be sick or looks to the left or right will lose his head. Anyone who recommends himself will lose his head. Anyone who goes ahead of his turn will lose his head. Anyone jumping or shouting will lose his head. So will anyone who hides something from his superiors, or takes someone else's place. Anyone whispering into another's ear will lose his head. Anyone who brings a girl or lets his thoughts wander or daydreams will lose his head. The same for anyone who lacks fierce determination, or loses his temper and starts a quarrel.”

When these orders had been given, the bell on the platform rang out three times. Every man in the regiments focused his resolve and stirred his fighting spirit. The T'ang Priest, too, closed his eyes and sat quietly on the platform beneath the bright moon.

An hour later four rings of the bell sounded. From all camps the officers and men assembled before the platform for muster. One could see:

Banners and flags in perfect formation
,

Swords and spears formed a forest.

Banners and flags in perfect formation
,

Arrayed like the twenty-eight constellations—

Dipper banner on the left
,

Cowherd on the right—

Every constellation distinct.

Swords and spears formed a forest
,

Arranged like the sixty-four hexagrams—

Heaven's axes in odd-numbered lines
,

Axes of earth in the even—

Every line in place.

At the first roar of the precious swords
,

Fierce tigers on ten thousand mountains fell silent.

Scales on armor of rhinoceros-hide

Made the Five Seas' gold dragons seem pale.

Each one of them a malevolent star;

Every voice, the crashing of thunder.

The T'ang Priest followed the roll-book and called each name in order. He shouted, “You officers and men, now that I'm in the army, I can have no compassion. Every one of you must pay attention to avoid the axe.” He immediately waved a flag to signal the order, and shouted the names of six thousand, six hundred and five of his troops in a row.

Then he came to “Great General Chu Wu-neng.” The moment the T'ang Priest saw the name, he knew it was Pigsy. But in the army one must be quite serious; it doesn't do to show you know someone. He shouted, “You, General—so ugly and fierce. You must be a monster trying to deceive me. White Banner, push that fellow out and cut off his head.”

Pigsy kowtowed again and again while saying, “Reverend Commander, cool your anger! Allow me one word before I die.” And he said:

My surname is Chu (Pig)
,

Born eighth in my clan.

I followed the T'ang Priest to the Western Land
,

But midway he wrote a bitter bill of separation.

I went to seek refuge in my father-in-law's village
,

But I found that my wife had returned to Dry Ditch
,

Returned to Dry Ditch.

So I turned once more and walked toward the West

And blundered into the Commander's camp.

I kneel in hope that the Commander will spare me

To work as a scullery in his camp.

A tiny smile crossed the T'ang Priest's face, and he ordered White Banner to release the bonds. Pigsy kowtowed a hundred times, thanking the T'ang Priest.

The name “Woman General Hua K'uei” was called. A woman officer carrying a sword galloped out of formation. Indeed she was:

A beautiful girl of sixteen, body smooth as cheese
,

She'll breathe the essence of Heaven and Earth till both go dry.

A flying dragon sword hangs from her waist
,

Only for killing those handsome, lustful men.

The name “Great General Sun Wu-k'ung” was called. The T'ang Priest blanched and gazed below his platform. It happened that Monkey had mixed amongst the army for the past three days in the form of a six-eared monkey soldier. When he heard the three words “Sun Wu-k'ung” he leaped out of formation and knelt on the ground, saying, “Little General Sun Wu-k'ung is transporting supplies and couldn't be present. I'm his brother Sun Wu-huan, and I wish to take his place in battle. In this I dare disobey the Commander's order.”

The T'ang Priest said, “Sun Wu-huan, what is your origin? Tell me quickly, and I'll spare your life.”

Hopping and dancing, Monkey said:

In the old days I was a monster
,

Who took the name of Monkey.

After the Great Sage left the T'ang Priest
,

I became his close relation by way of marriage.

There's no need to ask my name
,

I'm the Six-eared Monkey, Great General Sun Wu-huan.

The T'ang Priest said, “The six-eared ape used to be Monkey's enemy. Now he's forgotten the old grudge and become generous. He must be a good man.” He ordered White Banner to give Sun Wu-huan a suit of the iron armor of the vanguard and appointed him “Vanguard General to Destroy Entrenchment.”

When the roll of officers and soldiers was concluded, the T'ang Priest quickly handed down an order. The troops were to form the beautiful-lady-seeking-her-husband formation to take advantage of the bright moon for their attack on the Western Barbarians. Once the troops had crossed the border into the land of the Western Barbarians, the T'ang Priest ordered officers and soldiers alike to display a small yellow banner
as an identifying mark so they wouldn't become confused. The banners were fixed in place and the march continued.

Just as they came around a mountain, they confronted a band of horsemen carrying green banners. Since Monkey was general of the vanguard, he immediately jumped to the front of the ranks. From the midst of the green banner horsemen emerged a general in a purple helmet, carrying a sword to meet his enemy.

Monkey demanded, “Who comes?”

The general said, “I'm King P
ramit
.
¹
Who are you that dares to challenge me?”

Monkey said, “I'm Sun Wu-huan, in the vanguard of he who carries the seal ‘Great T'ang's Supreme Commander for Wiping out Desire.’”

King P
ramit
said, “I am the great honey king
²
who would dethrone your great sugar king.” He whipped out his sword and struck.