ã€ŠGenesis of the Godsã€‹


 KING ZHOU AND GODDESS NUWA

    The Shang Dynasty replaced the Xia Dynasty and ruled China for nearly 650 years. The Shang court produced twenty-eight kings of whom King Zhou was the last.

    Before King Zhou ascended the throne, he and his father,King Di Yi, and many civil and military officials were walking in the royal garden one day,viewing the blooming peonies,when suddenly the Flying Cloud Pavilion collapsed and a beam flew towards them. Rushing forward, King Zhou or then Prince Shou, caught the beam and replaced it in a display of miraculous strength. Deeply impressed,Prime MinisterShang Rong and Supreme Minister Mei Bo advised King Di Yi to name him Crown Prince.

    When King Di Yipassed away after thirty years on the throne, Crown Prince Shou was immediately crowned king to rule the country in his father''s place. King Zhou established his capital at Zhaoge,a metropolis on the Yellow River. The king appointed Grand Tutor Wen Zhong to be in charge of civil affairs and Huang Feihu,Prince for National Pacification and of Military Prowess, to supervise military affairs. In this way, the king hoped the nation would live in peace under a

    civil administration backed up by the military. The king placed Queen Jiang in the Central Palace;Concubine Huang in the West Palace and ConcubineYang in the Fragrant Palace. They were all virtuous and chaste in their behavior and mild and gentle in manner.

    King Zhou ruled his country in peace, and was respected by the neighboring states. His people worked happily in their different professions, and his peasants were especially blessed

    by favorable winds and rains. There were 800 marquises in the country who offered their allegiance to four dukes, each of whom ruled over 200 of these marquises on behalf of King Zhou. The four dukes were: the East Grand Duke Jiang Huanchu, the South Grand Duke E Chongyu, the West Grand Duke Ji Chang and the North Grand Duke Chong Houhu.

    In the second month of the seventh year of the reign of King Zhou, a report reached Zhaoge of a rebellion of seventy-two marquises in the North Sea district,and Grand Tutor Wen Zhong was immediately ordered to lead a strong army to suppress the rebels. One day when King Zhou was holding court, Shang Rong stepped out from the right row, knelt and said, ¡°Your humble Prime Minister Shang Rong begs to report something urgent to Your Majesty. Tomorrow is the 15th day of the third month, the birthday of Goddess Nu Wa, and Your Majesty should honor her and hold a ceremony at her temple."

    ¡°What has Goddess Nu Wa done that a great king such as myself is obliged to go to her temple and worship her?¡± King Zhou asked.

    ¡°Goddess Nu Wa''s been a great goddess since ancient times and possesses saintly virtues. When the enraged demon Gong Gong knocked his head against Buzhou Mountain, the northwest section of Heaven collapsed and the earth sunk down

    in the southeast. At this critical moment,Nu Wa came to the rescue and mended Heaven with multi-colored stones she had obtained and refined from a mountain, "Shang Rong explained. ¡°She''s performed this great service for the people, who''ve built temples to honor her in gratitude. Zhaoge is fortunate to have the chance to worship this kind goddess. She''ll ensure peace and health to the people and prosperity to the country; she''ll bring us timely wind and rain and keep us free from

    famine and war. She''s the proper guardian angel for both the people and the nation. So I make bold to suggest that Your Majesty honor her tomorrow."

    ¡°You''re right, Prime Minister. I''ll do as you advise."

    Returning to his residential palace, King Zhou ordered a notice be issued that His Majesty, together with his civil and

    military officials, were to make a pilgrimage to worship Goddess Nu Wa at her temple the next day.

    It would have been better if he hadn''t gone at all, for it was this very pilgrimage that caused the fall of the Shang Dynasty, making it impossible for the people to live in peace. It was as if the king had tossed a fishing line into a big river and unexpectedly caught numerous disasters leading to the loss of both his throne and his life.

    The king and his entourage left the palace and made their waythrough the south gate of the capital. Every house they passed was decorated with bright silk, and the streets were scented for the king by burning incense. The king was accompanied by 3,000 cavalrymen and 800 royal guards under the command of General Huang Feihu, Prince for National Pacification and of Military Prowess and followed by all the officials of the royal court.

    Reaching the Temple of Goddess Nu Wa, King Zhou left his royal carriage and went to the main hall, where he burned incense sticks, bowed low with his ministers and offered prayers. King Zhou then wandered about the hall, finding it splendidly decorated in gold and other colors. Before the statue of the goddess stood golden lads holding pennants, and jade lasses holding S-shaped jade ornaments which symbolized peace and happiness. The jade hooks on the curtain hung obliquely,

    like new crescent moons suspended in the air, and hundreds of fine phoenixes embroidered on the curtain appeared to be flying towards the North Pole. Beside the altar of the goddess, made of fragrant wood, cranes and dragons were dancing in the scented smoke rising from the gold incense burners and the sparkling flames of the silvery candles.Royal Road is the home of this novel. Visit there to read the original and support the author.

    As King Zhou was admiring the splendors of the hall, a whirlwind suddenly blew up, rolling back the curtain and exposing the image of the goddess to all. She was extremely beautiful, much more than flowers,more than the fairy in the moon palace, and certainly more than any woman in the world. She looked quite alive, smiling sweetly at the king and staring at him with joy in her eyes.

    Her utter beauty bewitched King Zhou, setting him on fire

    with lust. He desired to possess her, and thought to himself in frustration,¡°Though I''m wealthy and powerful and have concubines and maidservants filling my palace, there''s none as beautiful and charming as this goddess."

    He ordered his attendants to bring brush and ink and wrote a poem on the wall near the image of the goddess to express his admiration and deep love for her. The poem ran like this:

    The scene is gay with phoenixes and dragons,

    But they are only clay and golden colors.

    Brows like winding hills in jade green,

    Sleeves like graceful clouds, you''re

    As pear blossoms soaked with raindrops,

    Charming as peonies enveloped in mist.

    I pray that you come alive,

    With sweet voice and gentle movements,

    And I''ll bring you along to my palace.

    When he finished writing, Prime Minister Shang Rong approached him. ¡°Nu Wa''s been a proper goddess and the guardian angel for Zhaoge, I only suggested that you worship her so that she would continue to bless the people with timely rains and favorable winds and ensure that they''ll continue to live in peace. But with this poem, you''ve not only shown your lack of sincerity on this trip but have insulted her as well." He demanded, ¡°This isn''t the way a king should behave. I pray you wash this blasphemous poem off the wall, lest you be condemned by the people for your immorality."

    ¡°I found Goddess Nu Wa so beautiful that I wrote a poem in praise of her, and that''s all. Hold your tongue. Don''t forget that I am the king. People will be only too glad to read the poem I wrote in my own handwriting, for it enables them to identify the true beauty of the goddess.¡±

    King Zhou dismissed him lightly. The other civil and military officials remained silent, none daring to utter a word.They then returned to the capital. The king went directly to the Dragon Virtue Court, where he met his queen and concu

    bines in a happy reunion.

    On her birthday, Goddess Nu Wa had left her palace and paid her respects to the three emperors, Fu Xi, Shen Nong and Xuan Yuan. She then returned to her temple, seated herself in the main hall, and received greetings from the golden lads and

    jade lasses.

    Looking up, she saw the poem on the wall. ¡°That wicked king!"She flew into a rage. ¡°He doesn''t think how to protect his country with virtue and morality. On the contrary, he shows no fear of Heaven and insults me with this dirty poem.How vile he is! The Shang Dynasty''s already ruled for over 600 years and is coming to an end. I must take my revenge on him if I''m to assuage my own conscience."

    She took action at once. She mounted a phoenix and headed for Zhaoge.

    King Zhou had two sons. One was Yin Jiao, who later became the ¡°Star God Presiding over the Year,"and the other Yin Hong, who later became the¡°God of Grain.¡±As the two gods paid their respects to their father, two red divine beams

    rose from the tops of their heads and soared high in the sky,blocking the way of the goddess. Looking down through the clouds, Nu Wa at once realized King Zhou had still twenty-eight years to go before his downfall. She also realized that she could do nothing about it at this moment, since that would go against the will of Heaven.

    The goddess returned to her temple, highly displeased.Back in her palace, Goddess Nu Wa ordered a young maidservant to fetch a golden gourd and put it on the Cinnabar Terrace outside her court. When its stopper was removed,Nu Wa pointed at the gourd with one finger and suddenly a thick beam of brilliant white light rose from the mouth of the gourd and shot up fifty feet into the air. Hanging from the beam was a multi-colored flag called the Demon Summoning Pennant. As soon as this pennant made its appearance, glittering high up in the sky, all demons and evil sprites, no matter where they were, would gather round.

    Moments later, dark winds began to howl, eerie fogs enveloped the earth, and vicious-looking clouds gathered in the sky.

    All the demons in the world had arrived to receive her command. Nu Wa gave orders that all the demons return home except the three sprites that dwelt in the grave of Emperor Xuan Yuan.

    Who were these three sprites? The first was a thousand-year-old female fox sprite; the second was a female pheasant sprite with nine heads; and the third was a jade lute sprite.

    ¡°May you live eternally, dear goddess!¡±the three sprites greeted Nu Wa, kowtowing on the Cinnabar Terrace.

    ¡°Listen carefully to my secret orders. The Shang Dynasty''s destined to end soon. The singing of the phoenix at Mount Qi augurs the birth of a new ruler in West Qi. This has all been determined by the will of Heaven, and no one has the power to change what must happen. You may transform yourselves into beauties, enter the palace, and distract King Zhou from state affairs. You''ll be richly rewarded for giving

    the new dynasty an auspicious start and helping the old one to its downfall. However, you mustn''t bring harm to the people."

    At the end of her order, the three sprites kowtowed,turned themselves into winds, and flew away.

    Since his visit to the Temple of Goddess Nu Wa£¬King Zhou had sunk into a deep depression. He ardently admired the beauty of the goddess and, yearning for her day and night, lost all desire to eat and drink. He had no passion for his queen, his concubines, or the numerous maids in his palace. They now all appeared to him like lumps of clay. He would not be bothered with state affairs.

    One day, he rememberedFei Zhongand You Hun, two minion courtiers who would flatter and slander as he pleased. King Zhou sent for Fei Zhong, and the latter appeared in no time.

    ¡°I went to worship Goddess NuWarecently,"King Zhou began. ¡°She''s so beautiful I believe she has no rival in the world, and none of my concubines is to be compared with her. I''m head over heels in love, and feel very sad as I can not get her. Have you any ideas with which to comfort me?"

    ¡°Your Majesty! With all your honor and dignity, you''re

    the most powerful and the richest man in the world. You possess all the wealth within the four seas, and are virtuous as the sage emperors Yao and Shun. You may have anything you wish for, and you should have no difficulty in satisfying your desires. You can issue an order tomorrow demanding 100 beauties from the grand dukes. You''ll then have no trouble finding one as beautiful as Goddess Nu Wa,¡±Fei Zhong suggested.

    King Zhou was delighted. He said,¡°Your suggestion appeals to me greatly. I''ll issue the order tomorrow. You may return home for the time being.¡±

    He then left the throne hall and returned to his royal chambers to rest.

    If you wish to know what happened thereafter, please read the following chapter.

 THE REBELLION OF SU HU

    The next morning, after he had received the respects from his ministers, King Zhou addressed his messengers,¡°Transmit my orders to the four grand dukes that they must each present me with 100 beautiful virgins to serve in the palace. Their family background, in terms of rank and wealth, may be ignored,but they must be gentle, virtuous, and above all beautiful.¡±

    But before the king had finished this announcement, a great minister stepped out from the ranks, and knelt down before him, ¡°Your old ministerShang Rong begs to advise Your Majesty that if you rule the country properly the people will continue to take pleasure in their work and obey your wishes without having to be ordered . ¡±Shang reminded him,¡°Your Majesty has already 1,000 beautiful women at least,who serve you in your chamber palace. If you now order the conscription of so many beautiful virgins, the people will be dissatisfied and oppose you. Remember the saying,¡®When a ruler rejoices with his people, they also rejoice with him; when he grieves at the sorrow of his people, they also grieve at his. ''Your people are now suffering seriously from floods and droughts. How can Your Majesty seek pleasure in women at a time like this? You must recall how emperors Yao and Shun rejoiced with the people and ruled the country with kindness and virtue, without resorting to violence and without bloodshed or war. During their reigns, lucky stars shone brightly over the sky and sweet dew drenched the earth. Phoenixes danced in the  palace courtyard and herbs of immortality grew in the fields.The people were rich and everything was in abundance.Rain fell at night and every day was sunny. Two ears would grow on each rice stalk. If Your Majesty seeks only short-lived pleasures: fixing your eyes on obscene events, filling your ears with lewd music, drinking until you become intoxicated, and hunting in the mountains and forests, this is a poor way to rule and will bring about the downfall of the dynasty. As prime minister in your government, and one who''s served under three kings, I''m obliged to present Your Majesty with the truth and hope that you won''t conscript the virgins and indulge in lascivious pleasure.¡±

    King Zhou remained silent for a long time. Finally he said,¡°You''re right. I''ll repeal my edict at once."

    Annoyed by what had happened, he had little patience to remain in the hall discussing state affairs with his ministers and quickly retired to his chamber palace.

    The following summer, all 800 marquises came to Zhaoge to pledge their allegiance to theShang Dynasty. As Grand Tutor Wen Zhong had been sent to the front to subdue the rebels of the North Sea,Fei Zhongand You Hun had become extremely influential at court and demanded of the dukes and marquises bribes and presents. But Su Hu, Marquis of Jizhou,refused to comply. Su Hu had an indomitable spirit and a fiery temper, but was a righteous man. He refused to ingratiate himself by dishonest means and would explode at the slightest injustice or wrongdoing. He did everything according to law, and refused to confer gifts upon Fei Zhong and You Hun, who as a result were very much annoyed.

    At court that morning, after King Zhou had received the respects from his ministers, the gate guard came forward and reported,¡°To mark this year of celebration, all the dukes and marquises of the nation have arrived in the capital to make obeisance to Your Majesty. At present, they are waiting for your orders outside the palace gate.¡±

    When King Zhou discussed the matter with Shang Rong,the latter replied, ¡°I suggest that Your Majesty grant an audience only to the four grand dukes, whom you can question about the livelihood of their people and about peace and security in their districts, and that the marquises make their obeisance outside the palace gate."

    ¡°You''re right,Prime Minister,"King Zhou said in delight.

    The four grand dukes, all splendidly dressed, entered the Meridian Gate and walked over the Nine Dragon Bridge to the Cinnarbar Terrace, where they knelt and prostrated themselves before King Zhou. The king, in turn, thanked them for their services.

    ¡°You labor diligently for me, spending your energy and time educating the people and protecting them from starvation and war. You''ve achieved great things for the nation," the king said in encouragement.¡°I''m greatly pleased you''ve come."

    Jiang Huanchu,the East Grand Duke, replied,¡°It''s by grace of Your Majesty that we were created dukes. We''re obliged to be diligent and watchful at our posts, so that Your Majesty''s mind will always remain at ease. Any service we''ve rendered comes within the limits of our duty and isn''t worthy of praise. However, we greatly appreciate the kind concern shown us by Your Majesty."

    The king was delighted with this reply and ordered Shang Rong and Vice Prime Minister Bi Gan to entertain the four grand dukes, while he himself retired to his private court with his favorites Fei Zhong and You Hun.

    ¡°Though you advised me to ask the four grand dukes for beautiful virgins, I was stopped by Shang Rong. Now that we''ve got the dukes here, I''ll issue the order to them directly tomorrow morning. That way I can save the trouble of sending messengers to them later. What do you think about that?¡±

    ¡°It was virtuous of Your Majesty to suspend the conscription of beautiful virgins on the Prime Minister''s advice.¡±Fei Zhong said but then admonished the king,¡°Your Majesty''s decision is known to everyone, and you mustn''t change your mind or you''ll lose their trust. I learned recently that Su Hu has a daughter as beautiful and charming as an angel. She''s fully qualified to serve you in the palace.Furthermore, by having her brought to the palace, Your Majesty won''t upset the whole nation."

    King Zhou was overjoyed when he heard this and immediately sent an order for Su Hu to see him at the Dragon VirtueCourt to discuss urgent state affairs.

    When he came, Su Hu kowtowed and then waited on hisknees for the king to speak.

    ¡°I''m told that your daughter''s mild, virtuous, and modest. I would like to have her serve me in the rear palace. Asher father, you''ll become related to the royal family and enjoywealth and rank, known and admired throughout the country.How do you feel about it, Marquis?¡±asked'' King Zhou.

    ¡°Your Majesty''s got a queen consort and thousands ofconcubines. They''re all charming and beautiful and possess talents to please all of your senses. How is it that you''re sounwise as to be deluded by your lying courtiers?¡±Su Hu protested. ¡°My daughter, moreover, is crude and ignorant of therites and has a very homely face. I beg Your Majesty to takemy humble advice and take immediate action to behead your

    malicious courtiers so that you may rule with virtue. The future generations will know that you''re a good and proper rulerand not a womanizer."

    King Zhou burst out laughing. ¡°You''re both ignorantand lacking in common sense. Since ancient times, none hasbeen so foolish as to refuse royal connection. Once a daughteris lucky enough to be chosen queen or royal concubine, she''shonored as highly as the king. You would enjoy untold gloryas my relative if you let your daughter serve in my palace.Don''t be muddle-headed. Think it over."

    At this, Su Hu flew into a rage. He shouted sternly,¡°Therule can only last when the king reigns with virtue and diligence and the people remain satisfied. You''re now careless ofstate affairs, distracted from your duties by an unbridled passion for women. Behaving this way, I''m afraid you''ll end upthe downfall of your 600-year-old dynasty.¡±

    King Zhou was enraged. ¡°You must obey the king, even ifit means giving up your life. How dare you oppose my order!And how dare you offend me with your rubbish and insult mefor a wicked king! This is the gravest of offences. You shouldbe arrested and put to death according to law!" he threatened.

    When the palace guards placed Su Hu under arrest,Fei Zhong and You Hun entered the court, knelt down and kowtowed to the king. ¡°Su Hu should be punished for hisdisobedience. However, you would be looked upon as a bad ruler, and people would say that you had insulted a good manand imposed limitations on freedom of speech just because youwere unable to get his daughter. It would be better to set himfree and let him return to his post. This way he''ll be gratefulfor your generosity and be willing to give you his daughter. Byso doing, the people will admire you as a good ruler, generousand kind, permitting all to enjoy the freedom of speech and allowing dutiful ministers to live in peace. You''ll be killing twobirds with one stone."

    Now calming down a little, King Zhou said,¡°I''ll do asyou advise. Set him free and let him return to his post. But hemay no longer remain here in the capital."

    Su Hu was expelled from the court and ordered to leavethe city at once. When he reached his residence, he was met byhis generals, who asked him,¡°What important problem didHis Majesty discuss with you?¡±

    Su Hu was still in a rage and cursed the king soundly. ¡°IfI don''t send my daughter to him, the bloody bastard is sure tosend an army. But if I do, he''ll neglect state affairs, and people''ll curse and ridicule me. What shall I do, Generals?¡±

    ¡°It''s said that when the ruler is immoral, ministers mayabandon him and seek their future abroad. Our king ignoreshis good and faithful ministers and devotes himself solely to sexual pleasure. Chaos is bound to overrun the country soon.Let''s leave this place and declare independence to save ourown homes and lives and the land inherited from our ancestors," they advised him.

    Su Hu was greatly excited. ¡°A hero must act in public.Hand me a brush and ink, and I''ll write a poem on the Meridian Gate to express my strong resolve never again to serve theShang Dynasty." Eventually, he wrote the following on thewall:

    You ignore the rites between king and ministers,

    You corrupt the five cardinal virtues of mankind.

    Thus, Su Hu, the Marquis of Jizhou, has decided

    To offer no further obeisance to the Shang Dynasty.

    King Zhou pondered deeply after Su Hu was removedfrom the palace,¡°Though I''ve set him free, I still don''t knowwhether he''ll give his daughter to me or not."

    But his meditation was interrupted by a gate officer, whoknelt before him and said,¡°While on duty at the palacegate, I discovered a quatrain written by Su Hu, in which he announces a rebellion. Not daring to keep it to myself, I''m reporting this to Your Majesty.¡±

    Reading over the explosive poem, King Zhou once more became infuriated. ¡°How dare that bloody bastard act like this.As Heaven prefers not to kill, I didn''t cut his damned head offbut set him free instead. This is the way he shows his grati-

    tude! This time he must be punished," he cursed, and gavethe order,¡°Generals Yin,Chao and Lu are hereby ordered tolead six armies under my command to attack Jizhou. Our goalis the utter decimation of the city."

    Hearing this order and cheering the king before his throne,General Lu Xiong thought,¡°Su Hu is a good and faithful minister, but how did he offend the king so much that His Majesty himself is going to Jizhou. Woe to the city!" Feeling apang of compassion for Su Hu, he knelt down and reported,

    ¡°Though Su Hu was offensive in Your Majesty''s presence, it''sunnecessary for you to venture personally to the front. Sincethe grand dukes are still in the capital,Your Majesty may appoint one or two of them to command the attack. Youshouldn''t place yourself in danger on the front."

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    ¡° Who would be the best qualified to act on my behalf?"

    ¡°Since Jizhou''s in the north, under the administration ofthe North Grand Duke,Your Majesty may logically appointChong Houhu,¡±Fei Zhong said.

    This was quickly approved by the king.

    ¡°Chong Houhu¡¯s avaricious and cruel. Wherever his armygoes, people suffer terribly,¡±General Lu Xiong thought. ¡°Butthe West Grand Duke JiChang is virtuous, loved and welltrusted by the people. Better I recommend him to prevent things from getting worse.¡±The king was ordering to publishthe appointment when he objected.¡°ThoughChong Houhu isthe North Grand Duke, he''s not fully trusted by the people,and it may be difficult for him to accomplish his mission. How-

    ever, Ji Chang has long been known for his virtue. I recommend that you appoint him to take your place. This way, SuHu''ll be punished according to law without your having to confront the danger of arrows and spears."

    After a long hesitation,King Zhou approved both recommendations, and appointedChong Houhuand Ji Chang asjoint command of the army. When the announcement reachedhim, Ji Chang remarked to the two prime ministers and thethree other dukes at the banquet,¡°Though Su Hu came tooffer his allegiance, he wasn''t admitted to the palace, nor washe received by His Majesty. How could he possibly have offended the king? He''s known to all for his loyalty and goodconduct, and for his manyoutstanding military successes.There must have been a good reason for him to write thepoem. His Majesty''ll lose sympathy from the marquises if hebelieves the malicious accusations by his minions and attacksSu Hu. Would you two prime ministers try to find out at court

    tomorrow morning what crime it is that Su Hu''s committed.Should he be guilty, Su Hu must be punished. If not, we mustdo something about it. ¡±

    ¡°You''re right, Grand Duke,¡± Deputy Prime Minister BiGan agreed.

    But Chong Houhu held a different view. ¡°The king''swords, if unspoken, are like silk threads, but turn into satinonce he begins to speak. Who would dare to oppose an orderhe had already issued! Besides, Su Hu did indeed write an abusive poem, and His Majesty hasn''t made his decisiongroundlessly. Should the 800 marquises all begin to disobey theking, how can His Majesty maintain order?¡±

    ¡°Your point seems quite reasonable,yet it''s only onesided. No one doubts that Su Hu''s a faithful minister. Heserves the country with loyalty, educates the people methodically and commands his army brilliantly. He''s acted faultlesslyfor years now.¡±Ji Chang refuted him.¡°I''m at a loss as to who''s tricked His Majesty into punishing the innocent. Thisisn''t an auspicious omen for the country. I pray that His Majesty won''t choose to use violence. War is a serious disaster. Itwastes money, slaughters the people and destroys the peace of the nation."

    ¡°You may be right, Grand Duke, but how can we disobeyHis Majesty''s orders? We''re compelled to follow them, lestwe commit the crime of opposing the ing,"replied ChongHouhu.

    ¡°If it be so, lead your army to the front first, and I''ll follow you there soon,"said Ji Chang.

    The banquet ended, and the party went their separateways. Before his departure,the West Grand Duke said to theprime ministers,¡°Chong Houhu''ll be there first. I have toreturn to West Qi for the time being, and will join himshortly."

    Arriving back at Jizhou, Su Hu was met in the suburbs byhis eldest son Su Quanzhong at the head of his generals. Whenhe entered the city, he held a meeting and told his generals allthat had happened to him in the capital. ¡°We must train men

    and horses and make preparations to defend the city walls withcatapults and rolling logs against the king''s army," he warnedthem.

    All of his generals and soldiers took extra care while onguard and prepared themselves for the anticipated attack.Without the least delay, Chong Houhu gathered a

    50,000-strong army and left the capital for Jizhou. He was wellequipped with cannons powerful enough to shake the earth,and his troops with their spears and swords were imposing ashuge mountains. After marching through countless cities andtowns, a report came from the vanguard,¡°The army''s arrivedat Jizhou and requests orders from the commander." He ordered the army to halt, and encamp within stockades and

    strongholds.

    When he learned of the arrival of the invaders, Su Huasked an intelligence officer,¡°Who''s the commander of thearmy?"

    ¡°It¡¯s Chong Houhu, the North Grand Duke.¡±

    Su Hu was infuriated. ¡°I''d settle this matter with a compromise if it were any other grand duke but ChongHouhu," he declared.¡°Chong''s an evil fellow, and it''s absolutely hopeless to try to settle in peace with him. I''ll take himby surprise, and ensure that people won''t suffer any harm.¡±

    Amid the firing of cannons, Su Hu led his generals and soldiers out of the city roaring like thunder. He lined up his menand shouted, ¡°Let me talk with your commander now!¡±

    Chong Houhu led his men out of the strongholds to meetthe challenge. He rode on a tall stallion,wore golden chainmail, a red robe and a jade belt, and held a cutlass across hissaddle. Behind him came his eldest son, his generals and twogreat banners,one embroidered with a dragon and the otherwith a phoenix.

    SeeingChongHouhu in front of him, Su Hu bowed.¡°How are you, Grand Duke. I''m terribly sorry that I cannotoffer you a complete salutation, as I''m in helmet and ar-

    mor,¡± he greeted and then came to the point,¡°King Zhouhas of late become corrupt and immoral as a ruler. He showsno respect for his ministers, cares little for the state and listensonly to the minion courtiers. He compelled me to give him mydaughter as a concubine. Addicted to sex and wine, he nowleads a life of dissipation. The kingdom''ll soon suffer fromgreat disturbances and is bound to fall before long. But I''ve always stayed within my own marquisate, and am surprised tosee you here with your army."

    In anger,Chong Houhu said,¡°You disobeyed the ordersof His Majesty and wrote a treasonable poem on the wall ofthe Meridian Gate. You''re a rebel and ought to be punishedby death. By order of His Majesty, I''m here to carry out hissentence. You should have knelt down before my army inunconditional surrender, but you stand there in armorbrandishing your weapons and mouth glib rubbish!¡±Turningtowards his men he demanded,¡°Who''ll take that filthy banditfor me?"

    A general, wearing a phoenix-feather helmet, a scarlet robe

    and golden armor, urged forward his black stallion crying,

    ¡°I''ll take that bloody bastard.¡±

    Galloping swiftly to the front, he was met by General Su Quanzhong, Su Hu''s eldest son, who, brandishing a halberd,shouted,¡°What''s the big hurry? Come on, let''s fight.¡±He recognized his opponent as General Mei Wu.

    ¡°Su Quanzhong, you and your father are rebelling against His Majesty. Lay down your arms and surrender, or else your whole clan will die.¡±

    Su Quanzhong remained silent. Urging his horse forward, he stabbed at Mei Wu''s chest with his halberd. Mei Wu resisted bravely and struck at him with his battle-axe. Their combat proceeded vigorously. After twenty rounds,Mei Wu received a fatal wound and fell dead to the ground.

    Now that his son had won the first encounter, Su Hu ordered his men to beat the drums, signaling an all-round engagement. At this Zhao Bing, Chen Jizhen and the Jizhou soldiers launched into the enemy line. After a fierce battle, the field was soon piled high with the dead and wounded, and blood flowed freely over the wilderness under a gloomy sky.Chong Houhu and his generals Jin Kui£¬Huang Yuanji and Chong Yingbiao were utterly defeated and retreated to a distance of ten miles.

    Returning, Su Hu held a meeting to discuss the future with his generals. ¡°Though we''ve defeated Chong Houhu today,he''ll come here again with a stronger force,"Su Hu said.¡°Jizhou''s still in great danger. What shall we do now?¡±

    Zhao Bing stepped forward and said, ¡°In my humble opinion, since we''ve taken the first step, we must take the second.Chong''s suffered defeat this time and retreated, though not too far from us. We might launch a surprise attack tonight and smash his stockades in the darkness. When we''ve routed him completely Chong''ll come to realize that we''re not to be trifled with. Only then can we hope to come to terms with a duke other than Chong and save the city from destruction.What do you think, Marquis?¡±

    Su Hu was overjoyed at this suggestion.¡°You''re quite right. I agree with you completely," he said, then issued orders,¡°Su Quanzhong with 3,000 men are to lay an ambush at Wugang, about ten miles beyond the west gate;General Chen Jizhen''s to lead his army on the left and Zhao Bing on the right,while I''ll be in the middle.¡±

    After dusk, Su Hu''s armies were ordered to march to theirpositions, flags rolled up, drums quiet and horses moving in silence. Soon they would take the enemy by surprise.

    Chong Houhu had not expected such a defeat and the lossof his generals and soldiers. With nowhere to turn to, he gathered his troops and encamped anew. He addressed his men,¡°Though I''ve fought countless battles in my day, never have I

    suffered such a defeat as today! The death of Mei Wu in particular is a great loss to us. What shall we do?¡±

    General Huang Yuanji consoled him,¡°Don''t you know,Grand Duke, that victories and defeats are routine business inthe army. The West Grand Duke''ll soon be with us, and we''llbe able to smash Jizhou as easily as snapping our fingers. Youshouldn''t worry too much."

    At thisChongHouhu brightened up and drank with hisgenerals in their new camp. Meanwhile Su Hu led his army quietly out of the city and waited patiently for the moment tocome. By the time of the first watch, the army had marched

    ten miles, and the enemy camp was in sight. At a prearrangedsignal, Su Hu''s cavalry and infantry bravely launched their attack, taking Chong completely by surprise. They rushed in liketigers and wolves, slaughtering and maiming on all sides. SuHu was riding alone, lance in hand, in search of Chong Houhu.

    Chong was startled from his dreams by the battle cries. Hedressed quickly, mounted his horse, grabbed his cutlass andstormed away from his tent into the combat. Soon he cameupon Su Hu, in a golden helmet and armor, mounted on a

    black horse and wielding a long fire dragon lance.Su Hu sawhim.¡°Chong Houhu! How dare you flee so shamelessly. Getdown from your horse and be my captive," he shouted.

    Chong was greatly frightened, and had little choice but tomatch his cutlass against Su Hu''s lance. At this moment, hisson Chong Yingbiao, Jin Kui and Huang Yuanji came to hisaid. But Zhao Bingand Chen Jizhen appeared moments laterto right the temporary imbalance. The men on both sides battled furiously in the dark of night. Su Hu''s troops were wellprepared for the attack, while Chong Houhu''s men were taken bysurprise. Thus, the soldiers of Jizhou fought with extraordinarybravery, and Chong Houhu''s men were totally overwhelmed.

    In the midst of the fight,Jin Kui was felled from hishorse by Zhao Bing and died instantly. Realizing that the situation was not to be saved, Chong Houhu was forced to beat afighting retreatwithChong Yingbiao. They ran like homelessdogs, while the soldiers of Jizhou fought as bravely as tigersand fiercely as wolves. The ground was strewn with corpses,and blood flowed in streams. After pursuing the fleeing troops

    for twenty miles, Su Hu gave the order that his men return toJizhou.

    Fleeing,Chong HouhuandChong Yingbiao met HuangYuanji, Sun Ziyu and their soldiers. Chong Houhu groaned.¡°Since I first became a soldier, I''ve never suffered such a bigdefeat as this. I never expected those treacherous bandits wouldattack ourstockades in the middle of night, and cost us officersand many soldiers. We must take our revenge. I''m alsodispleased that Ji Chang should rest peacefully in his dukedom,

    and ignore His Majesty''s orders. He doesn''t send us a singlesoldier but sits back and watches me suffer a defeat. I won''ttolerate this."

    ¡°We''ve lost our fighting spirit,¡±Chong Yingbiao said.¡°I suggest that we take a defensive position and take no further action for the present. Let''s send a messenger to Ji Changto request reinforcements."

    ¡°You''re right, my son. Let''s discuss this again atdawn,¡±replied Chong Houhu.

    He was not aware that an ambush was prepared for them.As they rode, the sudden thunder of cannons rent the air andthey heard the Jizhousoldiers roaring¡°Chong Houhu dismount from your horse and die!¡±

    Looking up, Chong Houhu saw a brave young general in agolden helmet and armor, with a face round as the full moonand lips red as vermillion. ¡°On my father''s orders I''ve waitedfor you for a long time. Throw down your cutlass, get off your

    horse and meet your death,¡± cried Su Quanzhong.¡°What areyou waiting for?"

    ¡°You bloody bastard! Both you and your father are wicked rebels, killing generals and soldiers sent here by His Majesty. Your crimes are weighty as mountains, and you deserve tobe sliced into a thousand pieces. It''s too early for you to brag

    about victory, though I''ve suffered from your surprise raid. Assoon as the reinforcements from His Majesty arrive, you andyour father shall meet instant deaths,"Chong Houhureviledin return. ¡°Who''ll take this rascal for me?"

    General Huang Yuanji spurred his horse forward andswung his cutlass at Su Quanzhong, who met the charge withhis halberd. They fought an intense battle, with neither sidetaking the immediate upper hand. Then, Sun Ziyu galloped out

    with his forked spear to join the fight against Su. With amighty roar, Su Quanzhong pierced Sun Ziyu''s helmet with hisweapon, bringing him crashing to the ground.

    Though the combat was joined by Chong Houhu and hisson, Su uanzhongfought on single-handedly against the threegenerals, displaying the courage of a tiger in the mountains ora dragon in the sea. Su Quanzhong''s halberd slashed ChongHouhu''s armor, knocking off a piece covering his thigh. Muchalarmed, Chong spurred his horse and with a rapid leap fledthe scene of combat. Seeing his father flee, ChongYingbiao became discouraged and distracted. A thrust of Su''s halberd athis heart caught him unawares, but hastily avoiding it, he tooka heavy blow in the left arm. Blood soaked his robes and armor. He would have fallen from his horse had not his generalsrushed forward to support him. Once again,Chong Houhu''sarmy suffered a terrible defeat.

    Su Quanzhong dared not pursue any further in the darkness, and went back to the city.

    At dawn, Su Hu held a conference at court. He asked SuQuanzhong,¡°Have you captured that rogue?¡±

    ¡°By your order, I had my men lay an ambush at Wugang,and the defeated enemy troops fell into the trap at midnight. Ifought bravely and managed to stab Sun Ziyu to death, knockoff Chong Houhu''s armor and pierceChong Yingbiao''s leftarm. They were thoroughly defeated, but I dared not chasethem farther in the dark. I had no choice but to return," Su Quangzhong reported.

    ¡°Chong Houhu was lucky. You may rest now, my son.¡±SuHu was very pleased with this outcome.

    If you wish to know what happened after that, please readthe next chapter.

 Daji Enters the Palace

    Chong Houhu and his wounded son fled for their lives the whole night through. Gathering the remnants of his troops, Chong was deeply grieved to find that only one-tenth of his men were left, most of them severely wounded.

    General Huang Yuanji came forward to offer him comfort.¡°Why are you so full of worries again,Grand Duke? I still hold that victory and defeat are commonplace events in a general''s life. Though we were defeated last night, we can still gather new forces.¡± He urged Chong,¡°Why not send an urgent dispatch to the West Grand Duke and request reinforcements as soon as possible, so that we may continue our combat and seek our revenge? What do you think?"

    Chong Houhu pondered a while. ¡°Since the West Grand Duke takes no action while we''ve suffered defeat and seems indifferent as to whether we win or lose, I''m reluctant to ask him for help," he said,¡°lest he be acquitted of the crime of disobeying His Majesty''s orders."

    As the discussion went on, a report was delivered,¡°A huge army is marching towards us at great speed.¡±Not knowing where the army was coming from, or whether it was friendly or hostile,Chong Houhubecame scared. He hurriedly mounted his horse, and looking ahead wildly, saw a general with a face black as the bottom of a cauldron, a red beard and round golden eyes. He was wearing a coronet embroidered with clouds, flames, and flying birds, a suit of mail and a bright red robe. He was riding a fieryeyed monster, and held two golden axes in his hands. Chong Houhu soon realized that this wasnone other than his own younger brother Chong Heihu, the Black Tiger, the Marquis of Caozhou.

    This new arrival setChong Houhu''s heart at ease. After exchanging greetings,Black Tiger said,¡°When I learned that you had suffered defeat on the front, I rushed here with my army to help you. How good it is to be with you once again.¡±

    Chong Yingbiao saluted his uncle from his saddle. ¡°You must be tired after marching so far," he asked his uncle with concern.

    But Black Tiger Chong Heihu only replied,¡°My army will join yours under one command. Let''s go back to Jizhou and see what we can do there."

    Chong Heihu had brought3,000 Flying Tiger Soldiers with him, and there were another 20,000 following later on. The two armies marched to Jizhou, encamped and prepared themselves for battle. Meanwhile, in Jizhou, Su Hu had heard

    about the arrival of Chong Heihu. He lowered his head and remained silent for a long time.

    ¡° Black Tiger''s highly skilled in combat and learned in the art of war. There''s no rival for him among the generals in this city!" he finally said, and asked his generals,¡°What shall we do?¡±

    ¡°Generals areaccustomed to fighting against invading armies, just as earth is commonly used to cover water.We mustn''t be timid before Black Tiger,¡±Su Quanzhong commented.

    ¡°You''re too young and inexperienced. Don''t you know that Black Tiger Chong Heihu was tutored by a magician? He can chop off the head of a great general as easily as pulling something out of a bag,"Su Hu warned. ¡°You mustn''t underestimate him.¡±

    ¡°Father! By praising the enemy, you''re only compromising yourself!¡± Su Quanzhong replied. ¡°I''ll meet the challenge at once and not return until I capture Black Tiger.¡±

    ¡°You''ll suffer from your mistakes and soon regret what you''ve done," Su Hu warned again.

    Despite these warnings,Su Quanzhong leaped upon his horse and galloped out of the city, shouting,¡°Tell Black Tiger to come out and fight at once."

    Hearing the report, Black Tiger was secretly glad. ¡°I''m here first to avenge my brother''s defeat and second to try to save Su Hu," he thought. ¡°I must help him for friendship''s sake."

    Before the camp, Black Tiger watched Su Quanzhong display his martial skills and called to him,¡°Dear nephew! Go back and tell your father to come and see me. I''ve something important to tell him."

    But Su Quanzhong was young and uncultured and longed to engage in combat with Black Tiger, because his father had praised him as a brave fighter. He did not take the cue.

    ¡°We''re enemies, though my father was friends with you.You had better leave this place at once, lest you lose your life," he shouted back.

    ¡°How dare you speak so rudely to me, you little beast," Black Tiger cursed him furiously and lunged forward with his gold axes at Su''s face.

    Su met the blows with his halberd. Thus began a fierce combat between the two heroic generals. Su Quanzhong did not know that since his childhood Black Tiger had been the disciple of a mystical sage, who had given him a magic gourd,which he always carried on his back and enabled him to perform miracles. But Su Quanzhong had only his bravery to rely on and looked with contempt upon anyone who chose to fight with short-handled axes. He exerted every effort to fulfill his ambition of taking Black Tiger alive.

    Their violent combat caused Black Tiger to perspire all over. He said to himself, ¡°I admire Su Hu for having such a good son. A brave general''s son must certainly be a brave general."

    He made a feint with his axes, pulled his horse around and fled. Su Quanzhong laughed at his cowardice, and urged his horse after him. Seeing that his enemy was unwilling to give up, Black Tiger stealthily removed the lid from his gourd and began to mutter incantations under his breath. Suddenly a stream of black smoke rushed out of the gourd, filling the sky,and a flock of Heavenly Eagles could be heard calling loudly as they flew back and forth. The eagles opened their iron beaks and swooped down to peck at Su Quanzhong. He tried to defend himself with his halberd, but he could not protect his horse at the same time. When one of his horse''s eyes was pecked out, the horse fell. Su was thrown onto the ground and taken captive by Black Tiger.

    When Su Quanzhong was brought before Chong Houhu, he did not beg for mercy, but continued cursing and swearing. Chong Houhu lost patience with him and ordered the executioners to behead him at once. But Black Tiger saved him, sug

    gesting that he be escorted to the capitaland dealt with personally by the king.

    Hearing the bad news, Su Hu groaned to himself. ¡°What can I say now? My son didn''t listen to my warning, and as a result was taken captive today. I''ve been a hero all my life,but now my son''s been taken captive, and with such a strong enemy, Jizhou''s bound to be taken before long. Why have I ended up in such a miserable situation?¡±he wondered to himself. ¡°Is it because I''ve given birth to a daughter? The bloody king''s been deluded by the minions, and demands her as a concubine. Because of my refusal, my family and the innocent citizens of this city shall meet their ends. The disaster''s due solely to her, my daughter.

    ¡°It will be my greatest humiliation if the city''s taken and my wife and daughter are sent to Zhaoge as prisoners. They would be tried and put to death and their corpses would be displayed in the market. I would certainly be ridiculed and despised by all the marquises in the kingdom. I''ll be a greater hero if I kill them first and then put myself to the sword."

    Thus thinking, he took his sword and rushed to the rear palace. When Daji saw him, she ran upand greeted him with a sweet smile.¡°Dear papa! Why do you come here with your sword in hand?¡±

    How could Su Hu possibly raise his sword against Daji? She was his beloved daughter, not an enemy in battle. He broke into tears. ¡°My darling daughter! Because of you, your elder brother has been taken captive. Because of you, this city

    is surrounded at this very moment. Because of you, your parents shall lose their lives. Because of you, our entire family will perish...."

    But before he could finish, a challengefrom Black Tiger was reported, and he immediately returned to the court. He held a conference with his staff. ¡°Since Black Tiger¡¯s skilled in witchcraft, we mustn''t answer his challenge," he remarked.¡°We had better defend the city wall with arrows,stones and rolling logs."

    At the foot of the city wall, Black Tiger was also confused. ¡°Brother,if only you would only consult with me, I could withdraw my troops. Why do you fear and refuse to see me? I don''t understand!" He had to return to the camp.Chong Houhu suggested that they attack the city with tall ladders, but Black Tiger had a better idea. ¡°There''s no need to launch an attack. Let''s rather surround the city and block

    If you encounter this narrative on Amazon, note that it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it.

    their supply lines. They''ll be left inside without anything to eat, and we can take the city without an effort. Besides, we can rest now while waiting for the arrival of the West Grand Duke."

    Su Hu was thus hopelessly besieged. One day, it was reported to him that General Zheng Lun had brought in provisions, and was waiting outside for further orders.¡°Though we''ve got rice now, what use is it!" he sighed, then said,¡°Tell him to come in.¡±When Zheng Lun came in, Su Hu described the whole situation to him. ¡°No one can beat Black Tiger since he''s both brave and skilled in magic," he con-

    cluded. ¡°There''s no one that I can turn to for help in the whole kingdom. There are four in my family, but my son''s already been taken captive. I''ve decided to kill my wife and my daughter first, and then myself; otherwise, we''ll be ridiculed by the future generations. You generals may as well pack up and find yourselves a new master!"

    ¡°Marquis! Are you drunk? Are you mad? Or are you possessed? Even if the other three dukes and all the 800marquises joined forces, I wouldn''t even glance at them. How can you be so cowardly?¡±Zheng said in anger. ¡°I¡¯ve been in your service since my youth and owe my present position to you. I''ll always do my best for you.¡±

    ¡°I see that General Zheng''s been possessed by an evil sprite, and that''s why he''s speaking nothing but nonsense," Su Hu declared to his other generals. ¡°Let''s forget about the 800 marquises for now. But this Black Tiger alone is a headache. Tutored by a sage in magic arts he''s a source of alarm to both gods and demons. He''s also a great strategist and can stand up to 10,000 men without fear. You mustn''t underestimate him."

    ¡°Let me go and fight him. If I can''t take Black Tiger, I''ll have my head cut off and presented to all the generals assembled here." Zheng shouted and drew. Without waiting for further orders, he jumped onto his fiery-eyed monster,grasped

    his two Demon Subduing Clubs and left the city at the head of his army. His 3,000 Crow Soldiers, dressed in black, resembled a huge black cloud rolling swiftly over the plains.¡°Come out here, Black Tiger,¡± he shouted at the top of his voice when he got to the enemy camp.

    Black Tiger rushed out with his Flying Tiger Soldiers, and found himself in front of a general with a date-purple face and a shining beard. He was wearing a scarlet robe, gold chain mail and a jade belt, mounted as Black Tiger himself was on a fiery-eyed monster.

    ¡°State your name before combat,¡±Black Tiger called out,as he did not know Zheng Lun.

    ¡°I¡¯m General Zheng Lun of Jizhou. You must be Black Tiger. You think you''re very brave, seizing my young master.Set him free at once, dismount and surrender! If you dare say no, I''ll turn you into dust. ¡±

    ¡°You dolt! Su Hu''s committed a capital crime, and you''re his accomplice. How dare you speak such arrogant nonsense."

    Black Tiger urged his mount forward and slashed at Zheng Lun with his axes. Zheng Lun met the charge with his clubs. They fought twenty-four rounds vigorously, neither giving way.

    As they struck back and forth Zheng Lun caught sight of a red gourd on Black Tiger''s back. ¡°My commander told me that Black Tiger was taught by a sage in magic powers. This must be his secret weapon. As the saying goes,¡®In a fight always make the first move.''I must use mine first," he thought to himself.

    Zheng Lun himself was a disciple of the Woe Evading Sage of the West Mount Kunlun. Predictingthat Zheng Lun would someday be created a god, the immortal taught him a magic skill whereby he might exhale a magic vapor and snatch the souls of his enemies. After a period of apprenticeship,Zheng Lun left the mountain and came to Jizhou.

    And now in the midst of combat,Zheng Lun waved his club in the air, and immediately his Crow Soldiers lined up like a long snake. They shouted battle cries and, carrying hooks and chains, raced up like a piece of dark cloud. Before Black Tiger knew what was happening, two strong beams of light gushed forth from Zheng Lun''s nostrils with a noise like the clanging of a huge bell. Black Tiger suddenly became dizzy, his vision blurred. Tumbling from his monster, he passed out and was seized and tied up by the Crow Soldiers. When he regained consciousness he realized that he was trussed up as a prisoner of war. He was furious. ¡°That scoundrel really has some crafty tricks. How did he manage to capture me?¡±

    Hearing the drums rolling outside the city, Su Hu groaned. ¡°Poor Zheng Lun! He must be done for.¡± But his doubts andworries were suddenly interrupted by a report that General Zheng Lun had won the battle and had taken Black Tiger alive.

    Zheng Lun arrived and reported how he had captured Black Tiger Chong Heihu. Even as he spoke, his soldiers brought in the captive to the stone steps at the front of the court. Su Hu hastily left his seat, curtly dismissed the guards, untied Black Tiger and knelt before him.¡°I''ve offended His Majesty and committed a grave crime. Zheng Lun''s rude and should be dealt with severely."

    "I''ve never forgotten that we''re sworn brothers. I''m ashamed to be a captive and greatly appreciate your courtesy," Black Tiger said in response.

    Su Hu invited Black Tiger to take the place of honor, and ordered Zheng Lun and other generals to come and pay him their respects.

    ¡°General Zheng''s skilled in the most ingenious arts. His capturing me today''s filled me with the utmost respect for him," Black Tiger remarked.

    At the feast that followed,Su Hu told Black Tiger the whole story of how King Zhou had demanded him for his daughter as a concubine. Black Tiger said,¡°The main reasons for my coming here are to discuss my brother''s defeats and your way out of trouble. But I never expected that your son would be so naive, and so stubborn that he refused to understand me and take my message back to you. I was forced to take him. I''m actually trying my best to help you."

    ¡°I''ll never forget your friendship, Brother," Su Hu said earnestly.

    Hearing the report of how his brother had been taken, Chong Houhu was taken aback. ¡°Who would have thought that such a miracle could take place?¡±He began dispatching his men for further news when the report came that a messenger had arrived from the West Grand Duke. Though Chong Houhu was upset, he ordered his men to let the messenger in. This messenger was none other than San Yisheng, supreme minister and a well-known scholar from the West Grand Dukedom. After San Yisheng had offered his respects, Chong Houhu began to reproach him. ¡°Minister! Why does your master ignore His Majesty''s orders and remain in the comfort of his palace indulging in pleasure?¡± he said in anger. ¡°Your master''s guilty of disloyalty to both His Majesty and the country. What have you got to say to me today?¡±

    ¡°My master always says¡®War''s a calamity,''and should be resorted to only in desperate need. You''re involved in a war on account of a trivial incident. It''ll result in a great waste of manpower and money. People are panic-stricken; all the houses and farms are left empty and unattended. How terribly the people and the soldiers have suffered! For this reason, my master''s sent me here with a letter, exhorting Su Hu to cease resistance, and give up his daughter on condition that he retains his title as the Marquis of Jizhou. If he remains stubborn, then we''ll use a stronger force which he''ll be unable to resist,¡±San Yisheng explained.

    Chong Houhu burst into a great roar of laughter. ¡°Ji Chang''s making excuses, since he realizes that he''s guilty of disobeying His Majesty ''s orders,¡± he mocked. ¡°I''ve already fought Su Hu a few times, but suffered heavy losses. How can that brigand be persuaded to send his daughter to the king by just reading a letter? Go and see Su Hu, and let ''s just sce what happens."

    San Yisheng left the camp and advanced to the foot of the city wall. ¡°Here''s a messenger from the West Grand Duke.bringing a letter to you," he shouted to the soldiers above,and minutes later the city gates were opened, admitting him.He was brought before Su Hu,who was dining with Black Tiger.

    ¡°What instructions do you bring me in this humble city,Officer?¡±Su Hu asked him.

    ¡°I''ve come here by order of the West Grand Duke. As you offended His Majesty by writing that poem, my masterwas ordered to punish you. But he knows that you''re loyal,and refuses to cooperate with Chong Houhu. He sent me with a letter to you, and hopes you''ll read it carefully,"San Yisheng said as he took out the letter.Su Hu took the letter and began to read:

    Knowing that you are virtuous and loyal I cannot rest unconcerned in my palace and allow you to continue in your misfortune. But I know that you may turn your misfortune into future if you place your trust in me and accept the advice that I offer you in this letter.

    There will be three advantages if you send your daughter to the royal palace:(1) As long as she enjoys the favor of the king, her father will be honored as a royal relative with a high stipend;(2) Jizhou will remain untroubled by war, and Su Hu''s whole family will enjoy peace and the respect of the court forever; and,(3) The people will no longer suffer, nor will soldiers in the army be slaughtered.Yet, if you choose to remain obstinate, three terrible things will happen: (1) Jizhou will be taken and occupied, and neither your home nor the temple of your ancestors will be spared; (2) Every member of your family will be exterminated; and,(3) The innocent people and soldiers will suffer disaster. A hero should concern himself with matters of great importance and ignore everything which smacks of the trivial. You should not destroy yourself like a common fool.

    We are both ministers of the Shang Dynasty. Thus,I must speak the truth and offer my advice so that you may make a quick decision... .

    After reading the letter over, Su Hu remained silent, only nodding his head. San Yisheng noticed this. ¡°You needn''t hesitate any more, sir! The war''ll be over if you agree, but continue if you don''t. Why do you remain silent?¡± he urged.

    Su Hu turned to Black Tiger,¡°Brother, please read it.It''s full of reason and truth and in the best interests of the nation and the people. How could I dare to oppose his wishes!¡±He then invited San Yisheng to join the feast and put him in his own mansion for the night. The next day, He asked San Yisheng to deliver his reply to the West Grand Duke along with gifts of gold and satin.

    When San Yisheng left, Su Hu said that he would personally escort his daughter to the palace and make amends for his errors. The power of a single letter was much greater than that of 100,000 soldiers! At this, Black Tiger said to Su Hu,¡°The West Grand Duke¡¯s a reasonable man. You should pack your bags and make ready to send your daughter to His Majesty as soon as possible. For this is a noble act of obeisance to the Shang Dynasty."

    Both Su Hu and Black Tiger were greatly pleased with themselves.

 THE FOX SPRITE MURDERS DAI

    Taking his leave, Black Tiger said to Su Hu, ¡°We''ve settled everything now, Brother. Make haste to escort your daughter to the capital. Any delay might mean a possible change for the worse. As soon as I return, I''ll set your son free. Both my brother and I will return with our armies. We''ll present our reports to the king to smooth the path for you. If you attempt to do things in any other way, disaster may befall you once again.

    ¡°In gratitude for you¡¯re a flection and the kindness of the West Grand Duke, I won''t sacrifice my life on account of my adoration for my daughter. Please set your heart at rest. 1¡¯1certainly set off as soon as possible," Su Hu reassured him ¡°But my only son''s in your camp. Would you set him free lest my old wife worry herself to death. Once again I greatly appreciate your kindness.¡±¡°You need''t  worry, Brother. He''ll leave as soon as l reach the camp, "Black Tiger said earnestly. They then thanked each other once again and parted reluctantly.

    Black Tiger returned to the camp and sat down in his brother''s tent. ¡°What a vile wretch the West Grand Duke is. He keeps his army idle, awaiting the outcome of the battle without lifting a finger. He sent San Yi sheng to see me yesterday with a letter to Su Hu, trying to persuade him to send his daughter to the palace. I let San Yisheng see Su Hu yesterday but he still hasn''t come back," Chong Houhu complained¡°Ever since you were taken captive, I''ve been worried and constantly sent my men to make inquiries. You must know how pleased I am that you''re free now. i don''t know whether Su Hu will admit his faults or not, but you must know all aboutit since you''ve iust come from Jizhou. Please tell me the detais, Brother.

    ¡°Though we share the same ancestors and father, yet asan old proverb says,''one tree may bear both sweet and sou! fruit, and sons born of the same mother may be either bad and foolish or good and wise. Listen, Brother!" Black Tiger snapped.¡°When Su Hu rose up against King Zhou, you recklessly attacked him, sulering heavy losses. You''re also a grand duke of the Shang Dynasty, but you''ve never performed any good deeds for the government. You''ve egged on the king to accept the minions and caused hatred the country over. That''s why your 50,000 men have less power than a letter from the West Grand Duke. Su Hu''s already promised to send his daughter to the king, and to beg His Majesty''s pardon at the same time. Doesn''t this make you feel embarrassed? You''re a disgrace to the family. I''m going to leave you now, and l never want to see you again," Black Tiger swore, and then ordered that Su Quanzhong be set free. When the boy appeared in his tent and expressed his gratitude, Black Tige! warned again.¡°My dear nephew! You must tell your father tobegin his journey immediately. I''ll send a petition to the king and report what your father intends to do,so as to make it easier for him.¡¯

    Su Quangzhong then bade him farewell and left the camp for Jizhou. Burning with fury, Black Tiger also mounted his monster and led his 3,000 men back to Caozhou. Chong Houhu, embarrassed and ashamed ,fled a report to the king and withdrew to his own dukedom. Meanwhile father and son met again in Jizhou.

    ¡°We cannot forget the virtue and grace of Ji Chang. It is he that has saved us from destruction. As l cannot let the family perish on account of Daji, I''ve got no choice but to send her to the palace and apologize to His Majesty. While I ''m away,you must look after Jizhou and take care not to disturb the people. I''ll return as soon as possible,, Su Hu told his son.

    He then entered the inner palace to see his wife Madame

    Yang and tell her of Ji Chang''s advisory letter. Knowing that her husband was going to take her daughter away, she burst into tears. When Su Hu tried to comfort her, she said,¡°She''s so delicate that I''m afraid she''ll be unable to serve the king properly. My worst fear is that she may bring annoyance to His Majesty."

    ¡°Unfortunately, there''s very little we can do about that now," Su Hu said. The old couple spent the whole night in despair and sorrow. The next morning, Su Hu mobilized 3,000 soldiers and 500 officers, made ready his carriages, and told Daji to prepare for the long journey. When she heard this, Daji broke down in a flood of tears and bade a sorrowful fare-

    well to her mother and brother. She was beautiful, radiating as much sweetness and charm as peony blossoms dripping with dew. Though unwilling to be separated from each other, they were compelled to say their goodbyes at last. Madame Yang returned weeping to her bed chamber£¬while Daji stepped into her carriage in tears. Su Quanzhong escorted his father and sister for five miles before he returned home.

    Flags and pennants led the long train, and Su Hu rode behind his daughter''s carriage in order to offer her protection in case of emergency. Many days passed as they traveled over rivers and mountains until they came to Enzhou. Arriving at the courier station, Su Hu met the station officer. He asked the officer to prepare a room for his daughter.

    "I should tell you the truth, sir!¡±the officer replied.

    ¡°About three years ago, an evil sprite appeared here, and ever since then, not a single honorable guest passing through this area has taken up residence here. For the sake of security, you''re advised to reside at the hostel in the military camp.''

    ¡°Do you really think that a royal relative could be terrified by a mere sprite?¡±Su Hu demanded. ¡°We''re not going anywhere else. Clean up the place at once.¡±

    Once the bedrooms were cleaned up, Su Hu placed Daji in a room in the rear hall in the company of fifty maidservants. The station was in addition surrounded by the 3,000 soldiers

    and the gates were tightly guarded by the 500 officers. Sitting in the candle-lit hall, Su Hu was in deep thought.

    ¡°Though the station officer warned me about an evil sprite, I don''t believe it, situated as it is in the middle of a busy market, with people coming and going," he said to himself. ¡°Nevertheless, I must heighten my vigilance, lest something unexpected should take place.¡±

    So thinking, he first placed a leopard-tail staff beside his desk before picking up a book about war strategy. As the first watch struck in the city, Su Hu still could not set his heart at

    rest. With the iron staff in hand, he walked silently towards the rear hall where his daughter was staying. When he discovered that Daji and her maidservants were all sleeping soundly,

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    he returned to the front hall and started reading his book on war strategy again. Soon the second watch was sounded and then the third. Suddenly, there was a great whirlwind, an

    unusual coldness bit into his flesh and bones, and the candles flickered off and on again. It seemed as if a wild beast had bounced into the room and was about to snatch someone away.

    This wild wind gave Su Hu goose-bumps all over his body. As he puzzled over it, he suddenly heard voices from the rear hall, ¡°A ghost! It''s a ghost!¡±He picked up the iron staff and a lamp and rushed into the rear hall. The lamp, however, was blown out before he arrived. As he could do nothing in the darkness, he rapidly returned to his own room and urgently ordered for another lamp.

    When he rushed to the rear hall a second time, he saw the maidservants running about in a panic. Entering Daji''s room, he pulled open the bed curtains. ¡°How are you, my child? Did

    you see the ghost come in?¡±he asked.

    ¡°I was dreaming when I heard the cries, but when I looked up and round, I saw only you coming in with the lamp in hand. I haven''tseen any ghost."

    ¡°Thank heaven and earth that you were not terrified. Rest easy, my child.¡±

    Saying goodnight, Su Hu returned to his own room and re-

    mained on watch through the rest of the night, not daring to sleep for even an instant.

    What Su Hu did not know was that the woman whom he talked to was none other than the thousand-year-old female fox sprite. During the few minutes it took him to return to his room for a second lamp, the fox sprite had sucked out Daji''s soul and then occupied her body. Her purpose was to seduce

    King Zhou and overthrowthe Shang Dynasty, as Goddess Nu Wa had ordered.

    Su Hu could not sleep that night, yet he was satisfied. "It''s lucky that the future concubine of the king wasn''t alarmed at all,¡± he thought to himself. ¡°This must be a blessing from Heaven, earth and my ancestors. Otherwise, I would be accused again of offending the king and would never be able to explain myself. "

    At dawn they set out from Enzhou, traveling by the day and resting by night. Several days later, they forded the Yellow River and arrived at the capital, camping outside the city. Su Hu sent a messenger to the royal court to announce his arrival. Hearing the report, Prince    Huang Feihu realized that Su Hu had changed his mind about his daughter. He sent a messenger of his own to tell Su Hu to station his troops outside the city but bring Daji in and put her up at the Golden Reception House.

    But Fei Zhongand You Hun were displeased, as Su Hu had brought them no gifts. ¡°That treacherous thief Su Hu!¡±they commented. ¡°He hopes to atone for his crimes, but the royal wrath or joy are subject to our influence, and it is we that decide whether he should live or die, be rich or poor. Yet he seems to have no regard for us at all!"

    In the Dragon Virtue Court the next day,Fei Zhong stepped forward and knelt beforeKing Zhou,¡°Su Hu''s here to offer his daughter. He''s awaiting your orders outside the pal-

    ace."

    At this the king exploded in a great rage.¡°That common oaf! When he offended me that day, I decided to put him to death at once, but then I took your advice and sent him back to his territory," he cried out. ¡°However, he showed no appreciation for my generosity, and wrote that poem! He insulted me so shamelessly that I must put him to death tomorrow.

    Such is the law of this land."

    ¡°The laws pronounced by Your Majesty are applicable to every soul in the country. It would be anarchy if rebellious and treacherous acts were not dealt with seriously. A nation without law will be forsaken and soon fall into ruin,¡±Fei Zhong at once took the cue.

    ¡° You''re right, Fei Zhong. See what I do tomorrow,¡± King Zhou said.

    As drums were beaten and bells struck, King Zhou made his solemn appearance at the morning court session. All his civil and military ministers were lined up in order beside him.

    After greetings and cheers, the gate officer rushed up and reported to the king,¡°Su Hu of Jizhou¡¯s waiting outside the palace to offer you his daughter and redeem his faults.¡±

    "Let him in."

    Su Hu, not daring to wear the coronet and red robes of his rank, was dressed in the garb of a convict. He knelt down and kowtowed. ¡°This criminal Su Hu has committed a capital

    crime in opposing you. I deserve to die!"he said.

    ¡°Su Hu of Jizhou! You wrote that poem stating that you would never again offer allegiance to this dynasty. You dared to resist the royal army and slaughtered my generals and soldiers. How can you justify yourself coming to my court again today? For these crimes you must die at once!¡±King Zhou ordered his guards to take Su Hu away and decapitate him outside the palace gate.

    But at this moment, Prime Minister ShangRong left the ranks and fell on his knees before the king.¡°Su Hu should have his head cut off for rebelling against the Shang Dynasty. However, Ji Chang has sent a petition here and reports that Su Hu is willing to offer you his daughter and atone for his crimes. For this, Su Hu may be pardoned. He committed a crime, but how can you treat him so severely after he has changed his mind. I beg you to have mercy on him."

    King Zhou was still thinking this over when Fei Zhong stepped out. ¡°I suggest that Your Majesty accept the Prime Minister''s proposal and bring Daji in right now. If she''s indeed beautiful,virtuous£¬familiar with the rites,eloquent in speech and ready to serve you, you may take her and forgive Su Hu at once. If, on the contrary, she''s not and doesn''t appeal to you at all, Your Majesty may cut off both their heads in the market and show the people that you deal with important matters in a solemn and strict fashion.¡±

    ¡°You''re right, Fei Zhong. Bring Daji here to see me at once," the king ordered.

    Daji moved gracefully towards the palace gate, crossed over the Nine Dragon Bridge,and when she reached the entrance to the court, raised the ivory tablet in her hands, knelt down and saluted the king, ¡°Long live the King! Long live the King!¡±

    King Zhou fixed his eyes on her, She had soft black hair,cheeks as pretty as peach blossoms, a body slender as a tender willow branch, and was dressed as elegantly as floating clouds. She gave one the impression of a begonia drunk with sunshine, or a pear blossom drenched in rain. She was as ethereal as a fairy from either the Ninth Heaven, or the moon palace.

    When she parted her cherry lips, she gave off a breath of perfumed fragrance. Her eyes were like autumn ripples, radiating coquettish charm. When she said in her sweet voice ¡°The daughter of your criminal servant prays that Your Majesty be blessed with 10,000 years,¡±King Zhou was entirely bewitched and seemed to be flying towards the sky. His body went limp, his ears grew hot and his vision blurred. He could hardly control himself. He stood up and ordered,¡°Rise, my beauty! You may stand." Turning towards his palace maidservants he said, ¡°Lead Lady Su to the Fairy Longevity Palace and await my arrival, ¡±and then pronounced,¡°Su Hu''s whole family is now pardoned. Su Hu is restored to his original rank, and as a royal relative he''s granted an extra monthly allowance of 2,000

    piculs of rice. He¡¯s to be entertained for three days at the Celebration Court, and escorted back to Jizhou by two civil and three military ministers.¡±

    Su Hu knelt down and thankedKing Zhou, but the ministers, seeing the king''s blind passion for women, were extremely displeased. The king rose and returned to his palace, leaving no chance for them to give advice. They had no choice but to go to the Celebration Court and entertain Su Hu.

    King Zhou returned to the Fairy Longevity Palace, where he banqueted with Daji and then spent a passionate, blissful night in her company. Their love developed swiftly and King Zhou began to spend all of his energy and time taking pleasure in her. He lost his patience for state affairs and his civil and military officials, and mountains of reports, petitions and other

    documents piled up awaiting his decision. None of the 800 marquises had a chance to discuss urgent matters with him, and orders ceased to be issued from the palace. The kingdom rapidly sank into chaos.

    If you wish to know what happened after that, please read the next chapter.

 A VAIN ATTEMPT By MASTER OF THE CLOUDS

    On Mount Zhongnan dwelt a Taoist immortal named Master of the Clouds,who had made his home on the mountain for several thousand years. One day, having nothing to do, he took a flower basket and went to pick medicinal herbs near Tiger Cliff¡®

    As he rode off on a floating cloud, he suddenly noticed the emanation of an evil sprite shooting high into the sky in the southeast. Looking down from the cloud, Master of the Clouds sighed.

    ¡°It''s only a thousand-year-old female fox that''s occupied the body of Daji to bewitch the king. She''ll bring great calamities to the people unless she''s exorcised. This is my duty, since my mission''s to deliver mercy.¡± He called over his disciple, Golden Haze, and instructed ,¡°Bring me a withered pine branch. I''ll make a sword out of it and take care of that lewd sprite."

    ¡°Why don''t you use your steel sword, Master?¡±

    Master of the Clouds smiled. ¡°A pine sword¡¯s entirely sufficient for the task. There''s no need for me to use my steel sword to knock off a fox sprite."

    Golden Haze fetched a pine branch for his master, who whittled it into a wooden sword in a few minutes, and told the lad, ¡°Look after my cave while I''m gone. I''ll be back quite soon. ¡±

    He then left Mount Zhongnan, riding upon an auspicious cloud, and sped directly to Zhaoge. A poem recorded the event:

    <i>No steed has he mounted, no boat does he ply,</i>

    <i>Yet he flies over the world in a wink. </i>

    <i>Thousands of ages pass by in a day,</i>

    <i>In only a moment pines rot, stones decay.</i>

    Meanwhile King Zhou had become so dissipated by wine and women that he did not make a single appearance in court for more than ten months. The king''s behavior both puzzled the ministers and caused much anxiety. Supreme Minister Mei Bo went to see Prime MinisterShangRong and Vice Prime Minister Bi Gan.

    ¡°His Majesty¡¯s so involved with wine and women that he totally neglects state affairs. This is a bad omen and the kingdom''s sure to suffer as a result. We''re his most powerful ministers and obliged to serve the country and people with loyalty. The king should have ministers to remonstrate with him, just as a father should have a son to point out his mistakes, and scholars, friends to correct them when they go astray. We must take action today. Let''s call together\all the civil and military officials and ask the king to appear on the throne. Otherwise, we''ll be failing in our duty,¡± he suggested, and the two prime

    ministers were in full agreement.

    King Zhou was drinking with Daji at the Star Picking Mansion when he heard the clamor of drums and bells. An attendant reported ,¡°Your Majesty''s requested at the Grand Court.¡±He had no choice but to go. ¡°My dear lady! Rest for a while. I''ll return soon ,¡±he comforted Daji, who knelt down as he left.

    The king mounted his chariot and drove off to the Grand Court. Seated on his throne, he received cheers from his ministers and officials. He now felt great disgust at the sight of his

    two prime ministers,eight supreme ministers and Prince Huang Feihu, each holding files of reports for him to read.The king had indulged so long in wine and sex with Daji that he was of no mind to read so many reports. Knowing well that he couldn''t read them all in a short time, he felt inclined to retire and go back to Daji.

    Before King Zhou said anything, however, Shang Rong and Bi Gan stepped forward and knelt down. ¡°All the nobles are eagerly awaiting your decisions about their reports. Why has Your Majesty been absent from the court for so long, and why have you not shown any regard for state affairs? We can only assume that there''s someone misguiding you. We pray earnestly that Your Majesty will pay more attention to state affairs, and less to your concubines. This goes against the will of your people and ministers, and we fear that Heaven will be so dissatisfied that famines, floods and drought will be visited on us. We sincerely hope that Your Majesty will stay away from women, avoid the minions, and be diligent in your duty. We hope, too, that you''ll please Heaven, make the nation prosperous and the people rich, and allow the country to enjoy peace and the four seas to be blessed with boundless happiness.¡±

    ¡°I know that the people of our kingdom are living in contentment and rejoice in their work. The only exception is the North Sea district, where Grand Tutor Wen Zhong''s been suppressing a rebellion. It''s a mere skin disease, and we needn''t worry about it at all. I fully accept. your suggestions. However, all important state affairs have been taken care of by you as my prime ministers,and how can there be any backlog of work? Even if I hold regular court, I''ll just let things alone, and it''s not my way to talk so much," the king argued.

    They were thus debating when a messenger arrived from the Meridian Gate and reported,¡°An immortal has arrived from Mount Zhongnan, wishing to see Your Majesty about an urgent and confidential matter. Will you see him, Your Majesty?¡±

    ¡°How can I be expected to have enough patience to read over so many reports from so many ministers? It would be better for me to have an idle chat with that Taoist,since that''s

    bound to be more interesting than these garrulous ministers," King Zhou thought to himself, and ordered that the Taoist be ushered in.

    Master of the Clouds entered the gate of the palace, walked over the Nine Dragon Bridge and strolled down the broad royal way. He was dressed in a long robe with wide sleeves and held a dust whisk in his right hand and a flower basket in his left. When he walked on his cloud, stars and planets trembled and shook. When he passed through the mountains tigers kowtowed before him, and when he traveled through the seas, dragons bowed and scraped before him. When he reached the entrance to the court, he said,¡°Your Maj-

    esty, this humble Taoist greets you. ¡±

    Seeing that the Taoist did not kneel down and kowtow before him, King Zhou was displeased. ¡°I''m king, master of the four seas. Though he''s a Taoist immortal, he also lives within my territory. How dare he act so rudely! He should be punished for this, though my officials would criticize me for being intolerant. Let me ask him some questions and see whether he can answer me properly," he decided.¡°Where do you come from, Sir?"

    ¡°I come from the clouds and rivers,¡±the Taoist replied.

    ¡°What do you mean by the ¡®clouds and rivers ''?"

    ¡°My heart''s as free as the white clouds, and my mind flows like water.¡±

    King Zhou was a witty ruler, and he asked a philosophical question ,¡°Where will you go when the clouds disperse and the rivers dry up?" ¡°When the clouds disperse, a bright moon hangs in the sky and when the rivers dry up, a brilliant pearl appears before me."

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    King Zhou''s rage turned to happiness, and he exclaimed with joy ,¡°At first I was rather displeased with the way you greeted me, but from your answers, I realize that you''re a

    great and wise saint.¡±King Zhou told his attendants to show Master of the Clouds to a seat, and without further ado the Taoist sat down at the king''s side.

    Master of the Clouds lowered his head respectfully and addressed the monarch,¡°Your Majesty knows only that a king must be accorded the highest honor, but has no idea that of

    the three religions- Taoism, Buddhism and Confucianism, Taoism is the most honored."

    ¡°How is that?¡±

    ¡° Let me tell you. Among the three religions ,Taoism is the most highly esteemed. A Taoist neither makes obeisance to a king nor calls on dukes and high ministers. He resides in his hermitage and avoids the entrapments of political powers. He thoroughly rejects the vulgar world, regarding it as a net, and endeavors throughout his life to seek truth. He distances himself from fame and riches, he finds joy in forests and streams, he abandons all concepts of honor and dishonor, and he takes refuge in caves. He''s got a blanket of stars above by night, and of sunshine by day. He wears cotton gowns, weaves hats of fresh flowers and plucks wild grass for mattresses. He drinks from sweet springs, eats pine and cypress seeds to ensure his longevity, claps his hands when he sings and sleeps in the clouds when the dancing''s over. He discusses the Way, and essays and poems over wine with his friends. He disdains wealth and rejoices in purity and poverty. He lives a carefree life, spending his time discussing the rise and fall of dynasties.

    ¡°Though the four seasons follow in an endless cycle, he can turn his white hair black and rejuvenate his old body. He helps people with medicinal herbs and saves them from death.

    He exorcises spectres and demons by means of charms and spells. He gathers refined emanations from both Heaven and earth and collects the essences of the sun and moon. He cultivates himself with the yin and yang and achieves rebirth by means of fire and water. Collecting the ingredients in the appropriate season, he refines the elixirs of life. He rides upon green phoenixes or white cranes and calls upon the Purple Jade Pal-

    ace of the Supreme Emperor.

    ¡°Unlike the Confucians who seek positions as high ministers, Taoists see riches and political power as floating clouds. Unlike the Jieists who practise sorcery and witchcraft, the

    Taoists care only for the Way. Thus, of the three religions, Taoism is the most respectable.¡±

    King Zhou was delighted by what he heard, and said,¡°What you''ve said refreshes my spirit as if I had moved beyond the vulgar world, and really looked upon riches and

    power as floating clouds that would soon pass away. Where''s the cave that you live in? And why do you come here to see me?¡±

    ¡°I reside in the Jade Pillar Cave on Mount Zhongnan, and my name''s Master of the Clouds. When I went out to gather medicinal herbs the other day, I noticed the aura of an evil sprite soaring up into the sky above your palace. Since I''ve always had feelings of good will towards Your Majesty and the people, I came here to rid the kingdom of this danger.¡±

    King Zhou just laughed.¡°The palace walls are tall and strong and the palace is closely guarded all the time. As it''s situated in the city rather than in the forests and mountains, how

    could a spectre possibly get in? Perhaps you''ve made a mistake, sir."

    Master of the Clouds smiled and said£¬¡°If you could recognize the sprite, it would never have dared to run such risks. It''s only becauseYour Majesty cannot recognize it that it dares sneak into the palace and bewitch you. A great disaster will take place if you allow it to remain here. Here''s a short poem I''ve composed about this:

    <i>She''s bewitching and fresh,</i>

    <i>But she saps your spirit, devors your flesh.</i>

    <i>If you detect her before it''s too late,</i>

    <i>You''ll save countless souls from a miserable fate.</i>

    ¡°What can we do if indeed there''s a spectre hidden in the palace?"King Zhou asked.

    Master of the Clouds opened his flower basket, removed his pine sword and held it up to show the king.¡°This pine sword has magic properties. Though it emits no strong light

    that penetrates to the depth of the sky, it can turn any spectre to ashes within a period of three days.¡±

    Taking the pine sword in his hands ,King Zhou asked, ¡°In which part of this palace will this sword be most effective?"

    ¡°Hang it before the Central Palace Tower and observe the results in three days.¡±

    King Zhou ordered that his attendants do as the Taoist had directed, then turned to him ,¡°You''re marvelous, telling about spirits and devils. Are you willing to give up your hermitage and come here to protect me? I''ll give you a high rank and let your name be known to all future generations. Wouldn''t this be better than living in poverty, unknown to the world?"

    Master of the Clouds thanked King Zhou but declined his invitation. ¡°I greatly appreciate your kindness, but I''m a mere idler and know nothing about ruling a nation. I sleep until the sun rises high over the bamboos and wander barefooted in the

    mountains."

    ¡°What good is that for you! It would be better if you could dress in purple robes and serve in the palace, for this would glorify your life and enable your sons to receive a good inheritance. You may live in luxury for the rest of your life."

    ¡°I''ve got my own pleasures, Your Majesty. My body''s light and my heart''s free. I fight with nobody and know no tricks. I ignore politics, preferring to spend my days cultivating leeks. I never wear satin robes or jade-studded belts, and have no intention of serving at the palace as a minister. I''ll never stroke the beard of the prime minister nor kneel down before the throne of the king. I''ve no desire for rich emolument or glory for my descendants. I prefer to reside in a small cave and wear old, worn-out clothes. I never enquire about the emperors of Heaven, earth or man. I dream only of being invited to the Feast of Immortal Peaches held in paradise or taking a midafternoon nap in the mountains. I don''t care about the sun setting in the west or the bright moon rising in the east.¡±

    King Zhou sighed. ¡°Sir, you''re truly a man devoted to purity and quietitude.¡±

    The king ordered his attendants to fetch two big plates, one full of silver and the other of gold, and gave them to Master of the Clouds to use on his return journey. But the Taoist

    only smiled. ¡°Your silver and gold are useless to me. Though I thank you very much, I cannot accept them. Here''s another poem I''ve composed:

    <i>I forsake the dusty world, leave my lot to destiny,</i>

    <i>Like rivers and clouds my heart e''re roams free.</i>

    <i>A sword, a walking stick, a lute and sutras,</i>

    <i>To pass the hours, these are all I need.</i>

    <i>With herbs the old and sick I treat,</i>

    <i>New poems in my mind I chant to those I meet.</i>

    <i>My elixir adds to your years,</i>

    <i>More precious than all the gold in this poor world.</i>

    His long sleeves swinging,Master of the Clouds bowed and strolled out.

    The ministers had been forced to wait with their petitions, but the visit of the Taoist had left the king thoroughly exhausted. Rising from his throne, he returned to his residential quarters, dismissing the court at the same time.

    When King Zhou reachedthe Fairy Longevity Palace, and Daji failed to come and meet him, he became very uneasy. He asked his attendants,¡°Why doesn''t Lady Su come out to meet me?¡±

    When he was told that Daji had suddenly fallen ill and taken to bed, King Zhou rushed into the bed chamber, pulled aside the golden dragon curtains and looked down at his lover. Daji''s face was yellow as gold, her lips white as paper, and she seemed to be having trouble breathing.¡°Oh! Daji! You were so healthy when I left here this morning. How is it you suddenly became ill? What shall I do now?¡±

    The fox sprite occupying Daji''s body was actually suffering from the effects of the pine sword. It was evident that she had little time to live.

    Daji opened her eyes a little and spoke with a sigh ,¡°Your Majesty! I escorted you to the Grand Court this morning and went to meet you at noon. When I reached the Central Palace Tower I chanced to look up and saw a sword hanging high up there. I was shocked and began sweating all over, I''m now so ill that I may be unable to enjoy sexual pleasure with you anymore. For this I''m terribly sorry ,Your Majesty.¡± Tears poured down her cheeks.

    King Zhou was terrified and remained silent for a long while. ¡°I was deceived outright by a sorcerer. Master of the Clouds presented me that sword. He told me that there was the aura of an evil sprite in the palace, and advised me to exorcise the menace by hanging up that sword. How could I have guessed that the Taoist was actually plotting to harm you!" He ordered, ¡°Take down that wooden sword and burn it immediately, lest Lady Su be disturbed again."

    King Zhou comforted Daji the whole night through, never letting his attention wander from her.

    The Shang Dynasty grew weaker and weaker as a result of Master of the Clouds''failure to exorcise the spectre from the palace.

    If you want to know what happened after the sword was destroyed, please read the next chapter.