My face was altered,
And I became an evil killer.
Fortunately the Bodhisattva traveled to the East
To persuade me to turn to the faith
And await the Buddha's son from Tang.
Who would go to seek scriptures in the Western Heaven.
I became his follower and made a fresh start,
Refining once more my great awareness.
I took my surname Sand from the river;
My Buddhist name is Wujing,
And my title Friar.”
The king was both most alarmed and most delighted to hear this. Delighted because his daughter had found herself a living Buddha, and alarmed by three veritable evil gods. Just as the king was being torn between alarm and delight the chief astrologer submitted this memoriaclass="underline" “The wedding has been set for the twelfth day of this month, the day of water-rat, a lucky time at which all will be auspicious for nuptials.”
“What day is it today?” the king asked.
“Today is the eighth, the day of earth-monkey,” the astrologer replied, “the day on which gibbons offer fruit, and the right day on which to advance worthies and accept their suggestions.” This greatly pleased the king, who sent his officials in attendance to have the halls and pavilions in the royal garden swept clear. Here he invited his future son-in-law with his three distinguished disciples to stay while they waited for the nuptial feast at which the princess would marry him. The underlings all carried out their instructions, the king ended the audience and the officials withdrew.
The story now tells how when Sanzang and his disciples reached the imperial garden night was falling. A vegetarian meal was laid on. “We really deserve a meal today,” said Pig with delight. The people in charge brought in plain rice and pasta by the carrying-pole load. Pig kept eating a bowlful then taking a refill over and over again. He only stopped eating when his stomach was completely full. A little later the lamps were lit and the bedding laid out, after which everyone went to bed. As soon as the venerable elder saw that there was nobody around he started to shout angrily at Monkey, berating him.
“You macaque, Wukong! You keep ruining me. I said we were just going to present the passport and told you not to go near the decorated tower. Why did you keep demanding to take me there to have a look? Well, did you have a good enough look? Whatever are we to do about this trouble you have got us into?”
“Master,” replied Monkey, putting on a smile, “it was you who said, 'My late mother married after throwing an embroidered ball to make the match she was destined for.' I only took you there because you seemed to want to enjoy something of the past. Besides, because I remembered what the ancient monk in the Almsgiver's Spread Gold Monastery said I came here to find out whether she's an impostor or not. When I saw the king just now there was something a bit sinister about the way he looked, but I haven't yet seen what the princess is like.”
“What will happen when you see the princess?” the venerable elder asked.
“My fiery eyes with their golden pupils can tell whether someone's true or false, good or evil, rich or poor,” Monkey replied. “I'll know what to do and be able to sort out right and wrong.”
“So you've learned physiognomy in the last few days, elder brother,” said Friar Sand and Pig with a smile.
“Physiognomists are just my grandson,” Brother Monkey replied.
“Stop joking,” shouted Sanzang. “He definitely wants me now. What are we to do about it?”
“At that happy occasion on the twelfth the princess is bound to come out to pay her respects to her parents,” said Monkey. “I'll take a look at her from where I'll stand by the side. If she really is a woman you can be her consort and enjoy the kingdom's glory and splendor.” This made Sanzang angrier than ever.
“You're a fine ape,” he said abusively, “still trying to ruin me. As Wuneng said, we have already done ninety-seven or ninety-eight hundredths of the journey. You're trying to destroy me with your crafty tongue again. Shut up! Don't open that stinking mouth of yours any more. Next time there's any misbehavior from you I shall start reciting that spell again, and that will be more than you can take.”
The mention of the spell being recited had Monkey falling straight to his knees before Sanzang and pleading, “Don't say it, don't say it! If she's really a woman we'll all raise a rumpus in the palace during the wedding ceremony and get you out.” While master and disciples were talking they had not noticed that it was now night. Indeed:
Slow dripped the clepsydras;
Heavy hung the fragrance of the flowers.
Pearl curtains hung over splendid doorways;
No fire or light was seen in the still courtyard.
Empty was the shadow of the deserted swing;
All was silence when the flute's notes died away.
The room was surrounded by flowers and bright in the moonbeams,
Lit by those spiky stars not blocked by any trees.
The cuckoo rested from her song;
Long was the butterfly's dream.
The River Way spanned the celestial vault
While white clouds made their way home.
Just when they were closest in feeling
The willows swaying in the wind were more dispiriting than ever.
“It's late, Master,” said Pig. “Let's carry on arguing tomorrow morning. Go to sleep now, go to sleep!” Master and disciples did then get a night's sleep.
The golden cockerel was soon greeting the dawn, and the king entered the throne hall for his audience. This is what could be seen:
A purple aura rising high above the opened palace
As the winds carried royal music to the azure sky.
While clouds drifted, the leopard-tail banners moved;
The sun shone upon the demon figures on the roof, and the jade pendants tinkled.
A scented mist delicately touched the palace's green willows,
While dewdrops lightly moistened the garden flowers.
A thousand officials in ranks shouted and danced in homage:
Seas and rivers were at peace and the state was unified.
When all the civil and military officials had paid their homage to him, the king proclaimed, “The Department of Foreign Relations will arrange a nuptial banquet for the twelfth. Today the spring wine shall be prepared, and our future son-in-law shall be entertained in the royal gardens.” The Protocol Office were told to lead the three worthy future royal in-laws to sit in the state hostel while the Department of Foreign Relations laid on a vegetarian banquet for the three of them. The two departments arranged for the musicians of the court orchestra to play and look after them while they passed the days enjoying the beauty of spring.
As soon as Pig heard this he said, “Your Majesty, we always stay with our master: we never leave him for a moment. As he's going to be drinking and feasting in the palace gardens we'd better go along for a couple of days' fun too if our master's to be your son-in-law. Otherwise the deal's off.” Seeing how ugly and coarse-spoken Pig was, twisting his head and neck, thrusting his snout out and waving his ears-which all made him seem rather intimidating-the king was so worried that Pig might ruin the wedding that he had to accede to the request.
“Prepare a banquet for two in the Sino-Barbarian Hall of Eternal Pacification for our son-in-law and ourself. Prepare a meal for the other three gentlemen in the Pavilion of Lingering Spring. We are afraid that it might be inconvenient for master and disciples to sit together.” Only then did the idiot chant his respects to the king and thank him. Everyone then withdrew, after which the king ordered the officials of the inner palace to prepare a banquet, and told the queens and consorts of the three palaces and six compounds to give the princess hair ornaments, cakes and other things for the wedding on the twelfth.