Chapter 15 Dragon Palace Overnight

The next four chapters (One Night in the Dragon Palace, Human Transformation into Fish, Human Transformation into Tiger, and Engagement Shop) were all written by Li Fuyan and selected from Taiping Guangji.There is another article by Lee, which Yu Zeng translated into English and published in my book Vigil of a Nation (John Day). It also takes witchcraft and monsters as the background. ''The Engagement Shop'' is a well-known novel in China. "The old man under the moon" and "the red thread leading each other" have become very popular allusions in China. * * *

Li Jing, the founding general of the Tang Dynasty, used to go hunting in Huoshan when he was young and not unknown.The villagers in the mountains knew him very well.Because he was tall, handsome, and amiable, everyone liked him very much.On the days of hunting in the mountains, he often stopped in the village for lunch and sometimes dinner. Whenever he returned from hunting too late to return to the city, an elder in the village would provide him with board and lodging.The old man's family was rich, and Li Jing stayed overnight, but he didn't receive a penny as a reward.Whenever Li Jing came, he would prepare a hot meal for Li Jing and burn a hot kang. In this way, the two became close friends.

One day, while hunting in the mountains, Li Jing saw a herd of deer and chased after them.Li Jingshan rode his horse across the valley as fast as flying.After he followed a group of goats to the top of the mountain, he hoped to find the herd of deer again, but the deer herd had disappeared.He knew that within five hundred yards no movement could escape his eyes; besides, he was such a skilled hunter that he was not willing to give up halfway.So he passed one mountain after another, and when it was dark, he couldn't tell where he was.Annoyed and tired, unable to find the way back, and the place is unfamiliar.Fortunately, not long after, he saw lights flickering on the top of the opposite mountain, and he would arrive there in about half an hour.So he walked in that direction, intending to find a place to spend the night.

On closer inspection, it turned out to be a large mansion with high white walls and vermilion gates.He knocked on the door and waited outside for a long time. A servant came out, opened the door halfway, and asked him why he was here.He said that he was out hunting and lost his way, so he asked for an overnight stay. ． The servant said: 'I'm afraid it can't be done.The gentlemen are not at home, only the wife is alone. ' 'Please let me know. ' The servant went in, and came out again shortly afterwards, saying: 'Come in, please.The wife was reluctant at first, but after hearing that you had lost your way, she thought about it and agreed to lend a room to the husband for a night. '

Li Jing followed the servants into a hall, the room was very delicately furnished, there were many crystal lamps, crystal dishes, and some other things.Soon a servant girl said: 'The lady is here. ' The hostess came, she was a woman in her fifties, with a dignified appearance, wearing only black clothes, very simple.But everything he wears is very elegant.Li Jing bowed in salute, and apologized for disturbing him in the middle of the night. 'The children are all out tonight, and I don't keep guests here on weekdays.Now that you've lost your way in the dark, it's better not to keep you overnight. 'The hostess speaks elegantly and generously, and her tone of voice is like the housewife of a happy, well-organized family. Her gray hair looks beautiful too.

Li Jing enjoyed a simple but exquisite dinner, mostly seafood.The chopsticks are ivory, and the night is crystal. After dinner, the hostess came to pay a little brevity, and said, "You must be tired and sleepy, and the maid will serve you." ' Li Jing got up to thank him and said good night. The hostess also said it was late in a gentle manner, and then said: "It may be noisy at night, please forgive me." ' Li Jing's eyes showed panic, and the hostess could see it.So he explained: 'The children often come back in the middle of the night, making a lot of noise.I tell you so you won't be surprised. '

Li Jing said: "It doesn't matter. I wanted to ask the young masters how old they are and what they do for a living, but after thinking about it, it's better not to ask questions. Two maids brought in a roll of clean and fine bedding. After making it, seeing that he didn't need anything else, they pushed the door open and closed the door behind them. The bed was warm and comfortable. Li Jing was already tired after chasing for a day.But he was puzzled, he didn't know who this family lived in, it was so far away from the city, and there were still things going on at night, how strange!He was very tired and desperately needed a sound sleep, but his mind was clear and he couldn't fall asleep.Lying quietly on the bed, waiting for something to happen, like a hunter sneaking up on a wild beast.

Near midnight, I heard a loud knock on the door outside, very urgent.Soon, I heard the side door open again, the servant whispered to another person, and then heard the footsteps of the servant going to the living room, and heard the hostess go out and ask: "What's the matter?" ’ The servant replied: The envoy sent an official document, saying that the errand was urgent.The uncle was ordered that it should rain within seven miles around this mountain, and the rain would stop before dawn.It is said that there should not be too much rain, for fear of hurting the crops. ' Li Jing heard the troubled voice of the hostess, and spoke quickly, 'What should I do?Neither child was home.It is too late to find them now, and there is no one else to look for. '

A maid came up with an idea and said, "Can I ask the guest to help me?"He was strong and a hunter, and he was a good rider too. ' The hostess heard that she was overjoyed and knocked on Li Jing's door. 'Are you asleep? ' Li Jing said, "What's the matter?" ' 'Please come out and discuss something. ' Li Jing got up immediately, went out and walked into the living room.The hostess explained: 'This is not an ordinary house, this is the Dragon Palace.I have now received the order of the Jade Emperor to rain immediately until dawn, and now I have no one to send.The eldest son went to the East China Sea to attend the wedding, and the second son accompanied his younger sister to travel far away.They were all thousands of miles away, and it was too late to send the letter immediately.Can you help me?It is our duty to make it rain, and if we violate our will, the children will be punished. '

Hearing this, Li Jing was both surprised and happy. He said, "I would like to serve you very much, but I have neither ability nor experience."I guess you have to fly high for it to rain? ' 'You ride well, don't you? ' 'Can. ' 'That's it.All you have to do is ride on a horse I've given you, not your own, of course.Then just follow my instructions.It's easy. ' The hostess ordered the servants to bring a black-maned horse and put it on the saddle, and handed Li Jing a small bottle of rainwater to hang in front of the saddle. The hostess said: 'This is a pegasus.You have to gently pull on the rein and let it go as fast as it wants.Don't rush it.It knows where to go.As soon as you saw him kicking, you took the bottle and sprinkled a drop of water on the horse's mane.Never spill too much.Do not forget. '

Li Jing rode on the Pegasus and set off.The horse's stability and speed are surprising.After a while, the horse walked a little faster, but the pace was still steady.Li Jing felt that the horse was climbing to a higher place.He looked around and saw that he was already high in the clouds, and the damp wind was blowing on his face, and there were lightning flashes and thunder rumbling below.As long as the horse's hooves moved, he followed the instructions and sprinkled a drop of divine water.After a while, with a flash of lightning, he caught a glimpse of the village where he often stayed overnight through a gap in the dark clouds.He thought to himself, 'I have troubled that old man and the villagers for a long time, and I always wanted to repay the kindness, but failed. Now I have the ability to rain. Yesterday, I saw that the seedlings in the field were a little dry and the leaves were a little yellow.Let me sprinkle more water on the kind people in this village. ' He sprinkled twenty drops of water on the village, and watched the heavy rain pour down, feeling very comforted.After the business was over, he returned to Dragon Palace. The mistress was sitting on a chair in the living room and weeping.When she saw Li Jing go back, she cried and said, "Why did you make such a big mistake?"I told you to sprinkle a drop of water.You probably down half a bottle.You don't know that a drop of divine water is one foot deep on the ground.How many drops did you spill? ' Li Jing felt embarrassed, so he sprinkled twenty drops. ' 'He said it was only twenty drops of water!Think of a village filled with twenty feet of rain overnight out of thin air.People and animals were drowned.If there is a book that goes to the sky, the child should be responsible. ' Li Jing's face was full of shame, he didn't know what to say, but he was extremely regretful.No matter how regretful it is, it is always too late to remedy it. 'I don't blame you either, you didn't know.It's just that I'm afraid that the Dragon King's return will be inconvenient for you, so let's leave early. ' Li Jing was deeply moved by the hostess' consideration for him, and wanted to get up and leave immediately.It was already dawn at that time, and Li Jing felt that it would be a fluke if he could escape like this.After he was ready, unexpectedly, the hostess told him. 'Trouble you for a long time, I want to thank you a little bit.I shouldn't have woken up the guests in the middle of the night.This is all my own fault.There are no expensive gifts to give, only two servants at your service, take one or both as you please. ' Li Jing looked at the two servants standing beside the hostess.The one on the east side is gentle and kind, while the one on the west side is brave and vigorous, even a bit ferocious. Li Jing thought to himself that since he could take a servant with him, he would take one back as a souvenir of his overnight stay in the Dragon Palace.He said: 'I'll take one with me. ' The hostess said: "You can choose whatever you want." ' Li Jing paused for a moment, thinking to himself.The elegant servant was smart and kind, and probably not a useful helper when it comes to hunting.So he said that he would take the fierce-looking one with him. He thanked his master and took his leave.Later, he turned around and saw that the mansion had long since disappeared.Turning around to ask the servant again, the servant disappeared. He found his way back alone, and when he arrived at the village where he used to live, he saw a flood of water and nothing but the treetops. In one night, the villagers had completely drowned. Later, as a general, Li Jing conquered the north and the south, and became the founding father of the Tang Dynasty.He has kept Tang Taizong for so many years, and he has never been a civil servant for a day.That's because he didn't choose that gentle and kind servant in Dragon Palace.The common counselor said: Kansai will send out generals, and Kanto will send out prime ministers.The two servants stood on the east and west sides of Mrs. Dragon King, which symbolized one civil and one military.If Li Jing had taken away two of them at that time, he would have been a civil servant as well as a military officer.