Early in the morning, Monk Tang put on his embroidered kasaya, while Wukong prepared the travel documents, Wujing took up the alms bowl, and Wuneng picked up his staff.
Audience at Dawn
Upon arriving at the Tower of Five Phoenixes, they greeted the Guardian of the Yellow Gate and explained their purpose, identifying themselves as virtuous men heading to the Western Paradise by imperial decree of the Emperor of the Tang Dynasty.
The king exclaimed:
“These monks have no idea where they’ve stumbled into! Couldn’t they have found a better place to die? Arrest them immediately and bring them before me!”
At this, the Grand Preceptor stepped forward and addressed His Majesty:
“The Great Empire of Tang lies in the Eastern Lands, right in the heart of the Jambudvipa continent. Ten thousand miles separate us from them; it is the center of the great Chinese nation. These monks must possess extraordinary powers indeed, for the journey is filled with insurmountable obstacles and countless hordes of monsters. Only someone who has perfect mastery over magic would dare undertake such a perilous journey. Therefore, I beg Your Majesty to grant their request and allow them to pass safely through your lands. It would be unwise to provoke hostility with such a mighty nation over just a few simple monks.”
The king found this advice sound and agreed to receive Monk Tang and his disciples in the Hall of Golden Chimes. When they stood before His August Presence, the travelers presented their travel documents along with a letter written in the Emperor’s own hand.
Clash with the Three Immortals
As the king was about to open the letter, the Guardian of the Yellow Gate solemnly announced:
“The Three National Preceptors have arrived.”
The king immediately set aside the letter and hastily rose from his dragon throne. Not content with that, he ordered servants to bring richly embroidered cushions and respectfully bowed before the newly arrived masters. Surprised, Tripitaka and his disciples turned their heads and saw the three immortals, Tiger, Deer, and Goat Strength Immortals, enter. As they walked between the rows of officials, each one humbly lowered his head and fixed his gaze to the ground. Thus, they reached the foot of the throne and sat down without bothering to greet the king, who asked them in a servile tone:
“What brings you the honor of your visit? To my knowledge, I have not sent out any invitation.”
One of the Taoists replied:
“We have come because we have something important to tell you. Where did those four monks over there come from?”
The king responded:
“They were sent to the Western Paradise by the Great Emperor of Tang in search of sacred scriptures, and have come to request permission to pass through our lands.”
The three Taoists clapped their hands in delight and exclaimed:
“Thank goodness! We thought they had escaped. What luck to find them here!”
The king, surprised, asked:
“What do you mean? As soon as I learned of their arrival, I wanted to arrest them, but the Grand Advisor convinced me that such a hasty decision would be unwise. After all, they have traveled for many years, and it would be unwise to provoke enmity with their homeland. That is why I granted their reasonable request. How could I suspect that you had any complaint against them? Would you mind telling me what they did to you?”
One of the Taoists said:
“It’s clear you are unaware of what happened. Shortly after their arrival yesterday afternoon, they killed two of our disciples outside the East Gate, freed five hundred Buddhist prisoners, and smashed the cart to pieces. And that wasn’t all—last night they sneaked into our temple, mocked the statues of the Three Pure Ones, and calmly ate all the imperial offerings. Fortunately, they escaped, for if we had caught them, we would have torn them limb from limb. The last place we expected to find them was right here in court. As the old saying goes: ‘Enemies are bound to cross paths.’”
The king became so furious that he wanted to execute them on the spot.
A Royal Ultimatum
Just at that moment, the Guardian of the Yellow Gate appeared once again and announced:
“Outside, Your Majesty, there is a group of citizens who wish to see you.”
The king ordered them to be brought in. There were about thirty or forty of them, and after repeatedly bowing low with their foreheads touching the floor, the king asked:
“What is your purpose?”
The citizens replied:
“This spring not a single drop of rain has fallen, and we greatly fear that if the drought continues until the end of summer, famine will sweep across all your lands. Therefore, we have come to ask these holy fathers present here to offer prayers for rain, so that the people may be spared the anxieties now tormenting them.”
The king concluded:
“You may return. The rain shall fall as you wish.”
The citizens thanked him and departed.
Then the king turned to the monks and asked:
“Do you know why I favor Taoism and suppress Buddhism? Because some time ago, the monks of this kingdom prayed for rain and could not coax even a single drop from the sky. Fortunately, these National Masters descended from above and rescued us from a desperate situation. That explains the affection and respect everyone here holds for them. So what is strange about making you pay for offending them the moment you arrived in our land? Still, I am willing to show mercy. If you can make it rain before they do, I will forgive you and permit you to continue your journey westward. Otherwise, you will be arrested and publicly beheaded.”
“Agreed,” said the Monkey King, smiling. “I also know a little about prayer.”
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