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05 The Dragon King Is Beheaded

In the blink of an eye they reached the Wei River, where a pair of golden carp were leaping and tumbling in the waves. The Emperor reined in, unwilling to go on, and stayed to watch. Seeing that he would not move, Marshal Zhu gave him — horse and all — a shove, and with a splash the Emperor went into the river. Thus he left the Underworld and returned to the world of the living. Meanwhile in the White Tiger Hall, where the ministers and generals, the empress and the concubines were still keeping the vigil, a voice suddenly cried from inside the coffin: "I'm drowning! I'm drowning!" Terrified out of their wits, with their knees turned to water, they all ran from the hall. Xu Shiji, Wei Zheng, Qin Qiong and Yuchi Gong hurried forward and steadied the coffin. Wei Zheng, knowing the Emperor had returned to life, ordered tools brought and the lid prised open. Xu Shiji helped the Emperor up. "Your servants are here to guard you, Majesty. Fear nothing." Seeing the deathly pallor still upon him, Wei Zheng had the physicians brew a calming draft. After several doses the Emperor's wits returned and he came fully to himself. Restored to life, the Emperor proclaimed a general amnesty. He posted a notice calling for a brave man to carry fruit as tribute to the Underworld, and at the same time took one storehouse of gold and silver and sent Yuchi Gong to Kaifeng in Henan to seek out his benefactor Xiang Liang and repay the debt. For days no one dared take down the notice. Then a man of Junzhou named Liu Quan came into the city, read it — and cheerfully took it down, then went to the palace to report. The Emperor was delighted to see him. "This errand to the Underworld is a matter of life and death, no child's play. Why did you take the notice so lightly?" And Liu Quan told him his reason. "Your servant is a man of some means," said Liu Quan. "My wife, Li Cuilian by name, was fond of giving to good causes. Three months ago, while I was away from home, a monk came begging at our gate. Cuilian went out and saw how ragged his robe was, his hair white and his beard silver; having nothing else to give, she took the gold hairpin from her head and gave it to him." "When I came home and learned she had left the women's quarters and shown her face in public, I scolded her for forgetting a wife's duty. I never thought that in a fit of pique Cuilian would leave our two young children and hang herself. My remorse has been more than I can bear, and so I took the imperial notice, meaning to follow her to the Underworld." The Emperor much admired his courage. After comforting him, he had Liu Quan taken to the Jinting Pavilion to make the offering. At the pavilion Liu Quan found the altar already laid out. He took some spirit money and put it in his sleeve, balanced a pair of pumpkins on his head with both hands, put poison in his mouth, and before long closed his eyes and died. Carrying the two pumpkins on his head, Liu Quan's spirit went straight to the Ghost Gate. The guards there, learning that he came bearing tribute by imperial command, led him on to the Hall of Senluo. Liu Quan told the ten kings his errand and presented the pumpkins. The Yama Kings were delighted and praised the Emperor for his good faith and virtue. Learning Liu Quan's history, the ten kings ordered the ghost soldiers to bring Li Cuilian's spirit to the hall. Husband and wife met again, their joy mingled with sorrow.

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