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38 The Kingdom of Tianzhu

The matter settled, the Star Lord of the Moon took his leave of Wukong, and, together with the Lady of Chang'e, bore the jade hare back to the Moon Palace. The king thanked Wukong, and asked again, "Now that the false princess is taken, where then is the true one?" Wukong replied with a smile, "It is late already. Tomorrow I shall give you back your true princess." At dawn the next day, eager to find his daughter, the king summoned the Tang Monk and his disciples to the hall. The Master told of all he had seen and heard at the Bujin Chan Temple. The king burst into tears at the tale, issued an edict on the spot, and went out of the palace in person to fetch his daughter. Wukong leapt into the air, twisted at the waist, and arrived at the temple first of all. He greeted the old monk and told him of the true and false princess. Astonished and overjoyed, the old monk hurriedly set up an incense table and led his monks out to welcome the royal procession. Soon the king and the Tang Monk arrived, and the old monk led the company to a room at the back. Seeing people enter, the princess promptly began to play the madwoman, talking wild nonsense as before. The king ordered the iron chains struck off and the door thrown open. He and the queen stepped inside, and recognised their daughter at once. Mindful of nothing but her, the king caught her in his arms, heedless of the filth, and cried, "My poor child!" The three of them burst into tears. After weeping for a while, the princess bathed, changed her clothes, and mounted the palanquin back to the palace. Before departing, the king, in gratitude to the old monk for sheltering the princess, decreed the temple to be rebuilt in splendour, made the old monk a "Patriotic Monk-Official," with the title hereditary for ever, and granted him a stipend of thirty-six shi of grain. The king turned again to Wukong. "Divine monk, your kindness to me is as high as the heavens and as deep as the earth. How shall I ever repay you?" Wukong said, "There is a favour I have long wished to ask. This mountain is called Hundred-Leg Mountain, and lately centipedes have become demons there, harming travellers by night. Let Your Majesty issue a decree to choose a thousand great roosters and release them on the mountain, to root out the centipedes." The king, greatly pleased, issued the decree at once. On their return to the palace he held a grand banquet in honour of the Tang Monk and his disciples. The princess, freshly attired, came out and bowed low, thanking the pilgrims for saving her life. The feasting went on for five or six days, and Bajie, beside himself with joy, ate his fill without restraint. Seeing the matter settled, the Tang Monk begged leave of the king to continue his journey. The king, finding he could not prevail on them to stay, brought out two trays of gold and silver as a gift; the disciples would not take a single coin, and, leaving the kingdom of Tianzhu behind, went on their way westward. To learn what befell them next, read the following volume: The Prefecture of Bronze Terrace.

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