Chapter 9

Chapter 9

Now let us speak of Chang'an, the great city of Shaanxi, which had been the seat of emperors throughout successive dynasties. Since the times of the Zhou, Qin, and Han, its three prefectures had bloomed like brooks, and eight rivers wound about the city walls—truly a land of renown. At this time, it was the Great Tang Emperor Taizong who sat upon the throne. He had changed his reign title to Zhenguan, and had already reigned for thirteen years. The year was Jisi, and the realm was at peace: all eight directions sent tribute, and the four seas acknowledged him as lord.

One day, the Emperor ascended his throne and assembled the assembled civil and military officials. When the courtesies of morning audience were completed, Prime Minister Wei Zheng stepped forward from the ranks and memorialized: "Now that the realm is at peace and all eight quarters are tranquil, we should follow the ancient methods and open examination halls, to recruit worthy scholars, promote talented men, and thereby aid in the work of governance and transformation." The Emperor said, "Your memorial, worthy minister, has merit." He then issued a proclamation of recruitment and promulgated it throughout the realm: every prefecture, subprefecture, and county, without distinction between military and civilian persons, was to send forth any literate Confucian scholar whose literary sense was clear and who had mastered the three examinations, to proceed to Chang'an to sit for the tests.

This proclamation reached the region of Haizhou. There was a man there, surnamed Chen, named E, with the courtesy name Guangrui. Seeing this proclamation, he went home at once and said to his mother, Lady Zhang: "The court has issued a yellow proclamation, decreeing the opening of the southern examinations to select talented men. Your son wishes to go and sit for the examinations. If I should obtain ever so small an office, I could bring honor to our family and win a name for myself, ennoble my wife and bless my children, and shed glory upon our gate and home. This is your son's ambition. I therefore make this report to you, Mother, and take my leave." Lady Zhang said, "You, my son, are a man of letters. 'Learn in youth, and put it into practice in maturity'—this is exactly as it should be. But on your journey to the examinations, you must take care. When you have obtained your office, return home quickly."

Guangrui then ordered his servants to pack his luggage, took leave of his mother, and hastened on his way. When he reached Chang'an, the examinations were just being opened, and Guangrui entered the hall. When the tests were completed, he had been selected. And when he presented his three strategies before the imperial examination, the Tang Emperor himself, with his own brush, bestowed upon him the rank of zhuangyuan—top scholar. He rode a horse in procession through the streets for three days.

As it happened, his procession passed before the gate of Prime Minister Yin Kaishan. The Prime Minister had a daughter, named Wenjiao, also called Mantangjiao, who had not yet been betrothed. She had just erected a decorated tower high above and was tossing an embroidered ball to choose a husband. It so happened that Chen Guangrui was passing beneath the tower. The young lady saw at once that Guangrui's person was outstanding, and knowing that he was the newly chosen zhuangyuan, her heart was filled with joy. She tossed down the embroidered ball, and it struck Guangrui's black gauze hat squarely. Suddenly a strain of flutes and pipes was heard, and a dozen or so maidservants came down from the tower, seized the bridle of Guangrui's horse, and conducted the zhuangyuan into the Prime Minister's residence to be wed. The Prime Minister and his lady immediately came forth into the hall, summoned the master of ceremonies to pronounce the rites, and gave their daughter in marriage to Guangrui. They bowed to Heaven and earth; husband and wife bowed to each other; then they bowed to his father-in-law and mother-in-law. The Prime Minister ordered a banquet to be prepared, and they drank together through the night. The two joined hands and entered the bridal chamber together.

The next day, at the third watch of the fifth watch, the Emperor Taizong sat in his golden palace hall, and the civil and military ministers came to court. The Emperor asked, "What office should be conferred upon the new zhuangyuan, Chen Guangrui?" Prime Minister Wei Zheng memorialized: "Your minister has examined the prefectures and subprefectures under his jurisdiction, and there is a vacancy in Jiangzhou. I beg Your Majesty to grant him this post." The Emperor accordingly appointed him prefect of Jiangzhou and ordered him to prepare to depart without delay. Guangrui thanked the Emperor and left the court, returning to the Prime Minister's residence. He consulted with his wife, took leave of his father-in-law and mother-in-law, and set out with his wife for his post in Jiangzhou. He departed Chang'an and took to the road.

It was the season of late spring: warm winds turned the willows green, and fine rain dotted the flowers red. Guangrui took the road home, and together with his wife bowed before his mother, Lady Zhang. Lady Zhang said, "Congratulations, my son! And you have also taken a wife and returned." Guangrui said: "Your son, relying upon your mother's blessed protection, has been honored with the rank of zhuangyuan. By imperial decree I rode in procession, and as I passed before the gate of Prime Minister Yin's residence, I encountered the tossing of the embroidered ball, which struck me. The Prime Minister thereupon took your son as his son-in-law. The court has appointed your son prefect of Jiangzhou. I have now come to fetch you, Mother, to go together to our post." Lady Zhang was overjoyed and prepared for the journey.

After several days on the road, they arrived at the inn of Liu the Second in Wanhua Dian and stopped there. Lady Zhang suddenly fell ill and said to Guangrui, "I am not well. Let me rest and recover here at the inn for two more days before we go on." Guangrui obeyed. The next morning, he saw before the inn door a man holding up a golden carp for sale. Guangrui at once bought it for a string of cash. He was about to have it cooked for his mother to eat when he noticed that the carp's eyes were flashing and blinking. Guangrui was startled and said, "I have heard that when a fish's eyes flash, it is certainly no ordinary creature." He then asked the fisherman, "Where was this fish caught?" The fisherman said, "It was caught in the Hong River, fifteen li from the prefectural city." Guangrui thereupon released the fish into the Hong River and let it return to life. He returned to the inn and told his mother what had happened. Lady Zhang said, "Releasing a creature to life is a good deed. My heart is greatly pleased." Guangrui said, "We have already stayed at this inn for three days, and the imperial deadline is pressing. Your son wishes to set out tomorrow. I wonder if you are well enough, Mother?" Lady Zhang said: "I am unwell, and the road is hot at this time of year—I fear I might fall ill. You could rent a house here for me to stay in for the time being, and leave me some traveling money. The two of you go on ahead to your post, and when the autumn cools, come back to fetch me." Guangrui consulted with his wife. They rented a house, left traveling money with his mother, and took leave of her together with his wife, then went on their way.

The road was arduous. They traveled by day and rested by night, and before they knew it they had reached the Hongjiang crossing. There they saw the boatmen Liu Hong and Li Biao rowing their boat to the shore to greet them. It was also predestined that Guangrui, in a former life, should suffer this calamity—he ran straight into this nemesis. Guangrui ordered the servants to carry the luggage onto the boat. As the husband and wife were boarding together, Liu Hong opened his eyes and saw Madame Yin: her face was like the full moon, her eyes like autumn waves, her mouth a cherry, her waist a willow—truly she possessed the beauty that could make fish sink and wild geese fall from the sky, that could shame the moon and put flowers to shame. Bestial thoughts surged in his heart. He then devised a plan with Li Biao and rowed the boat to a place where no one lived. They waited until the still of night, the third watch, and first killed the servants, then beat Guangrui to dead, and pushed both corpses into the water. When the lady saw that he had killed her husband, she too threw herself into the water. Liu Hong seized her in his arms and said, "If you submit to me, all is well; if not, one stroke and it's finished." The lady could think of no plan, and had no choice but to yield for the moment and submit to Liu Hong. The scoundrel ferried the boat to the south bank, handed the boat over to Li Biao to manage himself, then put on Guangrui's robes and hat, took his official documents, and went to Jiangzhou to take up his post together with the lady.

Now, the bodies of the servants Liu Hong had killed drifted away downstream. Only Chen Guangrui's corpse sank to the bottom of the water and did not move. A yaksha patrolling the sea at the mouth of the Hong River saw it and flew swiftly to report to the Dragon King's palace. It happened that the Dragon King was holding court. The yaksha reported, "At the mouth of the Hong River, someone—I know not who—killed a scholar and left his body at the bottom of the water." The Dragon King ordered the body brought and placed before him. He examined it carefully and said, "This man is the one who saved my life—how could he be murdered by someone? As the saying goes, 'A kindness must be repaid.' Today I must save his life to repay the kindness I received before." He immediately wrote a dispatch and sent the yaksha straight to the City God and Earth God of Hongzhou, ordering them to bring the scholar's soul so that his life could be saved. The City God and Earth God then summoned a small ghost to hand over Chen Guangrui's soul to the yaksha. The yaksha brought the soul to the Crystal Palace and reported to the Dragon King.

The Dragon King asked, "What is your name, scholar? From where do you come? Why did you come here, and who killed you?" Guangrui bowed and said, "This humble one is Chen E, courtesy name Guangrui, of Hongnong County in Haizhou. I had the honor of passing the recent imperial examination as the top-ranked scholar and was appointed prefect of Jiangzhou, and was traveling to my post with my wife. When we reached the river and boarded the boat, I did not expect the boatman Liu Hong to covet my wife and kill me, casting my body away. I beg Your Majesty to save me." The Dragon King said, "So that is how it is. Sir, the golden carp you released earlier was none other than myself. You are the one who saved my life, and now that you are in peril, how could I not save you?" He had Guangrui's body placed to the side and put a preserving pearl in his mouth, so that it would not be damaged, so that later he could return to his body and take revenge. He also said, "For now, your true soul shall serve as a commander in my watery palace." Guangrui kowtowed in thanks, and the Dragon King prepared a banquet for him—but no more of that.

As for Madame Yin, she hated the villain Liu with a passion, wishing she could eat his flesh and sleep on his skin. But because she was with child and did not yet know whether it would be a boy or a girl, she had no choice but to submit for the time being. Before long they arrived at Jiangzhou. The clerks, officials, and gate attendants all came to welcome them. The subordinate officials held a banquet at the official hall. Liu Hong said, "My arrival here is entirely due to the great support of all you gentlemen." The subordinate officials replied, "Sir, with your eminent scholarship and high talents, you naturally regard the people as your children and keep litigation simple and punishments clear. All of us under your jurisdiction are indebted to you—why be so humble?" The official banquet ended, and everyone dispersed.

Time flew by quickly. One day, Liu Hong was away on official business far from the city. The lady, in her official residence, was thinking of her mother-in-law and her husband, and sighed among the flowers in the garden pavilion. Suddenly she felt weary, pain in her abdomen, and fainted to the ground, and before she knew it she had given birth to a son. Someone spoke by her ear, saying: "Man-tang Jiao, listen carefully to my instructions: I am the Star Lord of the South Pole, acting on the orders of the Bodhisattva Guanyin. I have specially sent this child to you. In days to come his fame will be far-reaching—he will be no ordinary person. When the villain Liu returns, he will surely harm this child; you must protect him with all your heart. Your husband has already been saved by the Dragon King, and in time you will be reunited as husband and wife, mother and son will be together, and the day will come when you can clear your grievances and take revenge. Remember my words well. Wake up! Wake up!" With that he departed.

The lady awoke, remembering every word. She held the child but could think of no plan. Then Liu Hong returned, and the moment he saw the child he wanted to drown him. The lady said, "The day is already late—let us wait until tomorrow to cast it into the river." Fortunately, early the next morning Liu Hong suddenly had urgent official business and left far from the city. The lady thought to herself, "If this child waits for the villain to return, his life is lost. It would be better to cast him into the river early and leave his fate to Heaven. If by chance Heaven takes pity and someone rescues and raises him, we may yet meet again." But she feared it would be difficult to recognize him, so she bit through her finger and wrote a letter in blood, recording in full detail the names of his parents and the circumstances of his origins. She also bit off the small toe on the child's left foot to serve as a mark. She took an undershirt that had been close to her body, wrapped the child in it, and seized a moment to carry him out of the official residence. Fortunately, the government office was not far from the river. The lady reached the riverbank and wept bitterly. Just as she was about to cast him away, she saw a wooden plank floating up on the shore. She bowed and prayed to Heaven, placed the child on the plank, tied him with a belt, fastened the blood letter to his chest, and set him adrift on the river, letting him go wherever he would. The lady returned to the residence in tears—but no more of that.

Meanwhile, the child drifted along on the wooden plank with the current until it came to rest at the foot of Gold Mountain Temple. The elder of Gold Mountain Temple was a monk named Fa Ming, who had cultivated the Way and attained the wondrous formula of non-birth. One day, as he sat in meditation, he suddenly heard the sound of an infant crying. His heart stirred, and he hurried to the riverbank to look. There, on the edge of the water, lay a baby sleeping on a wooden plank. The elder hastily rescued the child and, upon finding a letter written in blood in the bundle, learned the child's origins. He gave the child the milk name Jiangliu ("River Drift") and entrusted him to others to be raised, keeping the blood letter carefully stored.

Time flew like an arrow, and days and months passed like a shuttle. Before long, Jiangliu had grown to the age of eighteen. The elder had him tonsured for monastic life, gave him the dharma name Xuanzang, performed the ceremony of anointing his head and receiving the precepts, and he devoted himself firmly to the cultivation of the Way.

One day in late spring, the monks were gathered beneath the shade of pine trees, expounding the sutras and discussing the profound mysteries. A meat-and-wine monk happened to be bested in argument by Xuanzang. The monk flew into a rage and cursed, "You wretched creature! You don't even know your own name or your parents, and yet you come here making trouble!" Stung by these words, Xuanzang entered the hall, knelt before his master, and wept, saying, "A person is born between heaven and earth, endowed with yin and yang and nourished by the five elements. All are born and raised by their parents. How can anyone be alive in this world without parents?" He pleaded again and again, begging to know his parents' names. The elder said, "If you truly wish to find your parents, you may follow me to the abbot's quarters." Xuanzang followed him there. The elder took down a small box from above a heavy beam, opened it, and retrieved a sheet of blood-written paper and a sweat shirt, which he handed to Xuanzang. Xuanzang unfolded the blood letter and read it, and only then did he learn in full detail his parents' names and the story of the wrongs done to them.

When Xuanzang had finished reading, he collapsed to the ground weeping. "If I cannot avenge my parents' wrongs, how can I call myself a man? For eighteen years I did not know my own parents, and only today have I learned that I have a mother. Had my master not pulled me from the water and raised me, how would I be alive today? Allow your disciple to go and find his mother. Afterward I will return with incense burning on my head and rebuild the temple halls to repay my master's deep kindness." The master said, "If you wish to find your mother, take this blood letter and sweat shirt with you. Go as a monk begging for alms, and make your way directly to the private yamen in Jiangzhou, where you will be able to meet your mother."

Xuanzang took his master's instructions and set out as a begging monk, heading straight for Jiangzhou. It happened that Liu Hong was away on business—heaven itself was bringing mother and son together. Xuanzang went directly to the gate of the private yamen to beg for alms. Now, Lady Yin had had a dream the previous night in which she saw the moon, once waning, become full again. She thought to herself, "I have no news of my mother-in-law. My husband was murdered by this villain. My son was thrown into the river—if someone took him in, he would be eighteen years old by now. Perhaps heaven has arranged for us to meet today." As she was lost in thought, she suddenly heard someone chanting sutras before the yamen gate, calling out repeatedly for alms. The lady took the opportunity to come out and ask, "Where have you come from?" Xuanzang replied, "This poor monk is a disciple of Elder Fa Ming of Gold Mountain Temple." The lady said, "Since you are a disciple of the elder of Gold Mountain Temple..." She invited him into the yamen and gave him a vegetarian meal. She observed his bearing and speech carefully, and he seemed just like her husband.

The lady dismissed her maidservants and asked, "Young master, did you become a monk in childhood or in middle age? What is your surname and given name? Do you have parents?" Xuanzang replied, "I did not become a monk in childhood, nor in middle age. When I speak of it, my grievance is as great as the heavens, and my hatred as deep as the sea: my father was murdered by another, and my mother was seized by a villain. My master, Elder Fa Ming, told me to come to the yamen in Jiangzhou to find my mother." The lady asked, "What is your mother's surname?" Xuanzang said, "My mother's surname is Yin, and her given name is Wenjiao. My father's surname is Chen, and his given name is Guangrui. My milk name is Jiangliu, and my dharma name is Xuanzang." The lady said, "Wenjiao is I. But what proof do you have?" When Xuanzang heard that this was his mother, he dropped to his knees and wept piteously: "If my mother does not believe me, I have the blood letter and the sweat shirt as proof." Wenjiao took them and examined them—they were indeed genuine. Mother and son embraced and wept together. Then she said, "My child, go quickly." Xuanzang said, "For eighteen years I did not know my own parents, and only today have I seen my mother. How can your child bear to part?" The lady said, "My child, you must leave at once. If the villain Liu returns, he will surely take your life tomorrow. I will pretend to be ill and say that in former years I made a vow to donate a hundred pairs of monks' shoes, which I wish to fulfill at your temple. At that time, I will have words to say to you." Xuanzang obeyed and took his leave.

After the lady had seen her son, her heart was filled with both sorrow and joy. One day she suddenly feigned illness, refusing food and drink, and took to her bed. When Liu Hong returned to the yamen, he asked the reason. The lady said, "In my youth I made a vow to donate a hundred pairs of monks' shoes. Five days ago I dreamed of a monk holding a sharp blade who demanded the monks' shoes, and since then I have not felt well." Liu Hong said, "Why didn't you mention such a small matter earlier?" He ascended the hall and ordered the left and right magistrates, Wang and Li, to require every household in Jiangzhou to provide one pair of monks' shoes, to be delivered within five days. The people all complied. The lady said to Liu Hong, "The monks' shoes are finished. Is there a temple in Jiangzhou where I can fulfill my vow?" Liu Hong said, "In Jiangzhou there is Gold Mountain Temple and Scorched Mountain Temple. You may go to whichever you wish." The lady said, "I have long heard that Gold Mountain Temple is a fine monastery. I will go to Gold Mountain Temple." Liu Hong at once ordered the two magistrates Wang and Li to prepare a boat. The lady took her trusted attendants with her, boarded the boat, and the boatman pushed off, making for Gold Mountain Temple.

Xuanzang returned to the temple and reported all that had happened to Elder Faming. The elder was overjoyed. The next day, a maid arrived first to announce that the Lady was coming to the temple to fulfill a vow. All the monks went out to welcome her. The young lady entered the temple directly, paid homage to the Bodhisattva, and provided a great feast for the monks. She ordered her maid to place monks' shoes and summer socks on a tray and bring it to the Dharma Hall. The young lady again lit incense and bowed in reverence, then instructed Elder Faming to distribute the items among the monks. When Xuanzang saw that the monks had dispersed and no one remained in the Dharma Hall, he stepped forward and knelt down. The young lady told him to remove his shoes and socks, and upon examination, his left toe was indeed missing one small digit. The two then embraced and wept, bowing to thank the elder for his kindness in raising him.

Faming said, "Now that you and your mother have been reunited, I fear the villain may learn of this. You must leave quickly to avoid disaster."

The young lady said, "My child, I will give you a fragrant ring. Go straight to the northwest of Hongzhou, about one thousand five hundred li away, where there is a place called Wanhua Dian. Your grandmother, Madame Zhang, is staying there—she is your father's birth mother. I will also write a letter for you. Go straight to the imperial city of the Tang King, to the left of the Golden Hall, to the residence of Prime Minister Yin Kaishan—they are your mother's birth parents. Deliver my letter to your maternal grandfather and ask him to petition the Tang King to lead troops, capture and kill this villain, and avenge your father. Only then can your old mother be rescued. I dare not stay long, for I fear the villain will wonder why I am delayed." She then left the temple and boarded her boat.

Xuanzang wept as he returned to the temple, informed his master, and immediately took his leave, heading straight for Hongzhou. He arrived at Wanhua Dian and asked the innkeeper, Liu Xiao'er, "There was once a guest named Chen from Jiangzhou who had a mother staying at your inn. How is she now?"

Liu Xiao'er replied, "She was originally at my inn. Later she went blind, and for three or four years she has paid no rent. Now she lives in a broken tile kiln at the south gate, begging on the streets every day to get by. That guest left long ago, and to this day there is no word from him. I don't know why."

Upon hearing this, Xuanzang immediately went to the broken tile kiln at the south gate and found his grandmother. The grandmother said, "Your voice sounds like my son Chen Guangrui."

Xuanzang said, "I am not Chen Guangrui. I am his son. Lady Wenjiao is my mother."

The grandmother said, "Why haven't your parents come?"

Xuanzang said, "My father was killed by bandits, and my mother was seized by the bandits to be their wife."

The grandmother said, "How did you know to come looking for me?"

Xuanzang said, "My mother sent me to find you. She has a letter here, and also a fragrant ring."

The grandmother took the letter and the ring and wept loudly, saying, "My son came here for fame and honor. I thought he had forgotten his duty and turned his back on kindness, but I did not know he had been murdered. It is a blessing that Heaven has shown mercy and not cut off my son's line—today my grandson has come to find me."

Xuanzang asked, "Grandmother, how did your eyes become blind?"

The grandmother said, "I thought of your father constantly, waiting for him every day, but he never came. I cried so much that both my eyes went blind."

Xuanzang knelt and prayed to Heaven: "Today Xuanzang is eighteen years old and cannot yet avenge my parents. Today I have followed my mother's instructions to find my grandmother. If Heaven pities my sincerity, let my grandmother's eyes be restored to sight." After praying, he used his tongue to lick his grandmother's eyes. In a moment, her eyes opened and were restored as before.

The grandmother looked at the little monk and said, "You are indeed my grandson. You look exactly like my son Guangrui." The grandmother was both joyful and sorrowful.

Xuanzang led his grandmother out of the kiln and back to Liu Xiao'er's inn. He paid some rent for a room for her to stay in and gave her traveling money, saying, "I will be back in about a month."

He then took leave of his grandmother and headed straight for the capital. He found the residence of Prime Minister Yin on the east street of the imperial city and told the gatekeeper, "This monk is a relative, here to visit the minister."

The gatekeeper reported this to the prime minister, who said, "I have no relatives who are monks."

The lady of the house said, "Last night I dreamed that my daughter Manjiao came home. Perhaps her husband has sent a letter?"

The prime minister then ordered the little monk to be brought to the hall. The monk saw the prime minister and his lady, wept, and bowed to the ground. He took a letter from his robe and handed it to the prime minister. The prime minister opened it and read it from beginning to end, then wept loudly.

The lady asked, "Husband, what has happened?"

The prime minister said, "This monk is our grandson. Our son-in-law Chen Guangrui was murdered by bandits, and Manjiao was seized by the bandits to be their wife."

When the lady heard this, she also wept without stopping.

The prime minister said, "My lady, do not grieve. Tomorrow I will report this to His Majesty and personally lead troops to avenge our son-in-law."

The next day, the prime minister went to court and reported to the Tang emperor: "Your minister's son-in-law, the top examination scholar Chen Guangrui, was taking his family to Jiangzhou to assume his post when the boatman Liu Hong killed him and took his wife as his own. He has been impersonating my son-in-law and serving as an official for many years. This is a most extraordinary matter, and I beg Your Majesty to dispatch troops immediately to eliminate the bandit." The Tang emperor was furious upon reading the memorial and ordered sixty thousand imperial guards to be sent, with Prime Minister Yin commanding the troops. The prime minister received the edict, left court, and proceeded to the parade ground to muster his forces before marching straight for Jiangzhou. They traveled by day and rested by night, and before long they had arrived. Prime Minister Yin's troops made camp on the north bank. That same night, he sent a golden-plaque messenger to summon the assistant prefect and the prefectural judge of Jiangzhou. The prime minister informed them of the matter and asked them to bring troops to assist in crossing the river. Before dawn, they surrounded Liu Hong's yamun. Liu Hong was still asleep when he heard cannons firing and drums beating as the soldiers rushed into his private quarters. Caught off guard, he was seized at once. The prime minister issued orders to bind Liu Hong and his accomplices and take them to the execution ground, while the troops were directed to make camp outside the city.

The prime minister went directly into the main hall of the yamun and sat down, summoning his daughter to come out and meet him. The young lady wished to emerge but was too ashamed to face her father, and tried to hang herself. Xuanzang, learning of this, rushed to save his mother. He fell to his knees and said, "Your son and grandfather have brought troops here to avenge my father. Now that the villain has been captured, why does my mother wish to die? If my mother dies, how can her son survive?" The prime minister also came into the yamun to persuade her. The lady said, "I have heard that 'a faithful wife has only one husband in her life.' My husband was killed by this villain—how could I have the shameless face to live with him? It was only because I was carrying his child that I endured the disgrace and lived on. Now that my son has grown up and I see my aged father leading troops to avenge us, what face do I have to meet him? I can only die to repay my husband." The prime minister replied, "This is not a case of my daughter changing her principles with changing circumstances; it was all unavoidable. Why should you feel ashamed?" Father and daughter embraced and wept, and Xuanzang too wept without ceasing. The prime minister wiped his tears and said, "Let you two set aside your grief for now. I have captured the enemy—let me go and deal with him." He rose and proceeded to the execution ground. It happened that the assistant prefect of Jiangzhou had also sent scouts to capture the water bandit Li Biao and bring him in. The prime minister was overjoyed and ordered the guards to bring forward Liu Hong and Li Biao. Each was given a hundred heavy blows with the stick, and their confessions were taken, admitting their earlier plot to murder Chen Guangrui. Li Biao was first nailed to a wooden donkey, paraded through the marketplace, sliced with a thousand strokes, and his head was displayed on a pole. Liu Hong was taken to the Hongjiang ferry crossing, where he had killed Chen Guangrui years before. The prime minister, his daughter, and Xuanzang went personally to the riverbank, where they offered sacrifices toward the sky, cut out Liu Hong's living heart and liver, offered them to Guangrui's spirit, and burned a memorial text.

The three wept facing the river, and their grief soon disturbed the watery realm. A patrolling yaksha presented the memorial text to the Dragon King. After reading it, the Dragon King sent the Turtle Marshal to bring Guangrui before him and said, "Sir, congratulations, congratulations. Your wife, your son, and your father-in-law are all sacrificing to you on the riverbank. I shall now restore you to life. I also give you one wish-fulfilling pearl, two rolling pearls, ten bolts of fine silk, and a pearl-and-jade belt. Today you may be reunited with your wife and child." Guangrui bowed his thanks repeatedly. The Dragon King ordered the yaksha to carry Guangrui's body out of the river's mouth and restore his soul. The yaksha departed to carry out the command.

Meanwhile, the young lady had been weeping and making offerings to her husband, and was about to throw herself into the water when Xuanzang frantically held her back. In the midst of this commotion, a corpse floated up on the surface of the water and drifted close to the riverbank. The lady hurried forward to examine it and recognized it as her husband's body. She burst into even louder wailing. Everyone came to look, and they saw Guangrui stretch out his fists and feet, his body gradually moving, until he suddenly crawled up and sat down. All were filled with astonishment. Guangrui opened his eyes and found his wife, his father-in-law Prime Minister Yin, and the young monk all weeping beside him. Guangrui asked, "Why are you all here?" The lady replied, "You were killed by the villain, and later I gave birth to this child. He was fortunate to be raised by the elder of Jinshan Temple, and he found me and we were reunited. I told him to seek out my father. Upon learning of this, my father reported it to the court and led troops here to capture the villain. He just now cut out the villain's heart and liver and offered them to my husband toward the sky. How is it that my husband has come back to life?" Guangrui said, "It is because years ago, when we were at Wanhua Shop, we bought and released a golden carp. Who would have known that the carp was the Dragon King of this river? Later, when the villain pushed me into the water, I owed my life entirely to him. Just now he restored my soul and gave me treasures, all of which are on my person. And I never imagined that you would bear this son, and that my father-in-law would avenge me. Truly, after suffering comes the greatest joy."

When the other officials learned of the matter, they all came to offer congratulations. The prime minister ordered a banquet to be prepared to thank the subordinate officials. The troops returned to the capital that same day. When they reached Wanhua Shop, the prime minister ordered the army to make camp. Guangrui and Xuanzang went to Liu's inn to find his mother. That night the old woman had dreamed of a dead tree blooming and magpies chattering ceaselessly behind the house. She thought, "Could it be that my grandson has come?" Before she had finished speaking, Guangrui and his son arrived at the inn door. The young monk pointed and said, "Isn't this my grandmother?" Guangrui saw his aged mother and at once prostrated himself. Mother and son embraced and wept, and he told her everything that had happened. They settled the innkeeper's bill and set out for the capital. Upon arriving at the prime minister's mansion, Guangrui, his wife, the old mother, and Xuanzang all went to see the lady of the house. She was overjoyed and ordered the servants to prepare a grand banquet to celebrate. The prime minister said, "Today's feast shall be called the Reunion Banquet." Truly, the whole family rejoiced together.

The next morning, the Tang Emperor ascended the throne for court. Chancellor Yin stepped forward from the ranks of officials and presented a full and detailed account of all that had happened, recommending that Chen E was a man of great ability who could be employed in high office. The Emperor approved the memorial and immediately issued an edict promoting Chen E to the position of Academician, to attend court and assist with governance. Having resolved to devote himself to quiet meditation, Xuanzang was sent to Hongfu Temple to cultivate the Way. As for Madam Yin, she ultimately took her own life with composure. Xuanzang went to Jinshan Temple to repay the kindness of Elder Faming.

What happened afterward will be told in the next chapter.