5. Fenghuang5. Fenghuang
Zhong Shi and I traveled throughout our land over the next hundred years or so. When requested by others, I explained the teachings of the Tao Te Ching, the lessons on the silk banners in my dream, and he would display the Yi Jing.
Whenever our coffer nearly emptied, I would find a local Mahjong game to sit in on and replenish our coins. Never did I use Lao Peng You’s method of having a confederate. Neither did I teach Zhong Shi the ways of the game with the medicinal tiles, as Shen Lung had suggested. Besides, he had no interest in it after seeing what it had done to his former masters.
But no matter how beautiful the setting, how exotic the food, how peaceful the harmony of the land, no other place ever said ‘Home’ to us.
During the fourth time we returned to Changshou Shan, I had the following dream:
“Hao Lan,” a familiar but distant voice cries out. The Blue Dragon returns to my life after an absence of ten thousand moons.
I keep my eyes closed, just in case. In previous dreams he directed me to do so for my own safety.
“You may open your eyes, Little One.”
When you are a few hundred years old, it is most uncomfortable being called ‘Little One.’ However, compared to this Immortal, I am just a mere child.
I stand in the courtyard of a great palace, not the one I had visited years ago in Xian. This one appears newer and grander.
“Do you recognize this place, Hao Lan?” the dragon inquires.
“I do not, O Great One. It is most magnificent.”
“I shall be sending you here a few days hence. It is the Endless Palace in Chang’an. You will meet with Liu Xin, the Emperor Ai.”
I remember a previous assignment from many, many years ago. “Do you have a message for me to give the Emperor?”
“I do not.” Shen Lung hovers in front of me and blinks. “This time, you are the message.”
I shudder. “I am the message?” This makes no sense, but, then, when does a Blue Dragon have to make perfect sense?
“Yes, my servant. I am sending you on a very special mission, one that shall shape this world for the next ten thousand generations to come.”
The thought of this great responsibility causes me to swallow, but my throat is so tight I cannot. “I… I… I… hope that I can live up to your expectations, my Lord.” I bow.
“I have no doubt you will,” he blinks again. “That is why I have chosen to send you and Zhong Shi.”
At least I will have my faithful companion with me for support. “As you wish, O Great One.” I bow again for formality sake.
“You shall speak with the Emperor and his grandmother, the Consort Fu.”
I can only hope she is more pleasant than the last old woman I encountered at a palace. “I live to serve you, my Lord.”
He smiles, “And soon you will serve another, Hao Lan.”
My eyes open broadly in surprise. “Will I no longer provide you with assistance?”
“Ha, ha, ha, ha. That time shall come, but not for quite a while.” He hovers around a bit before continuing. “You shall meet a new teacher, one whose life has been foretold by many, including Confucius and Buddha. You shall learn from him, and he shall learn from you.”
“I fear I have nothing to impart to such a great teacher, my Lord.” I bow again.
“You have much to share, Little One.” I cringe once more at hearing that phrase. “The two of you shall influence the new teacher, and the new teacher shall share these things with his people.”
“And this one person will cause great changes?” I ask because I am not sure I fully understand this assignment.
“The right person with the right message in the right place at the right time can, indeed, encourage new ways of thinking.”
“It seems unlikely that one person can bring about such change.” I still had my doubts about this.
“Consider some of the names you know: Confucius, Buddha, Emperor Qin. These were men who not only changed the course of human events, but their names are still with us today. In the future, other individuals will initiate further changes, and people in the years beyond will know of them. The teacher you shall meet shall be one of these people. Your influence upon him shall bring about a set of progressive revolutions throughout the world.”
“As you wish, my Lord.” It is a great deal of responsibility.
“Tomorrow night, look up at the Western sky. You will see a great star in the heavens. Keep your eye on that star, Hao Lan. Let it be your guide.”
A star for a guide. This is beginning to sound like an old myth I heard as a child. But we cannot begin our journey until we reach Chang’an, many li from here.
“And how, may I ask,” with trepidation on my part, “shall we be getting to the palace at Chang’an?”
“I believe you know the answer, Hao Lan. Otherwise, you would not have to ask the question.”
Dragons! I hate traveling by dragon, and he knows it.
“Some day you shall thank me for this trip. Perhaps not today or tomorrow, but someday certainly.” He turns and begins to fly away.
“Shen Lung!” I call out. He turns back. “Thank you. Thank you for everything.”
He smiles. “Don’t thank me just yet, Little One. Wait until you have seen this through, and then reconsider bestowing your gratitude upon me.” He turns and flies off.
The next night I looked up into the Western sky, as Shen Lung had instructed. Zhong Shi stood next to me as I did this.
“What are you looking at, Hao Lan?” No one else was around, and he felt comfortable speaking.
I pointed up at the bright light in the heavens.
“Oh, my,” he responded. “What is that?”
“A great star, so I have been told.”
Zhong Shi looked at me with his cute nose pointed upwardly. “Shen Lung?”
I nodded.
“Ah.” He responded.
“I shall explain all later.”
We stood in silence, gazing up at the miraculous object hovering high above. How can something so far away affect our lives here? I wondered. After half an hour or so, we retreated to our suite.
⊚
Three days later, two yellow dragons landed in the courtyard at Changshou Shan. Zhong Shi and I had prepared ourselves for a long trip. We picked up our bags and mounted the magnificent beasts. I attempted to be stalwart for my friend, as he had not yet flown upon a dragon’s back. It had been a few hundred years for me, but, as with many things, you never seem to forget how to ride.
Our flight took us over high mountains, tall trees and wide rivers. As we flew, we took turns pointing out interesting things to each other. Even after ten generations, Zhong Shi and I still shared a loving relationship.
About an hour later we circled down into the courtyard of the great palace I had seen in my dream with Shen Lung. Guards stood in attendance as we landed. We slid to the ground, took up our bags and followed the soldiers.
The guest accommodations here were not too different from those at Emperor Qin’s palace. Flowing fabrics, many pieces of art, cushions. Within minutes of receiving our room, a messenger appeared and led us to the throne room, this one above ground, without mysterious rivers of mercury. A great, airy hall. Bright, celebratory, regal.
Seated on a raised platform in front of us was the Emperor Ai. Sitting to his left, an aged woman whom I assumed to be his grandmother. To his right stood an attractive young fellow, simply dressed but with a stance of importance.
“Hao Lan, Zhong Shi,” the Emperor stood. “How nice of you to grace my throne room with your presence.”
We bowed so low our noses almost touched the polished metal floor. “Emperor, the pleasure is ours.”
The woman’s lips pursed, as if she had just chewed on a Hand of Buddha fruit, sour and bitter.
The Emperor turned his head toward Zhong Shi then back to me. “Does your companion wish to give proper respect as well?”
“We apologize, your Lordship, but my companion does not speak.” I bowed.
Emperor Ai scrutinized Zhong Shi. “Does not speak or cannot speak?”
The well-dressed young man leaned to the Emperor’s ear and whispered into it.
“I see. Well. That explains the circumstance.” He sat.
Consort Fu spoke with a smoky, raspy voice. “Get to it Xin! Send them on their way before it is too late!” She raised her arms like a specter.
“Yes, grandmother,” he addressed her and then turned to us. “Did the Blue Dragon explain the purpose of this audience?”
I bowed. “He instructed me that you would be sending us on an expedition to meet a teacher.”
“That is correct.” He looked at the young man to his right and then back at us. “Did he mention the prophecies regarding this teacher?”
Zhong Shi and I looked at each other with blank expressions. I turned back to the Emperor, “No, your Lordship, he did not.”
Fu pointed a bony finger at us, “Tell them, Xin! Tell them!”
“Yes, grandmother.” The eye rolling hinted at his frustration with the older woman. “The wise scholar Confucius once told of a great teacher who would arrive in the West. Zoroaster also predicted such a prophet. Even the great Buddha spoke of a Holy One who would rescue us and save the world. I am not sure, however, that we require rescuing and that our world is in need of saving.” He laughed at his joke. When he saw that no one else was laughing, he stopped. Then the rest of us laughed, just to placate him.
What a responsibility for one man! To have his life foretold by such other great men and have such expectations put upon him will certainly make his time quite difficult.
“Buddha also requested,” the Emperor continued, “that we seek out this Holy One and do a good deed.” He looked at me and Zhong Shi. “That is where you come in.” He pointed at us. “I am sending you with a delegation from Yindu, the empire to the West, the one where Buddha began as Prince Gautama. You shall proceed from there to the land under the great star in the sky.” He pointed up toward the place where the shining light would be. “It is many thousands of li, past Ar-Hsi, beyond, Li-Kan, and I believe the land is now part of an expansive empire ruled by light-skinned warriors.”
I looked at Zhong Shi, and he looked back at me. There was no discussion to be had with the Emperor. We were about to embark on the most wonderful adventure of our lifetimes.
“You, Hao Lan, are the greatest scholar of the Tao Te Ching, so I am told, and you, Zhong Shi, are the most learned with the Yi Jing.”
We looked at each other then back at the Emperor.
“I have chosen to send the two of you to this great teacher as a ‘good deed’ so that you may impart your wisdom in hopes that it will assist him with his ensuing struggle to save this world.”
The young man next to the Emperor whispered in his ear once again.
“Oh, yes. Thank you, Dong Xian.” He turned back to us. “I am sending my assistant with you to help in diplomatic activities. That is all.” The Emperor rose, turned and walked away from his throne as we bowed in obeisance.
Consort Fu looked down at us. “What are you waiting for? Go! Hurry!”
The messenger who had led us here then led us back to our quarters.
⊚
That night, after we had gotten into bed, the door to our room opened, even though I had locked it from the inside.
“Who is there?” I called out.
“Sssssshhhh,” came the reply.
The young man who had stood next to the Emperor earlier in the day looked behind him as he crept in. He shut the door quietly.
“Hao Lan, Zhong Shi,” he whispered. “I need to discuss a few things with you before we make this journey together. May I come in?”
This now seems a useless question as he was already inside the room with the door closed. He held a lantern so that we could all see each other clearly.
“How may we be of assistance, Dong Xian?” I was a bit suspicious of this fellow. There were rumors of him being more than just an ‘assistant’ to the Emperor. Even though both men are married, there has been talk of them being lovers as well.
He studied both of our faces before proceeding. “I know you two have secrets.”
That was a statement one could make about any two people. Also, it was coming from someone who had secrets of his own to conceal and protect. “Do you care to be more specific?” I replied. “The two of us have so many secrets. I am not sure as to which you are referring.” I glanced at Zhong Shi and he smiled.
The intruder looked directly at me, “You are an Immortal, and you,” he turned to Zhong Shi, “are not a woman.”
I could have feigned shock, but at this age, it is not worth the effort. My companion did not seem to change his expression either. That information was not the type an unscrupulous young fellow could use to blackmail us. However, he seemed to feel his knowledge brought him power.
“Your point, Master Dong?”
“My point, Baron Dongting,” nobody had called me that in quite a while. I had almost forgotten about my erstwhile title. “Is that I can expose the both of you as frauds.”
Zhong Shi and I looked at each other with an unspoken question.
“To what end, Master Dong? Neither of us really cares what you do. You are not the only person who has that particular information.”
He scowled at me. “I can make life difficult for you, Dongting.”
“I see. So this is an effort at extortion. You are attempting to strong-arm us for some unknown purpose.”
“Call it what you will,” he turned his attention to Zhong Shi, “I just want you to know who is in command of this team.”
I could not help but smile. “Master Dong, there is no need to lord your position over us. We have no desire to control this venture.”
His eyes narrowed slightly with suspicion.
“We are merely following orders from someone much more powerful than you yourself or, in fact, the Emperor himself,” I continued. “And, besides, I believe it is we,” I indicated my companion and myself, “who hold dangerous and potentially damaging information about you.”
Dong Xian’s eyes opened wide. “And just what is it you think you know about me, Baron?”
I blew a kiss in his direction. “You and the Emperor, sir. Cut sleeves?”
His mouth became a circle of disbelief. “How dare you! Other, lesser men have died for speaking that way to me. I could have you killed for such a statement.”
There was no way I could keep from laughing aloud. “Ha, ha, Dong. You just told me I am an Immortal. How do you plan to kill me?” Zhong Shi and I giggled together.
Dong Xian sighed. “You are a shrewd wangba. I shall grant you that, Baron.”
“Perhaps, Dong. And how do you propose to keep your secret safe now?”
His face blanked. “You are men of good character, I believe. You would not expose us.” The tone sounded weak and falsely brave. He was most assuredly defensive now. If I were a more calculating type, I could have used this advantage to leverage almost anything I wanted.
“Of course not, Dong Xian. However, you do have something that Zhong Shi and I require. Should you comply with our wishes, your secret is safe with us?”
“Comply?” His voice shot up an octave. “What is it you need from me?”
I nodded to Zhong Shi. He moved across the room and pulled the young man’s pants down to the floor and proceeded to satisfy the urges of two people. My turn followed.
⊚
The next morning another messenger summoned us. He instructed Zhong Shi to bring the yarrow sticks with him. We followed through hallways and passages until we ended up in a small, dark salon. At one end sat Consort Fu. Guards flanked her. The elderly dowager sat looking at us as if we had just brought her even more bad news.
“Did you sleep well?” she asked in a manner that suggested she did not care one way or the other.
“Yes, Consort Fu,” I answered, “the guest room is quite luxurious. Better accommodations than we are used to at even the finest places we have visited.
“I am glad to hear that,” she replied. I fear she would have said the same thing no matter how I had answered her.
She looked at one of the servants. “Tea? Would you like some tea?”
We both shuddered at the thought. “No thank you, my Lady. It is most generous of you.” There was no need to explain our aversion to the popular beverage.
“Hao Lan,” she snapped. “My grandson, the Emperor, mentioned that your companion is an expert at the art of Yi Jing. Is this correct?” Her burning eyes pierced mine.
I looked over to Zhong Shi. He nodded.
“Did you bring your yarrow sticks with you?” He held out his hand with the fifty sticks. “Good! I need you to assist me.”
“We are at your service, Lady Fu,” I bowed slightly.
The old woman stepped down from her ornate lacquered chair with assistance from an attendant and approached Zhong Shi. “There is a matter for which I must find counsel. Show me how to do this.”
Without speaking, my companion demonstrated the frustratingly slow method of dividing and counting, over and over. After a few minutes, a set of six lines had been drawn.
“What does that mean?” she croaked. “I have seen the trigrams before, but I am unaware of their specific interpretation.”
Because Zhong Shi does not speak in public, we have had to develop a way to communicate, especially when giving Yi Jing readings. Years ago, he found a thin, flat river rock made of slate. When using a small brush with water, the written characters appear for about a minute before the water evaporates. In this way, I can read what he wishes to say.
The first set of words let me know that bad news would have to be announced to the old woman so that I could be prepared to deliver it properly. Then he gave me the initial interpretation of the lines.
“Ah, Lady Fu. My companion says this arrangement indicates great potential, especially if you can avoid temptation and stay within the flow of all things.”
“Thank you. That is what I needed to hear. You may leave now.” She began to walk away.
Zhong Shi shook his head.
“Please wait, Lady Fu.” She paused. “There are changing lines that produce yet another interpretation.”
Her head slowly rotated to face us. “Changes? I do not like changes. What are these changes?”
My companion had long ago explained how some of the lines indicate they switch from broken to unbroken, or the other way round. These changing lines also add an additional dimension to the reading of the trigrams. I attempted to explain this to the Emperor’s grandmother.
Zhong Shi wrote a new message.
“My Lady, the changing lines suggest a growing evil and the necessity to deal with inferior persons. Misfortune follows most definitely.”
Her eyes hardened, her lips began to pucker.
“I had feared that. That is not what I wished to hear. What else do those little sticks say?”
Another set of characters appears on the tile.
“Oh my. I am not certain how to express this.”
“Say it! Just say it! I may look like an old woman to you, but I am stronger and heartier that most men your age.” I had to suppress a laugh because I am more than a hundred years older than her. Most men my age are dead.
“Well, my Lady, the final reading points to a total collapse, a lofty goal beyond your reach, unrealized unfounded expectations.”
With eyes ablaze, Consort Fu fell to the floor in a heap. “Death!” she screamed. “Death and destruction! Not again! No! NO!” Her flailing ceased abruptly.
The guards quickly escorted us back to our quarters.
When we were alone, I asked Zhong Shi, “Did you make that interpretation up?”
“No, it was from the trigrams she drew. Why would I make up something so horrid? I have no reason to wish harm upon such a nasty old grandmother from the other side,” He examined my face for some clue.
“I am sorry to ask, Zhong Shi. The reading was so devastating to her. It seems any hopes for riding her grandson’s reign to higher power have been dashed.” I gazed up at the intricate ceiling. “Perhaps she knows about Dong Xian and the Emperor. Xin–as she calls her grandson–has yet to produce an heir. She has no way to maintain her precarious position.” I glanced over at my partner, “I had thought you might have been endeavoring to shock the old woman into an early death.”
He chuckled. “I am not so evil as she, Hao Lan.”
⊚
The next morning we were told to pack for our journey. After the day’s first meal, we were taken to a staging area, where a team of elephants waited for us. Servants strapped our belongings to one of the beasts. Zhong Shi, Dong Xian and I rode atop another in a small sedan.
“What did you tell the old lady?” Xian asked once we were aboard.
As the elephant walked, our seats moved up and down, and they also swayed left to right. This method of travel is not as smooth and comfortable as a dragon, yet it is still less upsetting than a ship on the open ocean.
“She had asked us to help her with a situation. Zhong Shi showed her how to cast the yarrow bundle. Is she not well?”
One eyebrow on his placid face rose. “She is at the point of saturnine death. I do not know whether I should castigate you or congratulate you.”
This confused me, “My Lord?”
“The old woman manipulates Xin to her own whims, but she certainly does manage to teach him how to be Emperor. He does not listen to other people very much. It is probably just as well if she dies,” he smiled absently.
“Xian, may I call you Xian?” he nodded, “I know the relationship between the Emperor and the Consort Fu is quite complicated. Are you not his main advisor?”
“In name only. Fu managed to get herself appointed Grand Empress Dowager recently, and it is her conviction that she is running the country through Xin.”
And her death would then leave Dong Xian as the sole voice in the Emperor’s ear.
“By the way, Baron, at our first opportunity, I would enjoy a repeat of the entertainment from the other evening.”
The three of us smiled gently, if not uncomfortably.
⊚
Our travels took us south and west, past the large mountain range separating us from the country of Yindu, our first destination. The elephants proved most worthy as transportation, even though they had to be fed mounds of food several times a day.
At one point we had to cross a large river named Padma. The huge beasts merely waded through, ignoring the raging current. The water almost came up to our sedan.
Eventually our caravan arrived in a walled city named Taxila and we proceeded up to a grand palace made of white, polished stone. The lavish decorations showed what I imagined were the gods of this kingdom. Men with many sets of arms, humans with elephant heads, women with oddly-shaped bodies. What kind of superstitious beliefs do these foreign and backward people have?
For one week we remained guests at the lavish home of King Gondophares Gaspar. The servants treated us like visiting dignitaries, which I guess we were. Once the arrangements had been made, we prepared to journey toward our western destination with Gaspar and his entourage, as requested. Every night the Western Star burned brightly, calling all those who gaze upon it. Follow me, follow me, it beckons.
It is now I choose to end this part of the story. My life continues on for hundreds years more, but the next chapter ends up being even more transforming than the first. Perhaps when I am ready to relate that next tale, I shall pick up the brush once more and share my experiences with the rest of the world.
Until then, I urge you to be more like water. It naturally fills the shape of its container exactly, it loses its value when stagnant, and it constantly sustains all of our lives.
Longevity does have its benefits, but also some detriments, as I have learned and shared. Fortunately for us, we shall always have each other, discovering new things every day, sharing what we have with those less fortunate, and tending to our private garden born from the seed of immortality.