CHAPTER 24

Ji Gong hampers the defrauding of the Liang family; the merciful one amuses himself at Chang Maioyu’s expense

AS Ji Gong saw Liang Yuanwai coming out and heard him asking about the clamor, the monk went over and greeted him respectfully. Then he said, “Since the yuanwai asks, the one responsible is myself, the monk. I was passing this way and I had long wanted to meet you because of your goodness to others. However, as soon as I saw this mansion I knew that it was plagued by the five flying evil spirits and that someone in this house was certainly ill as a result. I would like to cleanse the house, chase out the demons, and cure the sickness. As soon as I arrived at the door, these several household people first asked me for a gate gift. I said that I had not come to ask a favor from the yuanwai and asked why there should be a reason to bring a gate gift. It was because of this matter that the argument arose.”

Now, even if Liang Wanzang had heard the phrase Ji Gong had been shouting, the yuanwai might have misunderstood it, since the literal meaning of the words Ji Gong used was “I come to change karma.” These were also the same words that monks used when they came to beg for food.

As soon as Liang Yuanwai heard Ji Gong’s side of the story he said, “You slaves! I do not know what corrupt practices have been going on at the gate!”

The house people said, “Yuanwai, it is not true. He came here and said he wanted a meal,” and then they recited all that had happened.

The yuanwai paid no attention to them, but addressed the monk instead. “Where is the monk’s precious pagoda?”

The monk replied, “I am at the Monastery of the Soul’s Retreat at the West Lake outside the Hangzhou walls. My name is Dao Ji. The name “Mad Monk” is wrongfully applied to me as well.”

Liang Yuanwai looked closely at him for the first time. Hearing him speak in this way, the yuanwai half believed and half doubted as he said, “Since you are the famous Ji Gong, please be compassionate. Come with me.”

Ji Gong went with the yuanwai straight into the east section of the main house. There he saw lying on the brick platform bed the young master, Liang Shiyuan, in a deep sleep from which he could not be wakened. On either side were a number of old women and household people who were taking care of him. Seeing him, Liang Yuanwai quickly cried out, “Oh my son, Liang Shiyuan, awaken!” He continued to call out several times, but it could be seen that Liang Shiyuan was still fast asleep and knew nothing of what was happening. He did not even nod his head.

Ji Gong said, “The yuanwai need not be alarmed. I will have the boy speak a couple of sentences and eat a little food. In a short time we will quickly see some improvement.”

The old yuanwai was so overjoyed that he said, “Then, if this be possible, saintly monk, have compassion! Do have compassion!”

The lohan, master of so many things, raised his head and took off his hat. Then, while he had some people raise Liang Shiyuan up a bit, Ji Gong slowly fitted his monk’s hat on the boy’s head. Under his breath Ji Gong repeated the true, sacred words: “Om Ma Ni Pad Me Hum. I command!”

Everyone watching saw Liang Shiyuan slowly open his eyes. He coughed once and said, “Someone come and bring me a little water to drink.”

As soon as the old yuanwai saw this change, he was so happy that he kept saying, “Good! Good!” over and over again.

The monk said, “For this labor of mine I only ask if perhaps you will give me a meal.”

Liang Yuanwai asked, “Saintly monk, where do such words come from? Do not say a meal! Indeed, I will constantly give alms to you. It could not be otherwise!”

The monk said, “That is really unnecessary.”

The yuanwai said, “Saintly monk, what would you like to eat? I will have the servants prepare it.”

The monk said, “Call your manager and I will tell him.” The household people called the cook and the monk said, “Go and prepare sliced dried fruit, fresh fruit, cold cooked meats and everything to go with wine, as well as some hot dishes. I will eat just here in the outer room.”

The cook answered, “This is a house of wealth and honor. We are always ready to prepare every sort of dish.” The household people prepared a table and chair, and in a little while the cook brought forth the various dishes. The yuanwai invited the monk to be seated in the place of honor and have some wine. The old yuanwai waited upon him, seeing that he had some of each dish and keeping his wine cup full.

However, the old yuanwai was thinking to himself, “That hat of the monk’s is really a fine thing and no mistake, stronger than any pill made from the most unusual medicine. I will ask him how much he wants for it and keep the hat to give to my boy to wear.”

The yuanwai could hear Liang Shiyuan inside the inner room talking. “I would like some water with sugar syrup in it, and I want to eat something.”

The yuanwai was so happy that he said, “The subtle arts of the saintly monk are naturally effective in curing sickness.”

The monk said, “Yuanwai, what do you think about this hat of mine?”

The yuanwai answered, “Good!”

The monk said, “Good is good, but I have been thinking of something I might do—sell it.”

The yuanwai heard the monk’s words and his heart filled with joy as he said, “Monk, if you want to sell it, how much do you want for it? I would like to keep it.”

Ji Gong replied, “It would be easy for you to buy it and keep it. Take your furniture, your business, your house, and your lands and give them all to me. Then I will give you my hat.”

When the old yuanwai heard the price, he shook his head and said, “I cannot afford it!” The household people then removed the dishes and the monk sat drinking wine while the yuanwai poured.

The monk said, “Yuanwai, would you call the manager who has charge of the gatekeepers? I want to speak to him.” The yuanwai directed a household person to go and call him.

In a little while the man arrived, saying, “What would the yuanwai like me to do?”

The monk said, “Just a little while ago I said that I wanted to eat a special meal with fresh fruit, cold cooked meats, and sliced dried fruits, and have your yuanwai wait upon me. You may see that I did not speak incorrectly. I wanted to remind you.”

The manager of the gatekeepers simply said, “Yes.”

The monk said, “Yuanwai, if you will forgive me, I still have three companions outside waiting for me and they have had nothing to eat or drink.” The yuanwai immediately sent a household person, Liang Fu, to invite them to come into the room and to have food and wine prepared for them.

Liang Fu thought to himself, “The monk has his followers and doubtless not one of them has anything decent to wear. Whoever is among his followers must be even more poverty-stricken than he is.” It was with such thoughts in his mind that he went out and called to them. “Who came with the poor monk?”

Gao Guoqin replied, “I did.”

When Liang Fu looked, he saw a man who seemed to be a scholar, apparently very refined and meticulously correct in his attire.

The household man asked, “Where are the other two?”

Su Lu and Feng Xun approached, saying, “We also came with the monk. Looking at them, Liang Fu thought these two were even more prosperous. Of course, Su Lu was one of Su Beishan’s household and he dressed very well.

Liang Fu thought to himself, “The monk has money to dress his retinue in this way.” He quickly asked the three in, had a table prepared with food and wine, and invited them to eat. Inside, meanwhile, the yuanwai was drinking wine with the monk and talking about a wide range of subjects. Just as the conversation was becoming particularly interesting, one of the yuanwai’s people came in, went up to the yuanwai’s ear and spoke as if he did not care to let the monk hear his report.

As it turned out, the news itself that the Daoist had arrived did not matter. However, Liang Yuanwai was troubled. He wanted to stay and talk with the monk, but he feared that the Daoist priest would find fault with the monk’s being there. Liang Yuanwai wanted to welcome the Daoist and entertain him but feared that the monk would find fault. The old yuanwai was in difficulty, but was not at fault. He simply could not entertain both the monk and the Daoist at the same time. Of course, the old yuanwai would have been grateful to anyone who could cure his son’s illness.

Just as the yuanwai was wavering in his heart, the monk spoke, “Yuanwai, perhaps some relative has arrived. You need not apologize.”

This remark brought the yuanwai to his senses, and he said, “That is right.”

The monk said, “It is important that you go and feast your relative. To a large degree we are no longer strangers. Perhaps it is your wife’s younger sister.” Liang Wanzang was not in a position to take offense at Ji Gong’s half-innocent remark that could also mean, “Perhaps you have a little concubine waiting for you.”

The yuanwai laughed and began to stand up. He directed his people to pour wine for the saintly monk, saying, “I will return and drink some wine with the saintly monk.” Having said this, he stood up and went out of the room.

Then he hurried to the outer library located inside a small courtyard with verandas on all four sides. A single house on the west side of the courtyard was used for the library. The old yuanwai went in and saw that the Daoist had already entered and seated himself. The household people were offering him tea. When Liang Yuanwai saw the Daoist, he quickly greeted him politely with raised, folded hands and said, “The master of spirits has arrived and I was not here to welcome him. I hope that I have not offended him.”

The Daoist priest said, “What are you saying? You know that you must not say such things.”

The yuanwai quickly instructed that wine be brought and asked, “Does the Daoist priest eat ordinary or vegetarian food?”

Chang Miaoyu answered, “Ordinary or vegetarian, both are fine.” The household people prepared a feast, placed cups and dishes on the table, and brought food and drink. The old yuanwai sat beside the Daoist and poured wine for him while they chatted about various things.

Liang Yuanwai said, “Spirit master, I would like to ask you about a man of whom you perhaps know.”

The Daoist said, “If he is famous, I would know about him. If not, I might not.”

Liang Yuanwai said, “At the Monastery of the Soul’s Retreat there is an honorable Ji Gong. Perhaps you know of him.”

There was a movement in the heart of the Daoist priest. “If I say that Ji Gong has abilities, no glory will shine upon me,” he thought. Therefore, the Daoist said, “Yuanwai, the one you mention is that wine-soaked, insane monk, the mad Ji. I really do not know into what class he falls, but there is nothing there into which you can sink your teeth. In other words, he is undistinguished.”

He had not finished speaking when they heard someone in the courtyard reply. “The good Daoist with his frowsy hair! How unpleasant for a person to be talked about by him!” They saw the bamboo curtain rise and Ji Gong appeared from outside.

At the sight of Ji Gong, the old yuanwai thought to himself that all those household people were really hateful in having failed to observe his wishes. In his mind he rehearsed reproachful things to say to them. “I asked you to keep the monk company while he ate and drank. Why did you let him go?” As for the Daoist, it was as if his words had been driven back between his teeth. It was most embarrassing.

Now, while the monk had been inside drinking wine with the household people in attendance, he for no apparent reason stood up and went into the inner section. He then removed his monk’s cap from Liang Shiyuan’s head. Liang Shiyuan had been sitting up talking and laughing, but when the monk removed his cap, Liang Shiyuan fell back unconscious again on the bed. It was as if his soul had left his body once more and he could not be awakened.

The household people said, “Monk, why did you remove the cap from his head?”

The monk said, “How much time does it take to prepare a festive table?”

The household people said, “Good. Trade the cap for food and drink! We will do it without having our yuanwai give the order. We will give you another tableful and you can give the cap to the young master in exchange!”

The monk said, “I am not hungry now. Wait until I am hungry again.” So saying, the monk walked outside.

The household people asked, “Where are you going, monk?”

He replied, “I am going to the privy.”

The people said, “We will go and show you the way.”

The monk said, “That will not do. If anyone is with me, I cannot pay my respects.”

The household people did not dare to go with him. The monk hurried to the west with long strides and arrived in the courtyard just in time to catch the Daoist speaking badly of him to the yuanwai.

The monk had lifted the bamboo curtain just as he said, “frowsy-haired Daoist.”

Chang Miaoyu was just about to reply when Ji Gong pointed and said, “Yüüü!” making a sound like a deer bleating. “There is a Daoist priest in this room. You must not be offended, Yuanwai. I did not curse you. I cursed that Daoist!”

Liang Yuanwai, to whom Ji Gong had spoken, quickly stood up and said, “Saintly monk, please sit down and, Master of Spirits, please sit down. Let me introduce each of you to the other.”

Ji Gong said, “Yuanwai, do not make us know each other.” After saying this, the monk sat down. One of the household people put another cup on the table and the monk poured wine and drank.

The Daoist still did not recognize him. The Daoist only saw that the monk was intolerably shabby as he sat there drinking, and so the Daoist asked, “Where is your temple, monk?”

Ji Gong turned up his eyes as he answered. “Since you want to know, I am just that wine-soaked, crazy, mad monk from the Monastery of the Soul’s Retreat at the West Lake, the Ji Gong for whom you could not find a classification, the one who has nothing into which one can sink one’s teeth.” As the Daoist listened, he had some uneasy feelings in his heart. The monk then said, “Daoist priest Chang, what is your honorable surname?”

The Daoist replied, “Monk, you are an artless person. You know my name is Chang and yet you still ask me my honorable name.”

The monk said, “Let me ask you about a person that perhaps you know.”

The Daoist asked, “Which one?”

The monk replied, “One of my pupils is named Hua Chingfeng. Perhaps you know him.”

When the Daoist heard this name, his anger knew no bounds, as he said to himself, “He said my teacher is like a grandson to him. Wait until I cut off his existence!” After thinking, he said, “Monk, your mouth is full of nonsense. You just wait. This hermit will settle your account!” The Daoist, meanwhile, was a making a sign with his fingers inside his hand as he muttered a spell. He wanted to have a contest with Ji Gong. It would be a match of power and skill.