CHAPTER 35

Yang Zaitian has his fortune told; jealousy brings failure to four headmen

AS the monk stood outside the big gate in Rui Lane, he gave instructions to the four headmen. “Headman Chai and Headman She, you two stand at the north side of the crack between the two gates. Headman Lei and Headman Ma, you two will stand at the south side of the crack between the two gates.”

“And what will you do, Teacher?” they asked.

“You will block the gate. I will get inside, and when I blow, I will blow the robber out through the crack.” The four headmen did not dare to question his word. They could only follow the monk’s instructions. He then stepped forward and slapped the gate, calling out, “Come and open the gate! Come and open the gate!” Then he beat on the gate several times.

Inside there were two young gentlemen just trying to get to sleep in their room. When they heard someone calling at the gate, one said to the other, “Go out and look through the gates.” The second young gentleman was extremely timid. He lit a candle, trimmed the wick to make it brighter, went to the gate, and was just about to open it and look out when he felt a cold blast of wind. It also blew out the candle. The frightened young gentleman turned his head and ran back. Inside the room, the other young man asked, “What was it?”

“A black monster made a thunderous howling wind blow,” he answered.

As the two were talking thus, they again heard a shout, “Open the gate! Open the gate!” The two frightened young fellows did not dare to go out.

Just at this point the master came out. Now, the master of this house was surnamed Yang and his personal name was Zaitian. He had previously been at the capital of Four Rivers province as the governor. Because his mother had died, he had returned home here to go into a period of mourning. When he heard the thunderous clamor at the gate, he told the library boy to light a lantern, go out, and have a servant open the gate. There they saw several headmen in uniform standing in the gateway. At that time Ji Gong had stepped back into the shadows.

Great Protector Zhao saw the gate open and a man come out wearing a simple cap of rough material and a long blue outer garment. His features were regular and pleasant. Three strands from his black beard reached his chest. Protector Zhao recognized him at once and quickly stepped forward, saying, “Why, it is Elder Brother. You are not asleep yet.”

Yang Zaitian gave a grunt of disapproval. “What person is this that dares to call out that he is my younger brother?”

Protector Zhao said, “I am your younger brother, Zhao Fengshan. No doubt you did not know me.” The two men had been fellow students as children and had remained close friends throughout their lives. At night, seeing Protector Zhao dressed as he was, the master had not recognized him.

Hearing Protector Zhao speak this time, Yang Zaitian said, “Dear brother, let me take you into the guest hall. Why are you dressed in this way? Is it possible that you have lost your official title and been demoted? Tell me about your situation, and I will make sure that it is corrected.”

“Elder Brother,” said Zhao Fengshan, “you do not understand. It is all because the wife of Prime Minister Chin had her phoenix coronet and other jewels stolen. Senior Monk Ji Gong of the Monastery of the Soul’s Retreat captured one robber named Liu Cheng. Interrogating him, we learned about two more robbers named Cloud Dragon and Wang Tong. Because of this, I changed my clothes and came here to catch the robbers.”

Yang Zaitian heaved an audible sigh of reproval. “Dear younger brother, indeed! You and I are educated people. How could you be led into believing such things? This business of strange powers and unruly spirits is the sort of thing that monks’ stories cause the populace to believe.”

“Do not act like this, Elder Brother,” said Protector Zhao. “Ji Gong came with me to help solve the case!”

At this point Ji Gong stepped forward and said, “Protector Zhao, can we not go in and sit down?”

“I must hear what news my elder brother has,” said Protector Zhao. “Let these men wait outside.”

Yang Zaitian said, “Please do come in.”

The two friends went on inside, with the monk following behind. In the courtyard a large building of three sections had a pair of smaller matching buildings, one on the east and one on the west. The monk looked all about as he went in and sat himself down in the seat of honor.

Yang Zaitian was quite displeased at seeing this, and said to himself, “From the emperor down to the common people, each man has his proper place. This ragged fellow does not even care about his own person.” But although he was unhappy about the monk, Yang Zaitian did not want to say anything aloud, and went and sat down.

Protector Zhao said, “I have forgotten to introduce you two.”

“Do not introduce us. I already know,” retorted Yang Zaitian. He then instructed a servant to bring tea.

“Don’t pour tea for me,” said the monk. “Pour wine!”

Yang Zaitian purposely acted as if he had not heard, and was asking Protector Zhao about Liu Chang, how they caught the robber, and the robber’s origin.

Again the monk said, “Pour wine!”

Protector Zhao and Yang Zaitian went on talking until the monk had asked for wine more than ten times.

Finally, Protector Zhao could stand it no longer and said, “Elder Brother, I am a little hungry. Do you have anything to eat that could be prepared?”

“I heard the monk say something also,” said Yang Zaitian, “but because there is not much around in my poor home, I hesitated to offer it—but if my dear brother is hungry, come! Let us have something.” With a word from Yang Zaitian, food and wine appeared.

The monk immediately picked up the wine pot and said, “We are like old friends at first sight. Away with ceremony!” Then he drank three bowls of wine, one after the other, without so much as a toast.

Yang Zaitian decided to test the monk and said, “Monk, with your powers of goodness can you tell about things past and things yet to come? I have something I would like to ask you. I have forgotten my birthday and can remember neither the year or the month. I beg you to calculate it for me.”

The monk said, “That is easy. You were born in such and such a year and such and such a month and this year you are fifty-eight years old.”

When Yang Zaitian heard this, he knew at once that the monk was right, but it was not his nature to believe in anything supernatural, even though the monk had given the correct answer. Again he asked, “Monk, can you tell by looking at my face what I should best do?”

The monk replied, “You had best not make a nuisance of yourself.”

Yang Zaitian said, “I ask you this as a scholar and a gentleman. Simply speak the truth as you see it.”

Ji Gong answered, “Your aura is not good, Great One. There are shadows and your eyes grow dim. At the third watch your head will fall, severed at the neck!”

Hearing this, Yang Zaitian asked, “What proof do you have that I will die at the third hour?”

“Even now,” said Ji Gong, “one of your household people has admitted a robber who is your enemy and who comes to kill you.”

“Which of my household people is this?” asked Yang Zaitian.

“I can tell that as soon as I see him,” answered the monk.

Yang Zaitian immediately ordered all the people in the household to assemble. In this home there were twenty-seven male household members and nine old women and young serving maids. The men all gathered outside the library, all standing together. As soon as the monk looked at them, he laid his hands upon one of the men, thirty-five or thirty-six years old with handsome features.

“What is your name?” asked the monk.

“I am called Yang Liangsheng.” He was indeed an honest and loyal person, a son of the old master, Yang Shun.

Ji Gong said, “You have let a robber in this house from outside, and tonight he has come to kill the master of the house.”

Yang Liangsheng’s face fell as he heard this and he protested, “What proof of this have you, monk? You are simply slandering me. I have always received every kindness from the head of our household. How could I do such a thing against all the rules of propriety? You are saying this with no evidence whatsoever!”

“Do not become angry,” said Ji Gong. “This morning, when you were sweeping the gate, was there not a man who looked into the gate? You asked him who he was looking for. He asked you whether this home was that of former District Magistrate Yang in the capital of Four Rivers. You answered, ‘Yes.’ Is that not right?”

Yang Liangsheng thought for a moment after hearing the monk’s words, and then said, “You are right, that did happen this morning. However, I did not let any robber into the house to kill the master.”

“As soon as you told him that the master had been the district magistrate of the capital of Four Rivers and that his name was Yang, you opened the door of the house to your master’s enemy. Tonight, without your knowledge, he came seeking revenge.”

Yang Zaitian had half believed and half disbelieved. Now, as he listened to the monk questioning Yang Liangshang, he realized that this was not simply slander, and he was afraid. “Saintly monk,” he said, “What should be done about this?”

“Magistrate Yang need not worry. It was simply because the robber came here that we came! Call the four headmen that we brought with us. I have some instructions for them.” Yang Zaitian immediately sent someone to call the four headmen inside. “Headman Chai and Headman She, stand under the eaves of the house on the east side of the door,” said Ji Gong. “Headman Lei and Headman Ma, you two stand under the eaves at the west side of the door. Wait until after the third watch. The robber will come over the roofs from the east. Wait until he leaps down in front of the door. You four men will then come at him with your weapons. Surround and capture him. Magistrate Yang will reward you.”

The four stepped outside and separated into pairs. Lei Siyuan then said, “Brother Ma, we serve in the same yamen as Chai and She, but today those two got fifty ounces of silver. They should have turned over even shares to you and me as a matter of course. Not only did they not share with us, but they never even said a word about it. Tonight when the robber comes, they will approach him, but we will not. If they arrest the robber, let them go in and get the reward. If they cannot make the arrest, then you and I will arrest him and we two will share the reward equally, and not share it with those two.”

“That is reasonable,” said Ma Anjie. “We will do just as you say.” The two followed their secret plan, and without their realizing it the third watch came with no movement seen.

On the other side, Chai and She had also been speaking softly. “The night has almost passed, but how is it that we have seen no robber? Could it be that Ji Gong did not foresee this? If the robber does not appear, what will happen to Ji Gong?”

The two had just finished speaking when they heard the sound of something striking, as an exploratory pebble fell into the courtyard. Then a tall man dressed in the dark clothing of a thief leaped down from the roof above. Chai Yuanlo and She Jengying sprang forward, shouting: “Stop, outlaw! We two have been waiting for you. Tonight you say goodbye to heaven and hello to hell,” as they pointed their swords at him.

The robber laughed a cold laugh and said, “Good, Yang Zaitian, you have a guard. You may be guarded for a year, but sooner or later I or my brother will come to take your head!” Then he drew his sword and came at Chai and She as if to kill them then and there.

The two headmen found that the robber’s swordsmanship was extraordinary. They truly could not take him; their swords could not reach him, nor could they afford to put down their guard. Both were covered with sweat. They could not see any movement from Lei Siyuan or Ma Anjie. Headman Chai was hard pressed and called out, “Ji Gong, come out! We two cannot manage it.”

From inside the room Ji Gong answered, “I am coming,” and rushed out.

The outlaw lost his confidence and retreated, saying, “Tonight I will not kill you two after all, but we will meet another day.” Then with a flying leap he was on the roof.

Chai and She said, “No good, our robber has escaped!”

Ji Gong had been saying something under his breath. He pointed and spoke the six true words, “Om Ma Ni Pad Me Hum!” and the robber fell from the roof into the courtyard. Chai and She quickly went forward, laid hands upon him, held him down, and took his sword.

When he was brought into the room, Yang Zaitian looked at him, and noticing his heroic figure, asked, “Outlaw, I have never done you any wrong and so you should not hate me now. Why did you come to kill me and what is your name? Speak!”

The robber looked at him in amusement for some time. Then he lifted his head and exclaimed, “I hate you! I hate you! There is no more to say. It was predestined.”

Yang Zaitian again asked, “Why do you hate me enough to kill me? Quickly answer me! If you do not, I will have you beaten.”

The outlaw said, “Do not beat me. I will talk.” Then he told how his brother had been imprisoned for an unpaid note and had died in prison, and how he had come to Linan to avenge his brother’s death.