CHAPTER 51

Ji Gong writes a strange order; Chen Liang observes Cloud Dragon Hua’s companions

AS these two men entered the inn, the waiter noticed that they were dressed just alike, in gray trimmed with white. They were, in fact, the two headmen, Chai and She. Since Ji Gong had left them and gone off in the midst of a game of hide-and-seek, they had wandered throughout the night searching for him. The next day they reached the New Moon Village without any money between them. They were hungry, and all that day they had walked about the village without seeing Ji Gong, who was actually sitting in Ma Jing’s east room eating pastries. That night they had missed him when he was on the way to the temple and encountering the fox spirit. After that, they had failed to see him when he had chased Cloud Dragon Hua out of the village during the night. Hour by hour they were getting hungrier and hungrier. At last they saw the monk walking with the young man who was wearing the monk’s cloak just as the two turned in to the inn.

When they saw Ji Gong, they immediately began to complain. “Good!” exclaimed Chai. “You are here eating and we have been two nights and a long day without anything to eat.”

“Why didn’t you eat?” asked Ji Gong.

“We had no money,” said Chai.

“We had no money,” repeated She.

The listening waiter said to himself, “Another two without money.”

Then the monk again asked the headmen, “If you’re hungry, why don’t you eat?” Chai and She sat down and began to eat ravenously.

Going to the manager, the waiter said, “First, we have a monk and a young man dressed only in a monk’s ragged cloak. Then we have two men dressed just alike in gray who say that they haven’t eaten for two nights and a day. Probably none of the four have any money!”

“Wait until they have finished eating and then we’ll talk about it,” the manager said.

Just then they heard someone talking outside the door. One of them said, “Well, well! Let’s go in and have something before we go on our way.”

Two men came in dressed in the latest fashion, with short jackets and everything made of expensive strong silk material. One had hair that was dyed red, with clothing in colors that matched his hair. The other was dressed all in white except for occasional touches of color. They were Lei Ming, nicknamed “the Wind Borne,” and “the White Monkey,” Chen Liang. They had stayed at Ma Jing’s a bit longer than Cloud Dragon Hua, but not as long as Ma Jing had asked them to stay. Chen Liang had explained to Ma Jing, “We have business elsewhere, but we will stay until dawn and then say goodbye.”

“At least have some breakfast,” Ma Jing urged.

“We really are urgently pressed,” said Lei Ming. They parted in the friendliest manner possible. At the inn they immediately went into the back dining room, and there they saw Ji Gong with Chai, She and a young man in Ji Gong’s cloak. Both went at once and bowed reverently to Ji Gong.

The proprietor, seeing how well the two men were dressed, now followed their example and went to the table. Though he decided to bow reverently to the monk, he thought that the whole business was very strange.

“Teacher,” asked Lei Ming, “where did you come from, and why are you half dressed? Who is this person to whom you have given your monk’s robe?”

Ji Gong told the whole story of what had happened to the young man. When Lei Ming and Chen Liang clearly understood, the monk said, “Chen Liang, would you take Jiang Wenkui to a tailor’s and buy him a set of scholar’s clothing appropriate to his bachelor’s degree? He will need shoes and a cap as well.”

Chen Liang nodded in assent. At the shop he was able to buy everything needed, including the proper white socks. When Jiang had put them all on, they came back and returned the monk’s robe, and then they all sat down together, calling for more food and wine.

“Do either of you have enough money to replace what Jiang here has lost?” Ji Gong asked his two young friends.

“I have four ingots of gold,” said Chen Liang. “If I gave him two ingots, I would still have two ingots left. Each ingot can be changed for fifty ounces of silver.”

“And I have fifty ounces of silver I can give him,” said Lei Ming. They took out their money and gave it to Jiang Wenkui.

“I was already in your debt, and now with this, how can I thank you enough?” said Jiang Wenkui.

“Oh, it is nothing, really,” responded Lei Ming. “Within the four seas all men are brothers!”

Then they all sat eating and drinking for a while until Lei Ming and Chen Liang drew Ji Gong away to another table out of earshot. “What are you up to?” asked the monk.

“Teacher,” said Chen Liang, “have mercy on us. How can we show our faces if you take Cloud Dragon prisoner? We beg you not to take him.”

“Not take Cloud Dragon?” said the monk. “That can be easily managed. Chen Liang, go out and get a large sheet of paper and an envelope. Then go to the cashier here and borrow a writing brush and ink.”

Chen Liang did not know what the monk wanted to write, but he got the paper and other things and brought them to the monk. Ji Gong turned his back to them and wrote for a long time. Then he put the paper in the envelope and sealed it. Then he drew a picture of a wine shop sign on the envelope.

“I am giving you this envelope to take with you,” he said. “After you have escorted Jiang Wenkui to his home outside the north gate of You-long, go into town through the north gate, and on the west side you will see a wine shop with this sign. Enter the shop and go upstairs. Sit down at a table there and read this letter of mine. If Cloud Dragon Hua does not commit the deed mentioned in the letter tonight, I will not capture him.”

Lei Ming and Chen Liang had no idea what was in the monk’s letter, but they nodded their heads in agreement. “I have asked you to escort Jiang Wenkui safely to his home. If he does not reach his home safely, all is over between us and I will then certainly have your lives!” admonished the monk.

“Yes,” the two replied.

“Remember,” the monk went on, “if you do not escort Jiang Wenkui properly, if you do not go through the north gate, if you do not go to the wine shop known as the Meeting Place of the Immortals, it will be all over between us. The monk will be through with you! Then, if you do not go straight upstairs, find a table against the wall, and then open the letter, I will be through with you and will want your lives! Then have a meal, and after you have eaten, pay the bill and leave. That is it.”

Lei Ming and Chen Liang listened. Both agreed that everything must be done from the beginning to end in the exact order and manner that Ji Gong had described. They finished eating and paid the bill.

Ji Gong turned to the young graduate and said, “Jiang Wenkui, I am sending these two men to go with you as far as your home. Now leave with them.”

Jiang Wenkui knelt and kowtowed to Ji Gong. The three young men said goodbye to the monk. It was only ninety li to Youlong, and before they realized it, they had arrived.

“Now that we are almost at my home, won’t you come in and sit for a while?” asked Jiang Wenkui.

“No, we have other things we must do,” said Chen Liang. “Why don’t you just go in? Jiang Wenkui begged the two to stop, but they could not be persuaded. Again he thanked them and they parted.

Lei Ming and Chen Liang passed through the north gate into the town and walked along the street looking for the wine shop. Of course, in a moment they recognized the Meeting Place of the Immortals with the famous quotation from the poet Li Po, in which he declared that he could not go aboard the emperor’s barge because he had become a spirit imprisoned in a jug of wine.

As they entered the restaurant, they saw great cooking ranges on both sides. They passed into the back, where there were crowds of people, and saw a stairway against the rear wall. Upstairs there was a somewhat similar arrangement so that they again had to pass the cooking ranges in order to go forward. At last they found a table against the wall.

Just then, they heard loud voices as three men entered the floor below from outside. One of the voices they recognized as belonging to Cloud Dragon Hua. Chen Liang went partway downstairs and peeped around a corner. It was indeed Cloud Dragon Hua, with two men who seemed particularly rough. Returning to the table, he told Lei Ming, “Brother Hua has two evil-looking men with him.”

“Pay no attention,” said Lei Ming. “We should be reading our teacher’s letter to see what he says.”

Chen Liang was shocked at what he read, and exclaimed, “Brother! Look at this! This is terrible!”

“But I cannot read,” said Lei Ming. “What would I look at? Read it to me.”

Chen Liang replied, “Teacher’s letter is in eight lines. Listen while I read what it says.”

High-minded heroes ever prevail.

To save Cloud Dragon as you have begged

Tonight in Youlong at the third watch

Find Zhao Towers within the north gate.

Thoughts of seizing a lovely maid

Fill a wicked robber’s head.

If by Cloud Dragon the deed’s not done,

Tomorrow to Hangzhou I’ll be gone.’

After Chen Liang had looked at the letter for a while, he said, “Brother, our teacher is saying that Cloud Dragon is going to the Zhao Family Towers to abduct a girl. And the monk also says that if Cloud Dragon doesn’t accomplish this act tonight, then he will not arrest him. Whether this is true or false, he is telling us to keep a secret watch and prevent it from happening. Let us ask how to find the Zhao Towers.”

“That’s right,” said Lei Ming. The two then ordered four dishes. When they had finished eating and drinking, they paid the bill and left. By that time Cloud Dragon and his friends had left, and therefore did not see Chen Liang and Lei Ming. Outside the restaurant they headed north until they saw coming toward them an old man with white hair.

Chen Liang went up to him, saluted him respectfully, and then asked, “Where are the Zhao Towers? Could you please tell us and point them out to us?”

“You ask about the Zhao Towers,” replied the old man. “This insignificant person is now more than seventy. I have lived here all my life and know every alley, but I have never seen a place called Zhao Towers. Ai yah! But there is a wealthy man named Zhao. People call him the good Zhao Yuanwai, and there is a building with a second story within his place.”

When Chen Liang heard this, he knew that the Zhao family home must be the place they were looking for, and said, “Of course. Someone asked us to take a letter there. They said it was in Youlong and that it had a tower. That meant it was the home of wealthy people. Now I understand.”

“If you want to find the Zhao family home,” said the old man, “go north until you see a store that sells flour and meal, continue walking north, and go into the next alley on the east. At the east end you will see a large tree and a great gate. There is the Zhao family home.”

Chen Liang clearly understood, and decided to go there at night to protect the home against the evil plan of Cloud Dragon Hua.