In the early years of Yuanhe of Emperor Xianzong of Tang, Yuan Che and Liu Shi lived on Mount Heng. Both of them had uncles or uncles who were officials in the east of Zhejiang, and they were involved in the lawsuit, so they each went to Huanzhou and Aizhou. After a period of Time, Yuan and Liu packed their luggage and went to the east of Zhejiang to visit their relatives. Walked to Lianzhou Hepu County, boarded a boat to cross the sea, to go to the cross toe. The boat stopped at the shore of Hepu, and at midnight, a gale suddenly arose and broke the cable, and the boat drifted into the sea to who knows where. The waves rose and fell like fluctuating snow-capped mountains; the red sun surged like a leaping ball of fire. When it hit the mirage, the mirage dissipated. The boat lurched in the sea, almost sinking, and finally arrived at a lonely island, and the wind stopped.
Yuan Liu two sorrowfully ascended to see a statue of the King of Heaven, shining brightly on a high post, with a golden incense burner and incense ash, and nothing else. Two people to the surrounding patrol, suddenly saw a giant beast on the sea, poking out its head to look around, as if looking at what to listen. The beast’s teeth like a forest of swords and halberds, eyes flashing with lightning. For a long time, the beast sank. Not long, there are purple clouds from the surface of the sea, filling a few hundred paces. Among them was a five-colored large hibiscus, more than 100 feet high, each leaf is blooming. There are tents within the leaves, like embroidered brocade as rich and colorful, dazzling. And see a rainbow bridge suddenly unfolded, straight to the island, not long, there is a double maid tied, holding a jade box, holding a golden stove, from the lotus leaves to the place where the statue of the Heavenly Father, to replace the incense ash, burning incense.
When Yuan and Liu saw it, they went up and bowed down, saying that they were very pitiful and begging the gods to help them return to the human world. The two maids did not answer. The two pleaded again for a long time. The maid said, “What are you people? Why have you suddenly come here?” They told the maid the truth in detail. The lady-in-waiting said, “In a little while a venerable Master Yu Xu will descend to this island, and he is here to meet with Lady Nanming. Just finished, there was a Taoist priest riding a white deer, driving a colorful haze, directly descended to the island. The two of them went up together to pay their respects and finished the matter in tears, and the venerable master said compassionately, “You two can follow this maid to pay respects to Lady Nanming, and there will be no obstacle when you should go back.” Zun Shi said to the maid who tied the double maid, “I will practice here for the time being, and when I finish, I will go there too.”
Yuanliu two people were instructed, came to the tent to pay homage, and saw a woman without hairpin. This woman was wearing five-color literary clothes, and her skin was as white as jade and beautiful. Her divine energy could clarify the flowing water and silence the sea. The two men told her their names. She made fun and said, “In the past there was a Liu Chen on Tiantai Mountain, now there is a Liu Shi; in the past there was a Ruan Zhao, now there is a Yuan Che; in the past there was ‘Liu Ruan’, now there is ‘Yuan Liu’, could it be that this is heaven’s will? ” He put two sitting couches for them to sit down. In a short time, the venerable master also came, and the lady went forward to welcome and worship. Then she returned to her seat. There were several fairies, playing instruments such as sheng, reed, xiao and flute, and next to them were luan and phoenix singing and dancing in rhythm. The two of them were in a trance, like dreaming in the middle heaven. This is a kind of Music and song and dance that can hardly be heard in the human world. Then Mrs. Nanming asked her to set up wine and pass the cup.
Suddenly a black immortal crane with a letter threw down from the sky. The letter said, “An Zhisheng knows that your Holiness has come to Nanming to meet you, so please condescend yourself to come for a while.” After reading it, His Holiness said to the black crane, “I will be there in a moment!” His Holiness said to the lady, “I have been separated from An Shisheng for more than a thousand years, and I have not had the opportunity to visit him without meeting him on a trip to the south.” The lady then urged her attendant to bring up the Food quickly. The food brought up was served in polished jade vessels. The lady and the venerable master ate opposite each other. But Yuan Liu and the two of them were not given anything to eat. His Holiness said, “Although these two should not be allowed to eat with us, they should find some earthly food for them.” The lady said, “That’s right!” So they brought additional food for Yuan Liu and the two of them, which was of earthly taste.
When His Holiness finished eating, he took out a scroll of red seal script from his bosom and gave it to the madam. The madam saluted and took it. Then His Holiness said goodbye to leave. He looked back at Yuanliu and said, “You two have dao bones, so it is not difficult to go back, but when you meet unexpectedly, you are supposed to have spiritual objects to give. You will naturally have a teacher because of your previous fate, I am not suitable to cooperate with your teacher only.” Yuanliu two people bowed down together. The venerable teacher then departed. Not long after, a martial artist appeared on the sea. This martial artist was several feet tall, wearing golden armor and carrying a sword. He came forward and said, “Bong envoy Tianzhen was not careful in guarding the road, and should be executed for public display according to the law, and now the execution is finished.” Then he sank down quickly.
The lady said to a lady-in-waiting dressed in purple and wearing a phoenix crown, “You may send the two guests away, but what will he be allowed to ride?” The lady-in-waiting said, “There is a hundred-flower bridge to carry them both.” Yuan and Liu expressed their gratitude and saluted to say goodbye. The lady presented a jade pot to them. The pot was more than one foot high. The lady took a pen and inscribed a poem on the jade pot, saying, “From a leafy boat, I came to the Hundred Flowers Bridge. If you come to earth and fasten the jade pot, the lovebirds will understand their own words.” In a moment, there are a few hundred steps long bridge appeared on the water, the bridge railing, all the exotic flowers and plants. Yuan Liu duo from the flowers and plants peeked between, see millions of dragons and snakes, quickly entwined with each other to become the pillars of the bridge. And saw the sea giant beast that I saw before, has been cut off the head, floating on the water. Yuan and Liu asked the messenger what was going on. The messenger said, “The beast was killed because it didn’t know you two were coming.”
When they said goodbye, they asked the messenger, “The lady’s poem says, ‘If you come to earth to snap the jade pot, the mandarin ducks will understand their own words.’ What does it mean?” The messenger said, “When you go back, if you have something to do, just knock on the jade pot, and a pair of mandarin ducks will agree, and there is no disobedience to what they are told to do.” He also asked, “The Jade Venerable Master said that we would naturally have a teacher, and who is our teacher?” The messenger said, “It is Mr. Taiji of Nan Yue, and you will meet him yourselves.” So Yuan Liu and the two of them said goodbye to the messenger. At the end of the bridge was the place where the boat used to stop at the coast of Hepu County. Looking back, there was no more bridge. When the two inquired, twelve years had passed. The relatives of Huanzhou and Aizhou had died. They inquired about the way back to Hengshan, and knocked on the pot when they got hungry halfway. So there were mandarin ducks saying, “If you want to get food and drink, you will naturally meet them if you go ahead.” A little while later, there was a table of sumptuous meals by the road, and the two of them had a full meal. For several days, they never wanted to eat again. Soon they returned Home. The former children had now grown into adults. However, their wives, who had died three days apart, were overwhelmed with grief and joy, and the Family said, “They say that the groom died in the sea, and after three years of mourning, it has been nine years again.”
Then the two of them travelled together in the clouds in search of Mr. Taiji, but neither of them found any trace of Mr. Taiji, so they came back sullenly. Because it was snowing heavily, they saw an old man selling firewood and took pity on the old man’s frailty and old age, so they gave him wine to drink. When they saw the word “Taiji” on the firewood, they became teachers and told him about the jade pot. The old man said, “This is the jug I used to fill the wine, I have lost it for dozens of years (one jade is sixty years), and I am very happy to see it again.” The two of them then followed the old man to Zhurong Peak. From then on, they became immortal and never appeared in the human world again.
(Source: Taiping Guangji)
Recent Comments