The Great Sage Sun Wukong and the eunuchs entered the royal palace, heading straight to the entrance of the sleeping quarters. He took out three golden threads and handed them to the eunuch, instructing, “First, tie one of these golden threads around His Majesty's left wrist, then let the other end come out through the window to me.” The eunuch complied, and the king, sitting on his dragon bed, tied one end of the thread while the other end extended outside the window.
Wukong took the thread and began to examine the king's pulse carefully, using his right thumb to support his index finger, checking the cun pulse, then pressing down with his middle finger to feel the guan pulse, and finally placing his thumb on his ring finger to measure the chi pulse. He regulated his breathing and carefully distinguished the four types of qi, five stagnations, seven surfaces, eight interiors, and nine conditions, ultimately understanding the situation of deficiency and excess.
Next, he untied the left hand and tied it around his right wrist, starting to examine with his left hand. Suddenly, he shook his body, pulled back the golden thread, and shouted loudly, “Your Majesty's left cun pulse is strong and tight, the guan pulse is rough and slow, and the chi pulse is weak and heavy; the right cun pulse is floating and slippery, the guan pulse is slow and knotty, and the chi pulse is rapid and firm. The symptoms on the left indicate heart pain and deficiency, while the right shows internal blockage, stagnation of food and drink!” The king, hearing this, was overjoyed and immediately shouted back, “Understood! Understood! It is indeed so! Quickly prepare the medicine!”
Wukong slowly walked out of the palace, and the eunuchs had already relayed the news. Moments later, Wukong emerged, and Tang Seng immediately asked, “How did it go?” Wukong smiled and replied, “The pulse has been diagnosed; now we just need to prescribe the right medicine.” The officials hurriedly approached and asked, “Master, what does the phrase 'the two birds have lost their flock' mean?” Wukong chuckled, “It’s like a pair of birds flying together, suddenly scared apart by a storm; the female bird can’t find the male, and the male can’t find the female. They’re both missing each other—this is exactly what 'the two birds have lost their flock' means!”
The officials applauded, exclaiming, “Truly a divine monk! Truly a miraculous physician!” Just then, a royal physician asked, “The illness has been diagnosed, but what medicine should we use?” Wukong answered, “Don’t be bound by prescriptions; use whatever medicine you find.” The physician was puzzled and said, “The scriptures say there are eight hundred flavors of medicine and four hundred diseases in people. Since diseases don’t all occur in one person, how can we use all the medicines?”
Wukong laughed and replied, “The ancients said that medicine isn’t limited by prescriptions; what’s suitable is what matters. That’s why I want to gather all the medicines and freely adjust them.” The physician, hearing this, no longer argued and went out of the palace to send someone to the city’s major pharmacies to prepare three pounds of each medicine, delivering them to Wukong. Wukong instructed, “This isn’t the place for making medicine; send all the medicines and utensils to the Huizong Hall and let my disciples receive them.” The physician complied, delivering all eight hundred flavors of medicinal materials and various utensils to the hall.
Wukong then invited his master to the hall to prepare the medicine. Just as Tang Seng was about to rise, he suddenly received a decree from the inner palace, instructing him to stay in the Wenhua Hall and wait until tomorrow to take the medicine, thanking them only after his recovery. Tang Seng was shocked, saying, “Disciple, this means I’m the main character! If you cure me, I’ll happily send you off; but if you don’t, I might lose my life! You must put in more effort and take it seriously!” Wukong smiled and said, “Master, don’t worry; I’m the best doctor!”
After bidding farewell to Tang Seng and the officials, the Great Sage headed straight to the hall. As soon as Ba Jie saw him, he grinned and said, “Brother, I’ve figured you out!” Wukong curiously asked, “What do you mean?” Ba Jie proudly replied, “I know you didn’t succeed in your journey for scriptures and want to open a pharmacy here to make a fortune in this rich place!” Wukong quickly retorted, “Stop talking nonsense! I’m not here to open a pharmacy; I want to cure the king and then go home. I have no interest in running a pharmacy!”
Ba Jie shrugged, “But look at this—eight hundred flavors of medicine, three pounds each, that adds up to two thousand four hundred twenty-four pounds! Even if it’s just for one person, how long would it take to use all this medicine?” Wukong scoffed, “Do we need that much? Those royal physicians are foolish; they bring me all this medicine without realizing I only need a few flavors. They really don’t understand my brilliance!” Just then, two hall attendants knelt down and said, “Please, Master Monk, come for the evening meal.” Wukong was puzzled, “Why are you kneeling to invite me now when you treated me so poorly before?” The hall attendants bowed their heads and replied, “When you came, I was blind and didn’t recognize your esteemed face. Now that I’ve heard you cured the king, if he recovers, you will be our benefactor, and it’s only right that we pay our respects!”
Hearing this, Wukong felt delighted and happily walked into the hall, with Ba Jie and Sha Seng sitting on either side, setting up the vegetarian meal. Sha Seng asked, “Brother, where is Master?” Wukong replied with a smile, “Master was kept by the king, waiting to be cured before he can express his gratitude and send us off.” Sha Seng then asked, “Did the king benefit from it?” Wukong answered, “Of course the king benefited! When I arrived, he had three ministers accompanying him!”
Upon hearing this, Ba Jie exclaimed, “This really shows how impressive Master is! He has ministers with him, while we only have two attendants flattering us. Forget it, let’s not worry about him; let me eat my fill first!” So, the brothers enjoyed their meal leisurely.
As evening approached, Wukong called the attendants, “Put out the cooking fire and prepare some oil and candles; we will make medicine when the night is quiet.” The attendants quickly brought the oil and candles. After everyone finished eating, they waited until midnight when it was quiet, and all was still. Ba Jie yawned and said, “Brother, what medicine are we making? Hurry up, I’m getting sleepy.” Wukong said, “Go get an ounce of rhubarb and grind it into a fine powder.” Sha Seng added, “Rhubarb is bitter, cold, and non-toxic; it can dispel cold and heat, hence it’s called the general. But I’m worried that you’re weak from prolonged illness and shouldn’t use this.”
Wukong laughed and said, “Brother, you don’t know; this medicine can relieve phlegm and smooth the qi, dispelling cold and heat from the belly. Quickly go get an ounce of croton seed, remove the shell and membrane, pound out the oil and toxins, and grind it into a fine powder.” Upon hearing this, Ba Jie immediately objected, “Croton seed is pungent, hot, and toxic; it shouldn’t be used lightly!” Wukong dismissed his concern, “Brother, this medicine can break blockages and clear the intestines; hurry up, I have other ingredients to use!”
So, they quickly ground the two types of medicine into fine powder. Ba Jie asked, “Brother, do we still need those dozens of other medicines?” Wukong shook his head, “No need.” Ba Jie exclaimed, “Eight hundred flavors, three pounds each, and we only use these two ounces? That’s too extravagant!” Wukong took out a decorative ceramic cup and said, “Brother, don’t say so much; take this cup and scrape half a cup of pot ash.” Ba Jie was puzzled, “What’s this for?” Wukong replied, “It’s needed for the medicine.” Sha Seng interjected, “I’ve never seen pot ash used in medicine.” Wukong laughed, “Pot ash is called ‘hundred herbs frost’; it can regulate a hundred diseases, but you don’t know!”
That silly fellow diligently scraped half a cup of pot ash and ground it finely. Wukong then handed him another cup and said, “Now go get half a cup of our horse’s urine.” Ba Jie looked bewildered, “What’s that for?” Wukong said mysteriously, “It’s for making pill medicine.” Sha Seng couldn’t help but laugh, “Brother, this isn’t a joke! Horse urine is very smelly; how can it be used in medicine? I’ve seen vinegar paste, rice paste, and honey syrup, but never horse urine pills! Just the smell would make one want to vomit. If you eat croton seed and rhubarb, wouldn’t it make you vomit and have diarrhea?”
Wukong, looking pleased, replied, “You don’t know; my horse is no ordinary horse; he’s the dragon from the West Sea! If he can urinate, the medicine will be effective immediately, but he just won’t do it.” Hearing this, Ba Jie began to believe and hurried to the horse’s side. The horse was lying down, sleeping. Ba Jie kicked it, but after waiting for a long time, the horse still didn’t urinate. He ran back to Wukong and said, “Brother, don’t treat the emperor first; treat this horse! This poor thing is so constipated it can’t urinate at all!”
Wukong laughed and said, “I’ll go with you.” Sha Seng followed, saying, “I’ll go take a look too.” The three of them went to the horse. Suddenly, the horse jumped up and spoke in human language, saying sternly, “Brother, don’t you know? I was originally a flying dragon from the West Sea, but I was transformed into a horse by Guanyin Bodhisattva for violating heavenly laws, to carry Master to obtain the scriptures. If I urinate in the water, the fish can eat me; if I urinate on the mountain, the grass will absorb it and turn into ganoderma, which will be collected by celestial boys for longevity. How could I easily abandon this worldly existence?”
Wukong hurriedly persuaded, “Brother, listen to me; this is the king of the West, a place beyond the ordinary. As the saying goes, ‘Many hairs make a fur coat’; we need to treat the king’s illness! If we cure him, everyone will benefit; otherwise, we won’t be able to leave here!” The horse then called out, “Wait!” It lunged forward, crouched down, and with a grinding of teeth, it finally squeezed out a few drops. Ba Jie looked and muttered, “This poor thing! Even if it’s golden juice, a little bit wouldn’t hurt!”
Seeing half a cup of horse urine, Wukong was immediately excited, “That’s enough! Enough! Take it away!” Sha Seng was also overjoyed. The three returned to the hall and mixed the previously gathered medicinal materials together, rolling them into three large pills. Wukong looked at them and said, “Brothers, these pills are too big.” Ba Jie countered, “They’re only the size of walnuts; one bite isn’t even enough!” So, they placed the pills in a small box, and without even undressing, the brothers settled down to sleep peacefully, with no further words that night.
At dawn, the king, feeling unwell, summoned his officials for a meeting and specifically requested Tang Seng to come. With the king's command, the officials hurried to the meeting hall, preparing to ask the divine monk, Elder Sun, for medicine. Upon arriving at the hall, the officials immediately knelt and said, “Our king has specially ordered us to come and receive the miraculous medicine.” Wukong then called to Ba Jie, “Quick, bring the box!” Ba Jie hurriedly fetched it, opened the lid, and handed it to the officials.
One official asked, “What is the name of this medicine, so we can report it back to the king?” Wukong replied mysteriously, “This is called Black Gold Pill.” Ba Jie and Sha Seng exchanged secret smiles, thinking, “It’s just mixed with pot ash; how can it be called Black Gold?” The official asked again, “What should we use as a vehicle to take it?” Wukong said, “There are two types of vehicles; one is easy to find, six ingredients brewed into a soup to take with it.” The official was curious, “What are those six ingredients?”
Wukong replied seriously, “First, the farts of a flying crow; second, the urine of a carp in still water; third, the face powder of the Queen Mother; fourth, the alchemical ash from Lao Jun’s furnace; fifth, three pieces of the Jade Emperor’s broken headscarf; sixth, five strands of dragon whiskers.” The officials were astonished, “These things don’t exist in the world! What is the other type of vehicle?”
Wukong proudly said, “Use rootless water to take it.” The officials burst into laughter, “That’s easy to find!” Wukong was puzzled, “How is it easy to find?” The officials explained, “In our local saying, just take a bowl to the well or river, scoop up the water, and quickly turn around without letting it touch the ground.” Wukong shook his head, “Well water and river water are both rooted; the rootless water I’m talking about comes from the sky and must not touch the ground.”
The officials then suggested, “Then we can wait until it’s cloudy and rainy to take the medicine.” They thanked Wukong and took the medicine back to the king. Upon seeing it, the king’s face lit up, and he asked, “What are these pills?” The officials replied, “The divine monk said it’s Black Gold Pill, taken with rootless water.” The king immediately ordered his attendants to fetch rootless water, but the officials reminded him, “The divine monk said rootless water isn’t well or river water; it’s water that falls from the sky.”
The king then issued a decree to the magistrate to request rain. The officials complied and made the announcement. At this moment, Wukong said to Ba Jie in the hall, “We just said we need water from the sky; how are we going to wait for rain? I think this king is a good ruler; let’s help him get some rain for the medicine!” Ba Jie asked, “How do we help?” Wukong replied, “You stand on my left as the assistant star, and Sha Seng will stand on my right as the auxiliary star; I’ll help him summon rootless water.”
So, Wukong began to chant a spell, and before long, a dark cloud appeared in the eastern sky. The Dragon King Ao Guang suddenly appeared, and Wukong hurriedly asked, “Are you here to help?” The Dragon King replied, “I didn’t bring any rain-making tools; how can I make it rain?” Wukong, anxious, said, “Right now, we just need to summon water; we don’t need wind, clouds, or thunder.” The Dragon King nodded, “Then I’ll just sneeze and spit out some saliva for him to take the medicine.”
Wukong clapped his hands in delight, “Perfect! Hurry up!” The old dragon lowered the dark cloud in the sky and flew directly to the palace, spitting out a mouthful of saliva, which instantly turned into sweet rain. All the officials cheered in unison, “Our lord has great joy! The heavens have sent down sweet rain!” The king immediately issued a decree, “Quick! Bring vessels to collect the water; we must store this celestial water inside and outside the palace to save this lonely subject!”
Everyone raised their cups and bowls, ready to catch the rain. The old dragon manipulated his saliva in the air for an hour before bidding farewell to the Great Sage and returning to the sea. The officials collected the cups and bowls; some waited for a few drops, others for several drops, and ultimately combined everything, resulting in about three bowls full, which were sent to the emperor's table. The aroma was overwhelming, and the delicious scent filled the entire hall!
After sending off the monk, the king excitedly returned to the palace with the Black Gold Pill and the sweet rain. He first swallowed one pill and then drank a cup of sweet rain. Then he swallowed another pill and drank another cup of sweet rain. In this way, he consumed all three pills and drank all three cups. Before long, his stomach began to make rumbling noises, like a grinding wheel. The king hurried to the restroom, running back and forth three to five times, and finally drank some rice water before collapsing onto the dragon bed to rest.
At this moment, two concubines came to clean the toilet and saw the filth and phlegm inside, along with a lump of sticky rice. They rushed to report to the dragon bed, “The root of the illness has been expelled!” Upon hearing this, the king felt overjoyed and ate another bowl of rice. After a while, he felt his chest lighten, his qi and blood harmonized, his spirits lifted, and his legs grew stronger. He jumped off the dragon bed, donned his court attire, and immediately went to see Tang Seng, prostrating himself on the ground. Tang Seng hurriedly returned the gesture, and after they finished greeting each other, the king helped him up and quickly instructed, “Prepare a formal invitation, writing ‘I bow again in deep respect’ and send officials to invite the master’s three esteemed disciples. Also, quickly open the East Pavilion and arrange a banquet at the Guanglu Temple to show my gratitude!”
Upon hearing this, the officials immediately sprang into action, preparing the invitations and the banquet, which were ready in no time. Ba Jie, seeing the officials rushing to send the invitations, grinned widely, “Brother, it really is good medicine! Today they are coming to express their gratitude; it’s all thanks to you!” Sha Seng chimed in, “Second Brother, don’t be modest; we all contributed to the medicine. Let’s go enjoy it; no need to say more.” The brothers happily walked toward the court, greeted warmly by the officials, heading straight to the East Pavilion.
Upon entering the East Pavilion, Tang Seng, the king, and the senior officials had already set up the banquet. Wukong, Ba Jie, and Sha Seng paid their respects to their master, and soon all the officials were gathered. Four plain tables were filled with exquisite dishes, and in front was a meat table, complete with a variety of delicacies. Hundreds of single tables were neatly arranged, showcasing an array of delicious food, including fragrant pastries and rich meats that made everyone’s mouths water.
The king raised his cup and first offered a toast to Tang Seng, but Tang Seng replied, “The poor monk doesn’t drink.” The king was taken aback, “Then how about some vegetarian wine? Would it be alright for the master to have this cup?” Tang Seng shook his head, “Wine is the first precept for monks.” The king felt a bit embarrassed, “If the master abstains from wine, what should I offer you instead?” Tang Seng suggested, “Let my three unruly disciples drink in my stead.” The king was pleased and turned to pour wine for Wukong.
Wukong took the wine and, after exchanging pleasantries, drank heartily. Seeing him drink so freely, the king poured him another cup, and Wukong unhesitatingly drank again. The king laughed, “Come, let’s drink to the Three Treasures!” Wukong drank again, and the king called for more, “Come, let’s drink to the Four Seasons!” Ba Jie, watching from the side, couldn’t hold back any longer, thinking, “I want to drink too!” So he stood up and said, “Your Majesty, I contributed to the medicine as well; there’s horse in the medicine—”
Wukong, hearing this, panicked and quickly handed the wine to Ba Jie. Ba Jie took a drink but didn’t say anything further. The king asked, “The divine monk said there’s horse in the medicine; what kind of horse is that?” Wukong quickly replied, “My brother talks too much; don’t mind him. He meant the morning medicine has the herb called ‘horse bellflower.’” The king, curious, asked, “What does horse bellflower taste like? What illness can it cure?” An official from the imperial medical department answered, “Your Majesty, bellflower is bitter, cold, and non-toxic; it can dispel phlegm, calm wheezing, and promote circulation while replenishing the body.” Upon hearing this, the king smiled and said, “That’s excellent! Elder Pig, drink another cup!” Ba Jie silently drank a “Three Treasures” cup, and the king poured wine for Sha Seng, who also drank three cups. Everyone sat together, lively and cheerful.
After the banquet had been going for a while, the king raised a large goblet to toast Wukong. Wukong smiled, “Your Majesty, please sit; I wouldn’t dare decline, let’s drink heartily!” The king, however, said, “The divine monk’s grace is as heavy as a mountain; I cannot underestimate this token of gratitude, and I must drink this big cup.” Wukong felt delighted, thinking, “Just say what you mean; I’m always up for a drink!”
The king, with a serious expression, said, “My worries and ailments these past few years have all been resolved by the divine monk’s miraculous pill.” Wukong laughed heartily, “I noticed that yesterday; your illness was caused by worry, but what were you worried about?” The king sighed, “As the ancients say, one shouldn’t air family troubles, but since the divine monk is my benefactor, I hope you won’t laugh at me.” Wukong quickly reassured him, “How could I dare to laugh? Please, go on.”
The king asked, “The divine monk traveled east; how many countries did you pass through?” Wukong replied, “Five or six.” The king continued, “What do the queens of those countries call their main consorts?” Wukong said, “They all call them the main palace, east palace, west palace.” The king countered, “That’s not how I refer to them; the main palace is called the Golden Sacred Palace, the east palace is the Jade Sacred Palace, and the west palace is the Silver Sacred Palace. Currently, only the Silver and Jade queens are in the palace.” Wukong, curious, asked, “Then why isn’t the Golden Sacred Palace in the palace?”
The king's eyes filled with tears: “She has been gone for three years.” Wukong quickly asked, “Where did she go?” The king sighed, “Three years ago during the Dragon Boat Festival, I was in the imperial garden with my concubines, unwrapping zongzi and drinking realgar wine, when suddenly a monster appeared, claiming to be Sai Tai Sui. He demanded my Golden Sacred Palace as his wife. If I didn’t hand her over, he would eat me and all the officials, and the common people would also suffer. For the sake of the country, I had no choice but to push the Golden Sacred Palace out, and as a result, she was taken by that monster. Since then, I’ve been worried sick and have not felt well for three years.”
Wukong listened and felt a pang of sympathy. After taking a drink, he smiled and asked, “So, do you plan to get the Golden Sacred Palace back?” The king, with tears streaming down his face, replied, “I think of her every day; how could I not want her back!” Wukong thumped his chest, “I’ll take you to deal with that monster, how about that?” The king knelt down, saying, “If you can rescue the Golden Sacred Palace, I would be willing to give you my kingdom and make you the emperor!”
Ba Jie, overhearing this, couldn’t help but laugh, “This emperor really has no dignity! For his wife, he’s willing to give up his kingdom and is even kneeling to a monk!” Wukong hurriedly helped the king up, asking, “Your Majesty, has the monster come back since he took the Golden Sacred Palace?” The king sighed, “He came two years ago, wanting two palace maids, and I gave him two. Last year he came again for two more, and this year he’s come again; I truly don’t know how long this will go on!”
Wukong felt a tightness in his chest upon hearing this. “He comes so frequently; aren’t you afraid?” The king forced a smile, “Since he comes often, I’m both afraid and worried. Last year, I even had a monster-avoidance tower built. When I hear the wind, I take the concubines and hide there.” Wukong’s eyes lit up, “Can you take me to see the monster-avoidance tower?” The king immediately agreed, taking Wukong’s hand, and the officials also rose to follow.
At this moment, Ba Jie interjected, “Brother, this isn’t reasonable! If you’re not going to drink, why shake the mat? What are we going to see?” The king understood Ba Jie was being mischievous and ordered two plain tables to be brought outside the monster-avoidance tower to serve. Only then did Ba Jie stop complaining and followed his master and Sha Seng, laughing, “Look at Ba Jie; he’s going to eat at those two tables again!”
A group of civil and military officials guided the king and Wukong through the palace, arriving at the imperial garden, but they couldn’t see any towers or pavilions. Wukong curiously asked, “Where is the monster-avoidance tower?” Before he finished speaking, two eunuchs lifted a red-painted beam and revealed a square stone slab on the ground.
The king pointed to that place and said, “This is it! It’s over ten feet deep, with nine halls inside, and four large vats filled with clear oil, lit continuously day and night. When I hear the wind, I hide inside, and then cover the stone slab outside.” Wukong laughed, “If that monster wants to harm you, how can you hide?” Just then, a fierce wind howled, raising dust, causing the officials to complain in unison, “As soon as the monk mentions the monster, the monster comes!”
The king hurriedly abandoned Wukong and dove into the underground chamber, and Tang Seng followed him in, while the other officials quickly hid as well.
Ba Jie and Sha Seng also wanted to hide, but Wukong grabbed them both, saying, “Brothers, don’t be afraid! I’ll go see what this monster looks like!” Ba Jie panicked, “Isn’t this nonsense? Everyone else is hiding; we don’t need to go!” He struggled left and right but couldn’t break free, ultimately being held by Wukong. At that moment, a monster suddenly appeared in mid-air. Everyone looked and gasped; it was truly a terrifying figure: nine feet tall, with a fierce appearance, eyes shining like golden lanterns, ears like spread-out fans, and four steel teeth—it was a ghastly sight.
Wukong asked Sha Seng, “Do you recognize him?” Sha Seng shook his head, “I don’t know him; how could I recognize him?” He then asked Ba Jie, “What about you?” Ba Jie also shook his head, “I’ve never drunk with him, how would I recognize him?” Wukong said, “He looks like the Golden-Eyed Ghost under the Eastern Peak.” Ba Jie panicked, “No! No!” Wukong asked, “How do you know?” Ba Jie, looking innocent, replied, “Ghosts are spirits of the underworld; they don’t come out during the day. It’s broad daylight today; what ghost would dare to show itself? Even if it were a ghost, it wouldn’t fly!”
Wukong laughed, “Good fool, you have a point! Since that’s the case, you all stay here and guard; I’ll go ask him what his name is so I can rescue the Golden Sacred Palace.” Ba Jie hurriedly said, “You can go, but don’t expose us!” Wukong said no more, leaping into the air and charging up. Ah! This is truly: “To secure the country, first treat the king’s illness; to uphold the path, one must eliminate love and hatred.” But what happens next, the outcome, how to capture the monster and rescue the Golden Sacred Palace, we’ll discuss next time.
