All of a sudden he saw a man with a dark complexion sitting on a high terrace. Pilgrim laughed to himself: “There must be bandits even in the World of the Ancients. Look at this one: his face has been smeared with black ashes, and he’s being exhibited there as a warning to the public.”

He took a few steps and then said to himself, “No, not a bandit. The place must be a temple dedicated to Zhang Fei.”¹ He thought further, “If this were a temple dedicated to Zhang Fei, he should be wearing a head wrap. Or if he were following the modern style, he should be wearing a general’s helmet instead. The emperor’s hat is not to be worn lightly.” [K. One might wear it for a little while with the door closed.] Wearing the emperor’s hat, and with a dark complexion, this must be the dark-complexioned emperor, Yu the Great.”² [C. Makes one laugh hard enough to spit out the food in one’s mouth.] I should go see him and ask him for some secret spells to tame monsters and kill demons, so that I don’t have to look for the First Emperor of Qin. [C. Mentioned again.] [K. Sticks close to this future-projecting artery (of the story).]

He stepped forward and saw a stone post at the foot of the terrace; on it a flag was fastened with four purple characters written in “flying-white” style:³

Famous Pre-Han Scholar⁴ [C. Odd title.] Xiang Yu. [K. This chapter details many instances of Old Xiang’s buffoonery—probably meant as a (satirical) portrait of those “famous scholars.”]

Having read it, Pilgrim had a hearty laugh. “This is really an example of ‘Before an event happens, don’t worry about how it will be—when it does occur, it will definitely not turn out to be as you imagined.’ I, Old Monkey, having thought about this from all directions, took him to be the dark-complexioned Emperor Yu the Great, or Zhang Fei, or a thief put on display. Who could have known that he is none of these, but instead is that wayward husband of mine from when I was in Green Pearl’s pavilion!” [K. Demonic situations created by himself. It is for this that the Buddhist religion warns men in their prime not to create karma. “Wayward husband” makes a nice contrast with the “original wife of a different bed” below.]

Then, his thinking took another turn. “Aya, it was to find the First Emperor of Qin and borrow the Mountain-Ridding Bell that I, Old Monkey, drilled into the World of the Ancients. [C. Mentioned again.] The Hegemon-King of Chu came after him in time, and here he is. So why is there no sign of the First Emperor? I have an idea. When I meet Xiang Yu, I will ask him about the whereabouts of the First Emperor, so that I’ll have some reliable information.”

Thereupon, Pilgrim leaped into the air to take a careful look around. By the foundation of the terrace, there was an area of green grass and vermilion banisters, where flowers bloomed in profusion and birds sang. A beautiful woman was sitting there.

Then he heard someone calling, “Lady Yu, Lady Yu!”

Pilgrim laughed: “The Old Monkey who was once in Green Pearl’s pavilion is now here. [K. How absurd.] Whether she lives or dies means nothing to me!” He instantly shook himself and, as before, changed into the form of Fair Lady Yu. [K. Grave mistake.] He made his way directly to the high terrace, took a foot-square handkerchief from his sleeve, and wiped away his tears without stopping, leaving only half of his face visible. He gazed at Xiang Yu, as if in resentment and anger.

Xiang Yu was astonished and hastily went down on his knees. Pilgrim turned his back to Xiang Yu, while Xiang Yu made haste to crawl around in front of Pilgrim: “My Lady, have some mercy on the one that shares pillow and mat with you. Give me just a little smile!” [K. What injustice has Xiang Yu done to the author that he is being treated in such a devastating way?] Pilgrim kept silent. Xiang Yu, at his wit’s end, could only join him in weeping. [C. Heroes of all ages have always had objects of their affection (qing) from whom they were reluctant to part. Even so, Xiang Yu is excessive, having spent his life weeping.]

Pointing at Xiang Yu, his peach-flower-like face flushing red, Pilgrim said, “You incorrigible villain! Even though you are a renowned general, you are unable to protect your woman; how do you have the face to just sit here on this high terrace!” Xiang Yu, not daring to venture a reply, only kept weeping.

Revealing, ever so slightly, an inability to bear his discomfort, Pilgrim offered both hands to help him up, saying, “As the proverb goes, ‘There is gold in a man’s knees.’ In the future, don’t kneel so easily.” [K. Where did Elder Sun learn to behave this way? It’s just like the Chan monks of today. It is certainly the case that “it is easy if you know how.”]

Xiang Yu replied, “Your Ladyship is being too lenient! As soon as I see your brows knitted with sorrow, my heart and lungs are shattered to pieces. Why should I care about what happens to my seven-foot-tall body! [C. A stalwart hero! A stalwart hero! Those without feelings (qing) can never be the world’s most extraordinary men. I would say that Xiang Yu occupies the first place among men of feelings (qingren); Qu Yuan and Song Yu⁵ are second to him.] Now tell me, what is the matter after all?”

“My Lord,” replied Pilgrim, “I can keep it from you no longer. I was somewhat indisposed and lay down on the rattan couch to sleep for an hour, when from a magnolia tree outside of the window a monkey monster leaped over. He claimed to be the Bodhisattva Sun Wukong, the Great Sage Equal to Heaven, who wrought havoc in Heaven five hundred years ago.”⁶

No sooner did he hear that than Xiang Yu leaped up and shouted, “Bring me my sword from the head of my jade bed. Bring me that sword! If you can’t find the sword, then bring me my tiger-headed halberd!” He then straightened his hair, tightened his boots, and yelled again, “Where is he now?”

Pilgrim bent toward him, saying, “My Lord, there is no need for such rage; don’t let anger harm your health. Wait for me to tell you all about it. That monkey is really detestable. [C. The real Pilgrim Sun pretends to be Fair Lady Yu, and the counterfeit Fair Lady Yu talks about the real Pilgrim Sun. How fantastic!] He even made his way to the rattan couch to flirt with me. Although I am unworthy, how could I be unclear about things and unable to distinguish between remaining chaste and being violated? At that time, I shouted for my maids-in-waiting. I don’t know what kind of transfixing spell he used, but I was not able to summon even one of them! I knew that if none of my maids-in-waiting could come, there must be something strange going on, and so I made haste to throw down my round fan and straighten my clothing. Staring at me with angry eyes, that ape grabbed me up with one hand, threw me into the Pavilion of Raining Flowers [K. The Pavilion of Raining Flowers is mentioned all of a sudden: fantastic.], then turned around and leaped away.

“In the Pavilion of Raining Flowers, I was anxious and confused, and secretly followed him with my eyes to see where he was going. My Lord, what do you think he did? [K. Wonderful pause, as if we could hear “her” voice.] He actually made his way to the rattan couch in the shadows of the flowers, changed into my shape, and began to order the servants and maids around. Before long he will try to bewitch you, my Lord. I’m not worth your concern; I’m just afraid that my Lord will not be able to distinguish the real from the unreal and will fall victim to his murderous scheme. The reason that I was weeping so bitterly was precisely for you, my Lord!” [K. Those who bewitch others are often like this.]

When Xiang Yu heard this, raising his saber with his left hand and grasping his halberd in his right, he shouted, “I’ll kill him!” Down he leaped from the terrace and made his way straight to the couch in the shade of the flowers, where he cut off the head of Fair Lady Yu and threw it, still dripping blood, into the lotus pond.

“Stop your sniffling!” he ordered her maids-in-waiting. “This was a false mistress, and I have killed her. Your true mistress is on my terrace.”

Swallowing their tears, all the maids-in-waiting hurried up the terrace on the heels of King Xiang. Seeing Pilgrim there, their grief turned into joy. “It is true—our real mistress lady is here after all. We, your maidservants, were nearly frightened to death!”

Xiang Yu was elated. He ordered the attendants at the terrace to sweep the Tower of Raining Flowers. “Take pains to lay out a proper wine feast. This will be first to help Her Ladyship get over her shock, and secondly to celebrate Our decapitating the monster and dispelling delusion.” [K. Those who are bewitched by others are often like this.] All the servants below the terrace voiced their obedience in unison.

At the same time, the various maids-in-waiting on the terrace massaged Pilgrim’s chest and rubbed his back or brought tea and water. Some asked, “Your Ladyship had a great fright. Is your heart still pounding?”

“A little,” answered Pilgrim.

Some asked, “Did Your Ladyship trip and hurt your lower body?” [K. Why are they only asking about the lower part of the body? How can they know that Her Ladyship’s lower part of the body is that of a Buddhist elder? The awe-inspiring Great Sage, as soon as he is infected by the demon of desire (qing), no longer controls his own mind, hence the many foolish things he does. He who deludes others deludes himself—it is often like this.]

Pilgrim said, “No, I did not. I’m only out of breath, which is hard to bear.”

King Xiang said, “Being out of breath is not a serious matter. Just calm yourself down, sit quietly for a while, and you will be fine.”

Suddenly a pair of attendants knelt before them, to invite the king and their mistress to attend the banquet.

Pilgrim thought to himself, “I will not just go along with every whim of his.” Immediately he feigned being possessed by a demon,⁷ made his two eyes stare vacantly, and said to King Xiang, “Give me back my head!”

King Xiang was aghast, calling without stopping, “My Lady, my Lady!”

Pilgrim made no response; he only kept staring, showing only the whites of his eyes.

“Needless to say, this can only be Sun Wukong’s ghost that has not yet dissipated; now it has possessed Her Ladyship,” King Xiang said. [C. That the fake Fair Lady kills the real Fair Lady is strange enough; that the real Pilgrim pretends to be the fake Pilgrim is stranger!] “Make haste to summon a yellow-robed Daoist priest to exorcise the evil spirit: then she will certainly restore herself to normal.”

In no time, two attendants came up the terrace accompanying a yellow-robed Daoist priest. The Daoist, holding his bell in one hand and spitting magic water from his mouth, chanted a spell:

At the time of the Three August Ones,⁸ there were an Emperor Xuanyuan and a Divine Ruler, Shun the Great. The name of Shun the Great was Yu, and Xuanyuan’s family name was Gongsun. Sun and Yu, Yu and Sun, were originally bound by marriage. A knot of enmity was tied today; when can it be cleared away? I prostrate myself to implore the divine spirit of Pilgrim, Lord Great Sage, Reverend Master Sun [K. What an amazing title!] to ascend at once to the Upper Realm and again wreak havoc in Heaven, release Lady Yu and go find the Tang Monk. Act quickly as I command, lest I, the Daoist, be found inept and Buddhist monks be sent for!

Pilgrim then shouted, “Daoist, do you know who I am?”

“Your Ladyship,” the Daoist replied on his knees, courteously, “may you live a thousand years!”

“Daoist, Daoist, you can never exorcise me!” Pilgrim shouted roughly. “I am the Great Sage Equal to Heaven, and I am getting my revenge by possessing her body! This is an auspicious day, and I am determined to wed Fair Lady Yu! [K. The real Pilgrim is taking the place of the real Lady Yu in being Xiang Yu’s spouse, and the false Pilgrim demands the hand of the false Lady Yu: even more fantastic.] You should act as our matchmaker and get a matchmaker’s fee—wouldn’t that be good for you?” This said, he again shouted out some words that were totally incoherent and meaningless.

The Daoist, hands and feet numb with fear, could only move forward with his sword and, waving it gently and gently spitting out half a mouthful of magic water, chanted another spell in a low voice: “The Supreme Old Master⁹ commands this be done immediately.” The words that should follow this spell, “Act as I command!” were inaudible. [K. Why should this Daoist cleric be made fun of?]

Pilgrim secretly took pity on the Daoist, so he returned his pupils to their normal position and called out, “Where is His Majesty my dear husband?” [K. Amazing title.]

King Xiang was overjoyed and instantly made a present of one hundred ounces of fine-quality silver to the yellow-robed Daoist and had him escorted back to his temple. He hastily helped Pilgrim up and said, “My Lady, why did you frighten me so?”

“I don’t know what happened,” said Pilgrim. “I only saw that ape come over to the couch, and then I lost consciousness. The Daoist spat a mouthful of magic water on me, and I saw him stagger, then he fled straight to the southeast. Now my mind is crystal clear. Let’s go drink wine.”

King Xiang then took hold of Pilgrim’s hand, and together they climbed down from the terrace and made their way straight to the Pavilion of Raining Flowers. There they took their seats.

The phoenix lanterns scattered their brilliance, and candles made it bright as day. The various maids-in-waiting stood alert in rows. Just when they had drunk several rounds of wine, Pilgrim abruptly stood up, saying to Xiang Yu, “My Lord, I want to go to bed.”

Xiang Yu hastily called the maid Pinxiang to light the lamps. [C. This is the writer’s lifeblood, what Huang Zi’an¹⁰ meant about the method of “lifting up the thread” in composition. If Pinxiang were not mentioned here, her mention below would lose its flavor.] [K. Pinxiang is mentioned here so that her mention later in the text will not seem abrupt.] The two of them, hand in hand, entered the bedchamber,¹¹ had a cup of Jie tea¹² [K. Anticipating tea drinking later in the text.], then sat shoulder to shoulder on the couch.

Pilgrim thought to himself, “I can’t just take off; I haven’t asked the whereabouts of the First Emperor of Qin yet. If I enter the bed curtains with him, and he makes some moves with his hands and feet [K. Makes a contrast with the earlier episode with Lady Rākṣasī.¹³], should I go along with him or not? [K. May I ask you, “mistress,” what constitutes “going along with him,” and what “not going along”?] I’d better find myself a way out of this.”

He then turned to Xiang Yu: “My Lord, I have something to say to you, but with so many things on my mind, when I see you I always forget it. Ever since I became your consort, my Lord, I have been expecting to give birth to sons and daughters to raise, to take care of us in our later days. [K. Birthing sons and raising daughters is something that you, mistress, are perhaps not capable of.] Who could have thought that all these years would have no effect? And you, my Lord, have only been obsessed with me and have refused to seek widely for other consorts. Now, my Lord, the hair at your temples is snowy white, and you’re growing round in girth. I may not be clever, yet I fear that my Lord will be lonely during your lifetime and be an heirless ghost after death.

“The maid Pinxiang is endowed with many natural charms; her misty eyes are particularly captivating. [K. Makes a contrast to Chusao.] I have repeatedly tested her in conversation, and she seems pretty interested. Just ask her to wait on Your Majesty tonight.”

King Xiang’s face changed color: “My Lady, could it be that today’s fright has unhinged your mind? How could an extremely jealous woman say something as extremely unjealous as that?” [K. This is what husbands all over the world have ardently prayed for. King Xiang, for his part, is overwhelmed by an unexpected favor.]

Pilgrim laughed with him: “My Lord, it was for the sake of your health that I have not allowed something like this in the past. Today I’m encouraging you for the sake of your having sons and grandsons. My mind will not be upset [K. Where did Elder Sun learn such things?], as long as Your Majesty is not upset in the future.”

King Xiang said, “My Lady, even if you say it ten thousand times, I still would dare not take Pinxiang. Have you forgotten the oath we made when we were viewing the lanterns on the fifteenth of the first month five years ago—to live and die together? [K. Made up from thin air. Most extraordinary and marvelous!] Were you joking with me?”

Pilgrim understood that it was impossible to have his way, so he laughed it off: “My Lord, what I fear is only that you might forsake me. How could I forsake Your Majesty? But just now there is something else that might bother you.”

[C. Pilgrim Sun is not the real Fair Lady Yu, nor is Fair Lady Yu the real Fair Lady Yu. One could say that the false Fair Lady Yu killed a false Fair Lady Yu.]

[K. King Xiang is the shadow of the Bull Demon King; Fair Lady Yu, the shadow of Lady Rākṣasī; and Chusao and Pinxiang are the shadow of the Jade-Faced Princess. The plot lines connecting this with the parent book are sound: this is as wonderful as the reflections of scenery on a river or the back of the oarsman turning to the scenery as he plies the oars.]