Let us return to Madame Chen’s dispatching of the female generals of the various divisions. She directed the troops to fire the guns, and from the South Gate they came out of the city and burst into Yuan Guangzhi’s camp. When Guangzhi heard the report, he ordered Mengyu to go out to fight. Having received her orders, Mengyu engaged in battle astride a horse and wielding a two-pronged lance. But Cinnabar Cloud Great Sage was already waiting to meet her. The fighting was such that the field of battle was shrouded in darkness; it was all cries and screams.

Yuan Guangzhi personally directed his troops. With his hair unbound, he brandished his sword, and, exercising the Mount Mao deviant arts to the fullest, made cut grass into horses and turned scattered beans into soldiers. Madame Chen led the various women generals as they charged out, flinging filthy ox and dog blood to break Guangzhi’s deviant spells, so that the transformed soldiers and horses all resumed their original forms. After fighting more than forty rounds, Cinnabar Cloud Great Sage captured Mengyu and took her back to the camp.

Again Cinnabar Cloud returned to the front of the formation. With a shake of his body, he turned into a celestial horse and entered the battle array, galloping madly back and forth.¹ In a short time, he had trampled underfoot tens of thousands of shadow soldiers, which revealed themselves to be horsehead grass, and were devoured by the celestial horse. The shadow soldiers having been destroyed, Guangzhi was routed, with Cinnabar Cloud following in pursuit. Madame Chen ordered the woman who had been captured to be imprisoned in the rear camp to wait until the false commander in chief and leader of the renegades had also been captured, so that they could be put to death together.

At this time the besieged city had been freed, and grain and fodder could once again be brought in. Madame Chen requested the ruler of Min to first set up places to give aid to the distressed and to calm the people. This is the present city’s Anmin Alley, which at that time was the place where grain and fodder were given to aid the distressed.²

Now we will return to Guangzhi, who, from the time that he had first sent out his soldiers, had always been victorious and never defeated in battle. Only now, in this battle, was he totally defeated. His favorite wife having been captured, and the army and officers having suffered heavy casualties, he was extremely bitter. He had no idea where these female reinforcements had come from and how they could be so devastating. He ordered a trusted officer to carefully inquire into where they had come from and quickly report what he found out. In the evening, the officer returned and reported, “This force of women soldiers comes from Linshui Palace in Gutian County. Her name is Chen Jinggu. Her parents’ home is in Xiadu at Jiangnan Bridge. Her father is Chen Chang.”

When Yuan Guangzhi heard this, he recalled that she was the one who, years ago, ahead of him on the road, had entered Mount Lü to study magic. He thought to himself, “Although her magic power is outstanding, how could I be willing to submit? In future we will decide once and for all who is master.”

Guangzhi had already retreated more than thirty li and was camped at Mount Huang. Wang Jitu, because he had suffered a great defeat, blamed Guangzhi. “I repeatedly urged you to move the soldiers forward and attack the city,” he said, “but you took no action. You waited until reinforcements arrived, and so we suffered a colossal defeat today. If you had listened to me and early on urged the troops to attack the city, it would already have fallen.”

Having suffered this reproach, Guangzhi retorted, “If you had earlier accepted his yielding of the throne to you, you would already have been emperor for some time. Even though reinforcements came, they would have been too late. It was you who decided to demand the heads of Wang Lian and Xue Wenjie and that the gate be opened and that they welcome you into the city to be the emperor, and so you suffered defeat today.” And they continued to blame each other. It didn’t suit either of them to speak clearly about this matter; they only held grudges against each other, and that’s all.

The next day Yuan Guangzhi again led his great army to advance and attack. Madame Chen ordered Miss Jiang to go out to meet the enemy. After just a few rounds, Guangzhi muttered incantations, and in the air there appeared more than a thousand tigers, wolves, and ferocious beasts. Baring their fangs and brandishing their claws, they came roaring and howling. When Miss Jiang saw the tigers and wolves rushing toward her, she jumped on her golden tiger and, spurring him on, she charged. The tigers and wolves were pushed aside by the golden tiger and fled in all directions. When the golden tiger let out a roar, the tigers and wolves fell to the ground, and turned into plants like tiger’s head and wolf grass.

When Guangzhi saw this he was furious, and again chanted imprecations and wrote talismans. Facing the sky, he clapped his hands several times, and the air filled with tens of thousands of ferocious birds. Hawks, crows, and magpies arrived in flocks, clawing and pecking the troops. Madame Chen ordered the two Rock sisters to go meet them. When the signal cannon fired, the two Rock women hurled stones, which were just like meteors pursuing the moon, striking down all the birds. When they resumed their original form, they were nothing but shellfish and clams of various sorts.

Yuan Guangzhi saw that this magic spell also had been broken. Again he muttered something, and in the air numberless flood dragons, tortoises, snakes, and poisonous insects of all types swarmed forward. Madame Chen ordered Cinnabar Cloud to go meet the enemy, and, at the sound of the cannon shot, he went out to battle. In the air he saw all kinds of poisonous insects and ferocious snakes. He raised his cudgel and swung it, sweeping it straight from side to side, striking down all the poisonous snakes and insects, which were nothing but plants like dragon’s beard and horsetail grasses. Guangzhi saw that this line of battle was also destroyed.

Again, facing the sky, he muttered something, and the air was filled with a thick, smokelike fog. Flies, gnats, bees, and locusts arrived in heaps. Madame Chen ordered Jiuniang to go out to meet them, and when the signal cannon fired she went into battle. Numberless flying insects swarmed forward. She waved the spider pearl for purification, and the flying insects all fell to the ground, revealing themselves to be nothing but rice husks and chaff from threshing, which blew away and vanished.

Yuan Guangzhi saw that this formation, too, was smashed, and was at his wit’s end. He had only possessed a few arts, and all of them had been destroyed by Madame Chen. He was about to flee, when she gave a single order. Scattering the filthy pig and dog blood, the mass of soldiers gave chase like a surging tide. Completely defeated, Yuan Guangzhi flung down his armor and fled, trailing his weapons, whereupon Cinnabar Cloud took up his cudgel and pursued him. This battle was fought in such a way that Guangzhi’s magic was exhausted. He was at the end of his rope and, abandoning his soldiers, he fled. Madame Chen ordered that gold be given to the troops to reward the army.

This time Guangzhi’s soldiers had been so thoroughly defeated that there was nothing left. When Wang Jitu saw this colossal defeat, he wanted to flee back to Fuqing, where, in the future, he would again build up an army. Guangzhi said, “If you return to Fuqing, how could you not be mocked? Wait for me to get Mengyu back. It won’t be too late to return. Even if I can’t get her back, I vow not to give up.” Then he collected the remnants of his army and set up a camp on the bank of Black Dragon River.³

At this time, both inside and outside the capital, life had returned to normal. The ruler of Min was deeply grateful for Madame Chen’s remarkable achievements, and rewarded her with gifts and gold and silver piled like mountains, which she declined without exception. The empress prepared gifts to reward the various female generals, and Madame Chen reluctantly accepted her thanks.

Thinking of a plan, she said to Lin Jiuniang and Miss Gao, “I want to capture Yuan Guangzhi.” She gave them the plan and said, “You, my sisters, must go out and proceed accordingly.” She also ordered Cinnabar Cloud to come for his orders. Cinnabar Cloud came to the foot of Madame Chen’s seat, where she whispered to him, “I order you to do as follows this evening. When you have captured the rebel king, come see me.” Cinnabar Cloud accepted the order and departed.

Now let us speak of Miss Gao. In accordance with the plan, she went to Mengyu and asked her, “I see that you are very elegant and beautiful. Where are you from? Tell me. Perhaps there will be some opportunity to send you back home. Who knows?”

Mengyu replied, “I am the daughter of the Perfected One of Mount Mao.”

Miss Gao said, “Since you are the precious daughter of the Perfected One of Mount Mao, how can you be treated so negligently? Tomorrow I will explain it all to Madame Chen, and she will send someone to escort you back to Mount Mao. Will that do?”

Miss Gao invited Mengyu to come out and make herself comfortable in the outer room. By day they ate together, and at night they slept in the same bed. Miss Gao secretly asked her, “Would going back to Mount Mao be good or not?”

Mengyu answered, “I am fortunate to receive your undeserved kindness. I don’t wish to return to Mount Mao. If I could have a meeting with my ex-husband, then that would be very lucky.”

Miss Gao said, “What difficulty could there be in that? Make haste to write a letter. Then secretly send a messenger to your husband telling him to come here tonight, so he can take you back. What could be wrong with that?”

“If Madame Chen knew, it wouldn’t do,” Mengyu said.

“There’s no harm in trying,” Miss Gao replied. “My mind is made up. No one can hold us back. But when your husband comes and you see each other, introduce me. In future we can meet again.”

Mengyu was delighted, and so wrote a letter, saying, “I have been fortunate to receive special treatment from Miss Gao and the various sisters. I am not restrained in any way. Tomorrow they want to send me back to Mount Mao. Tonight in the outer camp I will be waiting in the doorway of a certain house. I beg you to come quickly and take me back. If you are late, I am afraid something will go wrong.” She wrote very clearly. When the letter was sealed, Miss Gao secretly sent a shadow soldier of the elements of fire and water to fly to the camp on Black Dragon River to deliver the letter.

The shadow soldier received the order and departed. He traveled to the bank of Black Dragon River and went into Yuan Guangzhi’s tent. Guangzhi tore open the letter and read it, called for the messenger, and asked his background. The messenger explained, and Guangzhi rewarded him with silver. He thought to himself, “Tonight I will go bring back my dear wife, and we will seek refuge in another country. What fear have I that I will not find a good government post? I will never again wear myself out fighting the whole world with this son of a bitch.”

Without even going in to say goodbye, Guangzhi set off. Soon he arrived outside the city, where, making himself invisible, he entered the camp. In accordance with the letter, he searched for the house. He saw Mengyu leaning against a door waiting, and put out his hand to tug her sleeve. Mengyu was startled. “Who’s there?” she asked.

Guangzhi answered in a low voice, “It’s me. I’ve come especially to take you back.”

Mengyu recognized his voice and said, “Don’t be in a rush. You needn’t be afraid. If you thank elder sister Gao in person, we’ll still have plenty of time to depart.”

Guangzhi made himself visible and, facing Miss Gao, bowed and thanked her. Suddenly, Lin Jiuniang entered from outside, and seized him around the waist. She laughed and said, “Good little sister Gao sold you out,” and with the demon-binding rope she bound him tight. Behind them, Li Sanniang appeared. She tied up Mengyu and ordered them to be sent under guard to the army camp to await a decision.

In a short while, Cinnabar Cloud had captured Wang Jitu and brought him back. When Yuan Guangzhi saw that Wang Jitu had been captured, he asked, “How did you get caught?”

Wang Jitu replied, “Because when I looked for you, you weren’t there. I sat down under a lantern, and just when I was feeling extremely depressed, a red monkey spirit burst in. It put its arms around me holding me tight, soared into the air, and flew here. How did you get here?”

Yuan Guangzhi sighed when he was questioned. He said, “What use is it to bring this up? If I mention that you, you son of a bitch, hadn’t agreed to let this fiend spirit be the mistress of the Zheng Palace, the city would have fallen long since, and you would already have ascended the throne as emperor. How did we come to be captured tonight? We fell into a trap! If I had killed the fiend spirit back then, and not taken her as my wife, my reputation would already have been made by now, and I would have benefited myself to the ultimate. You son of a bitch, I absolutely don’t intend to save the lives of your entire family. Toiling with you to regain the whole world, you were not moved by all that I did for you. Instead, you seduced my wife. Dying today, aren’t you ashamed?” When Wang Jitu heard all this, that he had already been found out, he was thoroughly ashamed. He hung his head and made no reply, already regretting it. It was because of this affair that Guangzhi had bided his time and not attacked. We won’t speak of this matter anymore.

Now let us turn to Madame Chen. That day she had the three of them sent under guard to the court to request a decision from the king of Min, who had already heard that the rebels had been put down. Wang Jitu and Guangzhi were sent under guard to the hall. For the moment, the ruler was very happy. Sitting in the Wen Qing Hall, he invited Madame Chen to sit at his side, and rewarded her with piles of embroidery. When Madame Chen was formally seated, she asked Wang Jitu and Yuan Guangzhi to confess that one of them had plotted to seize the throne and the other, as commander in chief, had assisted the rebellion. The details were all true. Furthermore, they investigated the causes of the uprising. Those who assisted the rebellion were Yuan Gao of Fuqing and all the local commoners, as well as the more than one hundred families who had supplied grain and soldiers. Once their crimes were thoroughly investigated, execution was too good for them. Madame Chen ardently said to the hall, “I beg Your Majesty to embody the virtue of Heaven on High of loving life. Only execute these two people; show mercy for the others and spare them. Then it will be very fortunate.”

The ruler of Min said, “I should carry it through to the end, but because you, Madame Chen, earnestly request it, I will listen to you and not execute the others.” Then he ordered the two rebels Wang Jitu and Yuan Guangzhi to be taken outside the Wu Gate and be beheaded to show the public. Then the two rebels’ heads were taken under guard to Fuqing County to be strung up as a warning.

Madame Chen ordered Mengyu to be brought out, and inquired about her circumstances. Mengyu still maintained that she was the daughter of the Perfected One of Mount Mao. The ruler of Min believed this was the truth, but Madame Chen said, “Your Majesty, don’t listen to the fabrications of this fiend spirit. This fiend is not human.” The ruler of Min asked what kind of fiend it was. Then he again questioned Mengyu, but she refused to confess.

The ruler of Min said to Madame Chen, “See how sweet and tender she is? She isn’t necessarily a demon. I want to spare her. I can send her to the rear palace as a servant in order for her to atone for her earlier crimes. How would that be?”

Madame Chen said, “Your Majesty, don’t be beguiled by this demon. If you don’t believe me, wait and I will make her resume her original form. Once you take a good look, you will know.” When Madame Chen sprayed her with talismanic water, Mengyu fell to the ground and turned into a multihued butterfly, with wings as big as cartwheels. She was about to fly off, but Madame Chen had already seized her so that she couldn’t fly away. When the ruler of Min saw her original form, he laughed and said, “So it’s the transformation of a painted figure! That accounts for her having such elegance. Although she’s a fiend spirit, her beauty truly is very special. I will spare her, and put her in the flower garden and let her flutter among the flowers, where I can enjoy her.”

When Madame Chen saw that the ruler of Min was not going to kill this fiend spirit, she said, “This fiend is not a real butterfly. It is not the same as ordinary butterflies; if you release it among the flowers, it won’t be able to fly.” The ruler of Min didn’t believe her, and, seeing that he still had his doubts, Madame Chen said, “Your Majesty, if you don’t believe me, I will again order her to return to what she was originally.”

Then she sprayed talismanic water on the butterfly. In an instant, the butterfly had turned into a rolled-up scroll. Madame Chen unrolled the scroll, which was a color drawing of a butterfly, without the slightest difference from the previously live butterfly. The ruler of Min suspected that Madame Chen had used her magic to create an illusion. “There was just this transformation. Moreover this painting is the painting of a great master,” he said. “I will keep it and hang it in my study, where I can enjoy it all day long.”

Madame Chen said, “No, you can’t. This is the ink drawing of a former worthy. It is the ultimate attainment of a celestial skill with thoughts that penetrate to the realm of the divine. Although his butterfly was dead, it was able to come alive, and alive it was able to become human. If you were to keep it, then it would injure the flowers and wither the grass. Transformed into a human, if you kept it, it would topple your state and capital. Now that it has been captured, you must destroy it.”

The ruler of Min admired the scroll for a while. He saw the writing on the side: “Spring of the second year of the Longshuo reign period of the Great Tang.⁴ The prince of Teng, Yuan Ying, painted it at the provincial residence at Jiangxi.”

The ruler of Min laughed and said, “Madame Chen, you truly have the skill of thoroughly investigating things. This was drawn by Yuan Ying, the son of Gaozong of the Tang. He painted it long ago when he was prince of Teng at Jiangxi. Generally speaking, famous paintings by former persons all have brushwork that enters the realm of the divine, like Zhang You drawing a dragon: before he even dotted the eyes, it burst through the wall [by flying out]. And like Yang Zihua, who drew a horse that neighed. And like Wang Mojie, who drew a body of water, of which one heard the tide in the stillness of the night.⁵ Only the prince of Teng drew a butterfly that turned into a beautiful woman. It is the highest attainment of entering the divine. We don’t know if now it has resumed its original substance. Could it still change again?”

Madame Chen said, “Now it can’t change. This is what is banned by the Maker of Things. It will inevitably spontaneously self-destruct.” She hadn’t finished speaking when the scroll burst into flames and burned up. He rushed to it, but couldn’t stop it. The burning produced oil and fat, which burned for several hours; the stench was unbearable. Then Madame Chen took the ashes of the scroll and threw them into the river.

At this time, the rebels having been beheaded and the fiend spirit burned up, the world was again stable. The ruler of Min lived in peace and happiness, and the condition of the people was as before, so he was pleased. He sent down a decree to carry out the conferring of titles and bestowal of gifts, promoting and rewarding each general and officer.

On the first occasion, Madame Chen had been enfeoffed as the Lady of Linshui. On this second occasion, the ruler of Min additionally enfeoffed her as Exalted and Blessed Lady of Linshui.⁶ Lin Jiuniang was given the title of Lady Who Protects the State. Li Sanniang was given the title of Lady Who Pacifies Min. Miss Jiang received the title of Tiger Lady, while her mount was given the title of Golden Tiger Great Divinity. The Rock sisters received the title of Rock Press Ladies. Miss Ou received the title of Lady Who Calms Min. Miss Zeng received the title Lady Who Makes Min Tranquil. Miss Xu received the title Lady Who Preserves Min. Miss Ruan received the title Lady Who Quiets the State. Miss Ma received the title of Lady Who Makes the State Peaceful. Cinnabar Cloud Great Sage received the title of Cinnabar Cloud Great Sage Who Protects the State and Calms Min.

The ruler of Min saw that the remaining women generals had all received titles, except for the two women Zou and Gao. Imperial Secretary Zou and Attendant Gentleman Gao had both defied the edict and not sent their daughters to the two palaces, for which they should have been discharged from their offices. For the time being, remembering that in the battle to remove the rebels they had achieved meritorious service, he pardoned their fathers’ earlier crimes. The two women were still, in accordance with the register, assigned to the South and West Palaces, but Madame Chen implored him, saying, “The two women Miss Zou and Miss Gao truly have Daoist fates. I beg you to let me take them to Linshui to teach them to protect the country and suppress deviance. I entreat you to be lenient.”

The ruler of Min was happy to oblige. He said, “I permit you to take them back with you, to teach them to protect the country.” Then he gave Miss Zou the title of Lady of the South Palace Who Makes Enlightened Responses, and Miss Gao was given the title of Lady of Auspicious Virtue. Furthermore, the thirty-six palace concubines and the five hundred female soldiers all were generously rewarded. The girls from commoner families were ordered to be taken home by their parents, and the officials in the court were promoted and rewarded. The ruler of Min also enfeoffed Liu Qi of Gutian and his parents-in-law, Chen Chang and Madame Ge, as well as Madame Zhu, Liu Qi’s mother.

After Madame Chen and the various ladies and the thirty-six palace concubines, facing the ruler in the hall, expressed their gratitude, they returned to Gutian. Madame Chen secretly ordered her two bodyguards, Wang and Yang, to follow, leading the shadow soldiers, while she returned to Linshui. Miss Jiang and the Rock sisters thanked Chen Jinggu, and returned to their own places. Cinnabar Cloud Great Sage also took his leave of Chen Jinggu, and returned to the monkey dormitory on Panther Head Mountain to cultivate good karma. Madame Chen then led her ten sworn sisters and they all got into sedan chairs to return to Gutian. At this time Chen Chang and his wife, Madame Ge, were at the Lius’ house. There the various sisters all paid their respects to their adoptive father and mother. And, as before, they transmitted the Way at Linshui Palace.

Now we will return to the ruler of Min. After Madame Chen returned to Linshui, he gave orders for the arrest of Wang Jitu’s relatives, in addition to those who started the rebellion, those who followed and assisted the rebels, and the Yuan clan of Fuqing. Altogether it was more than one hundred people. All were arrested and beheaded, and their heads displayed to the crowds in the marketplace.

Now we will return to the Ravine Demon. After he had had wanton sex with Chen Jinfeng at Great Ravine Mountain and heard that Chen Jinggu had been summoned to the Imperial Palace, the false empress’s scheme had been ruined and the White Snake chopped up. The Ravine Demon thought, “The White Snake has already been chopped up. Otherwise, she certainly wouldn’t have abandoned me.” For this reason he had concealed Chen Jinfeng in the grotto at Great Ravine Mountain, while he himself fled to Tiger Head Mountain to hide out.

Stealthily he sought out news. Later, only when he learned that Chen Jinggu had returned to Linshui, did he relax. Feeling more courageous, he went back to Great Ravine Mountain, but Chen Jinfeng had disappeared! “I suppose she was rescued by Chen Jinggu and taken back,” he thought.

When he tried to find out the whereabouts of the White Snake, only then did he learn that, having been cut into three pieces by Chen Jinggu, her tail segment was locked up in Chuan well, her middle segment weighed down in the well in Kaiyuan Temple, and her head segment locked up at the bottom of White Dragon Pool Gully. The Ravine Demon did not forget his former friendship. He hurried to White Dragon Pool Gully, where he saw that only some five feet remained of the White Snake and that the head segment was securely locked up. He cried and wept, saying, “What enmity is there between us and Chen Jinggu? Again and again she has opposed us. I only persuaded the Great Queen to perpetually enjoy a high position and great wealth in the Imperial Palace. How could I have known that, on the contrary, we would meet with this great calamity?”

When the White Snake saw that the Ravine Demon had come, she wept, saying, “I relied on your plan! How could we have known that she would beat us at our own game? I wanted to flee but didn’t succeed, and now I have been cut into three pieces and locked up here. What shall I do?”

The Ravine Demon said, “Great Queen, rest assured. Wait while I undo your chains one by one. When you are free, Great Queen, we will return home and think of another plan.”

After he had undone the chains, the White Snake cast off the bonds and left Dragon Pool Gully. “Now that I’ve cast off my chains,” she said to the Ravine Demon, “where can we go to settle down in peace?”

The Ravine Demon said, “If we search for another place, we won’t be able to avoid a lot of trouble. According to my way of thinking, we should stay at Great Ravine Mountain as a temporary hideout, and wait there while you, Great Queen, convalesce. Once you have recovered, as a matter of course, we will seek a quiet and secluded place.” The White Snake then returned with the Ravine Demon to the grotto at Great Ravine Mountain to recuperate. Day and night it was the Ravine Demon’s task to bring in wine and meat to nourish her. We won’t discuss this any further.

Now we will return to the traitorous minister Xue Wenjie. His wife, Madame Song, was twenty-four years old and hadn’t yet had a child. Moreover, she was extremely beautiful. She heard that the Daoist official in the imperial palace, Chen Shouyuan, and his Daoist medium, Sheng Tao, could make the god’s words come down, and were always successful in having prayers answered.⁷ She waited until her husband, Xue Wenjie, went to court, then ordered a servant to go to the Baohuang Palace to invite the medium, Sheng Tao, to come to her house to make the god descend in order to inquire regarding future male offspring and to ask what lay in store for the rest of her life.

The servant received the order and went to the Baohuang Palace to invite Chen Shouyuan and the medium, Sheng Tao, to go call the god to descend. Sheng Tao asked for sacred incense sticks. He followed the servant to the rear garden of the Xue residence, where he set out incense, candles, and tea. Madame Song changed into fresh clothes, came out, bowed, and invoked the god, secretly making a silent wish.

Sheng Tao saw that Madame Song was like flowers and jade. Her beauty was extraordinary, and Sheng Tao’s lustful thoughts were aroused. She turned to look at him. He was young and handsome, refined and elegant, his deportment distinguished. He really could arouse people’s lustful thoughts. Their eyes sought each other out. Sheng Tao saw that Madame Song was glancing at him meaningfully and knew that her heart was moved. In confusion, he invited the visit of the god, and spoke a few holy words, saying, “As for getting male descendants, you must act according to the following graphs. The god has withdrawn.”

Madame Song received the graphs and looked at them. The graphs told her to follow Sheng Tao. Naturally, she believed that he was honest. As luck would have it, a servant suddenly returned to say that her husband had been detained by Secretary Gao for an evening banquet and wouldn’t be coming back, and the next day he was going to court. She instructed the servant not to wait.

When Madame Song learned that Master Xue would not be coming home, she was very happy, and invited Sheng Tao to spend the night in the study. In the middle of the night she secretly went there. When Sheng Tao saw her come in alone, he felt that she certainly had a purpose in coming, and boldly went forward and embraced her. With both hands he caressed her private parts and penetrated her so as to arouse her lascivious thoughts, whereupon they got into bed and slept in each other’s arms. After they had had sex, they talked together face to face, pledging their mutual affection. Sheng Tao said, “Madame can often send a trusted servant to the Baohuang Palace using as an excuse inviting down the god.” When the two had agreed, Sheng Tao said goodbye and returned. After this, Madame Song regularly waited until Xue Wenjie had business at court and wasn’t coming back. Then she sent her trusted servant to Sheng Tao to let him know, and had illicit relations with him.

Now we will speak of the Exalted and Blessed Lady of Linshui Palace. From dawn to dusk she taught her various sisters the true arts and the secret methods. The ten sisters—Chen, Lin, Gao, Ou, Ruan, Ma, Zou, Li, Zeng, and Xu—were all astute, and they completely mastered Daoist magic. They could all capture demons and exterminate ghosts, save people from calamities, and help those in danger. Madame Chen loved them as full sisters.

When Madame Chen turned twenty-four years old, she remembered something and addressed her various sisters, saying, “The year that I left Mount Lü, the master instructed me to learn the arts of saving pregnancies, supporting the fetus, and protecting and aiding babies, but I adamantly refused to learn them. When the master first saw me off at the gate, he ordered me to walk straight ahead without looking back. I knew he was still in front of the gate of the mountain to see me off, so I turned to look back at him, and asked him to please go inside and stay there while I departed. The master knew that I had walked twenty-four steps, and that there would certainly be a great disaster. He quickly beckoned to me. I turned around to go back, and asked the master why he had called me. Again he ordered me to study the arts of supporting fetuses, protecting babies, and helping children. Only then could I leave. At the time I adamantly did not want to study those arts. When he saw that I wouldn’t learn them, he had no alternative but to tell me that when I reached the age of twenty-four I would have to hide myself away in order to avoid a great disaster. I could not use the various magic implements, or perform repentance texts for others. I am now exactly twenty-four years old, and already three months pregnant. I must abide by the master’s words. For the time being I must say good-bye to all of you sisters. Sooner or later there will be a time when we will see each other again. Sisters, abide by my command.”

Miss Zou and Miss Gao together took a sedan chair to return to Fuzhou City. The three sisters Lin Jiuniang, Miss Li, and Miss Ou said goodbye to Chen Jinggu, hired a sedan chair, and returned to Luoyuan. The hometown of the four sisters Zeng, Xu, Ruan, and Ma was Gutian. They also said goodbye to Madame Chen and returned home. Madame Chen having sent all nine sisters home, only the thirty-six palace concubines remained in the palace.

Madame Chen abruptly ceased using her magic implements, penances and imprecations, and so on. Day and night the door was closed and she didn’t emerge. Having hidden herself from disaster, all day she discussed with the thirty-six palace concubines the five scriptures and the four books, the three registers, and the five codes of the ancient thearchs and kings in order to prevent the calamity. Who knew that a predestined fate is impossible to escape?

At this time the ruler of Min had a dream that was extremely inauspicious, and therefore he had no peace of mind. He gathered the various civil and military officials to discuss it, saying, “These days I have no peace of mind. My confusion is like a big tangle of silk and hemp thread. Every night I have this inauspicious dream. I don’t know what ill it portends.”

The two groups of military and civil officials had not yet arrived at an answer, when an official stepped forward. On his head was a black gauze cap, he wore a ceremonial red robe, and he clasped a tablet to his chest. He stated, “At night my ruler has an inauspicious dream. He is nervous and his spirit is exhausted. He is afraid that at this time there is something detrimental to his state or household. I hope the ruler will carefully look into whether there are treacherous ministers in the court, men who would try to seize power and usurp the throne. Send summons to every locale, ordering them to be on guard. Then there will be no harm.”

The ruler of Min looked at him. It was Ministry of War Minister Zou Huai. The ruler of Min said, “Tomorrow morning I must go to the Baohuang Palace to invite the god to descend. I will let the god pass judgment.” He instructed the Daoist of the Baohuang Palace, “Tomorrow wait on me.” Then he withdrew from court, and the various civil and military officials dispersed and returned to their offices.

Now we will speak of Sheng Tao, the Daoist of the Baohuang Palace, who was having an affair with Madame Song. Day and night he constantly went back and forth to Xue Wenjie’s house. But to his regret Xue Wenjie was usually at home, so he couldn’t be with Madame Song for any length of time. Now he heard that the ruler of Min was coming to ask about the omen, enjoyed no peace of mind, and wanted to seek out any treacherous people in the court who were abusing their power. The next day he was coming there to invite the god to descend. Sheng Tao thought to himself, “I will rely on making use of the god’s words to eliminate future trouble. Isn’t that clever? If I get rid of this person, then how could Madame Song not be my wife forever?” Then he composed four lines of the god’s speech and informed Chen Shouyuan in advance.

That day, after the ruler of Min had washed and dressed, he led the civil and military officials out of the court, and arranged for his carriage to go to the Baohuang Palace. The Daoist official and Daoist medium knelt to meet him as he entered the Three Pure Ones Hall. On both sides was the sound of ringing bells and beating drums. After the ruler of Min offered incense and lit candles, at his side the Daoist medium, Sheng Tao, invited the god to descend. He recited the four lines of god’s speech that he had fabricated:

The treacherous Xue Wenjie

Harbors certain treasonous intentions against the reign of our emperor.

If you want to eliminate the anxiety in your mind,

His entire family must be extirpated.

When the ruler of Min heard this, he was greatly alarmed. Without waiting for the return carriage, he secretly summoned Ministry of War Minister Zou Huai to lead three thousand of the troops assigned for the protection of the emperor to surround Xue Wenjie’s house. Without letting a single person escape, they were to bring him to court to hear the decree. Only then did he arrange for the carriage to return to the hall. Sheng Tao withdrew inside and knelt with Chen Shouyuan to see him off. Truly it was:

A dream omen often arises from the heart,

While the flying calamity is summoned from one’s own mouth.

If you want to know what in the end happened to the lives of Xue Wenjie’s whole family, read the next chapter.