The Romantic History of Emperor Yang of Sui [20]

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Chapter Twenty: At the Temple of Marquis Liu, Mou Fu Encounters a God on the False Path .
The poem reads:
Human life is pitiful, toyed with by ghosts and gods, upside down and confused. Just as fame leads them away, profit drives them on. Boats are towed, horses are whipped—who can escape nature? Look closely, day after day dust, day after day smoke. The world is full of chaos
, and the people are constantly on the move. The old Wang Ben River, only a few miles long, had been dug before it became farmland and property. Whether it was tombs and mausoleums, temples and monasteries, counties and cities, Ma Shumou disregarded them all, simply straightening the riverbed and digging it away. He dug up houses where he encountered them, city walls where he saw them, and tombs where he found them, showing no mercy whatsoever. If anyone dared to utter a single word of dissent, he would summon an imperial edict, ordering them to be beaten or killed, certain to take their life. Thus, he roamed freely along the river, with no one stopping him. The pitiful people along the riverbank, who had their homes and possessions dug up to create a waterway, fled like those ravaged by fire, carrying their children in their arms, each trying to escape. Along the way, the bones from the tombs he dug up piled up like mountains, a truly tragic sight!
Indeed:
Even a single life must be avenged, but what can be done about the lives of millions?
It's not that the ruler and his subjects could commit such atrocities; it is simply that Heaven's justice has its limits.
Ma Shumou urged the laborers to begin digging. One day, they reached Chenliu. As the laborers continued digging, suddenly dark clouds gathered, a fierce wind blew like arrows, and a torrential downpour began. Hailstones, like pebbles, lashed out in waves, causing the laborers to stumble and fall backward. In their panic, they dragged their shovels and hoes, jumped ashore, and fled into the woods. It turned out that although the wind, rain, and hail were fierce, they only struck within a short distance; once the laborers ran far enough away, they were no longer hit. Ma Shumou, who was urging them on, saw the laborers in front retreating in disarray and hurriedly asked, "Why are you retreating like this?" The laborers replied, "The wind and rain are strong ahead, and the hailstones have made us retreat." Ma Shumou scolded, "Nonsense! On such a clear day, where would wind, rain, and hail come from?" The laborers retorted, "Tens of thousands of us have been injured; how could we all lie?" Ma Shumou still didn't believe them and immediately ordered a sedan chair to be taken to see for himself. Ma Shumou boarded the eight-person sedan chair, a yellow parasol spread out in front of him, still arrogant and carefree. Unexpectedly, just as they reached the border, a sudden gust of wind and torrential rain lashed at them, hailstones raining down like locusts from mid-air. The yellow parasol was first torn to pieces by the wind, its canopy scattered in fragments. The sedan chair bearers, their heads bleeding from the hail, lost their footing, and with a thud, Ma Shumou fell to the ground, his gauze hat and round collar completely torn to shreds.
The rain was heavy, the wind fierce, and the hail vicious; Ma Shumou struggled on the ground for a long time, but couldn't get up. Fortunately, one of his capable servants, named Huang Jinku, possessed some strength. Seeing his master in such a state, he rushed to him, picked Ma Shumou up, and dragged him away. Ma Shumou dared not linger, covering his head with his hands, and fled for his life. After walking about a hundred paces, the wind and rain finally subsided slightly. Seeing that the wind and rain had stopped, Huang Jinku called out, "Master, slow down! The wind and rain have stopped!" Ma Shumou, flustered by the blows, dared not stop! He ran another twenty or thirty paces before finally stopping to rest. He hurriedly lowered his hands to look at himself; his hair was completely disheveled, his gauze hat was gone, and a small cut on his eyebrow from the hailstones was bleeding slightly. He stood there for a while before his followers rushed to fetch a headscarf and a horse. Ma Shumou, having reached this point, disregarded his shame, put on the headscarf, mounted the horse, and returned in a state of panic.
It was truly a case of:
"Though Heaven is blind, there are always ghosts and gods.
A fierce wind and hail, determined to strike a treacherous minister."
Ma Shumou arrived at the camp, feeling rather disgruntled. He had no choice but to tidy himself up, change his clothes, and hurriedly summon Linghu Da to discuss the matter. Soon, Linghu Da arrived. Ma Shumou recounted the entire incident. Linghu Da thought, "On such a sunny day, there is wind, rain, and hail, and it's all in one place, not far away. This must be some local earth god protecting the borders and preventing the river from opening, so he's using these supernatural powers to frighten everyone." Ma Shumou said, "Even if it is an earth god, there's no way to verify it." Linghu Da said, "Just call a few villagers and ask them." Ma Shumou then instructed his men, "Go to the nearby villages and pick out a few knowledgeable and experienced villagers. I have something to ask them." His
men went and soon returned with a dozen or so villagers. Ma Shumou hurriedly asked, "What deity is most efficacious in your area?" The villagers replied, "Not more than two or three miles away, there is a temple dedicated to Zhang Liang of the Han Dynasty. This deity is extremely efficacious. In our village, if there is a drought and we pray for rain, it immediately comes; if there is flooding and we pray for sunshine, the clouds immediately clear and the sun shines. Even if men or women are ill, if they sincerely pray and make a wish, they will recover in no time. This is an ancient deity who is the most efficacious and holy in Chenliu County." Linghu Da asked, "Was this temple built privately by the people, or was it bestowed by imperial decree?" The villagers replied, "This temple was built by imperial decree in successive dynasties, and the magistrates of the county come to worship every spring and autumn." Linghu Da, having ascertained the truth, released the villagers and said to Ma Shumou, "The Marquis of Liu of Han is a..." "The righteous god, having received offerings from this land, naturally must protect it." Ma Shumou asked, "How then should we proceed?" Linghu Da replied, "You and I must prepare incense and candles, don official robes, go to the temple, read the Emperor's decree aloud, pray to Marquis Liu, and beg him to grant us passage." Ma Shumou, terrified of being beaten, shook his head upon hearing that he still had to go, saying, "That's exactly right! But I truly cannot go; I would be grateful if you could go in my place, sir." Linghu Da said, "You are the principal, and I am the assistant; it is only proper for us to go together. How can you go in my place?"
Ma Shumou had no choice but to comply with Linghu Da's request. He ordered people to prepare incense, candles, paper money, and offerings, donned official robes, and, without a sedan chair, rode two horses with Linghu Da, who led the way, to the Marquis Liu's temple to burn incense and request passage. However, the gods were indeed powerful; just as Ma Shumou's horses reached the border, a sudden gust of wind and rain, along with hail, swept in. Strangely enough, the wind, rain, and hail seemed to recognize its target, ignoring Linghu Da entirely and instead relentlessly lashing at Ma Shumou. Ma Shumou, already terrified, ignored Linghu Da as soon as the storm began, turned his horse around, whipped it, and galloped back like a shooting star. Seeing Ma Shumou return, Linghu Da, not wanting to go alone, had no choice but to turn his horse around as well. Upon arriving at the camp, Linghu Da said to Ma Shumou, "The wind and rain are merely the solemn aura of the gods, meant only to cleanse people's evil hearts. They are not particularly dangerous. Why did you rush back, sir?" Ma Shumou replied, "Whether there is great harm or not, I will absolutely not go. I only ask that you find another place." Linghu Da pondered for a long time and said, "Since you refuse to go, sir, you can only write a memorial to the court, saying that the gods are illustrious and that we, being of low rank, cannot offer prayers. We request that His Majesty send an official to offer sacrifices and grant passage here." Ma Shumou said, "That will suffice." He then wrote the memorial and sent someone to present it to the capital that very night. Emperor Yang was playing games of pitch-pot and drinking with Yuan Bao'er and Xue Ye'er at the Yifeng Courtyard when he suddenly saw a memorial. After reading it in detail, he said, "Marquis Liu was a virtuous minister of the Han Dynasty and a righteous deity of our dynasty; he must not be desecrated." He then ordered an official from the Hanlin Academy to compose a prayer, the Imperial Seal Official to forge a national treasure, and a pair of white jade discs. He ordered the relevant officials to prepare a small sacrifice and dispatched Niu Hong, the Minister of Ceremonies, to go to the temple of Marquis Liu in Chenliu to offer sacrifices, requesting permission to pass through so that the river could be opened. All the government offices received the imperial decree and immediately made preparations for the sacrifice. Niu Hong, obeying the decree, dared not delay and immediately set off for Chenliu. Upon arriving at the camp, Ma Shumou and Linghu Da hurriedly greeted him, exchanged pleasantries, and inquired about his purpose. They then had the sacrifices carried to the temple. Niu Hong then mounted his horse to offer the sacrifice. Ma Shumou, however, was still frightened and claimed to have a foot ailment that made it inconvenient to perform the ceremony, so he dared not go with him. Only Linghu Da accompanied him. This was truly the emperor's authority, no small matter. The two reached the border, where there was no wind, rain, or hail!
Indeed:
Do not laugh at the ruler's lack of virtue, for the king's position is supreme.
He holds the state in his own hands, his three legs unite heaven and earth.
His teachings have been passed down through the ages, his authority reaches the nine gates of the palace.
Though ghosts and gods are mighty, none dare disobey him.
Linghu Da accompanied Niu Hong to the temple, where they carefully examined the halls and pavilions, finding them remarkably solemn. A plaque above the temple gate bore the six large golden characters "Imperial Construction of the Temple of Marquis Liu of Han." Two rows of cypress trees lined the path, their shadows dark and somber. The main hall housed a statue of Marquis Liu, and the two corridors were adorned with paintings depicting Zhang Liang's origins. The left side depicted him recruiting strongmen and striking Qin Shi Huang with an awl at Bolangsha; the right side depicted him meeting Huang Shigong and presenting him with shoes three times at the Yiqiao Bridge; the lower section depicted various stories, including burning the plank roads, selling swords, persuading Han Xin, capturing Long Ju with sand, and practicing fasting while traveling with Chisongzi—all decorated with great solemnity and order. The rear hall enshrined Huang Shigong. Truly, he was an outstanding hero of the Han Dynasty, unlike any other. Later, the Tang Dynasty poet Li Bai passed by and praised him in a poem: "Zhang Liang had not yet roared like a tiger, yet he went bankrupt without a home. He
found a brave man in the vast sea, striking Qin Shi Huang with an awl at Bolangsha."
Though the mission to avenge Han failed, heaven and earth trembled.
His secret journey to hide in Xiapei—was it not a display of wisdom and courage?
I come to the Yiqiao Bridge, reminiscing about the past and admiring his heroic spirit.
Only the clear water remains; Huang Shigong is nowhere to be seen.
Alas, this man is gone; Xiao and Xusi are now empty.
Niu Hong and Linghu Da, observing the impressive scene, dared not be negligent. They ordered their attendants to arrange the sacrificial offerings and light incense and candles. Niu Hong bowed four times, then presented a pair of white jade discs before the imperial throne. He then carefully recounted Emperor Yang's decree to open the canal. Linghu Da also repeatedly prayed about being ordered to open the canal. After their prayers, the two went outside the hall to burn paper offerings and wine at the incense burner. Before the paper offerings were finished, a gust of wind swept through the main hall, rattling the windows and doors. The smoke from the incense burner suddenly billowed out like mist, and within the mist, it seemed as if countless ghosts and spirits were moving about.
It was truly a
scene of swirling winds and billowing smoke, filling the courtyard with mist.
Though the living and the dead are separated, the divine spirits possess their own power.
The servants and attendants were all terrified. Fortunately, Niu Hong and Linghu Da possessed some courage, standing respectfully below the steps, unmoving. Before long, the wind and smoke subsided. When the two returned to the hall, the pair of candles still shone brightly, untouched by the slightest breeze. The pair of white jade discs before the throne had vanished. Seeing this extraordinary miracle, the two became even more cautious, bowing several times before hastily ordering their attendants to gather the offerings and return to their camp. Ma Shumou received them, and upon hearing of this miraculous response, he was truly terrified, yet dared not speak of it. He could only force himself to remain composed, ordering wine to be prepared for Niu Hong's departure. Niu Hong, having finished his business, dared not linger. After drinking the wine, he took his leave of the two and returned to Tokyo to report to the emperor.
However, Ma Shumou was somewhat apprehensive. The next day, he still urged the laborers to dig the canal, but he hid in the back, insisting that Linghu Da go first. Linghu Da knew he was afraid, so he pretended not to listen and led the laborers forward to dig. It seemed the spirits were watching; since the sacrifice, there had been no wind or rain, and everyone dug safely. In just a few days, they had reached Chenliu. Ma Shumou, having seen Chenliu, which was no longer within the territory of the Marquis of Liu, was no longer afraid and replaced Linghu Da with the rear guard. He continued to urge the laborers on from the front, displaying his power. Linghu Da was a kind and gentle man. Although he was diligent in supervising the work, if a laborer fell ill, he would move him to the back to recuperate and then reinstate him. Because there was a gap in the work, there was a laborer from Zhongmou, so people simply called him the Zhongmou laborer. Zhongmufu, suffering from heart pain, was unable to continue digging. Fortunately, he happened to encounter Linghu Da at the front camp, who relieved him of his duties at the rear. Unexpectedly, one day, Zhongmufu's pain became unbearable, rendering him unable to walk. He fled outside the camp and sat down to rest on a tree root. Because of his illness, the others did not urge him on, and gradually left. After sitting for a while, Zhongmufu, feeling drowsy, unconsciously fell into a deep sleep. When he awoke, the moon was already high in the east. Startled, Zhongmufu hurried to check, but the other diggers were nowhere to be seen, and he didn't know how far away they had gone or how late it was. Fortunately, his stomach pain had subsided, so he mustered his strength and, by moonlight, hurried along the newly dug canal. After walking only two or three hundred paces, he saw bright lights ahead and heard the shouts of many people approaching. Nakamukō wondered, "In this remote mountain area, in the dead of night, why would government officials be coming and going?"
Just as he was wondering, he saw his procession of attendants and guards already ahead, a very dignified group, unlike any other county or prefectural government. After many attendants passed by, a nobleman emerged from the center. This nobleman wore a golden crown with hairpins and tassels, a robe half-dragon and half-python, and rode a white horse. His attendants were all dressed in brocade robes and embroidered hats. Nakamukō looked closely and saw the air of a king or nobleman. Panicked, he hurriedly tried to hide in the woods. Unexpectedly, the nobleman saw him and shouted, "Bring him here!" Without a word, his attendants dragged Nakamukō before him. Nakamukō was terrified, kneeling on the ground, unable to utter a single word, only trembling and kowtowing repeatedly. The nobleman instructed, "Don't panic, I won't make things difficult for you. Just bring something back to your emperor, and say that I returned a pair of white jade discs to him, and that Twelve Langdang has passed away peacefully." Zhongmufu hurriedly replied, "I am but a laborer dredging the river; how could I possibly see the emperor and return the white jade discs?" The nobleman said, "Just give them to me. If you conceal anything, I will surely kill you!" He then ordered his attendants to hand the white jade discs to Zhongmufu. Zhongmufu took the discs, and before he could ask any further questions, the nobleman had already mounted his horse and ridden westward. After traveling only thirty or fifty paces, a gust of wind swept by, and all the lights and people suddenly vanished. Zhongmufu was terrified, realizing he had encountered a spirit. Fortunately, the moonlight was bright, and he still possessed some courage. He calmed himself and thought, "Could this be a dream?" "He held the pair of white jade discs clearly in his hand, hesitated for a while, and, finding no other way to proceed, had no choice but to bravely walk eastward under the moonlight.
Although the laborers had passed by, the crowd had prevented them from going far. The laborer from Zhongmou hadn't walked more than a mile when he saw the lights of the rear camp, and his heart eased somewhat. He walked another half a mile before finally arriving. He carefully put the white jade discs away, quietly found his own group, and, without disturbing anyone, went to sleep. The next morning, not daring to conceal anything, he went straight to Ma Shumou's camp to report. Upon seeing Ma Shumou, he said, 'Last night I was ill and couldn't walk, falling behind. Suddenly I encountered a deity who gave me a pair of white jade discs, telling me to take them back to the Emperor. He also said, 'A pair of white jade discs, and the Twelfth Prince will be buried in Heaven.' I dared not conceal anything, so I reported this to you, sir.' Ma Shumou was furious upon hearing this, and cursed, 'You scoundrel, you've been feigning illness and shirking your duties in front of Lord Linghu, I wonder where you've been enjoying yourself for the past few days!'" "I fear I will discover the truth, so you fabricated this lie to deceive me. Let me ask you, what does 'Twelve Lang should be a guest in heaven' mean?" Zhong Moufu replied, "How would I know? That's what he said, and I could only report it to you as such, sir." Ma Shumou said, "Since he told you, why didn't you ask him in detail?" Zhong Moufu said, "Sir, he was dressed like a deity or king, surrounded by attendants, quite imposing and intimidating. I was so frightened I collapsed to the ground; how could I dare ask him anything? If I'm lying, where did these two white jade discs come from?" "Then he presented the white jade. When Ma Shumou took the jade and examined it, he recognized it as an offering from Emperor Yang to Marquis Liu. He immediately understood the prophecy from the previous night was that of Zhang Liang, but he didn't know the meaning of 'Twelve Lang should be a guest in Heaven.' It turned out to be a cryptic saying; Emperor Yang had only truly reigned for twelve years before being assassinated. Hence the saying 'Twelve Lang should be a guest in Heaven,' which was only understood later. How could he know it now? Ma Shumou pondered for a while, wanting to inform Emperor Yang, yet reluctant to part with the two white jades—having obtained them, yet giving them away; wanting to hide the jades without informing, yet fearing that Zhong Moufu would spread the word and cause inconvenience to Emperor Yang later. After much deliberation, he realized that he only coveted the jades and cared nothing for Zhong Moufu's life! He then changed his expression and angrily said: 'What prophecy! What white jade! It's clearly an attempt to evade the officials, a deception to mislead the public! If everyone were like you, seeing gods and ghosts, when would this river be dredged?'" "Shout your men to quickly bring out the head and display it to the public." Zhong Moufu hurriedly stepped forward to plead his case, but Ma Shumou slammed his fist on the table and roared like thunder, not allowing him to utter a word before beheading him with a single stroke. Poor Zhong Moufu, an innocent life was clearly taken by Ma Shumou's greed.
It is truly said:
When people are faced with profit, they cannot escape it; when the heart is filled with greed, it is hardest.
Just because of two stones, a life was lost.
After killing Zhong Moufu, Ma Shumou pocketed a pair of white jade discs. He then ordered his men not to spread the word. Anyone who leaked the information would be punished like Zhong Moufu. His men were all afraid of Ma Shumou, and no one dared to interfere! Therefore, no one knew about it until Ma Shumou's downfall. But that's another story. Just as Ma Shumou finished giving his orders, the captain of the vanguard came to report: "Ahead in Yongqiu, there is a large forest with dense trees. In the forest is a tomb, and on the tomb is a shrine, which is blocking the road for dredging the river. We dare not dig it up ourselves, sir. Please grant your order." Ma Shumou mounted his horse and went to see for himself. Upon reaching the forest, he saw that although the tomb and shrine were not very large, they were surrounded by protective features and seemed to possess a faint spiritual aura. Having suffered a loss at the Liuhou Temple, Ma Shumou knew that the gods were not to be trifled with. Therefore, seeing this tomb, he dared not act rashly. He then ordered his men to summon the villagers to inquire. Soon, the villagers arrived. Ma Shumou asked, "Whose grave is this?" The villagers replied, "This isn't a modern grave; it's the burial site of an ancient hermit. We don't know how many years ago it was, or if the deceased was surnamed Zhang or Li, but everyone in the area calls it the Hermit's Tomb. The spirits surrounding this deceased are incredibly powerful. Even the cattle and sheep grazing near the village dare not stray onto the grave, as if it were being guarded." Hearing that it was a hermit's tomb, Ma Shumou didn't take it seriously. He released the villagers and immediately ordered the laborers to dig. The laborers, obeying the order, regardless of the consequences, dragged shovels and hoes and began digging. Some dismantled the shrine, others dug the grave; one team lifted stones, another piled earth, and the grave was riddled with holes. After digging down three or five feet, a layer of stone slabs suddenly appeared, with fragrant herbs growing in the cracks, emitting a strange aroma. Ma Shumou, seeing this, couldn't bear it and, regardless of the reason, ordered them to continue digging. No one dared to linger. With a clang and a clatter, they dug away the entire layer of stone. Unexpectedly, after digging one layer, another appeared below. Ma Shumou said, "Even if it's a hundred layers, we must dig to the bottom!" Everyone worked together, and soon they had dug away this layer as well. On the third layer, the sides were all earth, with only a stone slab in the very center. This stone slab was quite large, about five or six zhang in circumference, square and covering the surface. Relying on his superior numbers, Ma Shumou ordered, "The slab is too big to dig out; let's break it into pieces!" The men swarmed around it, each contributing a chisel. In an instant, they shattered the stone slab. Unexpectedly, beneath the slab was a large hollow. As soon as they broke the slab, a loud bang, like a mountain collapsing and the earth splitting, caused people and the slab to fall.
Indeed:
It was neither a collapse of the sky nor a collapse of the earth.
The killing intent of heaven and earth was unleashed by man.
What strange things happened after everyone fell into the cave? We'll find out in the next chapter.

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The Romantic History of Emperor Yang of Sui [20]

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