Journey to the West

⋇⊰ Chapter 9 ⊱⋇

Chang'an city, in the great land of Shaanxi, had been a place where emperors and kings had made their capitals for generation after generation. Ever since the Zhou, Qin, and Han dynasties, the Three Prefectures had been as rich as brocade, and the eight rivers had flowed around its walls, it was indeed a famous country. At that time, Emperor Taizong of the Great Tang was on the throne. He had changed the name of the reign period to Zhenguan and had been reigning for 13 years. The year was ji si and the world was at peace; tribute was being sent in from the eight directions, and all within the four seas acknowledged themselves as subjects.

One day Taizong took his seat on the throne and assembled all his military and civilian officials. When they had finished making their greetings, the minister Wei Zheng came forward from the ranks of officials and memorialized, "As the world is now at peace and the eight directions are calm, an examination should be held in accordance with the practice of the ancients. Thus we could recruit wise scholars and select men of talent to help with our civilizing mission."

"The suggestion of our wise minister is right," said the Emperor, and notices inviting worthy men to compete in the examinations were posted throughout the empire. All the Confucian scholars on the civil or military rolls in every prefecture, district, and county who had distinguished themselves in the three−stage examinations for their understanding of literature were to go to Chang'an for a final test.

When this notice reached the district of Haizhou it was seen by a man called Chen E, whose courtesy name was Guangrui. He returned home and said to Madame Zhang, his mother, "The court has issued a yellow notice saying that the Chancellery will be opened for an examination to select men of wisdom and talent.

Your child wants to go and take part. If I am given an official post it will bring me fame and make our family illustrious; my wife will be given a title, my sons will be given preferential treatment, and it will bring glory to our house. Such is my ambition; and I have come to tell you, mother, that I am going."

"You are a scholar, my son," his mother replied, "and it is right that 'one who studies when young should travel when grown up'. But do take care on the journey to the examinations, and if you are given office, come back home as soon as you can." Chen Guangrui then ordered his servants to get his luggage together, took his leave of his mother, and started off on his journey. When he reached Chang'an the examination grounds were open and he went in. Having been successful in this examination, he went to the palace for the three questions test. The Tang Emperor personally awarded him first place, and he was paraded around the streets on horseback for three days.

It happened that just when the procession was passing the gateway of the minister Yin Kaishan, the minister's unmarried daughter Wenqiao, whose other name was Man−tang−qiao (Beauty Throughout the Hall), was making decorations for the house and throwing an embroidered ball to see who her future husband would be.

When Chen Guangrui passed below she saw at once that he was exceptionally handsome, and she knew that he had come first in the recent examinations. She was thoroughly taken with him, and when she dropped her embroidered ball it landed squarely on his black hat. To the sound of pipes and flutes, a dozen or so maidservants and serving women hurried downstairs to take hold of the head of Chen Guangrui's horse and invite him into the minister's mansion to marry his daughter. The minister and his wife came into the main hall, and when they had called for a master of ceremonies they married their daughter to Guangrui. When the bride and groom had bowed to Heaven, Earth and each other they both bowed to the bride's father and mother. The minister ordered a banquet, and there was a night of drinking and celebration. The bride and groom went hand in hand into the bridal chamber.

At the third quarter of the fifth watch the next morning, Emperor Taizong took his throne in the Golden Chariot Hall, and the civil and military officials came to court.