Chapter 10: The Semi-Divine's Divination

Wei Zheng replied: "This dragon has violated the heavenly laws and shall be executed by me today. Although I stand before Your Majesty in this court, I dreamt of pursuing and beheading this dragon while riding on clouds with a sword in hand. Who would have thought that the wicked dragon would flee in panic, making it impossible for me to catch up for a moment? I was feeling anxious in my heart when, fortunately, Your Majesty fanned me, and with that cool breeze from the three fans, I lifted my garments and advanced to catch up with the wicked dragon. With the Frost Blade in hand, I struck down and severed the dragon's head, which then fell into the void."

There are always those who do not believe in divination, thinking it is a form of deception. Although it is said that diviners must be adept at reading people's expressions and emotions, half of their skill must still be genuine. Generally, those who seek divination are often facing troubles they cannot resolve; no one wishes to consult a fortune-teller when things are going smoothly. Among those who come, men with worried expressions are mostly inquiring about their future, while women tend to ask about marriage. Take today’s Chen Jiujin, for instance; Yuan Banjian had already noticed her while dozing off. She appeared travel-worn, her silk dress and the back of her book were stained with sweat, and she had neither horse nor carriage. The grease around her mouth indicated she had eaten some dry rations on the road, suggesting she had traveled quite a distance and likely came from a less affluent background. Such individuals often have family issues; either someone at home is ill or they are seeking answers regarding financial matters.

Chen Jiujin scrutinized the elderly man at the divination stall, who appeared to be over sixty yet had a youthful face with white hair. The old man was dressed in a plain white long robe, his eyes closed as he napped under the shade of a tree. In such weather, Chen Jiujin felt quite hot even in his thin skirt. Remarkably, the old man showed no signs of sweat in his coarse robe, truly a celestial being. On the divination table, incense was burning, with wisps of smoke curling upwards. In the center of the table lay a yellow stone inkstone, holding a stack of Xuan paper from Xuancheng, Anhui, with a brush from Huzhou resting on top. Next to the brush were two polished bagua. On the bagua were stacked two turtle shells. Beside the shells and the books was a purple clay teapot, a handkerchief, and a folding fan. In one corner of the table was a copy of the "I Ching," while in the opposite corner sat a divination tube and other items.

On that evening, the two generals donned their armor and dressed in full regalia, with golden helmets and silver armor, exuding an imposing presence. Armed with swords and axes, they stood guard at the palace gate. Throughout the night, there was not a single sound, allowing the Tang Emperor to sleep peacefully without concern.

In the heart of Emperor Tang, conflicting emotions of joy and sorrow arose. The joy stemmed from having a capable and heroic figure like Wei Zheng to assist him, making the stability of the kingdom seem assured. The sorrow, however, was due to a promise made in a dream to save the Dragon King, only to find that it led to his execution. Wei Zheng had even used his own strength to slay the Dragon King. Helplessly, Emperor Tang forced a smile and rewarded Wei Zheng, after which everyone dispersed. Later that night, around the second watch, Emperor Tang heard a mournful wailing outside the palace gates. In a state of fear, he fell into a hazy sleep. In his dream, the headless Dragon King of the Jing River appeared, holding his bloody head, and lunged at Emperor Tang, seizing his hand and calling out to him: "Li Shimin! Return my life! Return my life! You promised to save me; it matters not that you did not, but why did you assist Wei Zheng in pursuing my execution? Come quickly! Let us go to the King of Hell to settle this matter!"

The Tang King found it difficult to speak, drenched in sweat from shock, unable to break free from the entanglement of the Dragon King. He shouted in fear, thinking there was a ghost, and then awoke from the dream. For several consecutive days thereafter, the Tang King was haunted every night by the ghost of the Dragon King, ultimately succumbing to a condition of weakened pulse and frailty.

Because the Dragon King of the Jing River first pleaded with Emperor Taizong of Tang not to let Wei Zheng execute him, but while playing chess with Wei Zheng, Emperor Taizong dreamt that Wei Zheng had beheaded the Dragon King of the Jing River. As a result, the Dragon King later sent a dream to Emperor Taizong, which frightened him so much that his soul entered the underworld. However, since his lifespan had not yet expired, he returned to life. Subsequently, he greatly promoted Buddhism, but the Buddhist scriptures were incomplete. This eventually led to the story of the Tang monk Xuanzang traveling to the West to obtain the scriptures. Yuan Shoucheng did not appear again afterward. This resulted in Emperor Taizong being frightened to the point of his soul entering the underworld, but since his lifespan had not yet expired, he returned to life. Later, he greatly promoted Buddhism, but the Buddhist scriptures were incomplete, which eventually led to the story of the Tang monk Xuanzang traveling to the West to obtain the scriptures. Yuan Shoucheng did not appear again afterward.

Yuan Banjian continued to speak with his eyes closed: "In all matters, one should only seek the direct path; never should one seek through indirect means. What is destined to be yours will inevitably come, while what is not destined should not be forcibly pursued." Chen Jiujin felt a jolt in his heart; it seemed that Yuan Banjian in Lin'an City was indeed not just a name without substance.

Although there were two generals guarding the palace, and it remained quiet for a few days, the Tang Emperor ultimately could not bear to make the two generals suffer by having them keep watch every night. Therefore, he sought the skilled painter to depict the true likeness of Wei Chigong and Qin Shubao in their armor on the palace gate. From that night onward, there was no need for vigilance at the front gate. The imposing presence of the two generals thus became the door gods that have been passed down in folklore to this day

Chen Jiujin quietly approached Yuan Banjian's divination stall and had not yet spoken when the dozing old man suddenly said, "This lady has come to inquire about some matters at home, hasn't she?" Chen Jiujin was puzzled; this Yuan Banjian had not opened his eyes at all, so how could he know she was there to ask about family affairs? However, Chen Jiujin was also someone who had experienced storms, so she smiled and replied, "How does the gentleman know that I have come to ask about matters at home?"

The Tang Emperor was gravely ill. Duke Weichi Gong and Duke Qin Shubao entered the palace to pay their respects. They learned that outside the sleeping quarters, as night fell, there were sounds of bricks being thrown and ghostly wails. The two generals comforted the Tang Emperor, and Qin Shubao said: "Your Majesty, please rest assured. Tonight, I and Jingde will guard the palace gates and see if there are any suspicious activities." The Tang Emperor granted their request, and the two expressed their gratitude and exited.

Yuan Banjian, whose real name is Yuan Yanyi and courtesy name Shuangqian, is sixty-two years old this year. In the city of Lin'an, he is commonly referred to as Yuan Banjian, and very few people know his true name. He is indeed the nineteenth descendant of Yuan Shoucheng, and the art of divination through hexagrams has traditionally been passed down from father to son, not to daughters, and is transmitted within the family but not to outsiders. Thus, by the Southern Song Dynasty, the only remaining practitioner of this art from the Yuan lineage was Yuan Yanyi. He has been operating a hexagram divination stall in Lin'an for over thirty years. Originally, there were four hexagram stalls in front of the Sanqing Temple, but only Yuan Banjian's stall proved to be the most effective, forcing the other three fortune-tellers to seek other locations.