Han Zhe let out a miserable cry and collapsed heavily against the carriage wall. Like a madman, he pounded his own head. Pang Chier was so frightened her beautiful face lost all color. She hurriedly embraced Han Zhe’s head, at a loss, thinking Han Zhe had suddenly fallen ill.
After finishing his mad episode, Han Zhe sat up in one motion, looked into his sister’s eyes and said word by word: “You’ve fallen for Di Renjie?”
“No, how could I fall for that fellow? All day long with that appearance of an upright gentleman, just like Yun Ye. How could your little sister like such a pedantic scholar? I like the heroes and outstanding figures of the world.”
“Then it’s over. Since ancient times, heroes have never been good types. The kind of people you mention—not one is a good thing. But speaking of outstanding figures in the world, master and disciple Yun Ye barely count, right? You’ve always believed your big brother is an unparalleled genius emerging from this age. How did you forget how miserably your big brother was defeated before these two people? It’s not strange at all that you’ve fallen for Di Renjie.”
“You always say Xiao Wu is getting married. Whether she marries or not, what does it actually have to do with you? What you care about is Di Renjie, who’s going to marry Xiao Wu, right? Don’t deceive your brother. We’re already big swindlers. Now let’s speak some words from the heart between siblings and relax a bit. The reason you detest Yun Ye is because he forcefully betrothed Xiao Wu to Di Renjie, right?”
“It doesn’t matter, little sister. Only the three of us remain in White Stone Palace. If you truly like Di Renjie, your brother will arrange it right away. Even if I have to activate the divine slaves, I won’t hesitate. As long as you’re happy, snatching Di Renjie over and having him marry you isn’t anything difficult. Think it over carefully. Once you’ve made up your mind, we’ll make our move.”
The people Han Zhe valued most now were his own sister and Pang Zhun. As for other people and matters, they weren’t within his consideration. Moreover, in his heart, his own sister was the best woman under heaven. Having Di Renjie marry his sister—that fellow would be getting a huge bargain. Whether Di Renjie was willing or not was outside his consideration.
Pang Chier spat at her brother fiercely: “You have no shame, but I still need face. Would I, the grand princess of White Stone Palace, snatch men from others? Men have always begged me to condescend to marry down—when have we ever had reason to throw ourselves at them?”
“So you really do like Di Renjie. Just now I thought you liked Yun Ye. If it were Yun Ye, it would be easy to handle. Just capture him, knock him unconscious with one blow, and the next day when he wakes up and discovers he’s already married, Yun Ye will tacitly accept it. Now you like Di Renjie—this is troublesome. That young fellow is one who’s impervious to oil and salt.”
Han Zhe had already thought of seven or eight methods for forcibly abducting Di Renjie in his mind, but they all got stuck at the final moment—that is, how to make Di Renjie devoted heart and soul to his sister.
Up ahead was Xiyue River. The convoy stopped at the riverside. Countless believers had already prostrated themselves by the river waiting for the Divine King’s blessings. This was one of the few places in Tubo where highland barley could be planted. The highland barley in the fields had already lowered its heads. The drooping grain ears meant this was a harvest year. After Han Zhe blessed all the common people one by one by touching their heads, he came to the edge of the field and reverently worshipped the Highland Barley God. Then he plucked a grain ear from the field. Highland barley’s awns are very long. Han Zhe held it in his hand and gently rubbed it. Before long, there were over a dozen grains of highland barley in his hand. He placed his hand on top of an old man’s head and opened it. Highland barley grains flowed continuously from his hand. Everyone saw this scene—they saw Han Zhe pluck one ear of highland barley, but never imagined the barley could continuously pour out from Han Zhe’s hand. Before long, the highland barley flowing down had submerged the old man’s feet.
Just when everyone was kowtowing in worship, a rough and bold voice came over: “In spring’s third month if you don’t plant seed, in autumn’s third month it’s hard to harvest six grains; in winter’s third month if you don’t feed cattle, in spring’s third month it’s hard to milk them. If fine horses aren’t constantly fed, when battle comes and enemies are met, it’s hard to gallop. Though hungry, not eating rotten chaff is the white-lipped wild horse’s nature; though thirsty, not drinking ditch water is the fierce wild ox’s nature. The Divine King has come to my divine mountain—could this also be his nature?”
Hearing this folk song, the highland barley flowing from Han Zhe’s hand immediately stopped. He sighed and said to everyone: “Seeing that you lack clothing and food, I beseeched the Highland Barley God to grant you more highland barley. I didn’t expect this master to forcibly use his magical power to cut off the supply, angering the Highland Barley God. Next year there won’t be another good harvest. So be it. Let me pray a song of blessing for you.”
Hearing Han Zhe’s words, the Tibetan people kneeling on the ground began to wail loudly. If next year they no longer received the Highland Barley God’s protection, these people would all be starved to death. They didn’t dare scold that master wearing animal skins with a deer crown on his head. They could only continuously beseech the Divine King to save them.
“In the jade-blue sky of nine heavens high, the azure jade dragon shakes the firmament, lightning flashes with brilliant red light, fine thread-like rain flows as sweet dew. Using this pure sweet dew essence, earth and human world brew fine wine. To brew fine wine, first plant grain, the five-treasure earth’s golden basin lies open. In earth’s golden basin five grains grow, I am the Divine King who guarantees this.” Han Zhe opened his mouth and sang this passage, then took out a bottle of strong liquor from his bosom and poured it into a pottery bowl. The wine’s fragrance overflowed. He drank a big mouthful himself. After the liquor went down his belly, he struck his stomach heavily with one fist. A fire dragon was seen spurting from his mouth. The fire dragon shot straight toward that master, igniting his animal skin clothing and burning his deer tendon crown. That master howled and plunged into Xiyue River with flames all over his body. After extinguishing the flames, he didn’t stop either but clutched his walking stick and swam across Xiyue River in a sorry state. Howling like a wolf and crying like a deer, he hurriedly entered Black Mountain on the opposite side of the river.
Han Zhe, who had been breathing fire, exhaled the last wisp of flame and said to the Tibetan people with a smile: “It’s all right now. I’ve already punished that master. The Highland Barley God has also accepted your prayers. He said that as long as you brew several more jars of highland barley wine this year to offer him, next year will still be a harvest year. I’ve already made the guarantee. You must not forget to make offerings to the Highland Barley God.”
After speaking, he turned and left, appearing extremely fatigued, needing servants beside him to help before he could enter the luxurious large carriage. Countless Tibetan people worshipped his retreating figure with full bows.
(This passage’s description of magical contests is not the author’s fabrication but comes from actual records. Magical contests between masters in Tibetan areas continued to exist until before Liberation. A Lai’s novel “Red Poppies” also has descriptions of this aspect.)
After Han Zhe entered the carriage, he removed two transparent cuttlefish bones from his mouth and took out a flattened cloth pouch from his tall hat—this was the bag that had held highland barley just now. He poured himself a large cup of water and vigorously rinsed his mouth twice before saying to Pang Chier, who was leaning against the carriage wall reading: “This alcohol from the Yun family—in the future it can’t be swallowed into the belly. My stomach is still burning even now. I’m worried that using it too much will harm the body.”
“Big brother, that master is just a swindler. He felt we were coming to wreck his operation, which is why he intervened. Why did you still help him round out his lie? Wouldn’t directly killing him be done with? Why insist on drinking alcohol to breathe fire? Where does he get divine power from? As long as your pouch still has highland barley, I don’t believe he has the ability to keep the barley from falling.”
“What do you understand? This was the time to mutually give face. In this world, the people who least believe in the existence of divine spirits are us. He has his divine spirits that need maintaining, we have our divine spirits that need maintaining. This point isn’t contradictory. We must jointly maintain the gods that those past masters created. That’s why when we see snow mountains, we speak of the Snow Mountain God; when we see highland barley, we speak of the Highland Barley God; when we see rivers, we worship the Water God; when fire is lit, we worship the Fire God.”
“Today I won’t expose that master’s tricks. Do you believe it or not—he also knows we’re fake, but he absolutely won’t come expose us, because exposing us benefits no one. His tricks aren’t as sophisticated as mine, so he failed. Even so, we still need to say that our divine spirit defeated his divine spirit. This way, this master can still survive on this land full of gods and Buddhas. Do you think religious fusion comes about how? It’s from mutual flattery, mutual acknowledgment, mutual boasting, and finally coming together for greater goals.”
Pang Chier looked at her brother, put down the book in her hands, and said with a charming laugh: “To deceive others, first deceive yourself. Brother has already entered the hall and ascended to the inner chamber. In another two years, your little sister feels you’ll definitely firmly believe that all the divine spirits on this snow plain exist. Who will know that our White Stone Palace’s foundation is built on a basis of lies?”
Han Zhe lifted the curtain on the carriage window and pointed at those fanatical Tibetan people, saying to Pang Chier: “Look at them—they believe unwaveringly. That old man cut open his own face with a knife and spread open both hands praying to me. Can you feel this kind of devoutness? Chier, being deceived for a lifetime is also a kind of happiness. Believing that in this world goodness will have good rewards, believing that evil people will sooner or later receive punishment, believing that all beautiful and kind things have gods and Buddhas in the unseen realm protecting them. This system cannot collapse. As long as all the important figures need the common people to believe in beauty, then they must maintain this system. I saw through this long ago at the Academy.”
Pang Chier didn’t know how to respond to her brother’s topsy-turvy nonsense, nor could she refute it. It seemed what he said made quite a bit of sense. Having received teaching at the Academy for many years, she didn’t believe this world could only be maintained through deception. If that were so, a divine fire descending from heaven to thoroughly destroy this world would at least result in cleanliness.
Yun Ye had already explained to Yuan Shoucheng three times that he bore heavy responsibilities and couldn’t possibly idle about with nothing to do, following them to wander aimlessly all over the Zhéluo mountains. Right now, the Western Regions were problematic everywhere. Guo Xiaoke was still desperately expanding his Protectorate of Pacified West, constantly pushing westward. Three consecutive letters from Yun Ye imploring him to return his army to Kucha to ensure the left flank security of Beiting Protectorate had all been ignored by Guo Xiaoke. His great army had already advanced to Gumо Prefecture. If it weren’t for being blocked by marshes, he would still want to push westward.
The snow mountain was right before his eyes, appearing exceptionally beautiful beneath the blue sky. Clouds slowly moved from the mountainside, like light gauze draped over a snow mountain maiden. At the mountain’s foot, flowers bloomed in profusion. At the mountainside, pine forests rustled. Going up a bit more, there was only vast white snow. Between the white snow and pine forest lay a beautiful heavenly pool of water.