At this time the Tibetans became stronger and with an army of a hundred thousand men they began to harrass the border prefectures. Their vanguard advanced as far as the Wei River Bridge, not far to the north of Ch’ang-an. The capital grew very uneasy and the emperor assembled all his ministers in council. They advised him that since the garrison force in the capital was no more than a few thousand men, and the relief forces in the provinces were too far away to come quickly, he should leave the capital for a while, go out to Kuan-tung and make a progress through all the provinces to muster troops and set matters right. He found it difficult to make up his mind, but said: ‘Yang Shao-yu is the most resourceful of all my counsellors and has sound judgment. When I was about to make a mistake before, it was he who was responsible for the submission of the three rebellious commanderies.’
So he persuaded his mother to have Shao-yu freed and summoned him to hear his advice. Shao-yu said: ‘The capital has the tombs of the imperial ancestors and the royal palaces. If you desert them now there will be confusion throughout the empire. Moreover if a strong enemy were to enter the city, it would be very difficult indeed to drive them out again. In the days of your predecessor T’ai Tsung, the Tibetans and the Uighurs joined forces and attacked the capital with a million men. At that time the garrison was even weaker than it is now, but the Prince Fen-yang, Kuo Tzu-i, drove them away with his cavalry. My skill and ability are not equal to a thousandth part of Kuo Tzu-i’s, but if you will allow me a few thousand soldiers I will do my best to chase away this enemy and so repay your graciousness in forgiving me.’
The emperor approved heartily and at once appointed Shao-yu as commander-in-chief, allowed him thirty thousand men from the garrison and told him to deal with the Tibetans.
Shao-yu took his leave, marshalled his army and drew them up in battle formation at the Wei Bridge. He defeated the vanguard and took one of their princes prisoner. The enemy’s strength was broken and they fled. He followed closely after them and joined battle three times, defeating them each time. He killed about thirty thousand men and took a thousand horses. He sent notice of his victories to the emperor, who was very happy to get the news and ordered the armies to return. He also appointed rewards for each of the generals according to his merits in the campaign.
The message which Shao-yu sent to the emperor was this:
I have heard it said that the imperial forces are invincible, but if they wait idly and lose an opportunity they cannot prove their value. I have also heard that 'troops who always win tend not to respect the power of their enemies’ and cannot destroy them unless they attack when the enemy is hungry and faint. Our enemies are strong and well-equipped, but they have come as strangers to fight against the owners of the land and we ought to wait well-fed for the time when they grow hungry. Their strength diminishes daily, and their men are weakening. The textbooks of war say that one should strive to catch the enemy when his food supplies are low and the terrain is not in his favor. Already our foes are broken and fleeing. They are in dire straits. We have supplies of food and provender stocked for us in every town along the way, so we have no fear of lack of provisions. The flat plains are to our advantage and there are no dangers of ambush. If we can follow them fast we shall gain a decisive victory. I am pleased with our partial victory, but hope you will approve a decisive strategy and not insist on our returning now, because I cannot accept that this would be a wise plan. I beg you to take counsel of your ministers and decide our course. Allow me to chase the enemy as far as possible, and to fire his hide-outs, and I swear that not a single suit of his armor shall come back over our border, nor a single arrow again be shot at us. Then your imperial majesty will be relieved of all anxiety.
The emperor was much impressed by this dispatch, and at once promoted Shao-yu to Chief Inspector and at the same time Minister of the Board of War, with the title of Marshal of the West. He invested him with a magnificent sword, a crimson bow with scarlet arrows, a belt of water-buffalo horn, a white yak’s tail standard and golden battle-axe; and sent out a further order for the mustering of troops and horses to Shao-yu’s forces from the provinces of So-fang, Ho-tung and Lung-hsi.
When Shao-yu received the decree ordering all this, he faced toward the palace and bowed his thanks, then chose a propitious day to make the sacrifice to the army standard, and set out with twenty thousand men.
His strategy was the cunning of the Six Chapters of Chiang T’ai-kung: the Dragon, the Tiger, the Book, the Warrior, the Leopard and the Dog; and his disposition of the lines was according to the Eight Trigrams of the Book of Changes. On the march discipline was strict, and the column moved like a jet of water or a split in a bamboo. Within a few months the fifty or so over-run towns were recovered and the main force had arrived at the foot of the Chih-shih hills. Suddenly a great whirlwind rose before the horses, crows cried out and the whirlwind passed through the camp. Shao-yu called the diviners to explain this omen and learned that though the enemy would attack his lines with great force, he would be victorious in the end. So he camped below the mountains and surrounded the place with caltrops and booby traps. Then he settled down to wait.
That night Shao-yu was sitting in his tent perusing military textbooks by the light of a candle; the sentry had already called the time of the third watch. Suddenly a cold draught blew out the candle and a young woman appeared in the middle of the tent as though she had come down through the air. She had a gleaming dagger in her hand. Shao-yu guessed that she was an assassin, but did not falter. He looked at her very sternly and spoke slowly: ‘What sort of a woman are you, to appear in the midst of the camp in the middle of the night? What do you want?’
She replied: ‘I have been sent by Tsen-po, the king of Tibet, to fetch your head.’
Shao-yu laughed: ‘The superior man is never afraid to die. Strike quickly!’
The girl then threw down her dagger and hung her head: ‘You need not worry. How could I do such a thing?’
Shao-yu raised her up and said: ‘You came into the camp armed with a dagger and now you say you will not hurt me! What do you mean?’
She answered: ‘I want to tell you my whole story, but I cannot do it all at once.’
Shao-yu made her sit down, and then asked: ‘You faced great risks in coming to find me. Now, who are you, and what did you want to say to me?’
She answered: ‘I have been trained to be an assassin, but I have no desire to kill. I will open my heart to you.’
Then she stood up and re-lit the candle and came to sit close to Shao-yu. Now he could see her properly. Her hair was like a cloud, fastened with a golden hairpin in high coiffure. She had a narrow-sleeved military coat embroidered with a design of China-pinks. She wore phoenix-tail-shaped wooden shoes, and had a dragon sword sheathed in her belt. Her face was like a sea-rose with dew on its petals, and as she slowly opened her cherry lips, her voice was as sweet as the song of the oriole: ‘Originally I came from Yang-chou. My family have been subjects of T’ang for generations. I was parted from my parents when I was a child and became the disciple of a woman teacher. She was a brilliant swordswoman and had three disciples: Chen Hai-yüeh, Sea Moon; Chin Ts’ai-hung, Rainbow; and Shen Niao-yen, Mist-wreath. I am Niao-yen.
‘After learning the art of the sword for three years, I was able to learn the art of transmogrification. I could ride on the wind, chasing the lightning, covering a thousand leagues in an instant. We were all equally proficient in our swordsmanship, but whenever our teacher had an enemy to destroy or some wicked person to kill, she always sent Hai-yüeh or Ts’ai-hung, and never once employed me. I was very angry about this, and said to her: “We three girls have all learned from you together, but I am the only one to whom you give no opportunity to repay your goodness. I cannot understand it. Is it because my skill is weak that you never send me?” She replied: “You are not really one of our kind. Eventually you will learn the right way and will be made perfect. If you went to kill men as the other two do, you would be permanently harmed. That is why I never send you.” So I asked her: “In that case, what use will my swordsmanship be to me in the future?” She told me: “The man for whom you are destined is in the empire of T’ang. He is a great personage. You are at present in a foreign country and have no chance to meet him. I am teaching you skill with the sword so that you shall have such a chance. You will have to go into a camp of thousands of soldiers, among the swords and spears, to fulfil your destiny.”
‘Then this spring she said to me again: “The T’ang emperor is going to send a great general to defeat the Tibetans. The Tibetan king, Tsen-po, is advertising for assassins to kill the T’ang general. Take this opportunity and go down from the mountain. Go to Tibet and test your skill among the assassins. On the one hand, you will save the T’ang general from imminent disaster: on the other hand, you will realize your life's destiny.” So I did as she said and went to Tibet. I tore down the notice I saw on the city gate and took it to the king. He compared my proficiency with that of the other assassins. He judged I was the best and was very pleased with me. He told me to come, and said: “If you bring back the T’ang general’s head to me, I will make you my chief concubine.”
‘Now I have met you. I see that my teacher was right. Please let me join your retinue and wait on you. Will you let me?’
Shao-yu was very pleased. He said: ‘You have spared my doomed life and now you want to stay with me and look after me. How can I repay you? What I should really like to do would be to marry you.’
So they went to bed together. The gleaming of his sword took the place of nuptial candles, and the boom of gongs replaced the music of the lute. Moonlight bathed that distant place with soft light. No silken-curtained bridal chamber could have increased their joy: their ecstasy in that army tent was as great as the mountains and overwhelming as the sea.
After this Shao-yu was head over heels in love with her and did not bother to see his soldiers. Three days later Niao-yen said to him: ‘It is bad to have a woman living in the camp. I am afraid the soldiers will lose their spirit.’
Shao-yu said: ‘But you are not an ordinary woman. I hope you are going to teach me some of your wonderful skill so that I can destroy the enemy.’
She answered: ‘There is no question of your military prowess. You will cut the enemy down like a rotten tree-stump, but I came here on my teacher’s instructions, but I have not formally taken leave of her. I ought to go back and greet her and then wait till you return from the campaign, when I will eventually meet you again in the capital.’
‘That’s all very well, but what shall I do if another assassin comes?’ complained Shao-yu.
‘The Tibetans have many assassins, but none that will compare with me. When they learn I have married you, they will not dare to come, so you need not fear anybody else, and you have nothing to worry about.’
Then she took a jewel out of her belt and gave it to him, saying: ‘This jewel is called Miao-ya-wan, the Mystic Trinket. It was a pin in Tsen-po's headdress. Please send a messenger with it to indicate that I have no intention of returning to him.’
‘Have you any other instructions?’ asked Shao-yu.
‘Further along the road is a place called P’an-she Valley. You are bound to pass that way. There is no drinking water there: you must make sure to dig wells so that the soldiers can drink.’
She threw down the jewel and Shao-yu was about to ask for more information when she leapt straight into the air and was no more to be seen. Then he called together the officers of his army and told them about her. They and the troops all agreed that she was a blessing and a strength to him for frightening the enemy, for they were certain that a spiritual being had come to help him.
The young marshal promptly sent a man to the enemy camp to take the Miao-ya-wan to Tsen-po. At length he set his own army on the march until they arrived at T’ai-shan, where the defile was so narrow that a single rider could barely pass through it. They passed along the bank of the stream, clinging to the base of the cliff for many miles, before they found a place where there was room to pitch camp and rest the men. The soldiers were exhausted and parched, so they looked for drinking water, but could not find any. Below the mountain there was a large lake, toward which they struggled, but when they drank water from it their faces turned green and they were struck dumb. They began gasping for breath and it looked as though they would die.
Shao-yu was very distressed to hear of this and went himself to see what was happening. The water was dark green in color, too deep to measure, and as cold as autumn frost. Suddenly he remembered: ‘This must be the P’an-she valley that Shen Niao-yen was speaking about.’ He persuaded the remaining soldiers to dig wells, but although they dug deeply in a great many places they could find no fresh springs anywhere.
He was growing very anxious and ordered the camp to be removed to some other place, when suddenly the sound of drums shook the hills like thunder: the Tibetan troops had massed in the narrow defile and cut off the escape of the T’ang army.
Shao-yu’s men were dying of thirst and hemmed in at front and rear, and he was sitting in his tent trying to think of a ruse to send the enemy off and get out of the impasse. He was very tired, and leaning on the table began to doze. Suddenly the tent was filled with a strange fragrance, and two little girls stood before him. Their faces were fairylike and spiritual. They said to him: ‘We have come with a message from our mistress to your excellency. Please condescend to visit her.’
He asked: ‘Who is your mistress and where does she live?’
The girls replied: ‘She is the younger daughter of the Dragon King of Tung-t’ing Lake. Recently she left the palace for a little while and has come to live near here.’
He said: ‘The Dragon King lives under the water. I am a human being. What magic can I use to go there?’
The girls replied: ‘There is a fairy horse tied up outside the gate. If you will ride it, you can easily go there.’
Shao-yu followed the girls to the gate of the camp. The retinue was waiting there dressed in fantastic uniforms, holding a dappled horse with a gold-mounted saddle. They helped him on to the horse, which glided through the air, its hoofs never touching the dust, and almost immediately they arrived at the Water Palace. The water-city, the palace of pearls, was beautiful and strong, worthy of a king. All the guards had heads like fish and beards like shrimps. Several girls came out to open the door, and led Shao-yu inside. In the middle of the throne hall there was a throne of white jade set up facing south, which the waiting-women asked Shao-yu to sit on. They put a silk cushion on the floor before the steps of the throne and withdrew. Very soon a dozen or so attendants appeared, accompanying a young lady from one of the chambers on the left side of the audience hall. It would be impossible to describe her beauty and her resplendent clothes.
One of the ladies-in-waiting came forward and announced: ‘The daughter of the Dragon King of Tung-t’ing begs audience of the marshal.’
Shao-yu was amazed and wanted to escape, but the ladies-in-waiting prevented him from leaving the dais. The Dragon Princess stood before him and kowtowed four times. The jade ornaments hanging from her girdle tinkled together prettily and a wonderful fragrance came to his nostrils. He bowed in return and asked her to come up and sit beside him, but she declined and sat on the small cushion spread on the floor. Shao-yu said: ‘I am an ordinary human being and you are a Dragon Princess of the water world. Why are you receiving me with such excessive respect?’
She replied: ‘I am Po Ling-po, White Sea-foam, the youngest daughter of the Dragon King of Tung-t’ing. When I was born, my father went to the court of Heaven, and there he asked the clairvoyant Chang about my horoscope. Chang said that I had previously been a fairy, but had committed some sin and been banished from heaven to become the king's daughter, and that I should later become human and marry a great personage, enjoying riches and honor, until in the end I went to the Buddha and became a famous nun. We dragon-folk are the noblest of the water-creatures and we deem it a great honor to become human; we yearn even more for the chance to achieve Taoist immortality or Buddhahood. My eldest sister became the daughter-in-law of the Dragon King of Ching-shui, but she was unhappy with her husband, and our family and his fell out, so she was married again, to Liu I, a human being. Her relations all honor her and everybody in the house pays her more respect than they do her sisters, but I am searching for my karma, which will be more splendid than hers. My father, having heard what Chang said, took special care of me, and the palace women of all ranks treated me as if I were a heavenly being. When I grew up, Wu-hsien, the son of the Dragon King of the Southern Sea, heard that I was beautiful and asked my father if he could marry me. The king of Tung-t’ing is subject to the king of the Southern Sea, so my father did not dare to sit tight and refuse, but himself went to the Southern Sea king and told him what Chang had said about me, to explain his refusal.
‘The Southern Sea king, for the sake of his proud son, told my father that he had been deceitful, and rebuked him sternly. He was even more insistent about the marriage. I thought to myself: If I stay with my parents I shall be disgraced. So I left them and ran away. I cleared some brambles and built a house in a secluded place, where I passed my time in poverty, but the Southern Sea king’s persecution grew stronger. My parents said: “Our daughter does not want to get married, so she has run away and hidden herself to live alone.” Wu- hsien had no respect for my constancy and came himself at the head of some troops to capture me. All nature was moved by my misfortunes. The waters of the lake were changed: they became as cold as ice and as black as hell. Wu-hsien’s troops have not been able to enter the lake. I have been preserved and so far have escaped with my life.
‘I dared to ask you to come here today, not only because I wanted to tell you my story but also for the sake of the imperial army. They are in great trouble because there is no water in the wells, and however much they dig they cannot find any, so they are in no condition to fight. Originally this lake was called Ch’ing-shui-t’an, the Pool of Clear Water, but since I came to live here the taste has turned brackish and anybody who drinks it falls ill; so the name has been changed. It is now called Po-lung-t’an, the White Dragon Pool. Now you have come, and I have someone who will care for me. It is like spring sunshine coming again to a shaded valley. I have already promised myself to you. I will share your worries. I must do everything within my poor power to help you in your campaign. From now on the taste of the water will be as sweet as it used to be and your soldiers can safely drink it. The ones who were made ill by it will get better.’
Shao-yu said: ‘Now I have heard what you have to say, I realize that this is the karma of Providence. One must stake everything on the bonds of the old man of the moonlight, whose thread binds those who are predestined to marry. I see things the way you do.’
The Dragon Princess answered: ‘Although I have promised myself to you there are three things that prevent me from marrying you: to begin with, I have not told my parents; secondly, I cannot think of marrying you until I have changed my shape—I am covered in scales and smell fishy, I cannot soil your bed with my fins; and thirdly, Prince Wu-hsien is always sending his agents here to spy on me, and if he hears about us he will certainly raise a great storm. I am afraid that if his anger is aroused he will do us some harm. You had better go quickly back to the camp, get your soldiers into good order, and destroy the enemy. Then you will be covered in glory, and can go back victorious to the capital. I shall be able to pick up my skirts, fly across the water, and follow you to your home there in Ch’ang-an.’
Shao-yu said: ‘What you say is all very proper. It seems to me, however, that you did not come here simply to get your own way, but also because your father told you to wait until I came. So you cannot say that our meeting today is not according to your parents’ wishes—and since you were originally a fairy and have a spiritual nature, and nowhere is there any objection to relationship between human beings and spirits, why should I be disgusted by your scales and fins? Thirdly, I am not very clever, but in obedience to the emperor’s orders I command thousands of soldiers; the wind-god goes before me and the sea-god is at my back. That Dragon Prince is no more to me than a mosquito or an ant. If he does not immediately think better of his absurd ways, but continues in his resistance, I shall have no choice but to soil my sword with his blood. Now, since we have so fortunately met here tonight, we cannot let the occasion pass and fail to confirm our happy agreement.’
So he took her by the hand to bed, and they did not know whether it was a dream or reality, they had such joy together.
The next day before it was light there was a sound like continuous thunder. The Water Palace trembled. The Dragon Princess got up in fright and one of the palace women came in, breathlessly announcing: ‘The Prince of the Southern Sea has lined up his troops at the foot of the hill and is demanding to fight things out with Marshal Yang.’
The princess said: ‘I was afraid of this. That is why I told you to go.’
Shao-yu was very angry: ‘How dare the crazy boy do such a thing?’
Pulling his clothes together, he got up quickly and hurried to the waterside. Wu-hsien’s troops had already encircled the Po-lung Lake and were causing a great uproar in their fierce eagerness for battle. The so-called Crown Prince came riding out on horseback and shouted: ‘What sort of a man are you, to steal another man’s wife? I swear I will no longer share the same world with you.’
Shao-yu mounted his horse and laughed derisively: The Dragon Princess’s destined marriage with me was written in heaven from her former existence. The clairvoyant Chang proclaimed it. I am only obeying the will of Heaven. You puny fish-spawn, how dare you be so impertinent?’
He formed up his troops and urged them to fight. Wu-hsien, stung to greater fury, called up every kind of fish. His commander was a carp and his chief of staff was a turtle. They led the charge with ruthless violence and great courage. Shao-yu led the counter-attack, cutting off their heads and crushing thousands of the enemy with each crack of his white jade whip. In a very short time the ground was covered with crushed fish-scales and smashed turtle-shells. Wu-hsien was wounded several times with lance-thrusts, and so was unable to metamorphose himself. Finally he was caught and bound by Shao-yu’s men and brought up to the marshal’s horse. Greatly delighted, Shao-yu struck the war-gong to call off his troops. The sentries then came along and said: ‘The Dragon Princess has come to the camp and wants to congratulate your excellency and give some wine to the troops.’
Shao-yu sent a man to conduct her. She congratulated him on his victory and gave him a hundred barrels of wine and a hundred oxen for the troops to have a feast. The soldiers ate till their belts burst, and danced and sang till their courage was a hundred times greater than it had been before the battle. Shao-yu sat beside the princess and had Wu-hsien brought before them. He spoke to him very sternly: ‘I have the emperor’s orders to suppress all rebels. The ten thousand devils dare not oppose the imperial will, but you, silly child, do not understand heaven's decrees. You have dared to withstand the imperial army. You have behaved suicidally. I have a jewelled sword here. It is the very sword with which the Minister of State Wei Cheng beheaded the dragon of the River Ching. I ought to behead you with it to encourage my troops, but your realm of the Southern Sea is a peaceful realm and provides the rain which men need, so it is held in honor throughout the world. Therefore I shall pardon you. From now on, mend your ways and do not bother the princess any more.’
He had his wounds dressed and then sent him away. Wu-hsien could hardly breathe. He ran off like a mouse to its hole. Suddenly a mystic rosy glow shone from the southeast. The clouds shimmered with opalescent light. A standard and halberd came down from heaven and a divine messenger, dressed in crimson, appeared and said respectfully: ‘The Dragon King of Tung-t’ing has heard that you have destroyed the armies of the Southern Sea and rescued the princess. He wanted to come to the camp himself to congratulate you, but he is unable to leave his affairs, so he has prepared a great feast in his summer palace, and invites you to come to it. Please deign to come. His Majesty also instructed me to bring the princess with you.’
Shao-yu replied: ‘Although the Tibetans have withdrawn some way off, their camp is still there and Tung-t’ing is a long way away. It will take several days to go there and back. How can I desert my command to go so far?’
The messenger said: ‘Eight dragons are already yoked to the chariot. You can easily be back in half a day.’
Shao-yu and the princess got into the dragon car together and were borne off through the air by a mysterious wind that turned the wheels. The clouds below them covered the world like a sunshade. After a short while they came down to Tung-t’ing. The Dragon King came out a long way to meet them, greeting them as honored guests and treating Shao-yu as his son-in-law. He bowed to them and when he had led Shao-yu to a seat of honor in the throne room a great banquet was prepared. The king himself, raising a cup, toasted them: ‘I am a man of small virtue, and was quite unable to make my own daughter happy. Now your Excellency’s surpassing ability has captured the crazy boy of the Southern Sea and rescued my daughter. What you have done for me is higher than the heaven and deeper than the earth.’
Shao-yu replied: ‘It was all due to the power of his Imperial Majesty. What merit can I claim?’
They drank till they were tipsy. The Dragon King called for musicians to sing and play to them. The rhythm was unlike that of the music of men. There were a thousand strong men down either side of the hall; each had a sword and a spear and beat a huge drum. Six pairs of pretty girls, dressed in mauve lotus dresses with belts of moonlight pearls, danced gracefully, waving their long sleeves, an entrancing sight.
Listening to the music, Shao-yu asked: ‘What tune is that? I have never heard it before.’
The Dragon King answered: ‘In the old days that tune was unknown here, but when my daughter married the son of the Dragon King of Ching River, Liu I’s writings foretold that she would suffer the hardships of a shepherd’s life, and my younger brother, the Prince of Ch’ien-t’ang, fought the Ching River king and defeated him, and brought my daughter back home. The palace musicians composed this music and called it The Victory of the Prince of Ch'ien-t’ang. Sometimes they call it The Return of the Princess. They often play it at palace banquets, but now since you have defeated Wu-hsien and brought our daughter back again, which is very much like the story of Ch’ien-t’ang, we shall change its name to The Marshal's Victory.’
Shao-yu asked him again: ‘Where is Liu I? Can I meet him?’
The king answered: ‘The Master Liu lives among the immortals, and has a post there which he cannot leave.’
After the wine had been passed nine times, Shao-yu took his leave: ‘I have many things to see to in the camp, and cannot stay longer. I pray that you will live long in health and peace.’
Turning to the princess, he added: ‘Do not forget our vows.’
The king said: ‘Do not worry, she will keep her promises.’
They went out of the palace gates and were making their final farewells when Shao-yu suddenly noticed a mountain with five peaks standing above the clouds in front of him. It looked like scenery worth visiting. He asked the king: ‘What mountain is that? I have seen many of the famous mountains of China, but I have never yet seen Heng-shan or Pa-shan.’
The king said: ‘Don’t you know what mountain that is? That is the south peak of the Heng-shan range. I cannot tell you what a strange and wonderful place it is.’
Shao-yu asked eagerly: ‘How does one get there?’
The king replied: ‘It’s not very late yet. You have time to go for a short visit and still get back before the sun sets.’
Shao-yu said goodbye and, mounting his chariot, soon arrived at the foot of the mountain. He found the track and crossed one shoulder and one valley. The mountain looked even higher than it had before. The area was secluded and the beautiful views were more than he could take in at one visit. He was reminded of the quotation: A thousand peaks competed and ten thousand streams squabbled. As he looked round a solemn thought came to him, and he sighed: ‘My mind has been wasting for a long while in the army, and my soul is tired. Why should the cares of the world be so important to me? When I have won renown I will retire and become a man detached from the world.’
Suddenly he heard the sound of chimes coming through the trees. ‘There must be a Buddhist monastery not far away,’ he said, and went up the next rise. He soon found the temple. Set in a sequestered place, the main hall was magnificently painted and of great size. Several monks were gathered round an older monk who was sitting in a high seat reciting a sutra and expounding it. His eyebrows were long and white, his figure was gaunt and pale. He was obviously very old. When he saw Shao-yu coming he gathered his disciples together and came down from the temple with them to meet him: ‘We who live in the mountains hear very little and so we knew nothing of your Excellency’s visit, or we should have gone outside the gate to meet you. Please forgive us.