All Men Are Brothers – [Shui Hu Chuan] – Prologue #3
“CHANG, THE HEAVENLY TEACHER, CHIEF OF THE TAOISTS, BESEECHES THE GODS TO DRIVE AWAY THE EVIL FLUX. THE COMMANDER HUNG, IN HEEDLESSNESS, FREES THE SPIRITS.”
In the spring of the third year of the time called Chia Yu there was a great plague of sickness over the whole country and from the region south of the great river to the eastern and to the western capitals there was not one of the people who did not suffer from it. In every city and every town there were sent memorials to the throne in number like great drifts of snow.
Let it be told now of affairs within and without the eastern capital. The soldiers and the people had died to the greater half of all their numbers and in the city of K’ai Feng the minister Pao Chen spent all his own means in buying medicine for the people to heal their plague and many were healed. Yet how could they all be healed? The plague grew yet more grace and all governors both civil and military took council together and they all came into The Hall Of The Water Clock to wait for dawn to come, which was the time of imperial audience, so that they might announce the matter to the Emperor.
On this day, which was the third year of the time called Chia Yu, and the third moon and the third day, at the fifth watch and near to dawn, the Emperor sat in the audience hall and waited. When the rites of courtesy were over then did the master of ceremonies call forth and say, “Let him among you who has aught to say now come forth straightway. If there is no business, then roll up the curtain, for the Emperor retires.”
Then from among all the officials was there a certain minister named Chao Che and there was a lesser one, Wen Yien Po, and they came forth and said, “Now is the plague heavy upon us here in the capital city and many are the soldiers and the people who suffer from it. Let all crimes be forgiven, therefore, and let mercy be made wide. Let the imperial punishments be lightened and the taxes on the people lessened and thus let Heaven be besought.”
The Emperor hearkened to these words and he commanded the palace of the scholars that they were to send forth mandates straightway, commanding that all prisoners were to be freed from gaols and all tributes from the people were to be forgiven them. Beyond this a mandate was to be sent to all Buddhist and Taoist temples in the capital city that they were to say prayers so that this plague might pass away.
But beyond expectation the plague grew yet more heavy. The Emperor Jen Chung heard of this and his sacred dragon heart could know no peace. Again he gathered together all his ministers to take counsel with them. Now among the ranks of them as they stood there was a certain great statesman and he came forth regardless of his turn. The Emperor saw him and he was a minister named Fang Chung Yien. When he made his obeisance and had given greeting he said, “Now is the plagues most cruel and the soldiers and the people suffer very bitterly, nor can they rest from their fear day or night. According to my poor small purpose, if we are to drive out this plague we must call for the great Taoist who is descended direct from the times of Han to come hither and here in the palace let him call a mass for seven days and thus can we make our trouble known to God so that He may drive out this plague and so save the people.”
This the Emperor Jen Chung promised him and swiftly he bade his scholars put forth the mandate and he himself set his handwriting there and gave his own imperial incense to the Taoist. Then he bade the chief master of ceremonies, who was named Hung Shin, to be his messenger and go to the province of Kiangsi to The Mountain Of Dragons And Tigers and there invite the Taoist Chang Chen Jen, who was descended from the times of Han, to come that same night to beseech Heaven to drive out the plague.
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