Volume 2: The Path That Can Be Told – Chapter 193: The Change of the Tang King

Seeing King Li Shimin of Tang jump into the Wei River and vanish without a trace, Wukong found nothing interesting there either. So he flew out of the netherworld, soared upward from the depths of Jiuyou, and headed toward the southern continent of Nan Shan Bu Zhou.
Although the territory of the Tang Dynasty differed slightly from that of the Great Sui Dynasty, Wukong knew that its capital had been changed from Luoyang to Chang’an. He rushed to the White Tiger Hall in Chang’an at lightning speed. There, many of the founding heroes of the Tang Dynasty were mourning together with the crown prince, the empress, and concubines in the White Tiger Hall. Those who were close to the crown prince were discussing when to issue an edict to crown him king.
Wei Zheng persuaded the ministers, saying, “Wait another day. Our lord will surely return to life. We must not disturb the whole realm.” Some said, “The prime minister has lost his mind. Once water is spilled, it cannot be retrieved; the dead cannot be revived. There is no such thing as returning to life.”
Wei Zheng replied, “I learned magic in my youth, and its predictions are extremely accurate…”
Just then, Li Shimin inside the coffin cried out, “It hurts so much!” This cry terrified all the civil and military officials, concubines, and the crown prince. Only four loyal ministers—Xu Maogong, Wei Zheng, Qin Qiong, and Yu Chiji Jingde—approached to support the coffin.
Wei Zheng ordered that instruments be brought to rescue Li Shimin. After opening the coffin lid, Li Shimin sat inside and exclaimed, “What a severe flood!”
Seeing that Li Shimin had indeed returned from death, the ministers all said it was heaven’s blessing to the Tang Dynasty. Some said, “Your Majesty, please calm down. What kind of flood could there be?”
The Tang King replied, “I was on my way to the Wei River when I saw two-headed golden fish playing in the water. The Marshal of the Netherworld pushed me off my horse, causing me to fall into the river.” Seeing that the king was still shaken, the ministers quickly helped him out of the coffin and ordered the imperial medical court to prepare calming potions. After resting for a day, he finally regained his composure.
Early the next morning, everyone in the palace took off their mourning clothes and put on colorful garments—red robes with black hats, purple sashes with gold insignias—waiting outside the palace gates for an summons. After taking the calming potion, Li Shimin slept soundly all night, regained his strength, and entered the court with renewed dignity. In the Golden Throne Hall, civil and military officials gathered. After the greetings were over, they took their positions according to rank.
Wukong hid early on a pillar in the hall, listening to the ministers’ discussions. He guessed that among them might be Buddhists who would try their best to persuade Li Shimin.
After the ceremonies were completed, the ministers submitted reports on various matters of state. Naturally, someone asked why the Tang King had returned from death. Li Shimin replied, “The King of Hell said I still had 33 years of good fortune left. Only 13 years have passed, so he sent people to bring me back. I died in the city, and countless aggrieved souls, as well as rebels from the 64 paths and bandits from the 72 regions, blocked my way. My top priority upon returning to the living world is to hold a water and land ceremony to rescue these souls.”

Li Shimin immediately issued an order: “Fu Yi, the Chief Historian, shall select eminent monks from today onward to conduct Buddhist rituals without any mistakes.”
Wukong was shocked. How could Li Shimin have changed his mind after just one night, acting so differently from his previous behavior in the netherworld? What was the reason?
Fu Yi stepped forward and said, “Your Majesty, I believe the practices of the Western Regions should not be adopted. Reciting Sanskrit mantras, seeking to atone for past sins and foresee future blessings—this seems like a clever attempt to deceive others. Since the time of the Five Emperors and Three Kings, there has been no Buddhism, yet rulers were wise and ministers loyal, ensuring long-lasting dynasties. Therefore, I urge Your Majesty to reconsider.”
Wei Zheng also stepped forward and said, “Our dynasty has always revered Taoism. Why does Your Majesty wish to conduct Buddhist rituals? When the emperor acts, all people follow. This matter is related to the foundation of the nation. Such a significant decision requires careful deliberation.”
Li Shimin replied, “I have experienced various hardships in hell, witnessing countless trials. As the saying goes, ‘One reaps what one sows in life; after death, one bears the consequences.’ In the cycle of the six realms, those who do good ascend to the path of immortals, those who are loyal are reborn in noble paths, those who show filial piety are reborn in blessed paths, those who act fairly are reborn in human paths, those who accumulate virtue are reborn in wealthy paths, and those who are evil sink into the path of ghosts. The purpose of this grand ceremony is to guide those wandering souls back into the cycle of rebirth, ensuring the eternal stability of our dynasty. Even the judges and high officials in the netherworld say that Buddhist water and land ceremonies are extremely effective—there can be no mistake.”
At that moment, Zhang Daoyuan, the Minister of Equines, and Zhang Shiheng, the Head of the Secretariat, added their support: “Buddhism embodies purity, kindness, and compassion. Since ancient times, it has been said that the three teachings are supreme and must not be destroyed or abandoned. We earnestly ask Your Majesty to make a wise decision.”
Taizong was pleased and said, “The opinions of these two ministers are reasonable. Anyone who offers further objections will be punished.” Thus, the hall echoed with cheers of “Long live the emperor,” and no one dared bring up the matter again. Wukong grew more confused. Li Shimin had always revered Taoism, yet now he seemed to be a die-hard Buddhist. Such a sudden change in his beliefs was truly abrupt.
Wukong observed Li Shimin closely. He was the same person he had seen in the netherworld—his speech and actions were identical, suggesting it was not an imposter. He wanted to use the secrets of the Mysterious Void Technique to investigate further. But when he tried to channel his energy, he realized he still couldn’t use his elemental powers. It turned out that the power of the Five Elements Mountain was immense, suppressing all his elemental spells within his body as the Spirit Ape.
Suddenly, Li Shimin raised his head and glanced in the direction where Wukong was hiding. Wukong had used invisibility magic, but he thought, Even though Li Shimin is an emperor, he is still just a mortal. Could he possibly see through my magic?

At that glance from Li Shimin, it seemed as if it came from the depths of hell—dark and utterly strange. As that gaze swept over Wukong’s hiding place, he felt chills run down his spine, every hair on his body standing on end.
He saw me! This man is definitely not Li Shimin!
A strong sense of crisis overwhelmed Wukong, so he leaped away. Suddenly, an invisible force seized his ankles. In desperation, he used the “Spiritual Qi Control” technique to barely escape and fled at full speed, never daring to look back. Unaware that Li Shimin, constrained by his status in the court and unable to use many astonishing spells, had allowed Wukong to escape.
Wukong flew for thousands of miles, thinking that Li Shimin couldn’t possibly chase after him from the palace, before finally stopping. His heart was filled with utter shock.
What great Buddhism, what boldness, what courage, what profound strategy…
Now that Li Shimin’s identity was revealed, everything made sense. Cui the Judge and Zhu the Grand Marshal’s attempts to persuade the Tang King to embrace Buddhism were merely minor tactics; the real trick lay with that golden two-headed carp.
Since the Tang King refused to listen, they simply replaced him—this subterfuge completely eliminated the possibility of Taoism interfering, proving to be extremely clever. It seemed the Western Heaven had planned this pilgrimage for a long time, determined to succeed at all costs.
In the court, whoever sat there must be some Buddha. Just from that move alone, his cultivation was surely above that of a Taiyi Golden Immortal. As for the real Tang King, he was probably still acting foolish in the Wei River.
Now that Li Shimin was part of Buddhism, the Buddhas and Taoists in the Western Heaven could easily control everything. From now on, there would be no distractions in the Eastern Land, and the pilgrimage would begin soon. The one who went on the pilgrimage must surely be the reincarnation of Jinchanzi. Guanyin’s presence here was merely a formality.
As Wukong mused in the clouds, his body suddenly trembled. For once, a faint smile appeared on his face—Guanyin had arrived.
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Beneath the Five Elements Mountain, Wukong was resting at the foot of the mountain when he saw countless rays of auspicious energy approaching from afar. Soon, a woman in white and a demon-subduing monk flew over—none other than Guanyin Bodhisattva and Her messenger Hui’an.
The local deities stepped forward to welcome the Bodhisattva and lead her to Wukong.
Guanyin flew up to Wukong and said with a smile, “Monkey, do you recognize me?”
Wukong inwardly scoffed but replied, “How could I not? You are the Great Merciful and Compassionate Guanyin Bodhisattva who saved me on Putuo Lujia Mountain.”
The Bodhisattva still smiled and asked, “Are you comfortable here in this mountain?”

Wukong pleaded earnestly, “Bodhisattva, each day here feels like a year. All my old friends have been lost. Please, the merciful and compassionate Avalokiteshvara, teach me a way to save my life.”
The Bodhisattva replied, “You monkey, with all the bad deeds you’ve done in the heavenly court, how could the Jade Emperor spare you?”
Hearing this, Wukong became even angrier at the heavenly court. He retorted, “It’s understandable if the Jade Emperor captures me, as I have no grudges against him. But why does the Tathagata want to capture me?”
The Bodhisattva smiled and said, “If you still bear no remorse, why ask for mercy? Just die here stubbornly—what does it matter to me?”
Wukong changed his expression and smiled falsely, “Please forgive me, Bodhisattva. In truth, I’ve repented countless times in my heart, but I’m still confused, which is why I asked again.”
The Bodhisattva asked, “What’s unclear?”
Wukong replied, “The Buddha and the Taoists in the Western Heaven possess such great powers. Why do they still respect the Jade Emperor of Taoism? If it were me, I would have already gone to the East and changed the world!”
The Bodhisattva snapped, “Stop talking nonsense! The Jade Emperor is the ruler of all heavens. What does that have to do with the size of one’s powers? At the Jade Emperor’s command, even the Tathagata must obey. Do you understand?” This implied recognition of the Tathagata’s great powers.
Wukong pretended to think for a moment and said, “I see, I see. It’s just that they use force to suppress others, so the Buddha has no choice but to obey.”
Avalokiteshvara was secretly pleased and said, “Don’t talk nonsense! I’ve been sent by the Buddha to find someone who can obtain the scriptures in the Eastern Land. I passed by here just to take a look at you.”
Wukong urged, “Bodhisattva, please don’t just take a glance. I’ve been trapped here for decades. Please save me!”
Avalokiteshvara replied, “You’ve caused chaos in the heavenly court many times; your sins are severe. If I release you and you cause trouble again, wouldn’t that be my fault?”
Wukong said, “I truly repent. I hope the Bodhisattva will show mercy and point me on the right path. Otherwise, how can we demons cultivate?”
Hearing this, Avalokiteshvara was delighted and said, “When a person has such thoughts, the whole world knows. If good and evil go unpunished, the universe must be biased.”
The Bodhisattva, hearing this, was overjoyed. She said to the Great Sage, “Since you have such a mindset, wait a few more days. Someone will come to save you!”
Wukong immediately bowed in gratitude.
The Bodhisattva took Wukong away, filled with joy. This monkey was someone specifically requested by the Tathagata. One monkey, one reincarnation of the Golden Cicada—these two were repeatedly emphasized by the Tathagata as non-negotiable, while the others didn’t matter so much.

Recently, the Old Mother of Lishan, the Barefoot Immortal, and the Dragon King of the Western Sea came looking for me, all wanting to place people in positions of power. Those three treasures are truly hard to refuse.