Journey to the West: The roadblock!

Chapter 127 Encountering the Blackwater River (Thirteen)
Meanwhile, the king of the Kingdom of Fadi wanted to kill Tang Sanzang.

The minister was so frightened that he hurriedly tried to dissuade him.

The king of Fadi asked him the reason.

The minister said, "Your Majesty, if they were ordinary monks, we could kill as many as we wanted. But we cannot kill Tang Sanzang; he is from the Great Tang Dynasty!"

The king of Fadi Kingdom said with some dissatisfaction:

"So what if he came from the Tang Dynasty? He's just a monk."

The minister hurriedly said, "Your Majesty, you mustn't be rash! I've heard that the monk is the Emperor's younger brother!"

The King of Fadi's expression changed slightly as he asked, "The Tang Emperor's brother?"

The minister said, “Yes, Your Majesty! That monk’s Dharma name is Tang Sanzang. He was sent by the Tang Emperor to the Western Paradise to retrieve the Buddhist scriptures. The Tang Emperor, Li Shimin, has always been a warlike ruler. Even after gaining the entire country, he was still not satisfied and often sent troops across the sea to attack neighboring countries, forcing all nations to submit to him. If Your Majesty acts rashly, I fear you will anger him, and then the country will perish!”

Upon hearing this, all the ministers knelt down and said, "Your Majesty, please reconsider!"

The king of Fadi knew that his ministers were right, so he withdrew his decree and said:

"Very well, I will spare Tang Sanzang's life for now. It is not that I am afraid of Li Shimin. Although his Tang Dynasty has troops, my Fa Di Kingdom also has tens of thousands of elite soldiers. It is not necessarily impossible for us to fight each other. However, I have always been a devout Buddhist and do not want the people of both countries to suffer. Therefore, I have withdrawn my order."

Upon hearing this, all the ministers said:
"Yes, Your Majesty's virtue is truly a blessing to the nation!"

The King of Fadi Kingdom said, "Guards, summon the eminent monk from the Great Tang Dynasty to the palace!"

Tang Sanzang entered the hall, followed closely by Zhu Bajie and Sha Wujing.

At first, the three of them were far apart, so it was fine.

As the three approached and bowed, the King of Fadi Kingdom suddenly saw the faces of Pigsy and Sandy, and was so frightened that he almost stood up and ran away, saying, "What...what are these two things!"

Tang Sanzang said, "Your Majesty, there is no need to panic. They are nothing but my two disciples. Although they are ugly, they are good people."

The King of Fadi Kingdom breathed a sigh of relief and said, "He is actually the disciple of a high monk. How could he have such an appearance? It has frightened me greatly."

Tang Sanzang said, “Your Majesty, extraordinary people naturally have extraordinary appearances. Although my two disciples have strange appearances, they are skilled in many ways. I was able to travel west to this place thanks to their protection.”

The King of Fadi said, "I see. Please, Venerable Monk, take a seat."

The servants brought over chairs.

Tang Sanzang said, "Thank you for the seat, Your Majesty."

Then he sat down properly.

The king of the Kingdom of Fadi carefully examined Tang Sanzang and said:
"The eminent monk is indeed a man of the Great Tang Dynasty, with extraordinary demeanor. It is a great fortune for our country that the eminent monk has traveled thousands of miles to come to our country. I hereby order a banquet to entertain the holy monk."

Tang Sanzang said, "Your Majesty, I have come here not for a banquet, but for other important business."

The King of Fadi Kingdom naturally knew Tang Sanzang's purpose, but he was unwilling to stop the war, so he preemptively stopped Tang Sanzang by saying, "In addition to the banquet, I also have gold, silver and jade to give you. Please do not refuse, esteemed monk."

Tang Sanzang refused, saying, "I am a monk and do not seek gold, silver, or jade."

The King of Fadi said, "In addition to gold, silver and jade, I can also give the high monk Meinu his wives and concubines to serve him."

Tang Sanzang refused, saying, "I am a monk and must abstain from lust."

The King of Fadi Kingdom said:

"High monk, whatever you ask for, I will grant, except for one thing: you must not interfere in the affairs of our state. Otherwise, do not blame me for being ruthless!"

Tang Sanzang said, "Your Majesty, this humble monk has come for this very reason."

The King of Fadi said, "No need to say more. Unless Huoluo dismantles the bridge, I will not stop!"

Tang Sanzang said, "Your Majesty, you hold the reins of an entire nation, so why must you waste resources and manpower on a single bridge, and wage such an unjust war?"

The King of Fadi sneered, "You monk, all you know is ringing bells and chanting sutras. How could you possibly understand matters of state?"

Pigsy stepped forward and said, "Old King, don't make it sound so mysterious. Do you think I can't see it? You're starting this war just to collect that 'bridge fee,' aren't you?" The King of Fadi Kingdom angrily retorted, "You, how dare you!"

Tang Sanzang rose and bowed, saying, "Your Majesty, my disciple misspoke. Please forgive him. He only said this because he could not bear to see a great war break out and the people suffer."

Upon hearing this, the King of Fadi stood up in anger, his face grim.

Tang Sanzang's words seemed to be directed at Zhu Bajie, but in reality, they were alluding to him, accusing him of recklessly starting wars and causing immense suffering to the people.

In the past, he would have already ordered the execution of Tang Sanzang and his companions. However, now, because of Tang Sanzang's status as the Emperor's younger brother, he could not resort to force.

The King of Fadi Kingdom angrily retorted, "What do you monks know about state affairs? Do you think I am acting for my own benefit? My country is poor and weak, and everything I have done is for the sake of my people!"

Tang Sanzang shook his head and said, “Your Majesty is mistaken. Everyone knows that the country of Fadi is stronger than that of Huoluo. However, from my journey from Huoluo to Fadi, I have seen and heard that the people of Fadi are far inferior to those of Huoluo. In my opinion, Your Majesty should stop the fighting and allow the people to recuperate. This would be a beneficial move for the country and its people.”

The King of Fadi Kingdom roared, "How dare you, monk, lecture me! You! Dismiss the court!"

The king of Fadi stormed off and left the court.

Seeing the king upset, his ministers rushed to his aid, saying:
"Your Majesty, I have a plan that can help you vent your anger."

The king of Fadi asked, "What is your plan?"

The minister said, “That Tang Monk is a Buddhist monk and is good at debating, so Your Majesty will naturally be unable to win against him. However, there are many monks in our country. Why doesn’t Your Majesty issue an edict to let those monks debate with him? Even if he is a high monk, he is only one person. How can he possibly defeat all the monks in our country? When he loses, he will leave in disgrace.”

Upon hearing this, the King of Fadi was overjoyed and said, "Excellent plan! I will immediately issue a decree to summon the monks!"

Meanwhile, on the other side...

Ao Tu and Wukong arrived at the front line of the battlefield.

Wukong asked, "Little Dragon, what plan do you have to stop the war?"

Ao Tu changed his appearance, transforming himself into the look of an official from the Kingdom of Huoluo, and said, "Great Sage, please follow me, and you will soon find out."

Upon seeing this, Wukong also changed his appearance.

Ao Tu led Wukong and walked openly into the military camp of the Fadi Kingdom, saying, "We are envoys from the Huoluo Kingdom, here to request an audience with your general."

The guards quickly reported the situation, and soon Ao Tu and Wukong were led inside.

When the general of the Kingdom of Fadi saw Ao Tu and Wukong, he asked:
"What business do you have with me, General?"

Ao Tu said, "We have come to see the general because of his future."

The general from the Kingdom of Fa asked, "What future do you have for me?"

Ao Tu said, “In war between two countries, there will always be winners and losers. If you win, all will be well; if you lose, you will be severely punished. Now, you are attacking while we are defending. Our forces are roughly equal. What are your chances of winning? I have a plan that will allow you to neither win nor lose, thus securing your future.”

The general of the land of Fa asked, "What plan?"

Ao Tu said, "General, if you cooperate with our army to hold this place without losing any soldiers, and report to the higher authorities that 'both sides have their victories and defeats,' wouldn't that be wonderful?"

Upon hearing this, the general of the land of Fa laughed loudly:

"I thought it was some brilliant plan! I am loyal to my king and would never betray my country! Guards, hang these two men in front of the tent!"

Seeing this, Wukong prepared to take action, saying, "Little Dragon, your plan isn't working!"

Ao Tu said, "General, please wait a moment and allow me to say a word."

The general of Fadi Kingdom said, "Stop with your flowery words! No matter what you say today, you will not escape death!"

Ao Tu said, "I can pay."

The general from the Kingdom of Fadi asked, "How much money can you offer?"

(End of this chapter)