Journey to the West: Starting from the Imperial Horse Stable

Wang Chen never expected that after transmigrating, he would find himself in what he thought would be a traditional fantasy world, but instead, he found himself in the world of Journey to the West. Especially after seeing the monkey with the hairy face and thunderous mouth, he finally understood his current predicament.

He clearly remembered that the book said that after this monkey became the Keeper of the Heavenly Horses, it asked about its official rank during this banquet. When others replied that it was "not even in the ranks," it became furious and fought its way out of the South Heavenly Gate, heading straight back to Flower Fruit Mountain.

At the time, he only felt a sense of exhilaration when he read it, but now that he was in the midst of it, Wang Chen was thinking about something else: the monkey was having a good time, but what would happen to those who drank with it back then?

The Heavenly Court places the utmost importance on decorum and reputation. If a superior hosts a banquet with subordinates in attendance, and the superior then overturns the table and rebels against the Heavenly Court, is this a trivial matter?

Those who attend the banquet will likely be accused of "ineffective supervision" or "failure to offer advice," and if they are unlucky, they may even be blamed and punished.

Wang Chen was determined not to get involved in this mess.

As the end of the shift approached, Liu Changyun, the person in charge of the hay and fodder shed, strolled in again. He had changed into a slightly neater robe, and with his usual smile on his face, his gaze swept around the room before settling on Wang Chen.

"Little Wang, don't be in such a hurry to leave tonight," Liu Changyun said, his tone casual yet authoritative. "Lord Bi Ma Wen is hosting a banquet today, and each of us in charge should bring our capable people. Didn't Little Li tell you?"

After he finished speaking, his gaze seemed to drift casually towards Li Changsheng standing to the side.

Li Changsheng immediately slapped his forehead, a frustrated yet ingratiating smile plastered on his face: "Oh dear, look at my memory! Manager Liu, I would have forgotten if you hadn't mentioned it. Didn't Brother Wang Chen say this afternoon that he was going to the Carriage and Driver's Office to submit an account tonight? I thought I'd wait until he confirmed the time before doing so, but I got so busy that I completely forgot about it. Damn it, damn it."

As he spoke, he secretly glanced at Wang Chen, a hint of smugness hidden in his eyes. Revealing Wang Chen's errand for the evening now would be tantamount to cutting off his escape route, ensuring he wouldn't go no matter what. "You have your own errands to finish, what are you trying to take from me?"

Liu Changyun said "Oh," frowned slightly, and looked at Wang Chen: "The driver's account? Does it have to be reported tonight?"

Wang Chen immediately put down what he was holding, his face showing just the right amount of embarrassment and respect: "Indeed, sir. This afternoon, a celestial official from the Carriage Department came, saying that he urgently needed to verify the details of this month's fodder purchases, and the accounts must be sent over for verification tonight. If it is delayed, it may affect the subsequent disbursement of fodder... I am truly in a difficult position."

He paused, lowered his voice even further, and said tentatively, "I really want to hear your teachings, Lord Bi Ma Wen. This is a rare opportunity. How about... I go to the Carriage and Horse Management Office to report the expenses first, and then rush back as soon as possible? I'm just afraid... I'll keep you all waiting."

Liu Changyun's face darkened as expected. He waved his hand, his tone impatient: "Making your superiors and colleagues wait for you? What kind of talk is that! Forget it, since you have other official business, you don't need to go tonight. Make sure things at the Carriage and Cavalry Department are handled properly, and don't let anything go wrong."

Wang Chen quickly bowed and said, "Yes, I understand. I will certainly not make a mistake."

He looked up, then seemed to suddenly remember something, and added, "By the way, sir, when we go to submit the accounts today, we can also collect the spirit stones that the Carriage and Driver Division allocated to our hay storage this month. That way, you won't have to make a special trip another day."

Hearing this, Liu Changyun's expression softened slightly. Going to the Carriage Office to collect something, judging from the arrogant faces of those officials, was certainly not a pleasant task. He hesitated for a moment, then took out a palm-sized jade token with a faint silver sheen from his robes and handed it to Wang Chen.

"This is my celestial talisman. Take it with you and don't lose it. Be careful in handling things, check the accounts carefully, and make sure the number of spirit stones is verified," Liu Changyun instructed.

"Rest assured, sir." Wang Chen accepted the jade token with both hands and carefully put it away.

Seeing that things were settled, Li Changsheng's smile almost overflowed, but he suppressed it, leaned close to Wang Chen, and whispered:

"Brother Wang Chen, look at this mess. It's all the fault of the driving department for rushing us. Fine, I'll take over the tiring work from the service department for you tonight. Sigh, I'm just destined to be a workaholic. Consider it my help to you today, but you'll have to buy me a drink another time."

Wang Chen turned his head, looked at Li Changsheng's undisguised joy, and nodded very seriously: "Brother Changsheng is right. Thank you for your hard work tonight. Make sure you serve all the officials well. I heard..."

He lowered his voice and leaned closer, "It seems there's still a vacancy for a Celestial Register position at our Imperial Stables that hasn't been filled yet? Maybe the opportunity will come tonight."

Li Changsheng's eyes lit up for a moment, then he quickly waved his hand, adopting a humble demeanor: "Oh, Brother Wang Chen, what are you saying? How could such a good thing happen to me? You've always been more outstanding than me. Even if there were such a thing, it would be you..."

But he couldn't suppress the corners of his mouth, and his breathing became a little rapid.

The celestial bell rang softly. Li Changsheng practically flew off to prepare, his back view radiating a light and carefree air.

Wang Chen slowly packed his things, his face clearly showing his sullenness. Anyone who saw him would think that he had been tricked by Li Changsheng and missed a good opportunity to show his face in front of the Heavenly Official, and he was feeling very resentful.

With a bitter expression, he carefully tucked away the accounts and Liu Changyun's celestial register, and slowly walked towards the carriage office.

The Imperial Carriage and Cavalry Office was much more imposing than the Imperial Horse Administration, and the imperial soldiers guarding the gate appeared more solemn. Wang Chen had been here several times and was quite familiar with some of the clerks in charge of specific affairs.

The process of verifying accounts and handing over the documents was quite complicated. By the time everything was completed and the storage bag containing the spirit stones was collected, it was already dark.

An older constable, noticing his perpetually troubled expression, casually asked, "Brother Wang, why do you look so unhappy today? Did something go wrong with your errand?"

Wang Chen sighed, shook his head, then nodded, looking hesitant to speak. Only after the other person pressed him further did he finally speak with a wry smile:

"To be honest, brother, I'm feeling a bit down. Tonight, our Imperial Stables' Master is hosting a banquet, and he's sending the heads of each department with their capable servants."

The old constable said "Oh," and laughed, "That's a good thing, it'll give you face in front of your superiors."

"Why are you showing your face?" Wang Chen's smile became even more bitter.

"Our fodder shed, the manager took Li Changsheng with him, but I didn't make it. Our manager told me I had to come here tonight to report the accounts, saying it couldn't be delayed. I said it wouldn't be too late to report the accounts tomorrow, but the manager said no, I had to come today. Sigh, in the end, they still don't treat me like one of their own."

He spoke earnestly, with a hint of helplessness and self-deprecation. The old constable listened, shook his head, and patted him on the shoulder:

"Brother, take it easy. Aren't all the departments in Heaven like this? Some people and some opportunities can't be forced. Doing your job well is more important than anything else."

"Thank you for your comfort, brother." Wang Chen cupped his hands in greeting, perfectly portraying his disappointment, before putting away the brocade pouch and taking his leave.

At the same moment that Wang Chen was "complaining" to the Carriage and Horse Management Office, a completely different scene was unfolding inside the Imperial Horse Stables.

It was a time of leisure, so the Monkey King arranged a banquet in his prison, partly to welcome his officials and partly to enjoy himself. In the midst of the revelry, the Monkey King suddenly stopped drinking and asked, "What kind of official title do I hold as the Keeper of the Heavenly Horses?"

The people below quickly replied, "That is the official title."

The Monkey King then asked, "What rank is this official?"

The crowd said, "There is no ranking."

The Monkey King said, "How tasteless! It must be extremely grandiose."

Everyone shook their heads: "Not big, not big, just called 'unremarkable'."

The Monkey King asked in surprise, "What do you mean by 'not up to par'?"

The crowd explained, "This is the lowest rank. Such an official is the lowest of the low, only fit to tend horses. After you took office, you were so attentive, feeding the horses until they were fat, and all you got was a compliment. If they were even slightly weak, you would be reprimanded; if they were seriously injured, you would be fined and punished."

Upon hearing this, the Monkey King's anger flared. He gritted his teeth and roared, "How dare they look down on me like this! I reign supreme on Flower Fruit Mountain, how dare they try to trick me into becoming their horse herder? Horse herders are lowly servants of the young and insignificant, not for me! I refuse! I refuse! I'm leaving!"

With a whoosh, he overturned the desk, pulled out a treasure from his ear, and with a flick of his wrist, it became as thick as a bowl. Using all his skills, he fought his way out of the Imperial Stables and straight to the South Heavenly Gate. At this moment, the guards at the Heavenly Gate knew that he had received a celestial decree and was a minor official in charge of horses, so they dared not stop him and were driven out of the Heavenly Gate by him.

After descending from the clouds, the Monkey King went straight back to the Water Curtain Cave of Flower and Fruit Mountain.