014 CHAPTER FIVE: A. GROUNDSKEEPER IS TOTALLY BETTER THAN STABLEHAND, RIGHT?
Let me tell you about the Great Sage Equal to Heaven - he was a mischievous monkey, not bothered about titles, ranks, or salaries. All he cared about was having his name recognized. In the Equal to Heaven Mansion, his attendants from the two bureaus served him diligently day and night, taking care of his meals and providing him a comfortable bed to sleep. He was completely free, without any worries or responsibilities tying him down.
During his leisure time, he enjoyed mingling with friends, wandering around the palace, and forming deep bonds with his companions. When he met the Three Pure Ones, they called him "old," and when he encountered the Four Emperors, they addressed each other as "Your Majesty." Whether he was with the Nine Luminaries, the Five Generals, the Twenty-Eight Mansions, the Four Heavenly Kings, the Twelve Celestial Generals, the Five Elders of the East, or the myriad of stars and deities, he treated them all as brothers, addressing each other in a familiar and friendly manner.
> Today he ventures east, tomorrow he roves west,
> Clouds come and go, his path a wandering quest.
One day, during the morning court of the Jade Emperor, suddenly Xu Jingyang, the True Man, stepped forward and respectfully presented his report. He said, "Currently, the Great Sage Equal to Heaven has nothing to do and spends his time socializing with all the stars and constellations in Heaven, regardless of their status. I'm afraid he might stir up trouble in his leisure. It would be better to assign him a task to keep him occupied and prevent any potential issues."
When the Jade Emperor heard this, he immediately issued an edict.
The Monkey King happily arrived and asked, "Your Majesty, what reward or promotion has the decree bestowed upon me?"
The Jade Emperor replied, "Seeing that you have nothing to do, I have assigned you a task: take charge of the Peach Garden and pay careful attention to it morning and evening."
The Great Sage joyfully expressed his gratitude, bowed to the Emperor, and then departed. Immediately, he went to Peach Garden, eager to start his new task.
A local deity blocked his path and asked, "Great Sage, where are you headed?"
"I have been appointed by the Jade Emperor to take charge of the Peach Garden. I'm here for an inspection."
The deity quickly paid his respects and called the group of tree-planting laborers, water-carrying laborers, peach-cultivating laborers, and cleaning laborers to come and bow to the Great Sage, leading him inside.
Inside the garden, a breathtaking sight unfolded before him:
> Amidst the trees, vibrant and fair,
> Each branch weighed down by fruits rare.
> With blossoms bright and colors bold,
> The tree adorned like brocade of old.
>
> Fruits so ripe they burst with juice divine,
> Others young and green, still on the vine.
> Their jade-like skin and misty hue,
> In the sunlight, a crimson view.
>
> Thousand years to mature and thrive,
> No seasons, no summers, no winters arrive.
> Some are ripe with a blush of wine,
> Others, green with stems entwined.
>
> With supple flesh and luscious green,
> In the sunlight, their red hues can be seen.
> Beneath the trees, rare flowers bloom,
> Never-fading, no matter the season's gloom.
>
> Pavilions, towers, and halls of delight,
> Filled with enchantment, a celestial sight.
> These are no ordinary trees, I say,
> The Queen Mother herself planted them one fine day.
The Great Sage spent quite a while admiring the garden, and he asked the local deity, "How many peach trees are there in total?"
"There are 3,600 trees: 1,200 in the front with small flowers and tiny fruits, ripening every 3,000 years. Eating them turns you into an immortal with a fit and light body. Another 1,200 trees bear sweet and substantial fruits in the middle, maturing every 6,000 years. Eating them lets you soar through the skies and stay forever young. At the back, there are 1,200 trees with purple patterns and silky cores, ripening every 9,000 years. Eating their fruit grants you a lifespan equal to that of the heavens and the earth, with ages matching the sun and moon."
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The Great Sage was overjoyed by this news. He thoroughly examined each tree and explored the pavilions before returning to his abode. From then on, he visited the garden every three to five days for leisure and pleasure, with no interest in making new friends or wandering elsewhere.
One day, the Monkey King spotted a tree with branches laden with ripe peaches. His mouth watered at the thought of tasting the fresh fruit. However, the local deities, laborers, and attendants from the Heavenly Court constantly trailed him, making it tricky to indulge in his desire.
So, he hatched a plan and said, "You all wait outside the gate while I take a short nap in this pavilion."
The celestial beings agreed and moved away.
With them out of sight, the mischievous Monkey King took off his crown and robe, scrambled up the tall tree, and plucked numerous perfectly ripe peaches. Perched on the branches, he happily savored the juicy fruits. Once he had his fill, he leaped down from the tree, donned his crown and robe again, and called his attendants to return to their abode.
Over the next few days, every couple of days or so, he would devise new ways to steal peaches and eat them, thoroughly enjoying his sneaky feasts.
One morning, Queen Mother of the West wanted to host a grand banquet, opening the treasure pavilion and holding a splendid peach gathering in the Jade Pool. She commanded the Red-robed Fairy, Blue-robed Fairy, White-robed Fairy, Black-robed Fairy, Purple-robed Fairy, Yellow-robed Fairy, and Green-robed Fairy to carry their flower baskets and go to the Peach Orchard to pick peaches for the gathering.
The seven fairies approached the gate of the Peach Orchard, where they found the local deity and the powerful guards of the Celestial Bureau, along with the officials from the two bureaus of the Equal to Heaven Mansion, standing guard.
"We have come here under the orders of Queen Mother to pick peaches for the banquet," the fairies said.
"Ladies, please wait," the local deity replied, "This year is different from previous years. The Jade Emperor has assigned the Great Sage Equal to Heaven to oversee the orchard. We need to inform him before we can open the orchard."
The fairies asked, "Where is the Great Sage?"
"He is inside the orchard, resting in a pavilion as he feels tired."
The fairies went into the orchard to look for him but couldn't find him anywhere. They only discovered his clothes and headgear in the pavilion, but he was nowhere to be seen.
Unbeknownst to them, the Great Sage had transformed into a two-inch tall figure and was sleeping under the thick leaves on top of a tall tree.
The seven fairies said, "Given our instructions, it is crucial that we remain here until we have found the Great Sage. We can't return empty-handed."
"You ladies came on orders, so there's no need to hesitate,” An immortal envoy nearby said, “The Great Sage is used to wandering around. He might have left the orchard to meet some friends. You can go ahead and pick peaches, and we will convey the message to him on your behalf."
The fairies followed the advice and started picking peaches under the tree. They chose two baskets from the first tree and three baskets from the middle tree, but when they reached the tree at the back, they found only a few green-skinned peaches with stems left. It turned out that the Monkey King had all eaten the ripe ones.
As the seven fairies looked around, they spotted a half-red and half-white peach on a branch to the south. The fairy in the blue robe reached for the branch while the one in the red robe picked the peach. Then, with a mischievous smile, they playfully let it snap back.
As it turned out, the Monkey King had transformed himself and was sleeping on that branch, which they inadvertently disturbed. Startled, the Monkey King revealed his true form, pulling out his golden-banded rod from his ear. With a wave, the staff changed in size, becoming as thick as a bowl. He exclaimed, "Who dares to steal my peaches?"
The seven fairies quickly knelt down and explained, "Great Sage, please forgive us. We are not monsters but seven fairies sent by the Queen Mother to pick peaches and hold a grand feast at the Jade Pool. When we arrived, we met the local gods and couldn't find you. Worried that we might be late for the Queen Mother's order, we decided to start picking peaches here. We beg for your understanding."
Hearing about a party, the Monkey King's anger subsided, and he responded with a smile, "Rise, fairies. Who did the Queen Mother invite to the feast?"
"The invitations follow the ancient rules, and they include the Western Heaven Buddha, Bodhisattvas, holy monks, and Arhats; the South Heaven South Pole Guanyin; the Eastern Heaven Chong'en Holy Emperor, Ten Continents, and Three Islands Immortals; the Northern Heaven North Pole Xuanling, the Central Heaven Yellow Pole Yellow Antler Great Immortal, and the Five Old Ones. There are also the Five Dou Stars, the Upper Eight Caves Three Pure Ones, the Four Heavenly Kings, Taishang Laoz, and other celestial beings, the Middle Eight Caves Yu Huang, Jiule, and the Sea Mountain Immortals, the Lower Eight Caves Underworld Leaders, and worldly immortals, as well as various gods from the palaces and halls, all gathering at the Peach Feast."
The Monkey King laughed. "Then why don't you invite me?"
The fairies replied, "We haven't heard of any invitation for you."
The Monkey King declared, "I am the Great Sage Equal to Heaven. Invite me as an esteemed guest. How can it be any other way?"
The fairies explained, "It's an old rule for the Upper Feast, but we're not sure about this year's arrangements."
The Monkey King understood and said, "I see. Stand here for a moment; I'll go and find out if I'm invited or not."