As the story goes, the gatekeeper led Liu Quan and his wife out of the Underworld.

The eerie winds whispered around them, guiding them straight to the heart of Chang'an, the great capital. Liu Quan's spirit was directed into the Golden Pavilion, while Li Cuilian's soul was carried into the inner courtyard of the imperial palace. At that very moment, Princess Yuying was strolling through the shade of blooming flowers, sauntering on the mossy path.

Suddenly, the gatekeeper lunged forward, crashing into her with full force, and knocked her to the ground. He seized her soul, and simultaneously, he guided Li Cuilian's spirit into Princess Yuying. Then he fled from the scene, leaving behind the imperial palace.

When the court maids and servants saw Princess Yuying fall to the ground, they rushed to the Golden Pavilion and reported to the empress and the other queens, "Princess Yuying has collapsed!"

The empress was greatly alarmed and immediately informed Emperor Taizong.

Upon hearing the news, Emperor Taizong nodded and sighed. "I once asked the Ten Underworld Kings about the well-being of our loved ones. They replied, 'All is well, but we fear for the Princess's life span.' Their words have proven accurate."

The palace attendants, all in a state of sorrow, gathered around the scene beneath the shade of blossoms. They noticed a faint sign of life in the princess.

The Tang Emperor reassured them, "Don't cry! Don't cry! Let's not startle her." He stepped forward and gently helped her up, saying, "Princess, wake up, wake up."

Suddenly, the princess turned over and exclaimed, "Husband, slow down; wait for me!"

Emperor Taizong said, "Princess, it's us here."

The princess lifted her head and opened her eyes, saying, "Who are you to come and bother me?"

Emperor Taizong replied, "It's your elder brother, the emperor, and your sister-in-law."

The palace mistress responded, "Where would I have such an elder brother and sister-in-law? My maternal family name is Li, and my nickname is Li Cuilian. My husband is Liu Quan, and we're both from Junzhou. About three months ago, I gave a gold hairpin to a monk at our doorstep, and my husband scolded me for leaving the inner quarters and not following proper wifely conduct. It angered me so much that I took a white silk belt, hung it from the beam, and ended my life. I left behind our two children, who have been crying day and night. Because Emperor Taizong sent my husband to deliver fruits to the Underworld, we received mercy from King Yanluo and were allowed to return. He went ahead, and I lagged behind, tripped, and fell. You are disrespectful! I don't know your names, yet you dare to bother me?"

Emperor Taizong turned to the palace attendants and said, "Seems like the princess might have fainted and is speaking nonsense." He ordered the royal physician to prepare a herbal remedy, and they carefully assisted Princess Yuying back into the palace.

The Tang Emperor was present in the royal court when a court official suddenly arrived. "Your Majesty, there's news that Liu Quan, who brought the fruits to the Underworld, has returned to life. He awaits your command outside the court gates."

Greatly surprised, Emperor Taizong immediately issued orders to summon Liu Quan. As Liu Quan entered, he prostrated himself before the throne.

Emperor Taizong inquired, "How did the offering of the fruits go?"

Liu Quan replied, "I presented the fruits and proceeded straight through the Underworld gates. I was led to the Hall of Myriad Spirits, where I met the Ten Kings of the Underworld. There, I offered the fruits on behalf of Your Majesty and expressed our gratitude. King Yanluo was greatly pleased, and he repeatedly conveyed his thanks to Your Majesty, saying, 'Truly, Emperor Taizong is a ruler of integrity and virtue!'"

The Tang Emperor asked, "What did you see in the Underworld?"

Liu Quan replied, "I didn't travel far, so I didn't witness much. I mainly heard King Yanluo inquire about my hometown and name. I shared the story of leaving my family and children behind due to my wife's suicide by hanging and how I came to offer the fruits. King Yanluo promptly sent a gatekeeper to bring my wife, and we reunited in the Hall of Myriad Spirits. Meanwhile, they examined the Book of Life and Death and found that my wife and I both had the potential for a longer life. So, the gatekeeper escorted us back. I went ahead, and my wife followed later. Thankfully, we both regained our lives. However, I'm uncertain about my wife's situation."

Emperor Tang asked in surprise, "Did King Yanluo say anything about your wife?"

Liu Quan replied, "King Yanluo didn't say much. I only heard the gatekeeper say, 'Li Cuilian has been in the Underworld for a while, and her body is no longer intact.' Then the king replied, 'It's time for Princess Li Yuying to pass away. Let Cuilian borrow Li Yuying's body to return to the living.' I'm not sure where this 'Princess Li Yuying' comes from or where she lived. I haven't had a chance to find out."

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Upon hearing the report, Emperor Tang felt immense joy and turned to his officials, saying, "When I met King Yanluo, I asked about the affairs in the palace. He told me, 'All is well for the young and old, but I fear Princess Li Yuying's life might be short.' Just recently, Princess Yuying fell and appeared to have died under the blossoming trees. But a moment later, she revived and exclaimed, 'Husband, walk slowly; wait for me.' I thought it was her delirium due to the fall. When I asked for more details, her account matched Liu Quan's."

Wei Zheng reported, "Princess Yuying briefly revived and spoke those words. It seems to be related to Liu Quan's wife borrowing a body for rebirth. We can invite the palace princess to hear what she has to say regarding this matter."

Emperor Tang replied, "I just sent for the royal physicians to administer medicine. I'm unsure of the current state." He then instructed the concubines to enter the palace and bring her out. From inside, the princess exclaimed in confusion, "What medicine did I take? Is this my home? My home is a cool-tiled house, unlike this house that gives me jaundice, with its gaudy gilded door panels. Let me out! Let me out!"

Amid her protest, several court ladies and a couple of eunuchs approached and supported her, guiding her to the hall's balcony.

Emperor Tang asked, "Do you recognize your husband?"

Yuying responded, "Don't be silly. We've been married since childhood and raised children together. How could I not recognize him?"

The Emperor instructed a palace official to assist her down.

The princess descended from the balcony, reaching the white jade steps. Upon seeing Liu Quan, she grabbed his arm and exclaimed, "Husband, where were you going without waiting for me? I stumbled, and those unreasonable people surrounded me, making a fuss. What's going on?"

Hearing her words, Liu Quan recognized her tone but saw a different face, so he hesitated to acknowledge her. [1]

Emperor Tang said, "This is just like witnessing a landslide or an earthquake – someone who can take another's place in death is a rare occurrence."

As a pragmatic ruler, he bestowed upon Liu Quan all his sister's possessions, clothes, and jewelry, akin to a dowry. He also granted him an imperial edict of exemption from labor duties and instructed him to guide his sister back.

The couple expressed their gratitude at the palace steps, joyful and content as they returned home. A poem attests to the tale:

Life and death are destined in our time's design,

Short or long, each life has its own sign.

Liu Quanjin changed his fate through a pumpkin's guise,

Li Cuilian revived by borrowing another's demise.

The couple bid farewell to the emperor and headed to their hometown, arriving in the city of Junzhou. There, they found their old home and children in good health. They shared the positive outcomes of their virtuous deeds, and their story continued on a bright note.

Now, let me tell you about what happened to Emperor Taizong's debt. Yuchi Gong carried the treasury of gold and silver to the Kaifeng Prefecture in Henan to seek out Xiang Liang.

Xiang Liang and his wife, Zhang Shi, earned their livelihood by selling water. They made a modest income selling clay and ceramic wares at their doorstep, just enough to get by. Most of their earnings they dedicated to charitable acts like providing alms to monks, buying gold and silver paper ingots, and making offerings to the treasury. In the mortal world, they were humble and charitable, yet in the spiritual realm, they became rich with good karma.

While Xiang Liang lived as a benevolent and humble poor man on Earth, he had amassed a wealth of virtue in the afterlife.

When Yuchi Gong brought the gold and silver to their door, it startled Xiang Liang and his wife, leaving them shocked and amazed. On top of that, local officials and dignitaries gathered outside their modest home, creating a scene of hustle and bustle. The elderly couple was overwhelmed, and in a daze, they knelt on the ground, repeatedly bowing and paying their respects.

Yuchi Gong said, "Old sir, please rise. I am an official appointed by the emperor. I bring gold and silver from our ruler to return to you."

The old man trembled as he replied, "I have no gold and silver debts. How could I dare accept this unaccountable wealth?"

Yuchi Gong explained, "I've learned that you are a poor man, but you have been generous in your almsgiving to monks. You used the funds to purchase gold and silver paper ingots, which were burned as offerings to the Underworld. In that realm, your sacrifices have accumulated into wealth. Three days after Emperor Taizong died, he returned to life. But during his time in the Underworld, he borrowed a treasury of gold and silver from you. Now, I have come to repay that exact sum to you. Please accept it so I can return and report to the emperor."

The old couple continued to bow, too frightened to accept. "If we were to take this gold and silver, it would bring about our end quickly. Even though it's in the form of burned paper in the records, it involves matters beyond our understanding. Moreover, there's no proof that Emperor Taizong borrowed gold and silver from us in the other realm. We absolutely cannot dare accept it."

Yuchi Gong insisted, "His Majesty stated that Judge Cui can vouch for the loan. Please accept it." But the old man responded, "Even if it means facing death, I cannot dare accept it."

Seeing Xiang Liang's insistence, Yuchi Gong's had no choice but to present a written report to the authorities.

Emperor Taizong read the information and understood that Xiang Liang was declining the gold and silver. He remarked, "This truly is a virtuous and kind elder." He immediately issued an order, instructing General Jingde to use the gold and silver to repair temples, build a memorial hall, and invite monks to perform good deeds, reciprocating Xiang Liang's intentions.

General Jingde went to the imperial palace on the appointed day to express gratitude and receive the decree, which became widely known. He used the gold and silver to purchase a plot of land in an uninhabited area of the city, spanning fifty acres.

Construction began, and a temple was erected, named the "Great Xiang State Temple," including memorials for the elderly couple, with an inscription on a stone tablet reading "Supervised by Yuchi Gong." This temple is now known as the "Daxiangguo Temple."