Great Tang Idyll Volume 01 Chapter 100
Shout out to Dan for commissioning chapters 99-108!
Chapter 100: Using A Geomantic Compass To Find Water and Graves
After discovering that out of the nine wells in the village, seven of them had more water, the people in the Lin’he Village were all happy. They didn’t have to worry about running out of water anymore. They could even add more water to the paddies that had insufficient water. The children also didn’t have to reserve a spot near the wells anymore. The seven wells were all surrounded by a large crowd of people.
Each one of them took off their shirts, and began to take turns to remove the water from the well, and the water was transported directly to the paddies. There were two remaining wells--- one of which was in disrepair due to age and was missing a part, and the other had no change in its water level.
Someone immediately reported the situation to the county seat to try to proclaim this as an auspicious omen, but the person was pushed away by the Magistrate’s ugly expression and was told to not spread the news.
"My lord, don't think about it anymore and take a break." The Magistrate Assistant’s expression was also ugly when he tried to persuade Magistrate Cheng.
Standing in the hall were the Secretary General, the County Lieutenant, and the bailiffs who knew about the matter, and none of them had any smiles on their faces. They knew that behind these people's joy, there was a person sacrificing their life span. How was this auspicious? That was not water...it was clearly blood and tears.
They all believed Chen Dong’s words. They believed that the masterminds at the Zhang Manor had used their own lifespan to draw in divine power for the sake of the people of the San’shui County. The County Magistrate, County Lieutenant, Magistrate Assistant, and the Secretary General all felt conflicted in their hearts. They wanted to let the people in the county have water to drink, but they were also afraid that something bad might happen to the two masterminds of the Zhang Manor. They were unable to balance the weight of the two sides.
The bailiffs did not care that much; they only hoped that the people at the Zhang Manor would stay alive and live well. Hearing that the people in Lin’he Village wanted more auspicious omens, the bailiffs really wished that they could beat them up with batons.
"Well, Xu’yang, if there are any other things today, help me handle it. I will first go to the back to check some past omissions."
Magistrate Cheng was the happiest and saddest person. He was the one that sent a person to the Zhang Manor, and then not much later, there was water in a village; however, he worried about the masterminds in the Zhang Manor.
After the Magistrate Assistant agreed, Magistrate Cheng returned to his own courtyard without saying another word. He also ordered the servants to leave. He found some incense candles, and brought it back to his study room. He grinded ink, and wrote “my two teachers” on the paper and he left the paper on the desk. He lit the incense candle, and then knelt down.
"Your unfilial disciple pays visit to the two Shi’fu. I wish the two elders a long life comparable to the age of turtles and cranes1. I promise that if any of the 60,000 civilians in the San’shui County dares to be disrespectful to my two Shi’fu, then I, your disciple, will ensure that they will be punished, even if it costs my life."
After saying this, Magistrate Cheng kowtowed three more times before he got up.
In the next few days, not only did the wells in the Lin’he Village had more water, but also the wells in several other villages. The wells that had water gained more water, and the wells that had no water had water now.
From time to time, someone reported these occurrences to the administrative office as auspicious omens. The more the people of the administrative office heard about this, the more uncomfortable they felt in their hearts.
"My lord, how about we send someone to the Zhang Manor to talk about it, and tell them to stop for a while. Water can be transported from the other villages to those villages that are still affected by the drought. Lightning is sent to strike the wells so that the people can have water, but what about the health of the people at the Zhang Manor? They’re using their lives in exchange for all of this."
The bailiff whose wife was pregnant went up to the Magistrate Cheng and knelt there crying and begging. Of course, he heard of the news from Chen Dong. His family had benefited a lot from the Zhang Manor; his wife was able to eat and sleep well. The Zhang Manor even sent a lady to teach his wife how to exercise and how to hum a few songs that were supposed to be beneficial for their unborn child.
If this was someone else, he would think that they were trying to mess around with him, but since it was done by the Zhang Manor, he did not dare to have any doubts. How could he forget about this kind of care that they gave him? At the beginning, he thought that if the Zhang Manor killed someone one day, he would pretend that he hadn't seen it. Now, what he thought about was that if the Zhang Manor wanted to kill someone, he would grab a sword and do it himself.
When Magistrate Cheng heard the bailiff’s words, he didn’t know what to do for a while. Chen Dong said that they will only do it this one time, which meant that the two masterminds of the Zhang Manor will not die from this. However, in the past two days, wells in some villages had more water and water came out of dried up wells, and he could sense that the bailiffs became more anxious.
He originally wanted to create a longevity tablet for them, but the Zhang Manor did not agree. He didn't know the names of the masterminds, and he didn't know what they looked like, so he could only give up on the idea for the time being.
Looking at the bailiff who was kneeling there, Magistrate Cheng suddenly had an idea, and said to him, "Tomorrow, help me bring some products that the Zhang Manor does not have and give it to them. Also, help me ask them when they plan to stop. If they’re going to stop, then I’ll tell the people to stop transporting the water to other places.
But if it didn’t matter, then I’ll also issue a notice to tell the people to not go out at night and do not go outside to check if they hear any noise. What do you think?"
Seeing the bailiff acting like this, Magistrate Cheng he didn’t know what else to say. In particular, if the next county magistrate was not from the San’shui County, it would be difficult for the official assigned by the imperial court to handle this matter. Those type of officials hated the power of the locals the most, and at the same, they also feared the power of the locals the most.
A competent official can deal with the power of the locals within a period of time so that everyone will listen to his orders. Those who are incapable can only ask to be transferred to a different post or will join the corruption too. If the next magistrate was really not Secretary General Zhao, then would the person have the abilities to control the Zhang Manor? The person would be exhausted to death.
Naturally, the bailiff didn't know that the County Magistrate had thought so much, and when he heard his words, he left happily. He planned to go to the Zhang Manor to ask the questions tonight.
"Wang Juan, do you think tonight's moon is the roundest? Grandpa made me mooncakes2." Zhang Xiaobao was so energetic tonight that he couldn't fall asleep when lying on top of the bed. He was looking out from the half-open window while he spoke softly.
Wang Juan was already feeling sleepy and she wanted to sleep, but when she heard Zhang Xiao’bao's words, she had to open her eyes and say, "Comrade Zhang Xiao’bao, please stop saying that, there are still many days before August 15th. When the time comes, I will make mooncakes with you, alright?"
"Oh, thank you. Actually, it has nothing to do with August 15th. Today is the Orphanage Director Grandfather's birthday. Look at how round the moon is. Grandpa must be on the moon looking at me." Zhang Xiao’bao continued. His voice was very soft, but it was loud enough for Wang Juan to hear.
Wang Juan stared at the window with her eyes, and it looked like she was trying to close the window with telekinesis. She turned her head and saw that Zhang Xiao’bao was still looking outside blanky. "There’s no one on the moon, right? No one can stand the cold and the heat. Fine, don't look at me like that. There are people up there, but it won't be your Orphanage Director Grandfather. There’s Chang'e and Wu Gang, and the other living thing would be a rabbit.
Which one do you think your Orphanage Director Grandfather is? Could he be Apollo from the Apollo program? "
"Comrade Wang Juan, let me ask you, why do so many places with water have graves buried there?" Zhang Xiao’bao changed the subject.
"Xiao’bao, you're a good person. The country has wronged you, but don’t hate the country. After all, these departments are made up of people, not machines. You have learned so much psychology, so how could you not understand? I came here with you, so just think of this as compensation."
Wang Juan knew that Zhang Xiao’bao would always enter a special mindset whenever he thought of the Orphanage Director Grandfather, and at the same time he had already made arrangements there, so she said this gratefully.
Zhang Xiao’bao shook his head. "What qualifications do you have to represent the country? How do you know that I am patriotic? What I love is the ‘people’s community’, what I love is a kind of inherited tradition. The Chinese nation is not a certain republic. What I want to maintain is a type of spirit, not a specific object.
Some people say that the four ancient civilizations are ancient India, ancient Egypt, Babylon, and ancient China. Others say it's ancient Egypt, ancient Greece, ancient India, and Mesopotomia. Others say it’s ancient Egypt, ancient Rome, ancient Maya, and ancient India. Some even say it is ancient Loulan, ancient Egypt, ancient Maya, and ancient Rome.
These are not important; what’s important is who's civilization is passed on. India? Their history needs to be filled in by other countries’ history. Maya? They have left behind words but they have lost people who can interpret them. Egypt? They even lost their own writing, and they don't know their origins.
Babylon was captured by people of different religions, so who remembers them? Rome? If it weren’t for their Colosseum, they would have been long forgotten. Loulan? As the years go by, who will chase after time? Only one place still exists, and it has records of the Yan’huang people3 and poems lines like plentiful common reeds4.
This is the country that I acknowledge. I am not proud of my ancestors’ glory, but I am sorrowful for my inability to inherit. Who would compete with China in terms of culture, food and drinks? I……. "
"Xiao’bao, before the wells were bombed, why did you remind them to use a geomantic compass?" When Zhang Xiao’bao was talking about his radical ideas, Wang Juan suddenly interjected and asked something that had nothing to do with what Zhang Xiao’bao was talking about.
Zhang Xiao’bao didn’t answer for a while and he was panting heavily. After a while, he smiled at Wang Juan. "People say that finding a good wife can make men feel relieved. I didn’t understand it before, but now I finally understand it. They know to pour cold water on you when you are excited, and cheer you up when you’re feeling down. When you’re..."
"Xiao’bao, what is the purpose of the geomantic compass? Is it used as a magnetic compass?" Wang Juan interrupted Zhang Xiaobao again.
"Oh, you’re talking about that thing, I really don't know anything about fortune telling; I didn't learn it back then. There was actually a person in there that told the fortune for a minister, and he ended up going to jail. I know one thing--- the geomantic compass is affected by water and the magnetic field.
Usually, fortune tellers will try to find locations where the geometric compass ceases to function, and the fortune teller will think that it is the Heaven’s will for the compass to be unreadable. In fact, that place is usually a place with a lot of water. If you don’t believe it, you can take a look. As long as you use that thing and go to a place where the compass doesn’t work, you will most likely be able to dig out a coffin.
The orphanage was like that too. Originally, we intended to dig out a cellar, but when the place was dug around, we found a coffin. But we didn’t care about it at the beginning, and we moved it to a different area. You know what a cellar is, right? It’s a brick and cement-covered underground room that can be used as a place to store veggies.
But in the end, it was discovered that the inside was filled with water. The vegetable cellar had a depth of two and a half meters, but it was filled with water up to one and half meter high. So, it couldn’t be used. Later, we wanted to build a well--an old well pump-- the type that has a lever and piston. It was just three meters away from the vegetable cellar, but we dug 12 meters, and not a single drop of water came out. "
Zhang Xiao’bao finally snapped out of the state that he shouldn't have entered, and talked about the geomantic compass.
"I know, I know, I know about this. Some ancient corpses were so well-preserved because there is water in the buried place. Coffins are usually sealed quite well, but the pressure created by the underground water is so high that water can force it's way into the coffin, and force the air out.
With the air removed, the surroundings are sealed again. When the water level drops, the water will seep out, and another seal is created again. This makes the inside of the coffin become a vacuumed space. By the time people dig it up, the body inside is preserved really well because no oxidation has occurred. "
Wang Juan added some details, and at the same time, she also figured out why Zhang Xiao’bao asked people to use a geomantic compass to determine which wells to bomb. It was not used to tell fortune, but it was used to find underground water.
Translator’s Notes
Comparable to the age of turtles and cranes 龟鹤之龄
It was believed that turtles and cranes can live up to a thousand years.
Grandpa made me mooncakes 爷爷给我打月饼
This is a lyric from a children song. The song starts off with “The moon on the fifthtenth day of the eighth month, Grandpa made me mooncakes…”.
Yan’huang people 炎黄
This the name of the ethnic group of Ancient China that inhabited the Yellow River basin area, and is said to be the founders of the Chinese people
poems lines like plentiful common reeds 蒹葭苍苍
This is the first line of a famous poem “Common Reeds” (蒹葭).
India's history doesn't need to be filled with other countries history .we have countless literatures ,countless treasures to know who we are. I do admire china and it's culture but it doesn't you can speak as you wish about my country
ReplyDeleteHello. I'm sorry that the content of this chapter has offended you. I'm merely translating the author's work, so I do not agree nor disagree with the author.
DeleteThe author might be referring to the misconception that India lacked physical written records of their history, but I'm not an expert nor historian, so please correct me if I'm wrong. Regardless, it is undeniable that India has a rich history that is filled with beautiful cultures, literatures and arts.
Thank you.
Chapters like this one really drive home the author's pride in their country … by pushing everyone else down (took the Rome one personally, Colosseum only? really?) I'm not offended per se, since this kind of thing just goes with the territory when reading Chinese content. It's still pretty jarring though how pushy the author was this chapter.
ReplyDelete