Wang Ze left ahead of the others and began following the woman without really knowing why.
"She isn't really a native of Beizhou," he thought. "I reckon she lives in the market village. I ought to follow her home and offer her some money to learn that magic of hers!"
He then followed her out the West Gate and through the nearby market town but she just kept on going.
"If not the hamlet, where then?" he wondered. After going another ten li he didn't know where he was. "I'd better go back for now, and tomorrow when she comes to sell her wares I'll be able to ask where she lives."
He then turned back, but soon noticed that he was not on the same path as before. He saw only a mighty snow range of high peaks ahead, like a jagged wall up to the very sky. This road clearly did not lead back home. Moreover there were no other people on it. Suddenly in the midst of his panic he noticed that woman just ahead shouting loudly at him.
"Dispatcher Wang!" she called. "It hasn't been easy for you to come this far! Why do you want to go back now?"
Wang Ze was frightened, and stepped forward ever so cautiously, as if on thinnest ice.
"Madam!" he replied in a shakey voice. "Who are you?"
"Private Wang! Holy Auntie has sent me to summon you to discuss a very great matter with her. Don't be jealous about my being there along with you!"
"Is this strange or what?" gasped Wang. He wanted to return home, but having lost the way he could only follow her onward. Together they entered a pine grove and emerged from it a good while later to see a fine country home before them.
"What is this place?" asked Wang Ze.
"This is where Holy Auntie lives. She's been awaiting you for a long time now, soldier!"
Now, when Wang Ze arrived at the main cottage two pagegirls clad in tourquise came out to receive him.
"Garrison Dispatcher Wang?" they asked.
"Indeed he is!" replied the woman.
"The Fairy Aunt has long been awaiting you!" said the pagegirls, who then lead him into the audience chamber.
"Dispatcher Wang is here as requested!" they reported.
Wang Ze saw an old woman wearing a star crown on her head, body clad in an overcoat trimmed with crane's down.
"This is Holy Aunt!" exclaimed the candle woman. "Why don't you greet her properly?"
Wang Ze went back out and performed the kowtow, and Holy Auntie then called him forth into her presence. The three were seated and tea was served, and then Holy Auntie had a pagegirl serve a vessel of wine to the visitor. He was tremendously pleased, and an impulse arose in him. "I have been favored by Fate to meet a fairy queen today!" he told Holy Auntie. "But why have you called for me?"
"For one thing to drink some wine with you and discuss a serious matter. Destiny is at now at hand, for in accordance with Heaven your time to achieve something great has come. All the old thirty-six districts of China are destined to proclaim you king!"
"Please, Fairy Queen, don't say such things!" whispered Wang. "The eyes and ears of the officials are everywhere and I'm just a lowly private. How dare I fancy myself Emperor?
"If this weren't your destiny I wouldn't have sent for you!" replied Holy Aunty. "How sad it would be if you missed this chance! And there's another matter as well. I'm worried because you haven't got a partner to help you succeed in this." She then pointed to the woman who had sold clay candles. "I've got this daughter called Yong'r," she continued, "a goddess in fact, destined to be your loving wife for five hundred years. Marrying her will help ensure your success. Well, what do you think?"
Wang Ze was supremely delighted. He thought it over and realized that he was then twenty-eight and his wife since childhood had died the previous year, and no respectable woman had been close to him since. If the fairy queen herself gave him that beautiful wife it would certainly be ordained by Heaven.
"I deeply appreciate your majesty's kindness," he answered, "and I dare not refuse thee. When I was a small child a mysterious man looked at me and said that within thirty years I would accomplish something great. And now, Fairy Queen, your support of me is fulfilling that prophecy. But there's a problem. The governor of Beizou has taken all of my money and other assets and attached my wages and rations, and I can't do anything. Who wouldn't just want to spit? I've been serving in the district garrison for three months now and the governor denies my request for even a single month's pay. He's got influence at court and so there's no use challenging him. Nobody can imagine how much an ordinary man like myself might come to suffer because of it! If we raise our hands to cast out cruel and oppressive officials without any power of our own, what can we hope to accomplish?
Holy Auntie laughed. "What can you hope to do by yourself, indeed! You must have a wife backing you up. She's got a hundred thousand men and horses at her call to assist you, allowing you to prevail."
Wang Ze laughed in disbelief. "I've heard that it costs a thousand ounces of silver a day to field an army, and it goes on and on day after day without stop, like a river. With so many horses and men where does one get all the provisions and fodder? Does this estate have enough space to billet a hundred thousand men and horses?"
"I've got the horses and men all right!" laughed Holy Auntie. She then told Yong'r to bring two round bamboo cases, one containing beans and the other dried grass clippings. Yong'r then picked up some of each and cast the grass away, shouting "Live!" and it immediately changed into two hundred proud horses grazing just outside the audience chamber.
Wang Ze looked on in awe. "As long as you can change grass clippings into horses and beans into men with a toss and a charm there's no reason to worry about failure!" he glowered. But just as he spoke they heard another voice calling from outside.
"While you're playing cavalry games here the war is starting! The officials have put up signs calling for the arrest of sorcerers. Better muster those grass horses and tossed bean men of yours and start planning a revolt!"
Wang Ze was shocked and chilled to the bone, just as if his head had been severed at the neck and dropped into a barrel of ice and snow. But alas, even before the secret plans were complete somebody had already eavesdropped on them, and as soon as the plan went into action trouble broke out close to home. It was like this:
As to who that person from wherever proves to be, continue in the coming chapter and you'll get to see.