第十回 · 魏徵入朝 Wei Zheng Is Summoned to the Board — Journey to the West

原文 Original text 繁體 Traditional Reader's edition

魏徵入朝 Wei Zheng Is Summoned to the Board

卻què說shuō魏wèi徵zhēng丞chéng相xiàng在zài府fǔ，夜yè觀guān乾qián象xiàng，正zhèng爇ruò寶bǎo香xiāng，只zhǐ聞wén得dé九jiǔ霄xiāo鶴hè唳lì，卻què是shì天tiān差chāi仙xiān使shǐ，捧pěng玉yù帝dì金jīn旨zhǐ一yí道dào，著zhuó他tā午wǔ時shí三sān刻kè，夢mèng斬zhǎn涇jīng河hé老lǎo龍lóng。這zhè丞chéng相xiàng謝xiè了le天tiān恩ēn，齋zhāi戒jiè沐mù浴yù，在zài府fǔ中zhōng試shì慧huì劍jiàn，運yùn元yuán神shén，故gù此cǐ不bù曾céng入rù朝cháo。一yí見jiàn當dāng駕jià官guān齎jī賫jī來lái宣xuān，惶huáng懼jù無wú任rèn；又yòu不bù敢gǎn違wéi遲chí君jūn命mìng，只zhǐ得dé急jí急jí整zhěng衣yī束shù帶dài，同tóng旨zhǐ入rù朝cháo，在zài御yù前qián叩kòu頭tóu請qǐng罪zuì。唐táng王wáng道dào：「赦shè卿qīng無wú罪zuì。」那nà時shí諸zhū臣chén尚shàng未wèi退tuì朝cháo，至zhì此cǐ，卻què命mìng捲juǎn簾lián散sàn朝cháo。獨dú留liú魏wèi徵zhēng，宣xuān上shàng金jīn鑾luán，召zhào入rù便biàn殿diàn，先xiān議yì論lùn安ān邦bāng之zhī策cè，定dìng國guó之zhī謀móu。將jiāng近jìn巳sì末mò午wǔ初chū時shí候hòu，卻què命mìng宮gōng人rén：「取qǔ過guò大dà棋qí來lái，朕zhèn與yǔ賢xián卿qīng對duì弈yì一yì局jú。」眾zhòng嬪pín妃fēi隨suí取qǔ棋qí枰píng，鋪pù設shè御yù案àn。魏wèi徵zhēng謝xiè了le恩ēn，即jí與yǔ唐táng王wáng對duì弈yì，一yí遞dì一yí著zhāo，擺bǎi開kāi陣zhèn勢shì。正zhèng合hé《爛làn柯kē經jīng》云yún：却què说shuō魏wèi征zhēng丞chéng相xiàng在zài府fǔ，夜yè观guān干qián象xiàng，正zhèng𦶟ruò宝bǎo香xiāng，只zhǐ闻wén得dé九jiǔ霄xiāo鹤hè唳lì，却què是shì天tiān差chāi仙xiān使shǐ，捧pěng玉yù帝dì金jīn旨zhǐ一yí道dào，著zhuó他tā午wǔ时shí三sān刻kè，梦mèng斩zhǎn泾jīng河hé老lǎo龙lóng。这zhè丞chéng相xiàng谢xiè了le天tiān恩ēn，斋zhāi戒jiè沐mù浴yù，在zài府fǔ中zhōng试shì慧huì剑jiàn，运yùn元yuán神shén，故gù此cǐ不bù曾céng入rù朝cháo。一yí见jiàn当dāng驾jià官guān赍jī赍jī来lái宣xuān，惶huáng惧jù无wú任rèn；又yòu不bù敢gǎn违wéi迟chí君jūn命mìng，只zhǐ得dé急jí急jí整zhěng衣yī束shù带dài，同tóng旨zhǐ入rù朝cháo，在zài御yù前qián叩kòu头tóu请qǐng罪zuì。唐táng王wáng道dào：「赦shè卿qīng无wú罪zuì。」那nà时shí诸zhū臣chén尚shàng未wèi退tuì朝cháo，至zhì此cǐ，却què命mìng卷juǎn帘lián散sàn朝cháo。独dú留liú魏wèi征zhēng，宣xuān上shàng金jīn銮luán，召zhào入rù便biàn殿diàn，先xiān议yì论lùn安ān邦bāng之zhī策cè，定dìng国guó之zhī谋móu。将jiāng近jìn巳sì末mò午wǔ初chū时shí候hòu，却què命mìng宫gōng人rén：「取qǔ过guò大dà棋qí来lái，朕zhèn与yǔ贤xián卿qīng对duì弈yì一yì局jú。」众zhòng嫔pín妃fēi随suí取qǔ棋qí枰píng，铺pù设shè御yù案àn。魏wèi征zhēng谢xiè了le恩ēn，即jí与yǔ唐táng王wáng对duì弈yì，一yí递dì一yí著zhāo，摆bǎi开kāi阵zhèn势shì。正zhèng合hé《烂làn柯kē经jīng》云yún：

逐句解 Line by line

卻què說shuō魏wèi徵zhēng丞chéng相xiàng在zài府fǔ，夜yè觀guān乾qián象xiàng，正zhèng爇ruò寶bǎo香xiāng，只zhǐ聞wén得dé九jiǔ霄xiāo鶴hè唳lì，卻què是shì天tiān差chāi仙xiān使shǐ，捧pěng玉yù帝dì金jīn旨zhǐ一yí道dào，著zhuó他tā午wǔ時shí三sān刻kè，夢mèng斬zhǎn涇jīng河hé老lǎo龍lóng。却què说shuō魏wèi征zhēng丞chéng相xiàng在zài府fǔ，夜yè观guān干qián象xiàng，正zhèng𦶟ruò宝bǎo香xiāng，只zhǐ闻wén得dé九jiǔ霄xiāo鹤hè唳lì，却què是shì天tiān差chāi仙xiān使shǐ，捧pěng玉yù帝dì金jīn旨zhǐ一yí道dào，著zhuó他tā午wǔ时shí三sān刻kè，梦mèng斩zhǎn泾jīng河hé老lǎo龙lóng。

Now the chancellor Wei Zheng was at his residence, observing the celestial signs by night and just then burning a precious incense, when he heard from the ninth heaven the cry of a crane: it was a fairy envoy sent down by Heaven, bearing a golden mandate of the Jade Emperor, ordering him at the third quarter of the hour of wu to behead the old dragon of the Jing in a dream.

相 in 丞相 ('chancellor') is xiàng; 乾 in 乾象 ('the signs of Qian,' the celestial phenomena) is qián, the heaven-trigram reading, not the 'dry' gān; 差 in 天差 ('Heaven dispatches') is chāi, and 著 in 著他 ('ordered him') is the causative zhuó. 夢斬 ('to behead in a dream') is the uncanny mechanism the chapter turns on.

這zhè丞chéng相xiàng謝xiè了le天tiān恩ēn，齋zhāi戒jiè沐mù浴yù，在zài府fǔ中zhōng試shì慧huì劍jiàn，運yùn元yuán神shén，故gù此cǐ不bù曾céng入rù朝cháo。这zhè丞chéng相xiàng谢xiè了le天tiān恩ēn，斋zhāi戒jiè沐mù浴yù，在zài府fǔ中zhōng试shì慧huì剑jiàn，运yùn元yuán神shén，故gù此cǐ不bù曾céng入rù朝cháo。

The chancellor gave thanks for Heaven's grace, fasted and bathed, and in his residence tested his sword of wisdom and circulated his primal spirit — and so he had not gone to court.

相 is xiàng; 朝 in 入朝 ('to attend court') is cháo. 慧劍 ('the sword of wisdom,' a figure for cutting through illusion) and 運元神 ('to circulate the primal spirit') are the disciplines by which 魏徵 prepares his soul to leave his body in sleep.

一yí見jiàn當dāng駕jià官guān齎jī賫jī來lái宣xuān，惶huáng懼jù無wú任rèn；又yòu不bù敢gǎn違wéi遲chí君jūn命mìng，只zhǐ得dé急jí急jí整zhěng衣yī束shù帶dài，同tóng旨zhǐ入rù朝cháo，在zài御yù前qián叩kòu頭tóu請qǐng罪zuì。一yí见jiàn当dāng驾jià官guān赍jī赍jī来lái宣xuān，惶huáng惧jù无wú任rèn；又yòu不bù敢gǎn违wéi迟chí君jūn命mìng，只zhǐ得dé急jí急jí整zhěng衣yī束shù带dài，同tóng旨zhǐ入rù朝cháo，在zài御yù前qián叩kòu头tóu请qǐng罪zuì。

The moment he saw the officer of the guard come with the summons, he was seized with dread; yet not daring to delay his sovereign's command, he had no choice but to hurriedly straighten his robes and bind his sash, and go to court with the summons, kneeling before the throne to beg pardon.

得 in 只得 ('had no choice but') is dé; 朝 in 入朝 is cháo. 齎賫 ('to bear, carry') is the delivery of the summons; 惶懼無任 is 'boundless dread' — 魏徵 fears he has failed in his duty by missing court.

唐táng王wáng道dào：「赦shè卿qīng無wú罪zuì。」唐táng王wáng道dào：「赦shè卿qīng无wú罪zuì。」

The Tang king said: 'You are pardoned, my minister; there is no fault.'

赦 is 'to pardon, remit'; 卿 is the ruler's familiar address to a minister. Taizong's reassurance is the opening move in his plan to keep 魏徵 at his side.

那nà時shí諸zhū臣chén尚shàng未wèi退tuì朝cháo，至zhì此cǐ，卻què命mìng捲juǎn簾lián散sàn朝cháo。獨dú留liú魏wèi徵zhēng，宣xuān上shàng金jīn鑾luán，召zhào入rù便biàn殿diàn，先xiān議yì論lùn安ān邦bāng之zhī策cè，定dìng國guó之zhī謀móu。那nà时shí诸zhū臣chén尚shàng未wèi退tuì朝cháo，至zhì此cǐ，却què命mìng卷juǎn帘lián散sàn朝cháo。独dú留liú魏wèi征zhēng，宣xuān上shàng金jīn銮luán，召zhào入rù便biàn殿diàn，先xiān议yì论lùn安ān邦bāng之zhī策cè，定dìng国guó之zhī谋móu。

At that time the assembled ministers had not yet withdrawn from court; now the king ordered the blinds rolled up and the court dismissed. Keeping Wei Zheng alone, he called him up to the golden hall and into the inner chamber, and first discussed with him the policies of securing the realm and the strategies of settling the state.

那 is nà; 散 in 散朝 ('to dismiss the court') is sàn, 'to disperse,' distinct from the sǎn of 散淡; both 朝 (退朝, 散朝) are cháo; 便 in 便殿 ('the side hall') is biàn. 金鑾 is the imperial audience hall.

將jiāng近jìn巳sì末mò午wǔ初chū時shí候hòu，卻què命mìng宮gōng人rén：「取qǔ過guò大dà棋qí來lái，朕zhèn與yǔ賢xián卿qīng對duì弈yì一yì局jú。」将jiāng近jìn巳sì末mò午wǔ初chū时shí候hòu，却què命mìng宫gōng人rén：「取qǔ过guò大dà棋qí来lái，朕zhèn与yǔ贤xián卿qīng对duì弈yì一yì局jú。」

As the time drew near the end of si and the start of wu, he ordered the palace attendants: 'Fetch the great board, and let me play a game with my worthy minister.'

將 in 將近 ('to draw near') is jiāng; 巳末午初 ('the end of si, the start of wu') is close to noon — the very approach of the fatal 午時三刻. 對弈 is 'to play a game of go against each other.'

眾zhòng嬪pín妃fēi隨suí取qǔ棋qí枰píng，鋪pù設shè御yù案àn。众zhòng嫔pín妃fēi随suí取qǔ棋qí枰píng，铺pù设shè御yù案àn。

The palace consorts thereupon brought the go board and set it out on the imperial desk.

嬪妃 are the imperial consorts; 棋枰 ('the go board') is the checkered board, 御案 the emperor's table. The homely scene of a game is the surface beneath which the dragon's fate is being decided.

魏wèi徵zhēng謝xiè了le恩ēn，即jí與yǔ唐táng王wáng對duì弈yì，一yí遞dì一yí著zhāo，擺bǎi開kāi陣zhèn勢shì。正zhèng合hé《爛làn柯kē經jīng》云yún：魏wèi征zhēng谢xiè了le恩ēn，即jí与yǔ唐táng王wáng对duì弈yì，一yí递dì一yí著zhāo，摆bǎi开kāi阵zhèn势shì。正zhèng合hé《烂làn柯kē经jīng》云yún：

Wei Zheng gave thanks for the favor and at once played against the Tang king, move answering move, deploying their battle-lines. It accorded exactly with the words of the Classic of the Rotted Axe-Handle:

著 in 一遞一著 ('move for move') is zhāo, a single play in go; 對弈 is 'to play against.' 《爛柯經》 (the 'Classic of the Rotted Axe-Handle') is a real treatise on go, its title from the legend of a woodcutter who watched immortals at a game until his axe-handle rotted away.

總評 Commentary

The chapter's two threads — the celestial and the imperial — are drawn together in the person of 魏徵. At home by night he receives, from a crane-borne envoy, the Jade Emperor's order to behead the Jing dragon in a dream at the third quarter of noon, and he prepares his soul for the task with fasting, the 'sword of wisdom,' and the circulation of his primal spirit. The same minister is, in the waking world, the chancellor Taizong has resolved to keep at court through that very hour to prevent the execution. Neither man yet knows he is working the other's purpose.

Taizong's stratagem is domestic and shrewd: dismiss the court, keep 魏徵 alone, talk statecraft, and then — as noon approaches — call for a game of go. The board is set out on the imperial desk, and the two begin, 'move answering move,' deploying their lines like generals. The narrator marks the moment by invoking the 《爛柯經》, the real Classic of the Rotted Axe-Handle, and the treatise that follows turns the emperor's diversionary game into an emblem of strategy itself — even as the game is about to become the very instrument of the dragon's death.