今特繳旨 Now We Hand the Commission Back
卻說八大金剛駕香風，引著長老四眾，連馬五口，復轉靈山。連去連來，適在八日之內。此時靈山諸神，都在佛前聽講。八金剛引他師徒進去，對如來道：「弟子前奉金旨，駕送聖僧等已到唐國，將經交納，今特繳旨。」遂叫唐僧等近前受職。却说八大金刚驾香风，引着长老四众，连马五口，复转灵山。连去连来，适在八日之内。此时灵山诸神，都在佛前听讲。八金刚引他师徒进去，对如来道：「弟子前奉金旨，驾送圣僧等已到唐国，将经交纳，今特缴旨。」遂叫唐僧等近前受职。
逐句解 Line by line
Now the eight great vajra-guardians rode the fragrant wind, leading the elder and his three, with the horse — five mouths — and turned back to the Spirit Mountain.
五口 — five mouths. Chinese counts a household by mouths, and the horse is counted in. It is the same reckoning the white turtle used last chapter when he took them across the river. 引著 — leading. The last character is the light one saying the action is under way, read zhe, not the zhù of writing a book. 復轉靈山 — turned back to the Spirit Mountain. They were there eight days ago.
Going and coming together, it fell within the eight days exactly.
適在八日之內 — exactly within eight days. There it is: the number comes out. Guanyin's arithmetic worked. Fourteen years plus eight days matches five thousand and forty-eight scrolls, and the whole machinery of the last two chapters — the ordeal manufactured to order, the river, the storm, the wet paper — existed so that this one sentence could be true. The novel spends five characters confirming it and moves on.
At this time all the gods of the Spirit Mountain were before the Buddha, listening to a discourse.
聽講 — listening to a lecture. Everybody in heaven is at a teaching session. So the pilgrims walk in on a lesson in progress. Nobody was waiting; there was no reception. The mountain has simply carried on.
The eight guardians led master and disciples in, and said to the Tathagata: “Your disciples earlier received the golden command, conveyed the holy monk and the others to the Land of Tang, and saw the scriptures handed in. Now we come expressly to return our commission.”
繳旨 once more — to hand a warrant back in. It is the word the whole chapter runs on, and this is the fourth time: four companies of gods used it at the top of the last chapter, the guardians used it in the air over Chang'an, the Tang monk used it about his travel rescript, and here it is again. 交納 — handed over and received. The scriptures are described as a delivery signed for. 今特繳旨 — now we come expressly to file the return. It is a courier reporting completion.
Then he called the Tang monk and the rest to come forward and receive their posts.
受職 — to receive an office. Not enlightenment, not a reward: a post, the word for a position in an administration. Seven characters, and the whole climax of the novel is about to be conducted as an appointments board.
They ride the fragrant wind back and the number comes out. Exactly within eight days — five characters, and the whole machinery of the last two chapters existed so that sentence could be true. The ordeal manufactured to order, the river, the turtle, the night storm and the wet paper: all of it to make fourteen years plus eight days match five thousand and forty-eight scrolls.
And they walk in on a lesson in progress. All the gods of the mountain are sitting in front of the Buddha listening to a discourse. Nobody is waiting for them; there is no reception; the mountain has simply carried on for eight days.
Then the guardians file their return using the same office word this chapter has used four times now, and the Buddha calls the pilgrims forward to receive their posts. Not to be enlightened, not to be rewarded — to be given positions. The climax of the novel is about to be conducted as an appointments board.