圯橋進履 The Sandal at the Bridge
茶畢，行者回頭一看，見後壁上掛著一幅「圯橋進履」的畫兒。行者道：「這是甚麼景致？」龍王道：「大聖在先，此事在後，故你不認得。這叫做『圯橋三進履』。」行者道：「怎的是『三進履』？」龍王道：「此仙乃是黃石公，此子乃是漢世張良，石公坐在圯橋上，忽然失履於橋下，遂喚張良取來。此子即忙取來，跪獻於前。如此三度，張良略無一毫倨傲怠慢之心，石公遂愛他勤謹，夜授天書，著他扶漢。後果然運籌帷幄之中，決勝千里之外。太平後，棄職歸山，從赤松子遊，悟成仙道。大聖，你若不保唐僧，不盡勤勞，不受教誨，到底是個妖仙，休想得成正果。」悟空聞言，沉吟半晌不語。龍王道：「大聖自當裁處，不可圖自在，誤了前程。」悟空道：「莫多話，老孫還去保他便了。」龍王忻喜道：「既如此，不敢久留，請大聖早發慈悲，莫要疏久了你師父。」茶毕，行者回头一看，见后壁上挂著一幅「圯桥进履」的画儿。行者道：「这是甚么景致？」龙王道：「大圣在先，此事在后，故你不认得。这叫做『圯桥三进履』。」行者道：「怎的是『三进履』？」龙王道：「此仙乃是黄石公，此子乃是汉世张良，石公坐在圯桥上，忽然失履于桥下，遂唤张良取来。此子即忙取来，跪献于前。如此三度，张良略无一毫倨傲怠慢之心，石公遂爱他勤谨，夜授天书，著他扶汉。后果然运筹帷幄之中，决胜千里之外。太平后，弃职归山，从赤松子游，悟成仙道。大圣，你若不保唐僧，不尽勤劳，不受教诲，到底是个妖仙，休想得成正果。」悟空闻言，沉吟半晌不语。龙王道：「大圣自当裁处，不可图自在，误了前程。」悟空道：「莫多话，老孙还去保他便了。」龙王忻喜道：「既如此，不敢久留，请大圣早发慈悲，莫要疏久了你师父。」
逐句解 Line by line
When the tea was done, the Pilgrim turned his head and looked, and saw on the back wall a painting called "Presenting the Sandal at the Yi Bridge."
The pivot of the scene is a painting on the wall, which the Dragon King will read as a parable. 行者 reads 行 as xíng; 掛著 uses durative 著 (zhe).
The Pilgrim said, "What scene is this?"
Wukong's curiosity is the opening. 行者 reads 行 as xíng; 甚麼 reads 甚 as shén.
The Dragon King said, "Great Sage, you belong to an earlier age and this matter to a later; that is why you do not know it. It is called 'Thrice Presenting the Sandal at the Yi Bridge.'"
The Dragon King notes the anecdote post-dates the monkey's imprisonment — hence unknown to him. 不認得 reads 得 as de.
The Pilgrim said, "How is it 'thrice presenting the sandal'?"
Wukong presses for the story. 行者 reads 行 as xíng.
The Dragon King said, "This immortal is the Duke of Yellow Stone, and this youth is Zhang Liang of the Han age. The Duke was sitting on the Yi Bridge when suddenly his sandal fell beneath it, and he bade Zhang Liang fetch it back.
The story begins: the Duke of Yellow Stone (黃石公) and the young Zhang Liang, who would become the great Han strategist. 此子 ("this youth") reads 子 as zǐ.
The youth fetched it at once and presented it kneeling. This happened three times, and Zhang Liang showed not the least trace of arrogance or negligence;
The test of humility — fetching the dropped sandal and kneeling to present it, thrice, without resentment. 此子 reads 子 as zǐ.
so the Duke, taken with his diligence and care, bestowed on him by night a book of Heaven, and charged him to uphold the Han.
The reward for humble service: a celestial book and a charge to serve the Han. 著他扶漢 ("charged him to uphold the Han") reads 著 as the causative zhuó.
Afterward, sure enough, he 'planned strategy within the tent and decided victory a thousand li away.'
The famous phrase for Zhang Liang's strategic genius — victory decided from within the command tent. 帷幄之中 reads 中 as zhōng.
When peace had come, he resigned his office and returned to the mountains, roamed with Master Red Pine, and awakened to the way of immortality.
The coda: office resigned, the mountains regained, immortality won through the immortal Master Red Pine. 赤松子 reads 子 as zǐ.
Great Sage, if you do not protect the Tang monk, do not give your full labour, do not accept instruction, you will remain in the end a mere goblin-immortal — never dream of attaining the true fruit."
The Dragon King drives the parable home: only humble, diligent service earns the true fruit; otherwise Wukong stays a mere goblin. 不盡勤勞 reads 盡 as jìn; 教誨 reads 教 as jiào; 得成 takes 得 as dé.
Wukong, hearing this, brooded a long while and said nothing.
The rebuke lands: the monkey falls silent and thoughtful — a rare moment of self-doubt.
The Dragon King said, "Great Sage, you must judge for yourself; do not covet your ease and ruin your future."
The Dragon King presses gently, leaving the choice to Wukong himself.
Wukong said, "Say no more — old Sun will go back and protect him, and there's an end of it."
Wukong yields, resolving to return — persuasion has done half the work the fillet will complete. 還去 reads 還 as hái.
The Dragon King said gladly, "If that is so, I dare not detain you long; may the Great Sage show mercy soon, and not keep your master waiting."
The Dragon King, delighted, speeds him off with a plea not to keep his master waiting.
The Dragon King's admonition takes the form of a parable drawn from a painting on his wall — the celebrated story of Zhang Liang and the Duke of Yellow Stone at the Yi Bridge. In the tale, the old immortal repeatedly drops his sandal and orders the young Zhang Liang to fetch and present it; the youth's unresentful humility earns him a book of celestial strategy and, ultimately, both worldly glory as the Han dynasty's great tactician and the attainment of immortality.
The application is transparent and pointed: Wukong, like Zhang Liang, must accept humble service and instruction if he is ever to win the true fruit; pride and self-will lead only to remaining a "goblin-immortal." The novel here embeds a piece of genuine Chinese cultural memory — the Yi Bridge episode is a famous exemplum of the virtue of humility before a teacher — and turns it to the allegory's purpose.
Crucially, this is persuasion, and it half works: the proud monkey falls silent, broods, and resolves of his own accord to return. Yet the narrative has already shown that persuasion alone was not enough to keep him (Sanzang's scolding drove him off), and it is about to show that his submission is still incomplete. The Dragon King's parable moves Wukong toward the road; the fillet, waiting in Sanzang's bundle, will bind him to it.