一聲號令 One Command and the Garden
老怪笑道:「正是,正是,先鋒說得有理。」一聲號令,把唐僧拿入後園,一條繩綁在樹上,眾小妖都去前面聽候。老怪笑道:「正是,正是,先锋说得有理。」一声号令,把唐僧拿入后园,一条绳绑在树上,众小妖都去前面听候。
逐句解 Line by line
The old fiend laughed. "Just so, just so. The vanguard talks sense."
得 is de, hanging the judgement on the verb — talks so that it is reasonable. The doubled 正是 is the same delighted agreement he gave the plan that brought the monk in.
At a word of command the Tang Monk was carried into the back garden and tied to a tree with a single rope, and all the imps went off to the front to await orders.
一條繩, one single rope, is the whole of the security arrangement, and the novel counts it. 聽候 is to stand by for instructions — the cave empties toward the gate, which is exactly what the plan requires and exactly what will leave the master alone with somebody to talk to.
The cave has now been running on its imps' ideas for two full scenes, and the commander has been reduced to agreeing twice and laughing.
One rope, one tree, and everybody sent to the front gate. The novel is clearing the stage, and what it clears it for is not a rescue but a conversation.