整衣出迎 The Honoured One Comes Out
行者道：「有事要見天尊。」三使者即為傳奏。天尊隨下九鳳丹霞之扆，整衣出迎。相見禮畢，行者道：「有一事特來奉求。」行者道：「有事要见天尊。」三使者即为传奏。天尊随下九凤丹霞之扆，整衣出迎。相见礼毕，行者道：「有一事特来奉求。」
逐句解 Line by line
Pilgrim said, "I have business, and must see the Honoured One."
天尊, Heavenly Honoured One, is the highest Daoist title short of the Jade Emperor himself. Pilgrim announces his business in seven characters and no flourish at all.
The three envoys at once reported him in.
為 is wèi here, on his behalf — not the wéi that means to do, which the chapter also uses several times. Five characters, no delay: this department moves.
The Honoured One came down at once from his screen of nine phoenixes and cinnabar cloud, straightened his robes and came out to meet him.
扆 is a rare character for the screen that stood behind a ruler's seat — the physical marker of the highest place in a hall. 整衣, straightening the robes, is the same gesture the prefect made before walking to the market square. Two very senior people in this chapter tidy their clothes before going out to meet someone they need to be courteous to.
When the courtesies of meeting were done, Pilgrim said, "There is one matter I have come specially to request."
奉求, to request with respect, is a notably humble verb from a character who spent his youth demanding things. He is asking a favour and phrasing it as one.
The Thunder Honoured One steps down from behind his screen, straightens his robes and walks out to meet a monkey. It is the exact courtesy the prefect showed when he walked to the market on foot.
The novel is quietly building a pattern in this chapter out of people lowering themselves — the prefect off his horse, Pilgrim raising people from the ground, the Honoured One coming out from behind his screen. Against that, the one figure who never moves an inch is the Jade Emperor, who stayed on his throne, called the man a fellow, and pointed at a test.