Gentle light bathed the towering palace halls as ranks of Heavenly soldiers marched past, banners streaming in the wind.
A single flower petal drifted down, sending ripples across the water. Several koi glided slowly through the crystal-clear pond.
Inside the Imperial Study, an immortal respectfully presented a memorial. General Lee reached out to receive it, then handed it to the dragon-carved desk before the Jade Emperor. The Emperor took the memorial, flipped through it carelessly, and frowned slightly.
General Lee stood slightly bowed at the side, quietly watching the Jade Emperor.
Turning the memorial in his hands, the Jade Emperor remarked casually, "Is Clara Heart truly no longer usable?"
"In my opinion, it would be best not to use her. Even if she must be entrusted with matters concerning the Monkey King again, it would be wise to investigate everything related to her first. After all... her conduct today was truly bizarre. If word spreads, it may become the laughingstock of the Three Realms."
"Even if we become a laughingstock, it won't be Heaven that is laughed at. What does a mere Imperial Envoy matter? She is first and foremost a disciple of Lord Lao and Master Sage Subhuti. There may be much we do not know about her. With her present, there is one advantage: even if the Monkey King refuses to cooperate, Lord Lao and Master Sage Subhuti stand behind her. Just like today—she dared to bargain directly with that monkey, which means that even without my approval, she is confident she can fulfill her promise. Such a minister is rare, truly rare."
"Your Majesty is right," General Lee replied, bowing slightly.
After a long moment, the Jade Emperor tilted his head, his eyes narrowing to slits. Stroking his long beard, he closed the memorial and handed it back to General Lee.
General Lee quickly accepted it with both hands, carefully reading through the memorial. He sighed softly, "Your Majesty, does this mean the grain is being prepared for Black Rooster Kingdom?"
"It should be," the Jade Emperor nodded slightly, looking toward the immortal who had delivered the memorial. "This unrest in Black Rooster Kingdom has gone on for some time. Has there been any investigation? Any trace of outside intervention?"
"Your Majesty refers to...?"
"Heavenly gods, demons, Daoist sects, Buddhist Order."
The immortal bowed and replied, "Reporting to Your Majesty, none of Heaven's departments have intervened. As for demons, Black Rooster Kingdom is not within the sphere of demon army influence. In ordinary times, the Heavenly Marshal Corps dispatches patrols every half month, and no records have been received of Buddhist disciples or direct Daoist involvement in the area. This turmoil arose from the king's decrees and evolved naturally."
The Jade Emperor pursed his lips in thought and said, "Grain for two million people is indeed a lot, but not impossible to obtain—though it would require mobilizing great forces, which is not ideal. Still, since this turmoil is a natural development, Heaven should not intervene. Natural disasters can be forgiven, but man-made calamities must have consequences to warn the world. Such direct interference would be improper. Previous gifts—a few Peaches of Immortality, a weapon—were matters of face, nothing serious. But if grain is granted, the impact will be far-reaching."
Having spoken, the Jade Emperor let out a long sigh, closed his eyes, and leaned back against the Dragon Throne.
His fingers tapped rhythmically on the edge of the dragon-carved desk, as if pondering something deeply.
After a long while, General Lee bowed and said, "Your Majesty's meaning is... to refuse the demon monkey's request?"
The Jade Emperor waved his hand, eyes half-closed. "He has come in person to wait outside South Heaven Gate. If we simply refuse, the demon monkey will not let the matter rest. Isn’t that what we have always feared?"
"Then Your Majesty means...?"
The two in the Imperial Study both widened their eyes slightly, staring at the Jade Emperor.
After a brief hesitation, the Jade Emperor raised a finger. "We will take a compromise approach. Food can be given, but not freely."
General Lee furrowed his brow at the Jade Emperor, seeming not to understand.
Seeing this, the Jade Emperor coughed twice and said, "The grain for two million people is surely exaggerated. Even at its peak, Black Rooster Kingdom may not have had two million inhabitants, especially after five years of turmoil. Not to mention those who starved or died in battle—just the refugees alone are countless. If we truly grant grain for two million as the demon monkey demands, we would not merely be helping Black Rooster Kingdom through its crisis; we might create a new empire out of thin air in the Southern Lands, threatening neighboring states and disturbing the mortal world. So, regardless of how difficult acquiring the grain may be, it cannot be given."
Pausing for a moment, the Jade Emperor continued, "Besides, grain falling from the sky does not accord with Heaven's way of rule. If this goes on, it will become a disaster. If Heaven grants grain to Black Rooster Kingdom in famine, what about other places in famine? Is Heaven to intervene everywhere? If not, who will continue to worship Heaven and Earth?"
"Therefore, a compromise: food can be given, but first, not in excess; second... those who do not labor, do not eat. Black Rooster Kingdom lies on fertile plains, with abundant lakes, rivers, and forests. We can order Lord Fortune to adjust the people's blessings, stock the rivers and lakes with fish, release livestock into the forests, and grant a good harvest year. Thus, with all things flourishing, the food problem for Black Rooster Kingdom will be largely solved."
At this, the Jade Emperor lightly slapped his hand on the dragon-carved desk. "What do you think, my good minister?"
General Lee was momentarily stunned, then bowed and exclaimed, "Your Majesty is wise. If this is truly done, Heaven retains its dignity and does not violate its governing doctrine, leaving no grounds for criticism. Only..."
"Only what?"
"Only that the demon monkey is still waiting outside South Heaven Gate. I do not know if he will accept..."
"Isn't Clara Heart still available?" the Jade Emperor asked softly.
"Clara Heart?" General Lee's face showed embarrassment as he gave a dry laugh. "Your Majesty knows, she just..."
"Give it a try. What's past is past, now is now," the Jade Emperor said, stroking his long beard. "Explain the situation to her. If it doesn't work, we'll find another way. After all, she is a disciple of Lord Lao and Master Sage Subhuti. Since she has already been entered into the ranks of immortals, it would be improper to withdraw her now."
"Yes, Your Majesty!" General Lee bowed and withdrew from the room.
......
At this moment, one day in Heaven equals one year on Earth. Though the Monkey King's visit to Heaven lasted only a short while, half a month had already passed in the mortal world.
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The morning after Monkey King's departure, General Curtain bid farewell to Tripitaka and returned to the capital to continue firefighting the crisis. As expected, he was still overwhelmed.
At this moment, for him, the grain promised by Monkey King had become the last lifeline.
After parting with General Curtain, Tripitaka packed up and, together with the others, set out toward the capital.
Originally, Tripitaka had thought that the areas near the capital would be somewhat better off, but he was wrong. While the empty villages they’d seen before were gone, the closer they drew to the capital, the more people there were—and the worse things became. They even witnessed scenes of cannibalism, horrors so extreme that ‘hell on earth’ was no exaggeration.
Years of turmoil had already scarred every corner of this country, leaving wounds that ran deep.
Tripitaka preached along the way, gathering the disaster victims, redistributing what little food they had, and telling them he would lead them to the capital to claim grain.
Clearly, this promise was more effective than anything else.
With the support of the original townsfolk, Tripitaka’s persuasion grew stronger. In just half a month, by the time they reached the capital, the procession of disaster victims following him had swelled to more than ten thousand.
There were displaced farmers, ruined merchants, and even some former rebels who had laid down their arms to join. Their only common trait was hunger so dire that they had resorted to eating leaves to survive, their clothes in tatters.
On the day they entered the city, General Curtain led all the civil and military officials to greet them in person—a scene of true grandeur.
For a moment, it seemed as if both the refugees and the citizens of the capital believed that the days of chaos were finally ending. Yet, since Monkey’s grain had not yet arrived, General Curtain made a fatal mistake. He squeezed out a portion of the already strained military rations to distribute to the refugees as a gesture of appeasement. No sooner was the grain handed out than things spun out of control.
The news spread like wildfire. Refugees from across the country began pouring into the capital. In just a few days, every street and alley was packed with disaster victims, while the royal granaries of Black Rooster Kingdom were already stretched to the breaking point, utterly unable to feed them all.
Food is the lifeblood of the people. Those who arrived first received grain; those who came later got nothing. How could the latter accept this?
In an instant, the entire capital descended into chaos. Starving refugees began to stir up trouble, and some who had once been rebels took up arms again, robbing others of their meager food.
Helpless, General Curtain’s troops had no choice but to intervene to maintain order. This only led to more conflict—blood ran through the streets of the capital, with over a thousand dead.
After this turmoil, even the few troops who had supported General Curtain were now filled with resentment.
Faced with this disaster, General Curtain felt as if he were tearing out his own scalp in desperation, yet he had no solution. He could only rely on his remaining reputation to barely hold the situation together, praying for Monkey to find grain and return quickly.
Tripitaka could do nothing but rush from place to place, trying to calm the refugees as best he could.
Meanwhile, Monkey still waited quietly outside South Heaven Gate, completely unaware of how much Black Rooster Kingdom’s situation had worsened. After all, both General Curtain and Tripitaka—and even Marshal Silver—knew that grain was not like a few Peaches of Immortality. It could not be casually taken from Heaven, and Monkey must not be rushed, or disaster would follow.
…
In the courtyard of Tusita Palace, Clara and Birdie sat quietly facing each other, while General Lee stood opposite them by the stone table, his hand resting on his sword hilt, but did not sit.
Clara blinked, lowered her gaze to the empty tabletop, and said softly, “Why do I still have to go? You saw it yourself… I can’t do it.”
General Lee spoke gently: “Monkey’s temperament is unpredictable… But you are still his junior-sister. Even if you truly anger him, at least he’s unlikely to swing his staff at you without warning. Besides, if anyone else tried to raise this matter, he would never agree. But if you go, there is at least a sliver of hope. That is why, by the Emperor’s will, your appointment as Imperial Envoy still stands.”