Chai Sichang Secures A Marriage At The Mountain Temple Through The Five-Flower Formation; Qin Shubao Falls Into Poverty And Distress On His Journey (3)

Young Master Chai, meanwhile, had been delighted by the courtesy, modesty, and warmth with which the Duke of Tang had treated him during their meeting.

When he thought of the proposed marriage, however, he knew nothing of the young lady’s abilities or appearance, nor whether the arrangement would succeed. He therefore put the matter out of his mind.

That evening, he was reading beneath his lamp when the door suddenly creaked open.

Looking up, he saw a middle-aged woman of sturdy build, with large eyes, thick eyebrows, a tall figure, and large feet.

The young master rose and asked:

“Who are you, and what business brings you here?”

The woman replied:

“I am the nurse of the young lady of the Li household. His Lordship and Her Ladyship wish to engage you as their son-in-law. But our young lady is not merely accomplished in both beauty and talent. She also delights in studying the military writings of Sunzi and Wuzi, and has thoroughly examined the mysteries of the Six Secret Teachings and the Three Strategies.”

“She has sworn to marry only an extraordinary man who excels in both martial and literary arts and possesses intelligence and resourcefulness.”

“During the day, His Lordship praised your appearance and learning most highly, and also spoke of your excellent swordsmanship. The young lady has therefore sent this old woman to convey her wishes.”

“If you truly desire to seek the phoenix as your bride, come after the first watch tonight to the vegetable garden behind the Guanyin Pavilion, west of the covered corridor. There you may examine a military formation arranged by the young lady.”

“Only if you can recognize this formation will she permit a marriage alliance between the two families.”

Hearing this, the young master replied with delight:

“Since that is her wish, return for now. After the first watch, come and lead me to examine the formation. Would that be agreeable?”

Madam Xu promptly departed.

After eating his evening meal, Young Master Chai heard the night patrols in the streets announcing the watches. The moonlight in the courtyard was even brighter than on previous nights.

He read his military treatise for a while, then went into the courtyard to admire the moon. Before he knew it, the second watch had sounded.

Thinking that the old woman’s words might not have been genuine, he was about to retire to bed when he suddenly heard a cough.

The nurse who had visited him earlier stood some distance away, beckoning with her hand.

The young master called Chai Bao and ordered him to take a pair of embroidered dragon-patterned sleeves from a basket. He put them on, tightened the silk sash around his waist, and took his sword.

He instructed Chai Bao to lock the door, then followed the nurse toward the vegetable garden.

Behind the Guanyin Pavilion lay an exceedingly large patch of neglected open ground. At its far end stood an earthen hill adjoining the pavilion’s whitewashed rear wall, with a small gate beside it providing access.

The young master examined the place briefly and was about to enter.

Madam Xu stopped him.

“The young lady has instructed that these two bamboo poles are to serve as the gate of the formation for this contest. Please wait here for a moment. Once the formation has been arranged, Your Honor may examine it.”

The young master agreed, then whispered a few words into Chai Bao’s ear.

Presently, a woman emerged. Her dark hair was piled high like clouds, and she wore a short embroidered jacket. A phoenix ornament adorned her hair, while hanging pearls covered her forehead. Her sleeves were narrow, and she held a small command flag.

She took her position upon the earthen hill.

The young master asked:

“Is that the young lady?”

Madam Xu replied:

“How could the young lady permit herself to be seen so casually? That is merely a maidservant and instructor from her household, whom she has sent to arrange the formation.”

Before she had finished speaking, the woman waved her command flag, leading out a group of women.

One dressed in red stood beside one in white, while one in blue-green stood beside another in yellow.

All wore headcloths and close-fitting sleeves, and each held a gleaming single-edged saber. Altogether, there were between ten and twenty women.

They wheeled left, circled right, and finally formed a single straight line.

Madam Xu asked:

“Does Your Honor recognize this formation?”

The young master replied:

“This is the Long Snake Formation. What is so remarkable about it?”

The woman upon the hill reversed her command flag.

The assembled women immediately wheeled in all four directions and rearranged themselves into five groups, each consisting of four women standing back-to-back with their sabers in hand.

The young master examined them closely.

He saw:

One cluster of red, another of white,
Like crimson and white snowflakes whirling among jade.
One group of blue-green, another of yellow,
Like orioles and swallows fluttering their colored wings.
One might mistake them for women soldiers drilling under Sun Wu,
Or suppose Lady Gu had arranged her troops against an enemy.

When the women had taken their positions, Madam Xu asked:

“Does Your Honor recognize this formation?”

The young master looked at them and smiled.

“Now it is the Five-Flower Formation.”

Madam Xu replied:

“Since Your Honor recognizes it, if you dare enter and break through the formation, escaping from it again, you will have demonstrated your abilities.”

The young master said:

“What difficulty is there in that?”

He quickly tucked up the skirts of his robe, drew his precious sword, and charged inside.

The women on either side immediately attacked, six flashing sabers descending toward him with great speed.

The young master hurriedly parried with his sword.

Whenever he tried to move eastward, the women of the five groups surrounded him and blocked his way. Whenever he turned west, they crowded together and obstructed his escape.

Given Young Master Chai’s martial abilities, defeating twenty women would have been no difficult matter. But, first, their sabers and his sword were all sharp, and he feared that injuring them would be improper.

Second, one woman among the group carried a red silk-padded cord. Whenever he appeared about to escape, she threw the decorated rope into the air and attempted to loop it over his head. On several occasions, he nearly found himself pulled to the ground.

Consequently, he could only defend himself and had been unable to escape the encirclement.

The young master paused and looked around.

Beneath the pavilion, outside a window, hung two red lanterns. Between them stood a jade-faced beauty, the upper half of her body visible.

Meanwhile, the woman on the earthen hill continued waving her command flag.

The young master raised his sword and charged straight toward the hill.

The woman hurriedly swept her flag backward.

Immediately, four or five women dressed in black emerged from behind the hill, rushing forward with sabers in hand.

The Five-Flower Formation had become a Six-Flower Formation.

The young master hastily wielded his sword to protect himself, retreating as he fought. He had almost reached the bamboo poles marking the boundary when the women of the five groups swiftly closed around him once more.

Four or five red brocade lassos began whirling overhead.

Finding himself in danger, the young master had no choice but to shout:

“Chai Bao! Where are you?”

Hearing the call, Chai Bao hurriedly took a firecracker from his sleeve, lit it, and threw it high above the women’s heads.

The women heard an explosion overhead, and sparks scattered across the sky.

The young master quickly turned to look.

At that moment, he heard a sharp whistling sound. Something struck his headcloth directly.

He took it down and examined it beneath the moonlight.

It was a feathered arrow without an arrowhead, with a tiny colored pearl fastened to it.

When he looked toward the pavilion, not only had the beautiful woman disappeared, but the window had been firmly shut. The other women had also vanished without a trace.

Listening to the watch signals, he realized that the fourth watch had already sounded.

Master and servant hurried back to the study and went to bed.

Before long, the cocks crowed to announce dawn, and the red sun rose in the east.

Young Master Chai was still sleeping soundly when he heard someone knocking at the door.

Chai Bao opened it and discovered that the visitor was the venerable abbot Wukong.

The monk came to the bedside and told the young master:

“This morning, Lord Li summoned me to the hall. He said that he wishes to select an auspicious day and formally betroth his daughter to Your Honor, presenting gold and silk as betrothal gifts.”

Chai Sichang’s parents had both died long before. He therefore entrusted his family estate to capable household servants and accompanied the Duke of Tang back to Taiyuan to complete the marriage.

Later, when the Duke of Tang raised an army and marched upon Chang’an, there was a force known as the Women’s Army. It was this married couple, Chai Shao and his wife, who had already begun laying the foundations for that force from this very day.

Clouds gather as the flood dragon rises to soar afar;
Wind stirs as tigers and leopards roar through forest halls.
Heaven intends to establish imperial rule for the House of Tang,
And therefore makes a hero its chosen son-in-law.