Raising a Rebel - 3. Chapter 3

Seven days passed around the tranquil setting of Xie and Hua’s home. Sun Wukong was first taught the basics of calligraphy and characters by Xie Lian, like any young human child his age would. Xie Lian was a patient Sifu to Wukong, offering him visual aids or physical objects as material references for words. Wukong was a well-behaved student, who enjoyed learning these lessons about words. Hua Cheng true to his word began to teach Sun-Sun, a nickname Hua made for the child, the fine art of rolling dice. During this week, Wukong learned from his Baba to listen for the sounds of what a single dice with every outcome should create when they land on a hard surface, but he had yet to master the sound of two dice with outcomes greater than four. His Baba pushed hard to hone his hearing, saying such skills will come into use if he ever needs to make quick money or listen for details others may miss. While he cannot deny his preference for Hua Cheng’s cooking over Xie Lian’s, he was able to ingest most of Xie Lian’s simpler dishes, except his banana fish omelet. The idea that a banana dish could offend a monkey should be impossible, but Xie somehow found a way. Still, Wukong knew his Sifu was trying to create something for him, no one had ever done that for him before. His trust and appreciation for these two human gods grew.

On the morning of the seventh day, Xie Lian announces a major change.

“Wukong, we will be journeying today to the borderlands of the Qin and Jin nations, near the yellow river. Before we met you, we were reviewing the territories of the Qin to assist those suffering under the rule of Fu Jian and his demonic hordes. While we may no longer hold official posts in the three realms, we were asked by several friends to look into mortal affairs. The borderlands were our next destination.”

Wukong understands his Sifu and Baba could not be with him alone. He did not wish for them to leave him as he enjoyed this feeling of having a family and people who cared for him. Yet, he knew that these happy feelings could not last, he only hoped that they wouldn’t abandon him for being too much of a hassle. Wukong starts to offer these gods what little he could to make sure they come back for him while reassuring them he would be fine alone.

“I am fine to stay here. I will keep the house clean. There are plenty of peaches in the grove. I promise not to go into the river when I am looking for water or bathing. I promise I will not be a bother. I promise I will master everything you and Baba have taught me so far when you return.”

Xie Lian shakes his head with a smile at Wukong’s childlike innocence. He understood where Wukong’s words were coming from. Glancing at his husband, Hua Cheng, who offered a slight nod, Xie clears his throat to respond.

“Wukong, we will be taking you with us, so no worries about any of that,” he pauses to consider Wukong’s appearance, “However, we do need to transform your appearance as you would be quite noticeable in those lands. I will need to transform you into a human boy for the visit.”

Wukong’s mouth opens wide with incredulity at what his Sifu was offering. Not only was he going with them, but he was also being transformed into a human boy.

“Sifu, will this change be permanent? Will I always look like a human after this?”

“Wukong, this magic cannot change who you are, just how you appear to others. Manipulating your body requires your own magic that courses through your flesh.”

With a wave of his hand, Xie Lian conjures spiritual energy from himself to create a glamour spell. He picks up several strands of reed grass and manipulates them to form a woven bracelet, so the spell can be locked within the interwoven threads. Wukong offers his right hand to his Sifu and Xie Lian gently secures the bracelet to his wrist.

The magic worked instantly, but Wukong could not feel any change within himself. To Wukong nothing has changed as he still saw his furry hands and feet. Hua Cheng though had grabbed a large full-length mirror from storage. He offers Wukong a look at his new reflected self.

The image before Wukong was that of a young human boy of 11 years of age, black-haired with a stylish bund, and a normal complexion. Instead of wearing his Sifu’s badly mangled white robe, he was wearing a magnificent blue robe with bird and flower patterns in an ornate design.

“Is this really me?”

Xie nods “This is you Wukong, are you happy with this appearance?”

Wukong considers his answer, he did like the idea of appearing human, but he was bothered by one thing in his current appearance.

“Why must hair color be black? I’ve seen other people with golden hair like my fur. Can’t I have golden hair?”

Xie was taken aback by the question. As he and Hua Cheng were born in Xianle, an early kingdom in the central plains and predecessor of the modern Han people, their normal appearances were common. He knew that Wukong’s current appearance as a Han child would be easier to accept by the predominant Han population in the area that they were visiting. The appearance of blond hair was common among the Xiongnu and Xianbei¹, who were conquered earlier by the Di in their eastward push. As both peoples were conscripted into the Di army or converted into demonic soldiers, many Han people in the nation of Jin held a deep-seated hatred for blond-haired peoples. When runaway slaves from the Qin fled south, who had mixed Han lineage and blond hair, many slaves were put to death by bigoted Han villagers upon seeing them. These people believed they were doing the right thing, trying to win back their nation by purging the barbarian blood in their lands. Xie had intervened in several of these attempted purges, but he knew for everyone one innocent he and Hua saved, there were five more killed by angry villagers. The slaves were victims of two evils, the cruel Qin empire ruled by the ruthless Di and the xenophobic Jin kingdom controlled by the angry Han. Xie did not know how to explain this unreasonable bigotry to an impressionable child, like Wukong. It paints a truly horrific reality of humanity.

Hua Cheng being blunt and honest to a fault as always, did not hesitate to speak the truth.

“Sun-Sun, those people are bigots, who don’t understand the difference between friend and foe. They are so consumed by rage at their miserable existence that they see implicit evil in a person having golden hair. We don’t want you to get hurt due to their stupidity. You are not an immortal like us, you can get hurt and die.”

Xie wishes he could admonish his husband for his blunt language at Wukong, but he could not because he knew Hua was right. If Wukong is going to achieve great feats in his future, whether it is attaining godhood or simply settling down with a family of his own, he would need to face these truths about human existence. Xie knew Wukong may in the future master transformation magic, but he will always be different from other humans. No amount of magic can change that truth, but how he dealt with these facts will lead him down paths of virtue or vengeance. Good and evil actions come about from how we approach the world.

Wukong stares at his human appearance in the mirror, frowning at the perfect image of himself, then looks at his furry hands and feet.

“Sifu, I don’t like that I can’t be true to myself, but I trust your judgment.”

Xie trying to change the subject to a lighter topic suggests Wukong.

“Do you want me to change the color of your glamour spell outfit? Blue is the traditional color for entry-level Taoist disciples at various temples. Black is worn by higher-level acolytes and master-level individuals wear gray. We don’t need to be Taoist pilgrims; we can be a family of merchants or traveling performers. I can change your clothing to a luxurious golden hue.”

With those words, Xie made the final changes to the spell, then he and Hua Cheng transformed to match Wukong, choosing to appear as traveling merchants due to the golden aesthetic that merchants favored. They made final preparations with provisions of water in gourds and dried peaches in their satchel. Hua Cheng rolled his dice and the doorway portal appeared in front of them. They walked through the magic doorway in front of an abandoned temple. Xie Lian was surprised as he looked back to the familiar faded ancient characters that he was familiar with.

Hua Cheng snorts at recognizing the name, “That bastard still has a temple standing in the mortal world, he was lucky that he didn’t get beheaded by the Jade Emperor.”

Xie Lian soothes his husband’s anger at his friend and former attendant by rubbing his back. He notices Wukong’s curiosity at the old temple and their interaction with the former god, who was worshipped.

Answering the unspoken question, Xie speaks to Wukong, “This temple belonged to Mu Qing, he was one of my friends and attendants both as a mortal and a god. He was the god of the Southwest during his prime, but he fell when he sided with the Shang during the bitter civil war among the gods during Fengshing Bang. Zhurong² currently holds his place, originally being the god of fire, and now the supreme god of the combined south as well. San Lang and I were able to afford him and Feng Xin, another of our friends and former god of the southeast, pardons from the heavenly emperor due to our services for the current heavenly court. They were demoted to deputy gods serving under Zhurong. As a result, most of their old temples were abandoned or converted to worship Zhurong.”

Hua, being subdued in his anger at Mu Qing, adds “He is an uncourteous, ambitious, spiteful, and petty god. He might have redeeming qualities like a sense of honor, but he doesn’t deserve Gege’s association, especially after the many times he betrayed you.”

Xie shakes his head, “Mu Qing is all those things San Lang, but he has never meant me harm. As I’ve said, he is someone who will spit in your drink out of spite, but he will never poison you out of spite. His pride and selfish nature harden his position, but his honor and conscience will always lead him to the path of virtue.”

Xie takes out a candle and a piece of dried peach, creating a small makeshift altar for Mu Qing. In this way, he gave his old friend a small ritual offering. The candle nearly blew out a few times due to a gust of wind, but it never became unlit. He knew that meant Mu Qing wasn’t happy to be offered morsels from Xie Lian at one of his former temples but appreciated his old friend’s attention and care to honor him. As they were departing the abandoned temple, Wukong stared back at the altar and noticed a flash of white blurred from over the altar. He saw a veiled figure steal the dried peaches that were on the altar, but he could not make out a face. He did see that the being had white hair, which he knew was unnatural even with his experience living as a slave in Qin. He thought to ask his Sifu, but he worried about appearing foolish as he did about his hair color from earlier. He thought perhaps white hair was acceptable in Jin, while blond hair was not. It was a child’s response to a complex issue, but Wukong had not gained enough experience to understand such differences were ingrained in human psychology rather than mere aesthetic issues.

It took the trio several hours to reach their destination, the city of Chen. There Xie hoped to gain information about the war, find refugees from neighboring cities, and aid what little he could. However, upon entering the city at the checkpoint, he was surprised by the warm reception of the gatekeeper.

The gatekeeper of Chen acknowledges Hua and Wukong without any interest, then supplicated on the ground with his eyes staring at the ground upon the sight of Xie “Your Excellency, we had heard that you and your nephew had fallen by a possible assassin. We are grateful to see you recovering and walking about.”

Xie wanted to correct this belief but held his tongue as they made their way around the city. He knew that Chen held the noble clan of Xie, a related offshoot of his imperial clan from Xianle. He even met his doppelganger, Xie An, who was a minor official at the time. They did bear a striking resemblance to one another, to the point that Hua Cheng candidly asked if his husband had an affair with a maiden, which Xie Lian vehemently denied as Hua was his first and only lover. He had last heard that Xie An had risen in rank to Imperial advisor to the young Jin Emperor. If he’s dead, then the Jin kingdom was in grave peril of falling into civil war, thus leaving the Qin unopposed and making Fu Jian’s ambition to be the ruler of heaven and earth dangerously plausible. Xie Lian must ascertain the veracity of these facts, so he walks toward the manor home of the Xie Clan at the center of the city.

As he passes by the denizens of Chen, he was greeted by well-wishers, adoring fans, and lovely homilies from the elders about his importance to the stability of the world. Hua Cheng smiled at this sight, being reminded of Xie Lian’s first life as the beloved crown prince of their kingdom, while Wukong basked in the shared glory of being offered treats of steamed bao and fried shaobing³, much to the delight of the youth. For Xie though, it was an agonizing experience to be praised for his relative’s accomplishments and reminded of his past as a failed crown prince. While Xie had come to terms with his past, he still harbored deep regret for not doing more or realizing the machinations of Jun Wu until centuries later.

Entering the Xie mansion, the guards were shocked to see their master up and about, appearing younger with two unknown companions. Xie Lian had no time for pleasantries and asked to be led to the private quarters at once to speak with Lady Liu, Xie An’s wife and one of the few mortals who knew his true form.

Upon seeing Lady Liu, she was shocked at first, then collected herself before ordering the guards to leave their presence. She eyed Wukong curiously as she had not seen the child during her last encounter with Xie Lian and Hua Cheng, but her white dress and mourning veil obscured her expressions.

Lady Liu address Xie Lian with supplication befitting a god, “Oh noble ancestor, most glorious dianxia⁴ Xie Lian, I implore you to assist me and my people in this most difficult time. My husband the honorable Xie An and our nephew, Xie Xuan, were murdered under the final orders of Huan Wen, before his death. My husband thwarted his family’s efforts to usurp the throne of Jin, so Huan to his dying breath carried out revenge. Now without my husband’s guidance, my family and my nation shall fall to the blade of either a usurper’s ambitions or a barbarian horde.”

Xie knows what was going to be asked of him, but he still hopes for an alternative “Lady Liu, what would you have of me? I am, but an immortal without an office or right to interfere in human affairs?”

“No, most honored ancestor, you are the crown prince of Xianle, a scion of our clan, and the only one with the knowledge of statecraft to give our people stability during these turbulent times. We are your descendants, our affairs are not merely the affairs of mortals, but the affairs of a family. Since the family is above even the edicts of heaven, I implore you to carry on as my husband, advise the child emperor, and defend our kingdom from threats within and beyond our borders.”

Xie wants to protest but is cut off by Hua Cheng. Hua knew his husband should take this offer as it could deal with several problems while maintaining their anonymity and preventing another heavenly war. Xie under proper rites has to protest and plea for hours or days before accepting such a post, to show good decorum, but Hua understood that time was of the essence. If the Huan family had murdered Xie An, then they must have an army ready to march on the capital at Jiankang. It was more expeditious to skip with formality, Hua knew his husband would approve. Hua has often acted as his husband’s blunt sword against social niceties and requirements for greater goals to be achieved.

“Lady Liu, my husband and I will do this deed for you. Have your husband any troops ready to march?”

Lady Liu exhales relief at Hua’s intercession for his husband, but upon realizing his reason, frowns at the meager offerings she had.

“My husband only has 5,000 men, including all our personal guards, under his personal charge. The Huan family has an army of 100,000 and the financial resources of the western trade routes to raise more troops,” she pauses and goes down on her knees pleading with these gods, “Surely with your magic, you can defeat such a force as my husband has told me of your exploits.”

While it was true, a force of a hundred thousand or even a hundred million would not be beyond their abilities to defeat in combat when such forces do not possess magic. Xie and Hua were hesitant as such actions would be perceived as their interference in mortal affairs and disrupting the natural flow of the Tao between mortals. However, five thousand men should be enough to defend the capital and prevent a coup if properly led by a capable commander, like Hua Cheng. However, such meager forces cannot hold a kingdom together, nor defeat the much larger million-strong army of Qin, which did possess magic rivaling the heavenly gods. More actions must be taken later. The two men exchanged stares in the unspoken language of soulmates to finalize their plans.

Xie answers Lady Liu, “Lady Liu, I can assist you with this task in your husband’s memory. Your forces should be more than sufficient for the present needs.”

Next, Xie addresses Wukong, “Wukong, you will need a new name to be called by others as we navigate this complex situation. To everyone else, I will be Xie An and San Lang will be Xie Xuan, my nephew. As your true form glitters like gold, I think you should be called Xie Yan. Yan means to glitter like a gem.”

Wukong was taking in the information and trying to understand all the moving pieces as best as his mind could comprehend. He was not foolish to the ways of human beings, such as deception, betrayal, or murder. However, he was unaccustomed to the frequent shifts of identities that Xie and Hua appear to be engaged in. He knew from the other slaves that gods could appear as any human being as they desire, but he was comprehending now that such transformation meant incorporating an entire history as well. Questions ran through Wukong’s mind: What would happen to the prior relationships that they establish? Was Xie Lian and Hua Cheng just another alias of these two gods? Was Wukong just another throwaway name or throwaway relationship that these gods adapt and cast aside as required for a situation?

Wukong, being intelligent and not wishing to offend these powerful beings, asks, “Sifu, will you still be married to Baba Hua if you are Xie An? Won’t you be married to Lady Liu and have to be her husband?”

Hua snorts a reply, “Sun-Sun, Gege would never abandon me for a woman. No woman can do what I can with…”

Xie cuts him off before Hua exposes any of their not-so-innocent bedroom affairs, Xie understood where the question came from and saw through Wukong’s delicately framed question about identity. Being an immortal god for so long, Xie had forgotten that normally people only had one identity that they live with throughout their lives.

“San Lang is saying that I will always be married to him, just as you will always be Wukong to me. We’re just pretending to be Xie An and Xie Xuan,” he considers the question deeper, “Though, it will pose an issue for our activities and nightly arrangements. There’s also a need for a story about Wukong’s appearance. He’s too young to be traveling with a government minister, even if he’s related to me. What will people say about all of this?”

Hua Cheng laughs and mockingly cries out “Uncle An is pulling me into his bed chamber to have his way with me.”

Xie blushes “San Lang, please, we have a lady and child present.”

After listening to the entire discussion, Wukong begins to realize why the meaning of names is so important to humans and gods. There’s power in perception, the ability to transform oneself from a god to a teacher to an important official was a necessity in different moments. Identity was fluid, but the person behind the identity was not. No matter what he is called or what he calls these two men, they were still the same men, who saved and loved him for this past week.

Hua Cheng turns his attention to Lady Liu “Did Xie An take any concubines or lovers? Do you have any children?”

Lady Liu considers the questions, “Several lovers my lord Hua, but he had not made them official. I have had a miscarriage and cannot bear children of my own.”

Hua gleefully pokes at Xie Lian “Perfect, Wukong can be Xie An’s illegitimate son and the reason behind your disappearance and reappearance with him could be explained away as he was being raised by one of your mistresses, who recently died. No one will dig too deeply into such affairs, while Lady Liu in outrage forbids you from taking on any more women to bed. I will take on Xie Xuan’s appearance by your side as you believe I have a knack for commanding your personal forces. We can explain our close relationship as being a product of your wife’s meddling and your word of honor. Our nighttime activities would just be the byproduct of unhealthy home life with a bitter wife and a handsome virile nephew.”

Xie blushes in shock at the horrible and scandalous story Hua Cheng concocted, “San Lang, you make Xie An sound like a philanderer and Lady Liu like an old witch. We would be desecrating a good man’s name.”

“Gege, we have much to accomplish, and too many lives count on this ruse to succeed. Would you rather we tell everyone the truth about us being immortals and the heavenly gods declaring open war on us?”

Lady Liu bows her head “Lord Hua is correct; I would accept such dishonor to my name and my husband would as well if it meant safety for our nation and its people from traitors and barbarians.”

Xie is not happy with the role he must play to stay loyal to his husband and protect the innocent people of this kingdom. Sometimes being a god is most troubling.