Chapter Twelve: The Celestial Granddaughter's Wish Fulfilled — Reunion on the Magpie Bridge, a Meeting That Echoes Through Ten Thousand Ages

It is told that once the Golden Youth and the Celestial Granddaughter had been escorted under guard to their separate dwellings on the eastern and western banks of the Heavenly River, they clung to each other, unable to part, and poured out many more words of love and longing before they could truly be separated. The Pagoda-Bearing Heavenly King saw how things stood and gave a sharp command that they be parted and sent each their own way, east and west. The two immortals had no power to resist and were led off in opposite directions. However deep their sorrow and however great the ocean of grief within their hearts, no wishes of theirs could change what was. Even you, dear reader, turning these pages, cannot but sigh on their behalf.

The Pagoda-Bearing Heavenly King first escorted the Celestial Granddaughter to the Cloud-Brocade Palace on the eastern bank of the Heavenly River, where he presented himself before the Holy Mother of Cloud-Brocade and announced the imperial decree, commanding that it be obeyed in every particular. The Holy Mother of Cloud-Brocade received the edict, then invited the Pagoda-Bearing Heavenly King to take a seat while her immortal maidens brought celestial tea. She then summoned the Celestial Granddaughter to appear in the hall. The Celestial Granddaughter and her guardian handmaiden came before the hall, made a full prostration, and wept without ceasing. The Holy Mother of Cloud-Brocade said: "Celestial Granddaughter, truly you are a beauty born under an ill star, burdened with heavy karmic debts. After the long parting of thirteen years, you had hoped for a marriage that would endure through all of heaven and earth. The Jade Emperor's decree reuniting you was issued from a heart of compassion. Yet you two could not stop yourselves from indulging in pleasure, neglecting your heavenly duties — small wonder the Jade Emperor grew angry and commanded an eternal separation. You are husband and wife denied your wish, with a regret that will last a thousand autumns. The decree is already fixed; in due time I shall petition on your behalf and seek a means of amendment. But for today, things are as they are — Celestial Granddaughter, there is no need for tears. Go back with your guardian handmaiden to the weaving chamber." The Celestial Granddaughter wept and replied: "Your words of guidance, Holy Mother, are ones your small immortal accepts with all due reverence and now has no choice but to follow. I humbly pray that the Holy Mother will devise some means of rescue in the days to come — your small immortal will be grateful beyond all expression." Having said this, she rose, dried her tears, and went back with her guardian handmaiden to the weaving chamber.

The Pagoda-Bearing Heavenly King also took his leave and departed, mounting his propitious cloud and travelling along the Way of No Dust toward the western bank of the Heavenly River. Arriving at the Numinous Algae Palace on the western bank, he entered the inner chamber and found the four heavenly soldiers already on guard within. The Golden Youth, seeing the Pagoda-Bearing Heavenly King arrive, went forward to welcome him, and the two sat down face to face. The heavenly soldiers offered celestial tea. The Pagoda-Bearing Heavenly King said to the Golden Youth: "I have already been to the Cloud-Brocade Palace on the eastern bank of the Heavenly River and urged the Celestial Granddaughter not to grieve overmuch, but to keep patient watch for the appointed time — a day of elevation will surely come. Golden Youth, this second separation from the Celestial Granddaughter is a sorrow beyond measure. Even this general's act of carrying out the arrest was not done by choice — I ask for your forbearance. For now you must dwell here alone and endure in patience. You may use this time for the cultivation of your immortal nature. That will move the Jade Emperor's compassionate heart and bring resolution to your abiding grief. The bonds of marriage are by nature determined by Heaven — do not let your heart fall into confusion. Above all, preserve your immortal self." The Golden Youth, upon hearing these words, could not keep the tears from falling. He replied: "The Pagoda-Bearing Heavenly King speaks most truly. It is not that the imperial edict is without feeling — I blame only my own carelessness. Yet to have been united at last, only to be parted again forever — it would have been better never to have been joined at all. At least that way there would be no beginning without an end, no such glaring incompleteness." The Pagoda-Bearing Heavenly King counselled him again: "The Jade Emperor, having already agreed to the marriage, is not scattering you apart without cause. Had you and the Celestial Granddaughter not abandoned your heavenly duties and provoked the Emperor's anger, how would things have come to this pass? Now that the imperial decree is settled, it cannot be changed. You have no choice but to endure and keep faithful to your celestial post — in time, there will be a way back." Having said this, he rose, walked out through the palace gate, and the Golden Youth escorted him to the outer gate, after which the Heavenly King and his soldiers returned to report. The Golden Youth went back to the inner chamber, sunk in gloom and unable to find any pleasure. He thought to himself: "I ascended from the mortal world to Heaven, and was then joined with the Celestial Granddaughter — my happiness reached its very peak. But joy carried to its height gives way to sorrow. Now I keep lonely watch in an empty chamber — how can I not be wretched? One day follows another, the seasons turn through their four cycles, and the anguish of longing cuts my very heart and liver from my chest! Long ago I was banished to the mortal world for thirteen years because I had teased and humiliated the Celestial Granddaughter at Jade Pool. I was then lifted back to the Heavenly Terrace, hoping that my past wrongs were wiped clean — little did I know that still more boundless suffering awaited me!" And so he spent his days sighing without cease, his voice of sorrow and grievance reaching up to stir the very vault of heaven. But we leave his lamentations aside for the moment.

Now to speak of the Celestial Granddaughter the Weaving Maid, weaving at her loom all day in the weaving chamber, thinking of the Golden Youth, while two streams of tears fell steadily down her jade face. The guardian handmaiden beside her sought to console her: "Celestial Granddaughter, do not grieve so excessively — take care of your immortal body. That you and the Golden Youth have been parted today is a matter of your karmic fate; even if you pine for him, it avails nothing. It is better to devise another plan." The Celestial Granddaughter sighed: "Things having come to this, there is no remedy. Even if I were to go and plead with the Holy Mother of Cloud-Brocade, I would only be reproached. This time is not like before, when the Golden Youth had descended to the mortal world and we were not yet married — then the Jade Emperor could still grant us the fulfilment of our wish. Now that we are already married, to be parted again forever — this is the punishment for our crime of abandoning our duties in our heedless pursuit of pleasure. How could rescue possibly be found?" The two immortal maidens — one sighing, one consoling — filled the air with ten thousand threads of sorrow, and all the star spirits felt pity for them, yet none could do anything about it.

One day, the Golden Star of the West was travelling through the sky in his cloud-carriage and passed over the Heavenly River. He saw that above both the Numinous Algae Palace and the Cloud-Brocade Palace, clouds of grievance hung visible in the air, meeting and intertwining with each other midstream. He knew at once that the Golden Youth and the Celestial Granddaughter were longing for each other without respite. The Golden Star of the West could not but feel a stirring of compassion. He reined in his cloud, pondered for a while, and thought: if he went before the throne to present a memorial, the Jade Emperor might well refuse to hear it. He then thought to himself: "Better that I go to the Tushita Palace and consult with the Supreme Elder Lord — perhaps the Elder Lord has some fine stratagem." His mind made up, he turned his cloud toward the north. Before long he arrived before the Tushita Palace, descended from his cloud, and entered the palace. The Supreme Elder Lord was seated in quiet meditation. Seeing the Golden Star of the West arrive, he rose and invited him to be seated. An immortal boy brought celestial tea. When they had drunk, the Golden Star of the West said: "I come today especially on account of the matter of the Golden Youth and the Celestial Granddaughter. The day when you, Elder Lord, petitioned before the Jade Emperor's throne for the Golden Youth and the Celestial Granddaughter to be spared execution and separated forever instead — since that separation was carried out, the two of them have been pining and suffering beyond endurance. Just now, as I was riding my cloud southward, I saw the clouds of grievance rising into the sky, meeting and intertwining overhead. That is why I have come especially to tell you, so that we may together devise a means of aid." The Supreme Elder Lord replied: "I know of this too. The Jade Emperor had originally decreed execution — it was only through my persistent petition that the death sentence was commuted and replaced with eternal separation. Since the separation was carried out, more than a year has passed, and fearing that the Emperor's anger had not yet cooled, I have left the matter alone. But since the Golden Star is here today, and we both hold to the principle of compassion, we should naturally devise some means of rescue. I have no other power in this than to appear before the throne together and jointly present a memorial. We must write up the petition first — then tomorrow at the morning audience we shall go before the Emperor and present it, and there is sure to be some hope of redress." The Golden Star of the West said: "What the Elder Lord proposes is entirely right." The memorial was written out then and there, and they waited only for the morning audience the next day. The night passed without incident. When morning came, the two stellar lords mounted their propitious clouds together and flew directly to the Hall of Penetrating Brightness. Arriving at the palace gate, they descended from their clouds, entered the waiting room, and waited for the Emperor to ascend his throne. Presently the golden bell rang three times, the Jade Emperor took his jewelled seat, the civil and martial stellar officials prostrated themselves upon the golden steps, cried "Ten thousand years!" and, when the ceremony was finished, returned to their respective stations. The Supreme Elder Lord then had his memorial delivered to the Dragon Throne by a herald official. The Jade Emperor unrolled and read it, and saw that it was written as follows:

Your servants Li Dan and Li Changgeng respectfully submit this memorial, concerning the matter of redress in the eternal separation of the Golden Youth and the Celestial Granddaughter. We note that in former years the Golden Youth and the Celestial Granddaughter defied Your Majesty's decree, stirred momentarily by mortal feelings, and were banished for thirteen years, suffering all the hardships of the mortal world; the Celestial Granddaughter likewise laboured with diligence in the Cloud-Brocade Palace through all those years. Both endured great suffering and gave ample evidence of remorse for their former wrongs. Last year, in the first part of the seventh month, Your Majesty graciously decreed their reunion and marriage. Their hearts were mingled with grief and joy. But thereafter, in their love for each other, they forgot the grace of Heaven and neglected their duties. Your Majesty thereupon took strict measures and commanded that they be separated forever. Since the separation, they have filled the air from morning to night with clouds of grief and grievance. The bonds of love, when once truly formed, are beyond the power of man to undo. Your servants, moved by compassion, respectfully jointly submit this petition. We humbly beg that Your Majesty in his grace amend the decree to allow them to meet once each year, on the seventh day of the seventh month, so that the longing of both may be in some measure satisfied. May Your Majesty's reign be without end and his years boundless!

The Jade Emperor read this through, reflected in silence for a good while, and then spoke: "The matter the two ministers have memorialised is inspired by the principle of compassion. I shall act in the spirit of benevolence. You two ministers may convey my decree: on the seventh day of the seventh month each year, they shall be permitted to meet once. In all other matters they shall not be free to come and go as they please. Should they dare to defy this, there shall be no leniency whatsoever!" The imperial decree having been issued, the Jade Emperor dismissed the court and returned to the Palace of Jade Purity. All the stellar officials also withdrew from the palace gates and rode their clouds off in different directions.

Here the Supreme Elder Lord and the Golden Star of the West together mounted a red cloud and went first to the Cloud-Brocade Palace on the eastern bank of the Heavenly River, where they informed the Holy Mother of Cloud-Brocade and the Celestial Granddaughter of the imperial decree and set forth in full detail everything that the two stellar lords had requested. Then they went to the Numinous Algae Palace on the western bank of the Heavenly River and conveyed the imperial decree in person to the Golden Youth, letting him know that he might meet the Celestial Granddaughter only once each year, on the seventh day of the seventh month, and that in all other matters he had no freedom. The Golden Youth prostrated himself to the ground in gratitude to the two Elder Star Lords, then rose and asked: "The imperial decree permits us to meet once each year on the seventh day of the seventh month — but in what place shall we be able to tarry?" The Supreme Elder Lord replied: "When the seventh day of the seventh month comes, crows and magpies, dragons and phoenixes of their own kind will form a bridge across the centre of the Heavenly River, enabling the two of you to cross from east and west to meet each other in the middle, where you may pour out all that is in your hearts and find some measure of comfort." The Golden Youth gave thanks, saying: "How much I am indebted to the two Elder Star Lords for their virtue that embraces both benevolence and compassion — I have no way to repay such a grace. I can only hope that their names will endure through a thousand ages, that their virtue and their years will be without bound. Your small youth can only pray in the silence of his heart." The two stellar lords replied as one: "To bestow a kindness in hopes of reward is not the way of immortals — as for insatiable desire, we pray that you and your wife will repent and take warning from all of this." With these words they made their farewells and departed.

From that time on, the Golden Youth and the Celestial Granddaughter met once each year on the seventh evening of the seventh month, and this has never changed through ten thousand ages. All the longing of a full year poured out in a single night — the world calls them the Herd-boy Star and the Weaver Maid Star, who meet only on the seventh evening of the seventh month. And this ancient tale is hereby brought to its close.