One important character in the story of the stars is a man called Jiang Ziya. When he was young, he was an apprentice in the Daoist palace on Mount Kunlun. One day, the abbot summoned Ziya and asked him, "How long have you been here?"
Ziya replied, "When I first came here, I was 32 years old. Now I am 72."
The abbot said, "Your destiny is to enjoy great success in the outside world and you do not belong here. You will not only witness the fall of the Shang Dynasty and the rise of the Zhou Dynasty, but also play an important role in it. Go now and come back early."
Ziya obeyed the abbot and traveled to the Shang capital. He went to visit his old friend Song Yiren. Song was delighted to see Ziya again. He invited him to stay and treated him like a brother. Seeing that Ziya was still single, he arranged a marriage for him. The bride was a rich manˇ¦s daughter from the family Ma.
Ma was a domineering, greedy and avaricious woman. She pestered Ziya to establish his business and make a respectable living. Ziya knew that he was going through a period of bad, unfavorable years and nothing could be accomplished. To satisfy his wife, he tried several business ventures but failed. He was very depressed because the money he lost was a generous gift from a close friend. Seeing that Ziya was upset, Song invited him for a drink in the back garden. Ziya remarked, "This is a beautiful piece of land. Why don't you build a house here? The feng shui of the site is excellent."
"Oh, you know the art of feng shui?" asked Song.
"Well, I know a little."
Song told him that he has tried seven to eight times already. But each time, the house ended up being burnt down.
"I will watch out for anything abnormal. You just go ahead with the construction of the house." Ziya said.
When the day for erecting the main beam of the house arrived, Ziya observed five monsters came to set fire to the house. He thrashed his sword to suppress the monsters. Just when he was about to strike and kill them, they knelt and begged for mercy. Ziya spared the monsters and ordered them to assist the people in Qi Shan (Zhou territory) to build their houses before setting them free.
Ma and Song's wife could not see the monsters and wondered why Ziya was talking to himself. Ma criticized Ziya for fooling the people, "You are good for nothing. You only bring trouble to people."
Ziya said, "I am great at fortune telling. It is a pity that I do not have the facility and resources to start a business."
Song overheard this thus offered him a place to open his shop. Ziya became famous in no time when he revealed his talents and competence in fortune telling. His wife was delighted that eventually he was earning a living.
The Thousand-Years Old Fox had two close friends - the Jade Lute Demon and the Pheasant Demon. One day, the Jade Lute Demon left home for the capital to visit the Thousand-year Old Fox. When she passed by Jiang Ziya's shop, she decided to test his aptitude. Disguised as a woman, she requested a reading to be done. Ziya immediately recognized her as a demon and invited her inside.
"Madame, please let me see your right hand." Ziya said.
"Oh, you also know palm-reading?" She gave him her right hand.
Ziya held her hand tightly, stared at her with psychic energy from his eyes and locked her up in her seat.
"How dare you hold my hand like this? I am a woman. How can you do that in public?" The Jade Lute Demon complained.
The onlookers were angry at Ziya's behavior and reprimanded, "Jiang Ziya, you dirty old man, how can you offend a woman like this?"
"Gentlemen, this is not a woman. She is a demon." Ziya explained.
"Nonsense!" the people shouted angrily, "Obviously, this is a young lady. How can you say that she is a demon?"
Ziya knew that he must not release the demon. He grabbed the stone ink slab and struck heavily on the demon's head. It cracked her skull and blood spurted out profusely. Ziya continued to grasp her hand firmly while the crowd yelled, "Murder! The fortune-teller just murdered a woman!"
Coincidentally, the Vice Prime Minister Bi Gan, uncle of King Zhou, passed by. A man from the crowd came forward and testified against Jiang Ziya, "Your honor, the fortune-teller Jiang Ziya lusted after the pretty lady who came for a reading and wanted to assault her. She rejected him and thus he killed her."
Bi Gan was outraged and arrested Jiang Ziya. Ziya came forward, clutching Jade Lute Demon in his hand and said, "Your honor, this is a demon disguised as a woman. I cannot release her or she will escape."
Bi Gan said, "Gentlemen, I will bring this man to the Emperor and let him decide."
When Jiang Ziya and Bi Gan went to see King Zhou and his consort Tan Ji, Tan Ji immediately recognized the Jade Lute Demon, who was now a dead corpse of a woman. Distressed by her friend's death, she swore revenge against Jiang Ziya.
To prove his innocence, Jiang Ziya used his divine fire to expose the demon. He spurted fire from his mouth, nostrils, and eyes at the demon and forced it to revert to its original form - a jade lute. Tan Ji asked to keep the lute as an instrument to entertain the Emperor. In fact, she used the coming five years to revive her friend.
King Zhou was delighted with Jiang Ziya's ability and appointed him as the Royal Astronomer. The Thousand-year Old Fox was waiting for an opportunity for revenge.
One day, Tan Ji drew a picture of a Terrace to show to King Zhou, "This is called the Deer Terrace. It is forty-nine feet high consisting of jeweled halls and pagodas. Even the fairies and gods from above will come to share your happiness."
"Who will supervise the construction?" asked the emperor.
"Of course Jiang Ziya will be the most appropriate person." Tan Ji said.
When Jiang Ziya was summoned, he sensed that something was wrong. He went to bid farewell to Bi Gan, "Thank you for everything. It's time to say good-bye now. Before I go, I leave you this letter. Read it only when your Honor are in danger."
King Zhou was pleased to see Jiang Ziya and showed him the picture, "Build this terrace for me. When the work is completed, you will be promoted to a higher rank."
Jiang Ziya replied, "I need 35 years to accomplish this task."
King Zhou turned to Tan Ji, "I cannot wait 35 years. We might as well call off the project!"
Tan Ji exclaimed, "Jiang Ziya is affronting your Majestyˇ¦s authority. Command that he be scorched by the red hot cannon."
Ziya implored earnestly, "Your Majesty, to build this terrace requires lots of money and resources. People are suffering from poverty, famine and war already. Instead of taking care of your people, Your Majesty is wasting time on wine and womenˇK."
Ziya failed to finish his plea when the infuriated emperor hollered, "How dare you, insolent rascal! This is blatant treachery! Guards, execute him!"
Ziya fled for his life and plunged into the river when he was cornered by the guards on the bridge. When he arrived home, Madame Ma greeted him happily, "Welcome home, Minister!"
"I have resigned. I am no longer a minister." Ziya said to his confused wife. His explanation did not win her approval and she remarked scornfully, "You are not a real scholar. You are merely lucky when you get this post. His Majesty is actually too kind to award you the responsibility to build the Terrace. You should have made a fortune from this assignment. Who do you think you are! How dare you disobey his Majesty? I am ashamed of your imbecility and ineptitude. I am not staying with a failure like you. I demand a divorce."
Humiliated, Ziya signed the divorce paper. He fled to a village by the River Wei and occupied himself with fishing everyday. He fastened a fishing line attached with a needle to a willow branch as the fishing rod. People asked why he used a needle instead of a hook. He replied simply that he was not trying to catch a fish. He was waiting for a real king to come by.
Eventually, he assisted King Wen to establish the Zhou Dynasty and became the Prime Minister. Madame Ma spent her remaining days regretting her action. When she died, her soul was brought to represent the Gloomy Star, a star notorious for bad-mouthing.
When Ziya has accomplished his goal, he died at an very old age. His soul was taken to represent the Mercy Star which is noted for its mobility and strategy.
Stay tuned for the next episode.