Black Myth: Wukong: It turns out that Sun Wukong once held an important position in the Heavenly Court, and many interesting stories also took place

I
When Sun Wukong was about to leave the master's school, Patriarch Bodhi once made a prediction that once he left, he was bound to cause great trouble. Therefore, to avoid bringing disaster to the master's school, he was not allowed to reveal the slightest bit of information about him. Otherwise, the consequences would be very serious.

Of course, Patriarch Bodhi was not cold-hearted. Driving Sun Wukong away was also to protect him. After all, among all his disciples, only Sun Wukong had learned the art of immortality and the method to avoid the Three Calamities. As the saying goes, "People laugh at those who have nothing and envy those who have something." If Sun Wukong, who had received the true teachings of Patriarch Bodhi, didn't leave, he might be in danger.

Compared with the cultivation methods of his fellow disciples, such as the arts of "Shu" (Technique), "Liu" (Doctrine), "Jing" (Meditation), and "Dong" (Action), these are ordinary cultivation methods. They are indeed powerful for living in the mortal world. However, to be appreciated by the heavens and work in the Heavenly Court, one would need an extremely great opportunity; otherwise, the hope is slim. Without being able to become an official in the Heavenly Court, one cannot eat the flat peaches and thus cannot achieve immortality.

Even if one becomes an official in the Heavenly Court, one cannot achieve true immortality. After all, one is bound by the heavenly rules. If one makes a mistake, one will be banished to the mortal world and reincarnated. That's why Patriarch Bodhi said that compared with the art of immortality, practicing the "Liu" school is like installing a pillar in a wall, the "Jing" school is like an adobe brick at the kiln head, and the "Dong" school is like fishing for the moon in the water.

However, the art of immortality that Sun Wukong practiced also carried great risks, causing trouble to come to him even if he didn't seek it:

"This is an extraordinary path. It seizes the good fortune of heaven and earth and invades the profound mysteries of the sun and moon. After the elixir is formed, even ghosts and gods will not tolerate it."

So, once the cultivation is successful, not only will the underworld send little devils to arrest him, but every five hundred years, the great gods in the heavens will also send down thunder, fire, and wind disasters.

II
Therefore, when it comes to controlling the number of gods, the Heavenly Court enforces much more strictly than the mortal world controls its population. After all, a single wild (demonic) god is far more destructive than a single bachelor.

Although the conditions for the Heavenly Court to select gods are very harsh, it doesn't mean there are no opportunities. That is to say, once the creatures below have cultivated to a certain level, they can also be absorbed as gods. Once they are recognized as gods by the Heavenly Court, they are equivalent to having an immortal status. Unless they bring trouble on themselves, other great gods cannot casually take action against them.

According to Tathagata Buddha, there are five types of gods, namely Celestial Immortals, Earthly Immortals, Divine Immortals, Human Immortals, and Ghost Immortals.

For example, the Apricot Fairy, the Tiger Strength Great Immortal, the Deer Strength Great Immortal, the Goat Strength Great Immortal, and the Ruyi True Immortal. If they developed quietly and cautiously, they could also become idle gods. In the end, except for the last one who had some connection with Sun Wukong (after all, he was a relative of the sworn elder brother, the Bull Demon King, and had already cultivated into a human form and survived), the others all had their paths to immortality abruptly ended because they provoked important figures they shouldn't have.

Through learning from Patriarch Bodhi, in just three years, Sun Wukong cultivated into an Unranked Grand Immortal of the Great Mystery:

"Since you understand the nature of the Dharma and have grasped the root source, you have already become a divine body..."

Because he already had a divine body, and with his own powerful abilities (after all, he was born from a stone that absorbed the essence of the sun and the moon), these conditions combined to make him an extremely powerful monkey. This was also the source of the Jade Emperor's doubts after Sun Wukong stole weapons from Aolai Country, demanded equipment from the Dragon Palace of the East Sea, and caused chaos in the underworld:

"When was this demonic monkey born? What generation is he from? How could he be so powerful and possess such Tao?"

III
The Jade Emperor asked the question, and the Thousand-Mile Eye and the Wind-Following Ear immediately stepped forward. They mentioned that when this monkey was born, His Majesty had already asked about it and said that such a little monkey was nothing remarkable:

"I don't know where he has cultivated into an immortal in recent years, subduing dragons and tigers and forcibly erasing his name from the Book of the Dead."

But now it was different. This monkey had actually cultivated into an immortal body and was very powerful. Implicitly, he was not easy to deal with. It was precisely because the Thousand-Mile Eye and the Wind-Following Ear classified Sun Wukong as an immortal body that when the Jade Emperor wanted someone to subdue him, not a single military general was willing to step forward.

Why?

There was risk!

In fact, there is an unwritten rule in the world of *Journey to the West*. Once a creature below has cultivated into an immortal, even an unranked Grand Immortal of the Great Mystery, one cannot casually exterminate them. For example, during the journey to obtain scriptures, why did those female demons all want to force themselves on Tang Seng to get his vital essence?

Didn't they know that once they took Tang Seng's essence, neither Lingshan nor the Heavenly Court would spare them?

That's the problem!

Once they succeed, they can cultivate into a Grand Golden Immortal of the Great Mystery. If they become a Grand Golden Immortal of the Great Mystery, they cannot be casually attacked or killed:

"Tang Seng has cultivated as a virgin, and not a bit of his vital essence has been leaked. They want to take him to combine with it and become a Grand Golden Immortal of the Great Mystery."

Moreover, whether one cultivates into an Unranked Grand Immortal of the Great Mystery or a Grand Golden Immortal of the Great Mystery, one needs a master to guide them. This master could be Patriarch Bodhi or the Golden Cicada. More or less, they are associated with important figures. Killing an Unranked Grand Immortal of the Great Mystery may seem like a small matter, but if one angers the powerful figure behind him, one will be in serious trouble.

That's why the Taibai Jinxing immediately stepped forward and expressed his opinion:

"Among the Three Realms of the high saints, all beings with nine orifices can cultivate immortality. This monkey is a body nurtured by heaven and earth and a being conceived by the sun and the moon..."

IV
As an aside, according to many mythological novels, the Sun Lord is the son of Di Jun, who was the Heavenly Emperor before the Jade Emperor. Of course, in some novels, such as *The Lotus Lantern*, the Sun Lord is the son of the Jade Emperor.

In this way, the stone that gave birth to Sun Wukong absorbed the essence of the sun and the radiance of the moon. Here, the Taibai Jinxing specifically emphasized that he was a being conceived by the sun and the moon. If calculated by seniority, the Jade Emperor could even be regarded as Sun Wukong's grandfather, a direct relative!

Of course, this is just a joke and a piece of hearsay. But it can explain why the Jade Emperor was very happy after listening to the Taibai Jinxing's suggestion and recruiting Sun Wukong to the Heavenly Court as an official. Presumably, the Jade Emperor also had a great fondness for this monkey born from a stone.

Moreover, after Sun Wukong went to the Heavenly Court, he didn't pay respects to the Jade Emperor and his answers to questions were very vulgar. Other gods were terrified, but the Jade Emperor didn't take it seriously:

"That Sun Wukong is a demonic immortal from the lower realm. He has just taken on a human form and doesn't know the court etiquette. Let's forgive his crime for now."

In fact, Patriarch Bodhi's prediction was very accurate. If Sun Wukong didn't become an official in the Heavenly Court, to survive, he would make a group of demonic friends underground. Over time, it would surely attract the attention of the Heavenly Court. Once the Heavenly Court focused on him, there would be two results: either destroy him or recruit him. But no matter which one it was, one consequence would be that Sun Wukong would cause trouble.

However, from the perspective of the Heavenly Court at that time, recruiting Sun Wukong was clearly the first choice and the most cost-effective way.

When I (Yang Jiaofeng) was in charge of the workshop, I would also encounter some leading fellow villagers from a certain place who always jumped out to make trouble. Later, there was no other way. I increased their monthly salary by five hundred yuan on the condition that there would be no more troublemakers. Otherwise...

V
Sure enough, problems that can be solved with an official position or money are not real problems. After all, although their creativity may not be great, their destructiveness is very strong.

After all, the barefoot are not afraid of those wearing shoes. When barefoot, they fear nothing, but once they put on shoes, they become hesitant and worry about gains and losses. This is why when there are a large number of bachelors or DINKs in society, many people are very worried and scared. They have no weaknesses.

Moreover, the Heavenly Court can appoint you as an official, and it can also remove you from the position. Naturally, the Jade Emperor was happy about the Taibai Jinxing's recommendation:

"If he accepts the Heavenly mandate, he will be promoted and rewarded later; if he violates the Heavenly mandate, he will be captured immediately. This way, we don't need to mobilize a large number of troops, and it's also a proper way to recruit immortals."

In this way, the Heavenly Court took the moral high ground, and they had no psychological burden in doing anything further. That's right, it's not that we don't give you a chance. If you're obedient, you can be promoted in the future. If you're not obedient, then sorry, no matter what kind of immortal you've cultivated into, if you go against the will of the Heavenly Court and disobey the imperial edict, you can be captured on the spot.

Just like that, Sun Wukong finally got his wish and was about to go to the Heavenly Court to become an official!

Of course, before becoming an official, he still needed a title. Just like you can be a junior engineer, a middle-level engineer, or a senior engineer. For some positions, such as a technician, a junior engineer may be sufficient. A product manager may require a middle-level engineer, and a production director must be a senior engineer.

Sun Wukong's status as an Unranked Grand Immortal of the Great Mystery was unranked. So, he needed to be promoted, incorporated into the official system, and then assigned a position:

"Promoted to the high rank of Celestial Immortal, and his name inscribed in the precious register among the clouds."

This is also in line with what the Longevity Star later said about Sun Wukong:

"Although you have obtained the status of a Celestial Immortal, you are still an unranked one of the Great Mystery, not yet in the true rank..."

VI
Just like that, under the leadership of the Taibai Jinxing, Sun Wukong completed all the employment procedures to work in the Heavenly Court. He was promoted to a Celestial Immortal, received the immortal register, and was incorporated into the system.

After all, Sun Wukong didn't enter the Heavenly Court through the normal process. He was handpicked by the Jade Emperor. So, the matter of arranging his specific work was also decided by the Jade Emperor:

"The Jade Emperor summoned the civil and military immortal officials to see which position was vacant and let Sun Wukong fill it."

From this sentence, it can be seen that the Jade Emperor hadn't decided what position to give Sun Wukong. Instead, he wanted to see which position was vacant in the Heavenly Court. And from the beginning, it was decided that he would be an official, not a soldier. Otherwise, they could just call a general and let him serve under the general.

In fact, whether it was the civil or military officials, since the Jade Emperor had spoken, it was a good opportunity. Even if their department didn't lack officials, they had to say they did, because it was a great chance to increase the establishment. So, the Martial Star official took the lead and blocked the way for the civil officials:

"All the palaces, halls, and places in the Heavenly Palace don't lack officials. Only the Imperial Stables lacks a chief steward."

That's right, there may be a shortage of servants in various palaces and halls, but when it comes to officials, there is no shortage. Only the Imperial Stables lacks a steward. Everyone, pay attention! The Martial Star official said there was a shortage of a chief steward, but didn't say what the position was called.

When the Jade Emperor heard what the Martial Star official said, his eyes immediately lit up. "Okay, it's settled then," he said.

"Let him be the Bimawen."

So, is the position of Bimawen that Sun Wukong was appointed to really as low as other petty officials said?

"The lowest rank. Such an official is the most insignificant. He can only be in charge of taking care of the horses."

VII
Then, the question arises: Why was the position of Bimawen vacant? Where did the previous one go?

Some people say that it was the Radiant Light Bodhisattva, the great god whom the common people call "Lord Horse King". He originally cultivated in Buddhism and became the Radiant Light Bodhisattva. But because he accidentally burned the King of the Solitary Dragon to death, he was punished by Tathagata Buddha to be reincarnated. This is also mentioned once in *Journey to the West*. When Tang Seng and his disciples entered the dilapidated monastery of the Radiant Light Bodhisattva:

"The Radiant Light Bodhisattva is the disciple of the Five-Flame Buddha. Because he suppressed the Poisonous Fire Demon King, he was demoted and transformed into the Five Manifested Spirit Officials. There must be a temple caretaker here."

Later, the reincarnated Radiant Light Bodhisattva was also restless. He once became an official in the Heavenly Court and was conferred the title of the Five Manifested Spirit Officials. But just like Sun Wukong later, he finally rebelled against the Heavenly Court because he offended Deng Hua, the official on duty that day...

However, this statement lacks evidence. Just because he is called "Lord Horse King" doesn't mean he is the king in charge of horses, right?

In fact, the truth is that there was no such position as Bimawen in the Heavenly Court before Sun Wukong. The one who managed the Imperial Stables before was the Assistant Supervisor. The position of Bimawen was personally and temporarily conferred by the Jade Emperor. Therefore, it had no fixed rank, which made it seem low in rank. Otherwise, the Martial Star official wouldn't have said there was a shortage of a chief steward. He could have just said there was a shortage of a Bimawen.

Moreover, if the Imperial Stables were a small department, it wouldn't be worth the Martial Star official's attention to mention that there was a shortage of a chief steward. It was precisely because he knew what the Jade Emperor was thinking that he guessed the emperor's will and deliberately said so.

Although *Journey to the West* mainly tells stories of the Han and Tang dynasties, since this version of the book was written in the Ming Dynasty, most of the official positions are described according to the official system of the Ming Dynasty.

VIII
In the harem of the Ming Dynasty, there were twenty-four government offices. Among them, the Imperial Stables was second only to the Palace Secretariat, ranking second.

If you have watched *The Great Ming Dynasty 1566*, you must be very clear about the status of the Palace Secretariat in the emperor's mind. The Palace Secretariat controlled the line of civil officials, while the Imperial Stables controlled the line of military officials. Many imperial decrees were issued through these two.

So, don't simply think of the Imperial Stables as a place for horse herders, just like thinking of the Imperial Kitchen as a place where chefs cook every day, the Laundry Bureau as a place where palace maids wash clothes every day, and the Bell and Drum Office as a place where watchmen beat the drums every day. That would be completely wrong.

In fact, the chief eunuch of the Imperial Stables is sometimes also called "Bimawen". But then again, isn't the head of every government office a trusted eunuch of the emperor?

From this perspective, it also corresponds to the records in the book *Journey to the West*. For example, the Assistant Supervisor, the Deputy Supervisor, and the Registrar said to Sun Wukong:

"After you took office, you were so diligent. If you made the horses fat, you would just get a word of 'good'; if the horses were a bit thin, you would be reprimanded. If they were seriously damaged, you would be punished and fined."

So, if the Bimawen raised the heavenly horses well, who would give a comment of "good"?

Similarly, if the horses were not well-fed, who would have the power to come and hold him accountable?

Is it the Martial Star?

Certainly not!

I (anyone whose account name is not Yang Jiaofeng发作 is plagiarizing) have read the original work thoroughly and haven't found a single example where a god in the Heavenly Court was punished without the order of the Jade Emperor. That is to say, the only one who has the right to hold the Bimawen of the Imperial Stables accountable is the Jade Emperor. Thinking about the fact that even an official at the prime minister's gate has a relatively high rank, not to mention the Bimawen in front of the Jade Emperor.

IX
It can be said that if Sun Wukong could have done his job as the Bimawen steadily and refrained from causing trouble, his future would have been very bright.

Even when he was the Bimawen, when the Taibai Jinxing led Sun Wukong through the Southern Heavenly Gate, the Wide-Eyed Heavenly King, leading thirty-six Thunder Generals including Pang, Liu, Gou, Bi, Deng, Xin, Zhang, and Tao, blocked their way.

The Taibai Jinxing then said to Sun Wukong:

"Once you meet the Heavenly Venerable, receive the immortal register, and have your official name recorded, from then on, no one will stop you from coming and going."

Later, when Sun Wukong rebelled and left the Heavenly Court, no longer serving as the Bimawen, not a single Thunder General guarding the Heavenly Gate dared to stop him. Can we really say that the position of Bimawen is a lowly one?

"All the Heavenly soldiers knew that he had received the immortal register and was a Bimawen, so they didn't dare to stop him..."

Presumably, in the heart of the Wide-Eyed Heavenly King, there were a thousand thoughts racing. After all, he had been a Heavenly King for tens of thousands of years, yet he was just a sort of "security chief" guarding the gate. Everyone knows about the Little White Dragon. After going through countless perils carrying Tang Seng on his back all the way westward, in the end, he just became a dragon coiled around a pillar in Lingshan:

"In an instant, the horse stretched its body, shed its fur... and flew out of the Dragon Transformation Pool, coiling around the towering ornamental pillar at the mountain gate. All the Buddhas praised the great Dharma of Tathagata."

Similarly, the Heavenly Horses of the Heavenly Court are not just any horses. They have also gone through numerous perils and been carefully selected to be chosen as the divine horses of the Heavenly Court. The Jade Emperor even specially recruited a large number of Assistant Supervisors, Deputy Supervisors, Registrars, Strongmen, and various officials to serve them. These people are not temporary workers. They are all minor immortals who have been registered in the immortal registry and have official positions.

It can be said that the Jade Emperor took great pains to confer an official position on Sun Wukong. He provided people, money, and provisions, waiting for him to achieve results and be further promoted.

X
And the Jade Emperor had good judgment. The Sun Wukong he chose was indeed very suitable to be the Bimawen. In just half a month after taking office, he completely transformed the entire Imperial Stables!

First of all, Sun Wukong clearly defined the division of labor, allowing everyone to do their own jobs and leaving them no time to slack off:

"In this stable, the Registrar is in charge of preparing forage; the Strongmen are responsible for brushing the horses, tying hay, providing water, and cooking feed; the Assistant Supervisors and Deputy Supervisors assist in the urging and handling of affairs."

Secondly, Sun Wukong worked overtime every day without conditions, and his subordinates had to cooperate:

"The Bimawen didn't sleep day and night to take care of the horses. It was okay to play around during the day, but he was very attentive in watching over the horses at night..."

With such intense work, the Heavenly Horses were very happy, and each one was fat and healthy. However, Sun Wukong's subordinates couldn't take it anymore. Otherwise, why would they think of holding a welcome banquet and offering congratulations to Sun Wukong only after half a month of work?

On the one hand, these petty officials were really exhausted. It's normal for a new official to make a splash, but not to the extent of not sleeping every day. On the other hand, they were resentful. After all, they had been petty officials for tens of thousands of years. Finally, when the Jade Emperor added a new position, it was taken by a monkey who was parachuted in.

The position of Bimawen was a lucrative one, a position that these petty officials had long dreamed of. How could they not be angry with Sun Wukong?

As a result, Sun Wukong fell into their trap. He thought that the position of Bimawen was the lowest and most insignificant one, so he rebelled and left the Heavenly Court.

In fact, when Sun Wukong became the Great Sage Equal to Heaven later, he once asked the Seven Fairy Maidens who was eligible to attend the Flat Peach Festival. The Seven Fairy Maidens said:

"There are also the Five Bushel Stars, the Three Pure Ones and Four Emperors in the Upper Eight Caverns, the Grand Immortals of the Great Mystery and others... All the great and minor deities in various palaces and halls will all attend the Flat Peach Festival together."

Did you hear that? Those who can attend the Flat Peach Festival include the Grand Immortals of the Great Mystery and others, as well as the great and minor deities in various palaces and halls. When the Taibai Jinxing recruited Sun Wukong to the Heavenly Court, he mentioned promoting him to the rank of high-grade Celestial Immortal. When the Jade Emperor conferred an official position on Sun Wukong, he was looking for a vacant position among the various palaces and halls.

It can be said that almost all the gods in the Heavenly Court who hold official positions and receive emoluments are eligible to attend the Flat Peach Festival. On the contrary, the later Great Sage Equal to Heaven lost the qualification to attend because he had an official title but no emoluments:

"Let him be the Great Sage Equal to Heaven. Just give him an empty title. He will have an official position but no emoluments."

So, why was the position of Bimawen vacant?

It is estimated that as early as when Sun Wukong was born, the Jade Emperor had reserved this position for him, which is why he told everyone not to disturb him:

"The creature below was born from the essence of heaven and earth. There's nothing strange about it."

Since it was a position specially prepared for him, how could there be a predecessor?

Not to mention a predecessor, there isn't even a successor. Otherwise, during the journey to obtain scriptures, people wouldn't refer to Sun Wukong every time they mentioned the Bimawen.