Why does the Monkey King Rebel in the Heaven?
Hold Once in a century is the jade pool feast. Hold once in a millennium is the peach feast.
The peach feast in the heaven is a big celebration for the gods. On this day, almost every god is invited by the Jade Emperor. These gods rush to the Cloud Palace to attend this banquet so as to present their treasures to the emperor and display their ingeniousness and ability.
However, the well-known Sun Wukong is not on the Jade Emperor’s invitation list. In the early years, this ape creates uproar in the heaven and messes celestial world up, which makes the Jade Emperor dare not to go to the Cloud Palace and have to let the ape proclaim himself the “Great Sage Equaling Heaven”. Later, the Jade Emperor cajoles him into accepting the position of Protector of the Horses. The guests in this banquet are either gods or Buddhas. How can a goblin be allowed to join the immortals?
After hearing the peach banquet, Wukong believes that his brother Jade will definitely invite him since he is the famous “Great Sage Equaling Heaven” and is conferred as Protector of the Horses. However, he keeps waiting but still sees no invitation card. When he gets the news that all the gods are invited, he goes haywire and thinks: “Pooh, it seems that the Cloud Palace needs to be rebuilt and the beard of brother Jade needs to be reshaved.” Then, he takes out the golden cudgel from his ear and chants to make it bigger. Grasping the golden cudgel in hand, he rushes to the Cloud Palace.
Sun Wukong is scurrying almost reaching the southern gate of the heaven and he sees an old man carrying a pole on the shoulder on which a drum and a big bell hangs on each side of the pole. Since Wukong is a busyboy and he hasn’t met this man before, he approaches and gets to know that he is the Taoist master Zhang who is just recommended by Laotse to be a god from the secular world.
Master Zhang hears Wukong’s self-introduction and says with esteem, “Oh my, you are Sage Sun. It’s my great honor to meet you.”Sun Wukong replies with politeness: “Where are you heading for in such a hurry with your drum and bell?”
Master Zhang tells Sun Wukong that he is invited to attend the peach banquet and asks him: “Sage Sun, do you also go to attend the feast?”
Sun Wukong nods and says: “Brother Jade is so busy that he has forgotten to give me the invitation card.”
Since Sun Wukong is not invited, master Zhang feels to be superior to him. He shifts his pole to the other shoulder and shouts: “Well, well. How dare you attend such a grand peach banquet without the Jade Emperor’s invitation.”
Sun Wukong says: “How dare I?”
The new god Master Zhang replies with pride: “Those who can attend this feast are all dignified gods and Buddhas. What are you?”
“I’m the ‘Great Sage Equaling Heaven’.”
“You’re blowing your trumpet.”
“I am made Protector of the Horses by the Jade Emperor.”
“Aha, you are just a smelly groom.”
Hearing this, Sun Wukong’s indignation leaps to his eyes. He grabs Master Zhang by the collar and shouts: “Old bastard, demon priest. What the hell are you talking?”
Master Zhang is out of breath. Clutching Wukong’s hands, he says: “Great Sage, please let me go. I just tell you the truth. Protector of the Horses is just a groom, no better than a secular shepherd.”
Hearing this, Sun Wukong yells and pushes Master Zhang thirty feet away. Master Zhang is thrown onto a piece of cloud, unable to get up and his pole, drum and bell falling down from the cloud.
Sun Wukong stamps and cries: “Pooh, you dare to humiliate me, old fogy. My rage will not be quenched until I mash your palace and pluck your entire beard.”
After this, Sun Wukong brandishes his gold cudgel, charges through the Southern Gate of Heaven and revolts against the heaven again.
