“The Divine Tortoise: A Message from Ancient Waters”

In the year of King Song Yuan’s second reign, an envoy from the River sent a divine tortoise emissary to the He River, arriving at Quanyang. There, a fisherman named Yu Qie captured it in his nets and imprisoned it in a cage. At midnight, the tortoise appeared in a dream to King Song Yuan, saying, “I was sent by the River as an envoy to the He River, but my path was obstructed by fishing nets at Quanyang, where Yu Qie captured me. I cannot free myself from this plight. In my distress, I have no one else to turn to. It is due to your virtue and righteousness that I come to inform you.”

King Yuan was deeply moved and awakened. He summoned his advisor Wei Ping, saying, “Last night I dreamt of a man with an elongated neck and a tall head, dressed in dark embroidered robes, riding in a carriage. He came to me in a dream, saying, ‘I was sent by the River as an envoy to the He River, but my path was obstructed by fishing nets at Quanyang, where Yu Qie captured me. I cannot free myself from this plight. In my distress, I have no one else to turn to. It is due to your virtue and righteousness that I come to inform you.’ What could this mean?”

Wei Ping pondered for a moment, then looked up at the moon’s light and observed the positions of the stars. Using his compass and scales, he determined the day’s location. With this foundation laid, he assessed the situation using the Eight Trigrams. Judging the auspicious and inauspicious signs, he foresaw events before they unfolded. He then replied to King Yuan, “Today is the day of Ren Zi. The Weaver Girl star lodges in the cowherd’s place. The waters of the He River meet the Yangtze, and spirits and ghosts conspire together. The River envoy was scheduled to arrive first, but the arrival of the Southern wind was delayed. White clouds block the Han River, delaying all things. The handle of the Dipper points to today, indicating the envoy’s imprisonment. Clad in dark robes and riding in a carriage, the envoy’s name is Tortoise. The King should urgently send someone to inquire and seek its release.”

The King nodded approvingly. Therefore, he dispatched a messenger to Quanyang Prefect, asking, “How many fishermen reside here? Who among them is Yu Qie? Yu Qie has captured the tortoise and reported a dream to me. Therefore, I am sending someone to retrieve it.”

The Quanyang Prefect then sent an officer to examine the records and maps. There were fifty-five fishermen living along the water, with Yu Qie residing upstream. The Quanyang Prefect said, “Very well.” He then sent the envoy to ask Yu Qie, “How did you catch a fish today?”

Yu Qie replied, “At midnight, I caught a tortoise with my net.”

The messenger asked, “Where is the tortoise now?”

Yu Qie replied, “It is in the cage.”

The messenger said, “The King knows you caught the tortoise, so he sent me to retrieve it.”

Yu Qie replied, “Very well.” He immediately took the tortoise from the cage and presented it to the messenger.

The messenger took it and left through the gates of Quanyang. In broad daylight, there was no sign of it, only wind, rain, and darkness. The clouds covered the sky, with shades of green and yellow; thunder and rain accompanied each other, as the wind began to blow. Upon entering the eastern box, he saw it there. Its body was like flowing water, glossy and glowing. When he saw King Yuan, it extended its neck forward, stopped after three steps, and then withdrew its neck, returning to its original place. King Yuan was surprised and asked Wei Ping, “Why did the tortoise extend its neck toward me, then withdraw it?”

Wei Ping replied, “The tortoise was in distress and had been imprisoned for a long time. It is because of your virtue and righteousness that someone has come to release it. It extended its neck forward to express its gratitude and withdrew it because it wishes to leave as soon as possible.”

King Yuan said, “Very well! Such divine visitation cannot be prolonged. Hurry, escort the tortoise, and ensure it does not miss its appointed time.”

Wei Ping replied, “The tortoise is a treasure of the world. The first to capture this tortoise will be the Son of Heaven, able to respond ten times out of ten and win ten battles out of ten. Born in the deep abyss and raised in the yellow soil, it knows the ways of heaven and understands ancient times. It lives for three thousand years, never leaving its domain. It is calm and peaceful, acting without effort. Its lifespan covers heaven and earth, and no one knows its limits. It changes with the seasons, its color changing four times a year. It resides in hiding, abstaining from food. It is black in winter, white in summer, yellow in spring, and red in autumn. It understands yin and yang, discerns justice and punishment. It knows the future of gain and loss, speaks accurately and wins battles. If the King treasures it, all the vassal states will submit. Your Majesty, do not send it away but keep it to protect the state.”

King Yuan said, “The tortoise is indeed divine and spiritual, descending from the heavens and rising from the depths. It is in distress and regards me as virtuous. Because of its deep virtue and trustworthiness, it has come to inform me. If I were to send it away, I would be no better than the fisherman. The fisherman values its flesh, and I covet its strength. I would be unworthy below and lacking in virtue above. With neither respect nor loyalty between ruler and subject, where does fortune come from? I cannot bear this, so how can I not send it away?”

Wei Ping replied, “Not so. I have heard that those who do not repay great virtue and those who do not return great trust will lose what they have. Heaven gives without receiving, and Heaven takes away its treasures. Now the tortoise has traveled far and wide, returning to its place. It has visited the Nine Provinces and never been humiliated, having no reason to stay. Now it has arrived at Quanyang, where it is insulted and imprisoned by fishermen. If Your Majesty sends it away, the rivers will surely be angry, seeking revenge. Thinking themselves wronged, they conspire with gods and spirits. The rain does not stop, and the water cannot be controlled. If there is drought, the wind will blow dust, and locusts will breed. The people will lose their timing. If the King practices benevolence and righteousness, he will surely face punishment. There is no reason for this. The blame lies with the tortoise. Even if regretted later, it will be too late. Your Majesty, do not send it away.”

King Yuan sighed deeply and said, “To refuse an envoy and obstruct a plan is a form of tyranny. To take what others have and value it for oneself is a form of greed. I have heard that those who gain unjustly will lose unjustly, and those who take forcefully will have no merit. King Wen heard this and did not seek jade from the hills. The pearl from the bright moon was not found in the Four Seas. The engravings on the stone mixed with the clam, it was sold in the market. The wise men found it, and it became a treasure. Where there is a treasure, it becomes the emperor. Now, I am ashamed of having done so, this is I 虎, ? Left while