书城传记聆听史诗丛书-格萨尔王传:英文
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第62章 The Lion King and His...(3)

“I am Mesa Poingyi! King Ganggyi Trigyi, you know what I have experienced in my life. After Nortsam was vanquished by Gesar, I was brought to the State of Ling and became one of Gesar’s wives. Today I have come to make friends with Moya so that we can combine to get revenge on the State of Ling because I heard there was a deadly hatred between the States of Ling and Moya—the late King of Moya was killed by the Ling people.”

After saying this, Mesa pointed at Cholmo and the other sisters and told King Ganggyi Trigyi that those women having a frolic were not ordinary ones but fairy ladies who had descended into the world for fun.

On hearing Mesa’s words, Cholmo burst out laughing:

“Chief Guardian, Mesa is lying. I am Sengcham Cholmo, the Queen of King Gesar. We were sent to seek a magic tool in Moya, which will be used to subdue demons in Gyayo.”

Cholmo’s words infuriated King Ganggyi Trigyi. He immediately shook out a human-skin sack and put the seven sisters into it. He then took all of them to see King Yuze Toinpa in the palace.

Yuze Toinpa, whose father was killed by the Ling people, told the guards right away to knock 49 iron nails into Cholmo, Neqoin, Lhamo, Yozin, Rinqen Co and Zaomo Co’s backbones and ten copper nails into their fingers. Because Yusa Geco was Chatsa’s wife and Mesa had ever been one of Nortsam’s wives, they were free from being tortured.

Mesa could not bear to see the five sisters suffering. She came before the Moya King Yuze Toinpa, and his two brothers Yuya Toinpa and Yu’ong Toinpa to intercede with them for the ladies.

The Moya King was unhappy and mocked Mesa.

Mesa thought it was harder to deal with Yuze Toinpa than the others: “I’d better try to make him leave for the Demon State in the north.” So she said to him:

“I’ve always discussed with Minister Chin’en to take our revenge on Gesar. If Moya and other states join forces, it will be easier to defeat the State of Ling.”

Yuze Toinpa asked Mesa how the two states could ally. Mesa suggested that the Moya King may as well pay a visit to the demon state in the north himself, where Minister Chin’en was at the time. If he and Chin’en joined hands to defeat the State of Ling, then he would also be the King of Ling. The Moya King was very happy and hastened to ride on his large wooden bird with long wings to the area in the north.

After Yuze Toinpa had left, Mesa told Yu’ong Toinpa she had always thought that she was destined to be his partner for life. Yu’ong Toinpa was overjoyed to hear that the beautiful Mesa would like to be his wife. He immediately handed the keys to 18 storerooms in his charge to Mesa. Mesa opened the storerooms one by one and looked over them. Eventually, she found a piece of snake-heart sandalwood wrapped in a silk cloth which could prevent miasma in Gyayo and some other things used for practicing magic, including black roe oil for protecting the heart and iron ox.

Mesa asked for Yu’ong Toinpa’s permission to let her send the sisters some food. Yu’ong Toinpa gave her the key. Mesa opened the door and took out the nails knocked into the backbones and fingers of the sisters and then gave them food, golden eagle feather coating and all things used for practicing magic. Mesa asked Cholmo to tell King Gesar that she was now deceiving the Moya King and his brothers by trickery, so she had to stay here for another couple of days. There was no time for Cholmo and the other sisters to talk more with Mesa. They raced off and flew back to the State of Ling.

The Moya King Yuze Toinpa accepted Mesa’s advice and went to meet Minister Chin’en in the north. Wondering what the Moya King was coming for, Chin’en thought he could anyway take the chance to ask about Mesa since there had been no word from her since she had left. Then he went swiftly out of his tent to greet Yuze Toinpa.

Yuze Toinpa told Chin’en what Mesa had said to him and tried to get both states to become allies so as to gain revenge on the State of Ling. Chin’en quickly understood that this was a trick Mesa thought of to deceive the Moya King and that the seven ladies must have gotten into trouble. So he agreed to Yuze Toinpa’s request in no time. He asked Yuze Toinpa to go ahead to prepare and he would lead his troops to arrive soon afterwards.

Yuze Toinpa went back in high spirits. He was going to waste no time marshalling his military forces in Moya. As soon as Chin’en and his troops arrived, they would wage a war against the State of Ling.

After seeing off the six sisters, Mesa, restless and uneasy, looked northward and saw Yuze Toinpa riding on his wooden bird coming back. She came to greet Yuze Toinpa and they returned to his palace together. She gave a dinner of welcome for the Moya King. Holding a gold pot in right hand and a silver bowl in left hand, Mesa poured a bowl of fine wine for him.

A delighted Yuze Toinpa drank up and then told Mesa he had met with Chin’en. They made an appointment to assemble in Moya in three weeks and they would then dispatch troops simultaneously to fight against Ling. When Mesa heard this she was relieved.

Chin’en went up to Ling at top speed. He reported to King Gesar that Moya was going to attack Ling. Gesar asked for Chin’en’s advice, and Chin’en said:

“I plan to lead my own troops to Moya on the 19th day of this month and trick the Moya army into coming to Ling. We"ll strive to wipe out the Moya army at one stroke.”

Gesar nodded his agreement and ordered Chin’en to prepare at once.

As expected, Chin’en and his troops reached Moya as scheduled. Yuze Toinpa was very happy and ordered Mesa to prepare a feast for them. Yuze Toinpa decided to lead King Ganggyi Trigyi and the Moya army together with the Demon Troops of the north into an attack on Ling.

The Moya army was not very large and they were beaten in their first engagement by the Ling army which was aided by Chin’en’s troops. Shortly after the battle began, Yuya Toinpa was shot to death by Dainma and the Moya King Yuze Toinpa was captured.

Yuze Toinpa regretted waging the war and confessed sincerely to the Lion King: