ENG
Though hairless, strength prevails,
Sturdy and bold, never frail.
Madness hides in mountain, where winds sing,
In dark gutters, reigns as king.
The yellow-furred rat had quelled the calamity caused by Fuban, earning the king's deep respect and being appointed as the Royal Sage. No matter the state affairs or the minutiae of daily life, the king would first seek his counsel.
At the sage's suggestion, the king issued the "Rodent Reverence Edict," prompting rodent guais from all around to migrate into the city.
The First Prince, having distinguished himself in battle, was conferred the title of Brave General and was basking in his success. However, he was deeply displeased that a guai sage had stolen his shine. Using the pretext of the rodent guais causing trouble, he rallied court officials to petition for the Royal Sage's removal.
Several upheavals ensued in the court, resulting in the deaths of many loyal to the prince, and even the Third Prince left in anger. Yet, the king's trust in the sage remained unshaken.
On the sage's birthday, the entire kingdom worshiped his statue, and even the king paid a visit to the Temple of Royal Sage himself to offer incense and prayers. Unable to contain his fury, the First Prince overturned the incense table in public.
Such an affront to royal authority could not be tolerated. Enraged, the king imprisoned the prince. The sage, however, was not angered and even spoke many good words for the Brave General. Learning of the sage's intercession, the prince became even more convinced that he was a deeply scheming evil guai, cursing him incessantly in his cell. The king, upon hearing this, grew more antagonized by his unruly son. Hence, he decreed that the prince needed strict discipline, ordering that his meals be delivered to the cell door thrice daily, with no visitors allowed.
Initially, the prince was very stubborn, but over time, he softened and began to plead for mercy. Yet, he remained defiant in his heart, constantly plotting to kill the rodents and avenge himself once he was free.
One day, his meal was late, and he was growing anxious. Then he heard the sound of a key turning, and the cell door unexpectedly opened.
After waiting for a while and seeing no one enter, he walked out himself. To his astonishment, the guards and officials bustling about outside were no longer human. They all became rats dressed in robes.
The prince thought it was that the sage had led the rodent guais to usurp the throne, and in his panic, he charged into his father's golden hall—
A short, stout rat, speaking in his father's voice, called out to him. This must be an imposter! The prince grabbed a guard's sword and struck at the king.
Chaos erupted in the hall, only the Royal Sage brought forth a bronze mirror for the prince to see himself. In the reflection, there was no trace of the Brave General, only an enormously fat rat.
The story opens with a short, suggestive poem about a strange, sturdy creature connected to mountains and gutters. After that we learn that a yellow-furred rat had ended a disaster caused by someone named Fuban. Because of that rescue, the king respected the rat so much that he made it the Royal Sage and relied on its counsel for everything, from state affairs to small daily matters.
Acting on the sage’s advice, the king issued the "Rodent Reverence Edict," which invited rodent guais from all around to come live in the city. The king’s favor and the edict made many rodents part of court life, which upset the First Prince. The First Prince had just been honored as the Brave General and felt his glory stolen by a guai sage. He used complaints about the rodents as a reason to demand the sage be removed, gathering officials to press his case.
The conflict escalated into court upheaval that killed many people loyal to the prince and drove the Third Prince away in anger. Still, the king refused to abandon his trust in the sage. On the sage’s birthday the whole kingdom worshiped the sage’s statue, and the king personally went to the Temple of the Royal Sage to offer incense. In public rage at this, the First Prince overturned the incense table, an act that could not be tolerated, so the king had him imprisoned.
While in the cell the prince ranted that the sage was evil. The sage, however, spoke on the prince’s behalf to the king. The king, angered by his son’s conduct, put him under strict discipline: food left at the cell door three times a day and no visitors. The prince softened outwardly and pleaded for mercy but secretly plotted to kill the rodents and take revenge once free. One day his meal was late, someone unlocked his cell, and when he stepped out the guards and officials he saw were rats in robes.
Panicked, the prince charged into the king’s golden hall, believing the rodents had usurped the throne. A short, stout rat spoke in the king’s voice; the prince grabbed a sword and struck at him. During the chaos the Royal Sage held up a bronze mirror. When the prince saw his reflection there was no Brave General left — the mirror showed only an enormously fat rat. The story ends with that shocking revelation: the prince’s human image was gone and he appeared as a rat, leaving the cause and consequences of that transformation implied by the sage’s control and the court’s takeover by rodent guais.