66. Circling the White Mountain (The story of General Xiang-Fei of the Wu clan - 烏翔肥)

Many years ago, an exhibition of the famous Terracotta Warriors visited Auckland, New Zealand. Eager as always for these things I went with my wife to see them. While it was only a snippet of a small show I enjoyed it very much. But something happened on that day that I won’t forget: While wandering past the many statues I was struck by a freezing cold shiver up my spin by the presence of one statue. I froze and stared back at the statue of a bearded general with a great sword at his side. Who was this general? While officially it is said that nobody knows, I had a profound vision that I knew: General Xiang-Fei of the Wu clan 烏翔肥. He lived the life worthy of a good hardworking man trying to get ahead but stuck in middle-management during the Qin Dynasty 秦朝. As a loyal general he did what he was told, yet he had a bit of a stubborn streak to him. And as such he always had the nasty job of commanding his troops into the waiting enemy army. Perhaps it seems he was destined to be forever fighting a losing a battle as it was always impossible to get some glorious action while hopelessly seeing his men being speared like marshmallows over a campfire. Eventually in life, 烏翔肥 became so disheartened with the way his career was going that he politely quit before he too ended up like his troops.  He resigned his commission and ensuring that his wife and family were kept well-off, decided that his best way to improve his status and fortunes was travel the land in search of a true military sage that can show him how to avoid pointless frontal assaults. 烏翔肥 traveled far and wide, but found nobody. And his journeys were marred by news of his wife’s infidelities. But he would not give up his quest. In fact, the only thing in the end blocking his path was a huge mountain range of white peaked tops. He paused to catch his breath and the spectacular view before making his way to a small village at the base of the mountain range. Upon arriving at the village 烏翔肥 was met by a messenger from home informing him that he and his wife were now divorced… (Things do happen in strange ways.)  Furious at his misfortune, he tried to go straight through the mountain and only became the butt of the villagers jokes. He tried to go over the mountain but failed in that too. Upset and angry of being unable to move the mountains out of his way, he settled down in the village and took a local maiden to be his new woman. Funnily enough, the interesting thing about him was that when travelers came to the village and asked what was the best to get to the other side of the mountains, he would tell them to follow the road that goes around them. It was only after his simpleton wife pointed out during one of their arguments what he was doing, did it finally dawn on him that he had his long searched-for answer. And there was now a new dynasty around: The Han Dynasty 漢朝. Unable to return to court, politics being what it is, He decided to write down his profound insights in a book called "Circling the White Mountain".