The King began to recount his tale: "Three years ago, during the Dragon Boat Festival, the concubines and I were at the Pomegranate Pavilion in the Imperial Flower Garden, unwrapping rice dumplings, inserting mugwort, and drinking iris and realgar wine while watching the dragon boat races."
"Suddenly, a gust of wind arose, and a demon appeared in the sky, claiming to be Sai Taisui. He said he lived in the Xiezhi Cave at Qilin Mountain and was in need of a wife. He had heard that a lady from our Golden Holy Palace was exquisitely beautiful and desired to take her as his cave's mistress, demanding that I send her out promptly."
"If I failed to present the lady from the Golden Holy Palace after his third call, he threatened to first devour me, then my ministers, and ultimately exterminate every citizen within the city."
