Chapter 1: The Great Peng Descends, a Noble Person is Born

  One day, at noon, Professor Yue Peng of the History Department of a famous university was studying the history of Southern Song Dynasty. He unexpectedly discovered many discrepancies between the legendary stories about Yue Fei and the records in historical books. Moreover, Professor Yue also discovered an earth-shaking secret: when Yue Fei was born, his mother gave birth to twins - an elder brother named Yue Pengju and a younger brother named Yue Pengzhan. It was these twin brothers who rewrote the history of Southern Song Dynasty later on. What exactly happened? Please listen as I slowly recount the story.

  On March 24, 1103 AD, at the hour of Chen, in Yonghe Village, Xiaotie Township, Tangyin County, Xiangzhou, Northern Song Dynasty, a strange thing happened in the home of a peasant named Yue He. When Yue He's wife was about to give birth, a pair of large swans suddenly flew onto the roof of Yue He's house, flapping their wings. Just as Yue He was about to shoo them away, he heard the sound of a baby crying from inside the house.

  Hearing the sound of children crying, Yue's hanging heart finally fell. He looked up again at the big roc on the eaves, but it had already disappeared without a trace.

  "It's strange, it was just on the eaves a moment ago, how did it disappear in the blink of an eye? I don't know when it flew away, and there wasn't even a sound?" Yue He and Bai Si were puzzled.

  "Congratulations, Brother Yue! Your wife has given birth to twins, two chubby little boys. You're really blessed!" The midwife said with a big smile.

  Yue and Ting heard that the lady had given birth to twin sons, overjoyed, he took out a few copper coins from his pocket and handed them to the midwife, saying with a smile: "Double joy, double joy."

  Yue and Le Hehe arrived at the bedroom, looking at the two sons lying beside his wife. With great gratitude, he said to his wife: "Madam, you have given birth to two sons for the Yue family in one pregnancy. You are a great benefactor of the Yue family. Your great kindness and virtue will not be forgotten by our ancestors."

  Madam Yue, although she had just given birth to a son and was pale-faced, felt as sweet as if she had drunk honey when she heard her husband's flattering words.

  On the day of the full moon of the two sons, the villagers of Hyojae came to congratulate them, and Yoo and Chun welcomed the guests with a smile.

  They kept drinking until late afternoon when the guests gradually went home. After seeing off the guests, Yue and He were cleaning up the bowls and chopsticks when an old monk suddenly arrived.

  This old monk's attire was different from the monks in the temple. He had a shaved head with a tonsure, his eyebrows were frosted, his beard was snowy white, his cheekbones were high, and his eyes were spirited. His wide mouth had a black mole beside it. His thin face was half sunny and half cloudy. His light gray kasaya was half new and half old. A pair of cloth shoes with different colors, one black and one white. Such a dignified appearance paired with such attire was as ugly as could be.

  "Amitabha Buddha! The donor's family is filled with joy, I suppose the two big Peng birds have spread their wings?" The old monk asked in a nonchalant manner.

  Yue and Ting were shocked, they did not expect that the monk in front of them was actually a hermit. They should treat him with kindness and take the opportunity to ask about their two sons' future prospects.

  "You must be a high-ranking monk, I pay my respects to you." Yuhé said, and bowed deeply to the old monk.

  "No need, no need. I am a monk from afar passing through this place and saw the joyful atmosphere in your mansion. Let me calculate with my fingers... Ah, it seems that you have added two more noble persons to your family." The old monk said.

  "Have two noble guests arrived? I am ignorant and dull, please enlighten me, venerable monk." Yuke said humbly.

  "May I, a humble monk, have a look at the facial features of you two nobles?" asked the old monk.

  "Of course, Master Monk please take a seat, I'll be right back." Yue He said and walked into the inner chamber to speak with his wife for a few sentences. The couple then came out, each holding an infant.

  The old monk first looked at Yue and the baby in his hand, shook his head and sighed: "This child is born with a violent fate, if he stays by his side, he will kill his parents. Only by putting him in the river and washing away the violence with rainwater can he escape disaster. He was born when the Roc spreads its wings, so let's call him Yue Pengzhan!"

  "Yue Pengzhan, what a good name. However, the high monk's words about Yue and Peng are somewhat confusing. You say that if Pengzhan stays by our side, he will bring death to his parents, but if we don't keep him by our side and put him in the river, won't he drown? No! Absolutely not!" Yue He looked at her own son in her arms and said repeatedly.

  "This child's fate is hard and unyielding, he won't die, in the future he will definitely become a great talent." The old monk said.

  "Master, take a look at this son's fate?" Madame Yue brought her son over for the old monk to examine.

  The old monk looked carefully, joined his palms together and recited a Buddhist mantra: "Amitabha!"

  "Master, what will be the future of this child?" Yue He asked eagerly.

  "It's priceless. This is the pillar of our great Song Dynasty, and in the future, the prosperity of the Song Dynasty will depend on him." The old monk couldn't stop praising.

  "Master, would you be so kind as to give our child a name? It will bring good fortune for their future prospects." Yue He requested.

  "This child was born at the time of the great roc's flight, so let's call him Peng Ju!" The old monk said without hesitation.

  "Yue Pengju, what a great name!" Yue was overjoyed.

  "Benefactor, if you want the two brothers to rise high in the future, follow my words. Peng Zhang was given the name Teng, and Peng Ju was given the name Fei. Yue Teng is the younger brother, and Yue Fei is the older brother. In the future, the two brothers will gallop across the battlefield, rising high. The ancestors of the Yue family will also become famous in history from this day on." The old monk said this, then joined his palms together and recited a Buddhist mantra.

  Yue and Ting were delighted by the old monk's words, and didn't know what to say. He gave the old monk some incense money and prepared a vegetarian meal to entertain him.

  After the old monk left, Yue and hugged Xiao Peng, pacing back and forth in the room. He thought of what the old monk had said, and his heart was still uneasy about Yue Peng.

  "A tiny baby, if he were to be put into the river and washed away by the rain, would not even lose his life. It's better to send him to a relative's house for foster care. As long as he is not kept by my side, it will do." Yüeh Ho thought to himself.

  "Madam, what about Xiaopeng? Are we really going to follow the old monk's words and put him in the river? Isn't that too unfair to him? In my opinion, why not send him away?" Yue asked.

  "No! The old monk said that Yueteng's life is inauspicious and will bring harm to his parents, even if they are adoptive ones. I think it won't make a difference either way. Why not just follow the old monk's words and throw him into the river to fend for himself? Perhaps Yueteng's fate is indeed very strong. Actually, Yueteng is my own flesh and blood, and I don't want to do this. However, I think that old monk is a highly enlightened being, his words must have reason." Madam Yue said.

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