Now, the King of the Fadi Kingdom wanted to kill Tang Sanzang.
His minister was so frightened that he hurried to dissuade him.
The King of the Fadi Kingdom asked why.
The minister said, "Your Majesty, if they were ordinary monks, you could kill as many as you pleased. But Tang Sanzang must not be killed. He comes from the Great Tang!"
The King of the Fadi Kingdom said with some displeasure:
"So what if he comes from the Great Tang? He is still only a monk."
The minister hastily said, "Your Majesty, you must not act rashly! I hear that monk is King Tang's Imperial Younger Brother!"
The King of the Fadi Kingdom's expression changed slightly. "King Tang's Imperial Younger Brother?"
The minister said, "Yes, Your Majesty! That monk's Dharma name is Tang Sanzang, and King Tang sent him on the Journey to the West to fetch the scriptures. King Tang, Li Shimin, has always been a warlike ruler. Even after gaining all the lands within the four seas, he remained unsatisfied, frequently sending armies across the sea to attack neighboring kingdoms and forcing ten thousand nations to bow as his subjects. If Your Majesty acts rashly, I fear you may anger him. When that happens, our state will cease to exist!"
Hearing this, all the ministers knelt and bowed. "Your Majesty, please think thrice!"
The King of the Fadi Kingdom knew his ministers had a point, so he rescinded his order and said:
"Very well, I shall spare Tang Sanzang's life for now. It is not that I fear Li Shimin. Though his Great Tang has its armies, my Fadi Kingdom also has over ten thousand elite soldiers. We might well be able to fight him. It is merely that I have always revered the Buddhist teachings and