The State of Cham Fights for the Salt Lake and the Ling King Slays King Sadain of Cham
South of the State of Ling there was a state named Cham. It was famous for its large area and strong military forces. The King of Cham was called Sadain. He was good at martial arts and black magic. He imposed exorbitant taxes on his people and frequently invaded neighbouring states.
One day when in a lighter mood, King Sadain made an inspection tour of his state, surrounded by his ministers and guards. After seeing all his granaries, treasure vaults, pastures, herds of sheep and cattle and large numbers of his people, he was quite happy. Suddenly he felt ill at ease and furrowed his brows.
The ministers did not know what troubled their king. But the guardian god of Cham, the evil one, knew clearly what annoyed King Sadain. He appeared during the night and whispered to Sadain: “I know, my king, what is in your mind. Cham is rich in gold, silver, cattle, sheep and grain. The only thing it lacks is salt. However, in our neighbouring State of Ling, there is a salt lake, which is called Ngalung Kunzhub. My king, you should take it under your jurisdiction and bring the benefit to Cham.”
King Sadain did not wake up until daybreak. At the instigation of the demon, he decided to raise all his armies to grab the Ngalung Kunzhub Salt Lake in the State of Ling.
Zhuzha Baidain Guabo, Gyiway Tuigar and Chamar Kegyi, his three greatest generals, were ordered to lead the vanguard army and Prince Yulha Tochu was assigned as the scout. The troops were ordered to set off without delay.
When his wife, Bema Quzin, heard the news, she hurried to dissuade the king from taking unwise decisions. She thought this move might lead to unexpected disastrous consequences.
“My king,” said the queen, “good warriors always die in fights. Those who are eager to win are more likely to lose. It is not right to conquer the land of other states and we should not do things that are against reason and nature. As a matter of fact, Cham has vast lands and huge wealth. Our grains and fruits are more than enough for the consumption of you and your men. My king, please do not stir up trouble.”
Podui, the minister of the inner court, also agreed with the queen. He asked the king to rethink carefully. Otherwise, Podui said, he might regret his actions in the future.
The advice of the queen and Podui greatly disappointed Chilha Genbo, a veteran general of Cham. Stroking his grey beard, Chilha Genbo said disapprovingly:
“Our Black Cham State boasts a large army and numerous generals. King Sadain is brave and sagacious. The Salt Lake ought to belong to our assets. What trouble can emerge when we go to claim what is ours? My king, there is no need to worry. It is better to dispatch your troops as soon as possible.”
Unable to change the king’s mind, Queen Quzin tried to persuade Prince Yulha.
“Yulha, my dear son, you are too young to be going to battle. What should I do if you have any mishaps on the battlefield?”
However, the prince had long wanted to go to battle. He replied to the queen:
“Mother, I am not an ordinary child. I am a big hero that the world has rarely seen before. With my left hand I can grasp thunder. With my right hand I can pull down a stone hill. My roar is louder than that of a dragon. Even the thunder from Heaven is no match to my bellow. My dear mother, I have grown up. It is my duty to fight for our state and conquer the Salt Lake.”
When he had finished, Prince Yulha tightened the green belt on his red gown embroidered with dragons, tied up the colourful shoelaces of his boots covered by black satin, mounted his horse and left his mother without looking back at her.
At this time, King Gesar had already conquered the Yellow Hor and was working hard to reinvigorate the state. Now the people of Ling had their own pastures. Their life was quite peaceful and happy.
One day, the Lion King woke up very early. He strode to the terrace on top of the palace, where he gazed into the blue sky. Suddenly, he saw a colourful cloud with a man and a horse standing under a yellow umbrella. King Gesar recognized the man as his late father — Dechoi Ongya. He immediately knelt down to show his respect. Amid the tinkling of lutes and bells, the late king Dechoi Ongya said:
“My son, you have defeated the Black Demon Nortsam and the Three Hor kings. Your people are happy and the deities and I are pleased. But, my son, you should note this: South of the State of Ling is the State of Cham, whose King is Sadain. He is vicious and now plans to attack our Salt Lake Ngalung Kunzhub.”
Hearing this, Gesar pulled out his knife and said:
“Father, I will raise an army right now to fight against this King Sadain. I will protect the Ngalung Kunzhub Salt Lake with all my might.”
“My son, don’t act in haste. The State of Ling has just finished the war with the State of Hor. Our people have suffered a lot from that cruel battle. Both states suffered severe losses. The deities do not want to see these. My son, use your wits this time. The war with King Sadain should be won in a more tactical way. I know Tsinpa Merotse has surrendered. You can ask him to guard the Salt Lake. Tell Merotse to catch Prince Yulha alive.”
Finishing these instructions, Dechoi Ongya disappeared into the sky.
King Gesar immediately returned to the palace and sent a messenger to Tsinpa Merotse.
After receiving the king’s message Merotse hurried off to make preparations. He put on a gold helmet, wore red armour and rode a claret horse. He first went to the highest hill of the State of Hor, where he burnt aromatic plants for auspicious smoke to the Buddhist Guardians. Then he dashed to the Salt Lake with 31 arrows given to him by King Gesar and 30 heroes of the State of Ling.
When Merotse arrived at the Salt Lake, the troops from Cham had not reached it yet. Merotse took this chance to have a little rest. However, minutes later, Merotse saw clouds of black smoke rising from the horizon. The vanguard troops of Cham were coming. How could Merotse fight such a large army? The clever man suddenly hit on an idea. He quickly wrote a long letter in the name of the King of Hor and fastened the letter to an arrow. Then, he sat down on the bank of the Salt Lake and waited patiently.