Why did Xuanzang's learning history from "one person" to "four apprentices" become a fairy tale?

Among China's ancient novels, The Journey to the West is a masterpiece with first-class ideology and artistry. It is also the masterpiece of ghost novels, one of the important schools of novels in Ming Dynasty. Its position in ghost novels is equivalent to Romance of the Three Kingdoms in historical novels.

It is a true story in history that Tang Priest learned the scriptures. About 1300 years ago, in the first year of Zhenguan of Emperor Taizong (627), Xuanzang, a 25-year-old young monk, left the capital Chang 'an and went to Tianzhu (India) to study alone. After his departure from Chang 'an, he passed through Central Asia, Afghanistan and Pakistan. When I was in Gao Changguo, the residents there worshipped Buddhism very much. The king was very happy to see that they were monks in the Tang Dynasty. He is willing to make them state-protected wizards, plus 120 gold and 1000 horses.

Disciple wavered and finally stayed in Gao Changguo, while Xuanzang sneaked out and fled to the west. But was stopped by Gao Changguo soldiers. I didn't expect them to escort Xuanzang Xi to learn the scriptures. The soldiers gave Xuanzang a white horse and some documents, and Xuanzang was very grateful.

He made several bows in the direction of the palace and then rode to the west. Xuanzang finally arrived in India after difficulties and obstacles. He studied there for more than two years and gave a speech at a large-scale debate on Buddhist classics, which was well received.

In the 19th year of Zhenguan (645), Xuanzang returned to Chang 'an and brought back 657 Buddhist scriptures. In order to prevent the scriptures from being stolen, Xuanzang built the Wild Goose Pagoda to preserve the scriptures with the help of the Tang King. He traveled to Wan Li in 19 before and after this Buddhist pilgrimage, which was a legendary Long March and made a sensation.

Later, Xuanzang dictated what he had learned about his journey to the West, which was compiled by his disciples into a 12 volume of "Records of the Western Regions of Datang". But this book is mainly about the history, geography and transportation of countries seen on the road, and there is no story. It was not until his disciples Uighur and Yan Cong wrote "Datang The biography of Master Sanzang" that Xuanzang's experience was added with many myths.

Since then, the story of Tang Priest's Buddhist scriptures has been widely circulated among the people. There were poems by three monks in the Tang Dynasty in the Southern Song Dynasty, Tang Sanzang and Pan in the Jin Dynasty, Tang Sanzang's "Learning from the Western Heaven" in Wu Changling, and "Great Sage" in the Fifth Ming Dynasty, all of which laid the foundation for The Journey to the West's creation.

It is also on the basis of folklore, scripts and operas that Wu Cheng'en completed this literary masterpiece that the Chinese nation is proud of through hard re-creation.