Incense smoke curled and wafted, permeating the spacious Zen room.
Through the hazy blue smoke, Yaoying and Tanmoroqie’s eyes met, holding each other’s gaze for a moment. She felt a sudden daze, an inexplicable, peculiar sensation stirring deep within her.
Tanmoroqie was detached and aloof, untouched by worldly concerns—such an expression did not belong to him.
"Your Majesty."
Bi Suo bowed to Tanmoroqie, breaking the silence. "Princess Wenzhao is unharmed."
Yaoying snapped back to reality, her eyes curving slightly as she smiled at Tanmoroqie, signaling that she was fine.
By the time the Monk Soldiers found her, she had already escaped danger.
Her eyes were large and elongated, radiant even when she wasn’t smiling. With a slight smile, the corners of her eyes lifted gently, like a soft breeze sweeping across snow-capped peaks, where countless peach and apricot trees burst into bloom, suddenly painting the scene with the shimmering colors of spring.
The winters in the Royal Court were bleak and long, but when spring arrived and flowers blossomed, the sight was just as dazzling and splendid.
Tanmoroqie averted his gaze, letting it fall upon the long table where a Scripture Scroll lay open. The golden characters on the page were bold, ancient, and understated.
In the silence, hurried footsteps echoed outside the Zen room. Yuanjue clasped his fists outside the door and reported, "Your Majesty, all of them have been captured, not a single one missing."
Yaoying breathed a sigh of relief and said, "Since everyone has been caught, I shall take my leave and not disturb the Dharma Master and the General any further."
Tanmoroqie and Bi Suo would surely interrogate the guards to uncover who had sent them. Now that she was safe, she could return to her courtyard and await news.
She turned to leave.
"Princess, stay a moment."
Yaoying looked back. Tanmoroqie, who had just called out to stop her, did not look at her but instead said to Bi Suo, "Since they are your subordinates, you shall conduct the interrogation yourself."
Bi Suo was taken aback but respectfully assented. He cast a deep glance at Yaoying before withdrawing. Before descending the steps, he turned back to look at the Zen room.
Yaoying remained standing by the door, her fingers clutching the white robe he had draped over her. Her eyelashes fluttered, a hint of confusion and helplessness in her expression.
Tanmoroqie walked toward her, step by step.
Yaoying looked up at him and instinctively took a step back.
Yuanjue lowered the Felt Curtain, its golden scrolling patterns flowing and shifting, cutting off Bi Suo’s line of sight.
A complex expression crossed Bi Suo’s face. He stood lost in thought for a moment before quickly departing.
As the Felt Curtain fell, the Zen room was plunged into dimness, with only the faint scent of cold incense lingering.
Tanmoroqie drew closer to Yaoying. His gaze upon her was like a beam of moonlight in the quiet night—profound, serene, gentle yet cool, not overly imposing, yet carrying an undeniable force, as though it could pierce through all her thoughts and see into the deepest recesses of her heart.
This version of Tanmoroqie made Yaoying feel somewhat breathless. She stared at him, her back unconsciously tensing.
Tanmoroqie lowered his gaze to her, his eyes skimming over her disheveled hair.
She cared about her appearance—even on the snowy mountain, she had taken the time to check her reflection in the ice, ensuring she was neat and tidy every day.
If she had not been stranded in this distant foreign land thousands of miles away, she would have been a carefree young lady, surrounded by loved ones.
"Are you injured?" he asked softly.
His question only made her aware of the faint pain in her shoulders and neck. Earlier, the guards had caught up with her, seized her shoulders, and dragged her a long distance.
Tanmoroqie did not miss the fleeting pain on her face. With a slight nod of his chin, he gestured for her to sit by the table.
His demeanor had softened, and Yaoying relaxed. She walked to the long table, sat down cross-legged, and glanced curiously at the Scripture Scroll on the table. Judging by the handwriting, it had been copied by him.Tanmoroqie stood behind her, leaning down.
A breath carrying a hint of cool fragrance drew near. Yaoying froze for a moment before realizing he was examining the marks on her neck. She lowered her head and gathered her loose braids.
"Are there scratches?"
Unable to see the back of her own neck, Yaoying turned to ask Tanmoroqie. Her bright eyes shone with trust, carrying a kind of closeness and reverence one might show toward an elder.
When others looked at him, their gazes held adoration, admiration, fervor, and reverence.
Her gaze wasn't as fervent as others', carrying a subtle quality he couldn't quite name—something unique to her.
Tanmoroqie hummed in acknowledgment, his eyes fixed on Yaoying's neck.
Against her snow-white skin, several bluish-purple finger marks stood out starkly. The bruises looked alarming, trailing from her neck down into her collar, suggesting she had been violently grabbed by the throat and dragged.
Tanmoroqie turned and walked away, returning shortly with a gilded clam-shell box which he placed on the table.
Yaoying thanked him, picked up the box, and swept her braid to one side. She twisted around trying to apply the ointment herself, struggling for a long while without knowing if she'd found the right spots. Her neck burned with pain, making her hiss and gasp intermittently.
After a while, a light breeze brushed past her.
Tanmoroqie sat down beside her, his kasaya sleeve sweeping lightly as he took the box from her hand. Leaning close, he reached out with slender fingers and untied her white robe.
Yaoying looked up in surprise, twisting her neck and crying out in pain.
"Don't move."
Tanmoroqie's voice was soft as he removed her white robe and tossed it onto the carpet nearby. His fingers gently parted her collar.
As he expected, while the bruises on her neck were merely discolored, her shoulders bore deeper finger marks that were slightly bleeding.
She hadn't been able to see the wounds clearly—most of the ointment she'd applied earlier had ended up on uninjured skin.
Murmuring an apology, Tanmoroqie carefully opened Yaoying's collar wider. He took out a handkerchief to cover the unbruised skin, then dipped his fingers in the ointment and applied it to her wounds, his gaze focused and his breathing steady.
Yaoying lowered her head to accommodate his movements.
"What does the Dharma Master need me to stay for?"
She asked.
Tanmoroqie remained silent.
Even this close, his presence remained faint, barely perceptible.
Yaoying glanced up at him. From the side, his brow bone appeared full and well-defined, his features sharp and clear. The faint stubble on his scalp resembled light-colored lotus roots, looking somewhat prickly.
Her mind wandered momentarily, wondering if it would feel as rough as lotus stems to touch.
Then she caught herself: Sin, sin. She wouldn't dare touch the Buddha Prince's head—Bore would be furious.
As she mused, a wave of exhaustion suddenly washed over her. Her consciousness grew hazy. Yaoying shook her head slightly, forcing herself to stay alert, and slowly recounted what had happened earlier.
Tanmoroqie had kept her here probably to ask about those guards.
"General Ashina mentioned investigating the personal guards to me yesterday. Someone must have leaked our whereabouts earlier, which is why the Regent was ambushed. When Aqing and the others returned last night, I questioned them carefully—they don't seem to have made any mistakes before."
"The leak likely came from someone in the Holy City. I was planning to inform the General, so when the guards showed up with bronze tokens, I thought they were sent by him... But they seemed suspicious, and indeed one of them had ill intentions—he threw powder at me, but I dodged it...""If Xie Qing can hold off three people, I just need to find where the monk soldiers are and call for help..."
By the end of her sentence, Yaoying seemed slightly more spirited and added, "That's right, it was all thanks to Garuda earlier, and also thanks to the bronze whistle General Ashina gave me."
She lowered her head, retrieved a bronze whistle from her sleeve, and held it out in her palm for Dharmaraga to see.
"Venerable One, this is..."
Before she could finish her sentence, darkness clouded her vision. Her hands fell limp, and her body went soft as she collapsed.
Dharmaraga lifted his wrist, catching her arm.
Yaoying tumbled into his embrace, her forehead brushing against his chin. Though the contact lasted only a brief moment, the sensation of her soft, smooth skin lingered.
Dharmaraga held Yaoying, the young woman's delicate form nestled against him, her face buried in his crimson kasaya, her eyelashes fluttering faintly.
Even through several layers of thick clothing, a subtle, delicate fragrance seeped through.
Her frame felt supple in his grasp, with well-proportioned flesh and bone.
"Venerable One..."
Yaoying murmured softly.
Dharmaraga closed his eyes, remaining perfectly still.
A serene fragrance wafted through the room.
After a long while, Dharmaraga released Yaoying, supporting her neck as he laid her down on the felt carpet. He fetched a quilt and soft pillow, settling the unconscious girl comfortably. After gazing at her for a moment, he gently rolled up her sleeve and placed two fingers on her wrist to check her pulse.
She had mentioned that the guards had sprinkled some powder on her—she must have inhaled some, and now the drug was taking effect.
Dharmaraga lowered his emerald eyes, watching her quietly.
Yaoying's brows furrowed slightly.
Dharmaraga lifted her, propping several soft pillows behind her back so she could sleep on her side without putting pressure on her injured shoulder.
She curled into a ball, her brows gradually smoothing.
Dharmaraga stood up, picking up the bronze whistle that had rolled from Yaoying's palm earlier.
This bronze whistle was an old possession of his. Last night, he had instructed Yuanjue to deliver it and have the eagle keeper teach her how to use it. If Garuda ever became aggressive toward her eagle again, she could blow the whistle to warn him off.
Dharmaraga placed the bronze whistle into the small brocade pouch at Yaoying's waist.
It was good that it had come in handy.
...
After interrogating the guards, Bi Suo returned to the zen room to report.
Yuanjue informed him that Yaoying had not yet left.
"Princess Wenzhao has been inside all this time? It's been so long, and she still hasn't come out?"
Yuanjue nodded.
Bi Suo stared at the tightly drawn felt curtain, his brow furrowed deeply.
A guard entered to announce him. The curtain was lifted, and Dharmaraga stepped out, gesturing for Bi Suo to follow him to the small hall at the other end of the corridor.
Bi Suo was taken aback but followed.
"I've investigated thoroughly. It was indeed one of my subordinates. Someone bribed him to hide Princess Wenzhao. He knew he couldn't take her out of Wang Temple, so he planned to drug her and hide her in an abandoned grotto."
At this point, Bi Suo paused and chuckled.
"The princess was very alert. While Xie Qing was fighting them, she managed to break free. Although she was caught again, she promptly blew the eagle-training bronze whistle, summoning Garuda and the nearby monk soldiers. Garuda drove off one of the guards, and when the others saw the monk soldiers arriving, they knew their plan was exposed. They didn't dare stay and had to abandon their mission. The monk soldiers pursued them, and not a single one escaped."
By the time Bi Suo, frantic with worry, had requested Dharmaraga's permission to mobilize the monk soldiers for a search, Yaoying had already escaped from those guards.
After listening to his report, Dharmaraga's expression remained impassive. Suddenly, he asked, "Why did they want to hide Princess Wenzhao?"
Bi Suo lifted his head, looking directly at Dharmaraga.
"Because of you."
Dharmaraga fell silent."Your Majesty..." Bi Suo hesitated for a moment before continuing, "They intend to hide Princess Wenzhao to threaten you and force you to accept their proposed conditions."
Tanmoroqie was the Buddha Prince, a deity in the hearts of the common people. The noble families dared to place him under house arrest, controlling the ruler to command the kingdom, but they absolutely dared not harm him. Thus, they targeted those he cared about. This was why whenever there was turmoil in the court, the security around Princess Chima's residence would be strengthened.
No one expected that this time the noble families would choose to take Yaoying as a hostage.
Bi Suo smiled faintly without particular meaning: "This isn't surprising... Your Majesty, aside from the safety of the Royal Court, you have few attachments..."
It should be said he had almost no attachments. His heart embraced the world, he toiled tirelessly, becoming Buddha for all living beings, then turning demon for them too. He did everything humanly possible while leaving the rest to fate, disregarding life and death, completely selfless.
The noble families could do nothing against him because he had no weaknesses.
Bi Suo's tone shifted: "But you ordered me to escort Princess Wenzhao back to Han territory... Your Majesty, this is the first time you've entrusted me with a personal matter."
Previously, all of Tanmoroqie's special considerations toward Li Yaoying could be explained as repaying her kindness. His care and protection of her were like his compassion for the common people.
But when he specifically instructed Bi Suo, Bi Suo keenly sensed that something had changed.
What consequences would there be if Li Yaoying were truly kidnapped?
This time the noble families had stumbled upon this by accident, but what about next time?
Bi Suo clenched his fists, gazing intently at Tanmoroqie.
"Your Majesty, the reason common folk delight in telling the story of the Girl of Matanga... is because Ananda never developed feelings for her, and because the Girl of Matanga ultimately achieved enlightenment, severed her infatuation, and became a Sramana herself."
"This is considered a beautiful tale, which is why both within and outside the Sramana community, people don't avoid mentioning it."
"But if the Girl of Matanga had succeeded..." Bi Suo's expression turned grave as he spoke word by word, "she would have borne the infamy of seducing Ananda into corruption. She would be despised and cursed by Ananda's followers, becoming the target of public criticism, hated and resented, trampled by everyone."
"She would be seen as a demon, humiliated by the entire world, fallen into the dust, unable to rise again for generations to come."
"Fanatic followers would want to tear her to pieces."
He spoke each sentence with conviction, every word carrying weight.
Tanmoroqie stood beneath a mural depicting Buddhist stories, his face solemn.
Bi Suo exhaled and said, "Your Majesty, I will heighten my vigilance to prevent such incidents from happening again. I will escort Princess Wenzhao back."
He turned to leave.
Tanmoroqie stopped him.
Bi Suo looked back.
"Princess Wenzhao will remain here tonight, and tomorrow as well." Tanmoroqie spoke with his back turned, his tone calm yet carrying implicit authority. "Until the conference to establish the Regent is completely concluded."
Meaning, until Li Yaoying's safety was guaranteed.
Bi Suo opened his mouth, then sighed helplessly.
Tanmoroqie continued: "Issue the order to close the city gates."
"From this moment onward, within and outside the Holy City, entry is permitted but exit is forbidden. If the four armies outside the city cause disturbances, lure them into the barbican and surround them without engaging."
"Summon all the lords to the royal palace."
Bi Suo's heart tightened as he responded solemnly in affirmation.
The time to close the net had arrived.
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