After applying the ointment, Yaoying lowered her head to adjust her sleeves, sensing Tanmoroqie’s lingering gaze from the corner of her eye.
In the flickering candlelight, his gaze felt cool as frost, light and ethereal like the starry desert night—vast and profound, carrying the weight of eternity, detached from joy or sorrow.
Having long seen through the cycles of life, aging, sickness, and the follies of desire, he existed beyond worldly attachments.
Thus, in his presence, Yaoying felt no need for restraint or guardedness, her emotions flowing naturally without pretense.
She looked up at him.
He averted his gaze expressionlessly, the movement so seamless it seemed unintentional.
Yaoying lowered her eyes, suppressing her thoughts, and rose to fetch the silk-wrapped medicine pouch from the table. "Venerable One, should we change the dressing on your leg?"
Tanmoroqie shook his head. "There’s no need to trouble yourself, Princess. I shall summon someone."
Yaoying replied softly, "Let me do it. I’ve tended to you before and know the procedure."
After washing her hands, she lifted the thin blanket covering his legs, rolled up the gauze trousers, and carefully unwrapped the bandages. She first pressed a warm cloth gently over the ligature marks to promote circulation and prevent bruising, then secured a fresh dressing.
Throughout, she kept her head bowed, movements meticulous. A few stray strands of hair slipped from her temples, occasionally brushing her nose and lips with a faint tickle. She intermittently swept them aside with the back of her hand.
Tanmoroqie watched her, suddenly struck by an urge to tuck those stray locks behind her ear. His fingers twitched, brushing against his Buddhist Beads—the cool touch jolting him to stillness.
He remained motionless.
Once Yaoying finished changing the dressing and rearranged the blanket, she studied him briefly. "Venerable One, would you like to lie down?"
Clutching the beads, Tanmoroqie declined, "No..."
Yaoying hummed in acknowledgment, then suddenly leaned toward him.
Though momentary, the motion unfolded with deliberate slowness in his eyes—her delicate face drawing near, ink-brushed lashes fluttering faintly, a subtle fragrance drifting between them.
Bracing one hand beside him, she reached inward to retrieve a soft pillow from the corner, patted it plump, and nestled it against his side for support.
"Venerable One, is this more comfortable?"
Having finished, Yaoying stood, smoothing back her hair as she asked.
Tanmoroqie’s jade-green eyes lowered slightly as he nodded.
"Thank you, Princess. The night grows late, and I am well. You should retire."
Yaoying smiled and turned to leave.
Her footsteps faded into the distance.
Silence reclaimed the room.
Tanmoroqie gazed at his stiffened legs, fingers slowly turning the beads.
A shadow fell over him.
He looked up to find Yaoying—who should have departed—quietly returned, carrying a small stool. She placed it beside the couch, sat with chin in hands, and watched him.
"Are you tired now, Venerable One?"
His expression unchanged, he shook his head.
Yaoying said, "Good, I’m not sleepy either. Since you’ll be secluded in Wang Temple, meeting you again may prove difficult. After leaving the main hall today, I wished to request an audience but feared disturbing you, so I wrote a letter instead..."
She pivoted abruptly. "General Ashina mentioned you’ve been troubled lately. May I ask what weighs on your heart? If there’s any way I can assist, please speak frankly—do not stand on ceremony."
Tanmoroqie replied tonelessly, "It is of no consequence. Do not trouble yourself, Princess."Yaoying gazed at him in silence for a moment before asking, "Is it because of the recent conflicts between the Royal Court's army and the Northern Rong civilians?"
Tanmoroqie understood clearly that the Royal Court faced both internal and external threats. He needed to first intimidate the noble families with swift and decisive measures, weaken the Northern Rong, and then gradually address the accumulated internal issues to clear obstacles for the next generation of rulers—rather than directly annexing the Northern Rong, which would only drag the Royal Court into a quagmire. However, the Northern Rong was now fragmented, and from the noble families down to the commoners, everyone in the Royal Court was intoxicated with the fervor of having defeated Wahan Khan. They believed the Northern Rong's territories were already theirs for the taking, not to be shared with others.
They clamored to dispatch troops to take over all the Northern Rong tribes and enslave the Northern Rong people. During this period, the Royal Court's army had repeatedly clashed with local tribes while pursuing the remnants of the Northern Rong forces.
In the eyes of the Royal Court's people, they were merely using the same methods the Northern Rong had once employed against them—an eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth. It seemed only natural to them.
Little did they realize that this would only provoke fiercer resistance from the Northern Rong. Moreover, many tribes that had previously aligned with the Northern Rong had not participated in the war and were observing the situation, ready to surrender. Now, with the Royal Court's army retaliating against the Northern Rong, these tribes, who had once attacked the Royal Court, grew deeply anxious, fearing that the Royal Court's noble families would enslave them just as the Northern Rong nobles had. As a result, they began aiding the Northern Rong remnants in resisting the Royal Court's army.
Tanmoroqie's leniency toward the Northern Rong tribes was seen by his subjects as weak and overly compassionate. They could not understand why he would pardon the Northern Rong people.
Yaoying slowly recited a passage she had once memorized: "In ancient times, governance was rooted in benevolence and upheld through righteousness—this was called justice. When justice could not be achieved, authority was exercised. Authority arose from warfare, not from intermediaries. Thus, it is permissible to kill to bring peace to the people, to attack a state out of love for its people, and to wage war to end war—even war itself is justified... The Dharma Master has not erred."
The texts made it sound simple, but governing a state was immensely complex. Every decree, every action, would affect the destinies of countless people.
The decisions Tanmoroqie made after balancing various interests and weighing the pros and cons did not necessarily gain everyone's support. His goal was to end the war, yet human desires were boundless. Now, with the Royal Court's noble families growing restless and public sentiment boiling over, he had issued several decrees in just a few days but still could not curb their ambitions.
Tanmoroqie was momentarily taken aback, his gaze settling on Yaoying's face. They looked at each other for a long while, his expression deeply moved, his eyes shimmering with an intense, almost electric brilliance.
"Thank you for your consolation, Princess."
Yaoying knew his convictions were firm and unshaken by worldly opinions, but seeing him exhausted and misunderstood still pained her deeply.
After a moment's thought, she asked, "Dharma Master, do you believe there exists a pure land in this world—a place without war, without distinctions of nobility or commonality? Where people of all nations can coexist in harmony?"
Tanmoroqie nodded.
Yaoying smiled faintly. As a practitioner, he would naturally believe in such a thing. Wasn't the legendary Western Pure Land of Ultimate Bliss described in the sutras as such a paradise? The scriptures said that in that land, beings knew no suffering, only joy."Venerable One, I once had a dream of living in a kingdom," she said sincerely, speaking slowly. "The kingdom in my dream wasn't like the Pure Land with golden sand covering the ground and celestial music everywhere, but the people had no distinction between nobility and commoners. Everyone lived in peace and contentment. Though there were still wars and various injustices in the world, more people upheld justice and struggled with their own hands. People from all tribes coexisted like friends... without constantly killing each other..."
She had never mentioned these things to anyone else, but facing Tanmoroqie now, she spoke them all.
Tanmoroqie watched Yaoying as she narrated softly, his emerald eyes shining like stars against the dim candlelight.
After Yaoying finished speaking, she smiled: "Does the Venerable One believe me?"
Tanmoroqie gazed at her without blinking, "I believe."
Across mountains and seas, thousands of miles apart, she came to his side when he was critically ill... even if she said she was a celestial maiden sent by Buddha to test him, he would believe.
His gaze was too profound, making Yaoying's heart skip a beat.
"Venerable One, the world in my dream exists a thousand years from now."
Tanmoroqie held his rosary: "Buddha saves all living beings, which may take tens of thousands of years. A millennium is but a fleeting moment."
Such a world will surely come, though he won't see it, nor will it discourage his resolve.
Yaoying felt emotional, then increasingly puzzled.
From their conversation, Tanmoroqie didn't seem troubled by his subjects' lack of understanding.
Unrelated to state affairs... then what in this world could make the Buddha Prince feel so despondent?
Why did Bi Suo ask her to counsel Tanmoroqie?
A speculation arose in her heart, but it was so astonishing she didn't dare entertain it.
"Venerable One." Yaoying lifted a corner of the thin blanket while checking the medicine pack on Tanmoroqie's leg, speaking casually, "Now that I've reunited with my brother, I'm no longer the Girl of Matanga... I'll always remember your care over this past year."
The light in Tanmoroqie's eyes flickered twice before dimming. He lowered his gaze, "The princess has also cared for me greatly."
Yaoying's lips curved slightly, "Venerable One, with recent busy affairs, I haven't told you about my future plans. With the current chaotic situation everywhere and King Yuchi overwhelmed, my brother and I will go to Gaochang in a few days..."
She raised her eyes, secretly glancing at Tanmoroqie's expression.
Tanmoroqie remained calm: "I'll have Bi Suo escort you to Gaochang."
Yaoying smiled and shook her head: "General Ashina is your guard. There's no need to trouble him. Someone will come to receive me."
The room fell silent, with only the quiet crackling of the candle flame.
Yaoying covered a yawn with her hand.
Tanmoroqie immediately said: "I'm much better now. Please go rest, princess."
With teary, sleepy eyes, Yaoying stretched, stood up, carried the thin blanket to the side, spread it out, and lay down on the floor: "Bi Suo will take me out of the temple tomorrow morning... I'll sleep here. If you need anything or feel unwell, you must wake me."
Tanmoroqie opened his mouth, watching her back, ultimately only uttering a soft acknowledgment.
Yaoying closed her eyes to sleep. Dreaming of Tanmoroqie, she suddenly woke and looked back at the couch. He remained sitting, eyes closed, fingers turning the Buddhist Beads as if in meditation.
She sighed in relief and went back to sleep.
After a while, the candle went out, plunging the room into darkness.A shadow shifted from the long couch, footsteps light and cautious, pausing briefly behind the sleeping Yaoying before moving forward, enveloping her completely in darkness.
Yaoying caught the pungent scent of medicinal herbs and stirred slightly, cracking her eyes open to a slit.
The shadow stood behind her for a long while.
Suddenly, the rustle of robes stirred the air as he raised a hand, reaching past her shoulder toward her collar.
Yaoying froze, heart pounding wildly.
The hand brushed past her collar, grasped the slipped thin blanket, and drew it over her exposed shoulder, fingers gently pressing it down.
Yaoying’s tension eased.
Just as she thought the shadow would withdraw, the hand that had tucked her in drifted upward, hovering motionless beside her cheek.
A fine sweat broke out on Yaoying’s skin.
After a long pause, the hand withdrew slowly without touching her hair.
Holding her breath, Yaoying waited a long moment before turning to face the couch and opening her eyes.
Tanmoroqie had already lain down without a sound.
The faint scent of medicine lingered in the air.
…
The next morning, when Tanmoroqie awoke, the figure by the couch was gone.
The thin blanket lay neatly folded at the edge, showing no signs of use.
As if all that happened last night had been but a dream.
Sitting up, Tanmoroqie brushed against a handkerchief by his pillow, from which spilled amber-hued thorn honey, some scattered beside it.
He wrapped the handkerchief carefully.
Footsteps approached, and Bi Suo entered with a bowl of medicine.
Tanmoroqie asked, “Where is Princess Wenzhao?”
Bi Suo replied, “I escorted Princess Wenzhao out earlier. Since daybreak would bring visitors, it was inconvenient for her to stay.”
“Why wasn’t I awakened?”
“The princess said you’ve been overworked these days and needed proper rest. She instructed me not to disturb you.”
Tanmoroqie fell silent, placing the folded handkerchief by his pillow.
…
Yaoying left Wang Temple and returned to the silk shop where she stayed.
Li Zhongqian sat imposingly in the main hall, his expression dark. “Where were you last night? Why didn’t you return?”
The previous night, his guards had informed him that Yaoying had left with General Ashina, leaving word not to worry. He had waited until now.
Preoccupied, Yaoying pulled him upstairs and whispered, “Elder brother, I was at Wang Temple last night.”
Li Zhongqian’s brow furrowed as he glanced at her clothes. “What were you doing there?”
Yaoying scanned their surroundings and lowered her voice further. “I’ll only tell you, but you must keep it secret. I went to see the Buddha Prince.”
Li Zhongqian’s expression darkened further. “Why not see him during the day?”
“Too many gossiping mouths. At night, no one would notice.”
Li Zhongqian studied Yaoying for a moment. “It’s not safe for you alone. I’ll accompany you next time.”
Yaoying murmured an absent-minded agreement.
“Elder brother, I didn’t sleep well last night. I’ll rest for a while.”
Li Zhongqian escorted Yaoying to her room, waited until she slept, then went downstairs and summoned two guards. “Send a message to that General Ashina. I wish to see the Buddha Prince.”
After giving the order, he added, “Don’t mention this to Qiniang yet.”
The guards acknowledged.
The letter soon reached Bi Suo, who read it wide-eyed, hesitated, and sought Tanmoroqie’s guidance.
“Your Majesty, Princess Wenzhao’s brother wishes to see you… He wants to discuss matters concerning the princess.”
Tanmoroqie looked up and nodded.Half an hour later, Li Zhongqian, with a headscarf and brocade robe, a long sword at his waist, was led by Bi Suo to a side hall of Wang Temple.
The scorching sun hung high, and the felt curtain at the entrance of the hall was drawn up. Stepping into the inner hall, he immediately felt a cool serenity.
Tanmoroqie sat at the desk waiting for him, wearing a snow-white, gold-patterned, shoulder-baring kasaya. His features were sharply defined, and his demeanor was ethereal and graceful.
Though Li Zhongqian had encountered many talented and distinguished young men from noble families, he couldn't help but inwardly marvel at Tanmoroqie's exceptional elegance. However, as soon as he recalled the way Tanmoroqie had gazed at Yaoying in the main hall yesterday, that slight admiration vanished entirely, replaced only by vigilance and wariness.
He now understood why he had suddenly thought of Li Xuanzhen. When Li Xuanzhen looked at Yaoying, there was hatred, animosity, and something suppressed in his eyes. Later, when the two were trapped in Northern Rong and Tali mentioned Yaoying's plight, that hatred and animosity had long dissipated, replaced by unbearable agony and an even deeper suppression.
When Tanmoroqie looked at Yaoying, he was also suppressing something—his gaze was exceptionally restrained, his expression calm and detached, so much so that it seemed almost unremarkable.
Why was he restraining himself?
Li Zhongqian could only think of one possibility—because the Buddha Prince knew he had developed feelings he shouldn't have.
He had originally intended to take Yaoying and leave directly, but her absence all night made him realize he had to meet the Buddha Prince.
Once Li Zhongqian was seated, Tanmoroqie signaled for his guards to withdraw.
When only the two of them remained in the hall, Li Zhongqian went straight to the point: "There is one matter I do not understand. I ask for your guidance, Master. If I have offended in any way, please forgive me."
Tanmoroqie said, "Duke Wei, feel free to ask."
Li Zhongqian looked into his eyes and asked, word by word, "Has the Master developed romantic feelings for my younger sister?"
A breeze drifted into the inner hall, gently swaying the beaded curtain and refracting shimmering jewel-like lights.
Tanmoroqie met Li Zhongqian's scrutinizing gaze with composure and nodded.
"Yes."
The seven emotions and six desires are inherently ordinary.
His desire for Li Yaoying was not merely for her companionship. He wanted her to stay by his side forever, with her eyes and heart focused only on him. He longed to be close to her, to touch her, to make her laugh.
Li Zhongqian's pupils contracted sharply.
OpenNovel