Yaoying was taken to a tent and placed under strict guard.
She wanted to check Xie Qing's injuries, but the Northern Rong women wouldn't allow her to approach, dragging the barely conscious Xie Qing away directly.
Yaoying felt a growing anxiety inside.
Pretending to know Tanmoroqie was a good way to escape.
Wahan Khan both feared and admired Tanmoroqie - admiring how he'd defended the Royal Court for over a decade despite his frail health. This time, not only had they established a non-aggression pact, but Wahan Khan had also sworn that no matter what happened in the future, the Northern Rong would never harm Tanmoroqie's family - he had an elder sister.
In the book, even the ruthless Haidu Aling, who hadn't hesitated to kill his uncle and brothers, had kept this promise.
After the Royal Court fell, Tanmoroqie's sister survived.
The plan was good, but Haidu Aling was too sharp. The lie Yaoying had blurted out in desperation couldn't possibly fool him for long.
Haidu Aling was currently rushing to Sand City to meet with Wahan Khan, which was why he hadn't dealt with her yet. But when he returned, how would she handle it?
She didn't actually know Tanmoroqie at all.
No, she wouldn't even need to wait for Haidu Aling's return. If he met Tanmoroqie in Sand City and asked about her, her lie would be exposed immediately.
Sitting cross-legged on the felt rug, Yaoying's mind raced through calculations.
She couldn't panic. Xie Qing and the others' safety depended entirely on her. She needed to calm down and think of a way to deal with Haidu Aling before he returned.
Or find a way to escape the camp.
They were close to the Royal Court. If she could just reach it, the Northern Rong wouldn't dare pursue her there.
She couldn't stay here any longer.
Tali entered the tent bringing Yaoying's lunch - several flatbreads and a bowl of meat soup.
Yaoying asked her to send some medicine to Xie Qing.
Tali shrank back, too afraid to agree. She had already achieved her wish of returning home and didn't dare take risks.
Yaoying didn't press her.
Looking ashamed, Tali hesitated at the entrance before advising: "Princess, you've already come this far. Where else can you run? It's eight thousand li back to the Central Plains. Even if you escape, you can't return home. Wouldn't it be better to just accept following Prince Aling? He's a skilled warrior that the other princes fear. Though this place isn't as prosperous as the Central Plains, you can still live a noble life like before."
She knew the princess had been secretly gathering information about the camp's layout and guards, planning to escape.
Yaoying remained silent, lowering her head to eat the bread.
Haidu Aling was cold-blooded and sinister. She couldn't truly submit - once she yielded, he would have more means to torment her. She would become like that divine eagle he'd tamed, possessing strong wings yet forever unable to escape his grasp.
Moreover, he wouldn't show mercy to Xie Qing and the others.
Though anxious and without appetite, Yaoying forced herself to finish the meat soup and sesame flatbread.
If she wanted to escape, she needed to maintain her strength.
For the past six months, she had been constantly trying to escape - from the Yelu Tribe, from the wilderness, from Haidu Aling's control. Half of her fifteenth year had been spent in fear, every night calculating escape routes before sleep, every morning beginning with self-encouragement, telling herself she would definitely return to the Central Plains.
She missed her elder brother terribly.
Her nose tingling with emotion, Yaoying lowered her head and drew the luminous pearl from her sleeve.
The Wusun horse was dead. Of all the gifts Li Zhongqian had given her, this was the only one she still carried with her.
Whenever she felt afraid or panicked, she would take out this pearl. Thinking of her elder brother made her feel brave again.Yaoying gently stroked the luminous pearl with her fingers, lost in thought for a while before sighing. She summoned a Hu woman guarding her and handed over the pearl.
When the Hu woman had taken her horseback across the quicksand river, she had inadvertently seen the luminous pearl on Yaoying and immediately showed covetousness.
Tali had told her that such a luminous pearl could be exchanged with a ruler for a small tribe.
The Hu woman was startled, her eyes flashing with delight as she took the pearl and immediately tucked it into her bosom, saying in the Hu language: "I will only help you distract the others. Whether you can escape depends on yourself."
Yaoying nodded and replied in Hu language: "If you break your promise, I will tell Haidu Aling about this and drag you down with me."
A fierce expression flickered across the Hu woman's face. After weighing her options, she turned and left.
Yaoying lowered her gaze to her empty palm, feeling as hollow inside.
Then she managed a bitter smile.
Truly worthy of being the Fu Lin treasure her brother had mentioned—it could still prove useful in critical moments.
Haidu Aling had gone to Sand City, taking some of his close followers with him, but the camp's defenses remained tight.
Two nights later, the Hu woman brought Yaoying a set of Northern Rong clothing to change into and led her to where the captives were held.
The captives had no tents to live in—most were simply enclosed in makeshift grass enclosures holding over a dozen people each, left to sleep in the open amid the cold wind.
Xie Qing, who had attempted to assassinate Haidu Aling, had been whipped and carried back. Others feared being implicated and dared not approach her, so these past few days other personal guards had been caring for her.
Yaoying entered the grass enclosure, knelt beside Xie Qing, and whispered: "It's me."
The others immediately recognized her but didn't cry out, merely lowering their eyelids. "Princess, we couldn't stop Xie Qing. She feared Haidu Aling would mistreat you and wanted to perish together with him."
Yaoying sighed.
When news of Wahan Khan's illness had arrived earlier, she had considered it a heaven-sent opportunity and had been secretly contacting people to prepare an escape. But since Haidu Aling hadn't left, she hadn't dared to meet with Xie Qing and the others rashly. Xie Qing, unaware of her plans, had suddenly attempted to assassinate Haidu Aling, disrupting her arrangements.
Now, even if their plans were rushed, they had to flee.
Yaoying couldn't blame Xie Qing for acting impulsively—Xie Qing only wanted to rescue her from the tiger's den as quickly as possible. For this, the loyal guard was willing to sacrifice her life at any moment.
She helped Xie Qing sit up and fed her a few sips of water.
Xie Qing had a robust build and square-jawed face—because of this, when dressed in men's clothing, no one had ever doubted her identity, and these past days the Northern Rong hadn't discovered she was a woman.
Covered in wounds, she lay in Yaoying's arms without uttering a single groan.
Yaoying called softly to her: "A-Qing."
Xie Qing's eyelids fluttered several times.
Yaoying carefully avoided touching her bloody wounds: "Haidu Aling has left. There's bound to be some commotion in the camp these two days. Stay alert at night—when you hear movement, we'll find our chance to escape. Can you hold on?"
If they missed this opportunity before being taken to the Northern Rong main tent, they would find no other chance to flee.
Xie Qing made several indistinct sounds in her throat, her hands clenching tightly into fists.
She could hold on.
Yaoying didn't dare stay longer, leaving behind a jar of wound medicine and a dagger.
The Hu woman led her back to the tent. The next day, Tali came as usual, bringing sesame flatbread and meat broth.Yaoying hid the sesame flatbread and waited until sunset. She changed into a narrow-sleeved robe, gathered all the belongings she could carry, and sat cross-legged in the tent, quietly waiting.
As night fell, the camp gradually grew quiet.
Yaoying’s heart pounded as she strained her ears to listen.
Outside the tent, there was a burst of chattering voices—the Hu woman who had taken her luminous pearl had lured the other Hu women away.
Yaoying waited patiently a little longer.
In the stillness of the night, sudden shouts of questioning erupted, followed by the chaotic sound of hoofbeats. Someone yelled to gather reinforcements, and flickering torchlight cast shadows on the tent. Soon after, the crackling sound of flames reached them on the wind.
Shouts broke out everywhere: "We’re under attack!"
Half of the guards rushed to extinguish the fire, while the other half ran to fend off the attackers. With Haidu Aling absent, the guards were leaderless and far less orderly than usual.
Some of the captured prisoners crouched on the ground, trembling like sieves, while others, after a moment of looking around, dashed into the vast darkness.
The camp descended into chaos.
Using the dagger Yaoying had given them, the personal guards cut the shackles binding their feet, lifted Xie Qing onto their backs, and took advantage of the confusion to escape the grass cage. They found Yaoying’s tent.
Yaoying pointed east. "There are horses to the east!"
The guards picked up weapons dropped by fallen guards, encircled Yaoying in their midst, and hurried toward the east.
The Northern Rong soldiers were busy fighting, the Hu women were nowhere to be seen, and Yaoying had already tied up her long hair and changed her attire. The guards did not immediately notice her. Blending in with the fleeing prisoners, she and her guards slowly made their way eastward.
A few Northern Rong soldiers charged toward them, shouting and drawing the attention of a dozen guards.
The personal guards drew their blades and fought their way through, finally spotting over a dozen horses tethered in the eastern corral.
With guards in pursuit, the personal guards wasted no time. They helped Yaoying and Xie Qing onto horses, each seized a mount, dug their heels into the horses’ sides, and galloped out of the camp.
The night was deep. They rode hard for several hours, unsure how far they had traveled. As the sky gradually brightened, behind them stretched an endless expanse of yellow sand, and ahead lay rolling low dunes. Aside from wind-eroded rock piles, only sparse, withered vegetation dotted the landscape.
The personal guards exchanged glances.
They could determine direction by the sunrise, but they did not know where to flee.
After a brief discussion, they decided to continue heading east.
Before long, they realized they were lost.
Yaoying lifted the light veil covering her face, gazed at the undulating dunes in the distance, and sighed.
She knew that Haidu Aling was at odds with Wǎ hǎn’s sons. She had secretly spread rumors, leading the other princes to suspect that Haidu Aling’s camp concealed a large stash of gold, silver, jewels, and weapons plundered from Helong.
Haidu Aling had long been secretly building his forces and had indeed embezzled a considerable amount of wealth. The princes had already heard whispers of this and grew suspicious upon catching wind of the rumors. They sent scouts to investigate.
As Yaoying was imprisoned by Haidu Aling, the scouts mistook her for an ordinary Han woman and questioned her. She deliberately spoke ambiguously, guiding them to the treasures Haidu Aling had looted from the Yelu Tribe.
Convinced that Haidu Aling was hoarding weapons and jewels, the princes decided to strike while he was away at the main tent visiting Wǎ hǎn. They planned to seize the loot, divide it among themselves, and leave Haidu Aling with no way to protest.The Hu woman who had taken her luminous pearl not only benefited from her but also served as an inside agent for several other princes. Believing Yaoying couldn’t understand the Hu language, the woman spoke freely with other spies, allowing Yaoying to overhear the other princes’ plan to raid the camp.
According to Yaoying’s original plan, Xie Qing wouldn’t have been injured, and they wouldn’t have had to flee so frantically. They could have even captured a minor chieftain to force him to guide them.
But now they were lost.
Yaoying patted her horse’s neck and said, "Heaven never seals off all exits. Let’s keep going. We’re close to the Royal Court here—there’s an oasis town every hundred li. We’ll eventually find a place with people."
The guards acknowledged her words, rallied their spirits, and continued galloping eastward.
After traveling several dozen li more, as the western sky blazed with brilliant sunset clouds, a guard suddenly pointed into the distance and exclaimed joyfully, "There seems to be an earthen city over there! And people!"
Yaoying followed his gaze and saw an earthen city standing on higher ground to the southeast, showing signs of human craftsmanship.
Outside the earthen city ran an east-west road, where faint figures of people riding camels and horses could be glimpsed.
Where there were people, they could ask for directions out of the desert.
Yaoying and her companions felt a surge of energy.
One guard rode ahead to scout and returned to report, "That earthen city appears to be a resting spot for merchants. No Northern Rong people are in sight."
Yaoying breathed a sigh of relief and told the others, "Let’s approach slowly. When we meet people later, don’t speak. I’ll ask where we are."
The various city-states and tribes in the Western Regions each had their own languages. Having studied the Hu language with Tali along the way, Yaoying’s accent might be imperfect, but she could at least converse with Hu merchants.
The guards acknowledged, covered their faces with scarves, and rode toward the earthen city.
As they drew nearer, camel bells and voices gradually reached them. Merchants with large carts stopped by the roadside to chat, discussing how long the newly formed alliance between the Royal Court and Northern Rong might last and whether it would affect their trade.
Not daring to enter the earthen city, Yaoying found a young boy tending camels for Hu merchants on the main road outside and asked him for directions.
Stammering as he gazed at her beautiful eyes visible above her veil, the boy pointed the way and told her they were under the jurisdiction of the Royal Court.
Yaoying thanked the boy, then used the Persian silver coins she carried to trade with a merchant caravan for some food.
That night, they rested outside the earthen city. Xie Qing woke several times, and the guards took turns standing watch, jumping nervously at the slightest sound.
Fortunately, the night passed without incident.
The next day, Yaoying and her group headed southeast as the boy had directed.
Many merchant caravans traveled in the same direction. Hooves clattered and camel bells chimed along the road, mingling with laughter and chatter. A Hu merchant in a brocade robe and felt hat, sporting a thin mustache, sat on a cart playing a pipa, the music lively and spirited.
It had been a long time since Yaoying had witnessed such peaceful scenes. Listening to the pipa, she couldn’t help but recall the merchant caravan from Liangzhou that had been brutally slaughtered by The First Prince.
War ravaged the Western Regions. Wherever Northern Rong went, nine out of ten homes were left empty. Only in city-states ruled by the Buddha Prince could such prosperity be seen, and only his subjects had the leisure to carry pipas, flutes, and hand drums on their trade journeys.
It was a pity the Buddha Prince had only a few years left to live. Once the Holy City suffered massacre, this last haven of peace in the Western Regions would also be plunged into bloodshed and chaos.Yaoying sighed softly for a moment. The pipa's melody drifted into her ears, its pleasant tune trembling in her heart, and her mood couldn't help but rise and fall with the rhythm. Following the melody, she hummed a little tune.
Suddenly, two sharp eagle cries pierced the high sky, and the pipa music faltered.
Startled, Yaoying reined in her horse and looked up.
A large snow-white falcon swooped over her head, its soaring figure all too familiar.
A shiver ran through Yaoying's body.
The guards also noticed the eagle overhead, their faces turning pale.
Over the past few months, they had often seen this falcon following their caravan. The sight of those grayish-white wings instantly identified it as Haidu Aling's divine eagle.
"Haidu Aling is here!"
The guards tightened their reins, their voices trembling slightly.
Yaoying forced herself to stay calm.
It couldn't be such a coincidence. She couldn't be this unlucky...
Her gaze followed the white falcon into the distance. As the bird flew lower, a patch of black suddenly appeared faintly on the sand dunes north of the road.
The black slowly shifted—it was a dark banner whipped by the fierce wind, followed by another.
Dozens of black banners fluttered in the wind, descending like the onset of night.
Haidu Aling's war banners.
As the dark banners appeared, row upon row of knights clad in black armor emerged west of the earthen fortress. Their mounts moved in unison across the flat sandy ground, charging toward the road.
Yaoying pulled her horse around.
On the other side of the sand dunes, more dark banners appeared. Black-armored warriors, gripping long blades, slowly closed in.
At their head rode a man in a gold-woven brocade robe, his figure tall and burly atop his horse.
The pipa music ceased entirely. The merchants, spotting the soldiers hidden behind the dunes and recognizing Haidu Aling, turned ashen with fear. They abandoned their goods, turning to flee, only to find the black-armored warriors advancing from the other side as well.
The Hu merchants cried out in panic: "The Northern Rong are here! The Northern Rong are here!"
The guards closed ranks around Yaoying, shielding her from the surging crowd and carts.
Yaoying gripped the reins tightly, the months of torment suddenly flooding back.
Each cautious probe, each moment of fear, each bout of despair.
None of it had mattered... she could endure it all, but why must she be plunged back into despair just as she had begun to taste a rare moment of peace and freedom?
How could Haidu Aling have arrived so quickly!
On the hill, Haidu Aling leisurely raised his longbow, nocking an arrow and aiming at the panicked crowd. In the blink of an eye, he loosed five arrows in rapid succession, each shot fierce and piercing through the air.
Screams erupted as one after another, people tumbled from their horses.
Yaoying snapped back to reality.
Haidu Aling hadn't recognized her. His target seemed to be these merchants?
No—his target was every living soul on the road.
Thoughts racing, Yaoying spurred her horse forward: "Escape with these people! They know where it's safe!"
For now, Haidu Aling hadn't recognized her, but once he finished slaughtering most of the people, she would still fall into his hands.
This time, Haidu Aling would not let her go.
She knew how he punished disobedient women.
The guards swiftly acknowledged, protecting Yaoying as they fled.
The Hu merchants abandoned their camels and carts, escaping on horseback, while the servants tasked with guarding the goods could only run desperately behind. Dust swirled, clouding the sky.
Yaoying coughed repeatedly, choking on the dust. She glanced around and realized Haidu Aling wasn't in a hurry to kill. Instead, he followed behind, herding them with his longbow in hand.He was tightening the encirclement, like a hunter herding prey into a pre-laid trap before picking them off one by one.
This time, she absolutely could not be captured again.
Yaoying’s heart pounded wildly.
Northern Rong soldiers closed in on three sides. Galloping alongside the Hu merchants, Haidu Aling occasionally loosed five arrows into the air, each strike felling several men. In their frantic rush to escape, the crowd jostled for passage, eventually forced into a low-lying depression.
At the only gap ahead, battle flags fluttered—they were surrounded.
The merchants huddled together, trembling and horrified.
Black-armored cavalry pressed toward the valley, the encirclement shrinking relentlessly.
Protected at the center by her guards, Yaoying was surrounded by a cacophony of screams, curses, wails, and pleas for mercy.
Different languages, the same despair.
Suddenly, she remembered when she was five years old: facing a dark tide of enemy troops, the loyal guards of the Xie and Li families stood firm before her, falling one after another. She hid beneath a mountain of corpses until Li Zhongqian found her.
She wondered how her brother was faring now.
Thinking of Li Zhongqian, Yaoying felt an unexpected calm. In the face of calamity, there seemed nothing left to fear.
Her guards’ headscarves had come loose in the chaos, their features—distinct from those of the Western Regions’ Hu people—quickly drew the attention of the black-armored riders on the ridge.
A scrutinizing gaze fell upon Yaoying.
She lifted her head, meeting Haidu Aling’s hawk-like stare through the weeping crowd. Only her eyes were visible behind the light veil.
With his keen eyesight, Haidu Aling recognized the guards, then glimpsed those limpid, autumn-water bright eyes. Realization dawned, and fury erupted within him.
How could this Han woman be here?!
Wasn’t she supposed to remain in the camp?
Haidu Aling’s face darkened like stormy waters. He drew his bow and fired several arrows in swift succession. Hu merchants beside Yaoying toppled from their saddles, quickly trampled beyond recognition beneath hooves.
Her guards shielded her: “Protect the princess!”
Yaoying withdrew her gaze, refusing Haidu Aling another glance.
Fury blazed in Haidu Aling’s pale golden eyes as he drew his bow once more.
A low, resonant horn blast suddenly echoed.
Haidu Aling paid it no mind at first, but when a second horn sounded, he halted, his anger subsiding into wariness as he lifted his head.
He had ordered his armored troops to conceal their tracks for this ambush on the Royal Court’s merchant convoy—who was sounding the horns?
The horn calls paused, then resumed, one after another, converging from all directions until they thundered across the sky.
The sound shook every heart.
Not only their hearts trembled—the very earth beneath them seemed to quake. The mournful wail of horns gathered like a roaring tidal wave or pealing thunder, reverberating across the boundless wilderness.
Dust hanging over the valley suddenly stirred. The horn blasts drew nearer, growing deeper, while the flapping of battle flags whispered on the wind.
The merchants around Yaoying stared blankly, their expressions caught between weeping and laughter.
Some whimpered softly; more broke into loud, wrenching sobs.
Following their gaze, Yaoying saw a snow-white banner slowly unfurl on the opposite ridge—adorned with golden scrolling patterns against a white background, noble and sacred.
At the first glimpse of the banner’s edge, the black-armored Northern Rong soldiers on the slope panicked, retreating hastily into the valley.
In an instant, the Northern Rong’s imposing aura vanished entirely.Haidu Aling's face darkened as he signaled his subordinates with his eyes to maintain formation.
His subordinates were helpless—the armored soldiers were already terrified out of their wits, wanting only to stay as far away from that banner as possible. With the horses unable to control their speed while descending the slope, how could the formation possibly hold?
On the distant hill, the snow-white banner fluttered freely in the wind. The ranks of Northern Rong armored soldiers, clad in black, seemed torn apart by an invisible hand. Without even a glance at Haidu Aling, the soldiers obediently reined their horses aside to clear the path.
Yaoying slowly widened her eyes.
Dust clouds once again billowed and swirled, nearly blotting out the sky.
Flowing curves moved slowly across the sand dunes, light and shadow intertwining as if the hills themselves were shifting.
Yao Ying looked closer and realized those curves were composed of countless cavalrymen wearing different colored uniforms.
Hundreds and thousands of broad-shouldered, sturdy cavalry in light armor and robes approached the hills from various directions. Their numbers were vast and dense, battle flags fluttering in the wind, forming an enormous formation. Though no one spurred their horses to gallop, the collective sound of hooves still rumbled like thunder, shaking the earth.
In the blink of an eye, the hills were covered with light cavalry.
They did not roar or charge wildly, merely advancing at a steady pace.
Then, a troop of cavalry in blue shirts and white robes, adorned with exquisite armor, emerged from the crowd escorting a snow-white banner. At the forefront rode a man on a white horse.
Thousands of gazes surged toward the man like a tidal wave.
The man’s expression was serene as he controlled his horse, advancing unhurriedly up the hill, his crimson Kasaya fluttering gently in the wind.
The Hu merchants in the valley held their breath, gazing up at the man with fervent eyes.
As one person dismounted and knelt, Hu merchants tumbled from their horses one after another, prostrating themselves between the hooves, kowtowing toward the man.
"The Buddha Prince has come! The Buddha Prince has come!"
The man cast a faint glance over the valley. His deep, jade-green eyes, clear and detached like glass, resembled a deity descending from the clouds to gaze upon the earth, carrying an air of indifference and aloofness toward all living things.
The Hu merchants were so excited they became incoherent.
The Northern Rong knights, forced to retreat, also wore expressions of awe and reverence, staring dumbfounded at the man as they quietly sheathed their weapons.
In the valley, Yao Ying also stared blankly, captivated by the man’s face.
He was a man whose appearance defied description—his features profound, his spirit pure and his bearing noble.
Yao Ying suddenly recalled a line Xie Manyuan had once recited: "His countenance is like the autumn moon, his eyes like pure lotus blossoms."
These were the words Manjusri Bodhisattva used to praise Ananda’s appearance.
Ananda, the cousin and disciple of Buddha Shakyamuni. Legend says Ananda possessed such dignified and handsome features, radiant and clear as a mirror, that even as a monk, women often fell for his looks and repeatedly tempted him. Yet he remained steadfast, never breaking his vows throughout his life.
Yao Ying suddenly understood why the people of the Western Regions firmly believed Tanmoroqie was the reincarnation of Ananda.
Born with such solemn beauty, holiness, and nobility, the crimson Kasaya he wore only enhanced his transcendent, peerless elegance.
Such a person truly seemed not of this mortal world.
Haidu Aling was like a freshly unsheathed sword, thirsting for blood, sinister and intimidating.
The Buddha Prince Tanmoroqie was neither a sword nor a blade. He resembled no weapon at all, carrying not a trace of threatening killing intent. His figure was slender and tall, radiant as a clear breeze, luminous as the cold moon.
He was gentle and refined, his face pale with a hint of illness.
Yet the thousands of troops following him were all willingly subdued. At his slightest command, they would instantly pounce wherever he pointed, tearing his enemies to shreds.
This gentle yet intangible pressure was suffocating.
The Northern Rong soldiers, their spirits shaken, retreated once more.
Haidu Aling scanned his surroundings, realizing he was completely surrounded and his subordinates had clearly lost their will to fight. He sneered, "Is the Dharma Master declaring war on our Northern Rong?"
Tanmoroqie lowered his gaze, looking at Haidu Aling. "Prince of Northern Rong, you are hunting my subjects."His tone in speaking the Hu language carried a distinct rhythmic cadence, his voice clear and resonant, like the chime of jade striking jade.
Haidu Aling released his longbow. "This is a misunderstanding—I had no intention of harming the subjects of the Royal Court."
He waved his hand, signaling his subordinates to retreat.
The Northern Rong soldiers, already terrified out of their wits, immediately scattered and withdrew upon seeing this.
The Hu merchants in the valley, having narrowly escaped disaster, danced with joy and bowed several times toward Tanmoroqie before helping each other up, climbing onto their horses, and gradually making their way up the hill.
Yaoying and her personal guards were mixed in among the Hu merchants, preparing to leave with them, when Haidu Aling suddenly pointed at her.
"Venerable One, this woman is Han Chinese—a slave I brought back from the Central Plains, not a subject of the Royal Court. She fled here, which is why I led my troops in pursuit. May I take her with me?"
Yaoying felt a chill run through her entire body.
On the hill, Tanmoroqie did not even glance at Yaoying and had already turned his horse away.
Haidu Aling looked at Yaoying, his gaze colder than the perennial snow atop the mountains.
Yaoying broke out in a sweat, feeling almost suffocated under his stare.
Haidu Aling was robust and would live to a ripe old age. As long as he remained in the Western Regions, she would never be able to return to the Central Plains.
She had to find a way to escape him, or she would never break free from this man’s shadow.
As the Northern Rong soldiers closed in, Yaoying steeled herself and called out toward Tanmoroqie’s aloof retreating figure: "Luojia!"
Tanmoroqie showed no reaction, but the two lightly armored knights closest to him immediately turned pale and glared furiously at Yaoying.
Yaoying lifted the veil from her face.
The knights were momentarily stunned—how could this Han woman be so beautiful?
Wait—how did this Han woman know their master’s personal name?
Observing Haidu Aling’s expression from the corner of her eye, Yaoying mustered her courage and called out again: "Luojia, I’ve seen you before."
She hesitated, a faint blush coloring the corners of her eyes, exuding boundless charm.
Though she said nothing more, her suggestive demeanor invited endless speculation.
The lightly armored knights flushed crimson and sternly ordered Yaoying to step back.
The sound of hoofbeats echoed on the hillside as Haidu Aling rode closer.
There was no turning back now. Yaoying’s mind raced, and she decisively removed her headscarf, raising her voice clearly: "I am not Haidu Aling’s slave. I am Princess Wenzhao, the legitimate daughter of the Wei Dynasty in the Central Plains. The Wei Dynasty spans vast fertile lands and boasts formidable national strength. My father is the Great Wei Emperor, and my brother is the Duke of Wei, commanding a million troops and countless fierce generals."
"I once caught a glimpse of you, Venerable One, and was captivated from that moment on. Unable to forget you, I traveled thousands of miles to the Western Regions solely to marry you. I have brought with me over a thousand volumes on agriculture, legal codes, and engineering techniques, more than a thousand scrolls of sutras, over a hundred chests of Shakyamuni statues and treasures, and ten thousand taels of gold. I wish to serve by your side and forge an everlasting alliance with the Royal Court."
At this, not only did the lightly armored knights turn pale with shock, but knights on nearby hills also stared at Yaoying in stunned disbelief, their eyes nearly popping out of their heads.
Someone was publicly proposing to their king?
Though the dowry was lavish… who didn’t know their king had taken monastic vows since childhood and was a renowned eminent monk throughout the Western Regions?
The lightly armored knights rebuked her angrily: "Han woman, our king is a monastic!"
How shameless of this Han woman to profane their Buddha Prince!
Countless condemning gazes bore down on her like knives, making Yaoying’s scalp tingle.
It was precisely because Tanmoroqie was a resolute and compassionate monastic that she dared to say such things.She could no longer keep hiding. She had to first extinguish Haidu Aling's intentions, then devise a way to eliminate the root of the problem permanently. As a princess of Great Wei, as long as Great Wei stood, she could find allies for herself.
Even if she only had a few personal guards by her side now.
Today's marriage proposal would not trouble Tanmoroqie for long, nor would it harm his reputation or integrity. She had even offered compensation—an alliance with the Wei dynasty, gold and silver treasures, Buddhist scriptures.
If he wanted anything else, she could do her best to meet his demands.
She hoped that Tanmoroqie, as a ruler, would understand the underlying meaning in her words.
Yaoying had a plan in mind. Suppressing her shame, she slowly said, "No matter what identity you hold, my feelings for you are sincere."
The two knights looked astonished, their minds racing as they racked their brains before finally coming up with a powerful rebuke:
"You have no shame!"
Yaoying gazed at Tanmoroqie's transcendent figure, her expression solemn. She thought to herself: With the King of Hell watching nearby, she could afford to discard something as trivial as face.
"You are a cultivator, while I am but a worldly person."
Yaoying solemnly pressed her palms together in prayer.
"I am willing to emulate the Girl of Matanga, taking monastic vows for your sake and awaiting the fruition of karma."
The lightly armored knights stared at each other in surprise.
They knew the story of the Girl of Matanga.
When Ananda was young and exceptionally handsome, a woman called the Girl of Matanga became infatuated with him and insisted on marrying him. Unable to shake her off, Ananda sought help from Sakyamuni.
Unperturbed, Sakyamuni told the Girl of Matanga that since Ananda was a cultivator, she must first complete a year of spiritual practice if she wished to marry him.
The Girl of Matanga happily agreed and joyfully became a Bhiksuni. Through daily diligent practice, she gradually awakened to the suffering of worldly attachments.
She sincerely repented her obstinacy before Sakyamuni, received enlightenment, saw through the vanity of mortal life, severed her emotional ties, and attained Arhatship.
This tale of romantic entanglement eventually became a beautiful story passed down through millennia.
The lightly armored knights exchanged glances.
Since people said the Buddha Prince was an incarnation of Ananda, and now a Princess of Great Wei had come willing to take monastic vows to marry the Buddha Prince—could this all be Buddha's test for the Buddha Prince?
Regardless, the fact that this beautiful Han woman could think of using monastic practice to prove her sincerity showed her genuine admiration for the Buddha Prince.
One knight snorted coldly.
Yaoying noted the softened expressions of the white-robed knights and inwardly breathed a long sigh of relief.
Tanmoroqie had ruled the Royal Court for over a decade relying on his reputation as the Buddha Prince. The legend of him being Ananda's incarnation was indeed deeply rooted. As long as her approach deified Tanmoroqie by comparing him to Ananda, these knights would naturally accept her explanation.
This way, her public marriage proposal today would only enhance Tanmoroqie's prestige.
Tanmoroqie didn't need to pay her any attention at all. She was willing to sacrifice her dignity to play the role of a lovesick woman pining for a monk—if it meant surviving, such a small sacrifice meant nothing.
As Yaoying calculated in her heart, she grew increasingly convinced this solution pleased everyone. Before she could observe Tanmoroqie's reaction, hoofbeats sounded behind her.
Haidu Aling's thick arms were already closing in, wrapping around her waist.
"Nothing but nonsense!"His expression was sinister as he hooked Yaoying and lifted her onto the horse, lowering his voice, "It seems I've been too lenient with you these past days, Princess. When we return to camp, I'll show you how I tame women in bed."
Haidu Aling enjoyed taming women, especially beauties like Li Yaoying.
In the past, he wouldn't last a month without bedding a woman before discarding her like trash. But this time he was patient. He discovered that Yaoying's occasional voluntary submission made the conquest more satisfying, like training a falcon—only one in a thousand could become a divine eagle like Abu. This woman was worth his patience.
Yet his forbearance was repaid with absolute betrayal—she dared declare her affection for a monk right before his eyes!
Haidu Aling gripped Yaoying's willow-slender waist. That fool Fuman was right—her dress ought to be torn to shreds.
Yaoying, pinned with her hands twisted behind her, struggled futilely. Before countless onlookers, this man was openly abducting her!
She heard her guards and Xie Qing roaring in fury, heard the Royal Court knights murmuring among themselves, and felt her heart burning with desperation.
"Release her."
Amid the chaos, a clear voice spoke softly.
The voice seemed to descend from the highest heavens—cold, light, yet in an instant, all other sounds vanished.
Only this voice remained.
Haidu Aling looked up in astonishment.
Tanmoroqie reined in his horse atop the hill, his crimson Kasaya billowing in the wind, revealing a string of faded Bodhi rosary beads around his wrist. His jade-green eyes lowered slightly, resting on Yaoying without joy or sorrow.
Had this ethereal Buddha Prince also been bewitched by Li Yaoying?
Impossible. He was not only a monarch but also a monk—how could he be so easily manipulated by a young woman?
Haidu Aling began to wonder: Could Li Yaoying's words be true?
Seizing his distraction, Yaoying broke free, tumbling from the horse. Ignoring her scrapes, she scrambled up and ran toward Xie Qing and the others.
Haidu Aling snorted coldly and reached for her.
Suddenly, sharp cries pierced the air as a fierce Falcon dove down, its talons tearing viciously into Haidu Aling's flesh.
The White Falcon circling nearby swiftly flew to protect its master. The Falcon fearlessly spread its wings to engage, and the two great birds clashed mid-air. Soon, the White Falcon let out a piercing cry and fluttered down to perch on Haidu Aling's uninjured arm, its wings wounded.
Haidu Aling glared furiously at Tanmoroqie.
Tanmoroqie, holding his Bodhi beads with his Kasaya fluttering wildly, said softly, "Princess Wenzhao is a guest of the Holy City."
Haidu Aling roared, "Tanmo! She's my captive slave! You've already sworn an alliance with my uncle—we agreed not to interfere with each other. Is it worth antagonizing Northern Rong over a slave girl?"
Tanmoroqie lifted his gaze, eyes gleaming.
"I am the king of the Holy City." He glanced at Haidu Aling. "If Northern Rong has objections to the alliance, let your Khan come find me."
With that, he turned his horse.
The blue-robed, white-cloaked knights immediately followed, surrounding him as they departed.
The remaining knights escorted the merchants and civilians up the main road, Yaoying's group among them. Since Tanmoroqie had declared her a guest of the Holy City, the knights' attitude toward her became noticeably warmer and more respectful.Haidu Aling watched Yaoying's figure disappear into the dense ranks of the Royal Court cavalry, his fury boiling over. He yanked the reins, ready to give chase.
His subordinate immediately stopped him: "Your Majesty, today we only came to test the Royal Court..."
Wǎ hǎn had deliberately sent Haidu Aling to ambush the merchant caravan after forming the alliance treaty, to see whether Tanmoroqie would swallow the insult or send troops to rescue them—this was their way of testing the Holy City's military strength.
From the sight of armored knights covering the hills and plains just now, it was clear that the major clans remained loyal to Tanmoroqie.
At this moment, they could not break the alliance treaty.
Haidu Aling's pale golden eyes brimmed with rage and humiliation, his hands clenched into tight fists.
That Han woman had actually escaped right under his nose!
Did she think seeking refuge with that monk would guarantee her safety?
When he set his sights on prey, he must play with it to his heart's content—he would never let it slip away so easily!
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