Incense smoke curled before the hall, prayer flags fluttering gently.
The abbot stepped forward to greet Li Yaoying, palms pressed together: "I was unaware of Your Highness's arrival and failed to properly receive you. This humble monk begs your forgiveness."
He gestured for the monks to prepare Buddhist rituals and invited her to the main courtyard.
Li Yaoying smiled and shook her head: "There's no need for such courtesy, Venerable One. I would not disturb your peace without important matters."
In these turbulent times, with common people displaced and living in constant uncertainty, many sought solace and liberation through Buddhist and Daoist practices.
Influential families revered Buddhism—Uncle Xie and Xie Guifei's names both derived from Brahmi, one meaning "Immeasurable," the other "Fulfillment of Wishes."
The Li family had no such tradition. Yaoying had no knowledge of Buddhist Dharma, her only understanding of Sramana coming from a popular novel circulated in later generations.
She had not come today to burn incense or make wishes.
After exchanging pleasantries, she directly stated her purpose.
The abbot breathed a sigh of relief and smiled: "Please wait a moment, Your Highness. Mengda Ti Po happens to be at the temple today."
Yaoying smiled, "In that case, may I trouble you to send a Bhiksu to escort me to him?"
The abbot paused briefly, then smiled.
He had received many nobles these past days. With the new dynasty recently established, imperial relatives often acted arrogantly and rudely. He had been apprehensive, expecting the Seventh Princess to be similarly difficult, but found her—though not a Buddhist—to be remarkably humble and courteous.
The abbot found a reception monk to guide Yaoying to Mengda Ti Po.
The reception monk first entered the courtyard to announce her, presenting Yaoying's personally written visiting card.
Soon, Mengda Ti Po's servant emerged, respectfully inviting Yaoying inside.
Mengda Ti Po had just finished morning chanting, seated upright on his meditation cushion. He greeted Yaoying with proper etiquette.
He was from the Land of Brahma, with a high nose, deep-set eyes, and broad features. By appearance, he seemed around fifty years old, his light brown eyes gleaming with gentle warmth. Dressed in rag robes, he carried an extraordinary presence and spoke flawless Chinese.
Yaoying rarely interacted with monks, and this was a foreigner. She hesitated briefly.
Mengda Ti Po asked: "Has Your Highness come concerning your mother's troubles?"
Having traveled through turbulent times and frequently interacted with nobles, he was not unversed in worldly matters.
Yaoying nodded—her card had already stated the purpose of her visit: "I've heard of your exceptional medical skills. May I request your esteemed presence to examine my mother's pulse?"
Xie Wuliang and other Xie family members could not return from death; Xie Guifei's heartache had no cure. She sought medical help for another matter entirely.
Mengda Ti Po smiled gently: "The Buddha embodies compassion. How could I refuse Your Highness's request?"
A weight lifted from Yaoying's heart. She arranged to send someone to Daci'en Temple the next day to escort him to the palace, left generous gifts, and took her leave.
One of Mengda Ti Po's Chinese disciples saw Yaoying out of the temple, visibly struggling to speak.
Yaoying's gaze rested on the disciple's face. She asked lightly: "The Venerable One is graciously making time to treat my mother. If there is any way I might assist him, please do not hesitate to inform me."
The disciple looked relieved, pressing his palms together: "To be frank, Your Highness, the Venerable One plans to journey west. His visit to the capital is not only to pay respects to the Sarira but also to obtain travel documents."
Yaoying suddenly understood.
No wonder Mengda Ti Po had been so accommodating—he had his own request.
With the Wei Dynasty newly established and strict border controls, Mengda Ti Po needed official travel documents to safely begin his westward journey. Without them, he would be shot by border guards immediately upon leaving Jincheng.
She smiled: "That should not be difficult. I will have the required documents delivered tomorrow."
Obtaining travel authorization was but a trivial matter for her.The disciple hastily bowed in gratitude.
Yaoying asked curiously, "Why does the Master wish to journey to the Western Regions?"
The Western Regions had been in turmoil for decades—Tibetans, Turks, Xianbei, Uighurs, Khitans, Tatars... countless tribal forces interlocked like dog's teeth, warring incessantly. Chaos was too mild a word to describe it.
The once-prosperous Silk Road was now strewn with bleached bones, and even merchants who valued profit over life dared not set foot in the Western Regions.
Wasn't Mengda Ti Po afraid he might fall under the blades of barbarian bandits the moment he stepped beyond the Central Plains?
The disciple replied, "There exists a Buddhist Kingdom in the Western Regions that houses tens of thousands of scripture scrolls and has built over a hundred Sangharamas. From the monarch down to commoners, all revere the Buddha. It is said their current ruler is both king and eminent monk—precociously brilliant, recognizing characters at three, mastering Scriptures by seven, and ascending the teaching throne in his teens to gain renown across the Western Regions. The Master has long wished to travel there and discuss Buddhist Dharma with this eminent monk. He says that with his wholehearted devotion to Buddha, the Enlightened One will surely ensure his safety."
A Buddhist Kingdom in the Western Regions?
Kashgar, Kucha, Gaochang, Khotan, or Yanqi?
An eminent monk-monarch renowned throughout the Western Regions...
A name flashed through Yaoying's mind.
If her guess was correct, the eminent monk Mengda Ti Po sought to meet must be that man.
The one who denied Li Xuanzhen peaceful sleep.
The one whose premature death announcement made civil and military officials across a dozen states and tribes—from the Central Plains' Wei Dynasty to Tibet, the northern Golden Horde Khanate, and the Khitans—simultaneously exhale in relief.
On her return to the palace, Li Yaoying mentally calculated.
If Mengda Ti Po departed now, he should reach the Buddhist Kingdom before the eminent monk's passing to discuss Dharma.
...
Amid the surrounding cacophony, the faint breeze carried mingled scents of wine, face powder, fried dough twists, and ghee sesame cakes.
The road clogged with carriages and horses, bronze bells chiming incessantly. The closer they drew to the imperial city, the thicker the traffic became.
The gentle Wusun horse gradually slowed its pace.
Pedestrians on both sides cast astonished glances, while women in ox-carts and mule-carts ahead lifted curtains to stare back at Li Yaoying's face, hastily ordering servants to yield the roadside.
Li Yaoying snapped from her reverie, realizing she'd been so lost in thought since leaving Ci'en Temple that she'd forgotten to don her veil hat.
Xie Qing handed her the roundel brocade hat. As she accepted it and glanced at the neighborhood walls, she noticed they'd already passed Xuanyang Ward. Ahead lay Pingkang Ward with its rows of pleasure houses and Chongren Ward clustered with high-ranking officials' mansions.
This remained Chang'an's premier entertainment district regardless of war or peace.
No wonder the road ahead was jammed tight.
Xie Qing scanned behind them: "Your Highness, shall we disperse them?"
Yaoying glimpsed the distant figures in her peripheral vision, adjusted her veil hat, and fiddled with its hanging ribbons. "Pay them no mind."
Whenever she left the palace, those idle noble youths leaning on family privilege would swarm like bees to nectar, enthusiastically trailing her movements.
She never acknowledged them.
Several dozen yards behind, young dandies in brocade robes and tall caps—catching Li Yaoying's glance before she veiled herself—surged with exhilaration, chattering excitedly:
"Princess Seven looked at us!"
"Princess Seven smiled at me!"
"Your eyes must be blind! Why would Princess Seven smile at you? Don't flatter yourself!"
The youths flushed crimson with excitement.
Yet none dared approach.
No one wanted to become the second Xue Wulang.
...On this year's Lantern Festival, the streets of Chang'an were emptied as all citizens came out to celebrate, with colorful lanterns illuminating the night like daylight.
Young nobles in the capital, upon learning that the Seventh Princess was admiring lanterns in Xuanyang Ward and that the little tyrant Second Prince was away from the capital, immediately rode their horses to catch a glimpse.
The Seventh Princess wore her hair in a round chignon adorned with a golden lotus crown, dressed in a pomegranate delicate roundel gold-brocaded turned-down collar narrow-sleeved brocade robe, leather boots, and a leather belt—an outfit typical of a wealthy young man, without elaborate adornments. Yet her natural beauty remained undeniable. Under the brilliant lantern light, her cloud-like hair, full cheeks, and snow-white skin glowed. When she laughed lightly with her maids, her charm became even more radiant.
The young men’s hearts pounded like drums as they trailed behind her from a distance.
Unexpectedly, Xue Wulang of the Xue family, having drunk some Jiannanchun liquor before heading out, became intoxicated and boldly dismounted. He approached the princess, swaying his head and reciting a vulgar, flirtatious poem!
The young men were furious and ready to rebuke Xue Wulang when the Seventh Princess lifted her eyelids and cast a calm glance at him.
In the next moment, the princess’s guards sprang into action, drawing their long blades.
With a sharp sound, the Ghost Face Mask covering Xue Wulang’s head split cleanly in half, shattering into pieces.
The gleaming blade halted just a finger’s breadth from Xue Wulang’s nose. Trembling like a leaf, he staggered and collapsed to the ground, so terrified that he wet his pants.
Without even a glance at Xue Wulang, the princess selected a blue-faced fangs Yaksa mask to cover her face. With light, graceful steps, she continued strolling through the lantern market.
The young men were left dumbfounded, breaking out in a cold sweat.
Three days later, when the Second Prince returned to the capital and heard of the incident, he flew into a rage. Without even removing his blood-stained battle robe, he charged directly to the Xue residence wielding his twin hammers.
With one strike, Xue Wulang lost half his life but still had to struggle to his knees and kowtow in apology.
Grand Commandant Xue and the matriarch intervened to plead for Xue Wulang’s mercy.
Zheng Prime Minister, who lived next door, rushed over to mediate.
The Second Prince remained unmoved.
Had the Seventh Princess not sent someone to stop him, Xue Wulang would have been crippled for life.
...
From then on, whenever the Seventh Princess left the palace, young men would still compete to follow her on horseback, but none dared approach her with flirtatious remarks.
If the princess was accompanied by the Second Prince, the more timid among them wouldn’t even dare show their faces.
...
Ahead, something seemed to have happened, and the road remained congested. The coachman impatiently cracked his whip as crowds gathered at the intersection.
Carriages were stuck in the middle of the road, and complaints rose one after another.
Li Yaoying waited for a moment before sending Xie Qing to check what was causing the blockage.
Xie Qing returned shortly with a strange expression.
Yaoying asked, “What’s going on?”
Xie Qing lowered his gaze and remained silent.
Yaoying’s heart skipped a beat.
Before she could press further, the crowded path ahead suddenly parted, clearing a way.
A mournful weeping grew closer as several soldiers in black armor swaggered from the East Market, driving three young girls toward Chongren Ward.
The girls, all around fifteen or sixteen years old, kept looking back as they walked, sobbing uncontrollably.
The soldiers barked harsh commands, and the girls trembled in fear, stifling their cries. The three huddled tightly together, tears streaming down their faces.
Bystanders whispered among themselves, “What sin have these young ladies committed?”
A cold laugh came from the crowd: “How could young girls like them have committed any crime?”
“Then why are they being taken by the soldiers?”
The one who laughed coldly replied, “They’re not being arrested—those soldiers are the Second Prince’s guards. The prince has taken a fancy to them! The soldiers are seizing them to become his concubines.”The crowd was filled with righteous indignation, shouting and cursing: "How dare you abduct innocent girls in broad daylight? Is there no law left?"
The man sneered in response: "Under the emperor's feet, the nobles are the law. The Prince of Qin is the emperor's own son—who would dare offend him?"
For a while, curses against Li Zhongqian filled the air.
Yaoying's face darkened instantly.
Her second brother was not in the capital, and the people from his residence were running wild again!
She pressed her heels into the stirrups, urging her horse to turn and chase after the soldiers.
Xie Qing quickly spurred his horse to follow.
The soldiers, dragging the young women into an alley, heard the approaching hoofbeats and assumed it was meddling bystanders. They roared in anger.
The three young women trembled in fear.
As the hoofbeats drew nearer, the soldiers frowned. Li Yaoying’s mount was spirited and noble-boned, clearly a fine steed. The guards surrounding her, including Xie Qing, were broad-shouldered and imposing, clad in brocade robes and armed with long blades—obviously robust servants of a prominent household. Though puzzled, the soldiers, relying on their status as Prince of Qin’s guards, refused to show weakness. They straightened their chests, drew their sabers, and stood protectively in front of the young women.
"Who goes there? Do you dare defy the Prince of Qin’s residence?"
Yaoying rode up without a word, drew her soft whip, and lashed it across a soldier’s face. With a flick of her wrist, she struck again.
Stunned by the blows, the soldier flew into a rage and raised his saber to block.
Xie Qing stepped in front of him, drawing his blade and striking down: "The Seventh Princess is here. Do not be insolent."
His voice was calm, but his blade technique was fierce and overpowering.
The soldier felt his hands go numb, his head spin, and he could no longer grip his saber.
By the time he regained his senses, his saber had already fallen to the ground, and he and the other soldiers were pinned down by the robust servants.
Struggling briefly, the soldier recalled Xie Qing’s words… Wait, the Seventh Princess?
The Prince of Qin’s own sister?
No wonder the Wusun horse looked familiar. Years ago, when the Prince of Qin led troops to crush several small tribes near Jin City, they captured several fine steeds, one of which was a Wusun horse.
The soldier looked up in shock at Li Yaoying, who wore a veil hat, and trembled: "Your Highness, forgive us! Your Highness, forgive us!"
Yaoying’s anger had not subsided: "Who ordered you to abduct these innocent girls?"
The soldier forced a smile: "Your Highness misunderstands. With the law above us, how would we dare openly kidnap innocent girls? They willingly sold themselves as maidservants. We have contracts and documents, signed by guarantors…"
The three young women clung to each other, weeping.
Before the soldier could finish, Yaoying lashed out with her whip again.
The soldier flinched.
Yaoying put away her whip and removed her veil hat: "Don’t play games with me. You’re used to this sort of thing. You know the authorities forbid the abduction of innocent girls, so you force their parents to sign documents claiming they sold themselves willingly. Even if their families take it to the authorities, you remain untouchable."
Hearing her expose the truth, the soldier fell silent.
Yaoying asked word by word: "Who gave the order?"
Sweating profusely, the soldier prostrated himself: "Commandant Xu Biao."
The Prince of Qin’s residence commandant—a subordinate promoted by Li Zhongqian himself.
Yaoying’s beautiful face showed no expression: "Where is Xu Biao?"
"In… in Pingkang Ward… at the Hu tavern…"
Yaoying turned her horse.
"To Pingkang Ward."
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