Yaoying returned to her courtyard and looked at the large plate of naan bread and steaming white soup just delivered by the attendant, recalling the roasted meat that had passed before her eyes earlier.
Had she known meat wasn’t prohibited, she wouldn’t have had to eat vegetarian food every day these past days.
On the way back, Yuanjue had explained to her that monks in the Royal Court did not abstain from meat. This was common among monks in the Western Regions, where there were concepts of "three-fold pure meat" and "five-fold pure meat." Three-fold pure meat meant not seeing the animal killed, not hearing the sound of its killing, and not having it killed specifically for oneself. Five-fold pure meat added two more conditions: animals that died naturally and those killed by birds.
In other words, as long as one did not witness the animal being slaughtered, did not hear it being killed or know it was killed for their sake, and did not cause the killing out of personal desire, the meat was considered pure and permissible to eat.
However, when preparing pure meat, no seasonings could be added. Monks avoided pungent ingredients, where "pungent" referred to strong-flavored seasonings like scallions, ginger, and garlic.
Additionally, if a monk fell ill and required meat for nourishment, exceptions could be made.
Yaoying was struck by this revelation.
It wasn’t uncommon for monastic rules to vary slightly across regions.
For instance, monks used to follow the rule of not eating after noon, consuming only one meal a day until the next morning, a practice known as "upholding fasting." After Buddhism spread to the Central Plains, this rule changed. Many monks there abandoned the no-afternoon-meal practice and began eating three meals a day, as it was otherwise impossible to maintain their physical strength.
Buddhism originated in the Land of Brahma, where most early monks came from noble families. Its fundamental doctrines were closely tied to Brahma’s social structure. When Buddhism first reached the Central Plains, it clashed with traditional ancestral ethics and Confucianism, struggling to take root. Later, it adapted to local conditions, adjusting its tenets to align with Central Plains’ ancestral ethics. Through continuous evolution and by embracing ordinary commoners, Buddhism eventually spread and flourished there.
The Western Regions had different national conditions from the Central Plains, leading to distinct developments in Buddhism. In some kingdoms here, the entire population were devotees, monks held extremely high status and maintained close ties with the nobility. At times, secular royal authority and religious power could even be concentrated in one person.
In short, customs varied by region.
The Central Plains enforced strict precepts. An emperor during the Northern and Southern Dynasties once issued the "Prohibition on Alcohol and Meat," forbidding killing and requiring monks to abstain from meat. Moreover, Central Plains monks did not rely on alms for sustenance; they were granted land, cultivated fields, and grew their own food, achieving self-sufficiency and thus having no need to eat meat.
Yaoying recalled that when Monk Xuanzang journeyed west to obtain scriptures and passed through the Western Regions, the monks there ate meat. She had thought the Royal Court’s doctrines showed signs of transitioning from Theravada to Mahayana, which might imply abstaining from meat. Out of respect for the monks and to follow local customs, she had avoided all meat after moving into the monastery. It never occurred to her that the monks here had no qualms about eating it.
When she informed her guards, they leaped for joy—as martial men, they had nearly gone mad with craving after days of vegetarian fare!
...
Meanwhile, Yuanjue returned to the meditation room and reported the matter to Tanmoroqie, smiling as he said, "Your Majesty, the abbot did not neglect Princess Wenzhao. When the princess moved in, she voluntarily requested a vegetarian diet, so the abbot did not send her any other food."
Tanmoroqie lowered his head, turning the parchment scroll, his mind conjuring the image of the young woman standing dumbfounded, her wide eyes fixed on the roasted meat in his plate with a hint of grievance.
He had thought she was being slighted.It turned out that wasn't resentment, but pure astonishment—a kind of "How can you eat meat?" bewilderment.
Did she think he could live on dew and wind?
Tanmoroqie's features remained serene, his slender fingers lightly brushing the rosary.
...
The next day, several plates of roasted meat were added to the meals delivered to Yaoying's courtyard.
Unfortunately, the meat hadn't been carefully prepared—the method was crude, merely sprinkled with some salt grains.
Still, the bodyguards who had gone hungry for many days excitedly chewed away, not leaving even the bone fragments behind.
After the meal, Yaoying assigned the guards to various tasks.
She had inquired with Yuanjue and learned that the Royal Court had vast vineyards, with most grapes harvested for winemaking. Gaochang's wine was renowned far and wide, selling well along both eastern and western trade routes. While the Royal Court's wine wasn't as mellow as Gaochang's, it had the advantage of being preservable for long periods without spoiling.
The land Yaoying purchased happened to include several vineyards.
Previously, Qinian had mentioned he knew how to make wine, so she asked him to try brewing some—after all, she hadn't expected them to earn money anyway. Herding sheep and tanning hides were physically demanding tasks, and most of them had been sold precisely because they could no longer handle such labor. She had been pondering how to find lighter work for them.
Teaching them to dry grapes into raisins?
The thought flashed through her mind, and Yaoying instructed the guards to go to the market to buy some raisins and inquire about local drying methods.
The guards acknowledged the order.
Yaoying sat in front of the courtyard, gazing absently for a while at the heavy clusters of grapes hanging before the flower wall.
She had once quarreled with Li Zhongqian because she wanted to drink wine.
In Chang'an, grape wine was expensive.
Back when the Tang army conquered Gaochang, they brought Gaochang's Mare's Milk grape varieties and winemaking techniques to the Central Plains. Emperor Taizong Li Shimin planted grapes in the imperial gardens, personally brewing wine and sharing it with his ministers. Later, grape wine spread to the common people and became common in markets. However, due to years of warfare, fresh grapes had become rare, winemaking techniques were lost, and grape wine naturally grew even scarcer.
Once, a royal physician mentioned that moderate consumption of grape wine was beneficial for women. Yaoying happened to be craving some and insisted on having a few cups, but Li Zhongqian sternly scolded her. She had been taking Concentrated Dew Pills, and the divine physician had warned her to avoid alcohol during her medication.
Thinking of this, Yaoying suddenly remembered something.
Tanmoroqie was currently taking Water Mang Grass—did he know about this dietary restriction?
She pondered for a moment, then shook her head with a wry smile: Tanmoroqie was a monk—how could he possibly drink alcohol?
That night, the guards returned with several packages of raisins, spreading them out on the table.
Yaoying could tell at a glance that these brown raisins weren't of the highest quality.
But the guards said, "Princess, these are the best raisins in the city. The market vendors said they even supply raisins to the palace. The foreign merchants explained that the Royal Court's summer and autumn are hot, dry, with long sunlight hours and little rain. They simply sun-dry the grapes after harvesting, without any additional processing."
Yaoying picked up a few raisins, examining their color closely, sniffing their scent, and tasting several pieces. After a moment's contemplation, she realized the current drying methods were quite crude.
She instructed the guards: "Tomorrow, go tell Old Qi outside the city not to begrudge the fruiting grapes. Uproot them all and replant every vineyard with Melon Candy, Mare's Milk, and Black Pearl Grape varieties. If he can't find the grape seeds, have him go to the southern city to find the foreign merchant Kang Da, and bring plenty of tea and silk as gifts."The guard acknowledged the order and brought up another matter: "Old Qi said he has contacted some Shazhou people who have been exiled to various places. Most of them are destitute and lack food and clothing. He asked me to seek the princess's permission—can we take them in?"
Yaoying frowned.
The Royal Court was ultimately only providing her with temporary shelter. They must not bring trouble to the Royal Court. As more and more people were taken in over time, they could not all be brought here.
"The number isn't large for now. We can take in those we are able to. Remember to instruct Old Qi to compile a detailed register without omitting anyone. Later, I can use the register to pay taxes accordingly."
The ministers of the Royal Court were greedy for money. By paying taxes per head, she could avoid major criticism. Compiling a register would also facilitate management and screening of the population, laying the foundation for training soldiers.
She was short on manpower, and the more people she could recruit now, the better.
The guard nodded, taking note of everything. After hesitating for a moment, he asked, "Some of these Shazhou people... Old Qi isn't sure whether they should be taken in."
Yaoying asked, "Since they are Shazhou people, why can't they be taken in?"
The guard replied, "They are not Han people—they are all Hu women. They drifted to the Western Regions, were sold multiple times by merchant caravans, and eventually ended up in the Royal Court. Hearing that Old Qi was taking in many people from Hexi, they also came seeking help."
Yaoying frowned and glanced at the guard. She summoned all her personal guards and scanned their faces one by one.
Her expression was stern. Xie Chong, Xie Peng, and the others dared not joke around; they all stood respectfully with their hands at their sides.
Yaoying spoke slowly and clearly: "Shazhou and Guazhou both belong to the Hexi region. The local people, whether Hu or Han, are all subjects of Great Wei. Have you all remembered this?"
Everyone solemnly acknowledged the order.
Only then did Yaoying instruct the guard who had asked the question: "Since they are Shazhou people and have come seeking help, find a way to take in those we can."
She added, "If there are any unruly individuals, they must not be tolerated. Expel them immediately. We must first save ourselves before we can save others. Tell Old Qi to be cautious and avoid causing any trouble."
The guard acknowledged the order.
After several days of busy work, Yaoying estimated that Ashina Bisha would soon return and began preparing for the trip to Gaochang. Tanmoroqie had previously mentioned that Bisha would accompany her on the diplomatic mission to Gaochang.
During this period, she persisted in attending the morning lectures every day. Although she couldn't understand the teachings, she still sat quietly for half an hour, reciting Scriptures along with the monks.
Tanmoroqie had helped her, and she could not let his efforts go to waste.
The monks and Yaoying did not share a common language, but seeing her devout and respectful attitude—and how such a young and beautiful woman could forgo makeup and rise before dawn every day to perform her devotions—they treated her much more kindly than before.
However, no one dared to speak to her. Wherever she passed, all the monks immediately averted their eyes, not daring to look at her. Some closed their eyes and recited Scriptures, some meditated, and others turned away to avoid her.
Bore was furious: Clearly, these monks lacked self-control! They were swayed by Yaoying's beauty, which was why they avoided her as if she were a scourge!
He secretly complained to Yuanjue: "Every time Princess Wenzhao passes through the front hall, those young novices almost drop their eyeballs staring at her! What are we going to do if this continues?"Yuanjue smiled: "The princess only comes to the hall for sutra chanting during morning lessons and never wanders around the temple at other times. She neither deliberately tempts anyone nor flaunts herself ostentatiously. Nobles and ladies from the city often come to the front hall to listen to the Chan masters' sutra lectures, all heavily made up with layers of gold and jade ornaments on their heads and bodies, afraid of being outshone by others. They even bring four or five maids to attend to them. With so many women coming to listen to sutra lectures, why do you only target Princess Wenzhao?"
Bore was left speechless. After a moment of silence, he stamped his foot in frustration: "Princess Wenzhao is as beautiful as a goddess, more beautiful than all of them!"
Yuanjue felt both amused and helpless. "The princess's beauty is a blessing, not a sin. This is also the Buddha's test for the young novices. If they can pass the test, it shows their devotion. If they become infatuated, it means their piety is insufficient and they need this tempering."
He paused for a moment before continuing solemnly, "The same applies to the King."
Bore thought it over and found this reasonable, so he had to let the matter drop.
Yaoying didn't know that Yuanjue truly regarded her as the Buddha's test for Tanmoroqie. She attended morning lessons punctually every day.
Usually she came and went alone, but this day several monks stopped her after the sutra lecture and immediately spoke a long stream of Brahmi.
She didn't understand and looked completely bewildered.
The monks spoke another string of foreign languages she couldn't comprehend. Another monk nearby became displeased and engaged in a heated debate with them. The two grew increasingly agitated as they argued, soon drawing other monks into the dispute, which quickly caught the temple abbot's attention.
"What's going on here?"
The abbot hurried over to mediate.
The arguing monks didn't lower their voices but instead grew louder, even grabbing each other's arms and patting shoulders in their heated debate, faces flushed with excitement.
The abbot was furious, but after understanding what they were arguing about, he didn't scold them. Instead, he frowned and said, "This matter is beyond my authority to decide. We must seek the master's judgment."
Before Yaoying could clearly hear what the monks were disputing, she found herself escorted along with the arguing monks to Tanmoroqie's meditation room by the abbot.
In the courtyard, the silver-white flowers of the sea-buckthorn trees were nearly all fallen, petals covering the ground.
Tanmoroqie was handling official affairs, wearing a shoulder-baring kasaya, his honey-colored shoulders smooth and gleaming.
The abbot first bowed respectfully and announced their arrival to the guards. When Yuanjue signaled for him to enter, he immediately brought the monks into the meditation room to report the incident.
After hearing the report, Tanmoroqie looked up and gazed at Yaoying standing by the door.
Understanding his meaning, Yaoying walked in.
Tanmoroqie instructed Yuanjue: "Bring paper and brush."
Yuanjue brought over a small desk with paper and brush, placing it to Tanmoroqie's right.
Tanmoroqie asked Yaoying: "Can you write from memory the Heart Sutra you recited some time ago?"
His eyes held her gaze, like pools of clear green water - both cool and gentle.
Though not intentionally comforting, his demeanor immediately brought peace to one's heart.
Collecting herself, Yaoying nodded, walked to the small desk, sat cross-legged, picked up the brush and began writing from memory.
The room fell silent except for the soft rustling of brush on paper.
Soon, Yaoying finished writing from memory and handed it to Yuanjue, who presented it before Tanmoroqie's desk.
Tanmoroqie scanned it quickly, then started over to read more carefully this time.
After finishing, he set down the paper.
"Does the princess have a Brahmi version of the Heart Sutra?"Yaoying shook her head. Most original versions of Buddhist scriptures were written in Brahmi, with various translations available. Among her dowry were many Buddhist texts in Brahmi, but none contained the Brahmi version of the Heart Sutra.
Several monks overheard this and began whispering among themselves, one looking particularly agitated.
Tanmoroqie cast him a faint glance.
The monk flushed red, ceased his argument, and lowered his head.
Tanmoroqie instructed Yuanjue to fetch paper, picked up a brush, and began writing while comparing it to the Chinese text Yaoying had just transcribed from memory.
Curious, Yaoying watched his brushwork and realized he was writing in Brahmi—a script she couldn’t decipher.
Was he directly translating what she had recited?
She observed for a while, still unable to grasp the meaning, when Tanmoroqie suddenly lifted his head and met her gaze.
Yaoying froze momentarily, then smiled at him, her eyes curving slightly, dark and luminous.
Like a flower in full bloom on a branch—radiant and vibrant, brimming with youthful pride, her gaze filled with trust.
Was she no longer bothered by him eating meat?
Tanmoroqie lowered his gaze, pointed to a sentence on the paper, and softly inquired about a phrase Yaoying had transcribed.
Snapping back to attention, Yaoying replied in a hushed tone.
Tanmoroqie acknowledged with a hum, adjusted the characters he had written earlier, and soon posed another question, which Yaoying answered earnestly.
They conversed in Chinese, leaving the guards and monks on duty unable to understand or interject. They could only hold their breath, watching intently without blinking, studying their expressions.
Yaoying sat beside Tanmoroqie, answering each of his questions in turn.
Noticing the tense, eagerly awaiting monks, she said honestly, "Venerable One, I don’t fully grasp the meaning of these scriptures either. Should you consult others for clarification?"
Tanmoroqie kept his eyes downcast and replied, "It’s fine. The princess need only recite the original text."
After what felt like a long time, he finished the translation, copied it onto a fresh sheet, and handed it to Yuanjue.
Yuanjue passed the paper to the waiting monks, who eagerly examined it and broke into animated debate. Eventually, they bowed to Tanmoroqie, seemingly awaiting his judgment.
Tanmoroqie spoke a few words.
The monks stood stunned for a long moment, some appearing thoughtful, others enlightened, and a few still confused. After a while, they pressed their palms together in reverence to Tanmoroqie and withdrew.
Left alone at the desk, Yaoying sat bewildered: What had just happened?
She looked at Tanmoroqie and asked quietly in Chinese, "Venerable One, did I cause any trouble? Why were they arguing over the Heart Sutra?"
Tanmoroqie shook his head slightly, indicating it was nothing, and explained, "They had never seen a Brahmi version of the Heart Sutra and found no records of it despite extensive searches. They suspected it might be an apocryphal scripture, hence the dispute. It has nothing to do with you, Princess."
Yaoying looked surprised, pondered for a moment, then said decisively, "Then I won’t recite it anymore."
Buddhism had many sects, and the teachings in the Western Regions were deeply influenced by the Land of Brahma, blended with local customs and traditions, incorporating elements she didn’t understand. She didn’t want to unintentionally offend anyone.
Tanmoroqie glanced down at the Heart Sutra Yaoying had transcribed and said, "Princess, there’s no need to concern yourself. The authenticity of the Heart Sutra isn’t determined by their acknowledgment or the existence of a Brahmi original, but by the Buddhist Dharma within the text. Since the Buddha’s parinirvana over a millennium ago, countless sects have interpreted the scriptures, producing a vast ocean of Buddhist texts. Are all those they haven’t seen considered apocryphal?"Yaoying suddenly understood: the monks had been arguing over the origin of the Heart Sutra and asked Tanmoroqie to judge—this was the answer he had given.
No wonder all the monks were convinced.
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