The Company

Chapter 28: The Solitary Jade Buddha

AD 465.

Tuoba Hong adjusted his robes. He still preferred the narrow-sleeved, cross-collared attire of his Xianbei people—simple and efficient. But the Empress favored Han-style clothing, and when she summoned him for an audience today, the maids had specifically instructed him to wear these wide-sleeved, flowing garments.

Ah, but she was no longer Empress Dowager—she was now Empress Dowager.

Tuoba Hong stared blankly at the temple doors before him, halting in his tracks.

Crowned Crown Prince at just three years old, Tuoba Hong was now only twelve. His father, Tuoba Jun, had recently passed away from illness, and tomorrow would be his coronation ceremony.

Though still young, Tuoba Hong—praised since childhood for his divine prowess, intelligence, and keen perception—understood the immense responsibility that came with being Emperor of Wei.

Why had his father abandoned him at merely twenty-six? Lowering his head, Tuoba Hong pondered this with confusion.

The Wei dynasty upheld the tradition of establishing the son and executing the mother to prevent maternal relatives from interfering in state affairs. When three-year-old Tuoba Hong was designated Crown Prince, his birth mother was granted a white silk cord. To this day, he remembered her gaze—proud yet reluctant, tinged with traces of resentment.

He had only one mother. Thus, though Tuoba Hong addressed Empress Feng as "Mother Empress," he never truly acknowledged the title in his heart.

How fortunate—now he could call her Empress Dowager.

Tuoba Hong smiled wryly.

"Hong'er, you've arrived?" A voice as gentle as water drifted from within the temple.

Tuoba Hong stiffened, instinctively straightening his robes again before gently pushing open the temple doors. The heavy scent of sandalwood washed over him.

As the doors swung open, the silhouette of an exquisitely beautiful woman gradually came into view. Feng Qi knelt rigidly before the Buddha, clad in plain white mourning attire—a wide-sleeved, short-fronted jacket over a flowing long skirt, with an additional short skirt tightly cinched at the waist, perfectly outlining her slender figure. Her cloud-like hair was simply tied back with a white cord, adorned with a white silk flower, a few strands hanging down bearing scorched, curled ends.

Tuoba Hong averted his gaze. Yesterday, during the Xianbei ritual of burning the deceased emperor's belongings, Feng Qi had rushed forward, intent on joining his father in death. Fortunately, Shang Xie—the chief eunuch who had served the imperial family since Emperor Taiwu's reign—noticed and pulled her back. Otherwise, more than just a few locks of hair would have been singed.

Tuoba Hong hadn't been surprised. As the person closest to them, he had witnessed the profound affection between his father and Empress Feng. Yet, he could never truly regard Feng Qi as his mother.

One reason was his inability to forget his birth mother. Another was that Feng Qi wasn't much older than him. Her grandfather had been the last emperor of the former Northern Yan dynasty. After the Wei dynasty overthrew it, she entered the palace as a daughter of a condemned rebel, serving as a maid from a young age. Noticed by him—who had just lost his mother—she was kept by his side as a senior palace maid. But this woman, who became his father's Noble Lady at eleven and ascended to the position of Empress at fourteen... Tuoba Hong didn't know whether to be grateful she hadn't borne his father a child, or to think that such a shrewd woman should have given birth to a crown prince and been executed according to Wei tradition.Vaguely in the distant memory, amidst the hibiscus blossoms, that fleeting, resplendent face flashed by. Tuoba Hong was momentarily dazed, almost believing she was still that innocent palace maid serving him, while he remained the unworldly child.

"Hong pays respects to the Empress Dowager." Tuoba Hong suppressed the complex emotions in his eyes and obediently prostrated himself on the ground.

The temple doors slowly closed behind him, cutting off all sunlight, casting a chilly gloom throughout the hall.

"Hong, rise. From now on, you shall be the emperor of Wei and need not kneel to anyone." The young Feng Qi sighed with emotion, her nightingale-like voice drifting ethereally in the empty hall.

Tuoba Hong stood up, took a few steps forward, and looked at Feng Qi kneeling on a prayer cushion, alongside an empty cushion clearly prepared for him. Defiantly, he retorted, "Then does the Buddha deserve my kneel?"

Feng Qi sighed softly, lowered her head in a brief prayer of apology, then raised it again, her eyes smiling indulgently at Tuoba Hong. "The Buddha is not human, so naturally, He deserves your kneel."

When Tuoba Hong saw Feng Qi's face, his breath caught. Her beauty was peerless—otherwise, she would not have been exceptionally admitted to the harem by his father at just eleven. Now in the prime of her womanhood, enhanced by the vulnerability of widowhood, with strands of hair falling by her ears and phoenix eyes still slightly red from weeping, her pale, exquisite face was so striking that even Tuoba Hong, accustomed to her presence, could not bear to look directly. An unfamiliar emotion sprouted uncontrollably in his chest like a tender shoot breaking through soil. Hastily, Tuoba Hong knelt on the cushion before him, bowing devoutly to the shrine. His father had been a devout Buddhist, even constructing the Yungang Grottoes, so Tuoba Hong was no stranger to Buddhist rites, though he had never entered this particular hall and had no time to observe it closely in his rush.

"Hong, tomorrow you will ascend the throne as emperor, and this temple will belong to you," Feng Qi said calmly.

Tuoba Hong detected an underlying meaning in her words and looked up in confusion, but his gaze inadvertently swept over the Buddha statue enshrined on the altar, and he froze.

The reason was simple: clearly, amidst the curling incense smoke, the one-inch-tall jade Buddha was shattered. An irreparable crack split the statue at the neck, separating the head from the body. Even forced together, it exuded an indescribable strangeness. The Buddha's face remained gentle and benevolent, yet the fracture appeared grotesquely fierce.

He had never seen anyone enshrine a broken Buddha statue.

Alarmed and doubtful, Tuoba Hong glanced around and realized that this vast hall enshrined only this damaged jade Buddha.

"This jade Buddha, carved from Dushan jade, is called the Duyu Buddha. Dushan jade is one of the four great jades, sourced from Nanyang, with mining records dating back to the late Shang Dynasty. It was gifted to Emperor Taiwu by someone many years ago." Feng Qi rotated her sandalwood prayer beads, slightly closed her eyes, and explained softly. Her face, elegant and compassionate, remarkably resembled that of Guanyin, the Bodhisattva of Mercy."Emperor Taiwu?" Tuoba Hong was taken aback. Emperor Taiwu was his father's grandfather, who had finally unified the northern territories, ending the century-long fragmentation of the Sixteen Kingdoms. With the Liu Song regime in the south, a north-south standoff emerged, and from then on, the Wei dynasty was referred to by southerners as the Northern Wei. Emperor Taiwu's reputation spread far and wide, but what particularly shocked the southerners was his decree known as the "Great Buddhist Persecution."

During Emperor Taiwu's reign, all monks and nuns under the age of fifty were forced to return to secular life. Buddhist statues and scriptures were destroyed and burned, and many elderly, stubborn monks and nuns were even buried alive. Throughout the Wei dynasty, the very word "Buddha" was forbidden. Though Tuoba Hong did not approve of such measures, he understood Emperor Taiwu's intentions. The Northern Wei had just unified the north, with years of warfare leaving everything in disarray and in need of revival. There simply were no extra resources to support monks and nuns who did not engage in farming. While Buddhism could be useful for controlling the ignorant masses, some monks made extravagant claims that placed themselves above the law. Emperor Taiwu, decisive and ruthless, would not tolerate this.

Such an emperor, and yet someone dared to present him with a solitary jade Buddha? It must have been gifted before the persecution decree was issued. Tuoba Hong looked at the damaged statue with some understanding, thinking it must have been broken by Emperor Taiwu himself.

Feng Qi naturally knew what Tuoba Hong was thinking. She chuckled lightly and said, "This Buddha statue was given to Emperor Taiwu by a young man after he issued the persecution decree." Feng Qi drifted into distant memories. Though she had been young at the time, she remembered the scene vividly. "That young man told Emperor Taiwu that the persecution decree had gone too far and would bring divine retribution. If he enshrined this solitary jade Buddha, it might redeem the injustices he had committed."

"This..." Tuoba Hong was at a loss for words. He knew all too well what would have followed such a statement. "So, this solitary jade Buddha was smashed then?"

Feng Qi nodded gently and sighed. "That young man looked at the solitary jade Buddha, its head separated from its body on the ground, and lamented that because Emperor Taiwu possessed an aura of boundless slaughter, the retribution would fall upon his descendants. From then on, none of the Wei dynasty's imperial heirs would live long lives."

Tuoba Hong's eyes widened in disbelief. This was utterly absurd. But then he recalled his own father, who had died young at only twenty-six. His lips moved as if to speak, but no words came out.

Feng Qi fiddled with the prayer beads in her hand, her voice tinged with confusion. "That young man was immediately thrown into the death row by Emperor Taiwu, but he inexplicably vanished before his execution. Emperor Taiwu flew into a rage over the bizarre incident. This solitary jade Buddha was later collected by your grandfather, who would posthumously become Emperor Jingmu."

Tuoba Hong took a deep, labored breath. The once sweet scent of sandalwood now felt suffocating. He knew of Emperor Jingmu—who had died mysteriously while still crown prince at the tender age of twenty-three. It was only after his father ascended the throne that he was posthumously honored as Emperor Jingmu."Hong'er, I summoned you today not for any other matter." Feng Qi sighed softly. "This karmic debt has already afflicted two generations like a curse. Even if you don't believe it, you must remain cautious." Tuoba Hong thought about how his father, after ascending the throne, immediately revoked Emperor Taiwu's anti-Buddhism decree and ordered the construction of the Yungang Grottoes despite the empty state treasury - surely to atone for that karmic sin. Tuoba Hong murmured his agreement, though inwardly he remained somewhat skeptical.

It was merely coincidence.

As Tuoba Hong was taking his leave, he heard Feng Qi suddenly instruct: "Hong'er, you're no longer young. After your enthronement tomorrow, I shall select daughters from several good families for you."

"Thank you for your concern, Empress Dowager." Suppressing the inexplicable gloom that suddenly rose in his heart, Tuoba Hong bowed and acquiesced.

"Life in this world is like dwelling among thorns. When the heart remains still, the person doesn't act recklessly; without action, there's no harm. But when the heart stirs, the person acts recklessly, injuring the body and aching the bones, thus experiencing all the sufferings of this world..." Feng Qi's ethereal voice, accompanied by the rhythmic tapping of the wooden fish, slowly faded behind the gradually closing temple doors.

Tuoba Hong stood silently outside the door, repeatedly contemplating this Buddhist verse, until he became utterly lost in thought.

AD 467.

Tuoba Hong looked down at the newborn infant in swaddling clothes, feeling somewhat unreal. The weight in his arms was so light it could almost be overlooked, the child so fragile it seemed he might crush it if he applied slightly more strength.

He was only fourteen this year, yet he already had a son.

Tuoba Hong knew that among the Xianbei tribe, having children at his age was quite normal - his own father had sired him at fourteen. Looking at the beautiful yet weary Lady Liu on the bed, he could discern the complex emotions on her face. He knew that in the Great Wei court, women in the harem all harbored deeply contradictory feelings. They hoped for the emperor's favor yet feared becoming pregnant. Giving birth to a daughter was acceptable, but if they bore a Dragon son who caught the emperor's eye, they must follow Great Wei's tradition: establish the son and kill the mother.

No one wishes to die, even for their own son. Tuoba Hong recalled again the indescribable look in his mother's eyes when he was designated crown prince.

Looking at Lady Liu, who bore some resemblance to someone, Tuoba Hong silently apologized in his heart. If the child in his arms could survive safely to two years old, then he would become his crown prince. But before that, it would be better not to let mother and son become too close. He didn't want his son to share his own painful memories.

After instructing the palace maids to take good care of Lady Liu, Tuoba Hong personally carried his son out of the inner chamber, where he encountered Feng Qi, who had been waiting in the side hall.

His father had passed away two years ago, yet Feng Qi still observed mourning for him according to Han customs. Dressed entirely in white, she wore a cross-collared, straight-sleeved upper garment with silver-thread embroidered cuffs, a wide silk belt cinched at her waist accentuating her slender figure, and below, layers of soft silk skirts trailed to the floor. Her features were painting-like, with a faint melancholy between her brows. Though wearing no makeup, she remained peerlessly beautiful.Tuoba Hong's footsteps paused briefly. Because he was holding a child, he didn't bow as usual but merely nodded slightly, saying, "Greetings, Empress Dowager."

Feng Qi elegantly set down the white-glazed lotus teacup in her hand, her gaze immediately falling upon the swaddled infant in Tuoba Hong's arms. She naturally reached out toward him and said softly, "Come, let me see the child."

As Tuoba Hong approached, he caught the scent of sandalwood emanating from her and couldn't help but be slightly taken aback. He knew she had been practicing vegetarianism and chanting Buddhist scriptures in the prayer hall for his late father, but he hadn't expected the sandalwood fragrance to cling so strongly to her person.

Feng Qi took the swaddled infant into her arms herself. The little baby, perhaps finding the sandalwood scent on her somewhat pungent, began waving its tiny arms restlessly and whimpering with soft cries.

Tuoba Hong quickly took his son back and stepped away a few paces. Sure enough, as if sensing a familiar presence, the infant immediately quieted down.

A trace of loneliness flashed through Feng Qi's exquisitely beautiful eyes before she curved her lips into a light smile and said, "It seems this child and I are not fated to be close. So be it." The prayer hall was a lonely place—the more she practiced vegetarianism and chanted scriptures, the clearer her memories of harmonious times past became. Feng Qi had originally intended to raise this child by her side, but given the circumstances, it seemed her wish would not be fulfilled.

Tuoba Hong frowned slightly and couldn't resist advising, "Empress Dowager, you must take care of your health as well." He was only fourteen this year, and though naturally intelligent, wielding the authority of an entire country was truly too heavy a burden for him. When he first ascended the throne two years ago, state power had been controlled by the Chariot and Horse General Yihun. That Yihun harbored treacherous intentions, frequently distorting his imperial decrees to eliminate dissidents. In just over forty days, Yihun rose from Chariot and Horse General to Grand Commandant, then to Director of the Imperial Secretariat, and finally to Chancellor—ranking above all other princes and monopolizing power, showing no regard for the young emperor.

Though unwilling to be controlled by others, Tuoba Hong had to admit he was no match for Yihun. In the end, it was Feng Qi—who had been chanting scriptures in the prayer hall all along—who personally intervened. She quietly observed Yihun's arrogance, secretly devised a plan when least expected, and with lightning speed had him executed for treason before announcing she would oversee court affairs. Although she retired to the empty prayer hall after court sessions, every government decree of the Great Wei Dynasty was issued by her.

Tuoba Hong smiled bitterly to himself. Though she had taught him everything, he couldn't compare to her in either cunning or magnanimity.

As if seeing through his thoughts, Feng Qi rotated the sandalwood prayer beads in her hand and said in a gentle voice, "Hong'er, rest assured. As long as you have the capability, the Great Wei Dynasty will still belong to you." Feng Qi gazed tenderly at Tuoba Hong, who had grown into a handsome youth, and for a moment seemed lost in thought. When she had first met Tuoba Jun, he had been around the same age, and Tuoba Hong bore a striking resemblance to his father. The person she yearned for day and night seemed to be standing before her, perfectly preserved, and Feng Qi momentarily became entranced.

Meeting her gaze, Tuoba Hong's heart skipped a beat before he sighed with melancholy. He knew she was seeing his father through him. Just as he was about to say something, he saw her eyes regain clarity as she subtly turned her face away.

It was always like this—she was the one who approached first, and she was always the first to withdraw.Tuoba Hong's arm unconsciously tightened, causing the swaddled infant to squirm restlessly as if uncomfortable. Startled, Tuoba Hong immediately relaxed his grip.

"Hong'er, have you given this child a name?" Feng Qi nonchalantly picked up the slightly cooled teacup and took a sip of warm tea.

"Lifting the grand principles, let him be called Tuoba Hong," Tuoba Hong said indifferently.

"Tuoba... Hong?" Feng Qi slightly furrowed her elegant brows, feeling it somewhat inappropriate for father and son to share the same syllable in their names. But since Tuoba Hong had spoken thus, she couldn't very well deny him the freedom to name his own son. She gently nodded her head and said, "A fine name. If this child lives past two years, I shall personally take charge of his education."

Watching Feng Qi rise gracefully, Tuoba Hong understood her meaning - she would return the reins of government to him after two years.

For a moment, he couldn't decide whether he felt more joy or disappointment.

"Wealth and beauty to people are like honey on a blade - insufficient for a single meal's satisfaction, yet when a child licks it, risks having his tongue cut," Feng Qi's faint voice accompanied by the familiar sandalwood fragrance brushed past his ears, until her graceful figure disappeared around the corridor corner.

Tuoba Hong remained lost in thought, still holding his swaddled son.

Year 470 AD.

"The Emperor is awake! The Emperor is awake!"

Tuoba Hong struggled to consciousness from his coma, hearing the successive exclamations of eunuchs by his bedside. Feeling his throat parched with thirst, Tuoba Hong deduced that he must have been unconscious for some time due to infected sores.

"Your Majesty, you've just awakened, don't rush." An aged voice came from beside the bed as the speaker helped Tuoba Hong sit up, skillfully placing cushions behind his back.

Lifting his head, Tuoba Hong was surprised to find it was Chief Eunuch Shang Xie. He smiled faintly and said, "Eunuch Shang, I am well. You should go rest too." Shang Xie had served in the Northern Wei palace since Emperor Taiwu's generation and had cared for Tuoba Hong since childhood. Tuoba Hong regarded him as an elder. Seeing him now haggard from night watch duties, Tuoba Hong felt quite concerned.

Shang Xie straightened Tuoba Hong's quilt and gestured beside him: "This old servant isn't tired. It's the Crown Prince who has been keeping vigil, refusing to sleep. He only just succumbed to exhaustion and rested beside you."

Only then did Tuoba Hong notice the small figure lying on his dragon bed. The child's pink cheeks were filled with worry, unable to find peace even in sleep, his tiny hands tightly clutching Tuoba Hong's clothes. Fearful that his own tragedy might repeat with his son, Tuoba Hong had taken Tuoba Hong from Lady Liu's side right after his birth. Moreover, Tuoba Hong couldn't tolerate the sandalwood scent Feng Qi carried in his childhood, so the boy had been raised and educated personally by Tuoba Hong's side. Last year, when Tuoba Hong turned two, he was appointed Crown Prince, his birth mother Lady Liu was executed, and Feng Qi kept her promise by taking Tuoba Hong under her tutelage and relinquishing political power.

"Your Majesty, the young Crown Prince has been personally attending to you. He even cleaned the pus from your sores himself," Shang Xie handed over a freshly brewed bowl of medicinal soup, deliberately lowering his voice to avoid waking the finally sleeping Tuoba Hong.Tuoba Hong felt a surge of warmth in his heart. He took the medicinal soup and drank it all in one go, not even noticing how bitter the unpleasant-tasting concoction was. Handing back the empty bowl, he waved his hand at Shang Xie and said, "Eunuch Shang, you may all withdraw now. I need to rest a while longer." He knew that if he didn't sleep, Shang Xie would absolutely not leave.

He knew that if he didn't sleep, Shang Xie would absolutely not leave.

Tuoba Hong lay back down and saw the small form lying wholeheartedly beside him. Unable to resist, he reached out and drew the little body into his embrace.

When he woke again, Tuoba Hong found his physical condition had greatly improved. As he opened his eyes, he saw a pair of distinctly dark-and-white eyes staring fixedly at him. Upon noticing his awakening, immense joy clearly shone through those clear pupils.

"Father Emperor!" The corners of Tuoba Hong's small mouth lifted. Chief Eunuch Shang hadn't deceived him after all - Father Emperor was truly recovered!

In exceptionally good spirits, Tuoba Hong ruffled his son's loose hair - soft and wonderfully textured. "Hong'er, you've been staying with Father Emperor these days. Did you properly request leave from the Empress Dowager?"

At the mention of Feng Qi, the young prince's face immediately cooled, emitting a light snort through his small nostrils. "She has no time for this prince now!"

The hand stroking the child's head paused. Rarely hearing his son speak in such a tone, Tuoba Hong frowned. "How dare you speak of the Empress Dowager thus? Do you know nothing of propriety?"

As if provoked, the boy's large eyes instantly widened round, his clear voice ringing with anger: "This prince knows nothing of propriety? Then does she understand propriety? Consorting with men in the rear palace - is that an Empress Dowager's propriety?"

These words struck Tuoba Hong like a thunderbolt from clear skies. His mind went blank, only vaguely hearing himself ask: "Who taught you to say these words?" Indeed, many couldn't bear to see him and Feng Qi coexisting peacefully, often whispering in their ears, seeking advantages from their conflicts. But Hong was so young - what could he possibly understand?

"Who taught this prince? This prince saw it with my own eyes! That man was Li Yi, younger brother of Southern Department Minister Li Fu! I'd seen him at palace banquets before, never knowing he had such relations with the Empress Dowager!" Though merely three years old, having grown up in the palace, Tuoba Hong understood what he should understand, and knew what he shouldn't. Moreover, this matter was no secret in the Empress Dowager's residence. Their Xianbei tribe didn't heavily emphasize Confucian propriety - even Feng Qi, who admired Han Confucianism, merely wore Han clothing and chanted Buddhist scriptures. In conduct, she completely lacked the restraint of Han women. Strangely, the palace attendants had unanimously kept this secret from the Emperor.

Having made his accusation, the young prince was still indignantly lifting his small face when he saw his recently recovered father silently rise, summoning attendants to wash and dress him. That handsome face showed no expression, emanating terrifying murderous aura. Tuoba Hong faintly understood why none dared reveal Feng Qi's secret to the Emperor - none dared bear the Son of Heaven's wrath. But the prince didn't quite comprehend why his father's reaction seemed to transcend mere anger at the Empress Dowager's debauchery.

Watching Tuoba Hong stride away, the young prince sat dazed on the bed before suddenly starting up. Hastily summoning attendants to dress him quickly, he pattered out in his shoes. But when he rushed into the Empress Dowager's palace, he saw drops of fresh blood. His father stood holding a sharp sword, its tip still dripping crimson. Li Yi lay on the ground, a bloody hole in his chest, already lifeless.Tuoba Hong's face turned pale as a sheet. Only then did he realize that Li Yi's features bore some resemblance to his late father's—both were young and handsome with deep-set eyes. A profound shiver ran through Tuoba Hong's body. Subconsciously sensing he had stumbled upon an extremely hidden secret, he didn't enter the hall but instead timidly stood beneath the windows outside.

Feng Qi was currently chanting scriptures in the Buddhist hall when she hurried over upon being notified by the palace attendant. Yet she paused mid-step upon seeing the already deceased Li Yi. She no longer resembled the plain, mourning figure from three years ago, now dressed in loose, flowing crimson robes embroidered with gold, cinched at the waist with a goose-yellow sash. Her wide sleeves and skirt fluttered rapidly as she moved, exuding an unparalleled grace and nobility. A light dusting of rouge adorned her face—even Tuoba Hong had never seen Feng Qi so stunningly beautiful. For a moment, he was stunned, but then he remembered for whom she had adorned herself so meticulously, and his anger surged even more.

By now, Feng Qi had taken in the scene inside the hall. A flicker of resentment crossed her exquisitely beautiful face before she perfectly concealed it. Gazing calmly at the blood-dripping blade in Tuoba Hong's hand, she said lightly, "Your Majesty has just recovered from a serious illness. Why not rest properly instead of coming to my quarters?"

Tuoba Hong tightened his grip on the sword hilt. In truth, he shouldn't have been so impulsive. He could have found a pretext and taken his time—there would have been no fear of Li Yi not meeting a fitting end.

He had truly only wanted to see what kind of person this Li Yi was. But upon laying eyes on this young man who bore some resemblance to him, he couldn't contain the overwhelming rage in his heart.

Clearly, wasn't he the one who most resembled his father?

Clearly, wasn't he the one who first found her weeping among the hibiscus flowers?

Clearly, wasn't he the one she first sought to rely on?

Why was he the one who couldn't?

Tuoba Hong heard his own voice speaking calmly: "Minister of the Southern Department Li Fu has been accused of accepting bribes. Li Yi just now refused to confess and spoke insolently to me. In a fit of rage, I acted rashly."

Feng Qi raised her willow-leaf eyebrows and sneered sarcastically, "Does Your Majesty truly do everything as he pleases, treating the Censorate as mere decoration? I truly cannot feel at ease entrusting the Great Wei Dynasty to Your Majesty. It seems I must resume attending court tomorrow."

Tuoba Hong's face stiffened. He knew he had gone too far today. In her anger, Feng Qi was threatening to reclaim the court authority she had relinquished just a year ago.

With elegant poise, Feng Qi knelt down, disregarding how her magnificent robes were stained in the pool of blood. Gently, she closed Li Yi's wide-open eyes with her hand, then rose and left without a trace of attachment.

"Those who cling to desire are like holding a torch against the wind—they are bound to burn their hands..." Feng Qi's bloodstained robes left a mottled trail in the hall, slowly drying as she softly chanted, becoming an ugly bloodstain.

Tuoba Hong staggered as if scalded. His body, still weakened from illness, could no longer hold the long sword. It clattered to the ground with a loud crash, echoing endlessly through the empty hall.

AD 471

"You've gone mad!" Feng Qi pushed open the doors of the administration hall and glared furiously at Tuoba Hong seated behind the desk.Tuoba Hong's brush remained steady as he finished transcribing the Buddhist scripture with fluid strokes. Only then did he set down the brush and lift his head, smiling at Feng Qi who had arrived uninvited. He found that the Buddha truly provided a wonderful refuge. Since abandoning worldly affairs last year to devote himself wholeheartedly to Buddhist practice, his heart had grown much more tranquil. Even upon seeing her again, not a single ripple stirred in the calm lake of his heart—he regarded the woman before him with purely appreciative eyes.

Feng Qi was taken aback by his gaze. She had grown accustomed to this young man looking at her with admiration or passionate intensity, never expecting such serene and composed observation. Only then did Feng Qi realize that Tuoba Hong was already eighteen years old—just two years from adulthood by Han Chinese customs. Yet the man seated before her already carried the majestic presence of an emperor, much like Tuoba Jun who had constantly accompanied her many years ago.

Feng Qi smoothed the stray strands of hair dislodged by her hurried arrival, struggling to keep her voice calm. She took a deep breath but couldn't conceal the overwhelming fury in her heart: "Your Majesty, you are only eighteen this year. Why would you consider abdicating?"

Tuoba Hong caressed the freshly dried scripture and smiled. "With you managing state affairs, I am at ease."

Feng Qi felt her breath catch in her chest. Was he complaining that she hadn't relinquished power to him? But wasn't he the one who had arbitrarily executed her male favorite? Was she not even allowed to vent her anger? She wanted to voice these questions aloud, but encountering Tuoba Hong's placid, water-like gaze made her realize that even if she asked, he would certainly not respond. Clenching her jaw until her voice seemed squeezed through her teeth, she spoke word by deliberate word: "You would entrust the throne to Tuoba Hong? He's merely four years old!"

Tuoba Hong maintained his gentle smile. "Are you not still here?" He lowered his eyelids, concealing the emotions in his eyes. What difference did it make between four and eighteen? He would rather be an unburdened retired emperor, leaving behind the palace that had imprisoned him for the first half of his life. Beyond these walls stretched vast skies and boundless clouds—why cling to what was never truly his to begin with?

The throne had never belonged to him.

Power had never belonged to him.

She... had never belonged to him either.

Feng Qi tightened her grip on the purple sandalwood prayer beads in her hand, her voice cold as ice. "This grieving mother asks you one final time—are you determined to abdicate?"

"Yes." Tuoba Hong lifted his head again, his smile as light as the breeze.

A frosty glint flashed in Feng Qi's phoenix eyes as she snorted coldly. "Then do not regret this decision later." With these words, she turned and swept out of the room in a flutter of sleeves.

Tuoba Hong stared blankly at her retreating figure for a long moment before smiling self-deprecatingly and picking up his brush to continue transcribing scriptures.

In August, under brilliant sunshine and cloudless skies, Tuoba Hong personally led his four-year-old son Tuoba Hong into the main hall during the abdication ceremony, then lifted him onto the Dragon Throne. Tuoba Hong knew he might not be the youngest emperor in history, but he was certainly among the youngest retired emperors.

Feng Qi stood to the side, dressed in crimson-purple phoenix-patterned robes, watching coldly with her thin lips pressed into a tight line.

Tuoba Hong paid her no mind, standing beside the Dragon Throne as he gently stroked his son's head and asked softly: "Hong'er, why are you crying?"

Tuoba Hong had long been weeping bitterly, clutching his father's sleeve while sobbing: "Does Father not want me anymore...""How could I not want Hong'er? It's just that Father is tired. Hong'er will understand, won't you?" Tuoba Hong'an's smile faded. He knew how irresponsible this act was, but since he was merely a decoration in the palace anyway, why subject himself to further humiliation? He had once desired power, but after trying, he realized he couldn't do it as well as Feng Qi. The intricate power struggles at court were beyond his straightforward nature. Though their conflicts had been minor over the years, letting this continue would inevitably lead to irreparable tragedy. Feng Qi needed only a puppet, and the young Tuoba Hong would surely better suit her wishes.

"Father..." Tuoba Hong continued crying, refusing to let go. He didn't understand much else, but he knew that from this day forward, his father would be moving out of the palace. Raised solely by his father since infancy, even after being entrusted to Feng Qi's tutelage at age two, he had never been allowed to stay overnight with her, always returning to his father each evening. But if his father left the palace... what would become of him?

Tuoba Hong'an used his sleeve to gently wipe the tears from Tuoba Hong's small face, then slowly pried open the tiny fingers clutching his robe. Steeling his heart, he slowly knelt on one knee beside the Dragon Throne. From this angle, he could see Feng Qi's furious phoenix eyes glaring from the other side.

Yes, years ago, she had taught him that aside from the Buddha, he need not kneel to anyone.

But this time was different. He was no longer emperor—what was wrong with kneeling to the sovereign he had chosen himself?

Tuoba Hong'an lifted the hem of Tuoba Hong's dragon robe, bowed his head, and reverently pressed a light kiss to the corner of his lips.

"All hail the Emperor."

He was entrusting this nation to him. Though not immediately, he believed the Great Wei Dynasty would flourish under Tuoba Hong's reign.

"All hail the Emperor!!!" The officials in the hall prostrated themselves in unison, their shouts echoing to the heavens. In the entire grand hall, only Feng Qi stood tall, her expression unreadable as she watched the scene unfold.

Hidden in her sleeve was a piece of paper taken by a eunuch from Tuoba Hong'an's study, covered with the same sentence written over and over:

"From love arises sorrow, from sorrow arises fear. If one is free from love, what sorrow or fear can there be?"

If one is free from love, what sorrow or fear?!

Feng Qi crumpled the paper in her sleeve, a flash of resentment crossing her exquisitely beautiful face.

He would regret this...

Year 472.

Tuoba Hong'an stood with his hands behind his back in the courtyard, admiring the red plum blossoms under the falling snow, utterly at ease.

Since moving out of the palace, Tuoba Hong'an had been in a state of complete relaxation, feeling for the first time that his fate was in his own hands. He refused visitors, completely detached from the court, spending his days copying Buddhist scriptures and enjoying the garden scenery, living a life of tranquil leisure. Though only nineteen and supposedly unsuited to such a reclusive existence, he cherished this lifestyle deeply.

"Your Majesty, Eunuch Shang from the palace insists on seeing you for urgent matters," a servant reported at the garden gate. Though the Retired Emperor had ordered no visitors, they were longtime attendants who knew Eunuch Shang Xie was not to be slighted.Tuoba Hong was taken aback for a moment before immediately turning and striding toward the front hall. He knew that if it were an ordinary matter, Shang Xie would never have come to disturb him. As he hurried along the corridor, his pace quickened, and a growing sense of foreboding swelled in his heart.

"Grand Emperor!" Shang Xie, who had been pacing anxiously back and forth in the front hall, rushed forward as soon as he saw Tuoba Hong. "Grand Emperor, the Emperor has been summoned by the Grand Empress Dowager for instruction. I don’t know what displeased her, but he has been locked in the woodshed for two days and three nights! It is said that the Grand Empress Dowager hasn’t sent him any food at all!"

Upon hearing this, Tuoba Hong was utterly stunned. He had never imagined that Feng Qi would treat Tuoba Hong so harshly. The child was only five years old, and in this bitterly cold season, even half an hour in the woodshed would be unbearable, let alone two days and three nights without food...

Tuoba Hong felt as if all the blood in his body had reversed course in an instant. Without a second thought for his casual attire or his loosely tied hair, and without even waiting for a carriage to be prepared, he ordered a horse to be brought and galloped straight toward the palace.

Leaning unsteadily on his cane, Shang Xie watched the hoofprints in the snow with unease and let out a long, heavy sigh.

Curled up in the dark, cramped woodshed, Tuoba Hong glanced disdainfully at the meat pie in his hand but couldn’t resist taking a bite.

Truth be told, Feng Qi hadn’t actually done anything extreme to him, but Tuoba Hong disliked her intensely and deliberately opposed her at every turn. This time, he had been sent to the woodshed to reflect on his behavior, but he saw it as a perfect opportunity.

Puffing out his cheeks, Tuoba Hong forced himself to swallow the meat pie, thinking that this might be the chance to get his father to visit him. It had been a whole month since he last saw his father after the New Year’s state banquet! And with his father so devout in his Buddhist practices, he was genuinely afraid that his father might impulsively decide to become a monk. Besides, he hadn’t exactly lied—Feng Qi hadn’t sent him any food, but she hadn’t stopped his eunuchs from bringing it either. He had been at the Empress Dowager’s for two days and three nights, and Chief Eunuch Shang, unaware of the full situation, couldn’t be blamed for imagining the worst.

Hearing the signal—a eunuch outside imitating a cat’s meow—Tuoba Hong quickly shoved the unfinished meat pie behind a pile of firewood in the corner. He vigorously patted his cheeks to redden them, then huddled on the ground, knees drawn to his chest.

When Tuoba Hong pushed open the woodshed door, he saw his son lying pitifully on the cold, hard ground, curled up helplessly. His little face was flushed, perhaps from fever, and his small body trembled intermittently from the cold. Overwhelmed with anguish, Tuoba Hong rushed forward, scooped his son into his arms, and immediately carried him away from the place, heading straight to the bedchambers to summon the imperial physician.

"Father... you’ve finally come to see me..." Tuoba Hong opened his large eyes, gazing affectionately at his long-unseen father.

"Yes, I’m here," Tuoba Hong replied, his heart aching even more at the sound of his son’s hoarse voice. He tightened his embrace.

Tuoba Hong nuzzled against his father’s chest, feeling how cold it was. It dawned on him that his father hadn’t even worn a fur coat—he must have rushed over as soon as he heard the news. Filled with both heartache and contentment, the young boy lifted his face and pleaded, "Father... it seems I’m not suited to be emperor. Would you take back the throne of the Great Wei Dynasty?"Indeed, this had been the young emperor's wish for some time now. He detested this cold, lifeless palace, loathed the empty Dragon bed, and despised having to see that woman every single day. He longed to return to the past, when even though he had to receive instruction from Feng Qi daily, he could still have his father's company every day.

Tuoba Hong stepped into the warm bedchamber and gently placed Tuoba Hong on the bed. Wiping the charcoal smudges from his face, he suppressed his anger and spoke softly, "Hong'er, do you think being emperor is child's play? You are already the emperor of the Great Wei Dynasty, and this cannot be changed."

Tuoba Hong pouted in disappointment.

Warming the child's icy hands with his own, a sharp glint flashed in Tuoba Hong's eyes as he declared firmly, "However, this time I shall be your blade. The Buddha said: lay down the butcher's knife and attain instant enlightenment. For my son, what does it matter if I lay aside the Buddha and take up the butcher's knife again?"

Tuoba Hong was left speechless, his mouth agape. This... was completely different from what he had expected!

Year 476 AD.

Tuoba Hong dismounted deftly at the palace gates, handed the reins to a guard, removed his helmet, and strode into the palace. As the retired emperor, he was not required to disarm his sword nor wait for summons to enter.

Gazing upon the long-unseen palace grounds, Tuoba Hong felt a wave of nostalgia for home. Although before turning eighteen, he had always viewed this place as a cage. But five years of leading troops across various battlefields had filled him with longing for this place. Watching the eunuchs and palace maids bowing successively along his path, their faces showing genuine reverence and fear, Tuoba Hong smiled with satisfaction.

Five years ago, realizing that retreat could not grant him true freedom, Tuoba Hong had decided to create a protective shelter for his son. Since he couldn't contend with Feng Qi in court, he turned his focus to the military.

Though raised by palace women, Tuoba Hong had never neglected his training in archery and military strategy as emperor of the Xianbei tribe. He finally understood then that to avoid being looked down upon, one must possess formidable strength. Fortunately, he had already abdicated in favor of Tuoba Hong - as the reigning emperor, he would never have been able to lead troops personally. Over these five years, he had expanded territories through northern and southern campaigns externally, while internally, with his growing influence, he could inspect and reorganize the bureaucracy, promoting the worthy and capable. Through sustained diligent governance and balanced internal-external development, he would surely create a clear and stable world for Tuoba Hong. At only twenty-three years old, he still had a long future ahead.

The more Tuoba Hong thought about it, the more ambitious he felt. He wasn't particularly ambitious by nature - he simply wanted to protect the only person he cared about. When Tuoba Hong grew up, he could gradually transfer state affairs to him.

Remembering that his son was now nine years old and that he hadn't seen him for over a year during this campaign, Tuoba Hong wondered if the boy had been eating well and if he had grown taller. His pace quickened, but just as he was about to exit the corridor, a eunuch rushed forward and bowed before him, saying respectfully, "Your retired majesty, the grand empress dowager requests your presence."

Tuoba Hong narrowed his eyes slightly, hesitated for only a moment, then nodded and said, "Lead the way."Following the eunuch through the winding corridors, Tuoba Hong momentarily lost track of their location. Having rarely returned over the past five years, he found the palace newly renovated. It was midsummer, with flowers blooming in vibrant competition. Admiring the beautiful scenery, Tuoba Hong felt his mind ease. The eunuch finally stopped before a pavilion in a lotus garden.

Gazing at the graceful figure warming wine and admiring blossoms in the pavilion, Tuoba Hong felt his heart pound fiercely.

Even though this woman now stood on the opposite side, even though he had long severed any delusions about her, at the moment he saw her, he ultimately couldn't deceive his own heart.

Hadn't his military campaigns abroad also been an attempt to avoid her?

Tuoba Hong sighed silently and stepped onto the stone stairs leading to the pavilion, ascending step by step.

Hearing the crisp clinking of armor, Feng Qi turned her head and saw a handsome young man approaching in the sunlight. He carried his helmet, clad in silver armor, exceptionally dashing and heroic. Between his brows brimmed the awe-inspiring, commanding aura tempered on the battlefield. The sunlight reflecting off his armor was almost blindingly brilliant, so majestic he seemed like a celestial general descended to earth.

Feng Qi couldn't help but narrow her phoenix eyes. Her previously firm resolve wavered violently before she forcibly suppressed it again.

At this moment, Tuoba Hong also looked up, gazing at Feng Qi standing among the hibiscus flowers. Dressed in lake-blue robes, she outshone the blossoms themselves. Time had left few traces on her face—she remained as stunningly beautiful as ever. Tuoba Hong felt his mind grow dazed, almost believing he had returned to that first encounter with her years ago. Back then, she had also worn a lake-blue palace maid's dress, hiding among hibiscus flowers while weeping softly...

The scene now was essentially unchanged.

Though her lips were curved upward, her expression looked ready to dissolve into tears.

Tuoba Hong could clearly see a mask covering her face, concealing her gentleness and replacing it with calculation and indifference.

He knew that if he wanted, if he just reached out, he could tear away that mask and see her former self again. He also knew that if she wanted, if she just lifted a hand, she could remove that dignified facade.

Yet neither of them moved.

After their eyes met for an instant, they simultaneously averted their gazes.

She still wore that mask, and he still clenched his fists.

Feng Qi knew the mask she wore could easily be removed, but she also understood that when worn too long, even she wouldn't remember how to take it off. Gradually, the self beneath the mask had transformed into the mask's likeness—the her of the past was long gone.

She heard herself speak with a blossoming smile: "Hong'er, you've returned. Will you share a drink with me?"

Feng Qi knew this handsome young man before her wouldn't refuse. He was madly infatuated with her, even now.

The Xianbei people weren't like the Han—it wasn't unusual for fathers, sons, and brothers to share wives. Back then, had she merely relented slightly, she could have easily controlled this young emperor through love.

But she didn't want to use such methods against him. She wanted a perfect emperor who could succeed Tuoba Jun. She arranged consorts for him, watched his sons be born, hoping to see a powerful emperor emerge who could lead the empire Tuoba Jun left behind to prosperity.

Yet she had been disappointed. He actually turned to Buddhist devotion? To abdicating the throne? Even to leading troops in battle?

Such an emperor was better off discarded.

She would take over the empire Jun left behind. Because this empire should have belonged to her grandfather, now it belonged to her, and she would give it to no one.Feng Qi watched Tuoba Hong set down his helmet and sit before her. She rolled up her cloud-patterned sleeves and personally poured him wine, observing as he slowly drank every drop of the poisoned wine she had specially prepared for him.

When she saw his handsome eyes suddenly widen in disbelief, blood continuously trickling from the corner of his lips, Feng Qi felt her heart pierced as if by needles—as though she were the one who had consumed the poison.

So, she had truly changed.

It was she who refused to relinquish power and governance; it was she who had truly fallen into the vortex of authority.

Only because her life now held nothing but power, and thus she could not let go.

Just as a shattered Buddha statue, once its true form is broken, ceases to be a Buddha.

Just as she was no longer the merciful Bodhisattva of years past, having long since fallen and transformed into an Asura amidst the ferocity of time.

Feng Qi gently tucked a stray strand of hair behind her ear and sighed softly, "The Buddha spoke of seven sufferings in life: birth, aging, sickness, death, encountering the hated, parting from the loved, and unfulfilled desires..."

In 476 AD, Tuoba Hong, Emperor Xianwen of Northern Wei, was poisoned by the Grand Empress Dowager Feng Qi at the age of twenty-three.

The next day, Tuoba Hong suppressed the fury in his chest as he waited before the Buddhist hall for Feng Qi's summons. Just as his father had done eleven years prior, he pushed open the doors of that hall and saw the shattered Dushan jade Buddha, its head separated from its body.

In 493 AD, Tuoba Hong moved the capital to Luoyang and began constructing the renowned Longmen Grottoes.

In 499 AD, Tuoba Hong, Emperor Xiaowen of Northern Wei, fell ill and died suddenly at the age of thirty-three.

The curse of the Buddha statue continued...

2012 AD, Longmen Grottoes, Luoyang.

"Wow... it's truly magnificent..." In the pitch-black night, beneath the majestic statues of the Binyang Central Cave, stood a young man wearing a black shirt embroidered with crimson dragon patterns. But these words weren't spoken by him.

Perched on the Boss's shoulder was a rabbit doll—this was the Doctor. Finding the paulownia wood puppet too inconvenient, he recalled the concept of gigai from an anime he'd seen before and realized that a soft doll would be easier to control in his condition. Thus, he had asked the Boss to find him a doll to try. Though he felt somewhat helpless about this soft, adorable form, being able to control the doll's limbs himself was far preferable to the immobile wooden puppet, so the Doctor was quite satisfied.

Still, a more imposing lion or tiger design would have been better. The Doctor twitched the overly long rabbit ears with some resignation. But he soon became distracted by the story the Boss had just told. "Boss, is that jade Buddha in your hand the very same Dushan jade Buddha? Is there really such a bizarre curse?"

In the Boss's brocade box lay a serene jade Buddha, its neck adorned with a golden ring that perfectly concealed what would have been a fierce crack, making it appear as though the Buddha was simply wearing decorative jewelry. The Boss lowered his gaze calmly and said, "Indeed. After Emperor Taiwu, nearly every Northern Wei emperor failed to live past their prime. Emperor Xiaowen Tuoba Hong lived the longest, primarily because he was diligent in governance and loved his people, and also constructed the Longmen Grottoes. In truth, he built the grottoes not for himself, but to pray for blessings for his late father. That's why after his death, Tuoba Hong was posthumously honored with the temple name 'Xiao' (Filial).""This solitary jade Buddha carries the curse of an emperor, so it should be able to suppress the imperial aura of this land." The Boss sighed softly. When he had presented this solitary jade Buddha to Emperor Taiwu of Northern Wei years ago, it wasn't for such a purpose. Jade is an auspicious object, but broken jade becomes an evil entity, and a shattered jade Buddha is utterly corrupted. All the surface-level benevolence that maintains superficial peace cannot conceal the darkness within.

The Doctor watched as the Boss buried this solitary jade Buddha in the Binyang Central Cave, treating it with the same reverence as the Celestial Battle-Axe, and couldn't help but murmur: "The Celestial Battle-Axe represents imperial suspicion, so what does this solitary jude Buddha represent?"

The Boss remained silent for a long time before sighing faintly: "Life has seven sufferings - birth, aging, sickness, death, meeting those one hates, parting from those one loves, and unfulfilled desires... Even emperors are but mortal beings, unable to escape these seven sufferings of the human world..."

(End of Chapter)