The statues and murals of Kizil Thousand Buddha Caves were all painted in the Zhiti Cave, which is about 300 miles away from the city of Kucha. The murals mainly tell the stories of the Buddha, marriage and previous lives.
But no matter what, all the murals and statues are meant to show the hardships and ascetic days that the Buddha experienced when he practiced the Bodhisattva path in his previous life.
This will allow all living beings to respect the Buddha's deeds and believe in his miraculous powers and compassion for the world.
"Legend has it that in ancient times, many years earlier than now, there was a craftsman in the Kingdom of Kucha who fell in love with the daughter of the King of Kucha. In order to get this beloved princess, the King of Kucha requested that if he carved a thousand such caves on this cliff, he would marry the princess to the craftsman. Then the craftsman chiseled... chiseled... chiseled here every day..."
"Then what? Did the King of Kucha agree to the craftsman's request?"
"Can you not be so anxious to listen to the story? How about I just tell you the result directly? The important process, do you understand the process? The love that is pledged to each other, do you understand?" Li Hong said, riding on the horse's back, glaring at Xiaoxue who wrapped herself up like a dumpling.
"Then go ahead and I won't interrupt you."
"Then they completed carving out 999 caves. When he got to the 1,000th cave, the craftsman died of exhaustion. The princess rushed over after hearing the news, and when she saw that her beloved had died, she cried herself to death. Her tears flowed for nine days and nine nights, and then the tears became a thread, forming this Tear Spring. Look, water is still bubbling out of it." Li Hong said as he passed by the Tear Spring to prove the authenticity of his story.
"Why are your stories always like this? I thought this time it would be like the last time when Meng Jiangnu cried at the Great Wall, and the princess would cry so hard that the cliff would collapse. Alas..." Banmei didn't know why she sighed at the end.
...
...
"Banmei, what do you mean? If you sigh again, I won't tell you stories anymore." Li Hong was dissatisfied with Banmei's sigh, as if the stories he told were not good.
"Humph, the princess of my Kucha Kingdom is not a fool. How could she fall in love with a craftsman?" Ze Luo was also riding on a horse, but after being tortured by the lawless for a night, he looked haggard, his hair was messy, his face was bruised and purple, and his eye circles were like a panda's.
"Zhe Luo, I think you didn't get beaten enough yesterday, right? Why does the princess look down on craftsmen?" Li Hong glanced at him.
Ze Luo was a ruthless guy. When the Tang Dynasty attacked the city, he took the lead in subduing Bai Sunizhi and other family members, and then took advantage of the chaos to imprison them in Kizil Grottoes.
In order to avenge Bai Suniji for killing his brother, he actually allowed the King of Kucha to display his artistic talent here, and the whole family was imprisoned here to paint murals.
Lawless rushed back from the grassland overnight, but he only brought back a part of the people, and the rest remained on the grassland.
After Li Hong entered the Anxi Protectorate and became the Grand Protector of Anxi, the area bordering Kucha and Ashina Duzhi changed completely.
In the past, it was always the troops of Ashina Duzhi who harassed the border towns and villages of Qiuci during the cold winter and carried out bandit-like looting.
But since Li Hong came, this border area, including the deep grasslands inside, has become a place for the Tang Dynasty soldiers to graze, patrol, and have fun.
Every day, thousands of cavalrymen roam the grassland like wandering ghosts, setting up camp wherever they go. As for food, they either take what is available locally or eat the dry food they bring with them.
As a result, Ashina Duzhi and Li Zhapu had to stay like turtles for the entire winter, huddled deep in the grassland, enduring hunger and cold, and not daring to take a single step forward.
Led by Zhe Luo, the group walked slowly along the foot of the mountain range until they came to a sheltered place. Then they saw what looked like a small village not far away. Above the thatched houses, wisps of smoke were rising.
This small village is backed by green mountains, which can just block the cold northwest wind. The bird's nest-like cave on the cliff is also very close to here. I think this is where Bai Sunizhi is imprisoned.
Li Hong stared at the small village not far ahead, and unconsciously felt a wave of elegance. He couldn't help but think in his heart that if he had not been born into the royal family, it would not be bad to live in such a peaceful place like in his previous lives.
"I built my hut in a human world, yet there is no noise of carriages and horses. I ask you how you could do that? Your heart is far away and the place is secluded. Sitting under the eastern fence, I can leisurely see the southern mountains. The mountain air is beautiful at dusk, and the birds fly back and forth. There is a true meaning in this, but I have forgotten the words to express it. Alas... I am afraid that only this poem by Tao Qian can describe the scene before my eyes." Li Hong racked his brains and thought for a long time, but the answer is still a poem by a poet from the Eastern Jin Dynasty. He could only sigh deeply and said, "Sir Tao, you are awesome."
Everyone dismounted at the intersection of the small village. The team of about a thousand people had already alarmed the people in the small village.
Li Hong stopped at the entrance of the village. There were only about a dozen households in this village, and people came out from time to time.
These people were wearing handcuffs and shackles, wearing thin clothes, and had dull eyes. Only when they saw Zhe Luo did they regain a little bit of their spirit.
"Which one is Bai Sunizhi?" Li Hong turned his head and looked at Ze Luo and asked.
Ze Luo was pushed forward by Wufawutian and began to walk towards Baisunizhi's thatched hut.
Li Hong followed behind him, feeling very lucky that Bai Chun didn't follow him. Otherwise, Ze Luo would probably have been chopped into stuffing by Bai Chun and used to make dumplings to feed the dog.
Looking at Xiaoxue and the others, Li Hong whispered, "Don't tell Bai Chun about these circumstances when you go back. If that woman knew about this tragic scene, she would cry to death."
"What are you doing here again?" An old voice sounded weakly as Zhe Luo pushed open the door and stepped into the yard.
"You have almost paid off the debt you owe me, so I will let you go today." Ze Luo was also very annoyed. He did not expect that among Bai Sunizhi's thirteen daughters, the only one who escaped the net, was actually a favorite of His Royal Highness the Crown Prince of the Tang Dynasty and had a special relationship with the Crown Prince.
After confirming Bai Sunizhi's identity, without waiting for Li Hong to speak, Wufawutian, Xiaoxue and the other three girls started to walk up to Bai Sunizhi and help him open his handcuffs and shackles. They also took out the packages on the horse's back and immediately put thick new cotton coats on Bai Sunizhi and the others.
Bai Suni was so thin and hunched that he no longer had the elegance and grace of the former King of Kucha. His gray hair was scattered on his head, flying around in the wind. He watched his handcuffs and shackles being opened and a woman putting a thick new cotton coat on him, his eyes full of confusion.
The silent Forgotten glanced at Zhe Luo, and then his eyes were fixed on Li Hong. Looking at Li Hong standing there with an imposing and elegant demeanor, with his vision as a superior for many years, he knew at a glance that the leader here was this young man.
"What do you want to do?" Bai Sunizhi asked coldly, not knowing the young man's identity.
Just after he finished asking the question, he heard the sounds of handcuffs and shackles being taken off sporadically throughout the small village. Bai Sunizhi couldn't help but frown, and stood up with difficulty. He looked out from the fence wall that was as high as an ordinary person's waist, and saw that all his family members had their handcuffs and shackles taken off.
"Who are you from the Tang Dynasty?" Bai Sunizhi knew very well Ze Luo's status in the Tang Dynasty. It was he who introduced the Tang Dynasty troops into Qiuci City.
So he didn't believe at this moment that these people were here to save him. But looking at Zheruo's dark eyes and bruised cheeks, as well as his disheveled hair, he felt a little confused, wondering who these people were.
There are only thirty or forty people in this small village. Apart from Bai Suni, there are his sons. As for his daughter-in-law, she had already been taken in by Ze Luo.
Li Hong was not curious at all. There were only a few old women in their fifties and sixties in this small village. If they were younger, Ze Luo would definitely not stay here.
"How many people are here?" Li Hong looked at the villagers crowding in front of Bai Sunizhi's thatched house. He took Bai Sunizhi's hand and sat down with him on two rough chairs.
"Forty-seven people." Bai Sunizhi glanced at the family in front of him and replied indifferently.
"Quite a few. Let's go back to Qiuci City first. After you recover from your injuries, I will send you to Taiyi City. Someone will receive you there. By the way, is there anything else in Qiuci City that you are worried about? I have found all your families that I can find. They are all waiting for you to come back in Qiuci City." Li Hong wore a big white fur coat, looking dignified and calm.
Bai Sunizhi looked at Li Hong. This young man must be no ordinary person. He wondered if he was the Crown Prince of the Tang Dynasty. But he rejected the idea in an instant.
His Royal Highness, the Crown Prince of the Tang Dynasty! How noble must that be? How could he condescend to come to this place in person and rescue me?
But the doubts in his heart were growing. The more he overturned his own guesses, the more he wanted to know the identity of this young man.
"Excuse me, but may I ask who you are?" Bai Sunizhi couldn't resist his curiosity. His weather-beaten old face was marked with traces of time.
"Li Hong." Li Hong patted his legs and continued, "He is the crown prince of the Tang Dynasty and now Bai Chun's master."
Seeing Li Hong looking at him with a smile on his face, Bai Sunizhi felt unnatural for no reason.
In the end, he didn't expect that it was the Thirteenth Girl, the one he least valued and least loved, who saved him.
Bai Chun was very smart, beautiful and generous since she was a child. In Qiuci, at a young age, she was already a beauty known throughout the Western Regions. At that time, there were countless princes from other foreign countries who wanted to marry him, but he rejected them all.
Because at that time, the borders of Qiuci had been shrinking, and too much territory was occupied by other people. Bai Chun was sent to the Tang Dynasty in the hope of learning some of the Tang Dynasty's cultural etiquette so that he could marry the prince of the Tang Dynasty or even the emperor. But he didn't expect that by mistake, he became the prince's slave.
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