The snow stopped.

The Buddhist temple built on the hillside stands majestically in the pure white snow. The towering pagodas and the glazed roofs reflect the golden sunlight after the snow.

The people outside the temple did not disperse; they knelt in the snow and prayed devoutly day and night.

Bisha stood outside the palace gate, raised her head, and saw splendor and magnificence everywhere.

Prayer flags of various shapes and sizes, painted with pictures and words, were hung all over the corridors and courtyards. The cold wind whipped the flags violently, and the sound of the wind rose and fell inside and outside the temple.

These are prayer flags for Yao Ying.

She suddenly became drowsy and her pulse was weak.

The doctors had never encountered such a strange disease before, and the Tianzhu doctor was even more confused. He had cured Yaoying's old illness. She insisted on taking medicine. She had not suffered any serious internal injuries during this period. Her body was no different from that of an ordinary person. Why would she remain unconscious? Since they could not find the cause of her coma, they naturally could not prescribe medicine. They could only boil some Qi-boosting soup and feed it to her.

After the snow, the sky cleared up and the long-awaited warm weather came to the royal court. The rivers were unfrozen and the melted water from the glaciers rolled down. Spring was approaching, new buds were sprouting green, and the banks of the river were full of vitality, but she was drenched in ice and lifeless.

Li Zhongqian said that Yao Ying had been in the same situation a few years ago. At that time, the doctor advised him to prepare for his death. He was disheartened. Unexpectedly, Yao Ying suddenly woke up miraculously a few days later, and then recovered as usual, eating two bowls of hot soup cakes with duck oil in one breath. The guards remembered that Yao Ying also fainted during the assassination attempt, and was dying like now, but soon recovered.

Yuan Jue said hopefully, "Perhaps Princess Wen Zhao is just too happy and emotionally excited. She will be fine in two days."

Now three days have passed and Yaoying still hasn't woken up.

Bisha turned and walked into the inner hall.

The personal guards stood outside the felt curtain, their eyes red and their heads hung in dejection.

He continued walking inside.

A roar came from under the low felt curtain. Li Zhongqian had a gloomy face. He pointed at several Han doctors who had rushed in from various places and urged them to boil the medicine. The doctors answered cautiously.

Without disturbing Li Zhongqian, Bisha walked around the screen and lifted the pearl curtain.

A warm feeling came over my face and the charcoal fire crackled.

Yaoying's body was cold, so Tanmarajiva had someone light a brazier, making the room as warm as spring. The dead branches in the copper bottle even sprouted green buds, but her body was still cold.

The felt carpets were covered with prayer flags, which were scattered all over the floor.

A figure, with his back to Bisa, knelt in front of the Buddha statue, holding Buddhist beads in one hand and a pen in the other, writing the vow text on the prayer flags, stroke by stroke.

May the Buddha protect us with mercy and bless us with his mighty power.

All Bodhisattvas, Mahasattvas, Prajnaparamita.

Infinite life and infinite blessings.

May you be blessed with longevity, health and peace.

He wrote scriptures over and over again in Sanskrit, Chinese, and Turkic. His robes were stained with ink, and his fingers were twisted and numbed, but he did not stop even though they were bleeding.

Bisa stared at Tanmaragha in a daze.

He had never seen Roga like this before.

Roga still looks calm, but this calmness is different from the past. Hot lava flames are accumulated in the ice, which may erupt at any time and burn everything to ashes.

He copied scriptures without sleep, lost all his sanity, became insane and almost crazy.

Bi Suo's nose tip felt slightly sore.

After experiencing life and death, many ups and downs, he finally saw a glimmer of hope. Yao Ying, who had always been with him, collapsed in front of him. How could Luo Jia not go crazy?

After writing a prayer letter, Yuan Jue, whose eyes were as swollen as hills, came forward and handed out the prayer flags to hang up.

The prayer flags fluttering in the wind in front of the temple were all handwritten by Tanmarajiva himself.

From the holy city to the nearby towns and tribes, the people all raised their prayer flags together. If one could overlook the royal court from above, one would see the prayer flags of the tribes and cities, large and small, fluttering in the wind. People of different faiths made wishes to their gods together, praying that Princess Wen Zhao would return to their king.

"King..." Bi Suo's chest felt tight, "You haven't slept for days and nights, just take a rest."

Tanmarajiva raised his head, his blue eyes were empty, not only without the smoke and fire, but even the anger was gone.

He looked at Yao Ying, who was sleeping peacefully on the bed but without a breath, and the fingers of his right hand were covered in blood.

Why isn't she awake yet?

Tanmarajika raised his hand, grabbed her cold hand under the quilt, and held it tightly, trying to warm her up with his body temperature.

She didn't move, with the corners of her mouth slightly raised, as if she was smiling.

Tanmaraka stared at her, blood flowing from his fingers into her palm. He was afraid of dirtying her, so he took a handkerchief and wiped her gently, then bent down to kiss her cold palm.

"Did you hear that she prayed before the Buddha, exchanging one life for another?"

His voice was low, as if it came from underground.

Bisha's heart skipped a beat. "King, those are just rumors."

According to folk rumors, Princess Wen Zhao prayed for Tanmarajiva in front of the Buddhist temple, willing to exchange her life for his. The Buddha was moved by her infatuation, so Tanmarajiva miraculously comprehended the skills, and she immediately died.

Tanmarajika knelt in front of the couch, her blue eyes like the snow-capped mountain tops shrouded in clouds and mist all year round, cool and desolate.

When he was about to die, he saw all kinds of horrific scenes in the Avici Hell and all kinds of beauty and majesty in the Pure Land. He also saw another self, that Tanmaraka, who was struggling to survive amidst internal and external difficulties and eventually ended his life alone.

That Luo Jia did not meet her.

In the dream, he was about to die and there was no place for him in this world.

A calling voice suddenly came from afar, stopping his steps and bringing him back to his senses.

He remembered that in this life, he was not the Luoga who passed away in the royal temple. He met a woman who came to the royal court from thousands of miles away. She was standing under the sand dunes, looking ferocious and trembling slightly, and called him.

"Roga."

I'm here for you.

Tanmaraka's memory came back. He was not alone. She was waiting for him.

He awoke from the illusion of death, endured the torture of the technique, and survived.

But she left.

Just as suddenly as she came.

Like the gentle breeze or flowing clouds, she didn't care how many shocking waves it stirred up in his heart.

He prayed to the Buddha, copied the scriptures, and invited all the doctors...

She still refused to wake up.

Tanmarajiva held Yaoying's hand and let her palm rest on his head.

She used to like to look at his head, as if she couldn't get enough of it. Later, she became bolder and would touch it secretly from time to time. When she hugged him and kissed him, her face flushed, her hair was disheveled, and her slender waist twisted in his hands. Her fingertips quietly climbed up his head and gently rubbed it. Sometimes she would kiss him and leave a few wet kisses. Sometimes he couldn't help but wonder if she would be disappointed after growing his hair.

He has stubble, doesn't she like to touch it? Why doesn't he wake up?

Li Zhongqian said that she had done this before, but never slept for so long.

So long that he may never wake up again.

He lowered his head, buried his face in Yaoying's loose long hair, and closed his eyes.

A fear he had never experienced before seized his heart.

He was scared.

Tanmarajiva hugged Yaoying's cold body tightly and fell into a deep sleep.

He no longer copied scriptures or recited sutras. He stayed with her, washed her, and combed her hair, today and tomorrow, day after day, year after year.

Time flies, and youth is fleeting.

It seemed like just a blink of an eye, yet it also seemed like a long time had passed.

She in my arms suddenly murmured softly, her eyelashes trembling.

She is back.

Joy filled Tanmaraka's eyes and brows.

The next moment, he saw himself waiting in front of the bed, very old, frail, with wrinkles all over his face.

He waited for her all his life.

The wind blew into the inner hall through the cracks, a wisp of green smoke rose from the candlestick, the candle went out, and the cold moonlight poured into the felt curtain.

Tanmaraka woke up from his dream and looked at Yaoying with her eyes closed.

Li Zhongqian told his personal soldiers that this had happened several times before... When she woke up, she felt relieved... She asked him and Li Zhongqian to take good care of her. There was no surprise in her eyes, only worry and reluctance... The last time she woke up, she looked as if nothing had happened, and smiled and said it was just a minor problem... She stopped Li Zhongqian from killing Li Xuanzhen...

His green eyes slightly opened, undercurrents silently surged in his eyes, and he looked at her without blinking.

No matter where she came from, no matter who brought her to him, no matter how many secrets she had.

Now that you're here, don't think about leaving.

If she dares to leave, he will bring her back.

If a god stands in my way, I will kill the god. If a devil stands in my way, I will kill the devil.

…

Yaoying slept for a long time.

This sleep was very deep and heavy, dark and sound, just like the sound sleep she had when she was a child under the care of her mother and brothers. At that time, she was free from worries and all she had to do was take her medicine and eat her meals obediently every day.

Later she realized her situation and began to fight against her fate again and again.

Her brother was alive, the monk was alive, the Western Regions were recovered, the chaotic world was over, she felt as if a heavy burden had been lifted off her shoulders, her body floating lightly among the soft clouds, floating farther and farther, higher and higher, and her memories slowly faded away.

Pain, hardship, sorrow, joy, everything was far away from her.

She felt a little tired and wanted to continue sleeping like this, but a faint voice deep in her mind reminded her that she had to wake up.

She can't accept her fate. If it doesn't work once, she'll try again. No matter how many times, she will never give up hope.

She wants to survive.

A ray of golden light broke through the mist, and she seemed to be pulled back by an invisible force. Her tired body was filled with strength again, and a warm current surged through her limbs, followed by soreness and stiffness.

Countless sounds flooded into my ears.

Anxious, urgent, fearful, chirping.

Yao Ying slowly opened her eyes and met a pair of blood-red eyes.

He knelt beside the bed, his face thin and haggard, his green eyes staring at her without blinking, his eyes were filled with a vast sea of ​​smoke, undercurrents silently surging, and a cold light rose little by little.

Yao Ying raised her hand, "Monk..."

As soon as she opened her mouth, she found her voice was hoarse and her throat was burning.

Tanmaraka stood up, staring at her with an icy breath, and slowly approached her, holding her in his arms. He tightened his arms little by little, using very light force for fear of hurting her, but his aura became increasingly cold and fierce, as if he would never let go.

"The princess is awake!"

The stunned crowd reacted. Bisa, Mundadeva and others let out a long breath, screamed, ran around the room, and finally knelt down towards the east, kowtowing to thank the gods and Buddhas.

The sound spread outside, and there was a burst of cheers.

Li Zhongqian rushed in and went straight to the edge of the couch. He had a messy beard, dark circles under his eyes, and a somewhat vicious face. After staring at Yao Ying for a long time, the anger on his face gradually dissipated.

"Are you hungry?"

he asked, his voice gentle.

The guard stood behind him, wiping his eyes.

When Yao Ying came to her senses, she felt really hungry.

Tanmarajiva let her go and asked the doctor to come forward to check her pulse. The doctor nodded and signaled with his eyes that he had a chance to do so.

He didn't say a word during the whole process.

Yuanjue ran out and came back in a few moments later holding a large bowl. In it was a bowl of steaming hot soup cakes, each one clearly visible in white. The soup was clear and the smooth duck oil had spread out in golden oil droplets, with a refreshing fragrance that filled the air.

Yaoying didn't expect to see the long-lost duck oil hot soup cakes when she woke up. She rinsed her mouth, took the chopsticks and started eating. The soup cakes were freshly made, refreshing and chewy, and the soup was fragrant and delicious.

Tanmarajiva and Li Zhongqian watched her eat the soup cake without saying a word.

Yaoying finished eating, put down her bowl and chopsticks, and smiled: "I'm fine, you've all been tired these days, go and have a rest."

Everyone felt relieved. The doctor took her pulse again, marveled at her condition, and left. Li Zhongqian gave her a few words of advice and left with his personal guards.

The room fell silent, the pearl curtain swayed gently, and only Tanmarajiva and Yaoying were left alone.

Yao Ying knew that he must be frightened, and she frowned: "Luo Jia, I..."

She and Bisa had informed him that something might happen to her, and told him to take good care of Luoga. I just asked Bisa and Yuanjue, and it seems that Luoga has not listened to any words of advice in the past few days.

Before she could finish her words, Tanmaragha suddenly leaned over and pressed down on her, like a hunting beast, with his arms spread out, and picked her up. He placed his palms on the back of her neck and held her tightly in his arms, pressing them tightly together, their ears rubbing against each other, inseparable.

Only in this way could he be sure that she was really back and all this was not just a dream.

Li Zhongqian said that she ate soup cakes when she woke up that time, so he would have people prepare soup cakes every day for her to eat when she woke up, for fear that he had not done anything well or correctly and she would not want to come back.

His Buddha had mercy on him.

The man holding her tightly tightened his muscles and trembled slightly. The kiss on his temples was hot, intimate, and full of fear.

Yao Ying was slightly stunned and patted Tanmaragha on the back.

"I'm fine... Luo Jia, I told you I'll be fine after a good sleep."

She raised her hand to touch his face, and her fingertips felt wetness, and she was stunned.

Yaoying pushed Tanmaragha away.

He stared at her straightly, his eyebrows and eyes were picturesque, his thick eyelashes trembled slightly, and there was a gleam of tears in his deep eyes.

Tanmarajiva actually cried.

She had never seen him cry.

What does Buddha look like when he sheds tears?

He was not a worldly man, but for her, he experienced all the emotions, happiness, anger, sorrow, fear and shock.

There was a loud explosion in Yaoying's head, which shattered into pieces. She raised her hands to hold Tanmarajiva's face and kissed him tenderly and lovingly.

Tanmarajya closed his eyes, held back his tears, and hugged her tightly, his arms restraining her like iron clamps: "Don't scare me again in the future."

He couldn't stand it.

He held her too tightly, Yao Ying could hardly breathe. She nodded in his arms, her voice muffled: "No more."

Tanmo Luojia was still trembling, "Mingyue Nu, is your fainting this time related to me?"

His tone was flat, and he didn't sound like he was asking a question.

Yao Ying raised her eyes and met his gaze.

There were tears in Tanmaragha's eyes, and his gaze was heavy, like a towering mountain pressing down on his head.

Yaoying opened her mouth.

Tanmaraka lowered his head and kissed her lips. An overwhelming aura emanated from her. He penetrated deeply, sucked, and held on tightly. His hot breath blended with hers.

Yaoying tasted the salty taste.

After a long time, he let her go, panting heavily.

In the candlelight, his eyes were deep and dark, and his facial features were outlined in ink, half bright and half dark, just like Vajra Yaksha, half Buddha, half demon, with tears flashing in his eyes, cold and majestic.

Yao Ying looked at him in a daze.

"You know Haidu Aling very well, you also know Wakhan Khan, and you also knew me before you met me. You are wary of Li Xuanzhen."

He spoke word by word, his lips lingering on her temples.

Yao Ying was silent.

Tanmaraka pinched her chin and his breath fanned over her face.

"You know a lot of things that others don't know. You know which people can be used and which people are not worth using. The Taoist priests and craftsmen who develop weapons for the Western Army obey your orders. Although the elixir formula is not yours, you found the gold, stone, and grass."

"I once thought that you were sent to me by the Buddha. I will not explore your secrets or inquire about your difficulties..."

He looked into her bright eyes, as if he wanted to look into her heart. His voice was harsh and hoarse, and every word was heavy.

"Li Yaoying, please don't leave me again, or I will find you by all means."

With a slight snap, the candle went out. The night wind blew the beaded curtains, and the sound of the wind filled the inner room.

In the darkness, there seemed to be a blue flame burning in Tanmaraka's eyes, cold and restrained, yet wildly hot.

Yao Ying's heart was pounding and her eyes were turning red. She raised her hands to hook them around his back, turned over with force, pressed him down, and hugged him tightly. She let the tears that were about to burst out of her eyes fall onto his shirt on his chest. She raised her head and kissed him sloppily.

Tanmarajiva turned to the side and hugged her. He felt her soft and warm lips falling on his head and he breathed a sigh of relief gently and slowly.

Only until this moment did he feel relieved.

…

Yao Ying recovered, and the whole royal court rejoiced.

The prayer flags in every household were not removed. They continued to pray for Tanmarajiva and Yaoying, looking forward to their wedding coming soon.

Gifts of congratulations from various tribes were sent to the holy city one after another. Princess Manda also specially sent envoys to deliver generous gifts. In order to congratulate Yao Ying on getting her wish, in addition to the state gifts, she also sent a box of treasured books with beautiful writing and painting.

Li Zhongqian brought the queen's crown to Yao Ying's tent. When she saw the strings of gemstone beads hanging down almost to her ankles, her scalp tightened. If she wore this crown, her neck would have to bend.

"The two strings of beads on the crown are too heavy."

She told Tanmaraka.

"Then reduce it."

He said seriously.

"What would be a suitable replacement? Are there any taboos in the royal court?"

"No reservations," he said. "All up to you."

No matter what request Yaoying made, Yuanjue was happy to go about it. As long as the princess did not dislike the groom, any request was nothing!

The palace was renovated. According to Tanmarajiva's instructions, Han craftsmen were specially invited to repair a courtyard in the Central Plains style in the inner hall. The ceremonial officials were busy preparing for the wedding.

Seeing that Tanmarajiva's skills had improved after the practice and Yao Ying's health was getting better day by day, Li Zhongqian packed his bags and returned to Gaochang with his men.

Yaoying was also preparing to go back and asked him to wait for a few more days.

Li Zhongqian said, "I have nothing to do here, so why not go back and make arrangements first? I am your brother, and I am worried about leaving the wedding to someone else. You still have a fever, so there is no need to rush back. I will write to you after I have made arrangements."

As he said this, he rubbed her head.

Yao Ying thought about it and saw him off: "Brother, remember to write to me every few days."

"I understand, housekeeper."

Li Zhongqian said with a smile.

The sun was shining brightly, there was not a single cloud in sight, and the sky was crystal blue. He was wearing light armor and a white robe, riding his horse down the hillside. He looked back and waved to Yao Ying, looking as elegant and graceful as he was back then.

As soon as he left the Holy City, Li Zhongqian immediately abandoned the Western Army and ordered them to send letters to Yao Ying every day, making her think that he was still on the road. He only brought his personal soldiers and rushed back to Gaochang as fast as he could.

"Where is the imperial edict from Chang'an?"

Yang Qian had already rushed back to Gaochang and was waiting for him outside the city, holding out the imperial edict.

After reading the imperial edict, Li Zhongqian sneered.

As he expected, Tanmarajika proposed marriage, and Li De did not dare to refuse, but he hinted that Yaoying must give up everything before getting married.

Li De is dreaming.

Yaoying wanted to get married and she didn't need his permission at all. Proposing for marriage was just a way of informing him.

Li Zhongqian casually threw the imperial edict to the ground, "Silang is going to be a royal consort? I haven't congratulated Silang yet."

Yang Qian immediately frowned and said in a serious tone: "General, don't worry. I am a rough man with a dissolute temperament. I dare not marry a rich and powerful woman. I will not marry a master."

Li Zhongqian twitched his lips and said, "Two peaches kill three men. You have no intention of marrying a master, but what about the children of other families? What about your cousins? In the past, the noble families in Hexi valued family background, but in recent years of war, they have gradually stopped caring about family background. Now that the world is peaceful, Li De wants to recruit you as his consorts, and there will always be noble families who are tempted."

Yang Qianjian frowned, realizing that what Li Zhongqian said was the truth.

Not long ago, the emperor issued an order to send a princess to marry Gaochang. The emperor began to divide the noble families in Hexi and place people on their side. The marriage was only the simplest and most effective means. Next, the emperor would definitely continue to sow discord.

"I'm going back to Chang'an." Li Zhongqian did not enter the city, "Don't tell Mingyuenu."

Before Yang Qian could finish his reply, he suddenly pulled up the reins and sped away.

Back then, when he went out of the border to look for Yao Ying, he swore that no matter whether she was alive or dead, he would find her, bring her home, and then end things with Li Delai.

Now he has found her, and she is living a good life, with a lover, friends, soldiers, and people who love her.

Yaoying is his younger sister, but she has always been protecting her older brother.

This time, let him protect her.

The author has something to say: The vows are quoted from Buddhist scriptures and real vows.

"Today is like this, tomorrow is like this, day after day, year after year." Quoted from the ancient poem "One Hundred and Thirty-six Gathas" (No. 1)