The pearl curtains reflected the sunlight shining into the inner hall, and the desk was as quiet as deep water.
For a moment, Li Zhongqian thought that Tanmarajiva had given a negative answer, because his expression was too calm, his eyes were too composed, and there was not a trace of anger or embarrassment at having his thoughts exposed in front of him.
He was so calm, which showed that he had already noticed his own feelings. He was able to forbear and restrain himself, which showed that he was very careful in his behavior.
But Yao Ying was unaware of this and was completely defenseless when interacting with him in private!
Li Zhongqian came back to his senses, his face livid: "Master is an accomplished monk, he should abide by the precepts. Qi Niang mentioned Master to me every day, her respect and trust for him was beyond words, how could Master disregard ethics and have a romantic relationship with her?"
"Could it be that because Qi Niang entered the temple as a Modanga girl, the master misunderstood her?"
Tanmaraka shook his head: "Greed comes from pleasure... It's because I didn't keep the precepts strictly. It has nothing to do with the princess. The princess told me from the beginning that the Modanga girl was just an excuse."
He had unconsciously indulged himself in her company, indulging her closeness, and if the one-year period had not been there, he would have continued to indulge her.
All things are impermanent, all are suffering. All things are without self, and tranquility is bliss... He is a practitioner, and he can recite such sutras at will. He has already understood their meaning in his heart and knows that love is like a dream, fleeting, but even though he knows it is a quagmire and a sea of suffering, he still indulges himself in it.
Li Zhongqian was slightly surprised, and he narrowed his eyes and glanced at Tanmarajiva.
He angered Tanmarajiva with his words, but Tanmarajiva did not get angry or use the excuse that Yaoying deliberately got close to him and that was why he wavered. He just said that he did not observe the precepts strictly, which was quite responsible.
Unfortunately, as a Buddhist disciple of the royal court, he was destined not to have anything to do with women.
Even if he is capable, he is not Yaoying's good man.
"Master, you are outstanding, well-informed, and of high status. You are a rare talent among men..." Li Zhongqian hesitated for a moment, then gave up his tentative intention and said directly, "But Master is a monk, and a son of Buddha in the eyes of the people of the royal court. My sister is young, and I am her elder brother, so I can't help but have many concerns. I wonder what Master is thinking?"
Tanmarajava lowered his eyes and twirled the beads between his fingers.
Li Zhongqian asked bluntly, "Does the master intend to remain in secrecy like this?"
"Or does the Master want to tell my sister the truth and have a secret relationship with her? If my sister wants to see the Master in the future, she can only go to the temple to have a secret meeting with him in the dead of night like she did last night? The Master wants her to be a lover kept in the dark by the monks for the rest of her life? She can only hide for the rest of her life to prevent your affair from being exposed?"
Tanmarajiva moved his fingers slightly twice.
Li Zhongqian continued, "Qiniang is my sister. I treat her like the apple of my eye and I don't want her to suffer any injustice. The master must know what happened to my brother and I. I will never watch her go through the same thing again. She has suffered so much. When she gets married in the future, she must not compromise. Her husband doesn't have to be a great man or the king of a country. As long as he cares for her and treats her well, she will like it. It is enough for the couple to live together in joy and sorrow."
Xie Manyuan was like a moth flying into a flame, giving in step by step, and finally became disheartened and crazy. Yaoying loved someone with all her heart, not caring about the consequences. She could sacrifice herself to save her brother, and if she liked someone, she would do the same.
Li Zhongqian didn't want to see Yaoying being hurt by love like Xie Manyan.
She hoped that her husband would be a good man, someone who didn't need to be too outstanding, had a simple family, truly loved her, would respect her, and would treat her well. Even if the couple's feelings faded in the future, they could still support each other.
Rather than a monk with a special identity who would cause her to get into endless troubles.
Tanmarajiva looked at the animal incense burner under the curtain, with green smoke wafting out, without saying a word.
Li Zhongqian smiled and said gloomily, "Or maybe, your love for Qi Niang is so deep that you would return to secular life for her? Excuse me, but even if you return to secular life, you can't give Qi Niang a stable life. The people of the royal court highly respect you. If you return to secular life because of Qi Niang, Qi Niang will be spit on and blamed by the world. Everyone will say that she is a bad omen. Even if you get married, you will never have peace in your life."
"When love is hot, the master can certainly give up cultivation for Qi Niang. But in the future, when beauty fades and love fades, and the couple grows tired of each other, the master will remember that he gave up his noble status and half a lifetime of learning because of Qi Niang. By then, will he still be able to treat her as well as he does now?"
"The love between a man and a woman is as fierce as fire and as extinguished as wind. I have experienced it before."
Li De has been working hard for Tang Ying all these years. Wasn't it originally for the purpose of increasing his power and marrying into the Xie family?
Love is unreliable.
Li Zhongqian looked directly at Tanmarajiva: "Besides, Wangting is thousands of miles away from Qinniang's hometown. The geography and customs are different, and the language is not comprehensible. She was forced to drift here and had to adapt to the customs here. The master is the monarch of Wangting, and it is impossible for him to abandon Wangting and go back to her hometown with her. She is a Han Chinese, and the Wangting looks down on Han Chinese. Even if the master and she go through many hardships, if she stays, there will be a lot of right and wrong in the future."
Even if Yao Ying did not return to Chang'an, she would definitely not stay in the royal court for the rest of her life. After the Western Army recaptured Guazhou and Shazhou, she would definitely stay in Guazhou to handle the affairs of the Western Army, away from Li De and Li Xuanzhen. The troops left behind by the Xie family in Jingnan could be moved to Guazhou.
Therefore, regardless of whether Tanmarajiva returned to secular life or not, he could not give Yaoying a bright and stable future.
The palace became quiet.
The two men sat facing each other in silence for a long time.
After a while, Li Zhongqian raised his lips and changed the subject: "Master is a great monk. Although he has feelings for my sister, it is probably just a temporary feeling that will fade away soon. It is far from the stage of marriage. What I said just now was just my worrying out of nothing... I am sorry to make you laugh."
He raised his eyes and looked at Tanmaragha.
"Qiniang has gone through many hardships and suffered a lot. The mage has protected her. I am very grateful and will definitely repay the mage's kindness, but I will not watch her step into the quagmire to repay the mage."
"Master, please promise me one thing."
Tanmo Luojia's eyes flickered: "What does Duke Wei want me to promise?"
Li Zhongqian said solemnly, "Master, you can't abandon the royal court. I have no intention of forcing you to give up everything. Since it won't lead to anything, I hope you will be careful and keep a distance from Qi Niang in the future. Don't let her misunderstand and indulge in it. I will also remind Qi Niang to be careful about her behavior, so that her childish nature will not disturb Master's practice."
Tanmaraka held the Buddhist beads tightly.
He could foresee what Li Zhongqian said. He was a cultivator and should not be so selfish as to covet Yaoying's closeness when she knew nothing.
Li Zhongqian was right, he was a quagmire to Yaoying.
"good."
He said in a hoarse voice.
…
Outside the side hall.
Bi Suo looked nervous and apprehensive. She held the hilt of her sword and listened carefully to the movements in the hall, ready to rush in and persuade the enemy to stop fighting at any time.
It was quiet behind the curtain, with only vague sounds of conversation. He waited for a long time but heard no arguments or fighting. He frowned in confusion, then heard a series of footsteps.
Bi Suo quickly stood up, watched Li Zhongqian walk out of the inner hall, and strode out.
The fight didn’t even start?
Bisha turned and entered the hall, his eyes fell on Tanmarajiva's face, and his heart tightened.
Tanmarajiva lowered his eyes and his face looked extremely pale.
"If I get sick again, don't disturb Princess Wen Zhao and don't invite her to the temple late at night."
Bi Suo was stunned: "King..."
Tanmarajiva lowered his head and read the memorial, his expression solemn.
Bi Suo did not dare to explain and sighed secretly.
Tanmarajika wrote with a pen.
Bi Suo thought for a moment and said carefully, "Your Majesty, Princess Wen Zhao really cares about your health... She came to visit you without thinking when she heard that you were ill."
Tanmaraka shook his head, "Don't use her."
A look of shame flashed across Bishuo's face.
Tanmaraka didn't say much.
It was not Bisu's fault for taking the initiative in this matter, because it was only with his tacit consent on several occasions that Bisu asked her to look after him.
After all, it was his fault.
There is a saying in the scriptures: Don't meet her, don't talk to her... If he really made up his mind to break off his love, he could just not see Yaoying and not talk to her, and he would be able to meditate...
Over time, even if there is still greed, it will not affect her.
He made up his mind, but he indulged himself again and again in seeing her and talking to her. She came to take care of him, and he didn't show it on his face, but in fact he was happy in his heart and wanted her to stay and accompany him like this forever.
Once greed is born, the desire will continue to expand until it completely devours his sanity.
Not only did he become greedy, he also selfishly wanted to monopolize her.
If this continues, he will sooner or later lose control and force himself on her.
Tanmarajiva calmed down and focused on reviewing the memorials. When he opened a piece of exquisite parchment, the pen in his hand suddenly stopped.
Bisha felt his aura suddenly become fierce, and called out worriedly, "King?"
He has already dispersed his internal energy and is now unable to use his internal strength. Why is this happening?
Tanmaraka's silk remained motionless for a long while before he left his instructions on the parchment.
Bisa was puzzled and went out. He waited for the memorial that Tanmaragha had reviewed to be sent out of the side hall. Prajna and others were sitting around copying the documents. He took out the parchment scroll and looked at it for a few seconds, his brows furrowed.
When Prajna copied the parchment, her eyes widened: "Prince Mobito of the Ujiri tribe formally proposed to Princess Wen Zhao?!"
Bi Su's face darkened.
No wonder Tanmaragha had such a reaction when he saw this memorial just now.
Prajna was shocked. While transcribing, she kept on mumbling: "The king just announced that Princess Wen Zhao left the temple, and Ujiri tribe sent a marriage proposal, asking the king to agree. Prince Mobito must have been waiting for this day for a long time. He is really impatient... He is a young hero and handsome, and he is a good match for Princess Wen Zhao..."
A look of worry appeared on Bisu's face.
Mobido is a prince of the Ujiri tribe and is highly respected. Yao Ying is now the commander-in-chief of the Western Army. The noble families who have allied with the Western Army will certainly hope that she will continue to maintain her relationship with the royal court. Moreover, Mobido is a good warrior and will take over the Ujiri tribe in the future. The noble families will definitely persuade her to marry Mobido.
When the time came for the king to arrange a marriage, Princess Wen Zhao stopped being obsessed with the Buddhist son and instead married the young hero of the royal court. It was truly a beautiful story, as the two were of similar age and were a perfect match.
I heard from the Ministry of Rites that Li Yaoying is now actively uniting various states and tribes to continuously increase her strength. Will she consider the overall situation and marry Mo Biduo?
Bisa took another look at the parchment.
Tanmarajiva did not write a reply to this memorial, but only stamped it with a flower seal.
That is to say, as a king, he would not stop Ujiribu from proposing to Lee Yo-yeong.
What is he thinking in his heart?
The parchment was quickly sent out of the royal temple, and the envoys from the Ujiri tribe who were waiting outside were overjoyed and hurried away holding the parchment.
…
When Li Zhongqian returned to the silk shop, his personal guard told him that Li Yaoying was still sleeping.
"Don't bother her, let her continue sleeping."
He took his sword and went to another courtyard to handle military affairs and urged his personal soldiers to pack their bags.
In the innermost bedroom on the second floor, Yao Ying was drowsy, hugging the silk hidden bag, and sweating all over in her sleep.
She had a dream in which she was rubbing cotton and pulling out cotton wool, and heavy snow was falling. Strong winds blew into the house through the small window panes, and the felt curtains rolled wildly. She was drunk and felt dizzy. She wore a pomegranate red silk blouse with small round flowers and gold mud, a spring water green silk skirt with round nests, and a white shawl with flower and bird embroidery on the ground. She staggered into a quiet meditation room.
A monk in a crimson cassock was sitting in front of a lamp with his back to her. He was standing tall and straight, reading a Buddhist scripture. She walked towards him. She didn't know why, but the further she went inside, the hotter she felt. Her body was sticky with sweat. Her shawl, a pair of bracelets, her gold armlets, the short-sleeved top she was wearing, the hairpins in her hair, and the colorful hairbands that tied her hair all fell to the ground, and the rings and pendants tinkled softly.
The monk held a scripture in his hand and glanced at her, his green eyes as calm as the sea.
She felt very hot, so she walked over to him and touched his face with her hot fingertips. It was indeed slightly cool, so she simply threw herself into his arms, sat on him, and put her arms around his neck.
He lowered his eyes to look at her, expressionless.
She twisted her body in his arms, ruffling his robes, and ran her fingers up his neck, touching his head. Intoxicated, she pressed close to him and called him softly, "Master..."
The breath is lingering, and the faint fragrance of sandalwood lingers around the body.
She was covered in a layer of sweat, and she was lingering on him even more. He looked at her, slowly leaned towards her, and tightened his arms.
They sat facing each other. He held her with one hand and bent down to kiss her neck.
There was a sound of heavy footsteps coming up the stairs.
Yaoying woke up from her dream and was stunned for a moment. She had forgotten most of her dream in an instant. She only vaguely remembered that she seemed to be sitting on Tanmaragha... It was exactly the same as the Indian bronze Buddha she had seen...
Sin, sin...
Yao Ying came to her senses, sat up, rubbed her messy hair, shook her head, and said to herself: I must sell the bronze Buddha next time.
There were several knocks on the door, and the guards outside reported: "Princess, the Ujiri tribe sent a gift overnight."
"Ujiribe?"
Yaoying got up, lit a candle, quickly washed up, changed her clothes, and rushed to the lobby.
The candles in the hall were brightly lit. Li Zhongqian had already arrived. He looked at her for a while and handed her a gift list: "The little prince of the Wujili tribe formally proposes to you."
Yao Ying was stunned. She picked up the gift list and took a closer look. The gifts were a bit mixed. There were thousands of cattle and sheep, as well as various animal skins and iron tools. This was the custom of the Ujiri tribe when proposing marriage. In addition, there was a pair of wild deer and a pair of wild geese - these were obviously additional gifts prepared in accordance with the custom of proposing marriage in the Central Plains.
"Has Mobido returned to the Holy City?"
Yao Ying asked doubtfully, as she had not received any battle report from Mo Biduo.
The envoy of the Ujiri tribe stepped forward and explained with a smile: "The prince is still fighting in the front...Please don't blame me for visiting you so late at night. This is what the prince told us before. As soon as the princess leaves the royal temple, we will immediately come to ask for marriage...The prince said that the princess is like a goddess, and there must be many warriors who want to marry you. He was afraid that he would not be able to come back in time, so he told us to ask for marriage as soon as possible."
Yaoying didn't know whether to laugh or cry.
The messenger said, "Princess, you don't have to make a decision now. In our tribe, a marriage proposal is a way for a man to express his determination and sincerity to his beloved lady and her family. Our little prince truly loves the princess."
After that, he added, "Princess, please rest assured that the prince has obtained the king's permission, and the Ujiri tribe can freely choose our Khatun."
Yao Ying's hands trembled slightly and she lifted the curtain. "Does the Buddhist agree?"
The messenger nodded and said with a smile, "The marriage proposal has just been sent and the king has approved it."
As he spoke, he took out the parchment.
Yaoying took the parchment and looked directly at the place where the comments were written, where she saw the familiar monogram.
It was indeed the approval of Tanmarajiva himself.
She held the parchment in her hand, lost in thought for a moment.
The candlelight flickered slightly. Li Zhongqian, who was standing by, took the parchment from her hand, handed it back to the messenger, and stared at her: "Ming Yue Nu, what are you thinking about?"
Yao Ying collected her thoughts and smiled, "Nothing."
The messenger smiled and said, "Princess and her brother, please believe our prince's intentions. It is late at night, so please do not disturb your rest. When the prince comes back, he will come to ask for marriage in person. Please forgive me for my impoliteness."
Li Zhongqian signaled his guards to escort the messenger out, and stared at Yao Ying with his phoenix eyes: "I heard from the guards that this Mo Biduo hugged you? You like him very much?"
Yao Ying laughed: "No."
She knew that she didn't dislike Mobito, but there was definitely no such thing as love between a man and a woman.
Li Zhongqian nodded. "As soon as you left the Wang Temple, Mobito's subordinates immediately took out his handwritten letter and asked for permission from the Buddha to propose marriage to you... This Mobito is very capable and thoughtful at a young age, but it's a pity that he is a foreigner."
Yao Ying smiled and said, "What's wrong with the foreigners?"
Li Zhongqian frowned, "He is the heir of the Wujili tribe. If you marry him, you will be the Khatun of the Wujili tribe and live in the Wujili tribe. They live wherever there is water and grass, and no one in the tribe can speak Chinese. It is really unfair for you to be away from your homeland and live in a strange tribe for your whole life."
As the two were talking, an envoy from Gaochang who heard the news came over, clapped his hands and chuckled, saying, "Princess, Prince Mobito is brave and good at fighting, and is also a close minister that the Buddha values. Although the Ujiri tribe is a vassal of the royal court, the Khan makes the final decision on all matters, big or small. The prince has 10,000 elite cavalry under his command!"
Yao Ying was suddenly overwhelmed.
The Gaochang envoys represented the noble families who were vying to join the Western Army. They knew that she could not stay in the Wang Temple of the Royal Court forever, so they used all means to euphemistically propose marriage. King Wei Chi had reminded her that her marriage would disrupt the balance of power within the Western Army, and whoever married her would rise quickly. Therefore, the noble families hoped that she could choose a husband from among them, or marry a powerful foreign tribe to gain support and stabilize the situation.
In short, they didn't want her to marry into a Central Plains family.
The reason why Li Zhongqian considered picking a young man from among the generals of the Western Army was because he knew that by doing so she would have closer relations with the aristocratic families in the Heliang area, and when their interests coincided, her position would be more secure.
Yao Ying didn't want to discuss her marriage with the Gaochang envoy, so she winked at Li Zhongqian.
Li Zhongqian glanced coldly at the Gaochang envoy.
The messenger shuddered and left tactfully.
Li Zhongqian said in a deep voice: "Mingyuenu, marry whoever you want to marry, don't wrong yourself."
Yao Ying smiled, "I know."
She went back to her room and lay down, but tossed and turned and couldn't fall asleep. The next day, she got up before dawn and went to look for Bisu.