After daybreak, Ashina Bisha led his central army to restore order, check the troops, gather the remaining soldiers, and go to the manor to arrest the princes and nobles who participated in the assassination of the Sultan according to the name list.

The guards carried yellow silk on their shoulders and rushed to different important towns to issue imperial edicts at the same time. The aristocratic families were caught off guard and lost control of their armies. After weighing the pros and cons, they gave up resistance.

By the time the fire outside the city was extinguished and the people of the Holy City secretly opened their doors to peek at the long street, the court had been turned upside down.

Bisha was busy all day long, traveling through the streets and alleys of the city. In the afternoon, he deliberately went to the princess's mansion to see Princess Chima, but before he got close, he heard a burst of wailing.

Outside the princess's mansion, there was a crowd of people kneeling. Confused children, noble ladies with hair covered in pearls and jade, young men from wealthy families in gorgeous clothes, and old men with gray hair all knelt outside the mansion and cried bitterly.

Bi Sa frowned and stopped his horse.

"What's going on?"

The chief historian of the princess's mansion stepped forward and saluted, saying, "General, these people are here to ask the princess for mercy. They have been crying for a whole day, and no matter how I persuade them, they just won't leave."

Tanmarajya lived in seclusion and had just dealt with the noble families with thunder-like means. The royal relatives in the city did not dare to go to him to cry and complain, so they had to go to Princess Chima's house and ask her to plead for their families.

Bi Suo raised his whip and said angrily, "The city is under strict security. No one, whether officials or civilians, is allowed to stay outside. Who asked them to beg on their knees?"

The chief secretary said in embarrassment: "The princess did not allow them to be driven away, saying that they can kneel here and cry."

Bisuo rode up the stone steps and cracked his whip hard: "The king has signed an edict. No one is allowed to go out before sunrise tomorrow. Anyone who violates the order will be charged with treason! You should return to your palace immediately and not go out without permission. Otherwise, you will go to prison and accompany the criminals who assassinated the Regent!"

The nobles burst into tears and glared at Biso.

Bi Su patted the sword at his waist.

The nobles recalled the melee outside the city last night, shuddered a few times, and left in hatred.

Bi Suo told the chief secretary: "Tell the princess that there has been chaos in the city these days, so tell her not to go out."

The chief secretary whispered, "General, the princess is not in the palace. She went to the royal temple."

Bi Su's expression suddenly changed: "When did it happen?"

The chief historian hesitated for a moment, then stammered, "Just now... the princess heard that the king had promoted a commander named Zhang this morning based on merit... She immediately became furious and ordered the gatekeeper to harness the carriage and go to the king's temple..."

Last night, when the camp of the four armies was dispersed, a descendant of the Zhang family took advantage of the chaos to yell and persuade his comrades to surrender with him, and lit torches to guide the tribal cavalry who arrived in time, making great contributions. This morning, the commander-in-chief who took over the four armies rewarded the soldiers according to their merits in order to motivate them. The young man surnamed Zhang has been promoted three levels and became a forbidden official.

Princess Chima hated the Zhang family deeply. When she heard about this, she was furious and ran to the Wang Temple to ask Tanmarajiva to revoke his decision.

She had the bronze talisman given by Bi Suo on her, so the guards of the central army did not dare to stop her.

Bi Suo did not dare to delay and immediately turned his horse around and chased in the direction of Wangsi.

…

Wang Temple.

Yaoying came down from the tower and wanted to go back to her own yard. She had slept in the meditation room all night, so it would be best for her to leave quietly when no one was paying attention. Otherwise, if the news got out, it would definitely attract more criticism.

Bamil said in embarrassment: "When the king left, he told me to protect the princess. The king hasn't come back yet. If anything happens to the princess, I can't explain to the king."

Yaoying felt that she was safe and there was no need to stay any longer, but Tanmarajiva was also concerned about her safety. The royal court was busy with many affairs at the moment, so she had better follow his arrangements.

She returned to the meditation room, sat cross-legged, and scanned the scriptures on the long table.

Tanmaraka wrote in Sanskrit, which she could not understand.

She remembered something, asked Bamil for paper and pen, dipped the tip of the pen into ink, wrote a short letter to Xie Qing and others, and asked someone to deliver it to the yard.

Just as the monk who delivered the letter left, a quarrel was heard from the other side of the wall, mixed with the angry scolding of a woman.

Yuanjue and Prajna were not here at the moment, so the monk asked Bamil for instructions: "Princess Chima wants to see the king. I told her that the king was not in the meditation room. The princess did not believe me and insisted on breaking in."

Bamir hesitated and said, "I will go and explain to the princess."

After saying that, he turned around and looked at Yao Ying.

"Princess Wen Zhao, please go back room first. If Princess Chi Ma breaks in... and sees you here..."

Yaoying understood and retreated inside.

The inner room of the meditation room is where Tanmarajiva lived. The furnishings in the room are simple and elegant, with a couch and a short table, a Persian carpet on the floor, a low-hanging golden brocade curtain, an eagle-shaped perch under the window, and bookshelves against the wall filled with scriptures. Sunlight shines into the room through the high windows, golden dust floats in the air, and the room is filled with a thick, slightly bitter fragrance.

Yao Ying did not touch the scriptures on the bookshelf of Tanmarajala's short desk. She sat cross-legged on the carpet for a while. Heavy footsteps came from outside the corridor.

Bami knocked on the door frame, signaling Princess Chima to leave.

Yao Ying got up and went out. She was stunned when she saw the person who walked into the meditation room side by side with Bamir.

Bisuo, holding a helmet under his arm, smiled at her with a tired look, and turned to Bamir and said, "If Princess Chima comes again, send someone to deliver a message to me."

Bamil agreed, scratched his head, and said, "General, Princess Chima is really rude when she loses her temper. Only you can persuade her."

Bishuo smiled bitterly. Chi Ma was really angry this time. He had just spent a long time persuading her to go back.

"The Zhang family's affairs are a problem..."

He murmured.

Yao Ying's heart was moved, "What happened to the Zhang family?"

Bi Suo sighed and told what he had seen and heard in front of the princess's mansion. Finally, he said, "The king ordered the reform of the military system and promoted people according to their merits. The descendants of the Zhang family made great contributions and were rewarded. Princess Chima couldn't accept it for a while."

Yao Ying frowned slightly.

Bi Suo looked distressed and said, "Zhang Xu is the direct descendant of the Zhang family. It is natural for Princess Chi Ma to be dissatisfied with Zhang Xu's promotion."

Yao Ying pursed her lips and asked, "Who told Princess Chima about this? There were so many generals promoted this morning, why did the news of Zhang Xu's promotion spread so quickly?"

Bi Su was startled, thought for a moment, and said, "Those noble family relatives knelt outside the princess's mansion to beg for mercy. Maybe they told the princess."

Yao Ying raised her eyes and said in a low voice, "General, you'd better send someone to follow Princess Chima. Princess Chima can't see the mage, and she has nowhere to vent her anger. If she is instigated by someone, she will go directly to that Zhang Jin official and cause trouble. I'm afraid it will end badly."

Bi Suo's eyes widened, and when she realized what was happening, her face suddenly darkened. "Thank you for your reminder, Princess."

He turned and strode away.

Yaoying watched his anxious back go away and sighed softly.

The family's counterattack came so quickly.

They made the old and weak women kneel and cry in public to gain sympathy and accuse Tanmaraka of being cruel to the aristocratic families.

Telling Chima that the descendants of the Zhang family have been promoted is to sow discord. It is both to instigate Chima and to warn the Zhang family.

If a conflict breaks out between Chima and Zhang Dutong, who should Tanmaraka side with?

If you favor Chima, the rising nobility will inevitably be dissatisfied.

Will the royal relatives headed by Chi Ma, who favor Zhang Jinguan, give up and let it go?

They are omnipresent, like a thorn in the flesh, waiting at any time to take advantage of Tanmaragha's broken silk to stir up trouble.

It's hard to guard against.

…

Bisha hurriedly chased out of the royal temple and found that Princess Chima was indeed going to look for Zhang Xu. She was terrified, so she stopped Chima's carriage and directly took away Hao Nu's bronze talisman.

Chi Ma opened the car curtain, his face full of anger: "What are you doing?!"

Bi Su looked at her and said angrily, "Chi Ma, I shouldn't have given you this copper talisman."

No one in the city, from the nobles to the common people, could enter or leave freely. He was worried that Chi Ma had something urgent, so he gave her a bronze talisman that allowed her to travel, but he didn't expect that it almost led to a big mistake.

If he left it alone, Chi Ma would really go to Zhang Xu and cause a big scene, which would chill people's morale. The aristocratic families would then take advantage of the situation to instigate Tanmaragha and the four armies that had just surrendered, which would definitely cause the military's morale to unravel.

"Zhang Xu has been granted the title of Imperial Guard. He is a soldier loyal to the king. Don't bother him."

Chi Ma's face darkened, and he said angrily: "There are so many loyal soldiers, why did Luo Jia promote Zhang Xu? He released the descendants of the Zhang family, I accepted it, but now he is promoting the Zhang family. The Zhang family is about to revive again. Can I just sit back and watch? The Zhang family and I are irreconcilable!"

Bisha signaled Haonu to turn around and go back to the princess's mansion, and said in a deep voice: "Everyone is the king's people... Chima, there is only hatred in your eyes, and the king's eyes are the stability of the royal court."

Chi Ma snorted coldly: "He doesn't care about anyone. In his eyes, the Tanmo family is not as good as the Zhang family."

Bi Suo frowned and sent her back to the princess's mansion. She ordered the chief secretary to watch over her and took away the bronze talisman and seal of the princess's mansion. She said, "If anyone comes to visit the princess again during this period, send them all back. The princess will not see anyone."

The Chief Secretary nodded.

Chi Ma's face was gloomy: "Bishuo, are you going to put me under house arrest?"

Bisha sent the chief secretary away, sighed, and said, "Chima, this is all I can do. I can't tolerate your nonsense any longer."

Chima was already furious because he had not been able to stop Tanmo Luojia from promoting Zhang Xu. Hearing this, he became even more angry. "Why do you always favor Luojia? Is my request too much?"

Bi Suo rubbed his brows and said helplessly: "Chi Ma, I have always been biased towards you. If I hadn't made excuses for you time and time again, Bamil and the others would have forcibly sent you back just now."

The anger on Chima's face did not diminish.

Bi Suo was busy with other things and didn't want to talk to her any more, so she softened her tone and said, "Behave yourself and don't make trouble. When I'm done with my work, I'll take you to the Shifang to watch the Guizi dance performance."

He stopped talking and left in a hurry.

Chi Ma was furious and overturned the table with a bang.

This can't go on any longer.

…

Bi Suo left the princess's mansion and found Yuan Jue, "Where is the king?"

Yuanjue replied, "The king has returned from the palace and has gone to see Master Titus."

Master Titus is the Vinaya master of the temple, in charge of the precepts.

Bi Suo hurried to the execution hall. It was almost dusk. The execution hall was located underground and the light was dim. The sound of footsteps echoed in the silent corridor and sounded a bit creepy.

He passed through the alley and walked quickly into the reflection room. Just as he was about to knock on the door, he heard a few dull noises from inside.

There were muffled sounds one after another.

Tanmaraka is being punished.

Bisha stood where he was, slowly clenching his fists.

…

More than ten years ago, Bisa also stood here and saw the imprisoned Tanmaragha for the first time.

At that time, the government was controlled by the Zhang family. Tanmarajiva grew up in the temple. The Zhang family did not allow him to leave the temple, nor did they allow ministers to see him in the temple. They only allowed the old and frail Paraliuchi to teach him Buddhism.

Paraliucchi always praised Dhammarajiva for her intelligence, but Bisa was not convinced and had always wanted to meet Rāga since she was a child.

That year, a Dharma assembly was held in the temple, and he and several young men from noble families sneaked into the execution hall.

The thin Luojia, wearing a grey monk's robe, sat in the cell reading scriptures. A few beams of sunlight fell into the execution hall, casting a mottled shadow on his face and reflecting his deep brows. In the summer when flowers were in full bloom and the sun was scorching, a kind of cold light emanated from him.

At that moment, Bi Suo and several other noble sons hardly dared to breathe, for fear of disturbing their king.

When they saw that the sutra that Tanmarajya was reading was in Sanskrit, they had to admit that the Master was not favoring Ragha, but that Ragha was indeed his smartest student.

Later, Bhisatta became a member of the guards serving the Buddha.

He knew best how much Luo Ga had endured over the years.

When he was young, Luo Jia was detained and had little food and clothing, and he never saw the sun, but he still studied hard.

After witnessing the slaughter of the Tanmo clan, he still maintained his Buddhist heart and did not become gloomy, angry and unreasonable like Chima.

Practicing martial arts, enduring pain, using Shura methods to protect all living beings, and accepting punishment silently.

In all these years, Bisa had never seen Luoga smile.

Not even once.

It seemed as if Luo Jia was born with the understanding of the responsibilities on his shoulders. He was born to be a king and was known for his precocity since he was young. Not only did he have to spread Buddhism and bear the expectations of the people, but he also had to shoulder the responsibility of the dynasty.

He is a combination of Buddha and Shura. Can he remain as firm and clear-headed as he is now?

…

Thinking of the reactions after the Tanmarajapati technique went out of control several times before, Pololuchi's last words came to mind again.

"Don't let Luo Jia become the second General Saisanger..."

Bisa closed her eyes and buried her worries deep in her heart.

After waiting for a while, the sound of the stick beating in the reflection room stopped. After a period of slow talking, the door opened and Tanmarajiva walked out. His body was covered by a wide cassock, his steps were steady and his face was calm.

Bisha gathered her emotions, stepped forward, apologized first, and reported in a low voice what happened to Princess Chima.

"My king, I have already advised Princess Chima that she was provoked and acted rashly out of anger. Please forgive her."

Tanmaraka glanced at him and said, "Look at her."

Bishuo's face turned slightly red. Luojia knew that Chima was hot-tempered and reminded him to look after the princess's mansion. If he had not secretly given the bronze talisman to Princess Chima, the princess would have no chance to leave the mansion.

"I have remembered that I will not let Princess Chima embarrass Zhang Xu again. In fact, it is understandable for the princess to do so. As long as we drive away the people who instigated her, she will stop."

Bishuo's face was full of self-blame, while Tanmarajaka looked up at the dark night sky and said nothing more.

…

That night, Tanmaragha did not return to the meditation room until dark.

Bamir was loyal to his duty and refused to let Yaoying go back to the yard. As it was getting dark, she stood up and lifted the felt curtain to look out from time to time. She didn't know how long she had been waiting. The corridor was lit up and a series of footsteps could be heard. Tanmarajiva walked slowly towards the meditation room surrounded by guards in blue and white robes. His figure was tall and straight, and there was a soft halo on his golden robe.

Yao Ying let out a long breath, he finally came back.

Bamir lifted the felt curtain and Tanmaraka stepped into the meditation room.

"Mage."

Yaoying stepped forward in response to a gentle call.

Tanmarajiva was slightly startled and his eyes fell on her smiling face.

The corners of Yaoying's mouth twitched. He wouldn't forget that she had been staying in his meditation room all the time, right?

"Master, have a good rest. I'm going back now."

Yaoying left the meditation room.

Bamil scratched his head awkwardly: "Princess...it's almost midnight, and the door to the outer courtyard has been keyed. If you go back now, it will alarm everyone."

Yao Ying paused, thought for a moment, and asked, "Is there any vacant courtyard in the temple?"

Anyway, she can go back to the yard when it gets light and just find a place to wait for a few hours.

Bamil shook his head.

Just as the two were in trouble, a bony hand brushed open the felt curtain.

Tanmarajiva stood in front of the door, looking at Yaoying with his blue eyes, a deep look of weariness between his brows.

"Come in."

He said it calmly, without a trace of emotion.

Yaoying's leg, which had been pulled out, was involuntarily retracted.