General Black Eagle Jin huddled in Yao Ying's arms, trembling with a dull look in his eyes.

Yaoying touched General Jin with heartache, raised her head and looked at the eagle stand under the corridor with a puzzled expression: Wang Temple is adjacent to a steep cliff, on the cliff is where eagles build their nests. There are often messenger eagles hovering around Wang Temple to deliver messages for Tanmaragha, so there are eagle stands in many courtyards of the temple for the messenger eagles to look out and rest. The messenger eagle has never bullied other messenger eagles, why did it suddenly go crazy and chase and bite General Jin?

Ashina Bisu, who was standing by, glanced at the scattered bird feathers on the ground and said, "I will take the princess back."

Yao Ying came back to her senses and shook her head: "Just let the guards take me away. The general and the Buddhist have something important to discuss. There is no need to trouble the general."

She smiled at Bi Suo and left with General Jin in her arms.

Bi Su stood there, watching her back as she walked away, lost in thought for a while.

Yao Ying had just turned out of the corridor when she heard footsteps behind her. Yuan Jue caught up with her, holding a clam box covered with gold foil in his hand.

"Princess, Kaluga lost his temper and scratched you. Don't be angry with him. Please keep this clam box. When Prajna was taking care of Kaluga, she was scratched by him. She applied this medicine and recovered."

Yao Ying thanked him, took the clam box, and said, "It's no problem. Jialuo Luo has never seen General Jin before, so he might be scared. I won't bring General Jin here in the future."

Perhaps the red eagle has a sense of territory, and it attacks the black eagle when it sees a strange eagle appear in the royal temple.

"I hope you're not angry."

Yuanjue scratched his head and sent Yaoying back to the courtyard.

After going down the stone steps and passing the snow-covered pagoda forest, a monk soldier came running towards him breathlessly. When he saw Yuanjue, he lowered his voice and said, "Princess Chima is coming this way."

Yuanjue paused, glanced at Yaoying, and an embarrassed expression appeared on his face.

Yaoying asked: "Is there any other way back to the yard?"

Princess Chima must have come to see Tanmo Luojia. The Tanmo clan was almost wiped out by the Zhang clan, and only the brother and sister survived. This princess has always hated Han people, so it is better for her to avoid them.

Yuan Jue heaved a sigh of relief, "Princess, follow me."

He led Yaoying into a narrow alley and whispered, "Thank you for your understanding, Princess."

Yaoying smiled and indicated that it was nothing.

The people of the royal court hated the Han people, especially the royal nobles. She didn't interact much with the royal nobles, so she didn't encounter any difficulties. However, she could still see from the conversations of Yuanjue and Prajna that Tanmarajya's protection of her had attracted a lot of criticism.

She has already caused a lot of trouble for Tanmaragha. Now the royal court is worried about internal and external troubles. He is exhausted and has too many things to worry about. She doesn't want to make him feel embarrassed because of these minor frictions.

…

Yaoying and Yuanjue had just left when Princess Chima walked quickly into the pagoda forest and went straight into the main hall, ignoring the monks' dissuasion.

The guards went in to report, and Bisha was greatly shocked. She ran out of the main hall in two steps at a time and stopped Princess Chima.

"The king is busy with government affairs. What are you doing here?"

Princess Chima raised her head, her eyes stern: "What am I here for? I'm here to seek justice for you!"

Bi Su's face darkened.

Princess Chima said angrily: "Sultan Gu is dead, you are the best candidate for regent. If Luo Jia had appointed you as regent earlier, the court would not be in such chaos! He has been slow to appoint a new regent, and now the Xue family, Kang family, An family, and Meng family are all making trouble. The left army, right army, and front army are controlled by the aristocratic families. They have made plans, and the four armies in their hands are also restless. The Holy City has been surrounded, and the Xue family can break into the royal temple at any time!"

"Now the people in the city are in a panic. Even the servants in my house say that he has been sidelined by the noble families again. Why is he still dragging his feet and not appointing you as the regent? You are the commander-in-chief of the Central Army. You have fought for him and are loyal to him. You are the only choice for the regent! Does he have to wait until the four armies rush into the royal temple before he is willing to give up power to you?"

Bisuo's heart was beating fast. He grabbed Princess Chima's shoulders and said in a low voice: "The king has his own plans. Don't disrupt his plans!"

Princess Chima looked at him with a look of disappointment and anger, "I did all this for you!"

Bi Suo's face was stern, and he said in a deep voice: "You don't know the inside story, so don't interfere in government affairs."

"What's the inside story?" Princess Chima shook off Bisa's hand and continued to walk inside. "I only know that the situation is critical and imminent. The four armies are about to attack Wangsi! Go to the city wall and take a look. The snowy plains outside the city are densely packed with the tents of the four armies. The post roads within a hundred miles of the Holy City are already full of their flags!"

Bisha grabbed Princess Chima and said, "Chima, I will explain to you. Don't disturb the king..."

As the two were entangled, the guard opened the felt curtain and said softly, "The king invites the princess in."

Princess Chima sneered, raised her chin, and walked into the felt tent.

Bi Suo frowned and followed.

A few low cuckoo sounds were heard from the felt tent, and dark shadows swayed.

Tanmarajiva sat in front of a long desk, writing scriptures, his brows and eyes calm.

There was a scaffold on the platform in front of the window. The falcon Kaluga was perched on the scaffold, spreading its wings and trying to fly high, but was pulled back by the fetters on its claws. It could only turn around and let out a dissatisfied muffled cry at Roga, then pulled the fetters hard, causing the hook on the leather rope to hit the scaffold with a clanging sound.

Amid the noise, Tanmarajaka wrote calmly and gracefully, as if he was out of this world and completely inaudible to the clamour of the eagle.

The eagle didn't dare to fiddle with its legs anymore and stood obediently on the scaffold with a listless look.

Princess Chima glared at the eagle with disgust and walked forward.

Bisha tugged at her sleeve, reminding her to bow.

Princess Chima's face flashed with anger. She saluted vaguely, sat down, and said directly: "Luojia, Sultan Kumbum is dead, why don't you make Bisa the regent?"

Tanmarajiva did not stop writing.

Bisha knelt on one knee, clenched her right fist and placed it on her chest, and said respectfully: "Your Majesty, I am frivolous and reckless, and I am not worthy of the responsibility of being the regent."

Chi Ma turned around, eyes wide open, and retorted: "You have been in the Central Army since you were young, protecting the monarch, serving the monarch at all times, fighting on the battlefield since you were fifteen, and have made many military achievements. Now you have become the commander-in-chief, and you are the people's favorite. If you can't bear it, who else in the court can bear it?"

Bisha said calmly: "The regent king not only needs to lead troops to war, but also needs to manage government affairs, handle punishments, and adjudicate sentences. There are too many things to take care of. I only know how to fight, not government affairs."

Chima was so angry that he was shaking all over. He said angrily, "Sultan Ku is a member of the Central Army Guard just like you. He is of low status. You are a descendant of a noble family. If he can be the regent, why can't you?!"

Bisha's expression was cold, and he was about to open his mouth to refute, but Tanmaragha put down his pen and looked at him.

He immediately shut his mouth.

Tanmaraka glanced at Chima with his emerald eyes and asked, "Chima, who was the regent who was loyal to the Tanmar family in the previous generation?"

Chi Ma was stunned. Since her grandfather's generation, the Tanmo royal family had been gradually hollowed out by the aristocratic families, and the government was controlled by the aristocratic families until Tanmo Luojia seized the royal power. The last generation of regents who were loyal to the royal family could be traced back to many years ago.

She thought for a while and sneered, "It's General Saisang'er. He is the senior brother of Master Polo Liuzhi. He is also a member of the Central Army Guards. Like Bisha, he has served the previous generation of Buddhist disciples since he was a child."

"How old was he when he died?"

Chi Ma thought for a moment, "Twenty-nine years old."

"What about before General Saisanger?"

"General Maha."

Tanmaraka looked at Trima.

Chima recalled the life of General Maha, and the anger on his face suddenly disappeared: General Maha once tried to reform the royal court military system, but was later overthrown by the aristocratic families and was torn into pieces by five horses.

She fell silent, thinking carefully.

Most of the regents of the royal court had a rough life. No matter how prosperous they were when they were in power, once they were suspected by the monarch or defeated at the hands of political opponents, they would either die tragically or be suppressed by aristocratic families, and they would never recover. The famous General Saisan'er was as skilled in martial arts and had great military exploits as Sultan Gu. He was also a lay disciple, upright, and had constant friction with the aristocratic family. He died unexpectedly at the age of twenty-nine. It was said that he was poisoned by the aristocratic family.

Chi Ma felt a chill on his back and his face turned pale.

Tanmaraka said calmly, "Chima, to let Bisha succeed as regent is to put him on the fire and roast him."

Chi Ma's lips trembled slightly and he turned around to look at Bishuo.

Bisuo sighed, "Princess, do you know how many assassination attempts Sultan Gu has encountered since he became regent?"

Chima said nothing.

Bi Su looked at her and said word by word: "All year round, all the time."

Chi Ma was shocked, bit his lip, slowly stood up, and left without saying a word.

Bi Suo walked her out, stood under the felt curtain, and held her arm.

"Princess." He said coldly, "Do you remember the days when the Zhang family was in power?"

Chi Ma suddenly raised his head and glared at Bi Suo: "I have been bullied by Zhang since I was a child. I watched Zhang slaughter my people. How could I forget those days!"

Bisha's expression was gloomy. "Then don't forget who defeated Wakhan Khan at the age of thirteen, took back the throne, avenged the Tanmo clan, and gave you the noble status of a princess."

Princess Chima's face darkened.

Bisha dragged her out of the main hall and said, "The king was imprisoned in the royal temple since he was born. While you were enjoying the service of slaves in the palace, he was starving in the cold torture chamber. Before he was thirteen years old, he had never stepped out of the torture chamber!"

His chest was boiling with anger and his teeth were chattering.

"When he was thirteen, he took on the responsibility of supporting the entire royal court. For more than ten years, he has never dared to relax. Look around you. A powerful empire like Persia collapsed overnight, and the royal family could only go into exile until they were completely forgotten. Also, the dozens of tribes in the eastern grasslands collapsed overnight, the elderly were slaughtered, the men were enslaved, and the women were raped and reduced to slavery. In this chaotic world, which country can remain unscathed? How can the royal court be so peaceful and stable?"

"Because the King has not fallen!"

Bisha's voice trembled, "Chima, after only ten years of peaceful life, you have forgotten the past. Do you think the noble families are as obedient as a group of lambs?"

Princess Chima's face turned pale.

Bisha's chest heaved violently, and he loosened his hand, letting go of Princess Chima.

"The regent king has too many responsibilities. I am impetuous and idle. I ride horses and hunt. I am always busy. I can't be the regent king. I just want to be a general and assist the king in governing the royal court."

Princess Chima looked gloomy.

Bisha turned around and went back to the inner hall.

…

Amid the rising smoke, Tanmarajiva was still writing scriptures with his head down.

The eagle on the easel flapped its wings, trying to attract his attention, but he didn't even look up and continued writing.

Bi Suo whispered, "King, please don't take Princess Chi Ma's words to heart."

Tanmaraka raised his eyes and asked, "Bisa, have you ever thought about taking over as the regent?"

Bisa knelt on one knee, clenched her fist and saluted, saying, "I have thought about it. King, since everyone thinks that Sultan is dead, why don't I take over as the regent? I will be very careful in my work!"

Tanmaraka shook his head.

Bi Su said in a clear voice: "I know that I am reckless and impulsive, and I am not fit for great tasks. I can change and slowly learn how to be a regent and share the pressure with the king."

Tanmarajiva stopped writing and looked at Bishova.

"Bisa, with your ability, you are qualified to take over as the Regent King."

Bi Su was delighted and said loudly: "My king, let me serve you faithfully!"

Tanmaraka shook his head, "The candidate for the regent king cannot be any general from the royal family."

Bi Su was stunned and said excitedly: "King, although I inherited a Turkic surname, I am a member of the royal court! So are my people!"

Tanmaraka put down his pen and said, "Bisa, I am not doubting your loyalty."

He stood up and walked to the scaffold.

The eagle pecked at the sleeve of his cassock in a flattering manner.

Tanmaraka did not look at Cangying and said, "Look, for the selection of the regent king, four of the five armies have been in chaos, and the noble families are fighting among themselves, and even secretly sent troops to besiege the Holy City, just to force me to choose a regent king from among them."

Bi Suo sighed secretly.

Tanmaraka turned his back to him and said in a cold voice, "If we really choose a regent from among them, do you think the situation can be stabilized?"

Bi Suo widened his eyes.

The aristocratic families will not stop, they will continue to fight openly and secretly until they have a firm grasp on power. No matter what the external situation is like, the aristocratic families will never stop gaining benefits for the family. Even when the Northern Rong soldiers are at the gates of the city, the aristocratic families are still scheming and fighting against each other.

Therefore, Bisu, who was born into a noble family, could not serve as regent. Once he succeeded, he would definitely be caught up in the vortex of family struggles and would be unable to extricate himself, and the court would fall into chaos again.

Only someone like Sultan Gu is suitable. Not only is he a martial arts expert with an iron fist, able to evade pursuit time and time again, but he is also from a noble family and is single, without the support of any clan members. Although this will draw hatred from the noble families, it is also a way to balance the noble families and make them temporarily submit.

Bisa closed his eyes. Tanmarajiva had shown signs of losing control last time. If he continued like this, how long could he hold on?

"King, you can't go on like this."

He shuddered.

Tanmarajiva lowered her eyes and looked at the eagle.

"Yes, if we continue like this, it will be like drinking poison to quench thirst."

The royal court is different from the Han Dynasty. Here, the noble families are the lords of various places and hold the military power. Except for the central army, the other four armies belong to the noble families. Once the king is weak, he will be completely sidelined.

Once the noble family gets caught up in internal strife, it is an opportunity for the enemy to take advantage.

Without fundamental changes, it will be difficult to last long.

Now that we know where the disease is, we must find a way to cure it. Otherwise, when he leaves, the seemingly prosperous royal court will be vulnerable.

Tanmarajiva didn't know how long he could hold on, and before that, he had to find a way to survive for his subjects.

"The seven-day period is almost up."

Tanmarajiva raised his head and looked at the snow reflected in the window.

"If things change, you will escort Princess Wen Zhao to Gaochang."

He paused.

"Find a way to send her back to the Han Dynasty."

Bisa raised his head in surprise and looked at Tanmarajiva's back. His eyes flickered for a few times, and after a while, he responded in a deep voice.