Li Zhongqian met with Yao Ying in the afternoon and discussed the withdrawal of troops. In the evening, he discussed matters with his subordinates and ate some naan. Just as he was about to go to bed, his personal soldiers reported that Tanmaragha had sent a lot of things over.
He put on his clothes and stood up.
Yuan Jue, with a smile on his face, led his attendants into the tent. Soon the floor of the tent was filled with boxes and treasure chests of all sizes. The candlelight flickered, and the room was filled with precious auras that dazzled people.
Li Zhongqian smiled.
I have heard that the royal court is wealthy, and it is true. Haidu A Ling promised to allow his soldiers to plunder the royal court in order to persuade the tribal chiefs to follow him in attacking the holy city.
Li Zhongqian was not idle today. Bami and several generals of the Guards accompanied him on a tour of the holy city. Led by officials, the people were busy cleaning up the ruins. Although the place was in ruins, after a great turmoil, most of the noble families who had stirred up trouble died in the war. Those who survived were afraid of being implicated, and they were more cautious than the other. Everything was prosperous and full of vitality. The chiefs of various tribes truly respected Tanmaragha, and the royal power was consolidated. With everyone working together, it was believed that a prosperous capital city would be rebuilt soon.
Tanmarajiva had good intentions. He returned to secular life during the day so that he could see that there would not be any more disturbances in the royal court. At night, he sent people to bring the boxes of priceless treasures.
Li Zhongqian had a blank expression on his face. He glanced casually at the treasure boxes scattered all over the ground. When his eyes turned to an open black box, he suddenly froze for a moment. A strange color flashed across his eyes, one of shock, surprise, confusion, and disbelief.
“Why are you sending these?”
He was silent for a long time and then asked.
Yuan Jue smiled and replied, "Because these are what the princess likes. Our king remembers everything the princess likes."
Li Zhongqian was in a daze for a while.
The felt curtain swayed, and the guard reported: "Alang, the king is here."
Li Zhongqian came back to his senses and said calmly, "Please let him in."
The felt curtain was opened, and Tanmaragha stepped into the tent surrounded by guards. He was wearing a knee-length, narrow-sleeved, brocade-edged short robe with a red collar embroidered with gold and silver threads. He had a leather belt around his waist inlaid with various gems, and hung a dagger, a short knife, and a long sword. He wore long boots on his feet, and the collar, front, and cuffs of his clothes were all embroidered with gorgeous and bright animal patterns, which was dazzling.
Everyone in the tent bowed to him.
It was the first time that Li Zhongqian saw Tanmarajya wearing the riding uniform of a royal monarch, and he couldn't help but stare at him for a few more seconds.
Tanmarajiva was calm and composed, wearing a gorgeous brocade robe. He was still cool and elegant, noble and graceful, without a trace of worldly air, making people feel that they could not catch up with him, except that he was a little more robust and heroic.
Li Zhongqian remained calm, walked to the long table, sat down with a big horse and a golden sword, and bent one of his long legs: "Your Majesty, what is the matter with you coming here so late at night?"
Tanmaraka signaled everyone else to leave and said, "I am here tonight to pay a visit to Duke Wei, not as a monarch, but as Tanmaraka."
Li Zhongqian raised the corner of his mouth, narrowed his eyes, looked at him for a few times, and waved his hand: "Then please sit down."
Tanmarajiva sat down opposite him, straightened his clothes and sat upright, looking solemn.
Li Zhongqian poured himself a bowl of wine and asked, "What do you want from me?"
Tanmo Luojia said: "Duke Wei once asked me a few questions, but I couldn't answer them at that time."
Li Zhongqian took a sip of wine and thought for a moment, "Oh? What did I ask you?"
"Duke Wei asked me if I had any sexual thoughts about the princess."
"Do you intend to keep it a secret and just have secret meetings with her?"
"If I return to secular life for her, will I regret it in the future?"
"If I marry her, can I keep her away from troubles and make her happy and stable?"
Every word of Tanmarajya's was authentic.
Li Zhongqian didn't expect that he still clearly remembered what he said that day. He put down the wine bowl and his expression became serious.
Tanmaraka looked at him, the flickering candlelight reflected in his eyes, his brows gathered like mountains and rivers, his eyes like shooting stars: "At that time, the situation was different, I didn't dare to force the princess to stay. But the princess was sincere to me. When I was in danger, she didn't care about her own safety and accompanied me through the hard times. I knew I couldn't let go. Now, I can answer the Duke of Wei's question again. I have feelings for the princess, not just a momentary emotion. I hope the princess can always stay by my side. I want to be with her day and night and stay with her for the rest of my life. I can't rest if I don't see the princess for a day."
He paused for a moment, his eyes firm, "I want to marry the princess and be her husband."
The voice is clear and every word is sonorous.
Li Zhongqian widened his eyes.
Tanmaraja's face remained calm, and she continued, "The princess is the leader of the Western Army. The marriage between the two countries should not be so hasty. Tomorrow the royal court will formally send an envoy to the Wei Dynasty to propose marriage. The imperial edict has been drafted. Duke Wei is the princess's elder brother. An elder brother is like a father. The princess respects and loves Duke Wei. I came here to seek Duke Wei's permission first. I hope Duke Wei will agree to it."
"If I can marry the princess, I will respect her, love her, make her peaceful and happy, and keep her away from trouble."
The tent became quiet and silent, with the occasional rustling of horse hooves coming from outside.
Li Zhongqian remained silent.
Tanmarajya is now the king of the royal court. The people accept the fact that he has returned to secular life. The royal power and the divine power are gradually separated, and the divine power no longer dominates the royal power. He has saved the situation and is admired by the people. He has the compassion of a monk and the authority of an emperor who is decisive and has a heart as hard as stone. Obviously, the question he raised that day is no longer a shackle between him and Yaoying.
Judging from his determination to keep the royal court away from the flames of war, gradually implement reforms and strengthen the royal power, his determination is beyond the imagination of ordinary people. Once he makes up his mind to do something, no one can stop him.
After the war, he cleaned up the court, resolved the royal family's worries, and then came to ask for marriage. His quick and decisive actions showed his determination and sincerity.
Li Zhongqian recalled the time when he tricked Yao Ying into leaving the royal court.
Even though her eyes were injured, she still wrote letters to Tanmarajiva every day. He heard her asking her maid to write letters for her several times. In some of the letters, she told him what she had eaten, where she was, and instructed Tanmarajiva to take medicine well.
Yaoying likes this monk.
Li Zhongqian raised his chin and said, "The royal court and the Central Plains are thousands of miles apart, and the etiquette and customs are different."
Tanmaraka said: "I have been familiar with Chinese classics since I was young, and I am familiar with the etiquette and customs of the Central Plains. I will not force the princess to change her preferences and living habits."
"What if she misses her hometown and wants to go back to China?"
Tanmaraka's eyebrows twitched slightly, and he said, "I will send my personal soldiers to follow and protect the princess."
Li Zhongqian snorted softly: "I heard that the previous monarchs of the royal court had three wives and four concubines. My slave Mingyue can't stand this grievance."
Tanmaraka said: "Although I have returned to secular life, I will continue to practice asceticism in the future. I admire the princess and only ask for her to accompany me."
Li Zhongqian looked at Tanmo Luojia deeply, "Mingyue Nu doesn't like to be bound. When she was in the mansion before, I never restricted her. She could go out whenever she wanted. The chief secretary advised me that women should behave properly. Mingyue Nu is a natural beauty, so she should be more cautious in her words and actions. I indulged her too much. She made those young men jealous and we will be laughed at."
Tanmaraka raised his eyes and said word by word: "The princess is naturally romantic and innocent. There is nothing inappropriate in her words and deeds."
These words were extremely pleasing to Li Zhongqian's ears.
He didn't want Yaoying to marry a pedantic and old-fashioned monk.
Li Zhongqian thought of another problem: "You are the monarch of the royal court, and she is the leader of the Western Army. She can't stay in the royal court forever."
Tanmaraka nodded and said, "I will take care of the royal court affairs so that she does not need to worry about the royal court. She will still be the leader of the Western Army."
Li Zhongqian touched his chin. "What if one day Mingyue Nu changed her mind, fell in love with someone else, and wanted to return to the Central Plains? What would you do? Let her go back to the Central Plains, or kill that man and force her to stay with you?"
Tanmarajiva's expression changed slightly. He remained silent for a long while and closed his eyes for a moment.
"I have no idea."
Even Buddha could not free him from the obsession in his heart, and he had never thought of this possibility.
Li Zhongqian frowned and pondered. Tanmarajiva was very sincere. If he said without any hesitation that he would magnanimously let Yaoying go, he might suspect that his proposal was fake and that he was actually trying to coax Yaoying into accompanying him into Buddhism.
Neither of them spoke, and the tent was quiet for a while.
The candlelight reflected on Tanmarajika's face, making his features more profound. He broke his silence and said, "There is one more thing I want to confess to Duke Wei."
Li Zhongqian raised his eyebrows: "What's the matter?"
Tanmaraj raised his eyes, looked at him, and said calmly: "The martial arts I practiced are strange and need to be suppressed by elixirs. Over the years, I have become terminally ill. Not long ago, I was seriously ill. In order to rush back to the Holy City, I took several bottles of elixirs at random to support myself until now. I have been holding on without dispersing my martial arts. I don’t know how long I can hold on this time..."
Li Zhongqian was stunned, his expression solemn, "You mean you don't know how long you can live?"
Tanmarajika nodded and said calmly, "Yes."
Li Zhongqian frowned and said, "How dare you come to propose marriage? How could I agree to marry Mingyue Nu to a dying man?"
Tanmo Luojia looked at the bright yellow candle in the tent and said, "I have thought so too. How dare I let the princess stay when I am dying?"
He closed his eyes.
"I lied to the princess and tricked her into leaving. I told Biso to send me to the princess after I died... Later, the royal court was in turmoil. I had already decided to die. The princess appeared in front of me again, and I thought it was an illusion..."
He rushed down from the city wall and hugged her tightly, wanting to embed her into his flesh and blood. He told Yao Ying that he didn't have much time left, and she said, then cherish the remaining days.
"At that moment, I wanted to live."
Tanmarajya met Li Zhongqian's scrutinizing gaze, and raised the corners of his lips slightly: "I am so lucky in my life to have met the princess. Duke Wei, I don't know how long I can live, and I don't know what will happen tomorrow. I only know that I will cherish the days ahead."
Life and death are nothing but reincarnation, and everything is like a dream. However, Yaoying is in this life, and he wants to grasp it tightly and live every day.
Li Zhongqian's face darkened and he sneered, "Why do you want to tell me the truth? Aren't you afraid that I will strongly oppose it?"
Tanmo Luojia said calmly: "The princess once told me that she and Duke Wei had been dependent on each other since she was a child. In this world, Duke Wei is her most important relative. If she hides the truth from Duke Wei, she will be caught in the middle and it will be difficult."
He didn't want to put Yaoying in trouble again because of anything.
Li Zhongqian glanced at him coldly, and his expression softened a little.
Tanmarajiva raised his hand, pushed a treasure box in front of him and opened it.
Li Zhongqian lowered his head and saw a gold and silver crown inlaid with jewels and jade in the treasure box. It was very similar in style to the crown that Tanmaragha wore during the day, but it was smaller. There were intricate and delicate patterns on the crown, and strings of pearls, jade, agate and coral beads hung on it.
"This is the crown of the Queen of the Royal Court."
Tanmo Luojia said: "Duke Wei, as long as I am here, the alliance between the royal court and the Western Army will be solid. Even if I am gone, the successor king will abide by the alliance according to my will. However, if the emperor and the crown prince of the Wei Dynasty harm the princess, the royal court will not interfere in the state affairs of the Wei Dynasty..."
Li Zhongqian frowned. Tanmarajiva hit upon one of his worries. As long as Li De was alive, he could not rest easy. Li De would sooner or later know that the beast Li Xuanzhen had such dirty thoughts. With Li De's personality, he would probably harm Yao Ying for Li Xuanzhen. He planned to wait until the Western Regions were settled before returning to Chang'an.
Tanmaraka changed the subject: "The princess has become the queen of the royal court. Even if I am gone, everyone in the royal court will respect her and protect her well."
Li Zhongqian suddenly raised his head and looked at Tanmarajiva in surprise, his heart trembling.
It turned out that Tanmo Luojia had this plan when he proposed marriage. If Yaoying became his queen, the royal court would always protect her. His name as a Buddhist son was still spread in various countries. Yaoying was his wife, and the tribes that had received his kindness would not leave Yaoying to die without helping her.
This man has thought of everything.
He had saved Yaoying and himself. He didn't have much time left, and it was even more impossible for Yaoying to abandon him. If they were forced to separate and something really happened to him in the future, Yaoying would suffer for the rest of her life.
Rather than letting Yaoying regret for the rest of her life, it is better to let her be with the person she loves.
For Yao Ying, a queen's crown means an extra way out.
Li Zhongqian thought for a long time, weighing the pros and cons, and scanned the area with his phoenix eyes. His gaze passed over the boxes on the floor, and finally stayed on the black lacquered box for a while, and he sighed in his heart.
"Ming Yue Nu has grown up, and it's up to her to decide her marriage. But you have to remember what I said, she has a good temper and doesn't like to argue. I can't tolerate any injustice in my eyes. If you dare to let her suffer a little injustice, I will not hesitate to act because of the alliance between the royal court and the Western Army."
Li Zhongqian's expression was stern, and in an instant, a gloomy and fierce aura emanated from him. He said word by word, "If you betray her, no matter if she agrees or not, no matter how seriously ill you are, even if you are about to die, I will take her away immediately."
Tanmarajiva breathed a sigh of relief, stood up, and put his hands together: "Thank you, Duke Wei, for your help."
Li Zhongqian rolled his eyes to the sky: He is still a monk!
He felt uncomfortable all over, and suddenly pointed at a black lacquer box and said fiercely: "Why did you give this to Mingyue Nu?"
Tanmarajya was about to go out, but when he heard this, he was startled, looked at the black chess box, and replied, "I once asked the princess to go to the storehouse and pick out whatever she liked, and the princess only picked a night-light jade."
Yao Ying liked to collect luminous jades. Every time a caravan came back from Tianzhu, Fulin and other places, she would ask the Hu merchants whether they had bought any good luminous jades.
Li Zhongqian snorted coldly and waved his hand impatiently.
After Tanmarajiva went out, he stood up, walked to the box, picked up a luminous jade, and had a complicated expression on his face.
The luminous jade is also called the bright moon pearl. He gave this luminous jade to Yao Ying.
Yaoying treasured it very much and always kept it with her. Later, she married into the Yelu tribe and fell into the hands of Haidu Aling. All her belongings were taken away and only the Night-Glowing Jade was left. Finally, in order to escape from the camp, she gave the Night-Glowing Jade to a Hu woman.
After Li Zhongqian and Yao Ying reunited, Yao Ying mentioned the Night-Glowing Jade several times. She wanted to get it back. He comforted her, saying that it was just a bead and if it was gone, it was gone.
Unexpectedly, after many twists and turns, this luminous jade actually fell into the hands of Tanmarajiva. He knew that Yaoying liked the luminous jade, so he gave it to her.
The jade was returned intact to Zhao.
Maybe, this is fate.