Yao Ying believed that Monda Deva would not harm her, so she followed her disciples out of the door. As soon as she walked down the stone steps, she found that the gate to the courtyard was blocked by people.
Someone was shouting something in a nonsensical language, and the monk tried his best to stop him. However, those people yelled at the monk and slammed the wooden door, making a deafening noise.
Seeing that the wooden door was about to be knocked open, the disciple was terrified and took Yao Ying back to the house: "It's General Xue Yan outside the door! He broke in with his men!"
Yao Ying frowned and asked, "How did General Xue get in?"
She had been staying in the side hall of the palace these days, chatting with the monks, and inquiring about many things in the palace, and had heard about Xue Yanna.
The royal court has been ruled by the Tanmo family since ancient times. A few decades ago, the Tanmo family declined and the aristocratic families controlled the court. When Tanmo Luojia was five years old, the Zhang family cruelly killed Tanmo and wanted to replace him. The people of the royal court were full of resentment, and Zhang had no choice but to leave Princess Chima and Tanmo Luojia, the brother and sister, behind.
Tanmarajya ascended the throne as a teenager and was imprisoned by Zhang to study Buddhism in a Buddhist temple. When he was thirteen years old, the northern barbarians invaded in large numbers and the noble families abandoned the city and fled. As a puppet emperor, he led the central army to repel the Wakhan Khan, and his reputation spread throughout the Western Regions. He took advantage of the situation and seized back the royal power.
After that, Tanmarajiva suppressed the aristocratic families, seized the royal power, appointed his close follower Sultan Kublai as regent, and while studying Buddhism, he educated the people and his reputation grew.
However, several aristocratic families in the royal court were not willing to lose power.
Prime Minister Kang Mozha, General Xue Yanna, Right Army Commander An Yule, Auxiliary Minister Meng Yunhan and several large families behind them were dissatisfied with Tanmarajiva's kindness to other tribes and often complained about it in private.
Tanmarajiva is a son of Buddha and it is impossible for him to get married in this life. He and Princess Chima are the only ones left in the royal bloodline and there is no heir in the royal court. His condition has become more and more serious in recent years. Although he tried his best to keep it secret, the news still got out and the aristocratic family became more and more active.
Among them, Xue Yanna was the most rude and violent, and he almost never concealed his rebellious heart. He was fond of fishing and often abused female slaves. He had already had several conflicts with Tanmaraojia because of the abuse and killing of Han slaves.
I don't know where he heard that Yaoying lived in the palace, but he came here on his own a few days ago, clamoring to see the beautiful lady.
Fortunately, Yao Ying was alert. When he was relaxing in the attic, he saw a tall and strong Hu man as strong as a black bear wandering outside. Knowing that the man was not friendly, he immediately reminded the monks to invite Monda Deva.
Mengda Deva arrived in time, persuaded Xueyanna to leave, and ordered all places to strengthen vigilance.
Xue Yanna came several more times later, but seeing that the monks were guarding the place strictly, he did not force his way in.
Today, General Xue Yan led his men directly into the inner courtyard and was about to rush in.
The disciple was so anxious that sweat fell all over his forehead: "I don't know how he got in!"
With a loud bang, the wooden door was finally knocked open, and the shouting of the Hu people was getting closer and closer.
The disciple panicked: "The master has gone to the medicine room to get the medicine. It will take at least half an hour for him to come back!"
Yao Ying made a prompt decision: "Let's go to the attic. There is a very secluded room there. Let's hide there for a while."
On the first day of her detention, she walked around to familiarize herself with the terrain so that she could take shelter temporarily in case of an emergency.
The personal guards followed Yao Ying, climbed up to the attic and hid in the secret room. This room was originally used as a watchtower, but was later abandoned. The corridor leading to other floors was hidden in a narrow corner and ordinary people would not notice it unless they looked carefully.
Xie Qing stood by the door, listening carefully to the movements downstairs, his fingers on the hilt of the knife.
Yao Ying held her hand and said, "We are in the royal palace now. Don't hurt anyone unless it is absolutely necessary."
Facing Xue Yanna, they can protect themselves, but Xue Yanna is an important official in the royal court, and the Xue family has tens of thousands of cavalrymen in the left army. They are foreigners and cannot provoke trouble in the royal court.
Xie Qing nodded.
There was a lot of noise and commotion downstairs. After a while, Xue Yan's furious roar was heard: "Where is the Han princess?"
No one answered.
The monks stood in the corridor, clasped their hands together, bowed their heads and silently recited scriptures.
Wang Ting worshipped Buddhism, and they were monks. No matter how brave Xue Yan was, he would not dare to raise his butcher knife against monks.
Xue Yanna led his soldiers to search the yard, but did not see Yao Ying. He flew into a rage and smashed the wooden door with a knife, shouting, "Whoever dares to hide a Han woman, I will crush his head!"
In the attic, Yao Ying felt nervous.
They couldn't hide for long, and they didn't know when Mundadeva would arrive.
Xue Yanna paced back and forth holding a long sword, his sharp eyes looking around, his gaze resting on the attic.
The monk's disciple couldn't help but shudder.
Xue Yan laughed mischievously and rushed up to the second floor.
At this moment, hurried footsteps suddenly sounded from the direction of the courtyard gate.
Yuan Jue, the Central Army guard who often stood with Prajna, walked quickly into the yard, glanced coldly at the soldiers who were looking around for someone, and looked at Xue Yanna on the stairs.
"General Xue, the king summons you."
Xue Yanna continued to walk up.
Yuan Jue raised his voice and asked, "General Xue, do you remember how the Regent King dealt with your uncle?"
The atmosphere suddenly became stagnant and the soldiers in the yard looked at each other in bewilderment.
Xue Yan's steps suddenly stopped, and his furious aura subsided a little. He turned around and went down the stairs. He looked around and his eyes fell on Yuan Jue's face.
"Has the Regent returned from Gaochang?"
His tone was tentative.
Yuan Jue said coldly, "Is it possible for us to find out the whereabouts of the Regent?"
Xue Yan's face showed a look of fear. After thinking for a while, he angrily put the knife back into the sheath: "Your Majesty is a Buddhist, but you actually hid a beautiful Han woman in the palace. Your Buddha's heart is not sincere! I will go to see the king and ask him for clarification!"
Having finished speaking, he walked away.
Yuan Jue stayed and did not leave. He raised his head and said in a clear voice: "Princess Wen Zhao, the king invites you to the main hall."
Yaoying came out from her hiding place and looked at Yuanjue: "Have Prajna and General Ashina returned with the medicine?"
Tanmarajiva summoned Xueyanna. Has the situation improved?
Yuanjue shook his head, his face tense, but his trembling voice revealed a bit of grief and panic: "There has been no news, and all the monks in the temple have arrived."
The monks gathered together, ready to perform rituals for their monarch.
Yao Ying sighed softly in her heart - not because she was sad because she had lost her protection, but simply because she felt sorry for Tanmarajiva.
He was gifted with wisdom and was well-known in the Western Regions. He could have been a reclusive monk. When the Northern Rong attacked the Holy City, the nobles abandoned the city and fled. He took advantage of the chaos to escape from the Buddhist temple. The monks advised him to flee far away to avoid disaster, but the young man flatly refused and led the central army to guard the royal court, saving tens of thousands of people.
Yaoying saw shadows of many people in Tanmarajiva. She thought of her uncle Xie Wuliang, the former Zhu family, and the virtuous and ambitious people who fought one after another in the troubled times.
Whether in the Central Plains or the Western Regions, whenever the mountains and rivers are broken and the people are devastated, there are always heroes who resolutely stand up and use their flesh and blood to win a glimmer of hope for the weak.
Tanmarajiva was a true eminent monk. Not only did he have a profound knowledge of Buddhism, he also spent his entire life practicing his beliefs, protecting the people, and saving all living beings.
Unfortunately, he was plagued by a strange disease and was destined to die young.
Yaoying had never met Tanmarajiva before, so she didn't feel anything. But now the man who had saved her not long ago was about to die, and she couldn't help feeling a little sad.
She covered her face with a veil and followed Yuanjue to the main hall.
Xue Yanna and the soldiers were walking in front of them, climbing the stairs.
The main hall door was tightly closed, with only a slit in the side door. Monks in shoulder-length, half-sleeve robes entered the hall from the corridors on both sides.
Xue Yan climbed up the platform in anger and said angrily, "Since the king has summoned me, why didn't you open the door?"
No one answered him. There were loud footsteps, and two teams of cavalrymen in blue shirts and white robes rushed out from all directions, walked down the corridor, and surrounded Xue Yanna and his entourage in the center.
Xue Yan sneered: "What crime have I committed?"
The knights were silent.
Xue Yan snorted coldly and continued to move forward: "Get out of here!"
Suddenly, a golden light flashed, and a thin and nimble black shadow fell from the sky and rushed towards Xue Yan like lightning.
There was silence on the platform for a moment, and then a heart-wrenching scream rang out.
Yao Ying, who was not far away, was startled and subconsciously took a half step back.
In front of the high platform, Xue Yan looked terrified, his left hand was covered in blood, and he staggered backwards amidst the embrace of his close followers, but was forced back by the blue-shirted knights behind him.
He gritted his teeth and looked around, his face twitched twice, and Cang Huangzhong raised his knife and chopped.
The black shadow leaped up, nimbly dodged his long sword, opened its bloody mouth and bit one of his followers.
The follower was thrown to the ground. Before he could even scream, his body twitched a few times, blood gushed out of his throat, and he died in an instant.
The other followers could hardly hold their knives and surrounded Xue Yan tightly, their faces turning pale.
The dark figure on the ground let go of his followers and raised his bloodstained face.
Yaoying stood on the stairs, her heart beating rapidly.
It was a golden leopard, with shiny fur and coin-like markings all over its body. It bit off the throat of its follower, wagged its tail, squatted beside the corpse, looked at the tower next to the main hall, and licked its bloody front paws with its scarlet tongue.
There was a dead silence in front of the palace steps.
Xue Yan was sweating profusely. He glanced at his followers who had died tragically in the leopard's mouth and looked towards the tower.
As the sun sets, the palace pavilions are filled with golden light. In front of the window painted with gold powder, there stands a tall, thin and upright figure. He is dressed in a black brocade robe and is gaunt, like a cheetah lurking in the dark.
Xue Yanna roared: "Sudangu! You killed my people!"
The figure stood with his hands behind his back, holding a big sword and a golden horse, and seemed to not take Xue Yan seriously at all.
The veins on Xue Yan's forehead bulged.
Yaoying's heart moved.
Sultan Kumarajiva, the man who took over the government on behalf of Tanmarajiva?
Tanmarajiva is a god in the eyes of the people of the Western Regions, while Sultanahmet is a regent who holds the military and political power of the royal court in the secular world. Unlike the kind and compassionate Tanmarajiva, he is arbitrary, ruthless and cruel. The people privately call him the Vajra Asura who protects the Buddha.
Asura Yaksha is ferocious and belligerent, ferocious and terrifying, and can stop children from crying at night.
Sultan Gu's whereabouts are unknown. It is said that he went to Gaochang. Yao Ying often heard monks mention him these days.
The Central Army Guards were looking forward to Sultan Gu's early return, but the ministers in the court were the opposite. They were afraid of Sultan Gu's return - no wonder they were afraid of Sultan Gu, because he crippled one of Xue Yanna's hands on the first day he returned to the royal court.
Xue Yan's left hand was bloody and he managed to stand firm. He shouted towards the main hall: "Sultan Gu, you dare to kill people in front of the hall. Where do you think the king is?!"
The man in the attic pretended not to hear anything and turned away. The cheetah on the ground leaped up, jumped onto the corridor, and after a few leaps, its colorful figure disappeared between the tops of the palace walls.
There were bright red claw marks left behind.
The palace door opened and the central army guards walked out.
Xue Yan's wound on his left hand hurt, and he said angrily: "Didn't you see what Sultan Gu just did? The beast he raised killed my people!"
The guard glanced at Xue Yanna and said loudly: "General Xue has entered the palace several times in the past few days and disturbed the guests. The regent has punished him slightly to serve as a warning to others. The king has learned about it. The king also said that if anyone enters the palace again in the future, the regent can execute him on the spot!"
Every word and sentence made a sound when it fell to the ground.
Xue Yan was so furious that he was shaking all over and his face turned slightly green.
The center guard slowly drew out his long sword and took a step forward.
The knife flashed on the steps.
The guard said, "The king wants to discuss matters with the regent king, so General Xue will take his leave."
The attendant was trembling with fear and whispered to Xue Yan: "General, you are injured. You should go back and treat your wound first... I heard that the cheetahs raised by the Regent Prince have poisonous teeth..."
The attendant dared not say the rest: The reason why the Regent King dared to hurt people in front of the palace was because the general was instigated by the Prime Minister Kang Mozha, who repeatedly broke into the palace! The king is a Buddhist and never kills, but the Regent King is a Yaksha who kills people like crazy! The general deserved it completely...
Xue Yan's eyes were wide open, he was panting like an ox, his body was shaking, the wound was getting more and more painful, he couldn't help but wonder if the leopard was really poisonous, he gritted his teeth and said: "One day, I must kill Sultan Gu with my own hands!"
The attendants all agreed, supported Xue Yanna, and left in a hurry.
The blue-shirted knight dragged away the body of his dead follower, and soon slaves came with buckets of water to clean up the blood on the ground.
Yaoying walked through the corridor and felt that the dark shadow in the attic seemed to still be standing there, gazing at the steps of the palace. Recalling the scene where the leopard had just bit off her follower's throat, her palms felt cold.
The regent Sultan Kublai is indeed worthy of his reputation.
Yuanjue led Yaoying into the palace.
The hall was covered with low curtains and filled with fragrance. All the jewels, jades, and rare treasures had been removed. Behind the columns, golden light shone. Monks in robes sat cross-legged, chanting scriptures in low voices, some in Sanskrit and some in foreign languages. Incense candles were burning in the four corners of the hall, and fresh fruits and flowers were offered in front of the table. The air was filled with a strong and mellow sandalwood scent.
The monks' chanting sounded solemn and sad. Yao Ying did not look up and walked into the inner hall.
The bed was also surrounded by layers of gauze curtains with golden patterns. It was almost dusk, and the last ray of afterglow slanted into the hall from the window, casting spots of light on the golden brick floor. The light and shadows were shimmering, and the aura of preciousness was floating.
A weak voice came from behind the tent: "The ministers of the royal court were rude and frightened Princess Wen Zhao."
It sounds cold and silent, as if without a trace of emotion, but those who hear it feel their hearts tremble.
Yao Ying was stunned.
Tanmarajiva was dying, so he specially invited her over just to say these words to her.
She didn't know what to say.
Behind the curtain, Tanmaraka whispered to Yuanjue, "Where is Princess Chima?"
Yuan Jue asked Yao Ying to step aside and replied, "Princess Chi Ma will be here soon."
Just as he finished speaking, there was a noise from the side door, and two maids with faces as white as snow escorted Princess Chima into the palace.
Princess Chima had red hair, brown eyes, deep facial features and a slender figure. She walked to the front of the gauze curtain and glanced at Yao Ying. She was careless at first, but suddenly she reacted and her cold gaze returned to her, her face changing color.
Yao Ying had heard from the monks about the tragic death of the Tanmo royal family at the hands of Zhang, so she was not surprised by Princess Chima's sharp eyes. She wondered in her heart: What is Tanmo Luojia trying to do?
Princess Chima was even more shocked than Yaoying, and angrily asked, "Luojia, what did you call this Han woman here for?"
Tanmarajiva's voice came from behind the curtain, still as cold as water, without a single wave: "Chima, was it you who put Xue Yan into the palace?"
Princess Chima was stunned for a moment and sneered: "How do you know it was me?"
Tanmaraka said nothing.
Princess Chima pulled off her veil and raised her head. Her brown eyes were filled with tears and she looked angry. "Yes, I let Xue Yanna enter the palace on purpose. I also asked my maid to tell him that the Han princess lived in the side hall of the palace. Luo Jia, why did you protect a Han woman? Have you forgotten the hatred of the Tanmo family? More than 200 lives of the Tanmo family... more than 200 living people! Those people are our elders, brothers, sisters... our relatives. The Zhang family killed them one by one in front of you and me. I dream of those dead people every night. I hate the Zhang family! I hate all Han people!"
The guards standing before the tent all lowered their heads.
There was no sound in the hall.
"The one who killed the Tanmo family was Zhang." A few intermittent coughs were heard behind the curtain. Tanmo Luojia said indifferently, "What does it have to do with Princess Wen Zhao?"
Princess Chima froze.
Yaoying raised her eyelids and couldn't help but take a look at the gauze curtain.
Princess Chima closed her eyes, with an expression that looked like she was half crying and half laughing.
"Luo Jia, you are a saint, a son of Buddha. You have read the scriptures since you were young, and you are compassionate. You have cut off the dust and ties. Although you are the prince of the Tanmo family, there is no Tanmo royal family in your heart! No sister like me! In your eyes, there is only the supreme Dharma, and only strangers who have nothing to do with you! Zhang killed our relatives, but you still treated the Han people well... All beings are equal, you regard everyone as your subjects, then what about me? What about the Tanmo family? What are we?"
She laughed out loud.
"I am not you! I am the princess of the Tanmo family! I am just an ordinary person! I wish I could kill all the Han people in the royal court and use their corpses to commemorate the Tanmo family!"
She rushed forward, opened the low-hanging gauze curtain, and flew to the bed: "Open your eyes and look, this person is a Han woman! She is the Han man who brutally killed our mother in front of you, and killed you, my brothers and sisters!"
The gauze curtain was lifted up, and the guards had no time to stop it. Princess Chima fell onto the bed and was stunned to see her brother sitting cross-legged.
Yao Ying's eyes widened.
Tanmarajiva was dressed in a crimson cassock, sitting on a throne with his hands hanging by his legs, a string of dull beads on his wrists. His face was pale and haggard, but his deep green eyes still had some life in them.
Princess Chima was stunned for a while, and the madness on her face slowly faded away.
"Roga, you are dying."
She said coldly.
Tanmaraka lowered his eyes and said calmly: "Birth, aging, sickness and death are like smoke and clouds disappearing."
The voice is clear, as if reciting scriptures.
Princess Chima took two steps back and laughed softly, "You are about to die, and you are still blaming me for a Han woman... You are about to die! Luojia, how can you be so heartless? If you practice Buddhism, will you really cut off all worldly ties and give up the Tanmo family?"
Tanmaraka slowly raised his eyes and looked at Princess Chima.
"Princess Wen Zhao is a guest of the royal court and the master's benefactor... Chima, you swear by the Buddha that you will not harm Princess Wen Zhao without reason in the future."
Princess Chima was stunned for a moment, looking at her brother as if he was a madman.
"Luo Jia, I am your sister."
Tanmaraka looked at his sister, his voice was as soft as a thread, but it carried a powerful force: "Chima, I am your monarch."
The guards around looked at Princess Chima.
Princess Chima looked around, sneered twice, turned around and was about to leave.
The guards stepped forward and blocked her way.
Princess Chima turned around and glared at Tanmaragha.
Tanmarajiva lowered her eyes and said nothing.
Princess Chima was so angry that she laughed, "Okay, I, Tanmo Chima, swear today that if anyone intends to harm Princess Wen Zhao, they will be retaliated against and fall into the suffering of reincarnation forever, and will never be able to be reborn!"
Her eyes widened and she glared at Tanmaraka: "King, are you satisfied?"
Tanmaraka glanced at her, sighed softly, and looked away tiredly.
Princess Chima trembled all over and could hardly control her expression. She glared at Yaoying fiercely and walked away in a huff.
Yao Ying felt mixed emotions and remained speechless for a long time.
Tanmaraka's eyes were lowered, as if he was asleep, or as if he had truly left this world.
Her eyes lingered on his haggard face for a long time. Just as she was about to speak, he raised his eyelashes and looked at her with his deep blue eyes.
"Princess Wen Zhao, you can follow Master Mengda Deva to India, and then return home by sea."
Yaoying's heart trembled slightly.
She did plan to do so—if Tanmaraka died.
The author has something to say: Regarding surnames, Kang, An, Meng, He, Cao, Mi, etc. are the more commonly used surnames of the Hu people.