Xuanzang, A Shu, Qu Deyong, the Princess Consort, and Qu Wentai were all stunned. A deep fear welled up in everyone’s hearts – could there be an all-powerful devil inside King David’s bottle?
“Demon Akamana, heed my command!” Qu Zhisheng shouted hoarsely, pressing his hand against the Star of David.
The black smoke from the bottle grew thicker, slowly seeping out through the intricate patterns and coalescing into a mass that rose straight up until it reached the ceiling. The smoke became denser and suddenly began to shake violently as if something was struggling inside. After a moment, the black smoke condensed into a single mass, with only a thin tendril still connected to the bottle’s mouth.
Then, an even more astonishing thing happened. A thunderous laughter echoed through the great hall as the black smoke continuously changed shape, trembling with excitement. “Noble Prince, this is the second time you’ve summoned me,” it said in a muffled voice with a strange accent.
Everyone was terrified. Xuanzang stared in disbelief at the seemingly living black smoke. Though he believed in Buddha, he could never have imagined that in broad daylight, within the royal palace, a devil could truly be released from King David’s bottle.
“Yes, the second time. I’m well aware,” Qu Zhisheng said impatiently. “I will fulfill my promise. In this lifetime, I will grant three wishes and then release you completely.”
“The despicable Sassanid Persian Emperor deceived me for four hundred years. I only hope you will keep your word,” the demon Akamana said glumly. “If you complete two wishes and then let me slumber, I will surely take revenge on your descendants if they ever awaken me! I can no longer tolerate this!”
“I understand. No more idle chatter,” Qu Zhisheng snorted. “Now, hear my second wish!”
The demon Akamana fell silent. Qu Zhisheng coldly surveyed the people in the hall. Besides Qu Deyong, the Princess Consort, and Master Xue, there were Qu Wentai, Xuanzang, A Shu, Zhu Gui, and others who had been detained, along with Long Tuqi and his sixteen dragon riders, and over a hundred soldiers. Qu Zhisheng’s icy gaze, devoid of human emotion, swept over them. Whether king or brave general, warrior or commoner, everyone’s skin crawled, and no one dared to meet his eyes.
“Father, Brother, Master, A Shu, come here,” Qu Zhisheng beckoned to them. The four approached as instructed.
“Second brother, I won’t kill you,” Qu Zhisheng said. Qu Deyong opened his mouth but didn’t know what to say. “Princess Consort is my stepmother; I won’t kill you either.”
“Dragon King, you are Shuoyue’s father. I don’t want to make her sad, so I won’t kill you either,” Qu Zhisheng said with a cold smile. He pointed at the others and laughed maniacally, “You conspired to rebel, you separated me and Shuoyue, and you relied on these swords in your hands? Well then, I shall strip you of your power! Akamana, let all these rebels, all those who forcibly took Shuoyue from me, die!”
“Hahaha!” The demon Akamana in the smoke laughed loudly. “Noble Prince, is your second wish so simple?”
“That’s right,” Qu Zhisheng said viciously.
“You don’t want the throne of this kingdom?”
“No!”
“You don’t want to be the king of kings in the Western Regions?”
“No!”
“You don’t want to possess the most powerful army in the world, the richest treasures, the most beautiful women?”
“No!” Qu Zhisheng said impatiently, gently holding Long Shuoyue’s hand. “Why are you wasting words? With Shuoyue, I want nothing else!”
“Very well!” The demon Akamana said softly. Suddenly, the smoke vanished as if it had never existed.
“Help me-” As everyone was still puzzled, Master Xue suddenly grabbed his own throat with one hand, his eyes bulging as he stared blankly at the Princess Consort. He reached out with his other hand as if trying to grasp something, then suddenly a trickle of blood seeped from the corner of his mouth, and he collapsed to the ground.
“Master Xue-” The Princess Consort screamed, rushing over to hold him.
Master Xue struggled, seeming to want to say something to the Princess Consort. She put her ear close to his mouth, and Master Xue mumbled a sentence before breathing his last. The Princess Consort’s face changed, and she looked at Xuanzang in surprise. Xuanzang was bewildered and exchanged a glance with A Shu; both were somewhat perplexed.
Before Xuanzang could ponder further, the sixteen dragon riders, over a hundred soldiers, and more than thirty exiles simultaneously began bleeding from their mouths. Without a sound, they fell one by one, motionless. The death of over a hundred people was like a forest being felled by an invisible force in an instant. The not-so-spacious palace suddenly became a field of corpses, transformed into a scene of carnage!
“No-” Qu Deyong was completely stunned. His curved sword was still at Qu Wentai’s neck, but his entire being was frozen as if all the spirit had been drained from his body, leaving only an empty shell.
The others were no better off. They stood like wooden or clay statues, with deep fear welling up from the bottom of their hearts. A chill ran up their spines, and their hair nearly stood on end. It was twilight, and the sunlight shone through the dome onto everyone’s faces and the corpses on the ground. All eyes gleamed with a thick, bloody color.
Qu Deyong cried out and ran frantically out of the great hall. One look outside, and he staggered, spitting out a mouthful of blood before collapsing to his knees. By this time, Xuanzang, A Shu, Long Tuqi, Qu Wentai, the Princess Consort, Zhu Gui, and others had also come out. They all went weak at the knees, too horrified to speak.
In the courtyard, there had originally been eight or nine hundred soldiers. Qu Deyong had sent three hundred to kill Qu Rensu, leaving about five hundred who, besides surrounding this palace, were also guarding Zhang Xiong and the palace guards. But now, what lay before their eyes was a ground littered with corpses, scattered in disarray. Silently, over five hundred people had all perished! Only Zhang Xiong and those palace guards stood dumbfounded among the piles of corpses, seemingly not yet understanding what had happened. There were also some of Master Xue’s exiles in the courtyard who had been driven out earlier by Qu Deyong. They had escaped King David’s bottle’s slaughter but were now frightened out of their wits, holding their swords and not knowing what to do.
Xuanzang looked at Long Shuoyue in horror. Although her face was pale, there was an unmistakable excitement in her eyes that sent a shiver down his spine. Could this woman have controlled even this scene?
As Xuanzang was thinking, Zhang Xiong rushed to Qu Wentai’s side like lightning. “Your Majesty, are you alright?”
Qu Wentai finally came to his senses but was still trembling all over, barely able to stand. Zhang Xiong’s leadership ability was fully displayed at this moment as he ordered the palace guards to quickly take control of the situation. Qu Deyong, Princess Consort Yu Wen, and those exiles were all held at swordpoint.
Qu Deyong could never have imagined that a meticulously planned, flawless coup would, at the moment of success, result in everyone being killed by King David’s bottle. At the moment closest to success, he had instantly fallen to rock bottom.
At this time, Qu Zhisheng walked out holding Long Shuoyue’s hand. He looked coldly at the corpses on the ground and sighed, “What a needless waste. Father, please have someone remove the bodies from my palace. Shuoyue doesn’t like to see such things. Also, no matter who becomes king, don’t come and disturb us again. Just let Shuoyue and me enjoy a few days of peace!”
With that, he led Long Shuoyue back into the palace. Long Shuoyue turned back and called out, “Father, Shuoyue has let you down!”
Long Tuqi seemed to have been frightened out of his wits and didn’t appear to hear his daughter’s voice. He just stared at Qu Zhisheng as if he had seen a ghost.
Qu Wentai had slowly regained his courage. He knew that at this moment, he must take control of the situation and deal with the aftermath. He looked coldly at Qu Deyong and asked, “Do you have anything else to say?”
Qu Deyong laughed bitterly, “The mandate of heaven is with you, not me. That’s all there is to it. Eighteen years ago, we brothers were harmonious, father and sons were close. Who caused things to come to this point today?”
Qu Wentai finally exploded in anger. He rushed forward and kicked Qu Deyong to the ground, shouting hoarsely, “You’re the one who plotted rebellion. Am I the one at fault?”
“You’re not at fault?” Qu Deyong slowly got up, a mocking smile on his face. “Why does each of your sons wish for your death? Why does each of your queens curse you in their hearts?”
Qu Wentai’s face suddenly turned pale, and he staggered back several steps, barely able to stand. Qu Deyong wept, “Since my youth, I’ve been proud of you. Back then, you assisted our grandfather, protected the Silk Road, suppressed bandits, and resisted foreign countries. In my heart, you were an illustrious hero who never lost a battle! From childhood, I vowed that I would become a great general, assist my elder brother, and bring glory to Gaochang! But who was it that provoked my ambition, tempting me onto the path of usurping power, rebelling, killing my brother, and murdering my father?”
Qu Wentai’s lips trembled, and he couldn’t help but turn to Xuanzang, weeping, “Master, is this heaven’s punishment for me?”
“Your Majesty,” Xuanzang sighed softly, “When karma is sown, the seed sprouts and can be uprooted; when the sapling grows, it can be cut down; when the flower blooms, it can be plucked; but when the poisonous fruit has ripened, it will inevitably fall to the ground.”
“Yes, when the fruit is ripe, whether sweet or poisonous, it must fall to the ground,” Princess Consort Yu Wen quietly walked to Qu Deyong’s side and took his arm, sighing softly, “My love, it has come to this. What use is there in saying more? Our efforts have failed at the last moment. We can only blame heaven for being unjust!”
Qu Deyong stared at her blankly. One small and delicate, the other as sturdy as a mountain, they stood hand in hand, exuding a melancholy reminiscent of Xiang Yu bidding farewell to his concubine.
Qu Deyong cupped Yu Wen’s face, gently wiping the blood stains from her cheeks with his sleeve. He smiled, “Since we must go, I want you to look beautiful. We’ve been together since I was fifteen. How many years has it been? Alas, why is there not a single woman in this world who can surpass you?”
Princess Consort Yu Wen burst into tears, and Qu Deyong’s face was also streaked with tears. “Don’t cry, don’t cry. If I couldn’t marry you in this life, being together in hell would be good too. There, we’ll never reincarnate again. I’ll make you happy forever.”
“Father,” he smiled at Qu Wentai, “I only wanted to emulate the Xuanwu Gate Incident. I never intended to kill you, nor would I let you bear the sin of killing your son.” Before he finished speaking, a trickle of blood suddenly flowed from the corner of his mouth. Princess Consort Yu Wen looked down and saw a short dagger plunged into his chest!
The dagger was six inches long, deeply embedded in his chest with only the hilt visible.
The Princess Consort showed no surprise, only staring blankly. Qu Deyong struggled to smile, “I really couldn’t bear to kill you, Yubo. I’ll go first!”
With that, he weakly released her hand, and his massive body collapsed to the ground. The Princess Consort laughed desolately, “You fool, why are you so cruel, making me watch you die?” She lunged forward to pull the dagger from Qu Deyong’s chest.
Qu Wentai watched impassively. Zhu Gui, quick-witted, grabbed the Princess Consort’s wrist just as her fingers touched the dagger. “Your Highness, you mustn’t!” He then dragged her away from Qu Deyong’s body. He knelt before Qu Wentai, weeping, “Your Majesty, she is the Princess Consort!”
Qu Wentai was somewhat angered by Zhu Gui’s presumption, but since the Princess Consort hadn’t managed to kill herself, he couldn’t execute her in front of everyone. He gazed at her with a complex expression, then reluctantly waved his hand, ordering Zhang Xiong, “Take her away. I don’t want to see her again! Also, immediately take control of the Ministry of War and the central army camp. Arrest everyone involved!”
Zhang Xiong knew there was no time to waste and hurriedly left, taking the Princess Consort with him. As she was being pushed along, she laughed hysterically, “By letting me live, you’re holding that poisonous fruit in your palm! I will curse you daily!”
Qu Wentai laughed bitterly, “The Qu royal family has already been cursed by the devil…” Suddenly remembering something, he exclaimed, “Zhu Gui, quickly go save Rensu!”
Zhu Gui’s face changed drastically. Qu Deyong had already sent people to kill Qu Rensu! The distance from here to the Eastern Palace wasn’t far; Qu Rensu was likely in grave danger. He hurriedly agreed, quickly gathered several dozen palace guards, and rushed towards the Eastern Palace.
At the Eastern Palace, corpses already littered the ground, and blood flowed like rivers. Qu Deyong had sent troops to kill Qu Rensu. Although Qu Rensu didn’t know the details, he was unwilling to surrender without a fight. For his safety, Zhang Xiong had assigned a hundred soldiers to protect him. This force would have been enough to stop any assassin, but it was far from sufficient against the elite central army troops.
The central army troops read out the imperial edict. Seeing that Qu Rensu wouldn’t take his own life, they immediately launched a strong attack, using logs to break down the walls and storm the Eastern Palace. Qu Rensu resisted desperately, but he was vastly outnumbered. In moments, the ground was covered with the dead and wounded, and the hundred soldiers were almost completely wiped out. Seeing the situation was hopeless, Qu Rensu, protected by a few remaining soldiers, set up a ladder and escaped over the wall.
His greatest support in the Kingdom of Gaochang was Zhang Xiong. Not knowing that Zhang Xiong had already led troops to quell the rebellion at the royal palace, Qu Rensu, in his panic, hid among the civilian houses in the royal city, fleeing towards Zhang Xiong’s mansion. After passing through seven or eight courtyards, he was alone, but at least he seemed to have shaken off the central army troops.
Qu Rensu breathed a sigh of relief and quietly made his way towards Zhang Xiong’s mansion. However, just as he was passing by a courtyard, a hand suddenly reached out from inside the gate and pulled him in. Qu Rensu was terrified and turned to run.
“Young Master, don’t panic!” the person shouted in a deep voice that sounded familiar.
Qu Rensu turned back trembling, then sighed in relief when he saw it was Zhu Gui. Zhu Gui was dressed in plain clothes and pulled him under a grape trellis with a stern expression. “Young Master, the Second Prince’s men are everywhere outside. The Grand General is also quelling the rebellion at the royal palace and isn’t at his mansion.”
“Uncle, save me!” Qu Rensu was almost in tears, grabbing Zhu Gui’s arm and shaking it vigorously like a drowning man clutching at straws.
Zhu Gui remained extremely calm and reassured him, “Don’t worry, Young Master. His Majesty ordered this old servant to come and save you. The Second Prince is dead, and there are still rebels outside who haven’t been cleared out. You just need to stay in this courtyard for a short while, and you’ll be safe and sound.”
Qu Rensu finally breathed a sigh of relief and said tearfully, “Brothers should be friendly and respectful to each other. How did it come to this?”
“It’s only because the Young Master was born into an imperial family,” Zhu Gui smiled.
Qu Rensu was stunned. Suddenly, he felt a pain in his chest. He looked down in horror to see a short dagger plunged into his heart. Qu Rensu raised his head blankly, blood trickling from the corner of his mouth. He mumbled, “Uncle, why are you killing me…”
Zhu Gui was silent for a moment, then sighed, “All evil karma falls upon me. May the Young Master enter the cycle of rebirth soon and find liberation.”
Qu Rensu made a gurgling sound in his throat, wanting to understand clearly, but he could no longer speak. His hands clutched at Zhu Gui’s clothes as he slowly slid to the ground.
Zhu Gui calmly squatted down, pressed Qu Rensu’s clothes against the wound, and gently pulled out the short dagger. Blood gushed out instantly, but the amount was very small. After the dagger was pulled out, its frost-like blade was as white as snow. It was forged from the finest Damascus steel, and he had only ever made two such daggers in his life.
After Zhu Gui left, a long time passed before a young man entered the courtyard. He seemed to know there would certainly be a corpse in the yard and walked directly to the grape trellis, squatting down to examine the now cold body. He looked very carefully, like a coroner, even inserting a steel needle into the wound to measure its depth.
“One and a half inches deep, piercing the heart perfectly,” the young man muttered to himself. “Who would have thought that old eunuch was such an expert! The chaos in Gaochang is getting more and more interesting. What exactly is he trying to do?”
At that moment, hurried footsteps echoed in the alley, mixed with the clashing of weapons and armor. The young man raised an eyebrow and quietly slipped out through the other side of the courtyard. Just as he left, he heard someone cry out, “The Young Master…”
The civilian houses in the royal city were mostly connected. The young man passed through several courtyards and came out onto the main street. The market was bustling, with merchants and traders in full swing even as dusk approached. The young man strolled down the main street with his hands behind his back, observing everything – the types of shops, trade volumes, goods names, product prices – as if he were a merchant on his first business trip, greedily acquiring all kinds of knowledge.
Suddenly, there was a commotion behind him. A group of palace guards came running, carrying Qu Rensu’s body. Each of their faces bore an expression of terror and despair, sweating profusely as they rushed towards the royal palace.
The young man shook his head regretfully but didn’t interfere. He moved to the side of the road, waiting for the palace guards to pass with the body before resuming his leisurely walk. He seemed to be in no hurry at all. When dinner time came, he even especially went into a Kucha-run “Bai’s Famous Food Shop” and ate an authentic Western Regions biluo pancake.
The young man smacked his lips in appreciation, “It’s no worse than what Han Yue used to make in the Western Market of Chang’an!”
Just then, there was suddenly a great commotion in the street, with people rushing towards the royal palace. The young man looked surprised, threw down a few Gaochang lucky copper coins, ran out of the shop, and grabbed someone to ask, “What’s happening?”
“There’s been a killing!” the person replied without looking back.
The young man followed the crowd to the outside of the royal palace and was immediately shocked. Indeed, there had been killings, not just one person. The western wall of the royal palace was densely packed with prisoners kneeling, awaiting execution. A rough count showed there were sixty or seventy of them! Behind each prisoner stood a palace guard with a long sword in hand. Even more bizarrely, kneeling opposite these prisoners was a young monk! Next to the monk knelt a child of eight or nine years old! As for the Left Guard General Zhang Xiong, he looked troubled and was bending down trying to persuade the monk. The monk was just chanting sutras with his eyes closed, completely ignoring him.
The young man found this scene increasingly strange and asked an old man next to him, “Elder, what’s going on here?”
The old man saw that he was dressed in fine clothes and didn’t dare to be negligent, “Young sir, according to the Grand General, these are former Sui Dynasty exiles who have been hiding in Gaochang and plotting rebellion. I’ve heard that there was a great commotion of killing in the royal palace earlier, and I reckon it must have been these exiles causing trouble.”
“And what about this monk?” the young man asked.
The old man put his palms together and chanted, “Amitabha Buddha. Young sir, this monk is a high monk from the Great Tang, Master Xuanzang. He’s the most honored guest invited by the King of Gaochang. His fame has spread throughout the Western Regions, like the eternal snow on the Tianshan Mountains that everyone can see. The King of Gaochang wanted to execute these exiles, but when the Master learned of this, he came to this execution ground and knelt in front of them, just chanting sutras without saying a word. The Grand General can’t persuade him to leave. I think the Master must pity the suffering of these exiles and wants to pray for them!”
The young man was stunned, his expression becoming serious as he silently observed the development of the situation.
At this time, Zhang Xiong had been trying to persuade Xuanzang for a long time, but Xuanzang just ignored him, silently chanting sutras. Zhang Xiong said helplessly, “Master, I understand your intentions, but I really can’t disobey His Majesty’s orders! Why don’t you go into the palace to see His Majesty? If he can grant a pardon, I will naturally release these people.”
Xuanzang opened his eyes and said calmly, “His Majesty has lost two princes, his heart is broken, and he has already given you strict orders that these exiles must be executed. If this poor monk takes one step away, sixty or seventy heads will fall to the ground.”
Zhang Xiong was speechless. He bowed respectfully to Xuanzang and said, “Master, I am His Majesty’s subject. Without His Majesty’s order, how dare I release these former Sui exiles? Master, if you can just bring one word from His Majesty, I will release them. I promise, after you leave, I will not take any action on my own.”
Before Xuanzang could speak, the young man walked into the execution ground with a smile, “Since these are former Sui people, why should the King of Gaochang decide how to deal with them?”
Zhang Xiong and Xuanzang both turned to look at him. They saw a man in his early twenties, tall and lanky, with a refined appearance tinged with a bit of ruggedness. He was dressed in Tang style, slightly different from the Han people of Gaochang. Zhang Xiong frowned, “Who are you? How dare you trespass on the execution ground?”
The young man smiled and took out a two-inch long bronze fish tally from his bosom, handing it to Zhang Xiong. Zhang Xiong took it puzzledly, turning it over to examine it. This bronze fish tally was only half of a whole as if a fish had been split down the middle. On the inner bronze surface was engraved the character “同” (tong) in relief. Along the split edge of the fish tally seemed to be two characters, which upon careful examination were the two halves of the characters “合同” (hetong). Presumably, when matched with the other half of the fish tally, it would form the complete character “合同” (contract). Below the character “同” on the bronze surface was a line of small characters: Wang Xuance, Right Guard Rate Fu Zhangshi, Imperial Envoy.
Zhang Xiong’s face suddenly changed drastically. “You are…”
The young man said solemnly, “Wang Xuance, envoy of the Great Tang, requesting an audience with His Majesty the King of Gaochang.”
Qu Wentai was exhausted and bedridden, but upon hearing that the Tang envoy had arrived at the royal city, he still received them despite his illness. Zhang Xiong accompanied Wang Xuance and Xuanzang to the palace, with Ashu following Xuanzang closely as usual, like a little attendant.
Wrapped in thick furs, Qu Wentai lay half-reclined on the throne, his face sallow. Seeing them enter, he first gave Xuanzang an apologetic bitter smile, then said to Wang Xuance, “Esteemed envoy, you’ve come from afar. I should have gone out of the city to welcome you, but my body is unwell and I’m completely without strength. I’ve been discourteous.”
Wang Xuance smiled and cupped his hands. “Not at all. I was originally on a mission to the Western Turkic court, and am merely passing through your esteemed country without presenting official credentials. I hope Your Majesty understands.”
Faced with the Great Tang, this enormous entity, what was there for Qu Wentai not to understand? He could only smile bitterly and say, “Of course, of course. By the way, how did you come to the royal city alone? Where is your delegation?”
Wang Xuance smiled. “For the vast Western Regions, I alone suffice.”
Qu Wentai exclaimed in admiration, “As expected of an envoy from a great nation – what extraordinary bearing! Have you come to see me today with any particular instructions? If you need provisions of food and wine, please don’t hesitate to ask.”
Wang Xuance replied, “I’ll purchase food and wine myself, and wouldn’t dare trouble Your Majesty. I’ve come today because I saw that Tang citizens were to be executed outside the palace. I found this quite puzzling, so I came specially to inquire with Your Majesty.”
Qu Wentai’s face darkened. “Esteemed envoy, those rebels can hardly be considered Tang citizens, can they? Since the end of the Sui dynasty, they’ve been refugees in the Western Regions. Now that they’re in Gaochang, they are naturally Gaochang people. They rebelled in my kingdom, so what’s wrong with me executing them?”
Wang Xuance remained impassive, saying calmly, “Since our Great Tang replaced the former Sui, everything from the previous dynasty naturally belongs to the Great Tang. As they were once Sui citizens, they are of course subjects of our Great Tang. Even if they fled to the Western Regions, their names remain in the household registers of their hometowns. If Your Majesty arbitrarily kills our Tang subjects, had I not witnessed it, it would be one thing. But now that I have seen it, how am I to account for this to His Majesty when I return to Chang’an?”
Xuanzang couldn’t help but marvel inwardly. Since coming to the Western Regions, although he had been warmly received by various kings, as a monk he hadn’t felt much of Tang’s national prestige. Now, seeing Wang Xuance alone, using both soft and hard tactics before the King of Gaochang, even making threats, he finally saw how the rise of the Great Tang had become such an overwhelming pressure on the countries of the Western Regions.
Qu Wentai was, after all, a king of a country. Hearing these words, a trace of anger appeared on his face. “Does the esteemed envoy know that these people have committed crimes in my kingdom of Gaochang, intending to rebel? Such a grave crime of treason would not be pardoned in any country, would it?”
Wang Xuance feigned sudden realization. “Oh, I see! Indeed, these people must be severely punished. How about this, Your Majesty? You can imprison them for now, and when I return from the Western Turkic court, I’ll take them back to the Great Tang to be dealt with strictly according to Tang law. How does that sound?”
Qu Wentai was instantly struck speechless. He stared silently at Wang Xuance, his face flushing, feeling deeply humiliated. Wang Xuance faced him with a smile.
“Your Majesty,” Xuanzang hurriedly interjected, “may this humble monk tell you a story?”
Qu Wentai replied, “To hear the Master’s teachings would be my utmost honor.”
“Once there was a man who raised seven sons,” Xuanzang began. “One son died first. Seeing his son had died, the man wanted to keep the body at home while leaving with his other six sons. A neighbor saw this and asked: ‘Life and death are different paths. You should bury the body far away. Why are you keeping the dead at home and leaving with the living?’ Hearing this, the man pondered secretly: ‘Indeed, after death, one should be buried far away. But how can I take him out for burial? It seems I must kill another son to make a balanced load.’ So he killed another son, placed the two bodies on either end of a carrying pole, achieving perfect balance, and carried them out for burial.”
As soon as the story ended, Qu Wentai couldn’t help but smile bitterly. “Master, how could there be someone so foolish in this world!”
Zhang Xiong also exclaimed in surprise, “Indeed, this is inconceivable. That man was extremely foolish.”
Xuanzang said calmly, “This foolish person is none other than you, Your Majesty.”
Zhang Xiong, who had been trying to lighten the mood, immediately fell silent. Qu Wentai was greatly shocked and couldn’t help but smile bitterly, “Master, why do you say this?”
“The successive deaths of the two princes, Your Majesty, you cannot escape blame,” Xuanzang said softly. “However, what’s done is done. For Your Majesty, they should be buried in distant mountains, with monks gathered to perform rites for their souls to ascend to heaven. This would both bring peace to the deceased spirits and cleanse Your Majesty of sin. But what are you doing instead? You’re venting your anger on the Sui refugees, executing sixty or seventy people. Isn’t this just like that foolish man, adding crime upon crime, killing sons to balance a load?”
“Well said!” Wang Xuance exclaimed in admiration. “Master, I heard of your reputation back in the Great Tang. I studied Confucianism and was somewhat skeptical, but seeing you today, I truly admire you!”
Qu Wentai had already become dumbstruck, staring blankly into the void outside the hall. Suddenly, he let out a bitter laugh. “Master, I have learned my lesson! Killing sons to balance a load! Ha ha, killing sons to balance a load! My two sons truly died by my hand!”
Qu Wentai wept uncontrollably, breaking down in sobs in the great hall.
Zhu Gui, attending nearby, was heartbroken seeing Qu Wentai cry like this. He stepped forward, saying, “Your Majesty, you’re weak. You should rest in the inner palace!” He then ordered several palace maids to help Qu Wentai up.
Qu Wentai wiped his tears and sighed deeply. “Tai Huan, release those people!”
His voice was unbearably desolate. In just half a day, Qu Wentai seemed to have aged more than ten years. Xuanzang silently watched him, noticing that his hair had even gained some white strands.
As Qu Wentai was about to leave, Huan Xin suddenly rushed in. “Your Majesty! Your Majesty! A diplomatic letter has arrived from Yanqi!”
Qu Wentai paused, then stumbled back to the throne. He ordered Huan Xin to present the letter. Opening the parchment scroll, his face immediately turned ashen, and he froze in shock!
Zhang Xiong quickly asked, “Your Majesty!”
Qu Wentai stared blankly for a moment, then handed the letter to Huan Xin. “Give it to the Grand General and the Tang envoy to read.”
Everyone was surprised, even Wang Xuance was puzzled as to why he, a foreign envoy, would be allowed to see a diplomatic letter from Yanqi to Gaochang.
Huan Xin passed the letter to Zhang Xiong, who read it and his expression changed, becoming complex as he handed it to Wang Xuance.
Wang Xuance unfolded and read it. The letter from Yanqi was written in both Tocharian and Chinese languages. Wang Xuance, a civil official from the Right Guard’s Office on a mission to the Western Regions, was chosen precisely because of his proficiency in the languages of various Western Region countries.
After reading, Wang Xuance’s face remained calm.
Qu Wentai smiled bitterly at Xuanzang. “Master probably doesn’t know what letter Yanqi has sent. Long Tuqi Zhi has declared to me that the three countries have officially declared war on Gaochang, and the Silk Road is temporarily closed.”
Zhang Xiong stood up abruptly. “Your Majesty, I will go to Jiaohecheng and surely keep the Yanqi people outside our borders!”
Qu Wentai wept. “Tai Huan, De Yong has already gone. If you’re not here, who will guard the royal city? Moreover, the allied forces of the three countries number up to eight thousand. Even if all of Gaochang mobilizes, we have only five thousand. If Long Tuqi Zhi draws our main force to Jiaohecheng and then sends a surprise attack across the desert to assault the royal city, what then?”
Zhang Xiong was reluctant but ultimately helpless. There was no way around it – the disparity in strength was too great. Gaochang, compared to each of these three countries individually, was not much weaker and even slightly stronger. But against the allied forces of the three, Gaochang was far outmatched. Eight thousand troops were an invincible force among the Western Region countries.
Qu Wentai looked earnestly at Wang Xuance. “Esteemed envoy, the Great Tang, and my Gaochang are both countries of the Han people. For many years, with the Central Plains in decline, the Han people in the Western Regions have been oppressed by barbarians. Now that the Great Tang dominates the world, I beg you, for the sake of our shared Han blood, to lend a hand to Gaochang!”
Wang Xuance was silent for a moment, then cupped his hands and said, “Your Majesty, of course, our Great Tang hopes for peace in the Western Regions. However, I am on an imperial mission to the Western Turks, and His Majesty has not authorized me to intervene in the disputes of Western Region countries. Even if I wished to help you, it would be improper. How could I act without proper authority?”
Qu Wentai looked pleadingly at Xuanzang, who was torn but knew he shouldn’t interfere in such state affairs. He could only silently close his eyes and finger his prayer beads while reciting Buddha’s name. Helpless, Qu Wentai had no choice but to ask Wang Xuance, “Esteemed envoy, what must be done to secure the Great Tang’s aid?”
“Your Majesty,” Wang Xuance said, “eliminating the threat of the three countries would be a mere trifle for our Great Tang. However, you have close ties with the Western Turks. In every city of your Gaochang, there are now Tutun from the Western Turkic court, collecting commercial taxes from you annually while also monitoring the situation in the country. If our Great Tang were to intervene, it would not look good if Tong Yabghu Qaghan found out.”
Qu Wentai fell silent. He knew very well that he was essentially a vassal state of the Western Turks. Seeking aid from the Great Tang would be tantamount to betraying the Western Turks. Wang Xuance’s specific mention of the Tutun was implying that it made no sense for Gaochang to pay taxes to the Western Turks yet ask the Great Tang for help in times of trouble. He was even subtly suggesting that Qu Wentai expel the Tutun as a show of loyalty to the Great Tang. But such a major policy issue was not something even Qu Wentai dared to decide on his own.
A silence fell over the great hall. Suddenly, Qu Wentai laughed bitterly. “To think that I, Qu Wentai, in my youth commanded great armies and roamed the Western Regions, with thirty-six countries bowing before me. Even when traitors usurped power and my country and family were ruined, I was still able to sweep away the rebels and revive Gaochang. But why… why in my old age do I lose two sons in one day and face troubles both internal and external? Why is this? Why indeed?”
He suddenly let out a great roar and spat out a mouthful of blood, collapsing onto the throne.
Everyone was shocked and rushed over to call out to him. Soon, the palace physician hurried in and immediately began emergency treatment. After quite some time, Qu Wentai slowly regained consciousness. He looked around, tears streaming down his aged face, and grasped Xuanzang’s hand, saying, “Master, among the eight sufferings of life, why must I taste them all one by one?”
Xuanzang, however, could not answer.