Leaving Sand City, they faced a vast, boundless desert before them. The sun blazed overhead, heat shimmering in waves as fully-laden merchant caravans headed toward the prosperous Holy City. The meandering sounds of camel bells and passionate pipa music floated and echoed across the sea of sand.

From horseback, Li Zhongqian turned to gaze at Sand City standing amid the yellow sands, where the heavy armor of guards on the tower walls gleamed brilliantly in the dazzling sunlight.

Outside the city gates, warfare raged as various powers clashed in endless chaos.

Inside the gates, songs and dances filled the air as merchants gathered and trade flourished.

One city gate divided two entirely different worlds.

In every town they passed, Buddhist pagodas could be seen everywhere, with common people making devout offerings, and viewing the Buddha Son as divine.

Li Zhongqian pondered deeply for a while. In these chaotic times, Mingyuenu had fled far from her homeland to a strange country, receiving protection from the royal court’s Buddha Son – truly no easy feat.

He didn’t believe in fate or spirits, only in survival of the fittest, but at this moment, his heart softened somewhat.

He only hoped the world would treat her gently and not let her suffer too much hardship.

Li Yaoying wore her hair in braids with pearls and jewels draped over her shoulders. She wore a narrow-sleeved gauze dress so radiant it seemed to dim the sunlight, her face covered with a veil. As she rode, she discussed the matter of ransoming slaves and prisoners of war with Old Qi.

Li Zhongqian listened for a while before frowning and asking, “You want to ransom Northern Rong prisoners too?”

Yaoying explained, “Many of the Northern Rong prisoners are civilians forcibly conscripted from various tribes who didn’t want to fight for the Northern Rong. When we ransom them, we won’t immediately let them return home but have them guide us and help us recover the various oases scattered across the desert, then find ways to settle them. The more people we ransom, the more allies we gain and the fewer enemies we have.”

“I’ve already ransomed several groups. Those who want to continue fighting join the Western Army, those who want to return home can go back together to honestly tend sheep or farm the land.”

The Western Army’s numbers were still too few, and given the Western Regions’ geographical limitations, it was difficult to completely pacify all unrest in a short time. They could only first take key strongholds, and then stabilize the situation. After taking strongholds, to prevent future Northern Rong counterattacks, soldiers would need to farm locally, both recovering and producing supplies for military needs while maintaining training and preparation for battle.

As the Western Army gradually recovered lost territory, large-scale population transfers would soon begin, making every laborer precious – pacifying chaos was ultimately for the people. If everyone could live and work in peace, warfare would naturally decrease.

After Gaochang was restored, Yaoying had ordered Old Qi to create registers and prepare for settling prisoners of war and refugees, to avoid confusion and mistakes later amid the busy work.

Li Zhongqian nodded slightly.

He thought about the future.

The Western Regions’ situation was complex. The Western Army couldn’t rely on the imperial court, and even less fell into Li De’s hands. They had to put down local roots to be flexible, meaning they’d have to procure their provisions and weapons. Military farming could reduce supply pressure and solve the major problem of long-distance transport, avoiding layers of checkpoints and skimming, but soldiers farming and busy with agricultural work would reduce combat effectiveness.

Ransoming people to fill border regions and farms was a good method.

“Do you have enough money?”

Old Qi smiled beside them: “Young Master need not worry about that – we have plenty. Not to mention our daily income is enough for expenses. The Western Army has the people’s support. When General Yang first raised the banner of the uprising, noble families and common people competed to contribute money and goods. Before the uprising, the princess found some Sogdian merchants and explained the situation to them, and they also generously opened their purses, contributing large sums to the Western Army.”

Li Zhongqian raised an eyebrow, thinking of the Xie family’s generational accumulation.

Since she first learned to manage accounts, she has helped him manage the Xie family finances. When she saved him back then, she used half to win over court ministers. The remaining hidden assets were enough for him to live comfortably for the rest of his life.

Yaoying sent away the radiant Old Qi and gave Li Zhongqian a wry smile, saying softly, “Brother, while it’s true the common people spontaneously sent money and grain, the noble families and Sogdian merchants are most shrewd – they contributed funds thinking of future benefits. These favors will have to be repaid later.”

The noble families and Sogdian merchants hoped that once trade routes opened, they could control them and extract profits – that would be a truly lucrative business. When the Northern Rong were strong, they relied on them; when the Northern Rong lost power, they immediately curried favor with the Western Army. These people needed to be won over but also guarded against future attempts to sideline them.

Li Zhongqian looked at the sweating Yaoying with a complex expression: “No profit, no early rising – that’s human nature. It’s good that you understand this point clearly. Don’t be like Yang Qian, head full of only righteousness.”

Yang Qian was just a hothead – while certainly brave, he lacked sophistication and caution, thinking he could uphold justice and achieve his ambitions with just a sword. If not for people like Yaoying and the Yuchi ruler mediating behind the scenes, he would have been betrayed by other noble families long ago.

Yaoying laughed lightly: “Yang Qian is full of courage – I think he’s quite good.”

Li Zhongqian’s eyebrows rose thoughtfully: “Yang Qian isn’t married yet, he’s only a few years older than you, quite suitable. His looks aren’t bad either, quite handsome… He’s from a Hexi noble family, and his status matches…”

Yaoying couldn’t help but laugh: “Brother, do you think I need to rush into marriage now?”

Li Zhongqian said nothing.

Yaoying whipped her horse, riding alongside him: “Brother before you worried that Li De would force me to marry someone to win over other factions. Now he can’t force me to marry, I can decide on my marriage. Brother, you don’t need to keep trying to find me a good match like before. Yang Qian and I are just friends.”

Li Zhongqian looked up at her, his gaze profound: “If you married, I’d be more at ease.”

Yaoying snorted lightly, wrinkling her nose: “You’re that eager to marry me off? Will everything be worry-free after marriage? What if my husband and I don’t get along if he doesn’t treat me well?”

Li Zhongqian’s expression darkened.

“Then I’ll dig out his heart and liver for you to drink with wine.”

Yaoying laughed: “Then better not to marry at all! I don’t want to marry now.”

She put on a stern face, glaring at Li Zhongqian: “Brother, you’ve never married either, and I’ve never nagged you about it.”

Since Li Zhongqian was fifteen, the Xie family’s old servants had urged him to marry early, even helping find several suitable noble ladies, but he flatly refused.

“With my status, disaster could strike at any time. Being my wife would mean few good days – why harm someone?”

The old servants tried persuading him several times, but he wouldn’t budge, preferring to carouse with flowers and willows, living dissolutely, and associating with courtesans who only cared for money, not people. Through countless flowers he passed, but not a leaf stuck to him.

Most concubines in his household were of low status. Knowing he had no intention to marry, they begged to be taken in. He said, “While I live, you can leave when you want. If something happens to me, you all find your way out.”

So when he got in trouble, Yaoying gave each of his concubines money to support themselves and let them leave on their own to avoid being implicated. They left decisively.

“There’s proper order between old and young. Brother isn’t married yet, so I’m in no hurry to marry,” Yaoying said word by word, with threatening intent.

Li Zhongqian glanced at Yaoying, his mouth curling up. “Alright, we won’t discuss this today.”

Among the Western Army’s noble sons were surely some she would fancy.

They continued their journey.

Passing through barren, rolling dunes one after another, they came upon a stretch of towering cliffs. The group crossed mountains and ridges for a day and night. As the howling wind gradually subsided, the view suddenly opened up before them, revealing vast fertile fields.

Under the vast sky, several rivers meandered, their waters sparkling. Green trees lined the riverbanks where herds of cattle and sheep grazed. The river valley was lush with layers of verdant growth, dotted with houses and villages large and small, wisps of cooking smoke rising.

The wind became cool against their faces.

Hills and fields were planted with cotton, mulberry, and wheat. Fruit trees on the slopes were heavy with produce, and in the vineyards, clusters of grapes hung from branches, their fragrance overflowing.

Li Zhongqian thought privately, no wonder the royal court was wealthy – though crisscrossed with deserts, there were large stretches of fertile oases, and frequent trade with Persia, India, and the Roman countries made commerce prosperous.

The merchant caravan stayed in the river valley’s market to trade with local merchants, while Li Yaoying and Li Zhongqian, in a hurry, parted ways with them.

Several days later, they and their guards reached the Holy City.

The weather was hot and the fruits were ripe. Vendors pushed carts through the streets selling sour plums, cucumbers, apricots, and pears, their stalls full of goods.

Yaoying’s group was travel-worn, hot, and thirsty. Seeing the carts and stalls, their eyes all lit up.

The group dismounted, surrounding the vendor.

Yaoying took some fruits for Li Zhongqian to try: “The fruits here are sweet and juicy, Brother. Have some to quench your thirst.”

As she spoke, she noticed a basket of amber-like, translucent golden fruits on the cart and bought them with silver coins.

The guards, having eaten their fill of fruits, let out long sighs, wiped their mouths, and clasped their hands: “Princess, shall we go report to the royal temple now?”

Li Zhongqian shook his head: “First find a place to change clothes.”

For his first audience with the royal court ruler, he needed to thank the Buddha Son on Yaoying’s behalf and resolve the Matangi matter – he couldn’t appear covered in dust.

“The temple courtyard must be cleaned already. Let’s go to the market’s silk shop – we have people there.”

The group led their horses to the market, which was unusually quiet. The Hu merchant proprietor of the silk shop was dozing on the second floor but came down eagerly to receive them.

Li Zhongqian carefully washed up and changed into a brocade robe with linked pearl hunting patterns, his hair wrapped in a headcloth, wearing brocade boots. His sideburns were sharp as if cut by a knife, handsome and striking in his fine clothes, a long sword at his waist, and a jewel-encrusted dagger on his belt.

He had heard from the guards that in the royal court, the more jewels and jade one wore, the more impressive they appeared.

Yaoying also went to change clothes. When Li Zhongqian saw her, his brows furrowed slightly: “Why are you dressed so plainly?”

She wore a gray long dress, her hair tied up and secured with a jade hairpin, clean and simple from head to toe without other ornaments.

Yaoying said: “Since we’re going to the royal temple, I should dress simply.”

After meeting Li Zhongqian, she had felt relieved and cheerful, dressing brightly, but now back in the Holy City, she certainly couldn’t dress as usual.

Li Zhongqian frowned: “You won’t be the Buddha Son’s Matangi anymore, no need for taboos. Go change clothes.”

She wasn’t even eighteen yet – she should dress beautifully every day surrounded by pearls and jade as she did in the Central Plains, without caring about others’ views.

Yaoying thought for a moment but still shook her head: “Let’s forget it for today. We can talk about it after I formally conclude the Matangi matter.”

Li Zhongqian had to let her have her way.

Leaving the market, the guard who went to report to the royal temple returned, reporting: “The Buddha Son isn’t in the temple. There’s a dharma assembly ceremony today, and the Buddha Son has gone out.”

Yaoying’s brows furrowed slightly: “No wonder the market is so quiet today…”

She remembered that after the great battle, Tanmoluojia would preside over ceremonies, chanting sutras for fallen soldiers and comforting people’s hearts.

She wondered if his leg had improved…

Li Zhongqian gestured for the guard to lead the way: “Where’s the ceremony? Let’s go take a look.”

…

The ceremony was held in the square before the royal palace, and the group headed in that direction.

There were more and more people on the road, and the main street was packed with people, impossible to pass through, with crowds of devotees below the high platform.

White-robed and blue-clothed imperial guards stationed at several entrances to the main street stopped Yaoying’s group, who had arrived too late, outside the square.

They stood with other citizens who couldn’t get in, looking toward the square from afar.

The wind whipped, prayer flags flew, and the atmosphere was solemn.

Though there were many people below the platform in the square, everyone queued devoutly to approach and apart from the monks chanting sutras, not a single voice could be heard.

Yaoying stood in the crowd, looking up at the high platform.

Over a dozen monks in magnificent dharma robes stood on the platform. In the middle, one wore a crimson kasaya with one shoulder bare, leading everyone in offering incense.

After offering incense, he slowly turned to face the people, holding prayer beads and chanting a string of scriptures, his tone melodious, his rhythm elegant and unhurried.

At that moment, the square filled with Sanskrit chanting and music, incense smoke curling upward. He stood tall and straight among it all, his expression calm and indifferent, beautifully cold, seeming wrapped in Buddha’s light, unlike a person of this world.

In the solemn atmosphere, the people below the platform were all deeply moved, pressing their palms together and chanting Buddha’s name in unison. Some were quietly sobbing, their voices merging into a surging flow that lingered long over the square.

Though Li Zhongqian and the guards didn’t believe in Buddhism, seeing this scene, they couldn’t help but feel respectful awe.

After the ceremony ended, monks and guards surrounded Tanmoluojia as he left.

Yaoying stood on tiptoe to look – his movements coming down from the platform showed no sign of difficulty; he appeared completely normal.

As the devotees began withdrawing from the square under the guards’ direction, Yaoying and Li Zhongqian turned to leave.

“Brother, did you see the Buddha Son just now?”

Li Zhongqian nodded: “I saw him… truly outstanding in bearing.”

Having seen the person, he understood why Yaoying had praised the Buddha Son endlessly along their journey.

Yaoying’s eyes curved slightly.

As the two were speaking, suddenly a black shadow flew through the air, hurtling straight toward Yaoying.

Li Zhongqian, quick-eyed and quick-handed, grabbed Yaoying and pulled her back.

With a loud bang, a cucumber smashed where Yaoying had just been standing, shattering into pieces, flesh and juice splattering.

While Yaoying’s ears were still ringing, before she could react, a shout came from some corner of the crowd: “She’s the Han woman who keeps pestering the Buddha Son!”

“She was staring at the Buddha Son just now!”

The bustling crowd immediately erupted, countless gazes of disgust and contempt turned toward Yaoying, like thousands of arrows fired at once, ready to turn her into a hedgehog in an instant.

“Shameless!”

“No face!”

Quickly, curses arose as fruits flew through the air. Devotees rolled up their sleeves, grabbing fruits from vendors’ baskets and stalls to throw at Yaoying.

Li Zhongqian’s expression changed violently as he spread his arms to protect Yaoying in his embrace. The guards reacted, drawing swords to surround them, and raising blades to deflect flying fruits and vegetables.

There were too many devotees in the square, waves of people surging forward, blocking the exits, shouting and cursing and questioning loudly, everything in chaos.

Li Zhongqian’s muscles tensed as he angrily drew his sword.

Yaoying quickly pressed down his hand: “Brother, don’t make this bigger. Let’s quickly leave here.”

If things got bigger, Tanmoluojia would certainly be troubled. She had indeed pestered him, damaging his reputation – these devotees’ hatred of her was normal.

Li Zhongqian’s phoenix eyes swept coldly around, his expression dark as water, as he gripped Yaoying’s hand and protected her from the crowd.

…

Deep in the main street.

White-robed, lightly armored guard knights rode ahead clearing the way for a carriage adorned with seven treasures and coral that slowly moved through the deep alley. Amid the rumbling of wheels and orderly hoofbeats, suddenly came the sound of hurried footsteps.

A guard ran forward to tell Bisuo, who was protecting the carriage: “General! Princess Wenzhao has been surrounded by devotees!”

Bisuo’s whole body shook as he yanked the reins: “What did you say? Who’s been surrounded?”

Before he finished speaking, the carriage curtain moved. A hand with distinct knuckles pushed aside the gauze curtain, and two cold gazes shot out, landing on the guard.

A shiver ran through the guard as he clasped his hands: “King, Princess Wenzhao appeared in the square just now, watching you preside over the ceremony. The devotees recognized her and surrounded her… Now the square is in chaos. The squad leader asks for the general’s instructions – should we disperse the crowd?”

Bisuo hesitated for a moment, looking toward the carriage: “King, I’ll handle this personally…”

“Go back.”

The person in the carriage spoke softly, cutting off his words, his tone calm, seemingly composed.

The next moment, he added: “Turn around.”

He was urging them now.

Bisuo acknowledged and ordered the carriage to turn, its speed increasing, no longer moving as slowly and deliberately as before.

When they hurriedly returned to the square, the chaos had mostly subsided. Guard Bayi ran over to report: “Princess Wenzhao feared things would get worse, so she had her guards split up to lead away the most agitated devotees. The crowd has dispersed now.”

Bisuo sighed in relief – fortunately, nothing serious had happened: “Where’s the princess?”

Bayi pointed to a corner: “The princess is hiding over there. She said she’d wait until everyone dispersed before leaving, to avoid causing more trouble…”

Before he finished speaking, his mouth fell open, his expression shocked.

The curtain lifted, crimson kasaya sweeping over the carriage shaft as Tanmoluojia stepped directly out of the carriage, his brows slightly furrowed.

Everyone stared in astonishment, hurriedly moving to lay down golden carpets and such.

Tanmoluojia remained silent, his jade-colored eyes scanning around.

The street exit was a mess, covered in smashed fruits.

Today’s ceremony had gathered thousands of devotees, and just now, thousands of people had surrounded her…

His fingers tightened on the prayer beads as his monk’s shoes stepped over the filth, walking step by step toward where Bayi had pointed.

In the corner, several guards protected a young woman. Her hair was disheveled, her plain gray dress stained with fruit juice, one boot missing, one sleeve torn with a large gap showing snow-white skin, and several faint red marks on her elbow.

Hearing footsteps, she looked up and saw Tanmoluojia in his kasaya, and her expression became startled. She froze for a moment, somewhat embarrassed.

“I’m sorry,” she smiled at Luojia. “I’ve caused trouble for the Master.”

Tanmoluojia lowered his gaze to study her for a long while, his eyes sweeping over the red marks on her hands from impact.

Does it hurt?

He wanted to ask.

The prayer flags not yet taken down from the high platform whipped fiercely in the wind.

His chaotic thoughts gathered slowly as he said flatly: “Get in the carriage. Return to the temple.”