After applying the medicine, Yao Ying lowered her head and pulled down her sleeve, sensing in her peripheral vision that Tanmoluojia was gazing at her steadily. In the flickering candlelight, his gaze that fell upon her was cold as ice and snow, faint and clear, like the starry sky of a desert night – too deep and vast, ancient and weathered, beyond joy or sorrow.

Birth, aging, sickness, death, greed, anger, and delusion – he had long seen through it all, without desires or wants.

Therefore, in his presence, Yao Ying felt almost no reservations, nor did she need to be on guard or play mind games. Her emotions – joy, anger, sorrow, and happiness – were all natural. She raised her head to look at him.

He expressionlessly shifted his gaze away, the movement so natural it seemed to hold no deliberate intention of avoidance.

Yao Ying lowered her eyes, suppressing her thoughts, and rose to retrieve the silk-wrapped medicine package from the table. “Master, should we change the medicine on your leg?”

Tanmoluojia shook his head: “No need to trouble the Princess. I’ll call someone in.”

Yao Ying said softly: “Let me do it. I’ve cared for Master before, I know what to do.”

She washed her hands, lifted the thin blanket from his legs, rolled up the gauze pants, untied the medicine pack, and first gently pressed the pressure marks with a warm cloth to prevent blood stasis, then tied on the new medicine pack.

Throughout the process, she kept her head down, her movements careful and gentle. A few strands of hair slipped from her temples, occasionally brushing against her nose and lips, causing an itch. Every so often, she would use the back of her hand to brush away those playful strands.

Watching Yao Ying, Tanmoluojia suddenly wanted to brush those strands of hair away for her. His fingers twitched, touching the prayer beads, sending a chill through his fingertips.

He remained perfectly still.

After changing his medicine, Yao Ying covered him with the thin blanket and studied him for a few moments. “Would Master like to lie down?”

Tanmoluojia held his prayer beads and shook his head: “No…”

Yao Ying made a soft sound, then suddenly leaned down toward him.

Though it was just a momentary action, to Tanmoluojia’s eyes it seemed particularly slow and drawn out. She slowly drew near him, her beautiful face close enough to touch, her curved eyelashes drawn as if by an ink brush trembling slightly, wisps of subtle fragrance drifting between them.

She placed one hand beside him for support while reaching inside with the other, pulling out a soft pillow from the corner. She patted it and tucked it beside him so he could lean back.

“Master, is this more comfortable?” Yao Ying asked after finishing her task, standing up and brushing the hair from her temples.

Tanmoluojia lowered his jade-green eyes slightly and nodded.

“Thank you for your trouble, Princess. The night is late, and I am fine. The Princess should retire early.”

Yao Ying smiled and turned to leave.

The sound of footsteps faded away.

The room fell silent.

Tanmoluojia looked at his stiff legs, fingers turning the prayer beads.

A shadow fell over him.

He looked up to see Yao Ying, who should have left, had somehow wandered back, carrying a small stool in her arms. She set it down beside the couch, sat down, and rested her chin in her hands, looking at him.

“Master, are you feeling sleepy now?”

His expression unchanged, he shook his head.

Yao Ying said: “Perfect, I’m not sleepy either. Master lives in seclusion at the Royal Temple, and it may be difficult for me to see Master again. After leaving the main hall today, I wanted to request an audience with Master but feared disturbing you, so I could only write a letter…”

Her tone suddenly shifted, “General Ashina just told me that Master has been feeling depressed lately. May I ask what’s troubling Master? If there’s anything I can help with, please don’t hesitate to tell me.”

Tanmoluojia said flatly: “It’s nothing important, Princess need not concern herself.”

Yao Ying looked at him, silent for a moment, then asked: “Is it because of the recent conflicts between the royal army and the Northern Rong civilians?”

Tanmoluojia was very clear that with internal and external troubles, the royal court must first use thunderous methods to intimidate the noble houses and weaken the Northern Rong, then gradually solve internal problems to clear obstacles for the next generation of rulers, rather than directly annexing the Northern Rong, which would only drag the royal court into a quagmire. But now the Northern Rong was fractured, and from the noble houses down to common people, everyone in the royal court was intoxicated with the euphoria of defeating Khan Wahan, believing the Northern Rong’s territory had become their prize, not to be touched by others.

They clamored for troops to be sent to take over all Northern Rong tribes and enslave their people. During this time, the royal army had repeatedly clashed with local tribes while pursuing Northern Rong remnants.

In the eyes of the royal court people, they were simply using the Northern Rong’s methods against them, paying them back in kind, which was perfectly justified.

Little did they know this would only lead to more fierce resistance from the Northern Rong people, and many tribes that had been dependent on the Northern Rong hadn’t participated in the war, watching and waiting to surrender, but now seeing the royal army’s revenge against the Northern Rong people, they who had once attacked the royal court became greatly worried, fearing the royal noble houses would enslave them as the Northern Rong nobility had, and instead chose to help the Northern Rong remnants resist the royal army.

Tanmoluojia’s leniency toward the Northern Rong tribes was seen as womanly mercy by his subjects. They couldn’t understand why he would pardon the Northern Rong people.

Yao Ying slowly recited an article she had memorized: “The ancients took benevolence as the foundation and governed with righteousness, calling it proper rule. When proper rule cannot achieve its aim, then expedient measures are taken. Expedient measures arise from warfare, not from mediocrity. Therefore, killing people to bring peace to people, killing is permissible; attacking their country while loving their people, attacking is permissible; using war to end war, even warfare is permissible… Master has done nothing wrong.”

Books make it sound simple, but governing a country is incredibly complex. Every edict, every measure, affects the fate of countless common people.

Tanmoluojia’s decisions, made after balancing various interests and weighing gains and losses, wouldn’t necessarily gain everyone’s support. His goal was to stop the war, but human desire is endless. Now the royal noble houses were restless, public opinion was boiling, and despite issuing several edicts in just a few days, he still couldn’t curb the ambitions of the royal noble houses.

Tanmoluojia was slightly stunned, his gaze settling on Yao Ying’s face. They looked at each other for a long while, his expression moved, his eyes seeming to flash with bright electrical light, startlingly bright.

“Thank you for the Princess’s understanding and comfort.”

Yao Ying knew his convictions were firm and wouldn’t be disturbed by worldly opinions, but seeing him exhausted yet still misunderstood, she felt deeply pained for him.

She thought for a moment and asked: “Master, do you believe there exists a pure land in this world, without warfare, without noble and common class distinctions? Where people of all countries can live together in harmony?”

Tanmoluojia nodded.

Yao Ying laughed softly. Of course, he would believe this – he was a practitioner, and wasn’t the legendary Western Pure Land exactly such a paradise? The scriptures say that in that country, living beings have no suffering, only various pleasures.

“Master, I once had a dream about living in a certain country.” Her tone is sincere, and she continued slowly, “The country in my dream wasn’t like the Pure Land with its golden sand grounds and celestial music everywhere, but the common people had no class distinctions, everyone lived and worked in peace. Though there was still warfare in the world, still various injustices, more people insisted on justice, fought with their own hands, and all tribal people lived together like friends… they wouldn’t kill each other at the slightest provocation…”

She had never mentioned these things to anyone else, but now facing Tanmoluojia, she spoke them all.

Tanmoluojia watched Yao Ying as she spoke, his jade-green eyes bright as stars in the dim candlelight.

After finishing, Yao Ying smiled: “Does Master believe me?”

Tanmoluojia gazed at her unblinkingly, “I believe you.”

Separated by mountains and seas, thousands of miles apart, she had come to his side when he was critically ill… Even if she said she was a divine woman sent by Buddha to test him, he would believe it.

His gaze was too profound, making Yao Ying’s heart skip slightly.

“Master, the world in my dream was a thousand years in the future.”

Tanmoluojia held his prayer beads: “Buddha’s salvation of all beings can take tens of thousands of years, a thousand years is but a moment.”

Such a world would surely come, though he wouldn’t see it, this wouldn’t shake his resolve.

Yao Ying felt moved, then grew increasingly puzzled.

From their conversation just now, Tanmoluojia wasn’t troubled by his subjects’ lack of understanding.

If not state affairs… what in this world could make him, a son of Buddha, so depressed?

Why had Bisuo asked her to come to console Tanmoluojia?

Speculation arose in her heart, but this speculation was too shocking – she dared not even think about it.

“Master.” Yao Ying lifted a corner of the thin blanket, checking the medicine pack on Tanmoluojia’s leg while speaking casually, “I’ve reunited with my brother, so I’m no longer the Matanga girl… I’m deeply grateful for Master’s care over this past year and more.”

Tanmoluojia’s bright eyes flickered twice before dimming as he lowered them, “The Princess has also taken good care of me.”

Yao Ying’s lips curved slightly, “Master, there’s been so much happening these days, I haven’t told you my future plans yet. The situation in various regions is chaotic, and the Lord of Yuchi is overwhelmed, so my brother and I will be going to Gaochang in a few days…”

She raised her eyes, secretly glancing at Tanmoluojia’s expression.

Tanmoluojia’s expression remained calm: “I’ll have Bisuo escort the Princess to Gaochang.”

Yao Ying smiled and shook her head: “General Ashina is Master’s guard, no need to trouble him. Someone will come to assist me.”

The room fell quiet, with only the sound of quietly burning candles.

Yao Ying covered her mouth and yawned.

Tanmoluojia immediately said: “I’m much better now, Princess should go rest.”

Yao Ying’s eyes glistened with tears of sleepiness as she stretched, stood up, took the thin blanket walked to the side, spread it out, and lay down right there: “Bisuo will escort me out of the temple in the morning… I’ll sleep here. Master, if you need anything or feel uncomfortable, you must wake me.”

Tanmoluojia opened his mouth, watching her back, but in the end, only made a soft sound of acknowledgment.

Yao Ying closed her eyes to sleep, thought of Tanmoluojia in her dreams, and suddenly awoke, looking back at the couch where he still sat, eyes closed, fingers turning prayer beads, as if in meditation.

She let out a breath and went back to sleep.

After a while, the candle went out, and the room fell into darkness.

A shadow moved from the couch, steps very light and gentle, stopping for a moment behind the side-sleeping Yao Ying, then continuing forward until the shadow completely enveloped her.

Yao Ying smelled the pungent medicinal scent from the medicine pack, seemed to sense something, and secretly opened her eyes a crack.

The shadow stood behind her for a very long time.

Suddenly, there was a rustle of robes, and he raised his hand, reaching past her shoulder toward her collar.

Yao Ying didn’t dare move, her heart pounding.

That hand reached past her collar, pulled up the fallen thin blanket, covered her exposed shoulder, and gently pressed down with his fingers.

Yao Ying’s heart relaxed.

Just when she thought the shadow would leave, the hand that had covered her suddenly moved upward, stopping beside her cheek, motionless.

Yao Ying’s body broke out in a light sweat.

After a long while, that hand ultimately didn’t caress her hair, slowly withdrawing instead.

Yao Ying held her breath, waited for a long time, then turned over to face the couch and opened her eyes.

Tanmoluojia had already silently lain down.

In the air, the medicinal fragrance drifted gently.

…

The next morning, when Tanmoluojia awoke, the figure beside the couch was gone.

The thin blanket was neatly folded on the edge of the couch, showing no signs of having been used.

It was as if everything that happened last night had been just his dream.

Tanmoluojia sat up, touching a handkerchief beside his pillow, revealing a handful of amber-colored thorned honey, some of which had spilled outside.

He wrapped up the handkerchief.

Footsteps sounded from far to near, and Bisuo entered with a medicine bowl.

Tanmoluojia asked: “Where is Princess Wenzhao?”

Bisuo said: “I just escorted Princess Wenzhao out. It was dawn, people would be coming, and it wasn’t appropriate for the Princess to stay.”

“Why didn’t you wake me?”

“The Princess said the King has been overworked these days and should rest well. She instructed me not to wake you.”

Tanmoluojia said nothing, placing the folded handkerchief beside his pillow.

…

Yao Ying left the Royal Temple and returned to the silk shop where she was staying.

Li Zhongqian sat imposingly in the main hall, his face dark: “Where did you go last night? Why didn’t you return all night?”

Last night the guard told him Yao Ying had left with General Ashina, leaving word for him not to worry, and he had waited until now.

Yao Ying, preoccupied with thoughts, pulled him upstairs and said softly: “Brother, I was at the Royal Temple last night.”

Li Zhongqian’s brows furrowed tightly as he glanced at her clothes: “What were you doing at the Royal Temple?”

Yao Ying glanced around and lowered her voice: “I’ll only tell this to brother, please don’t reveal it to anyone – I went to see the Son of Buddha.”

Li Zhongqian’s expression grew even darker.

“Why couldn’t you see him during the day?”

“Too many people and gossip, at night no one would discover it.”

Li Zhongqian stared at Yao Ying for a while: “It’s not safe alone, in the future brother will accompany you.”

Yao Ying made a sound of agreement, distracted.

“Brother, I didn’t sleep well last night, I’ll go rest for a while.”

Li Zhongqian escorted Yao Ying back to her room, watched her lie down, went downstairs, and called two guards: “Send a message to General Ashina, I want to see the Son of Buddha.”

After giving instructions, he added, “Don’t tell Seventh Lady about this yet.”

The guards agreed.

The message quickly reached Bisuo’s hands. He read it, his eyes widening in surprise, hesitated, unable to decide, and went to consult Tanmoluojia.

“King, Princess Wenzhao’s brother says he wants to see you… He wants to discuss Princess Wenzhao’s matter with you.”

Tanmoluojia looked up and nodded.

Half an hour later, Li Zhongqian, wearing a headwrap and brocade robe with a sword at his waist, was led by Bisuo to a side hall of the Royal Temple.

The sun blazed high, with felt curtains hung high in front of the hall. Entering the inner hall brought immediate coolness.

Tanmoluojia sat at the writing desk waiting for him, wearing a snow-white, gold-patterned exposed-shoulder kasaya, his features distinct, his bearing elegant and otherworldly.

Li Zhongqian had seen many well-educated and distinguished noble sons, but he couldn’t help admiring Tanmoluojia’s outstanding bearing. However, thinking of how Tanmoluojia had gazed at Yao Ying in the main hall yesterday, that bit of goodwill instantly vanished, replaced by vigilance and wariness.

He knew why he suddenly thought of Li Xuanzhen – when Li Xuanzhen looked at Yao Ying, his eyes held hatred, resentment, and something suppressed. Later when they were captured by the Northern Rong and Li Xuanzhen heard Tali mention Yao Ying’s circumstances, that hatred and resentment had long dissipated, replaced by unbearable pain and even deeper suppression.

When Tanmoluojia looked at Yao Ying, he was also suppressing something, his gaze particularly restrained, his expression calm and indifferent, to the point where it seemed there was nothing unusual.

Why did he need to restrain himself?

Li Zhongqian could only think of one possibility – because the Son of Buddha knew he had developed feelings that he shouldn’t have.

He had originally planned to take Yao Ying away directly, but her staying out all night made him realize he must see the Son of Buddha.

After Li Zhongqian was seated, Tanmoluojia gestured for the guards to leave.

When only the two remained in the hall, Li Zhongqian went straight to the point: “There is one thing I don’t understand and request Master’s enlightenment. If I cause any offense, please forgive me.”

Tanmoluojia said: “Duke Wei may ask freely.”

Li Zhongqian looked into his eyes and asked word by word: “Has Master… developed romantic feelings for my sister?”

A breeze blew into the inner hall, making the beaded curtains sway gently, refracting rays of precious light.

Tanmoluojia met Li Zhongqian’s scrutinizing gaze, his expression frank, and nodded.

“Yes.”

The seven emotions and six desires belong to the ordinary.

His desire for Li Yao Ying wasn’t just for her companionship – he wanted her to stay by his side forever, with eyes and heart for him alone. He wanted to be close to her, touch her, make her laugh.

Li Zhongqian’s pupils contracted.