Chapter 120: Rescue
July 10, 2022mich
The meditation room was swept clean, and several desert jujube trees grew in the four corners of the courtyard. The silvery-white flowers were crowded on the drooping scaly branches. The clusters were like pearls; as sunlight poured down, the flourishing branches and leaves of the plants shone with a faint gloss.
Tumoroga did not turn around, his long white fingers continuing to turn the scriptures, his back in his kasaya was lean and upright.
“What is it?”
He asked in a gentle voice.
Ashina Bisha knelt outside the door, hesitating for a moment. His face slightly red, he raised her head and straightened his back, saying word by word: “King, I like Princess Wenzhao of the Great Wei. She is beautiful, tough, and brave. I admire her and want to protect her so that she can laugh carefreely every day.”
A breeze blew through the courtyard, and the blossoming branches of the desert jujube tree swayed gently, dispersing a light fragrance.
Tumoroga was silent for a moment, his eyes slightly lowered: “Bisha, Princess Wenzhao is the princess of Great Wei, not the princess of the Royal Court.”
Bisha smiled, “I know. Princess Wenzhao is not a princess of the Royal Court. King, I am not here to ask you to grant me a marriage… I am here to obtain your permission.”
He paused for a moment and looked at Tumoroga’s back with a solemn expression.
“King, do you allow me to like Princess Wenzhao?”
Tumoroga’s action of flipping through the scriptures paused.
Bisha then said: “After all, Princess Wenzhaois following the example of the Mordenga Maiden to stay in the Royal Court. Although the king is the Buddha’s son, who has long transcended the seven emotions, six desires, life and death, broken away from desire, and will not be moved by the princess. Nevertheless, this subject respects the king, so I will be so bold as to ask a question… king, can this subject like the princess? “
Tumoroga’s fingers turned the beads held in his hands as he said: “Bisha, you should not ask me.”
Bisha was stunned. Then, he smiled bitterly.
Yes, he should not come to ask Roga. Princess Wenzhao was not a treasure for sale, she was a living person. If he sincerely liked Princess Wenzhao, even if the king did not agree, he should have the courage to pursue her.
He looked at Tumoroga and said, “This subject understands.”
Tumoroga lowered his eyes and continued to read the scriptures, “Princess Wenzhao is young, stranded outside her country, unsure about surviving until the next day. Bisha, do not treat her with negligence.”
Bisha returned to his senses and touched the ground with his head: “This subject swears to never do anything immoral to the princess because I admire her, let alone take advantage of her situation and my status to force her. If I violate this oath, I will be at the king’s mercy!”
He waited for a while before grabbing his saber to exit the meditation room. Standing by the threshold, he gazed back at Tumoroga’s back.
Before their master died, he said that Roga had not abstained from secular fate.
In the past, Bisha did not take these prophetic words seriously. However, when he met the bright and beautiful Princess Wenzhao and spent a few days together with the princess, his master’s words echoed in his mind again and again.
He was afraid that his master’s words would come true.
A thought to become a Buddha, a thought to become the devil. Roga was different from others; if he was moved, knew the feeling of love…
Bisha’s complexion turned grave.
A series of footsteps sounded behind him, and Banruo sneakily came up next to him: “General Ashina, you really admire Princess Wenzhao?”
Bisha nodded, his voice resounding and clear: “That’s right. I admire the princess, my liking like the sun and the moon!”
After saying this, he turned around and left.
Banruo’s eyes followed the tall back as it disappeared around the desert jujube, so excited that he rubbed his hands together: General Ashina was accomplished and elegant. At the age of thirteen, he was able to coax the young ladies of noble families to fall in love with him, and all these years, the general’s romantic affairs have never stopped. This was good, him falling in love with Princess Wenzhao. The king can finally get rid of the princess!
The wind whistled through the empty and cool promenade, surging into the meditation room. The pages on the table were sent fluttering by the wind. Tumoroga bowed his head and read the scriptures silently, his kasaya brushing against the long table, swishing and rustling.
Half a shichen later, the sound of footsteps rang out again in the long corridor.
Yuanjue stood outside the door and clasped his fist: “King, the people over in Sha City have sent back news that Prince Haidu Aling has not returned to Northern Rong.”
There was no fixed capital city for the Northern Rong. Wherever Wakhan Khan’s tent moved to, the Northern Rong tents would be there. After the alliance between the Northern Rong and the Royal Court, Wakhan Khan’s condition really improved. The talk of heaven’s wrath became very popular for a while, and Tumoroga’s fame increased to a higher level. Wakhan Khan made the prompt decision to move back to Izhou, so as not to further lose the army’s morale. Haidu Aling, who was sent to the Royal Court, should have returned to Northern Rong by this time according to the distance, but the herdsmen there did not see him.
Tumoroga’s face was gentle, and his fingers rubbed his holding beads: “Strengthen the vigilance in all parts of the royal palace.”
Yuanjue responded affirmatively.
…
The Royal Court was hot during the day and cold at night. Clear and pure moonlight shone down like a cold frost.
In the house, a star-like bit of candle flame flickered. Yaoying and her personal soldiers sat on the felt rug to discuss the resettlement of Han Chinese in Shazhou and Guazhou.
She asked Xie Qing the other day to get a sand table and construct the general topography of the Western Region’s northern road. She explained to Xie Chong and the others listening: “The Western Regions is primarily barren. The trade route relies on the oasis built on this narrow strip. Along the way, there are post stations, but due to the war, many stations are deserted. Hu merchants who have experience often control the trade in certain areas. When dealing with them, your vision should be longer-term, so to cooperate with them, it would be better to give up more profit. If we can get a firm foothold in the Royal Court, we will be able to rescue more people in the future.”
Xie Chong and the others listened carefully and asked, “Princess, do we have to follow the Hu merchants to do business in the future? When it comes to leading soldiers to war, I can still brag a few words. But business, I can’t say a thing…”
Yaoying looked at him and said, “Nowadays, many small tribes that relied on trade routes have declined, and the merchant caravans that can travel to and from countries in these times have armed support behind them. You all should study how they interact and trade. They are well-informed and may be able to help us pass on information.”
In chaotic times, merchants of the Western Regions often had close ties with various tribes, relying on gold and silver treasures to draw in the big nobles, influencing the local situation, in order to facilitate trade. These people could even mobilize troops.
Xie Chong understood a little, nodded in response, and laughed: “As long as the princess does not let me manage the accounts!”
Xie Peng gave him a blank look: “Let you manage the accounts? Then we will wait to drink the northwest wind1!”
The others burst into laughter.
After discussing the matter until midnight, they all withdrew.
Xie Qing stayed behind and took out the books on the art of war Yaoying gave her a few days ago: “Princess, I’ve finished reading all of them.”
The word “all” was said with a bit of emphasis, and it wasn’t difficult to hear the pride in it.
Yaoying didn’t know whether to cry or laugh. Was this something to be proud of?
“Ah Qing, these military books are for you to thoroughly study. Keep them to review a few more times, no need to return.”
Xie Qing understood and took back the strategy books.
Yaoying whispered, “Ah Qing, it just so happens that we are in the Royal Court. If you encounter something you can’t understand, you can ask Bisha and the others for advice. Although the two countries’ military books are different, the reasoning is the same.”
Xie Qing nodded her head.
She was born with great strength and practiced martial arts with her brothers at home since she was young. However, because she was a woman, her father never taught her how to lead an army, and she never wanted to go into battle, she just wanted to be a competent guard. Now, stranded away, the other personal soldier all listened to her command. The princess had her study military tactics, then she would properly study.
The princess never looked at her differently because she was a woman. Without prejudice or novelty, it was as if, in her eyes, this could not be a more normal thing.
She could not fail the princess’ trust.
Xie Qing put away the military book, looked at the water-like moonlight in front of the window, and suddenly asked, “Princess, if our message is sent back to the Central Plains, will there be a response from the Central Plains?”
Yaoying nodded: “Yes.”
She was sure that the Central Plains would respond because she regarded Li De, Li Xuanzhen, and the ministers as politicians. No matter what kind of entanglement they had, politicians would not refuse a profitable deal. Moreover, there were rising stars like Zheng Jing who came from noble families, and there were commoner-born officials like Du Sinan who were ambitious, eager to build a career, and could do anything for their future. Of these people, there were many people who had a long-term vision and cared about the people in the country. There would be someone who would give a response.
As for their father and son, brother and sister’s personal feud, there was always another time to settle it.
Xie Qing frowned: “What about after returning to the Central Plains? Princess, you have to plan more for yourself.”
“I understand.” Yaoying yawned, her voice soft and lazy, “Returning to the Central Plains is not returning to Chang’an. I know the score, Ah Qing. I’m doing this, putting an end to war, for the greater good, but also for my own good. You need not worry.”
Xie Qing expressed her understanding. Looking at Yaoying’s face full of tiredness, she got up and moved the candles and lamps away, “Princess, settle down early.”
Yaoying’s eyelids were heavy, so she changed her clothes and fell asleep the second her head touched the pillow. In a daze, she suddenly felt something out of the ordinary and woke up just in time to hear stomping sounds coming from the roof.
Someone was walking on the roof!