The cries for help were like a stone thrown into a well, causing ripples to spread across the once-calm water.
Du’e’s heart was that well water.
He stopped in his tracks, turned back slowly and bit by bit, looking towards Samantabhadra Bodhisattva and the bodhi tree behind him.
Samantabhadra Bodhisattva narrowed his eyes and smiled:
“Is there anything else?”
Samantabhadra Bodhisattva always answered any question, never hiding or lying. It seems better to be frank and open with him now, and to ask what the truth was about the Buddha, he must know something… This thought flashed across Arhat Du’e’s mind.
Unable to suppress his thirst for the truth any longer, he put his hands together in prayer, chanted the Buddha’s name, and then fixed his gaze on Samantabhadra Bodhisattva, saying,
“As Agaruka Bodhisattva refuses to accept Mahayana Buddhism, we have no choice but to seek instructions from the Buddha. It just so happens that Agaruka Bodhisattva is not at Ananda…”
Du’e stopped at the right moment, not going any further.
Samantabhadra Bodhisattva looked at him for a few seconds, his expression easing slightly, and said unhurriedly,
“This is a crucial moment for the Buddhist sect’s enduring plan, and everyone at Ananda should remain united.”
Arhat Du’e bowed his head with his hands together,
“Amitabha, it was our wrath that got the better of us.”
With that, he turned and departed, his footsteps slow, his robe billowing, heading out of the Zen forest.
Samantabhadra Bodhisattva withdrew his gaze and looked at the scattered stones on the ground, pausing for a few seconds before turning his attention to the gnarled, sturdy bodhi tree.
…
Arhat Du’e walked steadily out of the Zen forest and reached the cliff’s edge, where a biting wind howled, making his robe flutter violently, as though it had frozen his very soul.
As a mature Arhat, his mind was long clear and transparent, unaffected by emotions like joy, anger, sorrow or delight. Naturally, even curiosity could never make him lose his composure.
Arhat Du’e took a step forward, his figure turning into a flash of golden light and disappearing.
The next moment, he reappeared above a frigid pool, sitting cross-legged atop a lotus pedestal.
“Amitabha…”
Du’e put his hands together and softly chanted the Buddha’s name. At once, a faint golden glow radiated from his body.
He had entered a meditation state.
Buddhist meditation could dispel all foreign evils and instantly calm inner demons.
After the time it took half a stick of incense to burn, Du’e opened his eyes and consciously left his meditative state. His eyes were calm and his expression serene, showing no further abnormalities.
At that moment, steady footsteps sounded along the path outside. The tall, burly figure of al-Asura walked through the greenery and appeared at the edge of the pool.
Their gazes met, but neither spoke. Du’e reached into his sleeve and produced a golden alms bowl, gently placing it upside-down in front of him.
At once, a barrier surrounded the pool, just like an inverted bowl.
Only then did al-Asura speak, in a deep voice:
“I heard breathing in the Demon Suppressing Ravine and tried to approach, but my danger sense did not warn me.
“That was highly unusual, so I withdrew immediately.”
As the number one fighter below Bodhisattva level, al-Asura was certainly no mindless brute. Today had just been a tentative probe, nothing more.
After all, this matter involved Beyond-rank forces. al-Asura did not know just how terrifying Beyond-rank could be, but he knew very well that before such a being, he himself was likely only a little stronger than an ant.
When he finished speaking, Du’e replied slowly,
“In the depths of the Zen forest, beneath the bodhi tree, there was indeed the Confucian Sage’s statue, but it had already collapsed.”
Al-Asura recalled Xu Qi’an’s analysis: if the statue still remained, then the Buddha was still half-sealed. The one who promoted the sixty-year extermination of the yao and sealed Shenshu back then was another mysterious Beyond-rank.
If the statue was broken, it meant the Buddha had already broken free of the Confucian Sage’s seal with the help of the fortune of the Wanyao Kingdom, but as he still needed to seal Shenshu, he chose to go into slumber.
“Then it is the second possibility: the Buddha and Shenshu are the same person, the Buddha has long since broken free, and perhaps the one in the Demon Suppressing Ravine is him,” al-Asura said calmly, not at all surprised.
After all, Xu Qi’an had already analysed things clearly that day, and whatever the case, al-Asura was fully prepared.
At this, Arhat Du’e shook his head lightly,
“I had no time to investigate. Samantabhadra Bodhisattva arrived. As I turned to leave, I heard cries for help from behind us.”
Al-Asura’s hairless, protruding brow twitched hard, and he pressed his tone,
“Cries for help?”
Arhat Du’e nodded.
Now, Xu Qi’an’s second scenario seemed less reliable.
The two fell silent, a chill creeping up their spines.
After a while, al-Asura said quietly,
“Samantabhadra is suspicious.”
Arhat Du’e nodded, “He watches the Zen forest very closely. By analogy, most of the Bodhisattvas must be problematic too. At the very least, they know some secrets, such as the sealing of the Buddha by the Confucian Sage.”
Now that Xu Qi’an’s words had been verified, the Bodhisattvas must have known, yet chose to hide it. Even he, a rank two Arhat, had been unaware.
Al-Asura gazed at the pool and mused,
“If we can clarify who called for help and who was sleeping, the truth would be revealed. But that is far too dangerous for us.”
Du’e’s eyes flashed and he said,
“You mean…”
Al-Asura said bluntly,
“We can use the Southern Yao. The Nine-tailed Celestial Fox wants to stand on equal footing with the Buddhist sect, so she will certainly come to reclaim Shenshu’s head. At that time, it will be our chance.”
With Samantabhadra in charge at Ananda, they could never hope to uncover the truth under normal circumstances.
Du’e sighed,
“We must make no further moves for the next few days. Samantabhadra Bodhisattva has almost certainly grown suspicious of us.”
…
Qingzhou.
In the army tent, Xu Pingfeng watched as the figures of Samantabhadra and Vaidurya Bodhisattva disappeared, and Agaruka Bodhisattva put away the golden alms bowl.
He raised a cup and took a noisy sip, savouring the slightly astringent local tea.
“The restoration of the Southern Yao kingdom is indeed an event worthy of a place in the annals of history.”
Clad in snowy white, his tone was gentle, as if chatting with an old friend, “Why did Samantabhadra Bodhisattva not personally visit the Southern Marches? Though he claimed it was to defend against the Nine-tailed Fox attacking Ananda, such a matter could be easily handled.”
He put down his tea cup, and said,
“If necessary, you could have asked me for a few teleportation artefacts. Since there were ways to respond, why not use them? Has Samantabhadra left Ananda?”
Agaruka Bodhisattva sat cross-legged with hands together, eyes closed, remaining silent.
Xu Pingfeng sighed quietly, then murmured,
“You have indeed accomplished a feat that will be named in the history books. Still, in the end, history is written by the victors. However future generations record these events will depend on their own attitudes.
“If your reputation is too good, would it not show your father as utterly villainous?”
…
Cloud Deer Academy.
Dean Zhao Shou stood at the cliff’s edge, hands behind his back, gazing into the south, and said slowly,
“First year of Yongxing, winter, the Southern Yao rise again. They make an alliance for peace, drive out the Buddhist sect, and rebuild the Wanyao Kingdom.”
Behind him, a desk appeared out of thin air, sheets of paper spread out, and a writing brush leapt into the inkstone by itself, dipped in ink, and wrote rapidly across the paper.
The ink dried instantly.
“One for everyone!” Zhao Shou flicked his hand, and the papers and desk vanished without trace.
At the academy, the sound of reading was all around. In every classroom, every teacher and every student, all received a calligraphic work from Zhao Shou at the same time.
In their ears, Zhao Shou’s voice echoed synchronously,
“Using the content on the paper as the topic, each of you are to write an essay on policy. Students, submit your essays to your own teachers for marking. Teachers, submit yours to me for marking.”
What matter could be significant enough for the Dean to personally set the topic and test all the scholars in the academy? Students and teachers alike were astonished and puzzled as they eagerly picked up or unrolled the sheets.
When they looked closely, one by one, they were stunned, frozen in place.
The Southern Yao Nation had been restored! The Yao-exterminating War that was recorded in the history books had, in the present day, been reversed.
The Wanyao Kingdom, which had vanished into history, had once more returned to Jiuzhou.
At that moment, all the students and teachers felt a sense of unreality, as if they were witnessing history with their own eyes.
At the same time, they all understood Dean Zhao Shou’s intention. As seasoned readers of history, they had read their ancestors’ essays on Buddhism’s actions after the fall of the Wanyao Kingdom five hundred years ago, as well as analyses of how this had affected the geopolitical landscape of Jiuzhou.
Such as, the Buddhist Sixty Year Extermination of the Yao had laid the foundation for humanity’s rule over Jiuzhou’s mainland.
Such as, after the Sixty Year Extermination of the Yao, the yao lost their homelands, roamed everywhere, and often engaged in violent conflict with humanity over territory. These Buddhist actions had brought great suffering to ordinary people.
Such as…
Now, with the restoration of the Southern Yao, it was no wonder the dean wanted them all to write an essay assessing the event.
“The reappearance of the Wanyao Kingdom shows that the human race faces a long and arduous road to unifying Jiuzhou,” someone mused, half in thought, half in appraisal.
“Humanity has never truly unified Jiuzhou. The northern barbarians and yao tribes have always existed. Even so, at this time, the Southern Yao’s founding has at least tied up the Buddhist sect for the Great Feng…”
Because the alliance between the yao and the Great Feng had been established through Silver Gong Xu, the scholars of Cloud Deer Academy, in rare fashion, abandoned any notions of ‘racial difference’, and now felt a certain goodwill towards the Southern Yao.
“Wait, what is ‘alliance for peace’? The dean didn’t annotate it.”
“I remember now, yes, the alliance between the yao and the Great Feng was all arranged by Silver Gong Xu.”
As the chatter died down, the students glanced at each other, suddenly enlightened.
It was Silver Gong Xu who had helped the Southern Yao found their nation…
“I understand!” a student cried, taking up his brush and writing swiftly on the paper:
“First year of Yongxing, winter, the Buddhist sect tore up the alliance and turned their coat to support the Yunzhou rebels, plunging the Central Plains into deep crisis. Silver Gong Xu rushed to the Southern Marches, leading the yao in their struggle against the Buddhist sect, driving the Western Regions people from the Hundred Thousand Mountains. In doing so, he held the Buddhist sect at bay and alleviated the disaster of war in the Central Plains, this deed was of great significance…”
The classroom quieted instantly. The students spread out their papers and wrote furiously, while the teachers too sat in place, leaning over their desks and writing in earnest.
…
Wang Manor.
Lin’an, in a rather good mood, took a stroll with Wang Simu in the rear garden. The two of them drank plenty of hot tea, enjoyed some pastries, and, wrapped in thick cloaks, did not feel cold in the slightest.
After walking for a while, Wang Simu spoke with a half-smile:
“Your Highness has realised her wish, but seems not quite happy?”
Lin’an knew what she was referring to. She looked towards the desolate flowerbeds to the side, thought for a moment, then said:
“Since my wish has come true, I am naturally happy. It’s just the imperial marriage…”
Of course she was happy. Otherwise, she wouldn’t have agreed immediately that day, and her heart had raced with joy.
But from the sensitive and delicate perspective of a woman, the motive behind the imperial marriage wasn’t what she had wished for.
What she wanted was for Xu Qi’an to ask her brother, the Emperor, for her hand in marriage, the Emperor to cheerfully grant it, and for her to marry into the Xu family.
Not out of interest.
What she wanted was for Xu Qi’an to wish to marry her, not to be “forced,” not even with the slightest reluctance, for her feelings towards Xu Qi’an were pure and without ulterior motive, just as when he had been a mere Bronze Gong or Silver Gong.
The disparity in their status had not affected her feelings at all.
However, after all she had been through, her once wilful and capricious personality had become much more reserved and mature.
Wang Simu smiled and said:
“To marry the one you love is the greatest blessing. As for the reason or purpose, there is no need to be overly concerned. Those who care too much about such things are simply causing their own troubles.
“Dad once said that the essence of politics is compromise. As a person, one must also learn to compromise appropriately.”
“We already know this, there is no need for you to spout such lofty principles,” Lin’an glared at her, then added,
“But, as for the imperial marriage, he himself may not know of it, although Sir Xu has agreed, whether it counts or not is still uncertain.”
“Do not worry, Your Highness. Silver Gong Xu was raised by his second uncle and Aunt from an early age. Although they are not his parents, they are better than parents. Marriage is traditionally decided by the elders. In my understanding of the Xu family, Sir Xu’s promise is reliable.”
Lin’an felt secretly delighted, but only replied with a reserved, “Mm.”
At this moment, she heard Wang Simu sigh:
“You are a princess, so whoever you marry, it should be a grand and glorious affair. But if you marry into the Xu family, your status as a princess may not count for much.”
Given Xu Qi’an’s current status and cultivation, the mere title of princess could not possibly bind him.
You could say without exaggeration that even the Xu family’s foolish young sister could act as she pleased in the palace, and no prince or princess would dare provoke her.
Thus, once Her Highness Lin’an married into the Xu family, as long as Silver Gong Xu had not separated from his uncle and Auntie’s household, she would be subject to the authority of the Xu family’s matriarch.
Lin’an was not stupid and heard the implication in Wang Simu’s words:
“Simu, you might as well speak plainly.”
Wang Simu said in a low voice, “The Xu family’s matriarch is extremely capable. After entering the Xu household, do not make trouble with her and just behave obediently as a good daughter-in-law. If you are made to follow house rules or are given a hard time, endure it if you can.”
Hearing this, Lin’an frowned slightly, feeling a sense of inexplicable heaviness. In surprise, she asked,
“Even you are so wary of her?”
Wang Simu sighed:
“My abilities are far inferior to hers. Have you met Xu Lingyue?”
Lin’an recalled her brief encounter with Xu Lingyue at the Stargazing Tower and nodded:
“Well-behaved and sensible, delicate and dainty, she seemed very gentle and weak.”
Wang Simu sneered,
“That’s all just an act to fool people. That girl is cunning and malicious. Oh, and she is extremely infatuated with her elder brother, Silver Gong Xu. When you marry into the Xu family, your first task is to join forces with me to marry her off. Otherwise, you’ll definitely suffer.”
Lin’an fell into thought.
Wang Simu continued,
“I have clashed with her several times in secret and never gained the upper hand. If someone can raise such a daughter, do you think the Xu family’s matriarch is ordinary? Erlang is a man of great talent, and it is said that it was the Xu family’s matriarch who drove him to study from a young age.
“You must know, Second Uncle Xu is just a common martial man, he could never raise a scholar like Erlang. Also, I heard that when Silver Gong Xu was young, he didn’t get on with Auntie, and she forced him to live in a neighbouring small courtyard, where he led a rather poor life.”
Lin’an was shocked, never expecting such a difficult past for Xu Qi’an.
She knew Xu Qi’an well: proud and unruly, submitting to no one, rising from a humble bailiff of Changle County to a great hero. No one could suppress him.
Such a figure had once been sent to the small courtyard by the Xu family’s matriarch when young.
Wang Simu said seriously,
“Of course, back then Silver Gong Xu had not made his way, and was living under their roof. But, Your Highness, after he became successful, he never settled scores with his Auntie. Instead, he treats her and the family wholeheartedly.
“Now you know just how formidable the Xu family’s matriarch is at managing people.”
Lin’an instantly wilted, half in awe, and stammered,
“I, I have no reason to provoke her, I wouldn’t dare provoke her…”
…Wang Simu opened her mouth. In fact, she had wanted to say that dealing with the Xu family’s matriarch was not difficult, if they worked together and Lin’an listened to her instructions…
But seeing Her Highness Lin’an so intimidated, she could not bring herself to continue.
The stroll ended. Though satisfied with her answers, Lin’an, now filled with dread towards the Xu family’s matriarch, boarded the luxurious carriage with many thoughts and returned to the palace amid the rumble of the wheels.
It was close to lunchtime. She did not return to Shaoyin Palace, but went to her mother’s residence instead.
Consort Dowager Chen had laid out a lavish meal, waiting to dine with her two children. Seeing Lin’an enter, she nodded slightly.
Their mother-daughter relationship was rather distant. Consort Dowager Chen took a sip of tea and said indifferently,
“Since His Majesty’s ascension, he listens less and less to mother’s words. As his mother, I cannot even decide my own daughter’s marriage.”
In truth, by tradition, you shouldn’t have control over my marriage anyway… Lin’an grumbled inwardly and frowned:
“If mother is unhappy with my marriage, just speak directly to brother Emperor, why tell me.”
Consort Dowager Chen snorted coldly:
“That’s unnecessary. Your heart’s desire is clear to me.”
She was still merely nursing the grudge from the late Concubine Fu’s incident, when that brat had exposed her schemes at Lin’an’s expense, and she’d been demoted by the late Emperor.
“I heard from His Majesty that Xu Qi’an is neither in Qingzhou nor in the capital. The Central Plains are in chaos, the situation in Qingzhou is deadlocked, yet he gives no help to the court, running about everywhere.”
Consort Dowager Chen complained.
I wonder, when His Majesty marries you off to him, whether we can get that damned person to our side… Consort Chen muttered internally, but did not mention it to her daughter.
Nonetheless, she still loved Lin’an dearly.
As she muttered, the dishes were all served, and the mother and daughter waited for some time, but Emperor Yongxing did not arrive.
Consort Dowager Chen frowned and ordered,
“His Majesty has not come for his meal. Send someone to notify the Anshen Hall.”
The eunuch serving in the palace withdrew at once, then hurried back a quarter of an hour later,
“His Majesty is meeting with the ministers. I was unable to see him.”
Consort Dowager Chen’s heart sank: “Do you know what the matter is?”
In such stormy, sensitive times, she paid close attention to political affairs.
The eunuch said,
“I heard from the eunuchs at Anshen Hall that just now, the Jianzheng sent a Sitianjian arcanist to send news to the palace: in the south, the fortunes have turned, Dragon Qi surges skywards, the Yao have retaken the Hundred Thousand Mountains, and are rebuilding the Wanyao Kingdom.”
The Wanyao Kingdom… Consort Dowager Chen suddenly recalled its existence, and a look of delight flickered on her graceful features:
“Is that the Yao clan that allied with the court?”
The eunuch nodded.
“Good, very good…”
Consort Dowager Chen looked delighted and turned to Lin’an: “Some days ago His Majesty said that if the Southern Yao failed, the plan to pin down the Buddhist sect would be hard to realise, and the Central Plains situation would be grim.”
Lin’an smiled in agreement: “It now seems brother Emperor’s worries won’t come to pass.”
Consort Dowager Chen was overjoyed:
“Heaven bless the Great Feng, Heaven bless His Majesty.”
After another hour or so, Emperor Yongxing finally arrived, wearing a broad smile, in an excellent mood.
Already half-full, Consort Dowager Chen rose cheerfully:
“We have just kept your Majesty’s food and wine warm.”
Immediately, she ordered the palace maids to bring the dishes up.
Emperor Yongxing smiled:
“Today is worth a few drinks in celebration. Lin’an, you must also drink a few cups with us.”
He patted his sister on the shoulder, making a show of his fondness for Lin’an.
Seeing this, Consort Dowager Chen frowned slightly and tentatively asked:
“Your Majesty, we heard something happened in the Southern Marches?”
Emperor Yongxing smiled: “As it happens, for the Yao to retake the Hundred Thousand Mountains and pin down the Buddhist sect, Silver Gong Xu deserves the greatest credit. Without his efforts at the front, the Southern Yao would never have succeeded.”
Lin’an’s eyes lit up.
So it was him… Consort Dowager Chen felt conflicted as she glanced at her radiant daughter, feeling a touch of awkwardness.
…
Heaven Sect.
Immortal mountains towered, enveloped in auspicious clouds, while the cries of apes and cranes sounded in the air.
Palaces upon palaces, hidden amidst misty clouds and forests, and from time to time, sonorous bell chimes rang out from within this fairyland realm.
Above the sea of clouds, a majestic mythical beast lowered its head.
It gazed upon the immortal mountains for a moment, then strode forth from the sea of clouds.
Its body was deer-like, covered in snow-white scales, with a pair of antlers, horse hooves, and a serpent tail.
Its eyes, with vertical pupils, were azure as the sea.
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