Li Yuanying had interacted with Buddhist monks before, even going so far as to secretly dot a red mark on his forehead to pretend he had a connection with Buddha. At the time, he thought he was quite clever. Now, looking back, he realized the masters might have just been playing with him.
Li Yuanying strolled through the brand-new Ci’en Temple, reminiscing about the past. He was soon led to a secluded Zen courtyard. Passing through a path lined with lush greenery, he saw a tall tower standing majestically in the distance, exuding an aura of solemnity and tranquility.
There was an open space in front of the tower. As Li Yuanying approached, he realized it wasn’t as quiet as he’d thought. A middle-aged monk, shirtless, was leading his disciples in their midday exercises. A group of monks were practicing martial arts with grunts and shouts, their gleaming bald heads glistening with sweat from the sun. Their movements were synchronized and precise, none daring to slack off because of the heat.
Li Yuanying was quite amazed and watched with great interest, even imitating their moves occasionally.
The young monk who led him introduced the leader as Xuanzang, the abbot. Though not yet fifty, Xuanzang held considerable sway in the temple. He not only personally led the disciples in their morning and evening prayers, but also supervised their martial arts training every single day, even doing the exercises more diligently than his disciples.
Li Yuanying took a closer look. Master Xuanzang had a robust physique and clear, steady eyes, far from the stereotypical image of a frail and scholarly monk. He patiently waited until Xuanzang finished the midday exercises before approaching him.
Upon learning that the visitor was Li Yuanying, Xuanzang, having just put on his monk’s robe, bowed to him and invited him inside for a conversation.
Li Yuanying followed Xuanzang into the pagoda, finding it serene and elegant, a true sanctuary of peace. He sat down and exclaimed to Xuanzang, “The martial arts you just practiced were quite impressive!”
玄奘 had never met Li Yuanying before, but he had heard a lot about him and knew that Li Yuanying was close friends with many Buddhist elders, and had even encouraged many monks to spread the teachings in Tubo and Turkestan.
Since sensing Li Yuanying’s arrival, Xuanzang had been observing him. He found Li Yuanying to be clear-minded and transparent, like a young boy before Buddha. No wonder he had won the favor of so many Buddhist elders.
Xuanzang explained to Li Yuanying, “When I left for the West in my twenties, I encountered many dangers along the way. Gradually, I developed a set of methods to cope with them. This martial arts technique may not be able to defeat enemies, but it can strengthen the body and help one adapt better to danger in the long run.” In simpler terms, this was a survival technique he had learned from his experiences in perilous situations, and it looked impressive, of course.
Li Yuanying, intrigued by the mention of dangers, immediately asked Xuanzang to elaborate on the dangers he had encountered.
Xuanzang personally brewed a cup of tea for Li Yuanying and shared his tales of the strange events he had experienced on his journey to the West.
With the foundation of those martial arts techniques, Li Yuanying felt a strong sense of immersion in the stories. He thought his nephew might have asked the wrong questions, which was why he hadn’t gotten these interesting stories from Xuanzang.
Li Yuanying finished the cup of tea, still wanting more. He held Xuanzang’s hand and sighed, “I heard from the little prince that Tianzhu (India) is very chaotic now. Even the Tang Dynasty’s envoy was robbed. I wonder what has become of the friends you made in Tianzhu.”
Xuanzang felt a pang of longing upon hearing Li Yuanying’s sentiment.
Yes, those friends he had met, perhaps only a few times in his lifetime, were gone, never to be seen again. When he went to the Western Regions, he passed through Gaochang and had in-depth discussions with the king. As they parted ways, they promised to meet again and share stories by candlelight. Sadly, when he returned, Gaochang had become part of the Anxi Protectorate, and the King of Gaochang had already passed away.
Xuanzang sighed, “No matter what the circumstances, it’s unlikely we’ll ever see each other again.”
Li Yuanying said, “I heard that there was only one Gupta dynasty in Tianzhu, stable and prosperous. This is how so many famous monks emerged. The scriptures you brought back were also compiled and organized during that time. Now Tianzhu is divided into five, unstable and turbulent. It’s truly a pity.” He couldn’t help but ask Xuanzang, “Master Xuanzang, your Imperial Highness had intended to have you return to secular life and manage the Western Regions. Why did you refuse? Master Xuanzang, you spent twenty years wandering in the Western Regions. You are very familiar with the situation there. With you there, the Tang Dynasty would have no fear in taking over the Western Regions. Then, everyone would be able to live freely. They could write scriptures if they wished, or make sugar if they wished. It would be so liberating!”
Xuanzang replied, “This monk is a Buddhist. He is not suited for such things.” He had never met anyone as shameless as Li Yuanying. He was clearly planning to send troops to conquer the land, yet he presented it as an act of rescuing the suffering people of Tianzhu. And yet, Li Yuanying’s eyes were clear, and he spoke with such confidence, making Xuanzang doubt his own perception. Perhaps Li Yuanying was truly suggesting something positive!
Seeing that he couldn’t persuade Xuanzang, Li Yuanying felt somewhat disappointed. He noticed Xuanzang wanted to share some Buddhist scriptures with him, but he quickly shook his head, “No, no, no.” Then, he bid farewell to Xuanzang and took off running.
He didn’t want to hear Xuanzang’s theories on “promoting harmony among the people” or “saving the world from suffering.” He also didn’t want to hear Buddhist teachings!
Xuanzang watched Li Yuanying’s fleeting figure and chuckled.
This Prince Tang was quite different from what he had imagined. Yet, after spending time with him, Xuanzang felt that this was exactly how Prince Tang should be. Only a lively and bright prince like him could attract so many talented individuals who were willing to gather around him.
Li Yuanying’s attempt to persuade Xuanzang failed, but he wasn’t discouraged. He occasionally followed up on the work of the Honglu Temple (Ministry of Rites), and regularly visited Ci’en Temple to learn Xuanzang’s martial arts techniques, said to be crucial for survival.
He not only learned himself but also selected a few young monks as physical education teachers to demonstrate a simplified version suitable for children in the Hongwen Academy (Academy of Literature) to help his nephews develop their physical fitness.
Everyone else was fine. They regularly exercised and found the training easy to follow. Only Li Xiaoyuanqiu (Little Round Ball) struggled, mainly because he inherited his father’s physique. Though his roundness was not unattractive, it was still a bit much. Doing a simple horse stance made him sweat profusely.
Li Yuanying occasionally served as an extra coach at the Hongwen Academy. Seeing Li Xiaoyuanqiu’s struggles, he felt a pang of sympathy and said with a sigh, “Maybe we shouldn’t train anymore.” Now he understood why his fourth nephew was always chubby. His body was simply not built for losing weight. Li Yuanying showed favoritism and praised Li Xiaoyuanqiu, “I think you look good being round. You have a lucky face, very cute.”
Li Xiaoyuanqiu refused to give up. If others could persevere, he could too. He was determined not to be left behind. Back home, he asked his little sister, Li Youyu (Little Jade), to supervise him strictly. He was going to become as strong as everyone else!
Li Youyu was still young and didn’t understand her elder brother’s determination. She sat there, curiously asking, “Why do you want to be the same as everyone else?”
Li Xiaoyuanqiu was stumped. He stiffened his neck and retorted, “It’s bad to be different from everyone else.”
Li Youyu said, “But Yaoyao (Little Sister) said everyone is different.” She hummed with a touch of pride, “I want to be different from everyone else. I want to be the most different one.”
Li Xiaoyuanqiu felt his sister was too young to reason with and simply ignored her, letting her have her pride.
Meanwhile, a letter arrived in Tengzhou after a long journey across the sea. The Queen of Silla had been bedridden for two years and had passed away a month ago. Jin Shengman would officially ascend the throne as the new queen in August of this year.
Jin Shengman wrote a letter to Princess Chengyang and Wu Mei informing them of this news. Wu Mei immediately wrote back to Li Yuanying to discuss the matter: she wanted to go to Silla with Chengyang to witness the coronation ceremony.
Silla was a tributary state of the Tang Dynasty. The succession of a new ruler required the Tang Dynasty to issue an imperial decree to acknowledge the new monarch. An envoy would be sent to deliver the imperial edict. Wu Mei received daily reports on matters related to seaports and had developed a yearning for sea voyages, especially after studying with Jin Shengman.
After discussing with Du He, Chengyang also wanted to go. With the Sea Masters present, the chance of them encountering danger was minimal. Though she knew it might be difficult to secure approval, she still wanted to try, just as she had tried to take the imperial examinations. If she hadn’t taken that step back then, her life might have been very different.
She wanted to see it with her own eyes.
Li Yuanying learned about the big challenge Wu Mei and Chengyang had thrown at him a few days later. Thinking of Emperor Li’s stern face and Wei Zheng’s disapproval, he wanted to quietly add their names to the list after the envoy list was finalized.
He didn’t even dare to think about openly going to Silla by sea for a vacation. Yet, Chengyang and Wu Mei dared to suggest it. Chengyang was a Tang princess. What if something happened to her at sea? Who would be responsible?
Li Yuanying complained to Wei Jiu for a long time, his main argument being, “If I had known that Manman would ascend the throne at this time, I wouldn’t have come back. I also want to go on another sea voyage.”
Wei Jiu was also curious about the scenery at sea, but after witnessing Du He and his men catching sharks, she also understood the dangers of the sea. She said, “It’s going to be very difficult to make this happen, right?” Even though Li Yuanying was now in charge of the Honglu Temple and had the authority to propose accompanying personnel, he couldn’t secretly add himself or Chengyang to the list.
Even if he dared to do so, Emperor Li would never approve!
Li Yuanying said, “With Du He there, there won’t be any danger. I’ll go and persuade my Imperial Brother to see if it’s possible.”
Wei Jiu straightened his collar and told him to be careful and avoid angering Emperor Li. Though Emperor Li was very tolerant of Li Yuanying, Wei Jiu couldn’t treat him like an ordinary brother. She was genuinely worried that Li Yuanying, who dared to say anything, might one day provoke Emperor Li into a fit of rage!
Li Yuanying assured Wei Jiu that he would be careful.
With great confidence, Li Yuanying went to the palace, finding Emperor Li after the morning court had adjourned. He mentioned the envoy to Silla, expressing that traveling by land was too roundabout. It would be faster and safer to go by sea from the port.
Emperor Li nodded and agreed, saying that the Honglu Temple and the Ministry of Rites should discuss the details.
Li Yuanying then asked the key question, “Manman and I were classmates. I can’t go, but can I send a few people from Tengzhou to attend the coronation ceremony?”
Emperor Li felt it wasn’t a big deal and agreed.
However, when the list was submitted to the Ministry of Rites, they were shocked. Li Yuanying said he had already asked Emperor Li’s opinion, and Emperor Li actually agreed to let Princess Chengyang and her husband, Du He, go as envoys to Silla? There was no precedent in history for a princess to be an envoy. It was simply outrageous!
The Minister of Rites rolled up his sleeves and confronted Emperor Li, ranting and raving, leaving Emperor Li confused. Upon further inquiry, he learned that Li Yuanying had taken Emperor Li’s permission out of context, directly adding Chengyang and Wu Mei to the envoy list!
Emperor Li, furious, ordered someone to bring Li Yuanying in.
Li Yuanying didn’t expect the situation to be exposed so quickly. Upon seeing Emperor Li’s grim expression and the furious Minister of Rites standing beside him, Li Yuanying pretended to be oblivious, asking curiously, “Imperial Brother, what are you calling me for? I’m very busy now!”
Emperor Li slammed the list on his desk and asked him where he got the audacity to submit this list to the Ministry of Rites.
Li Yuanying said, “I asked your opinion, Imperial Brother. You clearly said it was okay!” He expressed his view, “What’s wrong with Chengyang going to Silla? Wencheng went to Tubo to marry a prince. Tubo is so far away. There was no opposition back then. Besides, Chengyang is only going to attend the coronation ceremony. She’s not leaving forever!”
The Minister of Rites said, “There has never been a precedent of sending a woman as an envoy in history.”
Li Yuanying retorted, “Just because there was no precedent in the past, doesn’t mean we can’t have it now. Many things that didn’t exist in ancient times have emerged later, and everyone considers them good. People used to live in the open, eating raw meat. You should forbid people from cooking in the future and make them eat raw meat!” Li Yuanying straightened his small stature and passionately pleaded with Emperor Li, “Silla is such a small country, yet they sent their princess to learn from us in the Tang Dynasty, aligning themselves with the Tang Dynasty. Now their princess has become the new king, but a Tang princess can’t be an envoy. I think that’s not right. Imperial Brother, you are the most wise and powerful Khan in history. Anything that didn’t exist before should exist in the Tang Dynasty!”
**Author’s Note:**
Little Prince: Let me flatter him first!
Minister of Rites: Shameless!
Update!
勤快 (Qínkuài) – meaning: Diligent, hardworking!
Next book might be *嬉闹三国* (Xīnào Sānguó) – meaning: Frolicking in the Three Kingdoms! (Though I haven’t started reading it yet, but I remain calm and collected, as always.
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