Seventeenth of the First Month.
The rays of daylight radiated in faint bloom.
Yu Qingze1 adjusted his guan and sorted out his robes as he waited for his family to guide the horse over to him. When it came, he flipped himself onto the animal and galloped into the direction of the palace's gates.
Madam Zhao, his wife, had come to send him off in person.
"My Lord, please take care, and return safely."
Yu Qingze nodded at his wife, hitched his horse, and went forth.
Before the New Year, the war between the Imperial Court and the Göktürk army had just come upon a truce. He'd just come back from the frontlines to debrief the Emperor of his duties, which coincidentally happened to be the Lantern Festival as well. So, Yu Qingze was asked to be on duty on short notice to escort the Emperor.
Today, there were many people who were like Yu Qingze, but at least they were not in substantial numbers.
It goes without saying that those who were qualified enough to join the Emperor on the Day of the Buddha's Birthday were all his most highly-esteemed and trusted subjects.
Almost all of the subjects who usually participated in governmental debates and war stratagems in court were present.
This sight was none other than the solid proof of the Emperor's serious attitude towards the prayer for blessings.
After what just happened yesterday, whether it was to confess repentance towards the Heavens or console the hearts of the common people, the Day of the Buddha's Birthday was nonetheless a grand opportunity to demonstrate the flourishing of the Sui Dynasty towards its subjects and people.
As all the subjects gathered upon the blessed hour, they would dispatch from the southern gate in groups towards Jingshan Alley where the Daxingshan Temple was located.
The snow that gathered on both sides of the alley has already been cleared; there was still a thick blanket of snow on the rooftops, but it would not be obstructing their journey.
The remnants of snow-white ice receded under the gradually growing rays of the sun as if all the bad omens have melted away to welcome a new beginning.
A servant, He Zhong, solemnly raised his head to be greeted by a view full of light.
He daren't stare a moment longer. Quickly, he dropped his gaze and looked ahead, footsteps following the Imperial Chariot as they proceeded. He couldn't help but inwardly let out a sigh.
He Zhong felt that his mood had lightened aplenty.
Since yesterday, after the Heavenly Dog ate the sun, a string had been pulled tightly in his heart.
He wasn't the only one. All the subjects and officials of the Palace of Daxing too dare not let their guard down.
Since the new year, none of them had seen the Emperor smile even once.
The Empress was bedridden within the palace, and up until now, she rarely showed up.
On the night of the Lantern Festival, a terrible incident befell Prince Qin's manor.
All these events contributed to the Emperor's apparent dejection. As a personal servant, He Zhong could not bring himself to smile at the sight.
At his current status, even the highly valued subjects of the court would seek him out to form friendships. But even if that were the case, He Zhong still remained a dutiful and faithful internal subject before the Emperor.
It was decided that the Day of the Buddha will be held. Even if there would be a blizzard today, it would still carry on. However, as the snow fluttered down from the Heavens in light movements at this moment, everyone held high hopes in their hearts that a blizzard would be unlikely.
Please bless us with a smooth journey with no snow or no more eclipses! He Zhong begged inwardly in his heart.
The people who shared his thoughts were as numerous as the stars in the sky.
The royal streets have been cleared; all the stalls on both sides of the street were closed. Where the Imperial Chariot went, other than the sound of galloping horses, no one said a word or uttered a sound.
Only occasionally would a bird fly through the clear and bright sky, chirping melodiously, as it beelined into the clouds.
It has been a long time since He Zhong felt so relaxed.
Lured by the bird's call, he was unaware of his momentary distraction. He glanced through the parade of the Imperial Chariot.
The ones at the head of the chariot were martial officials while the literary officials manned the rear.
Even a heavily valued subject like Yu Qingze was present; for his presence had assured everyone.
He Zhong then thought of someone.
Feng Xiao.
He was not among the parade.
Due to his involvement in the case of Prince Qin's manor earlier, as well as escaping prison just yesterday, Feng Xiao's whereabouts were unknown until now.
With Second Commander Feng's presence, a highly-skilled martial artist, he would most certainly be able to make everyone feel more reassured.
As he thought of Feng Xiao, He Zhong recalled how dark the Emperor's expression had been since yesterday night.
Actually, the Emperor himself did not truly believe that Feng Xiao was behind the incident at Prince Qin's manor. What was the Second Commander Feng hoping for, anyway? Since the Emperor highly valued him, if he wanted to rise up the ranks or get a raise in his salary, he only needed to make a simple request. Why would there be a need to do so much extra and do something that required so much strength?
But with the evidence—the Crown Prince, Prince Jin, and the others, all bearing witnesses at once, it was difficult to leave this matter untended. Even the Emperor himself could not withdraw himself from it.
He Zhong had a special identity. He was often by the Emperor's side and he kept his stance as a man of few words. The Emperor and Empresses deeply trusted him, and so he also knew more secrets about the valued subjects of the Imperial Court.
For example, he knew that the Commander of the Zuoyue Bureau had once said in front of the Emperor and Empress that all of these were related to Princess Leping. He had pointed at the princess and was determined that she had something to do with this.
Back then, He Zhong heard of it briefly before he closed the palace door. He was shocked about what he heard and dared not get close—he would have given everything to be blind and deaf to this—and had even feigned ignorance of the Zuoyue Bureau Commander's visit.
Quickly, he realized that after that time, the Emperor and Empress truly distanced themselves from Princess Leping. Even the gifts they bestowed upon her had greatly lessened compared to the past.
Once something happened in the manor of Prince Qin, He Zhong quickly thought of the princess.
However, Princess Leping was not at Prince Qin's manor that night. She hadn't attended the banquet, nor had she paid any visits to Prince Qin's manor those few days before the incident happened.
After suspicions of the princess were lifted, it instead fell upon Second Commander Feng.
Although He Zhong said nothing on his lips, he had been pondering over this mystery ever since. It was a pity that the mystery only became more mysterious and that he was unable to think of a breakthrough.
If the murderer wasn't Princess Leping, and neither was it Second Commander Feng, then who could it be?
Surely it couldn't be Commander Cui calling wolf?
Then suddenly, he recalled that Cui Buqu was not among the parade. Nobody knew where he had gone.
Speaking of which, why had nothing gone right after the new year? Was it the time to change the name of their reign2 now?
The smell of burning incense got thicker and thicker, so thick that it broke He Zhong's train of thoughts.
That was the scent of sandalwood unique to the temple. He Zhong raised his head, only to be greeted by the towering gates before himself.
He cleared his throat and called, "Stop—"
The Imperial Chariot stopped.
He Zhong immediately bent down to sweep the tassels of the curtains apart so the Emperor may step out of the Imperial carriage.
It had been the Emperor's own request to walk through the towering gates alone without aid to prove his sincerity.
All the subjects got down their horses to walk behind the Sui Emperor.
Grandmaster Lingcang, who was in charge of hosting this festival, was already an old friend of the Sui Emperor back when Yang Jian was just a Prime Minister. All of the monks in the temple could not help feeling anxious about the Emperor's arrival. It was only Grandmaster Lingcang who was as calm as he usually was, earning him even more respect from the Emperor.
As both of them chatted, Grandmaster Lingcang led the Emperor into the Mahavira Hall while the rest of the subjects waited outside.
"His Majesty looks perturbed. His heart is not calm, hence it's difficult to show your sincerity before the Buddha."
Only Grandmaster Lingcang would dare say such a thing.
The Emperor wasn't angry. He had, instead, sighed, "I know that my heart is not at peace. I had even taken a few Nerve-Soothing Pellets before leaving the palace."
Grandmaster Lingcang quietly said, "The doer shall undo what he has done; in the heart of the Buddha, to pray for blessings is to pray for the peace of heart. If His Majesty is unable to resolve the conflict in his heart, then there is no use to pray for blessings."
After a long silence from the Emperor, he said, "I have too many conflicts in my heart. I need to resolve my worries in front of the Buddha."
Grandmaster Lingcang had an empathic and kind look. Without another word, he lifted his hand in guidance, hinting at the Emperor to follow his lead.
He Zhong perked his ears as he listened to both of their conversations, not for the purpose of prying into the Emperor's affairs, but so he would respond in time if anything happened and follow closely next to the Emperor without leaving him.
Lingcang and the Emperor were at the front, while He Zhong and the monks who followed the grandmaster were at the back.
Only then did He Zhong noticed that Grandmaster Lingcang had a very good-looking monk right next to him. His posture stood out from everyone else and he was incredibly focused, not even sparing He Zhong a glance from the corner of his eyes.
When everyone had placed their incense outside the Mahavira Hall, Grandmaster Lincang allowed his monks to place incense as well to prove their sincerity. With three incenses in his hand, He Zhong carelessly tripped over a stone board that had stuck out from the ground. As he was going to have a bad fall, a hand reached out from beside him to hold him in place. He had even caught those three incenses that fell out of He Zhong's hand and tucked it back into his grasp.
As if nothing happened.
He Zhong glared with wide eyes, his heart still beating, as if he thought that he had almost imagined it.
His fall was only a small problem, but it would be a severe problem if he failed his manners in front of royalty. If not for the young monk's help, he wouldn't be able to keep his head on his shoulders by now.
He Zhong was unable to pull himself back. Just as the Emperor was putting on incense in the hall, he quickly thanked the young monk.
The young monk waved his hand and pointed at his lips, then he turned his attention away.
It seems he's a mute.
Realisation hit He Zhong, and in his heart, he said, "It's not easy to be a monk who followed closely to Grandmaster Lingcang these days." He wasn't only handsome, he was also skilled in the martial arts. Such a pity he couldn't talk! In the near future, it would not be possible for him to become a monk who recites mantras.
He looked at the young monk quietly as he placed the incense into the burner, then quickly walked after the Emperor in small steps.
Music of Buddhism floated in the air of Daxingshan Temple.
The sound of mantra chanting echoes within the Mahavira Hall, truly turning it into a land of gold and enveloping the entire temple as impenetrable as an iron bucket.
Even if one knew that this was nothing consoling to one's heart, He Zhong still felt that it calmed him.
He looked towards the rear of the Emperor's figure who was sitting in the centre, and felt that the Emperor most probably felt the same calmness as he did.
On the other hand, Feng Xiao didn't know why He Zhong felt pity for him.
From the beginning, it was never his intentions to participate in the Daxingshan Temple.
Upon leaving the prison of the Ministry of Justice, Feng Xiao had been in a hurry to take a shower and change into a fresh set of clothes. He had no intention to return to the Jiejian Bureau before the Day of the Buddha's Birthday came to an end, because Feng Xiao knew that only when he was hidden in the darkness could he pose a larger threat to their enemies.
When he was passing by Daxingshan Temple looking for a restaurant or a pavilion that he may feign as someone who'd just had a one night stand that wanted to take a shower and wash, the scent of sandalwood and sound of chanting caused him to stop his footsteps.
From afar, he saw a young monk who had just returned from the outside. From then on, Feng Xiao had a new idea.
Had it been in the past, he would have died rather than part with his hair.
But today was different. After he was stuck for one to two shichens with chamber pots within the great prison, Feng Xiao believed that he was about to lose his sense of smell. Whatever he smelled, it smelled like poop. Even if he washed his hair a dozen times, it was difficult to wash away the scar in his heart.
Since this is the case, then why not start over again?
The germaphobe in Feng Xiao quickly made the decision. Just as the monk Congyun returned from the outside, he was hit unconscious, had his meridians sealed and brought to shelter in a cave in the city's suburbs and left him only with clean water and spring foods. He wouldn't be returning for at least three to four days.
And Feng Xiao only needed one.
Just now, the reason He Zhong fell was because Feng Xiao had purposely led He Zhong to that piece of brick that stuck out.
Because as long as a person knew martial arts, they would instinctively expose themselves in the face of danger.
He Zhong, however, had not.
He was nowhere different compared to a normal person.
This person was not a threat.
Feng Xiao turned his attention away from He Zhong.
On this day, he spent his time walking around the temple, but he could not find anyone suspicious-looking.
However, it was possible that the enemy was very well hidden. It was not easy to find them.
Feng-er withdrew his gaze and continued pretending to be a mute monk.
The Emperor had been sitting on the cattail futon for a very long time.
The sound of chanting could not clearly calm his heart down. In the deepest part of his heart, there was a beast prowling in the depths that made him anxious and hot on his toes.
The Imperial Court and the Kingdom of Göktürk were at war for a whole three years. The former Dynasty had married off their princess to form a truce, but when it befell upon the Sui Dynasty, the latter refused to bend the knee. They would rather spend their time battling with the Göktürks; from tasks as lowkey as sending scouts to cause strive between the different tribes of Göktürks to large-scaled tasks such as fighting head-on against the armies of Göktürk with their own. As they used schemes of all variety, predictable and unpredictable, Khan Ishabara finally could not hold it any longer and requested a truce.
Compared to Qin Shi Huang and Han Wudi's achievements, this feat by Yang Jian was no less inferior in merit. Even if he had not ordered it, his name would eventually be inscribed gloriously in the book of records.
Though, the continuous terrible incidents that happened after such an earth-shaking feat was something Yang Jian had not expected.
On the day of the eclipse, someone truly caught him off guard. The enemy may be able to buy Hong Yuan over, but they could not change the natural occurrence of heavenly phenomenons.
Could it be that he truly shouldn't have taken the place of the Yuwens?
The Day of the Buddha finally came to a solid decision.
The monks on either of their sides slowly left.
And the only ones left inside the Mahavira Hall was Grandmaster Lingcang and the Emperor at the centre.
Even He Zhong had retreated to a corner in the hall.
There was no need for the Emperor to order it. He Zhong did his part of closing the door and allowed the two of them to have a private chat.
Grandmaster Lingcang and the Emperor were sitting opposite of each other.
The Emperor was silent, and Lingcang hadn't spoken.
After a while,
"Should I… Should I have spared some of the Yuwen clan?"
He was asking himself, as well as everyone else.
Grandmaster Lingcang said, "The answer is already in His Majesty's heart. Why do you need to ask me?"
The Emperor roughly said, "In the rise and fall of dynasties, which one of these had shed no blood? I am also… left with no options."
Although he had put it in such a way, it was obvious that he felt guilty, his voice seemed to have trailed off.
With a sigh, Grandmaster Lingcang said, "The deed cannot be undone; this is something His Majesty knew himself. As of late, you found it difficult to live, and by the end of the day, it was all because of an unresolved conflict in your head. However, as you built a new dynasty, brought the barbarians upon the borders into control, lightened various sentences and reduced taxes—these are deeds of virtue. If the former dynasty still stands, these all might not happen. The Göktürks would still slaughter countless of people who lived on the borders. There is no clear line between the good or the evil. Although His Majesty had committed the sin of murder, he too has done some good. This incident cannot be determined with a single event alone. What His Majesty should do is to keep the Yuwen clan in your heart, and refrain from repeating the events of the past in future. When you lay on your deathbed, your story will naturally be recorded in the books by historians."
As an ordained monk, to begin with, his old friend's words came with many depths. Perhaps a normal person would not be able to understand what he meant. But this time, he'd go through the length to speak forthrightly all for the sake for consoling him.
After a few days of having his emotions repressed, the Emperor felt his eyes water, before he forced himself to smile and said, "You understand me."
Grandmaster Lingcang had lifted half of the burdensome weight in his heart.
Grandmaster Lingcang said, "I should recite a copy of the mantra to His Majesty."
The Emperor nodded his head, "Might as well. Thank you."
Grandmaster Lingcang had not been picky. He casually picked one titled, "Surangama Samadhi Sutra3".
He knew that what the Emperor wanted wasn't a classic, but a peace of heart.
Having himself come to his senses was incomparably more effective than any words from onlookers.
Grandmaster Lingcang's words filled his ears. His voice was a little worn and old, but it wasn't hoarse. Instead, the years evident in his voice made it a calming tone that soothed those who listened to it.
The scent of sandalwood filled the air. The chanting of scriptures resounded in the empty pace within the hall.
The Emperor too gradually fell into slumber.
He recalled many past events.
Each one of them flashing before his eyes:
When he was young, he had talked and indulged happily with Emperor Wu of Northern Zhou the first time they met.
The Emperor Wu of Northern Zhou had pointed at the Crown Prince of the time, Yuwen Yun, and said, "I have a brilliant son and you have an elegant daughter. Would they be the perfect match?"
It was the very same Emperor Wu who chose to listen to the words of a fortune teller and distanced himself from Yang Jian, suspecting him of having the desire for treason.
And he remembered all the more clearly how the two of them, as Emperor and subject, had turned into enemies. Yang Jian had endured lying in hiding for many years until Emperor Wu finally died on his deathbed before he could finally sigh in relief.
It's no longer possible to tell who started these series of events in the past.
However, in the end, the Yuwen clan had not killed a single person from the Yang clan. It was the other way around, the Yang clan had practically killed all of the Yuwen clan.
Would he Emperor Wu of Northern Zhou be driven into fury as he watched from beneath the grave?
Unexpectedly, the Emperor looked at the massive statues in front of him. He hoped to find an answer within that faint smile on the lives of the Buddha.
The Buddha looked back at him, his brows hung low, tips of his eyebrows raised.
Those eyebrows appeared to be lifting higher, and its face turned more sinister looking. His two large, golden-painted eyeballs rolled and his gaze fell upon the Emperor.
The Emperor opened his eyes wide as if thunder had struck him, rendering him unable to move.
There was a low little laugh, some giggles that pitched and softened sinisterly resounding in the hall.
He thought that someone had penetrated the hall unwelcomed, but suddenly he realized that these laughs had come from the mouths of the twenty-four Dharmapalas from both sides of the hall!
Those statues laughed at him sinisterly. Unexpectedly, one of them reached out with a palm to hit him. The Emperor averted it only to feel that something heavy had hit his shoulder.
His entire person fell backwards.
"Your Majesty!"
The Emperor opened his eyes once more. His face was pale, his entire head drenched in sweat.
But the statues of the Dharmapalas that had turned into demons were nowhere to be seen.
There was only Grandmaster Lingcang's worried face.
[1] 虞庆则[Yu Qingze]: One of the four most powerful officials during the Sui Dynasty, also known as the Duke of Lu and general of Shizhou.
[2] 年号[nian hao]: The nian hao in this case is 'Kaihuang'. It's basically a superstitious belief that a bad nian hao will bring bad luck, hence He Zhong's thoughts about changing it.
[3] 首楞严三昧经 [Surangama Samadhi Sutra]: an early Mahayana sutra of Indian origin.