Chapter 97: Vow

 Yaoying walked through the corridor, feeling as if the black shadow in the tower was still standing there, staring at the temple steps. Recalling the scene of the leopard biting off the personal soldier’s throat, her palms went cold.

    The Regent Sultan Gu, indeed, lived up to his name.

    Yuanjue led Yaoying into the hall.

    In the hall, the hanging scroll curtains hung low, the incense dense. All the jewels, jade, and rare furnishings were removed, and light shone in from behind the corridor pillars. Monks dressed in vestments sat cross-legged, softly chanting scriptures in both Sanskrit and Hu. Joss sticks and candles were burning in the four corners of the hall, and fresh fruits and flowers were set aside as offerings on the table. A strong and rich sandalwood fragrance floated in the air.

    The monks’ chanting sounded solemn and cold. Yaoying did not look up to examine further and walked into the inner hall.

    The couch was also encircled by layers of gold-patterned canopy. It was almost dusk, and the last afterglow fell into the hall from the window at an angle, covering the gold-tiled floor with patches of light. With light and shadow mixing, the jewels gleamed.

    A weak voice came from behind the curtains: “A minister of the Royal Court was rude, making Princess Wenzhao frightened.”

    Clear and cold, as if without a trace of emotion, but those who listened felt their hearts shake.

    Yaoying was startled.

    Tumoroga was dying but specially invited her over to say these words to her.

    She didn’t know what to say for a moment.

    Behind the muslin curtains, Tumoroga asked Yuanjue in a low voice, “Where is Princess Chima?”

    Yuanjue asked Yaoying to step aside and replied, “Princess Chima will be here soon.”

    Just as the words left his mouth, there was a sound from the side door, and two servant girls with faces as white as snow surrounded Princess Chima and entered the hall.

    Princess Chima, with red hair and brown eyes, deep features, and exquisitely dressed, walked up to the curtain. Her eyes swept over Yaoying, carelessly at first. Suddenly reacting, her cold gaze returned to her with emotion.

    Yaoying had already heard a monk tell the old tale of the Tumo royal family’s tragic death under the Zhang clan’s sword. Not surprised by Princess Chima’s knife-like gaze, her heart wondered: what was Tumoroga trying to do here?

    Princess Chima was even more shocked than Yaoying and said angrily, “Roga, what did you call this Han girl for!”

    From behind the veil came Tumoroga’s voice, still as cold and clear as water, without a hint of fluctuation: “Chima, did you have Xueyana come to the royal palace?”

    Princess Chima froze for a moment then smiled coldly: “How did you know it was me?”

    Tumoroga did not say anything.

    Princess Chima ripped off her veil and raised her head, her brown eyes filled with tears. She looked furious: “Yes, I deliberately let Xueyana into the palace, and I even asked the maid to tell him that the Han princess was living in the side chamber. Roga, why do you want to protect a Han girl? Have you forgotten the Tumo family’s enmity? More than two hundred lives of the Tumo family… more than two hundred living, breathing people! Those people were our elders, brothers, sisters… were our relatives! The Zhang clan killed them one by one in front of you and me. I dream of those dead people every night. I hate the Zhang clan! Hate all Han Chinese!”

    The guards standing in front of the tent all lowered their heads.

    Silence filled the palace hall.

    “The ones who killed the Tumo family were of the Zhang clan.” Behind the gauze curtains, a few intermittent coughs rang out. Tumoroga said faintly, “What does it have to do with Princess Wenzhao?”

    Princess Chima’s body froze.

    Yaoying’s eyes lifted up and couldn’t help but glance at the muslin canopy.

    Princess Chima closed her eyes, and her face seemed in between tears and smiles.

    “Roga, you are a saint, a Buddha’s son. You grew up extensively reading scriptures. With mercy in your heart, you cut off your ties to the earth. Although you are a prince of the Tumo family, there is no Tumo royal family in your heart! There is no sister like me! You have eyes only for the supreme Dharma, only for strangers who have nothing to do with you! The Zhang clan killed our relatives and you still treat the Han people well… All beings are equal, you see all as your subjects, but what about me? What about the Tumo family? What are we?”

    She laughed loudly.

    “I am not you! I am the Tumo family’s princess! A mere mortal! I hate that I cannot kill all the Han Chinese in the Royal Court and sacrifice their bones to the Tumo family!”

    She came forward violently, lifted the drooping hanging curtain, and flung herself in front of the bed: “Open your eyes and see! That this person is a Han woman! A Han Chinese who brutally killed our mother, who murdered our brothers and sisters in front of us!”

    The muslin curtain was raised, the guards too late to stop it. Princess Chima flung herself onto the bed, dazed at the sight of her brother sitting cross-legged.

    Yaoying’s eyes widened.

    Tumoroga, dressed in a scarlet kasaya robe, was leaning against the bed, hands hanging by his legs, a string of lustrous beads on his wrist, his complexion pale and haggard. Only his pair of deep turquoise eyes still had a few bits of vitality.

    Princess Chima froze for a long time, the madness slowly fading from her face.

    “Roga, you are dying.”

    She said coldly.

    Tumoroga’s eyes lowered and he said flatly, “Birth, old age, sickness, and death are like smoke vanishing in the air.”

    The tone was sonorous, as if chanting a scripture.

    Princess Chima took two steps back and laughed lowly: “You’re dying yet are criticizing me for a Han girl… you’re dying! Roga, how can you be so heartless? You practice Buddhism, so you really cut off all this mortal world and part with the whole of the Tumo family?”

    Tumoroga slowly raised his eyes and looked at Princess Chima.

    “Princess Wenzhao is a guest of the Royal Court, the Venerable’s benefactor… Chima, vow to Buddha that you will not harm Princess Wenzhao without reason in the future.”

    Princess Chima froze for a moment, looking at her younger brother as if looking at a madman.

    “Roga, I am your sister.”

    Tumoroga looked at his sister. The strength of his voice was like silk, but carried the momentum of ten thousand pounds, “Chima, I am your monarch.”

    The surrounding guards looked at Princess Chima.

    Princess Chima looked around, laughed coldly, and turned around to leave.

    The guards stepped forward and blocked her way.

    Princess Chima turned around, casting an angry look at Tumoroga.

    Tumoroga was silent, eyes downcast.

    Princess Chima smiled back with unconcealed anger, “Okay, I, Tumochima, swear today, if I have any intention of harming Princess Wenzhao, I will be meet with misfortune, to suffer forever, and will never be reincarnated!”

    She stared at Tumoroga, “King, are you satisfied?”

    Tumoroga looked at her, sighed softly, and withdrew his eyes wearily.

    Princess Chima trembled, barely able to control her expression. Sending a fierce glance at Yaoying, she stormed away.

    Yaoying’s heart was filled with complex feelings, speechless for a very long time.

    Tumoroga’s eyes were cast downward, as if he was asleep, but also as if he had truly left this mundane world.

    Her gaze hovered over his thin face for a long time, about to speak, when his eyelashes lifted and his deep turquoise eyes looked toward her.

    “Princess Wenzhao, you can follow Venerable Mondatipa to Tianzhu and then return home by sea.”

    Yaoying’s heart trembled slightly.

    She did have this intention—if Tumoroga died.

    The author has something to say: Regarding surnames, Kang, An, Meng, He, Cao, Mi, etc., are among the most common Hu surnames.