Thousand Miles of Bright Moonlight

Chapter 133: Debate

After successive days of busyness, Yaoying estimated that Ashina Bisha would soon return, and began to prepare for her trip to Gaochang. Previously, Tumoroga had said he would have Bisha accompany her on her mission to Gaochang.

During this period, she insisted on appearing at the sermon every morning. Although she could not understand the preaching, she could still sit honestly for an hour and follow the monks in reciting the scriptures.

Tumoroga had helped her, and she could not fail to live up to his painstaking efforts.

The monks and Yaoying did not speak the same language, but seeing that she had a pious and respectful attitude and that she was so young and beautiful yet she was able to disregard her beauty and not apply makeup and wake up before the sky was bright to attend lessons day after day, their attitude toward her was much kinder than before.

But still, no one dared to talk to Yaoying. Wherever she passed, all the monks immediately averted their eyes, not daring to look at her. Some closed their eyes chanting scriptures, some meditated, and some turned their heads to avoid.

Banruo was exasperated: Obviously, these monks were not strong enough. Their hearts were shaken by Yaoying's beauty, so they avoided her as if she was a scourge!

He secretly complained to Yuanjue, "Every time Princess Wenzhao passes by the front hall, the eyes of those young monks are about to fall out! What should we do if this goes on?"

Yuanjue smiled: "The princess only comes to the temple to chant sutras during morning lessons, but never walks around the temple at other times. She has neither deliberately seduced anyone, nor has she dressed up and showed off anywhere. The city's nobles and noblewomen also often come to the front hall to listen to the Zen masters' sutras. Everyone is dressed up conspicuously, with accessories on their head, stacks and layers of gold and jewels hanging from their body in fear of being suppressed by others. Moreover, they also have to bring four or five maids. So many women come to listen to the sutras; why do you only target Princess Wenzhao?"

Banruo was unable to respond. After a short bout of silence, he angrily stomped his foot: "Princess Wenzhao looks like a goddess, more beautiful than them all!"

Yuanjue was amused and felt helpless, "The princess' beauty is a gift, not a sin. This is also the Buddha's test for the young shami and the others. If they can pass this trial, it means they are pious. If they are enchanted every day, it means their piety is not enough. It is to sharpen them."

He paused for a moment and said solemnly, "It is the same for the king."

Banruo thought about it, and there was truth to his words so he could only accept.

Yaoying did not know that Yuanjue really regarded her as the Buddha's trial for Tumoroga, and went to morning classes every day with regularity.

Usually, she came and went alone, but this day, some monks stopped her after the sermon. They opened their mouths with a large paragraph of Sanskrit.

Not understanding, she was completely baffled.

Another monk was displeased and pulled the first monk into a heated debate. The more the two argued, the more agitated they became. Several monks next to them got involved, soon attracting the attention of the temple master.

"What's going on?"

The temple master rushed over to mediate.

The quarreling monks did not lower their voices, but rather, the more they argued, the louder their voices got. They also pulled each other with their hands, hit each other's shoulders, and argued until they were red in the face.