Thousand Miles of Bright Moonlight

Chapter 134: Change in Plans

The monks' debate over the authenticity of the Heart Sutra did not affect Yaoying. However, she felt that there were still monks discussing the matter privately, but they did not dare to argue in public anymore.

Banruo and Yuanjue were also implicated. Yaoying bumped into the two of them several times looking slightly aggressive, as if they were arguing with others.

She was an outsider and could not ask questions about temple affairs, so she went back to her courtyard and immersed herself in her own business.

As she had instructed, Lao Qi took in the Hu women who came seeking asylum. They planted several stones of the honey feed and horse milk he bought from the Hu merchant Kang Da, but Kang Da said he didn't have any black pearl grape seeds. They were sour, slightly bitter, produced small fruits, and were a discarded variety that was uncommon in the Western Regions.

Yaoying asked Xie Peng to send a message to Lao Qi, asking him to find a way to send a Hu merchant to Gaochang to look for black pearl grapes. It was a variety of grapes that was indeed not as sweet and plump as other ripened grapes, but it was very suitable for making wine.

The weather was getting hotter and hotter. It was time for the fruit and melon harvest, so Yaoying and her personal soldiers could eat all kinds of fresh fruits every day. These foreign fruits that could only appear at palace banquets in the Central Plains, could be found everywhere here in the Royal Court. Xie Chong overindulged and had an upset stomach that lasted several days.

On this day, Ashina Bisha's personal soldier came back on a fast horse to report that Bisha would not be able to return until a few days later. Haidu Aling was too cunning; he could not find a chance to act and was unwilling to come back unsuccessful.

Yuanjue told Yaoying that the weather was too hot and it was not a good time to hurry. When Bisha returned, the weather would be cooler, so they would not have to suffer too much on the way to Gaochang.

Yaoying estimated the day and added a few more thick coats to her bags. Although it was scorching hot during the day, it was not as sultry and humid as Jingnan. It was cool as long as she hid in the house or under the shade of a tree, but it was really cold at night. Despite the intense heat of the day, at night, she had to cover herself with blankets.

Currently, she only has her personal soldiers around her. These big men were casual and Xie Qing was not a maid, so she had to take care of her own everyday needs. She had to prepare her personal things properly, so as not to have any troubles arise when they set off.

After a few days of busyness, Yaoying remembered something. After her morning class this day, she found out that Yuanjue was in the main hall and went looking for him.

The close guards knew who she was and guided her inside. When she arrived, there was a lot of racket from behind the low wall.

Yaoying peeked inside.

Banruo stood inside the courtyard, in the middle of arguing with several monks. The sun overhead was so vicious that it made people dizzy. Several people were standing in the hot sun, arguing until they were flushed with anger, sweating, spit flying, and occasionally pulling and shoving each other.

Yaoying hid in the long corridor and stood on tiptoe to peep.

The first time she saw the monks arguing in the temple, she was surprised. In the Central Plains, monks did not usually get so excited and rough when they disagreed. The Royal Court was different; the monks argued very intensely. Not only did they taunt each other with words, but pushing and hitting were also allowed.

Banruo's one mouth could not beat four mouths. After a while, he was defeated and should have conceded according to the rules, but he refused to yield with his neck stubbornly jutted and his eyes red with anxiety.