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The banquet continued, and Xu Zhenzhi's confusion persisted. This celebration, filled with religious significance, was quite difficult for him to adapt to.
Fortunately, after Li Wushuang married into the Tuguhun, the Tubo people took pride in it and sparked a trend of learning Tang Feng and Tang Language. At that time, Tuguhun did not have its own script, but later, under the guidance of Qizong Nongsan, Tunmi Sangbuzha was commissioned to create the Tuguhun script.
As a result, many Tuguhun nobles and various lords welcomed and greeted Xu Zhen in clumsy Tang Language. Although there was still a debate about Buddhism on stage, the atmosphere below remained lively.
Tunmi Sangbuzha once emulated the Xuanzang Master from the Tang Empire by traveling to India to seek scriptures. He also consulted with Zanpu and sent people to India and the Tang Empire to invite eminent monks to translate scriptures for Tuguhun. This Tuguhun master was deeply enamored with India until Xu Zhen single-handedly defeated India, after which he began to admire the Tang Empire.
At this moment, seeing the young Tang envoy Xu Zhen made him even more infatuated. He brought his son Kang Zhuo to proactively toast Xu Zhen.
Upon hearing Sangbuzha's fluent Tang Language and learning that he had traveled to India for scriptures like Xuanzang Master, Xu Zhen felt great admiration, and they enjoyed a pleasant conversation.
Kang Zhuo, standing tall at eight feet with a beautiful curly beard, quickly bowed to Xu Zhen once his father stopped talking. "Do you remember me, General?"
The Tubo people were known for their straightforwardness. At that time, even the grand Tangdu had little formality. Xu Zhen did not take offense; she stared at Kang Zhuo for a moment before suddenly slapping her forehead and exclaiming, "You... you are the Twin Blade Wolf of the Sahak Tribe!"
Kang Zhuo's eyes lit up as he seemed pleased that Xu Zhen remembered him. Back then, when Xu Zhen borrowed troops from Nepal and led two thousand elite Tuguhun warriors, it was this Sahak Tribe leader, Kang Zhuo!
Interestingly, his title of Twin Blade Wolf was given by Xu Zhen herself because during the battle to conquer Central India, Kang Zhuo was knocked off his horse but wielded two blades and charged into the enemy ranks, killing seven or eight enemy generals along the way!
"I am honored that General still remembers me!" Kang Zhuo had always admired heroes. After returning from India, he idolized Xu Zhen even more. Today, seeing her riding the Golden Armored White Elephant King brought back memories of their battles in India. He couldn't care less about formalities and came to greet Xu Zhen alongside his father, not expecting her to remember him.
Sangbuzha embraced Buddhism and became a master of it while passing on the authority of the Sahak Tribe to his son Kang Zhuo. Now seeing Kang Zhuo so familiar with Xu Zhen brought him quiet satisfaction.
Noticing Sangbuzha's friendly demeanor, Xu Zhen couldn't help but ask about those daring young men dressed in Zanpu attire serving on stage. Sangbuzha smiled mysteriously and glanced around before lowering his voice to explain to Xu Zhen.
It turned out these young men were incarnations of Qizong Nongsan!
The Tubo People hold great reverence for Qizong Nongsan, and based on Buddhist legends, they proclaim Qizong Nongsan to be the incarnation of Avalokiteshvara. The common folk believe this wholeheartedly and spread the word, claiming that Avalokiteshvara emits four auspicious lights from within, and that Qizong Nongsan is the manifestation of the Bodhisattva's heart and mouth, born as the princess Chisa Duyga. From birth, she possessed thirty-two auspicious features, thus being regarded as the incarnation of Avalokiteshvara.
Moreover, the left eye light of the Bodhisattva manifests as Princess Chizun of Nibola, an incarnation of White Tara, while the right eye light transforms into Princess Jiamu Sawen Cheng of the Tang Empire, an incarnation of Green Tara. Consequently, the two princesses built Dazhao Temple and Xiao Zhao Temple respectively.
In his later years, Qizong Nongsan's health deteriorated significantly; however, he still had to step forward to oversee various matters, manage state affairs, suppress and balance conflicts among major tribes, and continue expanding territory. Such a heavy workload was beyond his frail body.
Thus, he decided to utilize the matter of incarnations by selecting a dozen young talents from the nobility of the Tuguhun court and various lords' offspring, claiming they were all incarnations of Qizong Nongsan who could execute various tasks in his name.
Princess Jinyang couldn't help but marvel at the power of religion and belief; indeed, it was unimaginable how a person could become fervently passionate and nearly blind once they possessed faith!
Princess Jinyang thoughtfully glanced at the stage. The incarnation of Qizong Nongsan she had previously interacted with happened to meet her gaze at that moment, his eyes filled with hostility.
Sangbuzha was an elderly man skilled in reading expressions. He immediately noticed the behavior of that incarnation and couldn't help but quietly remind Princess Jinyang.
"Be cautious, General. This young man is named Anqiao, son of Lord Qiang Bang Se from Tibetan Nobility. He was responsible for executing tasks during the Tuguhun and at the Tang border. Although the Battle of Songzhou was not a defeat for Tuguhun, Anqiao became one of the least regarded among many incarnations and was mocked for a long time. As a result, he harbors misunderstandings and hostility toward the Tang people..."
Princess Jinyang's eyes lit up with gratitude towards Sangbuzha; these were internal matters of Tuguhun, and his willingness to share indicated sufficient goodwill and sincerity towards her.
From his words, Princess Jinyang concluded that Tuguhun was also rife with numerous factions vying for power and was not as united and strong as outsiders perceived.
At this moment, Qizong Nongsan was aging, with only one grandson remaining after his only son had passed away. In such circumstances, once Qizong Nongsan departed from this world, Tuguhun would inevitably fall into turmoil and conflict!
Although these incarnations held no real power and were accompanied by court ministers on missions—major decisions were entirely in the hands of officials—they were merely figureheads. However, as Qizong Nongsan's influence among the people grew stronger and his image became increasingly deified, these incarnations gained rising popularity in society. With support from their respective families, they began to shed their roles as mere figureheads; their authority grew heavier, seemingly trending towards tearing apart Qizong Nongsan's imperial power!
Sangbuzha was also considered an important figure in Tuguhun's court. He was deeply engrossed in studying Buddhism and did not have much enthusiasm for power. However, Kang Zhuo, as the leader of the Sahak Tribe, needed to seek more benefits for his tribe amidst this struggle; hence he shared this crucial information with Princess Jinyang.
Because of the support from the Tang Empire, his tribe would stand out in the struggle, gaining significant advantages and backing!
The Xu Zhen was not a fool; although the other party spoke vaguely, she quickly understood the deeper meaning. Therefore, when Kang Zhuo suggested inviting the Xu Zhen to visit the Sahak Tribe, she gladly accepted.
After the banquet concluded, everyone began to disperse. Since Qizong Nongsan left first, Princess Chizun and an avatar would receive the delegation from this Tang journey to commend and reward them.
Meanwhile, Wencheng Princess, feeling homesick, would privately meet with the Tang delegation accompanied by her avatar to ease her longing for home.
Although the avatar represented Qizong Nongsan, its status could not be compared with that of the two princesses. Thus, it had to maintain proper etiquette in front of the princesses and could not touch them.
However, as Anqiao was leaving, he quietly placed his hand on Li Wushuang's waist. Although it was just a brief moment, through Li Wushuang's disgusted and hateful gaze and Anqiao's secretly pleased expression, the Xu Zhen sensed something was amiss.
Sure enough, upon arriving at Wencheng Princess's palace, Anqiao did not take the hint to leave space for the Xu Zhen's delegation and Wencheng Princess. Instead, he boldly sat on a mat not far from Wencheng Princess, smiling as he kept her company.
Xu Zhenxin understood Anqiao's intentions very well; he wanted to establish a greater influence by targeting both princesses, which was undoubtedly the most convenient and quickest shortcut.
Qizong Nongsan was aging and could no longer accomplish anything with the two princesses. This was something Xu Zhen had personally verified; when he came to borrow troops, he had met with Li Wushuang several nights. On the first night, he discovered that Li Wushuang was still a maiden!
As an avatar of Qizong Nongsan, Anqiao could not be unaware of this fact. He was extremely confident in his appearance and charm and had an almost obsessive infatuation with Li Wushuang. He did not believe that the youthful Li Wushuang could remain secluded in the deep palace forever. When Li Wushuang became lonely and restless, he would be able to successfully connect with her and gain maximum support in the upcoming struggle!
In recent years, Qizong Nongsan's health had deteriorated further. Many avatars and various Lords had already begun to establish their power. Anqiao also started to entangle himself with Li Wushuang but did not expect that over a year ago, a group of personal guards from Tang appeared beside her!
Given Qizong Nongsan's regard for Li Wushuang, these personal guards were naturally recognized. With their close protection and companionship, Anqiao and other avatars with similar intentions suddenly lost their opportunities.
They had no choice but to shift their targets to Princess Chizun, while only Anqiao remained relentlessly fixated on Li Wushuang.
Xu Zhen saw the long-awaited Li Wushuang, along with Caesar, Zhang Suling, and Jewel Girl by her side. She also noticed her disciple Zuo An, dressed in a guard's outfit. These individuals had been away for so long that Xu Zhen couldn't help but feel a surge of longing, casting them an eager glance.
However, Anqiao refused to leave. Li Wushuang's expression gradually turned cold. She did not wish to offend Anqiao; although others perceived her as enjoying great honor and favor, only she knew how isolated and helpless she felt in this foreign land.
But today was the day she reunited with Xu Zhen, and with Li Mingda by her side, she would not allow Anqiao to disturb their gathering.
"Guard Zuo, Master has important matters to attend to and cannot be delayed by our idle chatter. Please escort Master out of the palace."
Zuo An, now a mature man in his twenties, had undergone significant changes during his time with Li Wushuang over the past year. He exuded a calm and restrained demeanor, like a treasured sword hidden in its sheath.
"Understood!"
Zuo An knelt on one knee to pay his respects, then approached Anqiao. Despite being a manifestation of Qizong Nongsan with some martial skills, Anqiao could not withstand the deliberate intimidation emanating from Zuo An. With a forced smile, he bowed to Li Wushuang and withdrew from the palace.
Once Anqiao left, everyone turned their attention to Xu Zhen and Li Mingda. Zhou Cang looked at Anqiao's retreating figure, mumbling something under his breath that no one could quite catch.
Xu Zhen gazed at her closest companions before her eyes welled up with tears. She solemnly clasped her hands together and bowed her head, saying, "You all... have worked hard..."
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