Chapter 24: The Spirit Pearl

"Hahaha, we are twice as old as we were back then, and it is far more than just eagles that fall! Whatever the Crown Prince wishes to hunt, just say the word, and Guang shall shoot it down for you!"

Hulü Guang had once accompanied Emperor Wenxiang, Gao Cheng, on a hunt. Seeing a great eagle soaring high, Hulü Guang had shot it down with a casual flick of his bow. People praised his martial prowess, calling him the "Eagle-Slaying Commander."

Recalling this, Hulü Guang laughed heartily. He treated Gao Yin without a trace of constraint or formality, as intimate as if Gao Yin were his own nephew. Among ordinary officials, such behavior would be a path to ruin, but this was Hulü Guang—the Bright Moon of the Qi state. He held the power to sway the military and political landscape, and his familiarity served as a reassuring endorsement. In the original timeline, he had supported Gao Yan, who then successfully supplanted Gao Yin. Thus, to Gao Yin, that laugh carried a hint of dark humor.

"I wish to grasp the bright moon; can the General obtain it for me?"

Hulü Guang, whose courtesy name was Mingyue (Bright Moon), quickly changed the subject: "The Crown Prince’s noble spirit and witty conversation are truly beyond my ability to match!" His tone was humble, yet Gao Yin caught the momentary hesitation on his face. Indeed, without the distribution of interests, how could one hope to entice a general with real power to support him with mere words?

"Hahaha, I know the General is a man of prudence, so I was merely jesting!"

The two shared a burst of hospitable laughter and exchanged pleasantries as they entered the Prince of Xianyang's residence.

"I wonder what brings the Crown Prince to my humble abode today? What instructions do you have for me?"

As Hulü Guang ushered Gao Yin into the hall, Gao Yin joked, "Can I not come if I have no business?"

"Not at all, not at all... if the Crown Prince wishes, you may come whenever you please."

Hulü Guang sat in the seat of honor and signaled the servants, who brought in pastries and clear tea. Originally, the Northern Dynasties did not favor tea. Because the Xianbei were a nomadic people, they were accustomed to drinking fermented milk, calling tea "dairy slaves"—the servants of yogurt. Those who occasionally took an interest in the Southern custom of tea-drinking were often looked down upon by others.

However, religion had begun to play a role. Both Taoist practice and Buddhist meditation required sitting in stillness and introspection, and tea was believed to clear the mind and unblock the meridians. Thus, monks began to advocate for tea, which led to the concept of "Zen and Tea as One." The reason Taoism was excluded was that there were no Taoists left in the Qi state. Two years prior, in the sixth year of the Tianbao era, Gao Yang, finding the doctrines of Buddhism and Taoism incompatible, decided to eliminate one. He had representatives from both sects debate before him; the Taoists lost, and he ordered them to shave their heads and become monks. Four who refused were executed, and the rest complied. Thus, there were no Taoists in the Qi state, and Gao Yang earned the moniker "the Lawless Emperor."

Martial generals, having committed many killings, bore heavy karmic debt. Seeking to wash away this sin, they often turned to religion for salvation, which is why the nobles of the Qi state were mostly devout Buddhists. Du Mu once wrote, "Four hundred and eighty temples in the Southern Dynasties," referring to Emperor Wu of Southern Liang, Xiao Yan, who offered himself to the Tongtai Temple four times. After Chen Baxian founded the Chen Dynasty, he followed suit, showing the Southern Dynasties' reverence for Buddhism.

The North was no less fervent. Gao Yang had shaved his head and taken vows, and monks promoted him as a contemporary Wheel-Turning King, using Buddhism to propagate the idea that he was an incarnation of a Bodhisattva to bolster his legitimacy as Emperor. Consequently, the Qi state maintained a pro-Buddhist policy from beginning to end.

Buddhism experienced unprecedented development in the Qi state, nearing the status of a state religion. In the capital, Yedu, there were about four thousand famous temples housing nearly eighty thousand monks and nuns, with sermons often attracting over ten thousand listeners. High monks like Bodhiruci, Narendrayaśas, Huiguang, Fashang, Daoping, Sengchou, and Lingyu were the finest talents of the age. The scale of the temples and the clergy had already far surpassed that of the Southern Dynasties.

From the simple act of drinking tea, one could glimpse the immense influence of Buddhism, which had seeped into the very marrow of the Qi people. To gain power, one had to utilize it.

Gao Yin picked up his tea bowl and took a delicate sip, letting the fragrance linger on his lips and teeth. It was refreshing and soothing. Only then did he speak slowly: "I did not see you at the family banquet the other day. I only learned afterward that you had been ill. What was the ailment? Was it serious?"

Hulü Guang seemed to recall something: "Oh, yes! I have recovered now. I had caught a chill while hunting on the outskirts, and that is why I could not attend the banquet. I am truly ashamed. If the Crown Prince blames me..."

"How could that be!" Gao Yin immediately interrupted. "You are the son of the Prince of Xianyang and the pillar of our Qi state. If you had fallen ill because of a mere banquet, it would have been putting the trivial before the essential. Seeing you in good health now gives me peace of mind."

Gao Yin sent for his attendants. After a while, Ding Pu arrived with several servants bearing gift boxes. Gao Yin introduced them: "These are some health supplements. If the General does not mind, please accept them."

Hulü Guang declined repeatedly, but unable to resist Gao Yin's insistence, he offered his thanks and ordered his servants to put them away. He then commanded, "Go, bring Wudu here."

Moments later, Hulü Wudu appeared, bowed to the Crown Prince, and stood respectfully beside his father.

"Look at you! When your father is ill, even the Crown Prince knows to visit and inquire after my health, yet you have been nowhere to be found!" Hulü Guang scolded his eldest son with a stern face. "Where have you been? Off chasing after some girl again?"

"Father, that is unfair!" Hulü Wudu complained. "My two younger sisters heard the Crown Prince was here and insisted on coming to see. I had a hard time stopping them, and then you called for me, so..."

Two sets of chaotic footsteps, accompanied by the light laughter of young girls, echoed through the hall.

The three men looked toward the source of the sound. Two young girls dressed in long-sleeved tunics and black-and-red pleated skirts skipped into view. Their features inherited the heroic spirit of their father and grandfather, yet contained the delicate beauty of young women, making them look like a pair of lively, agile deer—willful and full of vitality.

"A-Ling! A-Zhu! You are being naughty again!"

Hulü Guang’s scolding seemed more like encouragement to them. The elder sister, Hulü Ling, chirped, "Father, if you are here, then the Crown Prince must be here too!"

Hulü Zhu looked toward Gao Yin and walked over to him. "I heard Father say you are the son of the current Emperor. The Emperor is the Wheel-Turning King, so are you a Buddha too?"

As she spoke, she leaned in closer to observe Gao Yin, trying to see if there was any "Buddha-light" about him. Had Hulü Guang not been quick enough to grab them both by their collars, Gao Yin might truly have been offended.

"Hurry and pay your respects!" Hulü Guang held his two daughters, pressing their heads down to force a bow, before turning to Gao Yin apologetically: "These Xianbei girls do not know proper etiquette; I hope the Crown Prince will not take offense."

Gao Yin felt a flicker of annoyance, but he did not show it on his face. He smiled and said, "It is simply their nature. The elder daughter is clever and quick-witted, the younger is innocent and lively, and even brother Wudu speaks with such frankness—it is clear that the General’s household is one of sincerity!"

He then winked at Hulü Ling. "The Emperor is a living Buddha, and I am the son of the Emperor. Can you guess what I am?"

Hulü Zhu shouted, "A Buddha’s son!"

Gao Yin chuckled. "Since I am a Buddha’s son, you are but mortals who serve the Buddha’s son. The Buddha has no external form, and the Buddha’s son need not shave his head, but you mortals who have yet to become Buddhas—you would have to shave your heads and become nuns!"

Shave their heads? Wouldn't that make them terribly ugly?

The two girls gasped, thoroughly frightened by the prospect. They quickly hid behind their father and brother. Hulü Wudu was slightly surprised, his impression of the Crown Prince improving a notch.

Hulü Guang, not daring to leave Gao Yin waiting, quickly ordered Wudu to take his sisters away. Wudu had to drag them out, eventually throwing one over each shoulder to haul them off. Only then did Hulü Guang offer an embarrassed laugh. "Truly, I have let the Crown Prince see a spectacle."

Gao Yin then shifted the conversation. "It is no matter. Are the two young ladies betrothed?"

Hulü Guang’s heart skipped a beat.