The Song Dynasty was the king for thirteen years before he knew that he was Tianlong.

Chapter 253 Old Law
They then dispersed the five hundred barbarian soldiers, agreed on a secret signal and a rendezvous point, and entered Lhasa City in batches.

After the soldiers entered, Zhao Ti, along with Tong Guan and Zhu Chuyi, slowly made their way towards the city gate half an hour later.

The five hundred Tibetan soldiers changed back into Tibetan civilian clothing, while Zhao Ti and his two companions remained undisguised. Lhasa, the largest city in Tibet, was home to people of all ethnicities, as well as many merchants and tourists from the Song Dynasty.

Just like Tokyo, the largest number of foreigners were Tibetans, but there were also people from Khitan, Tangut, Dali and other ethnic groups.

When the Daxiangguo Temple opens five times a month, Tibetan merchants gather here to sell their specialties. Some of these merchants don't have stalls, but carry a Luoma basket on their chest with small items inside and call out their wares along the street.

There was no inspection at the gate of Luosuo City; in fact, the soldiers showed enthusiasm when they saw that Zhao Ti and his group were dressed in Song Dynasty clothing.

The Tibetan royal court was located in the northern part of Tibet, which had close ties with the Song Dynasty all the way to Longyou. The Western Army had a considerable number of Tibetan soldiers who were independent and their leaders or meritorious individuals were given land.

The treatment of the Tibetan soldiers in the Western Army far exceeded that of the Tibetan royal court or the southern states, and was even better than that of the Qinghai-Tibetan Gusiluo. If one person in a family was serving in the Song army, the rest of them could live comfortably without doing anything.

Especially in those small tribes, if a family produces a soldier from the barbarian tribe, the tribe will celebrate. If they are rewarded with land for their meritorious service, the entire tribe will move to places like Xihe Road in the Song territory.

When Zhao Ti and his two companions entered the city, they saw that although the Tibetan royal court could not command the various states and the tribes did not obey its rule, the prosperity of Lhasa City was generally unmatched by other states.

The plateau is naturally sunny, and this was a bright and clear day. The sunlight poured down without reservation, and the whole city seemed to be plated with a layer of golden light. The bustling scene instantly caught the eyes of the three people.

The wide streets were bustling with people, the markets were interconnected and lively, the cries of vendors rose and fell, and the stalls were lined up one after another, stretching as far as the eye could see.

Silk and porcelain from the Central Plains, spices and blankets from the Uyghurs, nitrated furs from the Khitans, and crystal products from the Western world, including not only cups and bowls but also ornaments such as crystal rings.

Behind the stalls, the shops were a treasure trove of exotic goods from all over the country, including jewelry, local specialties such as woolen fabrics, short knives, agate, and incense. Wisps of smoke drifted from the shops, their rich aroma wafting far and wide, intoxicating anyone who smelled them.

People coming and going wore all sorts of clothes, mostly traditional Tibetan clothing, with colorful robes embroidered with bright patterns. Some people waved their long sleeves and danced on the spot, while others sold various local snacks, pouring boiling hot butter tea into wooden bowls, the aroma of which instantly spread.

As Zhao Ti and his two companions walked and looked around, they bought three bowls of butter tea. Zhao Ti and Tong Guan were fine with it, but Zhu Chuyi couldn't get used to the taste and almost vomited. Tong Guan laughed and said, "Old Zhu, don't waste it. This is something you can't find anywhere else."

Zhu Chu could only roll her eyes and swallow, her face turning extremely ugly.

The three continued walking, passing various distinctive houses on both sides of the road, from near to far. The ancient palaces were heavy and simple, and the Buddhist temples were different from those in the Central Plains. They were built in an unknown period of time and exuded a mysterious atmosphere.

Zhao Ti pondered for a moment: "I wonder if the monk is here, or has he returned to the Great Snow Mountain Great Wheel Temple?"

Tong Guan whispered, "Your Highness is referring to Master Kumārajīva?"

Zhao Ti nodded: "They said they would return to the Central Plains after a while, but they haven't seen anyone for a long time, and we don't know where they've gone."

Tong Guan said, "Master, you are the National Preceptor of Tibet, so you must still be in the royal court, right?"

Zhao Ti looked thoughtful and continued walking. He then heard the sound of musical instruments playing in the distance, melodious and ethereal, stirring his emotions. After walking for a while, he saw a large crowd, shoulder to shoulder, heads thronging, as if they were watching something.

Then a huge temple appeared in front of them, and people crowded around the temple gate in layers.

"What a magnificent Buddhist temple!" Zhu Chuyi exclaimed. "I never imagined that such a grand temple existed in the southwest."

Zhao Ti looked around and realized that they had arrived at the Jokhang Temple. However, the temple was not called by that name at the moment, but was called Rasa Temple, also known as Juekang.

At this time, the temple was not occupied by Huang Zong, nor was Hongshan Palace.

Huang Zongcai gradually took shape during the Ming Dynasty and moved into the Jokhang Temple, changing its name to this. Later, he seized power through religion, usurped the throne, occupied and rebuilt the Hongshan Palace, using it as his base to promote Buddhism, rule in place of the government, issue orders, and called the Hongshan Palace the "Buddhist Palace".

But there are none of those right now. He said, “There are many great temples in the Northwest, but their practices are different from those of the various sects in the Central Plains. The one ahead should be Rasa Temple, which is considered the largest temple in Tibet.”

Tong Guan asked, "Your Highness, what are all these people doing? Could it be like the Great Xiangguo Temple in the capital, where monks are giving sermons?"

There were too many people at the moment, so they couldn't see what was going on inside. They could only hear the continuous sounds of magical artifacts. Zhao Ti said, "Let's go in and take a look."

All three were skilled in martial arts, and their internal energy surged, making them virtually untouchable. In a short while, they passed through the crowd and arrived at the front, where they saw a platform in front of the main gate of the temple.

The platform is not high, but it is engraved with countless Sanskrit characters on all four sides, as well as lotus and cloud patterns and other objects. Three monks sit on it.

Zhu Chuyi recognized the monk in the center as somewhat familiar, but wasn't quite sure. After looking at him carefully for a few moments, he exclaimed in surprise, "Young master, isn't this Master Kumārajīva? Why has he become so thin?"

Zhao Ti glanced at him and saw that the person sitting in the middle was indeed Kumārajīva. However, he was different from when they parted last year. The great monk was originally robust, with a square face, straight nose, and drooping ears, and had a dignified appearance. But now he had lost more than half his weight, and his face was not covered with oil, making him look rather haggard and withered.

Right opposite the platform, there was another wooden platform, on which sat an old monk. This old monk was wearing strange clothes, the style of which Zhao Ti had seen before, just like the frozen corpses he had encountered in Kunlun, which were the robes of monks from ancient India.

The two sides were debating scriptures in Sanskrit, which Tong Guan and Zhu Chuyi could not understand. Zhao Ti listened for a while and then narrowed his eyes slightly.

The debate between the two sides revolved around the distinction between the past and present in Buddhist scriptures. The old monk insisted that the past was eternal and unchanging, and would eventually awaken, while the present was subject to endless changes and was not permanent.

The three men opposite Kumārajīva presented various scriptures, but they could not refute them, because the present moment is constantly becoming the past, and only the past is unchangeable. Sweat poured down their foreheads, and after a moment their faces turned ashen.

It's those monks again. Zhao Ti couldn't help but stroke his chin. The ones he encountered in the nine-story demon tower of Kucha, the corpse in the cave of Kunlun Mountain, and the monk that the white-robed swordsman chased all seemed to be from the same sect, upholding the old ways, proclaiming the ancient Buddha of Burning Lamp and the Tathagata of Fixed Light.

It's unclear where these monks clinging to outdated practices came from, yet they've come to Lhasa to debate with the monks. At this moment, the Jokhang Temple is filled with monks from all sects, including many eminent monks, but judging from the situation, the temple doesn't seem to have gained any advantage.

Just as Zhao Ti was pondering, a commotion and shoving suddenly came from afar. Zhao Ti turned his head and saw that more than a dozen people were rushing over like fierce demons, led by a girl in purple.

(End of this chapter)