A Tale Of A Scribe Who Retires To The Countryside [EN]: Chapter 370

370. The Mandate of Heaven Has No Owner

The desolate Valley of the Moon’s Castle.

Standing before the ruins of the fallen ancient palace, the young palace lord reread the letter from Sun Bin in her hand.

Rustle.

The letter, penned in elegant script, stated that Sun Bin and his party were safe and that they were now leaving to the west, having fulfilled their mission.

It was filled with apologies for leaving without paying respects, and heartfelt entreaties to the young palace lord, who had to bear a heavy responsibility.

At first, the young palace lord read Sun Bin’s letter with surprise, then with regret and disappointment. But in the end, she could not help but admire his thoughtfulness.

“He really has left.”

Princess Potala, standing beside her, looked at the ruins of the old palace and spoke in a trembling voice.

She, too, knew about Sun Bin’s letter. On the way here, the young palace lord had read, thought about, and discussed Sun Bin’s letter with her dozens of times.

“Yes, he really has left.”

The young palace lord said, unable to hide her dismay.

“Leaving me with a great task.”

—A monarch must make the people happy on behalf of Heaven.

Sun Bin wrote that in his letter to the young palace lord. It was a sentence full of affection for the palace lord, who had to bear the heavy responsibility of being the master of Bodhicitta [a being destined to achieve enlightenment] and the lord of Potala Palace at a young age.

—Those who receive the Mandate of Heaven are not separate. Heaven only grants the Mandate to those who carry out its will, because the Mandate of Heaven has no owner.

“‘The Mandate of Heaven has no owner’…”

The young palace lord murmured a passage from the letter. Then she smiled.

“That’s a very bold statement. The Great Monk would be furious if he heard it.”

The master of Bodhicitta is Heaven itself. No one, at least in this land, doubts his divinity.

But Sun Bin wrote that those who receive the Mandate of Heaven are not separate.

It was perhaps a statement close to blasphemy. It was even an idea that was cautioned against among Confucian scholars.

—Share joy with the people [與民同樂 – Yu Min Tong Le]. That will be the proof that the palace lord has received the Mandate of Heaven.

It seems like a very natural thing to say, but it also means that a monarch who pursues wrong politics has nothing to say even if the Mandate of Heaven itself is denied.

The reason why even Confucian scholars were wary of this, and also a bold statement that only someone like Sun Bin, who was not bound by the court, could make.

Rustle.

The palace lord slowly folded the letter.

“I heard there’s a city burned down by the Demonic Sect nearby?”

“Yes.”

Princess Potala replied with a respectful attitude. When the Potala monks arrived, the small city near the Valley of the Moon’s Castle was in ruins, so devastated that it was impossible to find its original form.

The ruins are still abandoned. Because no one cared about the burned-down city.

“Let’s go there.”

“Yes?”

Looking at the puzzled Princess Potala, the young palace lord said.

“How can we share joy without first sharing sorrow? It is right to first commemorate those who were sacrificed by the Demonic Sect and demons, and the merits of the Potala monks who devoted themselves to this land.”

“Your Highness…”

Princess Potala couldn’t hide her surprised expression.

The master of Bodhicitta is a living Buddha and an extremely noble being. The master of all pure lands and the dignified name that governs Potala Palace.

For the master of Bodhicitta to descend to the lowly and humble is something that has never happened in this land, at least.

“I heard that there are many people suffering from demons. Besides, this land is never a prosperous place, so how much more suffering must those who live day by day endure?”

The young palace lord continued quietly.

“It’s a long way to return to Lhasa from here. It wouldn’t be a big deal if we were delayed a little to comfort the wounded. Besides, I haven’t officially ascended the throne yet. Isn’t that so?”

Princess Potala could clearly understand the meaning of those words. The young palace lord had decided to meet the sentient beings [all beings with consciousness] of this land himself.

Not as a noble being trapped in the mysterious Potala, but as a person living together in this rough land.

Swish.

Princess Potala knelt down, put her hands on her chest, and bowed her head. And she said in a trembling voice.

“I will follow your deep will.”

Looking at her, the young palace lord smiled. The palace lord looked up and gazed at the ruined remains.

The traces of the old kingdom, which once had great power but eventually collapsed miserably.

“He had no responsibility or obligation. But he willingly stepped forward to save this land, and gave his life to defeat the demons and the Demonic Sect. So I have to do this much to have the face to meet him later, don’t I?”

A moment of silence flowed. It was Princess Potala’s voice that broke the silence.

“Master of Bodhicitta.”

The young palace lord turned her head and looked at Princess Potala. Princess Potala’s shoulders, with her head bowed, were trembling slightly.

“Speak.”

“As you said, he saved countless lives in this land. He didn’t want anything, and he didn’t receive any reward. No, he gave us even greater wisdom by leaving. So the mercy that the sentient beings of this land have received from him is so great.”

Kneeling, Princess Potala raised her head. Her eyes were already filled with tears.

“I am a being who must live for all suffering sentient beings. But…”

In a trembling voice, she said.

“But in the next life, just that once, please allow me to live only for him.”

Princess Potala is a white lotus blooming in the sea, and a companion to all suffering sentient beings. The fact that she was making such a request was a clear indication of how sincere and deep her gratitude towards Sun Bin was.

“So be it.”

The young palace lord nodded readily.

“That’s the only way to get even close to the law of causality.”

Princess Potala bowed her head again and expressed her gratitude to the young palace lord. The tears that had been welling up finally flowed down in drops. But those were by no means tears of sorrow.

Whoo-oong.

The young palace lord looked at the Valley of the Moon’s Castle, where the wind was blowing. Then she smiled faintly.

“I will also receive teachings at his Seowon [private academy] in the next life, so perhaps we will meet there.”

The Great Monk does everything according to the will left by the previous master of Bodhicitta. Even if it is unprecedented, there is no reason why it cannot be done if the master of Bodhicitta wants it.

Rustle.

The young palace lord raised the letter. It was Sun Bin’s letter, which she had cherished on the way here.

Looking at the letter, the young palace lord raised a small lamp from beside the carriage. And she lit it.

Whirr.

The letter burned in an instant.

In the first place, this letter should never have remained. It was not just to protect Sun Bin’s secret.

If this content were known, there could be an absurd misunderstanding that the Chief Minister, of all people, doubted the legitimacy of the master of Bodhicitta and Potala Palace.

No, such a mention itself should not be left in writing in the first place.

“It is said that all the joys of this world come when you want the happiness of others, and all the sorrows and pains arise when you want only yourself to be happy.”

Looking at the burning letter, the young palace lord said as if muttering. Before her eyes, the letter soon turned into white ashes and was blown away by the wind.

“He may be the happiest person in this world.”

The soft voice of the young palace lord was filled with the emptiness and loneliness of a child of her age, about the person who had left.

But in her bright eyes, the determination to do what she had to do was shining more resolutely than ever.

That day, the young palace lord personally presided over the ceremony to commemorate the sacrifices and the merits of the Potala monks.

It was the first time that the young master of Bodhicitta, who had not yet ascended the throne, had appeared, except for the secret religious ceremonies of Potala Palace.

People from nearby cities who heard the news gathered, and the young palace lord comforted them by holding each of their hands.

There was no sermon because she had not yet officially ascended the throne, but no one could help but shed tears at the warm comfort given by the noble master of Bodhicitta.

The high-ranking monks of the four major sects who arrived late also had to cooperate. The monks who made up the Potala monks were already firmly supporting the young palace lord, and there was no justification for stopping them.

The argument that the dignity of Potala might be damaged was buried as just a concern of some.

This did not end with just one event.

The rumor that the master of Bodhicitta could be met spread to the surrounding areas in an instant, and people began to gather in every city the palace lord’s procession reached, and even on the road.

The young palace lord never turned them away. Sometimes laughing together, sometimes crying together, the palace lord continued to meet people.

And so, after several days, when the palace lord’s party returned to Lhasa, countless people rushed out to welcome the master of Bodhicitta. The great city of Lhasa was entirely covered with red flowers and white cloths.

Whether or not she would formally ascend the throne was not a problem at all. Already, all of Tibet was looking up to the master of Bodhicitta, the reincarnation of the living Buddha.

It was the moment when the true master of Bodhicitta, with wisdom and compassion like the sea, appeared in this land.

* * *

The vast Tibetan plateau. Six people were riding horses on the endless prairie.

“It’s completely spring now.”

Sun Bin said, looking at the sprouting grass. It felt like just yesterday that they had passed the snow-covered Great Snow Mountains, where the cold wind was blowing, but already they could feel the spring when all things come to life.

If this high and cold place was like this, the Seowon in the warm Guangdong province must already be covered with flowers.

“It’s nice and warm like this here, too, isn’t it? Oh, there are rabbits and foxes over there, too!”

Seorin, with her good eyes, pointed to the green prairie with her finger. Sun Bin couldn’t see it, but from horseback, Dang Wola softly replied to her words.

“…I’m glad they’re not demons.”

“Why are you talking like that?”

Seorin said with a tearful face.

“The thought of those cute kids becoming demons is just awful.”

Seorin shuddered as if she wasn’t joking. She didn’t even think about how she used to hunt rabbits and foxes with the wolves.

“What was terrible was you.”

Hwang Bang-ju said with a sigh.

“I was so surprised when everyone said you were dead… I thought I was just going to end my life like this.”

“End your life?”

At Sun Bin’s words, Hwang Bang-ju shook his head.

“What would the atmosphere be like if I stayed still in a safe camp and said that I was the only one who survived? If the people here knew, they would have treated me like a complete bastard because they are all hot-tempered and completely loyal. And that’s not all? If the chief military officer of the Dang Family, Dang Hwa-ryun, heard this… Ugh.”

Hwang Bang-ju shuddered as if the thought alone was terrible. Sun Bin fully agreed with that.

Even though she cherishes her younger sister Dang Wola so much, Dang Hwa-ryun. If such a thing had happened, it was impossible to even guess what her anger would have been like.

“But how come no one cares even if I disappear? These people here are really…”

Hwang Bang-ju, muttering with a dejected face, looked at Sun Bin and said.

“Anyway, sending a letter to the Dang Family was really the best thing to do a hundred times over.”

“I shouldn’t cause any worries.”

Sun Bin said with a smile.

It’s not just Dang Hwa-ryun’s anger that’s the problem. If even a false rumor were to flow in, there would be more than one or two people who would be sad.

Chirp, che-jae-jaek.

An unknown bird song was heard from somewhere. Looking at the blue sky spread wide above his head, Sun Bin said.

“By now, the Tea Horse Road [ancient trade route] must be open, right?”

He missed the Seowon full of flowers, the children laughing there, and the precious people who were connected by valuable ties.

Suddenly, he felt like he could accept anyone, and he even wondered how the young Okryong and his subordinates were doing.

“It must have been open for a while now. You should be able to deliver a letter without any problems. Ah, now that I think about it, the road will be unusually busy this year.”

When Sun Bin looked at him as if asking what he meant, Hwang Bang-ju sighed.

“You sent gifts to the Dang Family, didn’t you? It’ll take a good few months for all of that to go.”

Sun Bin thought that the words ‘a few months’ must be an exaggeration. No matter how narrow and rough the Tea Horse Road was, he didn’t think it would take that long.

If he had compared the detailed contents and scale of the gifts and the traffic volume of the Tea Horse Road, he would have realized that Hwang Bang-ju’s words were not entirely an exaggeration.

“As expected, the Living Buddha’s words were all correct.”

When Sun Bin gave a puzzled look at Hwang Bang-ju’s muttering voice, Hwang Bang-ju said.

“Didn’t he say that? That you will face the truth at the end of the world and make a choice. You defeated the Demonic Sect and saved many people, so in the end, it turned out as the Living Buddha said, didn’t it?”

“Turned out to be what?”

No-gun’s grumbling voice immediately popped out.

“It’s because you’re fitting the results together like that. And what end of the world is this? We have a long way to go.”

No-gun clicked his tongue, looking at the endless prairie in front of him, as wide as the one he had passed.

“No roads, no carriages… Tsk.”

It seemed that not being able to drive a carriage was a great disappointment to No-gun.

“But Bin.”

No-gun, who was sighing, asked Sun Bin.

“When you were fighting against Fudō Myō-ō [a wrathful deity] in the past. What was that one sword you drew at the beginning?”

“Yes?”

Sun Bin, wondering what he was suddenly talking about, recalled the martial arts contest he had with Fudō Myō-ō. It had already been a long time ago, so he wondered for a moment what he was talking about.

“Ah, that?”

Sun Bin smiled shyly.

“Well, how should I put it? Fudō Myō-ō’s aura was so intense. Suddenly, I had this thought. Maybe I could cut off this aura with a sword…”

“Cut what?”

No-gun’s white eyebrows furrowed greatly. Sun Bin hurriedly said as if making excuses.

“No, the opponent’s aura was so intense and seemed so tangible.”

Sun Bin, who was talking, scratched his head and smiled awkwardly.

“But it didn’t work out well. It didn’t seem to have any effect on Fudō Myō-ō, did it?”

No-gun unknowingly let out a sigh. And then he realized why he was so sure that he had to avoid that space.

The aura that a master emits is not just murderous intent. It is, for example, like grasping and controlling space.

Beyond the realm of the absolute, it sometimes exerts actual physical force. Just like how the party was not eroded in that place full of demonic energy.

Since that control was cut off, it was only natural that Fudō Myō-ō and No-gun would absolutely try to avoid that place. Stepping into an unknown place is something that no one ever wants to do.

“So, you just drew it?”

“It’s not like I just did it without thinking…”

Was it because No-gun’s words felt belittling? Sun Bin protested in his own way. But No-gun’s thoughts did not change at all.

‘Huh, now that I think about it…’

Only then did No-gun realize why that one sword looked so familiar. It was because it was fundamentally in the same category as Muje’s sword, ‘Okryong Yeokrincham’ [a powerful sword technique].

“Well, okay.”

No-gun said with a hollow sigh.

“Work hard.”

Sun Bin had an unhappy expression. It was a sword technique that he had tried for the first time, but No-gun’s reaction didn’t seem very enthusiastic.

“Let’s go.”

No-gun, who was sighing, said.

“We have a long way to go. If you don’t want to sleep on the road tonight, you have to hurry.”

The road to the west is long, and villages and cities are very rare. Besides, once the prairie ends, a huge mountain range blocks the way.

Therefore, No-gun’s words that they had to hurry were only natural.

“Giddy-up!”

No-gun immediately spurred his horse and started running. Seorin, who was watching the scenery next to him, urged Sun Bin as if urging him.

“Hyung [older brother], let’s go too.”

“Oh, okay.”

When Sun Bin answered, Sa Soo-yeon, Dang Wola, and Hwang Bang-ju nodded.

“Haa!”

The five horses all started running after No-gun at once.

Clatter, clatter.

Under the blue sky, on the endless prairie. Six horses were running vigorously over the peaceful scenery that one could not imagine was a high plateau.

Over the huge mountain range, towards the unknown land of Tianzhu (天竺) [ancient name for India] located in the west.

(Author’s words)

Far away~ beyond the mountain range~ even if there are no mountains, snow, or water~.