Inside the spacious hall of Huibin Restaurant in the capital, Xuanzang sat alone at a corner table, quietly detached from the noisy atmosphere all around him.
He had been in the capital for over half a month, but apart from a single audience with the Emperor at the Thatched Cottage of Close Observations, he had not seen him since. According to news passed along by Lord Ji, the Western Regions had presented the Emperor with a woman who was naturally fragrant, capable of attracting bees and butterflies. The Emperor was so enchanted that he had bestowed upon her the title of Consort Xiang. Yet this woman was exceptionally cold and aloof, and recently the Emperor had been racking his brains trying to win her favor, leaving him no time to care about Xuanzang's quest for Buddhist scriptures.
At this thought, Xuanzang sighed. He had indeed heard tales of this Human Race Emperor's romantic escapades. It was said that just last year, the Emperor had tracked down a princess left among the common folk, causing quite a commotion and a string of absurd misunderstandings.
Chapter 346