The Princess's Request

"Dilina Zha, Princess of Kucha, pays her respects to the general of the Great Han Protectorate General's Headquarters." The woman respectfully crossed her arms over her chest, lowered her head, and bowed to Jiang Hao.

Strictly speaking, Jiang Hao did not qualify as a general. Only colonels and the Grand Protector of the Protectorate General's Headquarters counted as generals; he was merely a low-ranking officer.

He took it as an honorific.

The woman raised her head, and Jiang Hao saw those beautiful large eyes again. In the dim light of the dungeon, they had been like pearls in the night. Now, under the sunlight, they resembled two gemstones, radiating a brilliant glow.

Jiang Hao had previously learned about the nations of the Western Regions. Kucha was one of the foremost great powers there. Historically, there had indeed been such a period: it had once been occupied by the Shache Kingdom, but through Kucha's own efforts, it restored its kingdom several years later. It remained a major power in the Western Regions through the Tang and Song dynasties. Kucha's music and dance were famous throughout the land and had greatly influenced Zhongyuan culture as well. The flying celestial maidens in Dunhuang murals had been modeled after Kucha Singing Girls.

Kucha had been established in 272 BCE, when Emperor Ashoka of the Maurya Empire extended his influence into the Western Regions. Ashoka granted this place to Prince Dharma Benefit as a fief, establishing the Kucha Kingdom. Thus, Kucha was a nation that believed in ancient Buddhism.

At this time, Zoroastrianism had yet to spread to the Western Regions. Religious beliefs there were chaotic: Buddhism, Zoroastrianism, Manichaeism, Nestorianism, primitive religions resembling shamanism, totem worship, and more.

Yet Kucha Buddhism differed somewhat from Indian Buddhism. Along with the exchange and blending of various cultures,