▁H iei ▁also ▁started ▁to ▁correspond ▁and ▁exchange ▁cer emon ies ▁with ▁the ▁established ▁communities ▁in ▁N ara , ▁in ▁addition ▁to ▁the ▁mon ks ▁at ▁the ▁Court , ▁further ▁en han cing ▁his ▁prest ige . ▁ ▁One ▁of ▁Sa ich ō ' s ▁earliest ▁supp or ters ▁in ▁the ▁Court ▁was ▁W ake ▁no ▁H iro yo , ▁who ▁invited ▁Sa ich ō ▁to ▁give ▁lect ures ▁at ▁T aka os an - ji ▁along ▁with ▁four teen ▁other ▁em inent ▁mon ks . ▁Sa ich ō ▁was ▁not ▁the ▁first ▁to ▁be ▁invited , ▁indicating ▁that ▁he ▁was ▁still ▁relatively ▁unknown ▁in ▁the ▁Court , ▁but ▁rising ▁in ▁prom in ence . ▁ ▁T rip ▁to ▁China ▁▁ ▁The ▁success ▁of ▁the ▁T aka os an ji ▁lect ures , ▁plus ▁Sa ich ō ' s ▁association ▁with ▁W ake ▁no ▁H iro yo ▁soon ▁caught ▁the ▁attention ▁of ▁Emperor ▁Kan mu ▁who ▁consult ed ▁with ▁Sa ich ō ▁about ▁propag ating ▁his ▁Buddh ist ▁teach ings ▁further , ▁and ▁to ▁help ▁bridge ▁the ▁traditional ▁rival ry ▁between ▁the ▁East ▁Asian ▁Y og ā c ā ra ▁and ▁East ▁Asian ▁M ā d hy am aka ▁schools . ▁ ▁The ▁em peror ▁granted ▁a ▁pet ition ▁by ▁Sa ich ō ▁to ▁journey ▁to ▁China ▁to ▁further ▁study ▁Ti ant ai ▁doctrine ▁in ▁China ▁and ▁bring ▁back ▁more ▁texts . ▁Sa ich ō ▁was ▁expected ▁to ▁only ▁remain ▁in ▁China ▁for ▁a ▁short ▁time ▁however . ▁ ▁Sa ich ō ▁could