The Leisurely Life of a Peasant Woman in the Tang Dynasty

The sound of camel bells broke the tranquility of the western border.

Tang Youyou and his group finally arrived at Yumen Pass. The majestic pass seemed like a natural barrier, separating the Central Plains from the Western Regions. The soldiers guarding the pass were dressed in exotic costumes, with curved swords on their waists, and their eyes were sharp as they watched the team from the East.

"Master Li, are we there yet?" Tang Youyou pulled the reins and turned to look at Li Huaiyong beside her. Despite the long journey, her face showed no sign of fatigue; instead, a hint of excitement and curiosity was revealed.

"After passing the Yumen Pass, we will truly step into the territory of the Western Regions." Li Huaiyong looked solemn, with a barely perceptible hint of worry in his tone.

Tang Youyou followed his gaze and saw a group of Western Region soldiers at the checkpoint staring at them with vigilance in their eyes. The leather armor on their bodies shone coldly in the sunlight, and the scimitars in their hands were even more frightening.

"Don't worry, Madam Tang, we have the documents and pass from the court." Li Huaiyong whispered comfortingly, signaling the accompanying officials to come forward to negotiate.

The Western Regions soldier took the document, carefully inspected it, and then waved to let them pass. Tang Youyou and his group rode camels, slowly passed through Yumen Pass, and set foot on this unfamiliar land.

Along the way, the yellow sand was endless and the scenery was monotonous. The occasional poplar tree seemed like a lonely watchman, swaying in the wind and sand. The Western Region soldiers always kept a certain distance from them, their vigilant eyes never leaving them.

"Master Li, look, what is that?" Tang Youyou pointed at the tents and crowds vaguely visible in the distance, with curiosity glittering in her eyes.

"That's the Tuoba tribe, our destination," Li Huaiyong explained. "The Tuoba tribe is one of the largest tribes in the Western Regions. They make a living by raising livestock and also control important trade routes."

As the team gradually approached, the tents and the crowd became clearer and clearer. Tang Youyou saw a group of women in bright clothes washing clothes and chatting by the water source. They wore silver ornaments on their heads and had smiles on their faces, which formed a sharp contrast with the serious-looking soldiers along the way.

"Their jewelry is so beautiful!" Tang Youyou couldn't help but sigh. She dismounted and wanted to get closer to observe, but was blocked by a Western Region soldier.

"What do you want to do?" the soldier asked in stiff Chinese, his tone full of vigilance.

Tang Youyou was startled, and she looked at Li Huaiyong for help. Li Huaiyong stepped forward to explain a few words, and the soldier reluctantly stepped aside.

Tang Youyou walked over to the women and greeted them with a smile: "Hello."

However, the women didn't understand what she was saying. They just looked at her curiously, their eyes full of confusion. Tang Youyou tried to use gestures, but they still couldn't understand.

At this time, a girl with two pigtails came over curiously. She had a pair of clear and bright big eyes and was looking at Tang Youyou curiously.

"Hello." Tang Youyou tried to communicate with her using the simplest words and pointed at herself, "Tang."

The girl tilted her head, as if trying to understand what she meant. Then, she pointed at Tang Youyou and tentatively said a word: "Ayi Na."

Tang Youyou was pleasantly surprised to find that she actually understood her own name! She happily repeated, "Ayi Na, Ayi Na..."

Ayina repeated it as well, a bright smile on her face.

Just then, a burst of rapid horse hoofbeats could be heard. A tall, imposing man on horseback, accompanied by a group of soldiers, came charging towards them aggressively. The man reined in his horse and dismounted. His muscular figure exuded an aura of authority without even being angry. He glanced at Tang Youyou and Ayi Na, then his gaze fell on Li Huaiyong. He asked in broken Chinese, "Who are you? What are you doing in the Tuoba Tribe?"

Li Huaiyong stepped forward and bowed respectfully, saying, "This is our distinguished guest from the Great Tang, Madam Tang. We have come here at the behest of the Emperor to visit the Tuoba leader and discuss trade. We have brought with us a letter and gifts from the Emperor of the Great Tang."

"A distinguished guest from the Tang Dynasty?" The man known as the Tuoba leader snorted coldly, his eyes sweeping sharply over Tang Youyou and the others who accompanied him. "We have no dealings with the Tang Dynasty. What is your purpose for suddenly visiting us?"

"Chief, they..." A burly general wearing animal skins stood out from the crowd. He was the soldier who had stopped Tang Youyou earlier. "They trespassed into our territory and were with Ayi Na..."

"General Huhan," Ayina explained quickly when she saw her father misunderstood, "This Madam Tang is very friendly. She just wants to make friends with me."

"Shut up! You have no right to speak here!" General Huhan shouted harshly. Aina shrank her neck in fear and dared not speak again.

Seeing this, Wang Jin quickly stepped forward and translated Li Huaiyong's words to the Tuoba leader and the others. However, his translation did not dispel everyone's doubts, but instead caused a commotion.

"What do you mean by mutual trade? I think they just want to spy on us and then annex us!"

"That's right! The people of the Tang Dynasty are the most cunning. We can't trust them!"

Voices of doubt and opposition rose and fell in the crowd. Tuoba leader's expression grew increasingly grim. He stared at Li Huaiyong and said in a deep voice, "You said you were here to trade. Do you have any evidence?"

"This..." Li Huaiyong was speechless for a moment. Although he brought letters of credence and gifts with him, those could only be presented after he met with the Tuoba leader. How could he prove his sincerity now?

Seeing the tense atmosphere, Tang Youyou wanted to step forward to ease it. She opened the package she was carrying and took out a set of exquisitely crafted tea sets... Tang Youyou saw the tense atmosphere, so she wanted to step forward to ease it. She opened the package she was carrying and took out a set of exquisitely crafted tea sets, a set of white porcelain tea cups painted with verdant bamboo leaves, which looked even more warm and translucent in the sunlight. "This is our Tang Dynasty tea set, which is most suitable for entertaining distinguished guests." She smiled and said in a tone as gentle as possible, "Why don't we have a cup of tea first and chat slowly?"

Unexpectedly, as soon as she finished speaking, General Hu Han stepped forward and knocked over the tea set in her hands. "Who wants to drink your tea? Are you trying to bribe us with this?" The teacup fell to the ground with a crisp shattering sound, reflecting the tense atmosphere at the moment.

Ayi Na exclaimed, looking at Tang You You worriedly. Tang You You wasn't angry, but just sighed helplessly. It seemed that the language barrier, cultural differences, and the barriers caused by border friction over the years made it difficult to gain the other party's trust.

Upon seeing this, Li Huaiyong hurriedly stepped forward, bowed deeply to the Tuoba leader, and said sincerely, "Chief, we have come from afar with no ill intentions. The Tang Dynasty is vast and rich in resources. We have come with the sincere hope of exchanging resources with your tribe and establishing friendly relations. We have brought a letter and gifts from the Emperor of the Tang Dynasty, and we only await your review."

The Tuoba leader remained silent, his sharp eyes scanning Li Huaiyong, Tang Youyou and the others, as if assessing their sincerity. After a moment, he finally spoke, his tone carrying a certain unquestionable authority: "You said you want to trade, but you must show some sincerity. Empty words are what anyone can say."

Li Huaiyong's heart sank. He knew that the real test had just begun. He turned to look at Tang Youyou, but saw Tang Youyou gently shook her head at him, signaling him to stay calm. It seemed that she had a plan to deal with it.

As night fell, a bonfire lit up on the grassland, illuminating half the sky red. Tang Youyou and his group were placed in a huge tent to rest. Outside the tent, the footsteps of patrolling foreign soldiers could be heard from time to time, along with their whispered conversations.

"Tell me, who are they?"

"Who knows? But judging by what they brought, they're probably not ordinary people..."

"Shh! Stop talking, or someone might hear you!"

Tang Youyou lay on the thick fur carpet, but she had no desire to sleep. She knew that this communication was fraught with difficulties and she had to find a better way to break the deadlock. The foreigners... seemed to be secretly observing their next move. Suddenly, the curtain of the tent was lifted, and a tall figure walked in. In the dim light of the fire, Tang Youyou recognized that it was...

Suddenly, the curtain of the tent was lifted, and a tall figure walked in. In the dim light of the fire, Tang Youyou recognized that the man was General Hu Han who had glared at her during the day.

General Hu Han obviously didn't expect Tang Youyou to be so alert. He was stunned for a moment, then frowned unhappily and asked in stiff Tang dialect, "You're not asleep?"

Tang Youyou sat up from the blanket and looked at General Hu Han in front of him by the firelight. He was a burly man, wearing leather armor, with a scimitar at his waist. His face was a bit weathered, and he looked very majestic. But at this moment, there was a subtle hint of... curiosity in his eyes?

"General, why are you visiting so late at night? What's the matter?" Tang Youyou asked calmly.

General Hu Han was silent for a moment, as if hesitating about something. He looked at Tang Youyou, then at the package beside her, which was the package Tang Youyou used to pack her tea set during the day.

"You..." General Hu Han finally spoke, his tone carrying a hint of awkwardness that he himself didn't even notice, "What are those... things of yours?"

Tang Youyou immediately understood what he meant. He was referring to the tea set that was knocked over during the day. Tang Youyou smiled slightly and said, "That's our Tang Dynasty tea set, used for drinking tea."

"Drink tea?" General Hu Han was obviously unfamiliar with the word. He frowned and asked, "What is tea?"

Tang Youyou's heart moved. This was an opportunity, an opportunity to break the deadlock!

"General, if you don't mind, I can make you a cup of tea to try." Tang Youyou said, and took out a new set of tea sets from the package.

General Hu Han watched Tang Youyou skillfully boil water and make tea, with a flash of surprise in his eyes. He had never seen anything like this before, nor had he ever smelled such a fragrance.

"What's that smell?" he couldn't help but ask, with a hint of anticipation in his tone that he himself hadn't even noticed...?

"This is the fragrance of tea." Tang Youyou handed a cup of steaming hot tea to General Hu Han, "General, please taste it."

General Hu Han hesitated for a moment, but finally accepted the teacup. He took a sip, and a refreshing fragrance immediately filled his mouth, relaxing his originally tense nerves a little.

"How is it?" Tang Youyou asked.

General Hu Han did not answer, but took another sip of tea, as if savoring its flavor.

Tang Youyou didn't say anything else, just looked at him quietly, waiting for his reaction. He knew that this cup of tea was not just a cup of tea, but also a bridge, a bridge that connected the two cultures.

The next day, when the sun rose, Tang Youyou was already prepared. She arranged a small display of Tang Dynasty culture, including poetry recitation, calligraphy performance, etc. She believed that the power of culture was infinite, it could transcend language barriers and touch people's hearts.

However, when she showed all this to the foreigners with great anticipation, she found that their faces did not show the surprise and admiration she had expected, but instead a kind of...

"What use are these things to us?" A voice suddenly rang out, breaking the already awkward atmosphere. Tang Youyou looked in the direction of the voice and saw that the person who spoke was...