The Leisurely Life of a Peasant Woman in the Tang Dynasty

"...Leader Tuoba." Tang Youyou nodded slightly, her tone neither humble nor arrogant.

The Tuoba leader was clad in animal skins, his tall and burly figure carrying a sense of intimidation. He looked around, his gaze sweeping across the performing Tang Dynasty artists before finally landing on Tang Youyou. A disdainful smile curled the corners of his mouth, "Madam Tang, is this what you call... Tang Dynasty culture?"

Tang Youyou was not affected by his contempt. She smiled and explained, "Exactly. These are the cultural arts that our Tang Dynasty is proud of. Poetry can express emotions and cultivate sentiments; calligraphy is a reflection of the soul and contains profound philosophy..."

"Philosophy? Emotion?" Chief Tuoba laughed heartily, as if he had heard a joke. "Madam Tang, we men of the grassland only believe in strength. Only the scimitar in our hands and the steed under our crotch can allow us to gain a foothold in this world!"

He waved his hand fiercely, and Ayi Na, a young foreign girl behind him, immediately handed over an ornately decorated scimitar. The Tuoba leader took the scimitar and raised it high, the blade gleaming coldly in the sunlight. "Only powerful force can protect our homeland and keep us from being bullied! Those fancy things you Han people have are useless to us!"

The smile on Tang Youyou's face gradually disappeared. She wanted to explain further, but was interrupted by General Hu Han, who had remained silent. He stepped forward, staring at Tang Youyou with sharp eyes, and said with a hint of sarcasm, "Madam Tang, are you showing us these to tell us how peace-loving your Tang Dynasty is? Or are you trying to tell us that you are so weak that you can only rely on these things to entertain yourselves?"

His words were sharp and piercing, and the surrounding foreigners began to whisper, looking at Tang Youyou and the others with eyes full of contempt and suspicion. Wang Jin and Li Huaiyong, who were standing behind Tang Youyou, had ugly expressions on their faces. They wanted to refute, but were stopped by Tang Youyou's eyes.

Tang Youyou took a deep breath and tried to suppress the anger in her heart. She knew that now was not the time to act rashly. She looked at General Hu Han calmly and said in a firm tone, "General, you are wrong. I..."

"Wrong?" General Hu Han sneered and interrupted Tang Youyou, "Am I wrong? You Han people..."

Before he could finish his words, he was stopped by a look from the Tuoba leader. The Tuoba leader's eyes flickered between Tang Youyou and General Huhan, as if he was weighing something. Finally, his gaze fell on Tang Youyou, and he slowly said, "Madam Tang, we appreciate your kindness, but..."

"But we, the children of the grasslands, value strength and conquest!" The Tuoba leader said firmly, leaving no room for doubt. "Your culture may be elegant, but it's not very practical for us."

General Hu Han snorted contemptuously, crossed his arms, and glanced at Tang Youyou, as if waiting to see her make a fool of herself. Tang Youyou took a deep breath and tried to suppress the anger in her heart. She knew that facing the prejudice brought about by cultural differences, arguing blindly would only backfire.

Her eyes swept over everyone present, finally landing on Ayi Na, who had been silent the entire time. Ayi Na seemed to sense her gaze, and timidly raised her head. When she met Tang You You's gaze, a trace of panic flashed in her eyes, and she quickly lowered her head again.

Tang Youyou noticed that Ayi Na was clutching a beautifully embroidered silk handkerchief in her hand. It was a gift from Tang Youyou. It seemed that Ayi Na was not completely uninterested in Tang culture, but was afraid to show it due to pressure from her clan.

"Leader Tuoba," Tang Youyou calmed down and regained her composure, "I understand your thoughts. But what I want to say is that there is no distinction between high and low culture. It is just a reflection of the different survival wisdom formed by each nation in different environments. Just like an eagle on the grassland, spreading its wings and soaring into the sky, it is a symbol of strength; and we Han people are more like hardworking farmers, using our wisdom and sweat to create our own prosperity."

"Wisdom and sweat?" General Huhan laughed heartily, as if he had heard some utterly ridiculous joke. "Is what you Han people call wisdom hiding behind high walls, reciting poetry, painting, playing the zither, and dancing? Is your sweat used to cultivate fields that bring you no strength?"

His words were filled with sarcasm and disdain, and the surrounding foreigners also laughed. Tang Youyou's face turned a little ugly, but she still tried to control her emotions.

Wang Jin tried his best to translate what was said by both sides, but he could sense that the misunderstanding had not been resolved, but had instead deepened with General Hu Han's provocation. Li Huaiyong's expression grew increasingly grim. He glanced at Tang Youyou with concern, and a foreboding premonition rose in his heart: This cultural exchange might end in failure...

"General Hu Han," Tang Youyou took a deep breath and spoke slowly, her tone revealing an unquestionable majesty, "You..."

"Your understanding of us Han people is too one-sided." Tang Youyou took a deep breath and spoke slowly, her tone revealing an unquestionable majesty. "Have you seen us farming, weaving, and casting with your own eyes? Do you know how we opened mountains to build roads, constructed canals, and built magnificent cities and palaces?"

General Hu Han's laughter stopped abruptly. He narrowed his eyes slightly and examined the Han Chinese woman in front of him. He could see that Tang Youyou was not bluffing. There was a glimmer of confidence in her eyes, a confidence that came from her cultural heritage.

Wang Jin tried his best to translate Tang Youyou's words into the foreign language, but he could sense that due to cultural differences, many words and concepts couldn't be accurately conveyed. Instead of clearing up the misunderstanding, Tang Youyou's rebuttal deepened it. Li Huaiyong's expression grew increasingly grim. He glanced at Tang Youyou worriedly, a sense of foreboding rising in his heart: This cultural exchange might end in failure...

"General Hu Han," Tang Youyou paused, his tone softening a little, "I know there are many differences between us, but we also have some things in common. For example, we all love our homes, we all yearn to live a happy and stable life, and we all hope that our children and grandchildren can have a better future, right?"

Tang Youyou's words stunned General Hu Han for a moment. He turned around to look at the tribesmen behind him who were looking puzzled, then looked at Tang Youyou's sincere eyes, and the invisible wall in his heart seemed to have a crack.

"Chief Tuoba," Tang Youyou decided to change her strategy. She wanted to start with the living habits of other ethnic groups and find common cultural points, but this would require more time and energy. "May I take the liberty to ask you some questions about your ethnic customs? I am very interested in your culture and hope to have the opportunity to learn more about it."

Chief Tuoba looked at Tang Youyou deeply and nodded slowly. Seeing the chief's approval, Tang Youyou felt a glimmer of hope. However, at this moment, Ayi Na, who had been silent all this time, suddenly stood up and said in not very fluent Chinese: "No, no..."

Everyone's eyes were focused on Aina. Aina seemed to realize that she had said something wrong. She took a step back in panic, and the silk handkerchief in her hand fell to the ground.

"Ayi Na," Tuoba leader said with a hint of warning in his tone, "Do you know what you are saying?"

Ayi Na bit her lip, her eyes filled with struggle. She looked at Tang You You, then at Chief Tuoba. Finally, as if she had made up her mind, she raised her head and said in a firm tone, "Father, I..."

"Father, I can't let them stay here!" Ayi Na's voice was soft but resolute, and every word struck a chord with everyone present. Tuoba's brow furrowed, a flicker of anger in his eyes, but it was quickly replaced by worry. "Ayi Na, do you know what you're saying? Back off!"

Ayi Na didn't move. She stared directly at the Tuoba leader, her eyes filled with determination and pleading. "Father, I know you want to befriend the Tang Dynasty, but they..." She paused, her eyes sweeping over Tang Youyou and his group, a hint of uneasiness in her tone, "They are not ordinary people. What they bring is too dangerous."

Tang Youyou was keenly aware of the change in atmosphere, and she calmly observed the reactions of those around her. General Hu Han's already hostile gaze became even more fierce, and those foreigners who had originally been observing them curiously now also showed vigilance.

"Danger?" Tuoba leader repeated Ayina's words, his tone full of doubt. "What danger can they bring?"

"I don't know," Aina shook her head, her eyes full of anxiety, "but I have a bad feeling that they will bring disaster to us, I..." Before she finished her words, she was interrupted by Chief Tuoba.

"That's enough!" There was a hint of majesty in the Tuoba leader's voice. He turned to look at Tang Youyou, his tone apologetic, "I'm sorry to have embarrassed you. My daughter has been spoiled by us since she was a child. She doesn't know how to take my words seriously. Please don't take it to heart."

Although Chief Tuoba tried his best to conceal it, Tang Youyou still heard a hint of something unusual in his tone. "It seems that our situation is not good." Li Huaiyong said to Tang Youyou in a low voice with a serious expression, "I have a feeling that something is going to happen."

Tang Youyou nodded, feeling a little uneasy. She noticed that their originally free range of movement had been restricted. Several foreign soldiers were silently guarding around them. Although seemingly casual, they kept them firmly within their sight.

At night, Tang Youyou lay in her simple tent, unable to sleep. Outside, the campfire crackled, illuminating the vigilant figures of the soldiers. She knew that to resolve this cultural misunderstanding, she had to find a breakthrough as soon as possible, and that breakthrough might lie with Ayi Na.

Suddenly, a burst of tiny footsteps came from a distance. Tang Youyou sat up alertly. The curtain of the tent was lifted, and a dark shadow flashed in. "Shh..." The person who came was Ayi Na. She gestured for Tang Youyou to be silent, and then lowered her voice and said, "Follow me, someone wants to harm you..."