The Leisurely Life of a Peasant Woman in the Tang Dynasty

General Hu Han's disdainful words didn't embarrass Tang Youyou. She remained composed as she slowly walked over to the box, gently stroking the books, a gentle glint in her eyes. "Horses and cattle and sheep are indeed precious, but they are only material wealth. These books I brought with me are spiritual treasures. They carry the cultural heritage of our Great Tang for thousands of years, and contain the wisdom for governing the country, maintaining peace, and cultivating oneself and managing one's family."

Tang Youyou paused, and her eyes swept across everyone present, finally landing on Chief Tuoba. "I believe that Chief Tuoba is a wise leader. You should understand that for a country or a nation, material wealth alone is not enough. They also need spiritual guidance."

The Tuoba leader remained silent, only looking at Tang Youyou quietly, his eyes flickering with an inexplicable light. Tang Youyou knew that her words had piqued his interest, so she continued, "In our Great Tang, there are many great thinkers and philosophers who have spent their entire lives exploring the relationship between people and nature, and have formed a complete system of thought."

"For example, Confucianism advocates 'benevolence' and believes that 'those who love others will always be loved by others.' Only when everyone has benevolence in their hearts can society be harmonious and stable. Taoism, on the other hand, advocates 'non-action' and believes that 'Tao follows nature'. All things have their own laws, and we should follow nature rather than force things."

Every word Tang Youyou said was carefully translated by Wang Jin and accurately conveyed to everyone present. Although Chief Tuoba did not understand Tang Youyou's words, he could feel the admiration and praise in Wang Jin's tone, which made him very interested in the "Tang Dynasty culture" that Tang Youyou mentioned.

"'Benevolence'..." Chief Tuoba repeated the word in a low voice, and in his mind came the images of the tribesmen who had clashed over water and pasture, as well as the old people and children who had lost their lives due to disease and hunger.

He has always been worried about how to make the tribe stronger, but he never thought that there is such a thing as "benevolence" that can bring everyone together to create a better life.

"'Inaction'..." Chief Tuoba muttered to himself again. He recalled the wars he had launched in order to expand his territory. Those wars brought temporary victories to the tribe, but also left endless pain.

He suddenly realized that perhaps, adapting to nature and living in peace with other tribes was the best way for the tribe to develop in the long run.

Tang Youyou took in the changes in Chief Tuoba's expression. She knew that the seed of this culture had been quietly planted in his heart, and one day it would take root, sprout, and bloom into brilliant flowers...

Ayi Na listened from the side. Tang Youyou's words were like the warm spring sun, sowing the seeds of hope in her heart. She had never imagined that there was such a culture in the world that did not advocate the use of force, but instead valued benevolence and harmony. She turned to look at her people. Their rugged faces were filled with a bit of confusion. It was obvious that they did not fully understand Tang Youyou's story.

Ayi Na secretly made up her mind to spread these valuable ideas to her people, to let them understand that besides plundering and fighting, there was another way to create a better life. She took the initiative to walk over to Tang Youyou and said in not very fluent Chinese: "Mrs. Tang, your words... let me see... another... possibility..."

Tang Youyou looked at the enthusiastic and simple girl in front of him, his eyes full of admiration. He gently patted the back of her hand and encouraged her, "I believe that you will be able to find a development path that suits you."

Although General Hu Han didn't quite understand the abstract concepts Tang Youyou was talking about, he was no fool. He keenly noticed that the Tuoba leader's attitude towards Tang Youyou had subtly changed, from his initial disdain to his current deep contemplation. This made him realize that the books Tang Youyou brought might actually have extraordinary significance.

He no longer objected as strongly as before, but chose to watch silently. He wanted to see what tricks this seemingly weak Tang woman could come up with.

The Tuoba leader was silent for a long time, and finally asked, "You said that these books contain the wisdom of governing a country and maintaining peace?"

Tang Youyou nodded, her tone firm and confident: "That's right. The reason why our Tang Dynasty can prosper is because we have advanced culture and ideas. These books contain rich ideas about governing a country, ethics, and science and technology. If you are willing to study, you will definitely benefit greatly from them."

Leader Tuoba took a deep breath, looked at Tang Youyou with burning eyes, and said slowly: "Okay, I'm willing to believe you this time..."

Before he finished speaking, there was a sudden commotion outside the tent. An old voice shouted, "No! Chief! We can't believe the sweet words of these Tang people! They are trying to use their culture to corrupt us and make us their slaves!" The curtain was suddenly thrown open, and a hunched old man with white hair and beard walked into the tent tremblingly, supported by several young and strong tribesmen. He stared at the book in Tang Youyou's hands with a pair of cloudy but sharp eyes, as if it were a flood or a beast.

"Elder!" Everyone in the tent stood up and saluted. Even Chief Tuoba bowed slightly to show his respect.

"Chief, you can't be fooled by these Tang people!" The elder pounded the ground with his cane, making a thud. "They don't send these things with good intentions! They want to use their culture to corrupt us, make us forget our ancestors, and become their slaves!"

The elder's words stirred up a thousand waves in the tent. The tribesmen, who had only half understood Tang Youyou's story, began to whisper and discuss. Some people looked at Tang Youyou with a bit of hostility.

Ayi Na anxiously tried to explain, but was stopped by her father, General Hu Han. He shook his head at his daughter, signaling her not to act rashly.

Seeing this, Li Huaiyong knew he couldn't remain silent any longer. He stepped forward, bowed, and said, "Elder, you're so kind. Our Tang Dynasty culture is vast and profound, but it's not exclusive. We come here with the intention of learning from each other and making progress together. Cultural exchange is about inclusiveness, drawing on each other's strengths to overcome weaknesses, rather than closing ourselves off and remaining closed-minded."

Tang Youyou also nodded in agreement, "Elder, I cannot agree with the word 'corruption' you mentioned. There is no distinction between high and low in culture, only differences and integration. We respect the culture and traditions of the nobility, and we hope that you can understand our Tang Dynasty with an open mind."

"That's nice to say!" the elder snorted coldly. "You keep saying respect, but did you ever ask for our opinion before you came? You Tang people just want to replace our culture with yours and make us your vassals!"

Facing the elders' accusations, Tang Youyou and Li Huaiyong both felt very awkward. They knew that for these nomadic peoples who had lived on the grasslands for generations, culture and tradition were their roots and the spiritual pillars on which they relied for survival. It would undoubtedly be extremely difficult to get them to easily accept a completely different culture.

However, Tang Youyou did not intend to give up. She believed that the power of culture was infinite, and one day, she would be able to build a bridge between the two cultures in her own way.

She took a deep breath, her eyes sweeping across the crowd in the tent, finally resting on the face of the Tuoba leader. She knew that success or failure depended on this one move.

"Leader Tuoba," Tang Youyou said sincerely, "I know that changing the thinking of a person, or even a nation, is not easy. But I believe that time will prove everything..."

Tang Youyou's words echoed in the tent, and everyone's eyes were focused on her. Silence spread in the air, like a taut string that could break at any time.

Tuoba's expression was uncertain, his knuckles turning pale as he gripped the sheepskin wine bag tightly. The elders' accusations, Li Huaiyong's rebuttals, and Tang Youyou's insistence—these voices intertwined in his ears, making it difficult for him to make a decision.

Suddenly, General Hu Han, who had been silent the entire time, spoke up. "Elder, your concerns are not without reason. But we cannot ignore the strength of the Tang Dynasty. Their culture and institutions have their merits. Simply rejecting them will only lead us to stagnate."

The elder suddenly turned his head to look at General Hu Han, his beard trembling, as if he wanted to refute, but in the end he just snorted heavily and said no more.

General Hu Han's words seemed to break some kind of restraint, and the atmosphere in the tent suddenly relaxed. Several young tribesmen began to whisper among themselves, their gazes no longer filled with hostility, but with curiosity and a thirst for knowledge.

Ayi Na, who was sitting in the corner, excitedly pulled the hand of a girl next to her and chattered about something. Her bright eyes sparkled, and she was obviously very interested in the Tang Dynasty culture that Tang Youyou brought.

Tang Youyou took it all in, and a glimmer of hope ignited in her heart. She knew that changing the mindset of a nation would not happen overnight, but at least she had successfully taken the first step.

She believes that as long as she persists, one day the cultural barriers between the two countries will be completely eliminated and true peaceful coexistence will be achieved.

"Time will tell." Tang Youyou emphasized again, her tone more resolute, "I believe that the cultural exchange between us will ultimately benefit both sides and allow us to make progress together."

Chief Tuoba's gaze fell on Tang Youyou, his deep eyes seemed to contain a thousand words. He was silent for a moment, then slowly said, "Miss Tang, I have sensed your sincerity."

Tang Youyou was delighted and was about to speak when she heard Chief Tuoba change the subject, "However, we, the grassland people, pay more attention to practical interests."

He paused, his eyes swept over Tang Youyou and Li Huaiyong, and his tone was meaningful, "I wonder what you, the Tang Dynasty, can bring to us?"

Tang Youyou's heart moved, the opportunity had come.