In the novel "Joy of Life," the protagonist wakes up at Li Chengze's residence.

Chapter 340 Searching for the Wilderness

Another imperial examination has passed, and the Qing Kingdom's court has added many new female officials.

When Zhan Doudou of Northern Qi revealed her true identity as a woman, a small disturbance occurred in Northern Qi. After the situation was resolved, she personally went to Southern Qing to offer tea to Emperor Wa.

The Qing Kingdom's government was running smoothly. Besides attending court, Tao Jingyang would also keep an eye on the little princess who had been born without parents.

In the blink of an eye, even this little princess is already ten years old.

She has been taught everything she needs to be taught. Perhaps because of her background, Li Chengzhao, this little girl, always acts like a little adult in her daily life.

To describe him in one sentence, he's precocious; he looks even more mature than that guy Li Chengping.

The sky is clear today, and it's the height of summer again. An ice chest sits in the hall, so it doesn't feel hot.

Li Chengze's cultivation level has remained at the peak of the ninth rank, and so has she, who has made no progress at all, stopping at the half-step grandmaster level.

She analyzed the opportunities that led her to become a Grandmaster. Apart from needing to be on the verge of death and discard her meridians like Emperor Qing, the most important thing was cultivating her mind.

Cultivating the mind is not about abandoning all desires, but about finding one's own path.

Only by following your own path, opening up all your inner knots, and pursuing the purest things in your heart can you live without regrets and comprehend the true meaning of life.

When the mind is formed, the soul is formed. When the soul is formed, the Way is formed, and the body and mind remain inseparable.

This little space was no longer enough for them.

Tao Jingyang felt it was time to retire.

As dusk settled, the setting sun, like blood, blanketed the entire sky. The two sat facing each other in the pavilion in the middle of the lake, their small boat moored to a pillar beside the pavilion, where no one could disturb them.

Willow branches on the distant riverbank touched the water's surface, creating ripples. She rested her head on Li Chengze's lap, bent her legs to look at the horizon, and said listlessly, "Let's retire."

This is not a discussion, it is a notification.

Li Chengze paused in his book-flipping hand, then excitedly tossed the book aside. "I've had this idea for a long time. When are you leaving? Where would you like to settle down, Madam?"

He'd had enough of that role long ago, but having lived in Kyoto since birth, he'd gotten used to it over the years.

In other words, it means being able to endure.

The fact that he agreed almost immediately upon meeting the person at least proves that Li Chengze's heart has remained unchanged over the years. A pure heart is the foundation for reaching the pinnacle.

"Whom do you intend to pass the throne to?" she asked.

"Although Li Chengping is older, Li Chengzhao is smarter."

......

The following year, the two focused on managing domestic affairs.

He then called Li Chengru back from accompanying his mother to her hometown of Dongyi City, and pulled Li Chengzhao to acknowledge their kinship, saying, "Hey, this is your older brother."

Li Chengzhao, ten years old, wore a smile that was very similar to Tao Jingyang's, "(????)?? Hi, big brother."

Others may not know that the two were going to abdicate, but Li Chengru did.

After all, his main purpose in returning this time was to see the future crown prince.

Li Chengru put his hands behind his back, pondered for a long time, then put his arm around Li Chengze's shoulder and said earnestly, "Your Majesty, why do you want to abdicate?"

"Brother, to tell you the truth, I've had enough of it."

"That's true, I can't do it either, it's too tiring," Li Chengru said understandingly, then added.

"Your Majesty, come to Dongyi as soon as you've finished dealing with this. My wife is an excellent cook. Last time, Ye Ling'er brought Wang Shisanlang to my residence, and they stayed for a full half month before they were willing to leave."

......

Fan Xian was quick to detect the unusual activity and arrived at the palace almost in the blink of an eye.

They didn't see Tao Jingyang, but they caught Li Chengze and asked, "What's going on? Are you two trying to run away?"

It's been years since I've seen Tao Jingyang so busy. Something's definitely up, and Fan Xian was right.

Li Chengze didn't hide anything and nodded, saying, "I'll leave this year."

Fan Xian's eyelids drooped, and he put his hands on his waist speechlessly. "No martial ethics." He sat down on the stool with practiced ease. "No way, I quit too."

Anyway, he has his own influence in the court, and even after resigning from his post, he still retains the status of a duke.

Moreover, Tao Jingyang didn't want the inner treasury, so the business still belonged to him. Fan Xian had long been thinking about resigning from his post and retiring to the mountains.

He just hadn't dared to mention his resignation. Now that his good friend is leaving, what's the point of him working in the court every day?

After making up his mind, Fan Xian got up and left, and it took him several months to handle his court affairs.

He then chose another day and had a long talk with Fan Ruoruo, who was now the Left Vice Minister of the Ministry of Personnel, until dawn before returning to his own residence.

Back home, Fan Xian immediately picked up Lin Wan'er and spun her around, saying, "Please pack your things, my wife. When the time comes, your husband will take you to Jiangnan for a trip!"

Lin Wan'er wrapped her arms around Fan Xian's neck and exclaimed in surprise, "Really! When are we going back to the capital?"

"As for Kyoto...we'll see how we feel. Anyway, we'll be free from now on, so we can even go to the snowy regions to see the snow!"

..........

Xie Bi'an intended to resign from his official post so he could retire with Li Chengze. However, before submitting his resignation, he was met with disdain by Zhu Youran, who said, "Xie Bi'an, I thought you were a smart guy, but it turns out you're a fool."

"...Why did you suddenly start scolding me again?" Xie Bi'an was still as inarticulate as ever.

Zhu Youran glanced at him casually and said, "Your value in following His Majesty is not as great as your staying in the court and continuing to cultivate their power."

"Don't tell me you think retiring to the mountains means becoming a country bumpkin?"

The next day, Fan Wujiu had personally handed his resignation to Li Chengze's desk.

She even naturally stood behind Li Chengze, just like she used to do in the Prince's Mansion.

Li Chengze turned around and looked at him, suddenly feeling as if he had returned to the Prince's Mansion. He smiled helplessly and said, "Fan Wujiu, you haven't changed a bit."

He picked up the resignation letter, glanced at it, and then said, "If you don't want to be an official, you'll have to follow me around forever." Li Chengze threw the resignation letter in front of him, "You should just stick to being an official."

Fan Wujiu didn't care. "Having served before is enough. I've discussed it with Bi'an. His Majesty has many trusted civil officials, so he doesn't need another one like me. I'll resign and follow you."

Li Chengze turned his head, took a deep breath, and nodded with mixed feelings in his heart.

Tao Jingyang, who had just finished teaching Li Chengzhao in the side hall, led him out to relax.

Although she was in the side hall, she heard their conversation and teased, "Fan Wujiu, shut up! Don't you see how moved our Emperor is by you two?"

After saying that, he went up to the person, patted their back in a comforting manner, and said, "Don't cry, don't cry~ Hahaha..."

Li Chengze smiled and turned to Fan Wujiu, feigning helplessness, saying, "You see, if you marry a wife in the future, you'll inevitably be ridiculed like this too."

Tao Jingyang put one hand on his hip and gave him a threatening look.

The latter skillfully clasped his hands together, fingertips touching his chin, and squinted his eyes, begging for mercy.

Li Chengzhao, who had been following Tao Jingyang, stood to the side and did not let go of her hand for a long time.

To her, her elder sister-in-law was like a mother. Although there was no blood relation, Tao Jingyang had truly raised her. It would be a lie to say that she had no dependence on her.

Her sister-in-law treats her very well.

But Lee Seung-jo preferred to call her "Your Majesty".

When she was younger, before Li Chengping had left the palace to live elsewhere, she heard her fourth brother say that children who grew up in the palace could call their mother "Mother."

Your Majesty.

..........

The year is up, and today is retirement day!

Li Chengzhao, dressed in a black skirt, stood before a group of ministers with a petite figure. Despite having a beautifully styled hair bun, she wore a dragon-head hairpin that was so ugly it made one want to cry.

Everyone has said what they needed to say and explained what they needed to explain.

Now it was truly time to part ways, and only the young emperor was still clutching her sleeve.

"Your Majesty..." Li Chengzhao looked up at Tao Jingyang, his eyes filled with reluctance, but without any fear of the unknown, "Will I ever see Your Majesty again?"

She crouched down and brushed the fallen leaves off the person's shoulder. "What are you thinking about? Of course you'll see them." She took off her identity token from her side. "Keep this safe. If you encounter any problems, use it to find me."

"I understand..." Li Chengzhao lowered his eyes. He was still a child and could only try his best to hide his sadness.

The carriage clattered away, followed by a large group of people. Everyone had a solemn expression and refused to leave until the carriage was out of sight.