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Emperor Huizong is a million miles away from me. Even if he's about to go to the capital, I'll just stay in my circle of aristocratic ladies. As long as it doesn't affect my family, I don't care how the political infighting goes. Su Chen comforted herself. Although she understood the principle of shared loss and shared glory, and that no one would benefit from chaos in the court, she really didn't know what she could do in that situation.

This must be the feeling of confusion, pain, and bewilderment stemming from having no control over one's own destiny. From life itself to marriage, even food and necessities, everything depends on the family. If the family faces any misfortune, unlike the male offspring who can rely on themselves for food and still have a chance to recover, women in this era are the first to suffer. When they are daughters at home, everything depends on their families; after marriage, their fate is tied to their husbands' families, and they never have a moment to control their own destiny.

The economic base determines the superstructure, but where can I, living in a secluded courtyard, find an economic base?

In the past, when reading time-travel novels, the women could open shops whenever they wanted; if they wanted to save money, many men would fall in love with them and offer it to them; if they wanted to choose their own marriage partners, no problem, there would always be someone they loved and who was of equal social standing; even if they wanted a trustworthy and capable servant, they would always be able to rescue someone from a poor family or someone who was very talented despite their humble origins. But when it comes to myself, how come I'm in such a miserable state...

Seeing her absent-minded look, He Su Shi laughed and said, "What's wrong? What are you thinking about? I'm in such a mess and I'm not worried at all, but you seem to be in big trouble."

She looked at him and asked, "Am I really useless? Can't I do anything?"

"Huh? What?" He Su Shi asked, seemingly not understanding.

"It's nothing," Su Chen said with a smile, changing the subject. The two chatted for a while longer before going back to their rooms to sleep.

Because Tang's mother often mentioned and earnestly instructed him during their meetings, and in order to make his journey to the capital more comfortable and natural, Su Chen finally began his familiar journey to the Cui residence.

After breakfast, I would greet Tang's mother and then go to the Cui residence to greet Cui's mother and chat for a bit. At noon, after taking a nap, I would play with Yongjiao and the others, read for a while, and then go to chat with Cui's mother to cool off. In the evening, if Tang's mother was in the mood, I would go with her. After spending about ten days like this, I had really gotten a general feel for the Cui residence.

The old saying that birds of a feather flock together is indeed true. Judging from what Su Chen has seen, Cui's mother and Tang's mother are clearly the same type of people. They are knowledgeable, kind and approachable, and impeccably polite, but occasionally they will show a hint of superiority, which is not deliberate but innate.

However, I always felt that Cui's mother was a bit more ruthless than Tang's mother.

Another strange thing is that she goes to the Cui residence every day, and she runs into Cui Shiran almost every day, which is really hard to understand. It's true that Cui Shiran and He Sushi studied together, and I heard that they even sat at desks next to each other. So how come He Sushi only goes home once every ten days, but Cui Shiran comes almost every day?

It was strange, but she was too embarrassed to ask anyone about it. Although she had recently become quite familiar with the people in the Cui family, it wasn't appropriate for a young woman to inquire about an unmarried man; in Granny Sun's words, it was "improper."

That day, she sat with Cui's mother for a while and chatted with the others in the room. Feeling really bored, she excused herself and went to the garden for a walk under the pretext of needing to urinate.

She had visited the Cui family garden many times and was quite familiar with it. Interestingly, there was a small, barely visible path beneath a smaller artificial hill next to a large one. Walking through it, one could see a sliver of sky overhead. Further in, the space opened up dramatically. A few wildflowers, wild fruits, wild trees, and wild grasses grew there, and the sounds of insects and birds could be heard intermittently. Although there were stone benches and tables, they were covered in dust and piled with leaves, clearly indicating that not only were few people here, but even the servants had neglected to clean.

Su Chen found this place when he went out for some fresh air one day. He felt proud of himself for finding a place that seemed to belong only to him in a place that was not his own. He was very pleased with himself and often came here to sit.

With no thoughts in her mind, she strolled leisurely inside. It was indeed serene and natural. Just as she turned a corner, she was about to reach the spacious area when she suddenly saw that the stone tables and benches, which were usually covered with fallen leaves and dust, were now spotless. A person was sitting next to him, dressed in slightly worn casual clothes, his hair casually tied up, holding a book and reading it intently. It turned out to be a young man who was not yet twenty.

She thought to herself that she had been reckless and was about to back out when the man suddenly turned around as if sensing her presence, and their eyes met.

It was too late to back out now; that would be too petty. So she took two steps forward and bowed.

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Chapter 54, Subtle Enlightenment

The promoter function is now open! What are you waiting for? Join now!!! As soon as he looked up, he saw the boy in front of him looking slightly surprised, as if wondering why he was here. Seeing that it was an acquaintance, Su Chen couldn't help but smile, "What are you doing here? I thought nobody came here."

The boy smiled and said, "I often read books here, but I haven't been here the other day because I was busy. How did you find this place?" It turned out to be Cui Shiran.

"I forgot, I just walked in by accident. I thought it was deserted and the tables and chairs weren't very clean, so I just came here occasionally. I didn't expect to see you here." Because they met often and were fairly familiar with each other, she spoke casually.

Cui Shiran smiled and stood up to return the greeting, saying, "Achen, please sit down." He then brought out a stone bench. "It's not surprising. Sometimes I just like peace and quiet, and I'm always unhappy when people disturb me. So I had someone set up this place for me, just so I can come and rest when I feel like it. The servants are taken care of, so they usually don't come to clean it. I'm the one who cleans it all by myself."

She thought it was a place that had been overlooked, but it turned out to be a reserved spot. Su Chen was a little embarrassed. "I thought no one would come... who knew..." She smiled with a blush. "I'm so sorry for disturbing Brother Zhiran." After saying that, she was about to leave.

Cui Shiran quickly replied, "Why bother? I'm tired from reading and want to rest for a while. Let's sit together. Am I some kind of monster? You leave as soon as I'm here?"

After hearing this, Su Chen felt it was inappropriate to leave, so he sat down to the side. He happened to notice a large stack of books on the table and asked, "Brother Zhiran, are you going to the capital next month? Are you taking all these books with you?"

He Su Shi was troubled about whether to bring the pile of books in the study, or how many to bring. Cui Shi Ran also seemed to have a lot of books, and he didn't know whether to bring them or not.

He casually flipped through the books and said, "Besides the ones I usually use, I'll probably leave the rest here. It's been a long journey, and carrying too much stuff would be too bulky and inconvenient."

Su Chen picked up a thin book with a royal blue cover, on which was written in neat regular script the title "Annotations on the Tao Te Ching." He couldn't help but say, "I wonder what it's like to be a Taoist priest? It seems rather otherworldly."

In the past, whether watching TV or reading books, Taoist priests were always depicted as ethereal and otherworldly, wearing Taoist crowns and robes, with flowing long hair and holding whisks. But I've never actually seen a real Taoist priest myself. Hmm, I'm a little curious.

Cui Shiran seemed to have never encountered such a question before, and was momentarily stunned. He quickly recovered and said, "Taoist priests? There are many kinds. If they are from our talisman school, they usually refine elixirs and meditate. If they are from other similar schools, some strictly adhere to the rules, and others do the same. In short..." He said with a hint of helplessness, "Actually, I'm not really sure what it feels like to be a Taoist priest."

Seeing Su Chen looking at him with a probing and scrutinizing gaze, Cui Shiran quickly said, "A Taoist priest is not like me. I am just using the name and appearance of a Taoist priest!"

He had probably never answered such a question before, and his words sounded rather incoherent. Su Chen had always thought he was incredibly mature, but now he had a youthful air about him and actually looked quite cute. Su Chen couldn't help but chuckle, and for some reason, suddenly felt the urge to joke with him. So, he racked his brains to recall some political books he had read before, and then asked, "I heard from my brother that you, Brother Zhiran, have lived in Longhu Mountain for many years. I suppose you know some Taoist stories and books, right?"

Cui Shiran agreed.

She then asked, "I wonder what views Zhi Ran thinks Taoism has? Or what ideas or lineages are there in Taoist practices?"

Cui Shiran thought for a moment and said, "If we talk about the Dao, I can only say that I only know what I have seen and what I think. It cannot be called the Dao. If it is what I think, the Dao may be about non-action and naturalness, going with the flow. In the end, it is just the word 'Dao'."

"You're quite cunning. You've only given me generalities, lacking any creative thought, just very conventional." Su Chen, somewhat indignant, continued, "Then what is the Way?"

"The Way is nature. The Way is goodness. The Way that can be spoken of is not the eternal Way," Cui Shiran replied fluently.

...What else can I say? This guy even brought up Lao Tzu's "The Tao that can be told is not the eternal Tao." Okay, maybe it's a bit idiotic of me to ask what the "Tao" is. Su Chen thought for a moment, then asked, "Does the Tao exist within all things?"

"The Dao exists in all things. Where there are people, there is the Dao. Where there are no people, there is also the Dao. The entire universe is governed by the Dao. The Dao is natural."

"There is a flower in the mountains, which blooms and withers naturally, following the natural order. If we do not see it, it will bloom and wither naturally, just like all things."

Cui Shiran smiled and spoke, looking like a wise and enlightened person.

Looking at his expression and listening to his half-understood classical Chinese, Su Chen really wanted to punch him. He took a few deep breaths, found a question that Buddhism had been debating for a long time, and changed it to something else, saying, "According to Brother Zhiran's understanding, should enlightenment be gradual or sudden?"

"What is gradual enlightenment? What is sudden enlightenment?" Cui Shiran chuckled. "Our Taoism is not Buddhism, so gradual enlightenment and sudden enlightenment are irrelevant. The ultimate truth is attaining the Tao. Since the founding of Taoism, have we ever seen any disputes or divisions like those of the Buddhist sects? Even if there are differences in thought, at most we are divided into different factions, but I have never seen any bloodshed or fighting. Only those monks fight endlessly in the arena of fame and fortune."

He Suchen stared at him in disbelief. He was asking a question, so how could he answer like that? It was practically the same as not answering at all! Besides, he was talking about Taoism, so why did he bring up Buddhism? I have no interest in your two sects fighting each other.

I knew perfectly well that what he said was full of loopholes, but I couldn't find any way to refute it.