Da Tang Si Zi: My Six Super Rich Little Nuggets!

Chapter 382 Beyond the Boudoir Lies a Vast Empire

In Chang'an City, Zi'an is a quiet room located in a villa on the outskirts of the city.

It was late spring, and a fine drizzle was falling, tapping on the new green banana leaves and bluestone slabs in the courtyard outside the window.

The room was dimly lit, except for a delicate gilded bronze goose and fish lamp on Zi'an's desk, which emitted a warm and soft glow, illuminating the rising smoke of incense.

Xiao Sizi, dressed in an apricot-red, high-waisted ruqun (a type of traditional Chinese dress) with a pale yellow gauze half-sleeved garment over it, was leaning against a low couch covered with a green bamboo mat, her slender fingers unconsciously twisting the tassels of her shawl.

She had just finished listening to Zi'an recount some stories from outside the inner chambers and from the common people, and her brows furrowed slightly, as if she was puzzled.

Little Sizi rested her chin on her hand, looking at Zian's calm face in the lamplight with a puzzled expression: "Brother Zian, I don't understand. You said that sometimes those women who are called 'shrews' by the public actually get more? Gentleness, quietness, and being well-educated and reasonable are the virtues taught in 'The Rules for Women,' right? That's what the book says."

Zi'an sat upright behind a rosewood armchair, her slender hand gently setting down the warm white porcelain teacup. The bottom of the cup touched the mother-of-pearl inlaid lacquer tray on the table, producing a very soft, crisp sound.

Her gaze swept past the fine rain curtain outside the window, reaching into the distance. Her voice, like dripping water from the eaves, was clear yet carried a hint of coolness: "Little Sizi, gentleness is indeed a strength, like a spring breeze and rain, nourishing things silently. But this world is not always a paradise. Sometimes, the spring breeze alone cannot stop the claws of jackals and tigers."

She tilted her head slightly and tapped her smooth temple with her fingertip. "'She's so gentle, she'll probably tolerate me, won't she?'—this thought is the abacus beads that are secretly being manipulated in the hearts of many people."

The thought, "She's quite shrewish; it's best not to provoke her," is itself the most direct and effortless firewall. The key is that even when throwing a tantrum, one must use their brain, not act like a petty, unreasonable woman; one must assess the situation carefully.

Little Sizi sat up straight, oblivious to the shawl slipping off her shoulders, and asked, seemingly understanding but not quite, "Then... what about the strong and the weak? Can the strong do whatever they want?"

Zi An smiled faintly, picked up a small jade-handled fan from the table, and gently waved it, creating a cool breeze that also stirred the lamplight: "A true strong person does not need to deliberately please anyone or spend time and effort cultivating those fleeting relationships."

She only needs to stand there firmly as a rock, and the web of relationships will naturally be woven around her, gathering towards her. She sees through the fickle nature of human nature, and thus holds the game in her hands, controlling the situation.

She paused with her fan, her tone slightly cold, "And the weak, wanting to cling to the strong for protection, have no choice but to sacrifice their own interests and offer up that 'toll,' which is their pledge of allegiance."

Zi An looked sharply at Xiao Si Zi with a hint of mockery, "Fairness? Talking about fairness when the power disparity is as vast as heaven and earth is like talking about morality to a pack of hungry wolves, which will only invite ridicule."

Xiao Sizi felt a slight chill run down her spine under that gaze. She lowered her head and pondered for a moment before looking up again, her eyes filled with a thirst for knowledge: "Then... how about judging people? They say you can know a person's face but not their heart. All those young men in the city seem like they're made of fine orchids and jade trees. How can I tell the real from the fake?"

Zi An put down his fan, a glint of light flashing in his eyes like a drawn dagger: "Silly girl, why bother going it alone and wasting your energy guessing and testing? Let this vast city of Chang'an, let this bustling world help you filter!"

How a man treats others—is he humble or arrogant? How does he manage his life—is it well-organized or chaotic? The fame or fortune he achieves is the ultimate result of his life in this world, the most straightforward answer.

Zi An's tone suddenly became more serious, carrying an undeniable force: "A man who constantly encounters setbacks in the outside world and can't even handle relationships with colleagues and neighbors, do you expect him to be able to handle the most complex and patient-demanding relationship in the world—the marital relationship? The underlying logic is the ability to refine and utilize relationships! If he has this ability, it won't only manifest itself in front of you."

Xiao Sizi's cheeks flushed slightly, like the first blooming peonies in the porcelain vase on the table, and her voice was as soft as a mosquito's buzz: "Then... what if... what if there is someone you like? What should you do?"

Zi'an smiled knowingly, a smile like a ray of sunshine breaking through the rain and mist. She picked up her teacup again and gently skimmed off the foam with the lid: "If you have this intention, listen to your brother: consider this matter when you are at your most glorious and successful. At that time, you will be like the most beautiful peony in spring, with the best hand, surrounded by bees and butterflies, with the most choices and the highest chance of winning."

Zi'an took a sip of tea, his eyes becoming deep. "Don't make this decision hastily when you are isolated and helpless, and in a precarious situation. That's when you need to rely on someone the most, and it's also when you're most vulnerable..." His voice was lost in the sound of rain outside the window, but the unspoken meaning struck Xiao Sizi's heart like a heavy hammer.

Xiao Sizi recalled the popular tales of talented scholars and beautiful women, and also thought of the teachings of her elders. Somewhat hesitantly muttered to herself, "But...but, talking about money in the context of love just feels so vulgar, so embarrassing..."

Zi'an scoffed at this, a clear but cold laugh, and slammed the teacup back onto the mother-of-pearl inlaid tray: "All relationships that are ashamed to talk about money, that regard money as a venomous snake, are fundamentally based on the fact that those relationships are already short of money and lack any real substance! They only care about romance and poetry, while the real exchange of interests has never been openly and honestly discussed."

Zi An's gaze was sharp. "The word 'money' naturally became an unspoken taboo that no one could touch. It was a poisonous thorn buried in our hearts, which might flare up at any time."

Xiao Sizi opened her clear, bright eyes in surprise, as if she were seeing a truth for the first time: "What you mean is... those gentlemen aren't all like the heroes in those legendary dramas, all towering figures who are invincible?"

Zi An said seriously, his fingers unconsciously stroking the delicate ice cracks on the teacup: "If one day you really step into the arena of competition among merchants and officials, you will find that many men in it are far less capable of 'making trouble' than they are in romantic moments and love games."

Zi An's tone softened slightly, carrying a hint of objective assessment, "Of course, truly strong men are as strong as pillars in the middle of a river, their brilliance dazzling, inspiring admiration and longing, and naturally worthy of women's admiration and following. But such figures are extremely rare."

Xiao Sizi raised her hand and rubbed her smooth forehead in distress, a few strands of her hair falling down her temples: "But this brain... sometimes I really don't know how to use it. I want it to be more alert, to think more, but it just turns out to be a complete mess and won't obey my commands."

Zi'an looked at her encouragingly, his eyes shining with a warm and firm light like a lamp wick: "The brain is an inherently stubborn thing, like a bull. The more carefully you treat it, the more it will resist and become lazy. You have to use it! Use it hard! Push it! Squeeze it!"

Zi'an's tone carried a strange, encouraging power, "Let it ponder difficult problems, let it hit walls, let it be fiercely burned by the blacksmith's furnace of reality, and hammered heavily by the iron hammer!" Her eyes were firm, as if piercing through the rain, "Only a brain that has undergone such painful tempering and been forged a thousand times can precipitate out the truly useful, hard currency that is enough to make a living - that is wisdom."

A sudden realization flashed in Xiao Sizi's eyes, as if the clouds had parted to reveal the sun: "It's like... like practicing martial arts and swordsmanship, where you have to train hard in the coldest winter and hottest summer, enduring all kinds of hardships? Then... what about emotions? Mother always said that you have to control your temper and not show your joy or anger, that's what makes a lady."

Zi An calmly said, "Emotional management is by no means about forcibly suppressing your anger and grievances, bottling them up in your chest until you suffer internal injuries."

Management is about assessing the situation and making strategic moves, much like placing a piece in a game of chess. It involves considering the current environment, weighing the pros and cons, and finding the solution that is most beneficial to you.

"If silence is golden and can achieve great results with minimal effort, then remain as still as a mountain; if only thunderous fury can deter the villains and clear the situation, then unleash that thunder!" Zi An's gaze was intense. "Controlling your emotions is the best strategy."

As if injected with strength, Xiao Sizi straightened her slender back and said with the determination of a newborn calf, "I understand! Women should be self-reliant! Like Mulan in the poem 'Mulan,' they should be independent and unyielding!"

Zi'an nodded approvingly, then changed the subject, her gaze becoming sharp as needles: "Yes! It's only natural for women to be independent. But this independence absolutely does not mean that your partner, your husband, can be unjustifiably incompetent, lacking the shoulder you can lean on when you're tired, or the ability to support you in times of crisis!"

The young man's tone was resolute: "Therefore, when choosing a spouse, you may not care about his vast wealth or illustrious family background, but he must never be truly penniless, without any foundation, like a drifting duckweed."

Zi An pointed his fan at Xiao Si Zi, “Otherwise, you will become independent, but he will become a vine that depends on you and draws nourishment from you—isn’t that another kind of imbalance? What you need to find is a tall tree that can stand shoulder to shoulder with you and share the wind and rain, not a parasitic flower that can only twine and climb without any backbone of its own.”

Xiao Sizi pondered these words carefully, lost in thought: "Then... how should we get along with others? It's always good to make many good connections, isn't it?"

Zi An's expression turned cold, as if covered with a thin layer of frost. She looked at the drizzling rain outside the window and said, "Remember an old saying: 'A small favor is appreciated, but a large favor breeds resentment.' Human nature is complex and subtle. Giving too much kindness and helping others out of one's pocket may not bring gratitude. Instead, it can easily breed greed and even lead to resentment and enmity if one's needs are not met."

She turned back, her gaze calm yet cautionary, “Walking in this vast city of Chang’an, if you seek lasting peace and stability, rather than bestowing favors and hoping to build good relationships, it is better to be cautious in your words and deeds, make fewer enemies, and proactively sever those karmic ties that drain you. A debt-free life is a light burden, and a friendless path is a wide open road.”

Xiao Sizi hesitated for a long time, twisting the shawl tighter with her fingers. Finally, she mustered her courage, her voice trembling slightly: "Sister... if... if there is a man, nearing forty, without fame or fortune, without any property or skills, yet he vows to work hard for me, to take me to taste the delicacies of the East and West markets, and to travel to the magnificent landscapes described in books... should I... should I believe him? Is it... worth taking a gamble?"

Zi'an remained silent for a moment, and the only sound in the room was the sound of rain pattering on banana leaves.

He looked at Xiao Sizi's face, a mixture of confusion and hope, with a complex expression, and finally let out a barely audible sigh: "Ah... Xiao Sizi, oh Xiao Sizi..."

Zi'an's tone seemed to carry a hint of undisguised pity and deep helplessness, "This pie... is drawn too small... even the hope seems so... pitiful."

He leaned forward slightly, looking directly into Xiao Sizi's clear eyes. "Who you can choose, and who will choose you, is determined by fate, like the red thread in the hands of the Old Man Under the Moon. If you truly had other excellent choices, you wouldn't be so conflicted and hesitant to ask me now."

Zi'an slowly stood up, walked to the carved wooden lattice window, and gazed at the verdant courtyard outside, glistening after the rain. Her voice was clear and calm, like shattered jade, "You already had a premonition of my answer. But I'll give you one last piece of heartfelt advice: Rather than exhausting your energy to gamble on what a man might accomplish for you in the future... a pittance..."

Zi An turned around abruptly, his gaze sharp as lightning. "Why not clench your fists, hone your will, and fight for a real and prosperous empire that you can hold in your own hands? Relying on mountains will lead to their collapse, relying on people will lead to their aging. Only your own abilities are the most stable and reliable support in this world!"

After hearing Zi An's thunderous and thought-provoking words, Xiao Sizi's eyes went from initial confusion and shock to surging waves, and finally settled into a clarity and resilience born from painful understanding.

She lowered her head, looking at her fingertips that had turned white from twisting them together. After a long while, she gently exhaled a breath of stale air, as if a heavy burden had been lifted from her shoulders. When she looked up again, although her face still had a childlike quality, her eyes held a maturity beyond her years: "Sister, I... I think I understand a little bit now. It's just... sometimes I still make mistakes, and I feel so foolish, letting you down."

Zi'an walked back to her side, her sleeves, carrying the scent of sandalwood, brushed against her. She gently stroked the top of Xiao Sizi's soft hair, her tone softening like a spring breeze: "Silly child, who hasn't stumbled and staggered their way through life, feeling their way across the river? Making mistakes, acting foolishly, messing things up, failing... these are all part of the necessary path of cultivation for flesh and blood. Don't be too hard on yourself, that will only add more shackles."

The young man's eyes were filled with warmth, like the last soft light of a lamp wick. "A person who truly knows how to love themselves must have a kind of 'indulgence' for themselves in their heart. As long as this indulgence does not make you lose your way or become a hidden danger on your way forward, then it is the most precious nourishment, the warmest and safest harbor in your heart when you are exhausted."

As Xiaosizi felt the warmth and calming fragrance emanating from the top of her head, her tense shoulders finally relaxed completely.

She looked up at Zi'an with a smile that was both relieved and slightly weary, yet a spark of life rekindled deep within her eyes: "Yes! I'll remember that, Zi'an. Love yourself, and... see the road ahead clearly. No matter how long the road is, take it one step at a time."

The sound of rain outside the window has softened considerably, and the cool rain air mixed with the fragrance of agarwood quietly permeates the quiet room.