Even emperors have it tough, so don't be too picky about the entries.

Huang Chao has not yet answered.

Someone nearby immediately sneered.

"Brother Huang is probably worried about this year's exam questions. If you don't pass this time, people your age will already be grandparents. How can you have the mind to think about anything else?"

"Speaking of which, Brother Huang should be fifty years old this year, yet he's still taking the exam with us. It's an honor for us."

The group burst into laughter at the same time.

It is always the easiest pleasure to obtain by belittling others.

No capital is required.

Huang Chao was already used to this, so he just smiled and remained silent.

"Brother Huang, please don't take it to heart. We may have said some harsh things, but we were just trying to help you."

"You've studied a lot over the years, working harder than anyone else, but after taking the exam for so many years, you still fail."

"He's practically halfway to the grave, yet he's still trying to squeeze onto that narrow bridge with us. What's the point?"

"That's right, Brother Huang. I'm not trying to be mean, but the imperial examinations are all about talent. Just studying by rote won't get you anywhere."

"Brother Huang, don't be so stubborn. If you don't pass the exam, don't try again. You can open a private school and teach a few children. You can still make a living that way."

Even the best temper cannot tolerate it.

Moreover, Huang Chao has a bad temper; not arguing with them is simply a sign of disdain.

Having said that, he stopped forcing a smile.

Huang Chao stood up.

Looking around at the mocking young faces, he slowly uttered five words:

"Never underestimate a poor middle-aged person."

After saying that, he threw down a few copper coins, turned around and left.

"My money for the drinks."

The crowd looked at each other, not daring to utter a sound, until Huang Chao's figure was completely out of sight.

He finally caught his breath.

"When Huang Chao gets angry, he can be quite frightening sometimes. His eyes... feel like knives."

"What's the use? This guy has such a bad temper. After all these years of taking the exam, this is all he's got? He can't even take a joke. No wonder he'll fail!"

"What chance does he have, being the son of a merchant? Look at all the officials in the court; let alone descendants of merchants, how many of them are from humble backgrounds?"

"Which one of them isn't from a prestigious family, a descendant of a renowned clan!"

"Forget it, forget it. We're not on the same page. This man is still not good at forty. That's how his life will be."

"Let's drink, let's drink."

......

Time stands still in the cave.

These past few days, Chen Shao has been directing the digging of tunnels underground while simultaneously whipping aluminum cloth.

Once everything was clear, he climbed up alone.

I took a nice, relaxing hot bath.

Just as I put on my clothes, Eunuch Wei came to report:

The Empress Dowager requests His Majesty to visit Kunning Palace.

Chen Shao was overjoyed, guessing that the Empress Dowager was probably about to give her final instructions.

The entry for "becoming a nun" has been popping up for her for a long time; it should be activated by now.

In Chen Shao's eyes, the Empress Dowager was a gold mine.

He went to Kunning Palace without hesitation.

Inside the palace, the air was still filled with the fragrance of sandalwood.

Compared to Chen Shao's last visit, there was definitely a bit more... Buddhist atmosphere.

The Empress Dowager sat cross-legged on the bed, her face solemn, yet she could not hide her mature and charming womanly demeanor.

"Does the Empress Dowager have any instructions for summoning me today?"

Chen Shao bowed respectfully.

The Empress Dowager looked him over carefully but did not speak immediately.

For some reason, the thought of becoming a nun kept popping into her mind these days.

This thought is so agonizing.

The thought of that solitary lamp and ancient Buddha statue was unbearable for her.

How can we waste our precious youth like that?

The key issue is that the thought of becoming a monk is like the Yellow River bursting its banks; the more you try to stop it, the stronger it becomes.

"Your Majesty, I have been reading history recently, and when I came across the story of flood control in the previous dynasty, a question suddenly came to mind that I would like to test you on."

She even reads history books? Chen Shao thought to himself, "They're more like books of shit."

Does the Yuwen family have a scholarly gene?

"Every year during the flood season, the Yellow River's waters surge, often breaching dikes and causing people to be displaced. Tell me, how should we manage the Yellow River's flow?"

Chen Shao had no idea what she was up to.

He said seriously:

"In controlling floods, it is better to dredge than to block. Gun spent nine years trying to control the floods by building dikes and blocking them, but the water only rose higher and higher. In the end, the dikes broke, and the country was flooded for thousands of miles. Gun was executed by Emperor Shun for this. After Yu took over, he changed the approach from blocking to dredging. He dug the Longmen Gorge and opened up the nine rivers, giving the floodwaters a way to go, and the floods were finally brought under control."

"Therefore, the key to water management is not to block it, but to find a way out for the water. Blocking can only provide temporary relief, while dredging can solve the root problem."

"Oh, I see," the Empress Dowager's eyes lit up.

No wonder I always want to become a monk; what's the point of gambling like this?

It needs to be addressed.

"I see, I understand now."

"I've been chanting the wooden fish so much lately that my head is almost numb. Since you're free, why don't you give me a massage? It'll help me clear my head."

"The Empress Dowager is looking for me, it can't be..."

"It's been many days since you last came to pay your respects; I've been thinking of you."

"I see."

Chen Shao placed his hands on her shoulders and neck.

It must be said that the Empress Dowager's figure is even more exaggerated when viewed from behind.

The Empress Dowager closed her eyes and quietly felt the masculine energy emanating from Chen Shao.

The entire palace was filled with eunuchs and maids, and she felt that her idea of ​​becoming a nun was closely related to this.

I pressed it for a while.

She suddenly asked:

"Has Your Majesty ever read the Heart Sutra? Form is emptiness, emptiness is form; so too are sensation, perception, volition, and consciousness."

Chen Shao didn't really know much about Buddhist scriptures. In his previous life, he had only occasionally come across the phrase "form is emptiness" in short videos, accompanied by some inexplicable images.

But after all, he had clashed with the Empress Dowager several times.

So I followed up with a sentence:

"I know a little about it. Buddhist teachings talk about breaking attachments. All six sense objects—form, sound, smell, taste, touch, and mental objects—are empty."

"Oh?"

The Empress Dowager was somewhat surprised. "Since Your Majesty understands this principle, then tell me, among the six sense objects, which one is the most difficult to overcome?"

"Color dust".

Why?

"For example, this Kunning Palace, this incense burner, these prayer beads—if you close your eyes, are these things still there?"

"But the Buddha said that their existence is due to the functioning of the six senses. If the six senses are purified, the attachment to form will naturally disappear."

The Empress Dowager nodded slightly.

"Your Majesty is absolutely right; this is the meaning of 'form is emptiness.'"

She turned over and looked directly at Chen Shao.

He took off the Buddhist prayer beads and placed them in Chen Shao's hand.

"Earth, water, fire, and wind are the four elements that combine temporarily, and all things are empty, so these prayer beads are empty as well."

Chen Shaodao: "Of course."

The Empress Dowager pointed to her shoulder: "And what about this shoulder?"

"null."

"Where is His Majesty's authority?"

Chen Shao frowned slightly. What exactly was she going to do?

"null."

"And what about my physical body?"

"null."

The Empress Dowager suddenly sat up straight, grabbed Chen Shao's hand, and pressed it against her chest.

Gritting his teeth, he said:

"Since they're all empty, why doesn't Your Majesty touch them?"

"!!!"

Chen Shao almost fell off the couch.

So you went through all that trouble just to get your hands on my body?

I thought you were really discussing Buddhism and wanted to lend you a hand.

"The Buddha said that all things are empty, which is to help people break free from attachments, not to encourage them to act recklessly."

"mess?"

The Empress Dowager was immediately enraged.

The grievances of the past few days, along with the heartache of a middle-aged woman, were all intertwined, truly like the collapse of the Yellow River embankment.

"What does 'reckless' mean?"

"Since everything is empty—yours are, and mine are—what's there to be ashamed of in the collision of emptiness with emptiness?"

The obsession is too deep; the entry for "becoming a monk" hasn't taken effect yet.

Then let's wait a little longer.

"Your Majesty, please rest well. I have official business to attend to."

Chen Shao turned and left.

He just wanted her money.

The Empress Dowager was so angry that she trembled all over.

She was already so humble, yet she was still rejected.

What can be endured and what cannot be endured.

She reached out and grabbed at Chen Shao's retreating figure.

"When the Yellow River overflows, it's better to dredge it than to block it; you'll regret it!"