Chapter 84

History class

"The Qi Dynasty was the oldest and most prosperous dynasty in our country's history. Okay, students, underline this passage and memorize it. You won't need to look it up during the exam. If you don't waste this second, you'll have an extra second compared to others!"

"..."

"Teacher, isn't this just nonsense literature?" the boy sitting next to the podium chimed in, twirling his pen.

The teacher slammed the history book on the table. "What? Don't you want to hear any historical gossip today?"

"Yes!" came the deafening roar from below.

Even the drowsy person suddenly jolted awake.

Scanning the faces of the eager young people filling the room, the history teacher, who had graduated two years prior, raised an eyebrow:

"Same as always. If anyone is sleeping or daydreaming, class will start in the last ten minutes. If everyone is full of energy, those ten minutes... I guarantee you'll want to keep listening!"

Little brat, he just graduated not long ago, how could he not know what they're thinking?

"..." Thirty minutes later.

The teacher glanced at his watch, then closed the book.

Whispering: "Gossip time."

"Oye!!!"

The teacher shook his head and chuckled. How wonderful it would have been if his teachers had been like that back then.

But since he got wet in the rain, let's hold an umbrella for them.

"During the 134 years of the Qi Dynasty, which empress reigned?"

"Qi Luan Emperor, Sang Lingwu!"

The teacher nodded in satisfaction, his eyes shining. "According to official history, Emperor Qi Luan was a beauty that could topple kingdoms. During his reign, he quelled the rebellion in the north, built sea dikes, and brought the second largest country, the Quanrong, under his control without losing a single soldier. He also issued new policies and reduced taxes. Although he reigned for only seven years, he extended the Qi Dynasty for a hundred years!"

"During my university years, I consulted all the historical records and documents about this dynasty and found that there was not a single negative comment about this empress in history."

"Why?" the students below asked in unison, full of curiosity.

"Firstly, because her reign was short, and secondly, because she was so outstanding that no one could smear her reputation. Oh, and by the way, a group of my history classmates were madly infatuated with this empress back then, both men and women!"

After he finished speaking, he realized that he hadn't been very serious, so he glanced furtively down the hallway.

One student exclaimed, "Wasn't Qi Luan Emperor the heartthrob of that time?"

The teacher pursed her lips, as if to say: "It's true now, right in front of you is a fanatical follower of the Qi Luan Emperor!"

But the teacher's dignity cannot be lost!

Seeing that the group of people in front of him did not believe him, the teacher leaned against the podium and crossed his arms.

"You've all finished the questionnaires, and you're all 16 years old now. This weekend, the school will organize a trip for you to visit the Qi Dynasty History Museum. When you see that portrait, don't come back and be bewitched."

However, the Qi Luan Emperor was used to encourage students to study hard, and he was one of them.

So there's no need to worry.

Seeing their delight, the teacher added, "Tell us some unofficial historical stories."

"You don't need to memorize this, it won't be on the exam."

"Emperor Qiluan had a personal maid named Jingchun. Jingchun was extremely loyal and guarded Emperor Qiluan's imperial tomb until her death. You can see it when you go this weekend; there is a mausoleum outside Emperor Qiluan's imperial tomb..."

"That was given to Jing Chun by the daughter of the Qi Luan Emperor... Wait a minute, what kind of emperor is the daughter of the Qi Luan Emperor?"

The group of people who were listening intently were speechless after they finished answering.

He continued, "She was grateful for Jingchun's loyalty, which is why she made an exception for her."

"Alright, now that we've finished talking about that, let's talk about Emperor Qiluan's queen, Xi Ruoyu."

Someone muttered quietly, "How come this name is exactly the same as 'Poetic Sentiment'?"

The teacher, not hearing him, continued, "This Xi Ruoyu is the son of the Left Prime Minister. Historical records describe him as rigid and strict about rules. For the first three years, he was completely out of favor, but for the next four years, he was the most favored concubine! Even the Imperial Noble Consort, who was Emperor Qiluan's most beloved concubine at the time, had to give way to him!"

“Alright, let’s get back to the Empress. According to unofficial historical records, every piece of clothing worn by Emperor Qiluan in his later years was embroidered by Empress Xi Ruoyu herself. It was covered with dense bamboo leaves, and bamboo leaves symbolize longevity.” He spoke with great admiration.

"It is estimated that they already knew that the Qi Luan Emperor was about to die, and could only place their hopes on this."

Did he commit suicide for love?

"That's a good question!" the teacher nodded emphatically. "No!"

"Huh? Then he didn't love her that much..."

"No, he wanted to commit suicide for love but was stopped by Emperor Qiluan. After that, Xi Ruoyu traveled all over the country with a sachet embroidered with bamboo leaves. Aren't many of the poems you memorized in your Chinese class written by him?"

"She was hailed as the one with the most poetic sentiment, the one who 'looked at the mountains, the water, the sunrise, and in the end, she was the one who wrote about love.' This was also the reason that Emperor Qiluan used to stop him. Emperor Qiluan said... he wanted to hear him talk to her about the future."

Ah~ So alluring!

The teacher couldn't help but smile, "That wasn't flirting, it was the utmost tenderness, and it was also a way of saying no because he couldn't bear to see the Queen die young with him."

"Gentle?" some students asked, puzzled.

"It's too long to explain in a short time. You can look up information about Emperor Qiluan after you get home from the museum."

"The Qi Luan Emperor's gentleness cannot be fully described in just a few words. Time is running out, let's move on to the next one..."

"The Imperial Nobleman Qianqing is the son of General Qianqiu. His brewing skills are superb, and the different wines he brews each year will become a new benchmark for the Qi Dynasty's wine and beverage industry."

"According to unofficial historical records, Qianqing brewed wine for the sake of Emperor Qiluan, wanting it to be different every year so that Emperor Qiluan would look forward to it each year. Haven't you seen many wine merchants mentioning Qianqing, the Imperial Noble Consort of the Qi Dynasty, in their advertisements?"

"Wow~ I really love Qi Luan Di! Is Qi Luan Di really that good? She made these two servants become big shots and shine in their respective fields because of her!"

The teacher paused, then suddenly snorted, "A woman who respected men in that matriarchal era, and who was also an emperor at the pinnacle of power, was gentle and beautiful. If she were in your shoes, wouldn't you be tempted? That's because she deserves it!"

"Tch~"

The teacher sat with his arms crossed, waiting to see what would happen. "You'll find out why when we go to the museum tomorrow."

He continued, "The other third prince of Quanrong, whether in unofficial or official history, has been proven to be the last Quanrong king."

"ah?"

"Zisangqi spent his entire life pursuing the art of immortality, and the reason for it remains unknown to this day. However, it is speculated that it is related to the Qiluan Emperor. His history will be covered in the next chapter. Open the book and read it yourself. I won't say anything more."

The sound of pages turning rose and fell.

"So handsome!"

"Yeah, he's really handsome!"

"Then the other two can't be this handsome either, right?"

"Huh? Why isn't there a portrait of Emperor Qiluan?"

The teacher raised an eyebrow and said in a calm tone, "That's because the Qi Luan Emperor was too beautiful. Too many students used to be so engrossed in his portrait that they couldn't concentrate on the lesson, so we had to reluctantly delete it."

Someone muttered, "No wonder I always hear my parents clamoring at home that they want to marry Sang Lingwu, so it's because of this Sang Lingwu!"

The teacher suddenly coughed softly, then blushed and continued, "I heard that Emperor Qiluan once rescued this third prince of the Quanrong from under a mad horse."

"Just like that? She's already won this handsome man's heart? I'm so envious!"

The teacher wrote down her name and decided to look for her during any future surprise inspections!

Hmph! When we get to the museum, he'll see who they envy most.

"There's another one whose background is still unknown. All we know is that he was born a lowly servant and his name is Yun Ji."

"Yun Ji loves Qi Luan Emperor to the point of loving the house and its crows. Qi Luan Emperor loves the Empress, and Yun Ji is also wholeheartedly devoted to the Empress."

Then, the teacher sighed deeply and said, "After the Empress died, she was buried in the imperial mausoleum, and Yun Ji followed her in death."

In the silent lament, the teacher said again:

"The last one is not mentioned in history books. I only found a clue after making many inquiries. It is said that Emperor Qi Luan hated him very much. He was also vicious and arrogant. His name was... Lu Chengfeng."

It is said that everyone used every possible method to prolong his life, extending it to nearly 150 years old.

His body was almost entirely devoid of flesh, leaving only skin and bones. He had also been poisoned by the Quanrong royal family, a poison that would cause excruciating pain upon contact, and he suffered all kinds of tortures every day, unable to live or die.

"That's a pretty modern name..." someone remarked.

The teacher raised an eyebrow slightly. "There's an anonymous biography from beyond the Great Wall that mentions he seems to be a time traveler from a different era. The biography only contains a few paragraphs, but there are clues. The book mentions that Lu Chengfeng used words like 'time travel,' 'male supremacy,' and 'modern times,' which don't belong to any particular dynasty. However, it's too far-fetched to be true or false; you'll have to judge for yourself."

One student gasped, "So this transmigrator also fell for the Qi Luan Emperor?"

The teacher couldn't hold back any longer, exclaiming, "He's not good enough for my wife!"

"..."

"!!!"

Under the intense gaze of a group of people, the teacher, whose face was now exposed, could no longer hide her excitement: "Meet at the school gate at 7:30 this Saturday morning! Let's go see our national sweetheart!"

Before the age of sixteen, in order not to affect the minds of teenagers, no one was allowed to mention the appearance of the Qi Luan Emperor.

But after the age of sixteen, when they are mentally mature and given proper guidance, they can become pillars of the nation in no time!

After all, the Qi Luan Emperor is learned and talented, and is proficient in all kinds of strategies and tactics. They have no choice but to learn from the Empress.