"Hello, professors. It's an honor to have you here."

A domestic historical truth program invited two historians, and the CCTV host conducted the questioning. The program was broadcast live on TV.

"Hello, I really like the show you host." said an old man with gray hair but combed meticulously.

"Hello." A middle-aged man with an elegant appearance sat in another interview seat.

After greeting, we quickly got down to business.

"Professors, have you watched today's episode of 'Yan Su'? Many netizens who have seen it said it was outrageous. I heard that during the filming process, in order to restore history, they invited you two to help the crew. Was the historical Empress Yan Su really that powerful?"

Professor Guan pushed his glasses up. "That's right. When filming the TV series [Yan Su], everything from the costumes and styling to the historical details was under the guidance of Professor Lin and I. It's absolutely authentic. Many netizens may think it's too exaggerated, but we definitely didn't give any random guidance. Everything is recorded in real ancient books."

"Professor Lin, what do you think of those comments from netizens?"

Professor Lin chuckled. "Just like Professor Guan said, the historical Yan Su was even more extravagant than the one portrayed in the TV series. In that era where men were respected, becoming emperor was already extremely difficult, yet she incorporated the Rong Kingdom into her empire in just three years. In another two years, she wiped out the surrounding small kingdoms, once again achieving the second great unification in Chinese history. Her achievements far surpass what can be portrayed in TV series."

Professor Guan added, "Professor Lin is right. A short 30-episode TV series is indeed too thin to describe Yan Su's life. She punished corrupt officials, built water conservancy projects, reduced taxes, encouraged education, and many other achievements that we haven't filmed yet."

"So, professors, there's another point of contention. It's said that this empress's ability to achieve unification was inseparable from her husband. Is this true?"

Professor Guan smiled and said, "Indeed, we cannot deny Yan Su's great talent and strategy, but her husband, An Jingzhi, was also a mastermind. He was known as the "Hidden Prime Minister" at the time. The current Ministry of Economic Affairs was proposed by this man, who also served as the first Minister of Economic Affairs."

"Then according to Professor Guan, An Jingzhi must be a man of great talent. Since the Empress is willing to make him the first Minister of Economic Affairs, why doesn't he go to the previous dynasty and serve as Prime Minister?"

Professor Lin said, "We don't know the specific reasons, but what is certain is that An Jingzhi's decision not to serve as prime minister was likely his own. According to unofficial historical records, An Jingzhi was a rather casual person, preferring to sit rather than stand or lie down if possible, and he had no ambitions. The An family also kept a low profile. After the two men passed away, the second emperor allowed the An family to maintain their honors and favors, which was inseparable from their humble behavior and their refusal to form cliques for personal gain."

"Although An Jingzhi didn't serve as prime minister in the previous dynasty, he often helped the empress review memorials. Many imperial edicts issued from the court were based on his suggestions."

Professor Guan nodded and said, "Professor Lin is right. Although there is no record of this in the official history, we have found many unofficial histories that say this person was a rather casual person."

The host laughed and said, "Maybe this is the temper of capable people?"

"There's another thing that's been a source of much debate throughout history. Was the famine in Rong State really caused by the little prince from the Western Regions accidentally purchasing silk?"

The two professors looked at each other and couldn't help laughing.

Professor Guan said, "Although there's no record of this in official history, it seems more likely that the famine in Rong State was actually caused by Yan State. I personally don't know the reason, but I'm more inclined to this theory. Furthermore, I suspect this strategy was the brainchild of the hidden minister, An Jingzhi."

Professor Lin nodded. "I've studied history for so many years, and judging by An Jingzhi's behavior as recorded in history, I tend to agree with Professor Guan's statement."

"A few days ago, I found an unofficial history book, probably left by an official in Rong State. He wrote in the book that Lin Hao, who disappeared from Rong State at the time, fled to Yandu, and he saw it by chance. Although this doesn't directly prove that Yan State was the driving force behind the incident, it is still very strong evidence."

"Okay, let's move on to the next question."

"In the history of Yan's wars, there was a renowned assassin named Chen Zhanren. Many scholars criticized him. After Rong was annexed by Yan, an official requested an imperial decree to execute him. However, the Yan Empress ignored the request and allowed Chen Zhanren to live out his days and die a natural death. She even posthumously honored him. What are your thoughts on this, professors?"

Professor Guan said, "I've also read about this in history books. After the Rong Kingdom was annexed by the Yan Kingdom, the families of the 300,000 soldiers were enraged. They colluded with Rong officials several times to start rebellions. Some people used this incident to try to kill Chen Zhanren to appease their anger."

"Yan Su's approach was correct, at least from my perspective, and history has proven that her approach was indeed correct. When Chen Zhanren burned those 300,000 soldiers to death, the two sides were still hostile forces. His actions were not wrong. The reason why those soldiers' families could not accept it was because they were instigated by those Rong State officials."

"And if you really count, quite a few Yan soldiers died at the hands of Rong State. Doesn't that mean everyone can't integrate into the hostile relationship that will last forever?"

The live interview continues.

There has been discussion online.

"My friends, let me show you the joy of the Empress."

The attached picture is a portrait of An Jingzhi.

"Slurp."

"Oh my god, this is so handsome! If I had such a handsome husband, I would rather pamper him alone."

"She's handsome, talented, and doesn't fight for power. What kind of a virtuous wife is she?"

"Speaking of which, Yan Su should be the first person to fight for gender equality."

"Yes, it's a pity that after the fall of Yan State, there has never been a female emperor."

"She unified the Nine Provinces, ending over three hundred years of conflict. During her reign, the population exploded two hundredfold. It's not an exaggeration to say her achievements surpass those of the Three Sovereigns and Five Emperors, right?"

"I originally thought it was outrageous that a TV series could take over a country of equal size in three years, but I didn't expect it was just one of the achievements."

"There are still many people who are cruel and ruthless. I think these people are just bored and have nothing better to do. They can't even kill the corrupt officials, so are we going to let these people suck the blood of the people?"

"If Yan Su was truly cruel and ruthless, he wouldn't have allowed Chen Zhanren to die of old age, nor would his eternal love with the Emperor's husband have been spread. The State of Yan wouldn't have lasted for 850 years."