Chapter 39: Empress Wu Zetian, the first female emperor in Chinese history, never watched TV dramas again...
An old man's sorrowful cries echoed through the Forbidden City in Nanjing, reverberating in the silent air.
This is the voice of an elderly father who has lost his child.
This once powerful founding emperor now resembled an ordinary old farmer, clutching the clothes left behind by his son and weeping bitterly. His tears soaked Zhu Biao's usual robe, his fingers gripping the hem tightly, his knuckles turning white from the force.
"Biao'er... my Biao'er..." The old man's voice was broken, choked with sobs and choked cries. The candlelight in the hall flickered, casting his shadow on the wall. The shadow was hunched over, and there was no trace of imperial majesty left.
The eunuchs and maids serving them all knelt outside the hall, none of them daring to go in and offer any words of comfort.
Time had etched deep lines on the face of this founding emperor, and his once upright back was now slightly hunched. Over the years, Zhu Yuanzhang had lost too many people: his parents who died young, his scattered brothers and sisters, his many old friends who passed away, his most beloved eldest grandson Zhu Xiong Ying, and his devoted Empress Ma...
Now, even the heavens are taking away his most cherished mark.
He staggered and leaned on the desk Zhu Biao had used in his lifetime. An unfinished memorial lay open on it, the vermilion brush resting beside the inkstone, as if its owner had only temporarily departed. Zhu Yuanzhang's calloused fingers traced the familiar handwriting on the pages, and tears finally streamed down his face. This iron-fisted emperor rarely shed tears in his life, but at this moment, his grief was like a flood breaking through a dam.
"Your Majesty..." a eunuch called cautiously from outside the hall, "The Ministry of Rites requests instructions regarding the Crown Prince's funeral arrangements..."
Zhu Yuanzhang suddenly looked up, a fierce glint flashing in his turbid, tearful eyes: "Get out! All of you, get out of my sight!" He grabbed the inkstone from the table and smashed it against the palace door, the ink splashing onto the vermilion gate in a hideous black pattern.
The pain of losing his loved ones almost made Zhu Yuanzhang lose his balance, and his eyes filled with tears. Zhu Yuanzhang was a man who rarely shed tears. His journey had been too bitter and lonely, so what difference would it make if he shed tears?
No one will feel sorry for him.
Before, my family was poor and had many children, so my parents couldn't take care of them all. Later, my parents died, and my siblings scattered. Who cared about my tears?
Until he met Empress Ma, he had a family.
It's like a lost child finally finding a harbor; those who have never begged for food can't understand this feeling.
The world is vast, but where is home?
Home is wherever Empress Ma is. Later, Zhu Biao, her eldest son, and her youngest grandson were born. They were the lifeblood of the common people.
Zhu Yuanzhang was an emperor with the mindset of the most ordinary people.
Historical records indicate that Zhu Yuanzhang shed tears only three times. Once was when Empress Ma passed away. The History of Ming, Volume 113, Consorts I, records, "The emperor wept bitterly and then did not establish another empress."
The emperor wept bitterly, meaning he cried uncontrollably.
People often say that Empress Ma's death was like a sword losing its scabbard for Zhu Yuanzhang, but it was more like the sky losing its earth.
Zhu Yuanzhang is like the heavens, and the heavens are ever-changing.
Empress Ma represents the earth, which is thick, heavy, and expansive.
What is Zhu Biao? He is a person between heaven and earth, possessing the power of heaven with its thunder and rain, and the introspection of earth with its ability to nurture all things. He is a person.
And he was also the most legitimate successor of the Ming Dynasty.
Historical records indicate that Zhu Yuanzhang shed tears a second time, and that it was for Zhu Biao.
How much hardship can a person endure?
Zhu Yuanzhang was unaware that he would have to step forward and take charge of the overall situation.
"deliver an imperial order."
After a long silence, Zhu Yuanzhang's hoarse voice came from inside the hall: "All officials in the capital should wear mourning clothes and go to the Eastern Palace to mourn for three days, morning and evening. All princes may send envoys to offer sacrifices."
The eunuch hurriedly agreed and was about to leave when the emperor added, "Summon the Prince of Yan, the Prince of Zhou, the Prince of Chu... all the vassal kings to return to the capital for the funeral." These words were spoken very softly, yet they sent a chill down the old eunuch's spine. He knew that a storm concerning the very foundation of the Ming Dynasty was about to break.
Zhu Yuanzhang devoted himself wholeheartedly to the Zhu family's empire, meticulously raising his more than twenty sons like a farmer carefully tending to piglets in a pen. He enfeoffed them in various regions, granting them the most fertile lands and the most elite guards. In Zhu Yuanzhang's eyes, there was no such thing as a prince being subject to the same laws as a commoner—Prince Qin, Zhu Shuang, abused his power and levied exorbitant taxes in his fiefdom. Had he not been Zhu Yuanzhang's son, he would have been skinned alive hundreds of times over.
This indulgence of his sons reveals the deep-seated prejudice in the heart of this founding emperor: the world belongs to the Zhu family, and the law is merely a tool for ruling.
For Zhu Yuanzhang, the death of his eldest son, whom he had raised for many years, represented not only the father and son, but also the issue of the next generation of successors for the Ming Dynasty, a problem as hot as a hot potato.
The ministers were quite agitated.
I wonder if His Majesty belongs to Prince Yan, Zhu Di, or Prince Ning. Who wouldn't want to gamble on a chance to become the emperor's successor?
Zhu Yuanzhang already had his answer in his heart. He would announce during the funeral, in front of all the civil and military officials and the princes from various regions, that his grandson Zhu Yunwen would succeed him to the throne.
——
When Li Yuan heard that Li Shimin had been favored by an immortal, he even gave him a novel gadget to play with.
Even those courtiers had seen it, but their own father hadn't!
Li Shimin already had a phobia of television sets, a son who had lost his mind and a great-grandson who disregarded ethics.
What terrible things has he done?!
However, Li Shimin could not refuse his father's request, so he had no choice but to bite the bullet and watch.
This time, Li Yuan held the remote control and immediately selected the terrifying option.
Empress Wu Zetian, the only female emperor in Chinese history.
The moment the name appeared, the entire hall fell silent. Changsun Wuji didn't even raise his head, his eyes fixed intently on the cup in his hand. This cup was truly something else.
Although the last episode of "The Reign of Zhenguan" didn't air all of Wu Zetian's story, just watching the beginning made it clear that it was a royal scandal.
The scene slowly unfolds, revealing a magnificent palace where a woman in a dragon robe sits on a dragon throne, her brows and eyes exuding majesty and an imposing aura.
"I am the world."
Wu Zetian's deep and powerful voice echoed in the hall, like a thunderbolt striking everyone's hearts.
The remote control in Li Yuan's hand fell to the ground with a "clatter." He stared intently at the screen, his face ashen, his fingers trembling slightly.
"This...this is a woman becoming empress?!"
Li Shimin felt a tightness in his throat and cold sweat beading on his forehead. He subconsciously looked at Changsun Wuji, only to see that the usually composed prime minister was deathly pale, his hand almost crushing the cup.
"Absurd! Absurd!" Wei Zheng stood up abruptly, his beard trembling, and roared, "A hen crowing at dawn is the bane of a household! How can a woman ascend the throne?!"
A woman becoming empress?
Fang Xuanling and Du Ruhui exchanged a glance, both seeing shock and unease in each other's eyes. They simultaneously looked at Li Shimin, thinking to themselves: Could this be the future Tang Dynasty?
No, is this still the Tang Dynasty...?
Li Yuan slowly turned his head, his gaze sharp as a knife, piercing Li Shimin: "Second Prince, explain to me what's going on here?"
Li Shimin opened his mouth, but didn't know how to answer. His mind was in turmoil—who was this Wu Zetian? How was she able to become empress? Could the Tang Dynasty's empire really fall into the hands of a woman?
Just then, the scene on the screen changed, and the narration slowly began:
"Wu Zetian was originally a concubine of Emperor Taizong Li Shimin, later became Empress of Emperor Gaozong Li Zhi, and eventually ascended the throne as Empress, changing the dynasty name to Zhou..."
"What?!"
Li Yuan slammed his fist on the table and stood up abruptly, his eyes wide with anger.
"She's your concubine?!"
Li Shimin was also stunned and quickly defended himself: "Father, you are wise! I have only a few concubines in my palace, all of whom are gentle and virtuous. There is absolutely no one with such ambition!"
Changsun Wuji suddenly realized something, and his expression changed drastically: "Your Majesty, could it be that this woman... has not yet entered the palace?"
The hall fell into a deathly silence.
Li Shimin slowly clenched his fist, a cold glint flashing in his eyes: "Issue an imperial decree that from this day forward, all women with the surname Wu throughout the land must be registered and strictly monitored!"
Outside the palace, spring rain began to fall, but the atmosphere inside was even more somber than before. Li Shimin stared at the majestic and dignified Wu Zetian on the screen, his eyes flashing with complex emotions.
"I want to see just how capable this woman is!"
The scenes on the screen continued to change: Wu Zetian strategized in the court, promoting virtuous ministers such as Di Renjie; she reformed the imperial examination system and broadened the channels for public opinion; she quelled rebellions and strengthened border defenses... Each achievement caused the expressions of the high-ranking officials present to change.
Du Ruhui suddenly sighed softly, "If we disregard gender, this woman was indeed a wise and benevolent ruler..."
However, throughout history, emperors have always been men; this is the first time a woman has ever become emperor.
Putting aside the fact that this was the land of the Tang Dynasty, Li Shimin thought that Wu Zetian was a good emperor, and he subconsciously nodded when he heard Du Ruhui's words.
"Absurd!" Li Yuan slammed his fist on the table and stood up, his hair and beard bristling. "Second Brother, have you been bewitched by this witch?"
Li Shimin stroked his chin thoughtfully: "Father, I think... this might be a warning from Heaven." He turned to his ministers, "Have you all considered why the immortals manifested this strange phenomenon precisely in the first year of the Zhenguan era?"
A glint of light flashed in Fang Xuanling's eyes: "Your Majesty means..."
"Excellent!" Li Shimin stood up abruptly, his eyes blazing with fighting spirit. "Since Heaven has shown us that women can achieve this, then I will do even better! From this day forward, reform the imperial examination system, recruit talented individuals widely; rectify officialdom, eradicate corruption; and moreover..."
He paused, gazing intently out of the hall: "We must teach Chengqian even more well."
Will history repeat itself?
Li Shimin didn't know, but he did know that he would never watch TV dramas again!
—
Inside the official's office, Yuchi Jingde carried the television set back.
They were just left aside, and nobody wanted to look at them again. Who in their right mind would want to watch TV?
Qin Shi Huang would kill someone if he saw this, Zhou Yu would weep, and Li Shimin would beat his great-grandson.
In conclusion, televisions are not a good thing.
Just as it was time to finish his shift, Yuchi Jingde still had the mind to say, "Brother Zhou Yu, why don't you take this thing back with you? Let Cao Cao and Liu Bei see it, maybe it will infuriate them to death, and then you'll win."
wonderful.
This is to subdue the enemy without fighting.
You can't find such a destructive tactic even in military texts. Imagine Cao Cao and Liu Bei seeing themselves on television—what would they think...?
Although Cao Cao had some flaws, he was still someone Cao Cao could accept.
Although Liu Bei was somewhat of a saint, this was still a glorious and positive image.
I wonder how they would react when they saw the three families return to Jin.
He's probably going to vomit three liters of blood.
Zhou Yu politely declined the idea of a television: "General Yuchi, your idea..." He glanced at the television with a twitching eye, "It's truly... ingenious..."
"Brilliant, isn't it?" Yuchi Jingde stroked his beard smugly, a gesture that could absolutely infuriate several heroes.
How many enemy heroes will get so angry?
No!
It must have been something that angered several of their own heroes to death, as they were constantly being punished by heaven and haunted by ghosts and gods. If you knew it was during the Three Kingdoms period, you might think it was some kind of alliance of ghosts and gods.
Zhou Yu took a deep breath and forced a smile: "I appreciate the general's kindness... but let's leave the television set to someone who is destined to have it."
After saying that, he silently took two steps back, afraid that Yuchi Jingde would force it on him.
Seeing this, Yuchi Jingde sighed regretfully, "Alas, what a pity, such a good plan..."
"If it really works out, history will have to record my story—'Yuchi Jingde's plan angered Cao Cao and Liu Bei to death, and the world was unified under Wu!'"
Zhou Yu: "..."
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
