Chapter 345 Extra Chapter: A Thousand Years Later (3)
After closing the file, Zero's emotions remained unsettled for a long time.
It turns out that real history is far more fascinating than what's written in textbooks.
Her previous confusion and bewilderment vanished instantly, replaced by a surge of excitement.
It's so cool that she's related to such a great historical figure by blood.
Driven by curiosity, she went online again to search for information about this Emperor Zhaosheng.
Almost all the search results were full of praise for her.
People praised her great achievements as unprecedented in history, calling her "the greatest emperor of all time".
Meanwhile, her palace anecdotes and rumors about her numerous male lovers have become popular gossip topics in popular culture.
Various literary and artistic works based on her have emerged one after another, and many men even fantasize about traveling back to that era to become her favorite servant and have an epic love affair with her.
With zero swipes on the screen, I finally discovered some discussions on niche history forums, and found a few discussions about unofficial historical anecdotes about the lineage of Emperor Zhaosheng.
One of the posts, titled "Historical and Archaeological Research Area - Hot Topic #Mystery of Emperor Zhaosheng's Bloodline#", caught her attention.
Original Poster: [Shocking! Emperor Zhaosheng may not be of legitimate blood from the Great Qi Dynasty; the truth behind the palace coup may have been altered!]
Historical records state that before Empress Zhaosheng ascended the throne, her lineage was publicly questioned, and she was only confirmed through a blood test—a practice known to modern science as utterly absurd. Popular rumors also circulated that Empress Zhaosheng was not the biological daughter of the two emperors, but rather a daughter of heaven. If she truly was not of royal blood, does this prove that the palace coup she suppressed, which claimed to be "supporting the true prince," was perhaps not a simple rebellion, but rather a restoration of order against the "usurper"? If so, how should we re-examine the source of this "founding empress's" power and the legitimacy of her rule?
Top comment 1: [Emperor Zhaosheng is still too popular. Even though she's been dead for thousands of years, people are still spreading rumors about her. They'll fabricate any ridiculous story for clicks? Using flawed unofficial histories as evidence to try and overturn official historical conclusions? Do you think you're worthy of her illustrious achievements?]
Second popular comment: [Hilarious! What era are we living in? Still bringing up bloodlines? Doesn't it seem absurd? We were all born into the genetic optimization and incubation chambers of the social system; the so-called "bloodline" is a museum piece. Dwelling on bloodline orthodoxy from thousands of years ago is simply turning back the clock.]
Third popular comment: [It seems possible that it's true. I've seen the circulated portraits, and indeed, the portraits of Emperor Zhaosheng are not very similar to those of Emperor Xizong of Qi and Emperor Shengwu Zhaolie. Of course, the portraits may be inaccurate, but this is at least an interesting point of observation.]
Top comment 4: [Wow, if this is true, the plot is way more exciting than current palace dramas! Wouldn't that "real prince" who died tragically back then be the most unjustly wronged victim in history? Is there anyone who can write a fanfiction—"What If the Real Prince Had Succeeded?"]
Top comment five: [From a scientific perspective, the Zhaosheng Emperor's tomb has already been excavated, and extracting DNA for gene comparison would be very simple. But I remember rumors of conducting such research decades ago, yet authoritative results have been delayed. Doesn't this just prove that her identity is indeed confirmed?]
Comment 6: [Using a few unverified anecdotes and rumors, how dare you make baseless accusations against historical figures established for millennia? Historical research isn't like writing cheap fiction; it can't be about haphazardly piecing together "evidence" for sensationalism! The achievements of Emperor Zhaosheng are as towering as a mountain; how could a few baseless speculations shake them? What value does this kind of discussion have other than confusing the public and undermining the seriousness of history? It's recommended that the system rigorously review such topics to prevent historical discussions from becoming mere entertainment or conspiracy theories!]
Top Comment 7: [The key point is wrong! Her legitimacy stems from our recognition of her achievements, not her bloodline. The most remarkable thing about Emperor Zhaosheng was that she broke the age-old ironclad rule that "power must be subordinate to a specific gender and bloodline." Her civil and military achievements have proven that even if she wasn't biologically related or male, the historical value of the "Zhaoming Prosperity" she created and the new policies she implemented far surpasses that of emperors whose bloodline was legitimate.]
Top comment #8: [Yes, getting caught up in whether she's "biologically related" or not essentially falls into the trap of old-fashioned patriarchal thinking. Her very existence is the most powerful subversion of this narrow-minded viewpoint.]
Comment 9: [The interesting thing about this matter is that it directly addresses the core mystery of "identity": what truly defines a person? Is it the bloodline label given at birth, or the choices made and achievements made throughout their life? If Empress Zhaosheng were alive, she would probably just smile indifferently at this debate. Her life was, in itself, a most intense and successful transcendence and reshaping of established "bloodline and identity."]
(This post is currently marked as "controversial," and some extreme comments have been collapsed. Moderator's note: Please engage in rational discussion based on historical materials and academic norms. Do not make personal attacks or spread unverified speculations.)
The more Zero looked at it, the more interesting it became.
Most people dismissed the original poster's conjecture as nonsense.
But now it seems that these unofficial histories, which were once dismissed as nonsense, are actually the closest to the truth.
If the mystery of bloodline is true, then is the tragic love story between the fake prince and Emperor Zhaosheng, vividly described in unofficial histories, also true?
Following that, Zero enthusiastically immersed herself in several fan-made interactive games based on the theme of "Emperor Zhaosheng".
She didn't close the virtual monitor until the early hours of the morning, still feeling a bit unsatisfied, and prepared to go to sleep.
Before going to sleep, she suddenly thought, what if the truth that this Emperor Zhaosheng was not of royal blood was revealed before his ascension to the throne, causing her to fail and not be able to ascend to the supreme position; or what if she did not implement these policies of gender equality after ascending the throne; or what if she passed the throne to a man again...
What would this world look like now?
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