Six days after the first appearance of the Sky Screen, the second Sky Screen emerged.
Zhu Xuanyi speculated that the Sky Screen appeared every six days, though the exact timing remained uncertain.
Thus, on this day exactly six days after the second appearance, Zhu Xuanyi summoned all important civil and military officials—including those from the Six Ministries, the Censorate, and the Court of Judicial Review—to gather at Changding Hall, awaiting the Sky Screen’s reappearance.
While traveling from Mingzhou to Luojing, Meng Wenruo passed through a village and, seeing the Sky Screen appear, simply sat on the ground beneath a tree by the river.
Another woman was sitting under the same tree, making lanterns. Meng Wenruo greeted her: “Sister, your hands are so skillful.”
The woman smiled and said, “It’s just a matter of practice making perfect.”
This woman was none other than Cai Boxi, who had been mentioned on the Sky Screen.
These past few days, Cai Boxi’s life had been turned upside down.
After both sisters were mentioned on the Sky Screen, Cai Boxi’s reputation soared. Local officials had already reported her case up through multiple levels of bureaucracy, waiting to see how the capital would treat her.
Her husband, already critically ill, had passed away from the shock and excitement.
Having just handled her husband’s funeral arrangements yesterday, Cai Boxi came to this riverside tree to make lanterns, wanting to avoid disturbance.
“How may I address you, sister?”
“My surname is Cai. And what is your honorable surname?”
“My humble surname is Meng. Sister Cai may call me Little Meng. I’ve traveled far to get here—might I trouble you for some water to drink?”
Seeing her parched lips, Cai Boxi handed her the water pouch: “No need for formalities, sister. Please drink.”
A light screen appeared before Zhu Xuanyi.
[Due to technical reasons, Bullet Screen permissions cannot be activated at this time. We have enabled comment section access for you instead.]
?
The Bullet Screen permissions were promised but not delivered!
“Technical reasons?”
Zhu Xuanyi looked toward the Minister of Works.
The Minister of Works pondered briefly: “Technical refers to skills and methods. If, as Your Highness and Vice Censor-in-Chief Lu suspect, the Heavenly Screen Videos come from future generations, the transmission of sound and images across history is truly magnificent! This Bullet Screen might be something even more precious and rare than the videos themselves. Perhaps even heaven finds this endeavor difficult?”
The assembled officials: That makes sense.
[Greetings, esteemed viewers—I am Qing Ju. Long time no see, I’ve missed you all—]
The familiar scroll-like portraits of civil and military officials unfolded, accompanied by the familiar voice. Everyone maintained both anticipation and vigilance.
[Before the video begins, special thanks to Princess Shuyang Zhu Xuanyi for the gift. This name clearly belongs to a fan of Your Majesty Xuanyi, hahaha!
While I don’t know much about jade, these white jade ear pendants are truly beautiful! They look so similar to the ear accessories worn by Your Majesty Xuanyi when she was still Princess Shuyang in ancient paintings!
Are you perhaps a hairpin maker? A handcraft master? Regardless, thank you dear—]
An image appeared on the Sky Screen: the white jade earrings with gold inlay that once belonged to Zhu Xuanyi, hanging from a white flower-patterned card.
On the card, neat regular script read—”To Qing Ju—from your fan, Princess Shuyang Zhu Xuanyi.”
So the earrings taken by the One-Click Triple Action weren’t given to heaven, but were instead transferred by heaven to Qing Ju, the creator of the videos.
“Fans?”
The Great Yin Dynasty did have fans—made from mung beans, and quite delicious.
Lu Fengqiu: “The ‘fans’ Miss Qing Ju refers to are certainly not food. Considering the context, it should mean viewers of the videos, or people who like and support them.”
Zhu Xuanyi instructed several Hanlin academicians: “Record this.”
The Hanlin academicians began writing with divine inspiration.
【In the previous video’s conclusion, we conducted a vote, and the option with the most votes was C: A Taoist who can’t write sacrificial texts isn’t a good Minister of Works.】
Not a renowned general, not a famed chancellor—instead, a Minister of Works proves more captivating.
The court officials felt somewhat disappointed.
Compared to the yet-unseen female general Cai Tian and Minister of Works Meng Wenruo, they were more curious about the futures of their own colleagues right beside them.
I wonder if this vote was cast solely by our Great Yin subjects or if people from later eras participated as well?
Qing Ju displayed the voting results in the video, with Meng Wenruo’s bar chart being the longest, marked at 56%.
The court officials couldn’t comprehend what 56% meant, so they had the academicians record it for later study.
The Vice Minister of Revenue sighed, “This bar chart is truly intuitive and clear!”
Perhaps the Ministry of Revenue could use such methods for data comparisons in the future.
【The recent drama “The Legend of Meng Wenruo” has boosted Ruoruo’s popularity. However, this series is somewhat absurd—it constantly tries to fabricate romantic subplots for Meng Wenruo, attributing all her achievements to men. Perhaps it’s because there are too many conventional dramas, so it deliberately goes for the outrageous to grab attention?
Well… all I can say is: Why bother?
In actual history, our Taoist Qing Shu—Great Yin’s master of sacrificial texts, drama queen, gunpowder expert, sisterhood enthusiast, and Minister of Works Wenruo—was entirely a model of independence and self-reliance.】
“Qing… Qing Shu Master?”
Under the large tree, Meng Wenruo leaped to her feet.
Her confidence hadn’t been misplaced!
She truly was the Meng Wenruo mentioned by the Sky Screen!
Was “The Legend of Meng Wenruo” a book about her?
She could understand Taoist Qing Shu, master of sacrificial texts, and Minister of Works—but what were the reasons behind drama queen, gunpowder expert, and sisterhood enthusiast?
In Mingzhou’s Meng family, the family head—who had been infuriated by Meng Wenruo’s escape—remained silent for a moment before summoning the steward.
“Earlier, you mentioned the Taoist name the eldest young lady took at Silver Moss Taoist Temple was what?”
The steward wiped his sweat. “Reporting to the family head, the eldest young lady’s Taoist name is Qing Shu.”
Heavens!
Madam Meng snapped her prayer beads, sending them scattering across the floor with a clatter.
What kind of fate does this wretched girl have to be so fortunate!
The Meng family’s legitimate eldest son panicked. “Mother, will Meng Wenruo seek revenge on me?”
After all, he had frequently beaten and scolded her as a child, and even after her recent return, he had repeatedly picked fights and mocked her.
Madam Meng scolded, “What are you panicking about? It was just playful sibling banter!”
“Gunpowder?”
Zhu Xuanyi keenly caught this term.
Was it some kind of medicine?
Why did it feel like there was more to it?
Some more conservative officials frowned at the mention of “sisterhood enthusiast.” Could it be that Meng Wenruo was somewhat talented but also an unrestrained and licentious person?
At that moment, a new illustration appeared on the light screen.
A woman in purple official robes, smiling broadly, held in one hand a paper inscribed “Draft Sacrificial Text for XXX” and in the other a glass vial containing black powder, with a Taoist Yin-Yang Ring hanging at her waist.
“It’s a woman,” one official remarked.
A woman it is, then. With an Empress and female generals already existing, what’s so remarkable about a female Minister of Works?
Hadn’t the Sky Screen mentioned a Cai Boxi, who alongside Cai Tian was called the strongest sister duo?
But a woman… and a sisterhood enthusiast?
Surely it couldn’t be what they were imagining?
Cai Boxi, who possessed exceptional eyesight and skill in painting, paused her lantern-making. “This illustration contains far too much information!”
Within this small image, the character’s identity and personality traits were vividly conveyed—and it was beautifully drawn!
If we paint these portraits on lanterns, they’ll definitely sell well!
My sister has it tough in the military—I need to earn more money for her.
Meng Wenruo herself stared with shining eyes—this official’s robe was gorgeous, she wanted one!
[Today Qing Ju will discuss the real Meng Wenruo based on the plot of “The Legend of Meng Wenruo.” The drama begins by recounting Meng Wenruo’s background.
Meng Wenruo was born into a wealthy family in Mingzhou, a concubine’s daughter who lost her mother at three and often suffered bullying from her legal mother and legitimate younger brother.
This much is accurate. When Meng Wenruo was seven, her brother falsely accused her of breaking the Glass Cup.]
In the Meng family residence in Mingzhou, Patriarch Meng roared: “So it was you who framed Wenruo about the Glass Cup! You unfilial son!”
The legitimate son’s face turned grim as he muttered under his breath: “It was just a Glass Cup! Father never liked her anyway—that’s why you sent her to the Taoist temple!”
Hearing this, Patriarch Meng’s lips moved slightly but no words came out.
Everything his son said was true. He held no affection for this daughter. Back then, his wife detested her, so he sent her to the Taoist temple simply for peace and quiet.
[Her father, harboring profound paternal love, sent her to the Taoist temple to protect her from further mistreatment by her legal mother and bullying from her brother—using cold treatment as a form of protection. Isn’t this complete nonsense?]