“Isn’t this complete nonsense?”
Under the large tree, Meng Wenruo uttered the exact same words simultaneously.
Her father doted on her?
Pah!
Even the dogs at Silver Moss Taoist Temple wouldn’t believe that!
[Can domestic dramas cut down on these plotlines where loving someone means hurting them, or loving someone means being cold to them? When you truly love someone, shouldn’t you give them all the best things you can offer? Shouldn’t you want them to be happy and joyful?
Let me give an example that’s not perfect but sufficient.
Emperor Hui doted on Your Majesty Xuanyi.
First, he personally raised her for several years. When objective circumstances made it impossible for him to continue raising her himself, he carefully selected a foster mother for her.
He granted her the title and fiefdom of Shunyang, allowing her to enjoy treatment similar to that of the Crown Prince.
Although he later attempted the ridiculous act of wanting to give his daughter to his maternal cousin’s family as compensation, at least he didn’t succeed. He let her marry Yue Guantang and ultimately passed the throne to her.]
At this point, Emperor Hui had some thoughts: “The Sky screen speaks reasonably! When you truly love someone, how could you bear to see them harmed? That Meng family is wealthy, and as the head of household, couldn’t he control his wife and son? He simply didn’t want to, didn’t care enough.”
How could such neglectful behavior be twisted into profound paternal love?
Although he was pleased to be praised by the Sky screen, being mentioned alongside the Meng family head for comparison—
Emperor Hui found it rather unlucky.
He summoned a eunuch: “Go to the Meng family in Mingzhou and properly reprimand that man for his heartless treatment of his own daughter!”
[Next, the young Meng Wenruo first encountered Lu Fengqiu, who was serving in a local post, at the Taoist temple and became his student.]
In Changding Hall, everyone simultaneously turned to look at Lu Fengqiu.
Lu Fengqiu exclaimed in astonishment: “I didn’t!”
When he was serving in local posts, he had never been to Mingzhou, let alone taken on students at Silver Moss Taoist Temple!
To date, his only student was Zhu Xuanyi!
With such exemplary precedent, he would never take on another student in the future!
“Lu Fengqiu is the one mentioned by the Sky screen as the Princess’s teacher and the Imperial Prime Minister, right!” Cai Boxi, unaware of the truth, sighed with emotion. “Birds of a feather flock together. It’s precisely because Meng Wenruo met someone as remarkable as Lu Fengqiu that she later grew to become a Minister of the nation!”
Meng Wenruo: …
Should she explain that she didn’t know Lu Fengqiu at all?
As a minor Taoist in a small temple, how could she have such fortune to meet the Princess’s teacher!
She looked up—the Princess’s teacher was someone she couldn’t even see when looking upward.
[At fifteen, Meng Wenruo went with the temple master to a Taoist temple in Nanzhou for academic exchange. There, she met the arrogant yet uniquely kind second son of the Ye family who showed her special favor.
She also met Xie Nanxing, the son of the Prefect who loved medicine. Together they handled a plague outbreak in a county of Nanzhou and formed a friendship across generations with Nanzhou Prefect Xie Youfan. She also wrote a memorial essay for the common people who died in the plague, beginning her path in memorial writing.]
Meng Wenruo (drinking water), Xie Youfan (now appointed as Puzhou Prefect), Xie Nanxing (traveling the land), and the second son of the Ye family (lying in a rocking chair): We don’t know them, we really don’t know them.
A minor Taoist from Silver Moss Taoist Temple: “This book really stretches the truth! Qing Shu’s first memorial essay was clearly written for Grandma Zhang at the foot of the mountain!”
Xie Youfan shook his head: “How could The Legend of Meng Wenruo write such nonsense? There has never been a plague outbreak in Nanzhou under my governance!”
No, he needed to write a memorial to Prince Shunyang explaining the situation—the court required local outbreaks of plague to be reported immediately. If he didn’t clarify matters, what if some censor impeached him based on rumors?
“Since Xie Nanxing was mentioned by the Sky Screen, he must possess exceptional medical skills? Does anyone among my ministers know him?”
It was Zhu Xuanyi’s maternal grandfather, Wang Zhan, who stepped forward: “This old minister once met Xie Nanxing. At that time, he was only thirteen, studying under the renowned physician Wang Ji in Huling. Wang Ji said the boy had extraordinary talent and unwavering determination—a promising prodigy.”
Zhu Xuanyi was delighted: “In that case, please keep an eye out for this person, Academic Chancellor. There’s no need to summon him to the capital hastily. Ensure he focuses on his studies and masters his craft.”
“As you command.”
[The second son of the Ye family became obsessed with her. After repeated failed courtship attempts, he fell off his horse on the way back from Mingzhou and was left permanently paralyzed from the waist down.
The Ye family blamed Meng Wenruo for this misfortune and demanded she marry their disabled son—to serve him in life and be buried with him in death.
Meng Wenruo’s father superficially agreed under pressure from the Ye family’s influence but secretly helped her escape the arranged marriage. Reading this, I’m utterly speechless!]
Meng Wenruo couldn’t muster a smile—she too was rendered speechless.
In this “Legend of Meng Wenruo,” her father was portrayed as deeply devoted to her? Really?
Emperor Hui snorted derisively, remarking to the eunuch beside him: “Hah! The truth must be that Meng’s father forced the marriage!”
Commoners in Nanzhou commented: “Everyone knows the Ye family’s second son fell during a fight over a courtesan!”
“The burial alive part is probably true! That Ye scoundrel was vile. How heartless of the Meng family to marry their daughter to such trash.”
[Meng Wenruo herself wrote on her epitaph that she had distant relationships with her family. After achieving fame and power, she completely cut ties with the Meng clan in Mingzhou.
Adaptation isn’t distortion, and dramatic retelling isn’t nonsense.
As for the post-escape meeting with Xie Nanxing where they used forceps to assist childbirth—that’s absurd! Forceps didn’t even exist at that time!]
“Forceps?”
It sounded like a revolutionary birthing tool.
Zhu Xuanyi scanned the hall—no officials from the Imperial Medical Institute were present.
Having given birth herself, Zhu Xuanyi understood the perils of childbirth and prioritized this matter.
“The Ministry of Works will collaborate with the Imperial Medical Institute. Develop widely applicable obstetric forceps within one month.”
Minister of Works: “At once.”
After all this listening, they’d not only learned about the skilled physician Xie Nanxing but also discovered this “forceps” device for childbirth!
Excellent!
[But here comes the real absurdity: Meng Wenruo and Xie Nanxing were captured by bandits who wanted to make Meng their fortress mistress.
General Yue Guantang rescued Meng Wenruo during his bandit suppression campaign but got injured in the process. Meng nursed him tenderly, and romantic feelings gradually developed between them…]
All eyes turned toward Yue Guantang.
Others’ stares didn’t matter, but Zhu Xuanyi was looking at him too.
Yue Guantang grew far more agitated than Lu Fengqiu had, springing to his feet: “It wasn’t me! I never—this rubbish book spouts pure nonsense!”
The usually cheerful Meng Wenruo exploded at this: “Absolutely untrue!”
Have you lost your minds?
Pairing her with Yue Guantang?!
He’s Princess Xuanyi’s husband!
Have you gone mad!
Sky Screen, please stop talking about me.
I already know I’ll become Daoist Meng Qingshu—the Great Yong’s master of ritual texts, drama queen, gunpowder expert, sisterhood enthusiast, and Minister of Works Wenruo.
Enough! This is more than enough.
“Say any more, and I’m afraid I won’t be able to take it either!”
In Changding Hall, Zhu Xuanyi smiled brightly: “What are you so nervous about? That ‘Legend of Meng Wenruo’ is mostly nonsense—wouldn’t we know better?”
Yue Guantang was still angry: “Adaptation isn’t reckless fabrication, and dramatic license isn’t outright falsehood.”
Putting newly learned phrases to immediate use!
“Your Highness, I believe these writers who spout such nonsense should be properly disciplined!”
The literati present: …
They spontaneously thought of a term: creative freedom.
Could we have some room for imagination and creative freedom, please?
Under His Highness Shunyang’s governance, can’t we civil and military officials just get along peacefully?
Otherwise, how can we establish a golden age?