Zhu Xuanyi disliked elixirs, but she appreciated Daoist philosophy.
Such as governing a large state is like cooking a small fish.
Or tackling difficulties while they are easy, accomplishing great things while they are small.
Some masters at the Celestial Master Palace only knew how to refine elixirs and engage in empty talk, without truly establishing their hearts in the Dao. She disliked this.
She wondered if Meng Wenruo was still in Mingzhou and whether she should send someone to bring her to Luojing.
Zhu Xuanyi already felt they should have met much earlier.
[After Emperor Hui passed away, some court officials memorialized that the elixirs refined by the Daoist priests of the Celestial Master Palace had ruined Emperor Hui’s health, requesting Your Majesty Xuanyi to execute all the Daoist priests. Everyone knew that Your Majesty Xuanyi, like her teacher Lu Fengqiu, was Confucian in appearance but Legalist in essence.]
Confucian in appearance but Legalist in essence?
Several staunch Confucian supporters immediately looked at Lu Fengqiu with different eyes.
Lu Fengqiu had hidden himself deeply enough!
Well done!
The Emperor assigned you to teach Princess Shunyang, and you secretly instilled Legalist thoughts in her!
Lu Fengqiu remained expressionless. What did “Confucian in appearance but Legalist in essence” even mean? Such limited perspective!
Any doctrine, philosophy, or method that could bring clear governance, harmonious people, and national stability – I advocate them all!
[In reality, she also appreciated Daoist philosophy and even Buddhist thought. Your Majesty Xuanyi didn’t dislike Daoism or Daoist priests. She only dealt with those priests who had committed crimes.]
The sky screen showed a prison holding several Daoist priests in disheveled, dirty clothes, accompanied by four large characters: “Perpetrated Numerous Evils.”
[Among the Celestial Master Palace was a Daoist priest named Tu Nanzi. According to his surviving diary, after ascending the throne, Your Majesty Xuanyi summoned several elixir-refining priests including him.]
Zhu Xuanyi had some impression of Tu Nanzi – a shy, quiet priest who buried himself in elixir refining. She hadn’t heard of him doing anything bad.
She did indeed have the idea of summoning several priests including Tu Nanzi.
Because she had a question.
This question was precisely the reason she had asked her imperial father to spare the lives of the Celestial Master Palace priests.
Would what the sky screen said be what she was thinking?
In the prison, the Daoist priests who could only hear but not see the sky screen all turned to look at Tu Nanzi in the corner.
“Junior Brother Tu Nanzi, you keep a diary!”
“Senior Brother, the sky screen is talking about you!”
“Senior Brother, does this mean we won’t die?”
Tu Nanzi, who had been sitting hugging his knees in the corner, lifted his dirty face, his despondent eyes showing a glimmer of light. “Y-yes, I do!”
Recording elixir-refining insights, important events of the day, and such.
[Your Majesty Xuanyi asked: “Why do your elixir furnaces explode during refinement?”
The Daoist priests explained that this was an occasional phenomenon.
Actually, Your Majesty Xuanyi had long understood the reason. She asked this question to lead to another matter.
“If it can explode furnaces, then can it explode earth mounds, houses, even city walls?”
Tu Nanzi said he was stunned when he heard this, because he had never thought in this direction.
Before he could react, he heard Your Majesty Xuanyi continue: “A blade in hand injures those nearby…”]
Hearing this, Zhu Xuanyi stood up excitedly: “An arrow shot injures those far away.”
Her voice overlapped with Qing Ju’s.
[“Can we make this explosion injure distant targets like an arrow?”]
Yes, this was her idea!
This was an important reason she had spared those priests!
[Gunpowder, firearms. Your Majesty Xuanyi had a vague conception.
Although the Taoists were confused and directionless, in order to survive, they pledged their loyalty to Your Majesty Xuanyi, determined to spare no effort in creating what His Majesty demanded.
“Gunpowder, firearms!” Zhu Xuanyi rose from his seat and paced back and forth. “Gunpowder isn’t medicine! It’s a weapon! Something for warfare!”
The ministers were astonished. To be honest, they had never considered this possibility, only hoping these Taoists would cause less trouble.
Faced with the same group of Taoists and the same practice of elixir refining, His Majesty thought of immortality elixirs, while Prince Shunyang contemplated the explosive power of the alchemical furnace.
The Sky screen spoke true – His Majesty indeed recognized talent but failed to utilize it properly.
The ministers’ gazes toward Zhu Xuanyi now held increased respect.
One who pioneered the Zhaowen Golden Age should not be underestimated.
[After His Majesty Xuanyi executed a group of criminal Taoists and decided to develop gunpowder and firearms, the Celestial Master Palace – now renamed Purity Palace – found itself short-handed and petitioned His Majesty for permission to recruit new members.
His Majesty approved.
Meng Wenruo, then in Luojing, seized this employment opportunity and entered Purity Palace.
She never expected that instead of chanting scriptures and meditation, her work would involve making alchemical furnaces explode.
Though different from her expectations, Meng Wenruo devoted herself earnestly to her work. She gradually understood His Majesty Xuanyi’s purpose for this endeavor. After her good partner Tu Nanzi was killed in an explosion, she finally determined the gunpowder formula and developed gunpowder arrows and fireballs. For this achievement, His Majesty Xuanyi transferred her to the Ministry of Works, where she eventually became Minister of Works.]
Gunpowder arrows!
Fireballs!
They sounded incredibly powerful!
The military officers grew excited!
The civil officials grew excited too!
The Minister of Works couldn’t wait: “Your Highness, I request to summon Meng Wenruo from Mingzhou to the capital!”
With Marquis Wu’an, Minister of War, seriously ill and absent, the Vice Minister of War quickly stepped forward: “Your Highness, the Ministry of War needs Meng Wenruo!”
After speaking, the Vice Minister of War glanced at Yue Guantang.
Marquis Jingting, the Ministry of War is practically your home base – won’t you say something?
Before Yue Guantang could speak, the Minister of Works expressed displeasure: “The Sky screen stated clearly that Meng Wenruo is the future Minister of Works!”
The Vice Minister of War refused to yield: “Our Ministry of War can also provide her ample opportunity to display her talents!”
…
Zhu Xuanyi simply watched quietly.
[I’ll make a prediction – the drama will likely create a romantic storyline between Meng Wenruo and Tu Nanzi. Something about Tu Nanzi being shy and bullied, with Meng Wenruo righteously coming to his aid, making Tu Nanzi develop feelings for her.
Tu Nanzi’s death in an explosion would be to protect Meng Wenruo.
Meng Wenruo’s finalized gunpowder formula would be perfected based on Tu Nanzi’s formula…
From an abandoned concubine-born daughter to the purple-robed Minister of Works, Meng Wenruo seized every crucial opportunity, persistently moving forward with resilience, tenacity, optimism, open-mindedness, dedication, and hard work.
She was the green pine standing alone on a cliff, the petrel battling storms, the brilliant sunlight of April.
Why must the screenwriter portray her as a creeper clinging to others? Why must they attribute her achievements to men?
I don’t understand. I truly don’t understand.]
Queen Wang remarked to her lady official Xu Meizhen: “Some people simply can’t bear to see women being intelligent and independent, can’t bear to see women… shine.”
Xu Meizhen agreed: “I hope this trend will improve after His Majesty ascends the throne.”
May all women under heaven step into broader worlds and bloom with their own radiance!
[No matter how the screenwriter’s pen may write, no matter how the television drama may portray her, Meng Wenruo’s name will forever shine brilliantly in the history books.]
Alright, that’s all for this video.
If you enjoyed it, please give it a One-Click Triple Action—see you next time!”
The One-Click Triple Action closing screen appeared before Zhu Xuanyi.
This time, she was prepared.
Drawing from her previous experience with the value of the gold-inlaid jade earrings, she had readied a Jade Fish Lotus Pendant and, following the words on the Sky Screen card, wrote a dedication on rice paper.
“To Qing Ju—Zhu Xuanyi.”