Queen Wang slowly rose and bowed gracefully: “Your Majesty, please calm your anger. This consort was momentarily confused!”
What nonsense.
If the current emperor truly made Xuanyi marry Mu Yu, she would definitely have Mu Yu killed.
Zhu Xuanyi also knelt before Emperor Hui: “Father, everything Mother has done was out of love and protection for your daughter. If there is any blame, I am willing to bear it all!”
Emperor Hui took a deep breath. Love and protection?
Does this father not love you?
In the end, didn’t I still not issue the marriage decree?
“Both of you, rise!”
[Of course, Queen Wang still didn’t act. According to the “Records of Purple Clouds,” on one hand, Princess Shunyang sincerely told the emperor she was unwilling to marry Mu Yu; on the other hand, the princess’s maternal grandfather, Duke Shen, had an audience with the emperor to mediate this matter.]
On the Sky Screen, the portrait representing Duke Shen was shown pleading with the emperor in the palace, speaking of his deceased daughter—Empress Shen, the princess’s biological mother who died shielding Emperor Hui from an arrow.
Your Majesty once promised Empress Shen to take good care of their daughter. Now that time has passed, are you going to betroth her to someone she doesn’t like?
Duke Shen stared at the Sky Screen: “Ah, this portrait painted me so well! Find an artist to paint one exactly like this for me!”
The princess’s young uncle: “Yes.”
[Later, Emperor Hui married Princess Shunyang to the talented young son of Marquis Wu’an, Yue Guantang. In the fifth month of the 28th year of Emperor Hui’s reign, Yue Guantang returned from suppressing bandits in Southern Crouching Mountain and was enfeoffed as Marquis Jingting. After Princess Shunyang ascended the throne, he was titled Lord Jingting.]
At Southern Crouching Mountain, the future Marquis Jingting showed no particular excitement.
This title of Marquis Jingting was partly due to military merit, and partly the emperor’s consolation for his loss of a child!
While away suppressing bandits, he learned his young son had been killed. Yue Guantang desperately wished to return to the princess’s side immediately!
But he couldn’t—there were still bandits to eliminate…
As for Lord Jingting?
He wasn’t made empress consort?!
[Parents’ love runs deep, their plans far-reaching. Did Queen Wang initially want the princess to ascend the throne as emperor? How difficult was it for a woman to become emperor before this? As written in the birthday congratulatory text, Queen Wang merely hoped the princess would grow into a tree facing the sun, unafraid of wind and rain. She merely hoped her daughter could walk hand in hand with her beloved!]
During her peaceful years, she accompanied and taught her with sincere, selfless love and progressive ideas. At crucial moments in her life, she supported and helped her without hesitation, sparing no effort.
A loving mother’s heart is nothing more than this.
Queen Wang and Zhu Xuanyi tightly clasped each other’s hands, sharing a knowing smile.
The Censorate.
Liu Feiran and Lu Fengqiu: “No wonder the Sky Screen calls Queen Wang the woman behind the Sage Ruler!”
The Sky Screen’s bias was particularly evident—it didn’t mind a woman ruling the world, strongly encouraged women to be independent and self-reliant like the princess, and particularly advocated for gender equality.
Was the wind in the court, the wind in Da Yin, about to change?
Lu Fengqiu had no children, while Liu Feiran had a daughter.
Among the character portraits that first appeared, weren’t there women wearing official robes?
[There are many records about Wang Qingran and Your Majesty Xuanyi’s story, both in official histories and unofficial accounts. Interested viewers can look them up themselves. Well, that’s all for this episode—Qing Ju has prepared some small questions about the Zhaowen Emperor era of the Yin Dynasty. Interested viewers can answer them after the video ends. At the start of the next video, I will announce the correct answers and provide explanations. Goodbye—]
As the voice faded, a scroll gradually unfurled, revealing a vast borderland, solemn and imposing armies, and an armored Empress surrounded by her retinue astride a tall steed, while a man knelt with bowed head, presenting a blade upward.
Those with sharp eyes had already noticed the peculiarities.
The gravely ill Minister of War, Marquis Wu’an, jolted upright from his deathbed: “Xitai?!”
The kneeling man wore Northern Barbarian attire—could it be what he suspected?
Marquis Wu’an stared fixedly at the Sky Screen.
Yet the scroll swiftly moved on, white clouds obscuring the scene.
[“Surrender at the Terrace of Rest Under the Reign of Zhaowen” vividly captures the scene of Emperor Zhaowen Zhu Xuanyi accepting the surrender of the Northern Barbarian Chanyu at Xitai. It stands as a significant representation of the martial prowess and artistic flourishing during Emperor Zhaowen’s era. Which of the following statements about the painting is correct:
A. The artist of “Surrender at the Terrace of Rest Under the Reign of Zhaowen” is the renowned Dayin painter Han Lifan.
B. The general standing to the left of Emperor Zhaowen in the painting is Cai Tian, who captured the Northern Barbarian prince alive.
C. Xitai is an alternative name for the border city Wangzhou in Dayin.
D. The one presenting the blade in surrender to Emperor Zhaowen is the Northern Barbarian Chanyu Wujie.]
Emperor Hui and his court officials: “Surrender at the Terrace of Rest Under the Reign of Zhaowen”?
Xitai was a location in the northern frontier, once belonging to Dayin but later seized by the Northern Barbarians. For decades, it had remained unreclaimed, a persistent wound for the Dayin court.
The Princess—no, Emperor Zhaowen—had actually recaptured it! And accepted surrender at Xitai!
Sky Screen!
Don’t let the image vanish so quickly!
Let us get a proper look at “Surrender at the Terrace of Rest Under the Reign of Zhaowen”!
The military officers: Did you see me? Was I in the surrender painting? Was I present at the surrender?
I couldn’t see clearly!
Emperor Hui, who had long yearned to reclaim Xitai but had yet to succeed: “How did you recapture it? Who did you use?”
Zhu Xuanyi: I don’t know how I recaptured it either.
“Father, I do not yet know of future events. However…” She glanced at the Sky Screen and said, “Since Heaven has posed this question, it must be testing us. Look at the blue bar below gradually shortening—could it be that there is a time limit for answering?”
Emperor Hui, still reeling from the shock of the future Zhu Xuanyi reclaiming Xitai, raised his head to look. Indeed, a blue bar was gradually shortening, already reduced by one-tenth. Such questions ought to be deliberated by the civil and military officials together, but there was no time for that now!
Emperor Hui scanned his surroundings and declared, “Yunzhou is also known as Xitai, so the third option is certainly wrong. Let’s discuss the others.”
Clearly, Emperor Hui did not know how to pronounce the strange symbols ABCD, so he referred to them as first, second, third, and fourth.
The Crown Prince, who had been deeply affected and silent for some time, stepped forward first. Well-versed in calligraphy and painting, he addressed option A.
“Father, from the brief glimpse earlier, this painting exhibits exquisite technique, with lifelike figures. The artist must have been present at the scene. Han Lifan excels in painting flora and is over sixty years old. Currently, he is in poor health and unlikely to travel to the border regions years later to create this painting. Therefore, I believe the first option is incorrect.”
Emperor Hui nodded: “That makes sense. I have met Han Lifan—his flowers are well-painted, but his figures are lacking.” He turned to Princess Shunyang: “Xuanyi, what do you think?”
Zhu Xuanyi had some knowledge of border affairs and, after a moment’s thought, replied, “Father, from what I know, Wujie is the youngest son of the current Chanyu, Yedun. He is twelve years old, born frail, untrained in martial arts, and fond of our court’s literature and arts, but he is not highly regarded. Thus, the one presenting the blade in surrender is unlikely to be Wujie.”
Wu Jie probably couldn’t even lift a blade.
So the correct choice must be the second one.
Just as Emperor Hui was about to nod in agreement, the Crown Prince expressed displeasure: “I never imagined my royal sister would be so thoroughly acquainted with even the incompetent youngest son of the Yeton tribe. But how can we be certain he won’t later be cured, become strong and robust, and invade our dynasty? As for Cai Tian… there is no such general in our court.”
Zhu Xuanyi: “How do we know he isn’t a rising star?”
At the Guangji military camp, a squad leader looked up at the sky screen and said to his companion, “Cai Tian? Brother, isn’t your name also Cai Tian?”
Another squad leader laughed, “You half-blind illiterate! Little Cai’s name uses the character for ‘field’ (田), not this ‘tian’ (恬).”
The subject of their discussion, Cai Tian, smiled and nodded, but inside he felt exceptionally heavy-hearted – for no other reason than that Cai Tian was his pseudonym, while Cai Tian was his real name!
Could the Cai Tian on the sky screen be him?
But he was a woman disguised as a man to infiltrate the military camp!
Could a woman become a general?
If a woman could become emperor, surely a woman could become a general too?!
Cai Tian’s eyes instantly lit up.
The Imperial Palace.
Zhu Xuanyi and the Crown Prince each held their own views, creating a subtle confrontation. At this moment, Queen Wang spoke: “Even if we have the answer, how should we respond?”
After all, the sky screen wasn’t like paper examination scrolls where one could write with ink brushes!
Emperor Hui rubbed his fingers thoughtfully. Princess Shunyang, though not present in court, had never taken her eyes or heart away from court affairs. She had even made every effort to understand border military matters – no wonder she later ascended the throne as emperor.
“Choose the second option.”
Emperor Hui made the final decision.
As soon as the words left his mouth, option B on the sky screen stood out, followed by another line of text appearing.
[Thank you for your participation. See you next time.]
The sky screen completely vanished.
Someone whispered: “So it’s been decided?”
Emperor Hui gazed at the sky that had returned to normal. Would the sky screen appear again? When would it appear? What would it bring next time it appeared?
The imperial guards reported that the entire capital of Luojing could see the sky screen. It was unknown about more distant areas, but they probably could see it too.
Regardless of whether the sky screen would appear again, there was no doubt that the Great Yin Dynasty had been shaken by this event.
With complex emotions, Emperor Hui ordered eunuchs to summon ministers for discussion. He looked at Zhu Xuanyi: “Princess Shunyang shall join us.”
Civil and military officials gathered in the Taiji Hall, discussing fervently with both excitement and trepidation. Even Wang Zhan, who frequently took leave to avoid court sessions, and Duke Shen, who usually rested at home claiming poor health, came to court!
When Wang Zhan and Duke Shen – both grandfathers of Princess Shunyang – met, they smiled at each other and cupped their hands in greeting.
One thought: I am her real grandfather, the princess is closer to me.
The other thought: But the princess also calls me grandfather, what can you do about it? Hahaha!
Deputy Censor-in-chief Lu Fengqiu stood with his good colleague Liu Feiran, the future chancellor, surrounded by many people.
“Censor Liu is truly a pillar of the state!”
“Deputy Censor Lu must be a talent fit to assist the ruler!”
“I heard that in his second year as Collator, Deputy Censor Lu was selected by His Majesty to become the princess’s teacher…”
…
“His Majesty arrives—”
A eunuch’s shrill voice suppressed all discussion, and the Taiji Hall immediately fell silent. The officials glimpsed a woman’s dress from the corners of their eyes—
Princess Shunyang?!
Everyone maintained perfect composure, countless words exchanged through meaningful glances.
The court of Great Yin was about to change.
How could it not change?
Emperor Hui took in everything, feeling both bitter and melancholy.
First, the Grand Astrologer was consulted, and his response was unsurprising: this was a celestial secret, a divine opportunity bestowed upon the Great Yin Dynasty.
A few individuals suggested it might be an evil omen, but they were immediately refuted.
Why?
The Sky Screen declared that the future of the Great Yin Dynasty would be magnificent—governed with clarity and harmony, expanding territories, subduing the barbarians on all sides, with countless small towns thriving and granaries overflowing!
It even mentioned crushing the Northern Barbarians and reclaiming Xitai!
What do you mean by calling it an evil omen?
Are you implying that the Great Yin Dynasty is unworthy of recovering lost lands, achieving national prosperity and peace, or unworthy of an era where all nations pay tribute?
Are you saying that the officials of the Great Yin Dynasty are all incompetent and incapable of creating such a golden age?
The debate grew heated, with one side overwhelmingly dominating the discussion.
In summary, the Sky Screen was heaven’s affirmation of Emperor Hui’s governance, a divine favor upon the Great Yin Dynasty, and a celestial secret that reveals the future.
At this moment, Minister of Revenue Sheng Mian memorialized: “Your Majesty, the Sky Screen has appeared now, yet Princess Shunyang has not ascended the throne. Could this not be a reminder to Your Majesty and us to seize this opportunity, instruct the Crown Prince, stabilize the Eastern Palace, rectify the cosmic order, and ensure the benefits of this celestial secret are directed toward Your Majesty?”