[“Greetings esteemed viewers—I am Qing Ju. Long time no see, I’ve missed you all—”]
It was dusk at this moment. With the current dynasty having lifted restrictions on night markets, the streets were filled with people. Upon hearing this voice, many paused their activities and looked up at the sky.
The same opening as last time: a sky screen encircled by flowing light, with character illustrations appearing like flowing water.
Six days had passed since the sky screen first appeared.
During this period, the imperial court had become turbulent indeed.
The officials had quietly divided into several factions.
There were stubborn Crown Prince supporters, led by Sheng Mian, who firmly believed the sky screen’s appearance was meant to have the Crown Prince replace Zhu Xuanyi to establish a prosperous era.
Many scoffed at this notion, yet it had considerable support.
Beyond the Crown Prince’s previously accumulated power, many officials who opposed women becoming emperor also rallied behind him.
Some supported Zhu Xuanyi, forming the Princess faction. This group argued that Zhu Xuanyi was the Heaven-certified Emperor Zhaowen, using the sky screen’s endorsement of female rulership to refute the Crown Prince faction. Key figures included Duke Shen, Wang Zhan, Lu Fengqiu, Liu Feiran, and Marquis Wu’an.
Yes, the princess’s tutor Lu Fengqiu and the future Emperor Zhaowen’s chancellor Liu Feiran had already clearly aligned themselves with the princess.
Some still supported Prince Chen, hoping to stir the waters and have the Crown Prince and princess fight bitterly until both were weakened, allowing Prince Chen to reap the benefits. However, such individuals were relatively few.
Others supported neither the Crown Prince nor the princess, nor Prince Chen. They quietly carried out their duties, pledging loyalty to whoever ultimately ascended the throne.
Although the princess found herself at the center of public controversy, aside from the day the sky screen appeared when Emperor Hui permitted her attendance at court discussions, she had spent her days either at the Princess Manor, in the empress’s palace, or visiting Marquis Wu’an’s residence to see her ailing father-in-law.
She still lacked the right to participate in state affairs.
Though forbidden from appearing in court, officials who supported her took the initiative to approach her.
Currently, the princess was invited to a garden party organized by Duke Shen’s household. Wang Zhan, Lu Fengqiu, Liu Feiran, and other officials were also on Duke Shen’s guest list.
[“In the previous video, Qing Ju recounted the story of the woman behind the Sage Ruler—Empress Dowager Xiaoci Wang Qingran. Today, we’ll delve into the eve of the Annals of Emperor Zhaowen—the blood-stained full moon night.”]
On the sky screen, crimson blood splattered across a white full moon as magnificent palaces were shrouded in darkness. A sickly, elderly emperor with disheveled hair lay half-reclined on a bed, holding a partially unrolled imperial edict.
Emperor Hui immediately recognized that the deathly ill man was himself. And that imperial edict bearing the imperial seal—
It proclaimed the succession to Princess Shuyang Zhu Xuanyi.
These few words made all sky screen viewers understand this was a succession edict.
Emperor Hui’s expression became unreadable. Over recent days, he had even speculated that Zhu Xuanyi might have relied on the Yue family’s military power to kill her father and brother in a usurpation.
Could it be that in the future, he would personally pass the throne to Xuanyi?
How could this be?
Had the Crown Prince died? Had Prince Chen committed unforgivable crimes?
The Crown Prince, Prince Chen, Sheng Mian, and others shared similar thoughts with Emperor Hui…
At Duke Shen’s residence, some were congratulating Zhu Xuanyi. She gazed intently at the edict, yet her heart remained largely unperturbed.
These days of cold treatment had made her understand: in her father’s heart, a daughter could be more favored than sons, but could never truly share in power belonging to men.
A blood-stained full moon night?
Behind that imperial edict must lie a trail of fresh blood.
She had made all preparations.
Zhu Xuanyi lowered her gaze when a warm strength suddenly transmitted through her hand. Turning her head, she saw her maternal grandmother—the Duchess of Shen—looking at her kindly.
She smiled faintly, a warm current surging in her heart.
[While recounting the circumstances of Emperor Zhaowen’s ascension, let me revisit the question about 《Surrender at the Terrace of Rest Under the Reign of Zhaowen》 left from the previous episode.]
Crown Prince: I’m not particularly interested in how my sister accepted the barbarians’ surrender. Sky screen, quickly tell me whether that imperial edict was forced from Father Emperor by Xuanyi…
He still clung to a sliver of hope.
[In the fourth year of Emperor Zhaowen’s reign, Your Majesty Xuanyi was inspecting the northern border when the Northern Barbarians invaded. Your Majesty Xuanyi immediately decided to lead the expedition personally. In the summer of the twenty-ninth year of Emperor Hui’s reign, the then Crown Prince Zhu Xuanyu was defeated at the Battle of Yunzhou and captured by the Northern Barbarians for half a year. The court had to cede territory and pay indemnities to secure his return. With this precedent, ministers including Lu Fengqiu and Guo Qian opposed Your Majesty Xuanyi’s personal expedition.]
The Crown Prince’s legs gave way, and he suddenly collapsed to the ground. What had the Sky screen said?
Crown Prince Zhu Xuanyu captured by the Northern Barbarians? The court ceding territory and paying indemnities for his return?
Emperor Hui turned pale, clutching his chest while coughing violently. A eunuch presented a small round bottle, speaking with both reverence and concern: “Your Majesty, would you take an elixir?”
Emperor Hui opened the bottle and swallowed an elixir before feeling somewhat better.
The Crown Prince? The Crown Prince actually so useless? Couldn’t even manage to escape?
At the Duke Shen’s residence, though everyone supported the Princess, upon hearing this they still looked furious, eyes wide with anger, hatefully exclaiming: “You barbarians! How dare you capture and humiliate the Great Yin’s crown prince, forcing our court to cede land and pay indemnities!”
For a crown prince to be so useless, reaching such a state—shouldn’t he have taken his own life?
Some of the more impassioned thought this way.
[Zhu Xuanyi believed that since she was already at the northern border, returning to Luojing upon hearing news of the Northern Barbarians’ invasion would only embolden their arrogance.
Therefore, she insisted on supervising the battle at the frontlines. While appointing generals like Yue Guantang, Qi Xin, and Wang Feng, she personally ascended the city walls to boost morale.]
Marquis Wu’an, supported by attendants, came to the courtyard and leaned back in his chair, eyes full of approval as he stroked his beard: “Good, very good!”
The Crown Prince, who had been sitting collapsed on the ground, was helped up by others. After drinking a large mouthful of tea, he barely calmed down, thinking: It’s not that easy! If just appointing generals and inspiring soldiers were effective, how could he possibly… be captured and humiliated in the future!
[Great Yin never lacked good generals—it only depended on who was employing them. Your Majesty Xuanyi gave these generals her utmost trust. Under the generals’ leadership, the soldiers fought with soaring morale and fervor, repelling the Northern Barbarians.
However, Your Majesty Xuanyi was no weakling content with temporary peace.
After repelling the Northern Barbarians, unlike her father Emperor Hui who paid compensation even after victory, she chose to pursue the advantage, crushing the Northern Barbarians until their 150,000-strong army was reduced to merely three thousand survivors.]
Qi Xin and Wang Feng nearly shed tears!
Heavens!
Truly, if the emperor would stop issuing those strange and unbreakable commands, they wouldn’t have lost so many battles!
An incompetent emperor exhausts the entire army!
Princess, Princess! The military needs you! The northern border needs you!
Let’s go fight the Northern Barbarians right now!
Sky screen, if you’re talking about the surrender painting, why not show it? What’s the point of just displaying a few lines of text!
Who exactly appears in that surrender painting!
As for Emperor Hui—
I simply wish to avoid draining the people’s resources through war and want to give them peaceful lives. How did I become the spineless coward described by the Sky Screen?
The Sky Screen is far too extreme and biased!
[Our General Cai Tian, the first female general of Emperor Zhao Wen’s era, even captured the Northern Barbarians’ prince alive, standing out from the rest and catching Your Majesty’s eye from then on, rising swiftly through the ranks.]
At Guangji military camp, Cai Tian, munching on melon brought by her fellow-townsman medic while watching the Sky Screen: !!
A female general? Cai Tian?!
How many people in the Great Yin dynasty disguised themselves as men to join the army under the name Cai Tian?
A female general?
Zhu Xuanyi summoned Lin Zhitong: “Zhitong, help me find her.”
Lin Zhitong, who loved martial arts, was immensely curious about this future female military star and nodded emphatically: “Yes!”
[The Northern Barbarians were caught off guard, and even the Great Yin side found it hard to believe. When the news reached Luojing, Prime Minister Xue Zeruo actually asked the messenger three times whether the information was accurate…
Folks, back when men were emperors, they were so timid and hesitant. How many years had the Great Yin been bullied and humiliated by the Northern Barbarians! Yet as soon as the Empress personally led the campaign, she had the troops nearly annihilate the Northern Barbarians. This deserves applause!]
At Duke Shen’s garden party, applause rang out continuously.
Xue Zeruo, the current Minister of Personnel: Three times? I only asked three times? Now hearing this news, I can barely contain my excitement and joy, almost fainting from happiness!
As for the Sky Screen’s comments about timidity…
Xue Zeruo stated that he had always been a firm advocate for war.
He didn’t want to specify who the “timid” referred to, but the image of Sheng Mian, the Minister of Revenue, surfaced in his mind.
After all, the criticized policy of paying reparations even after winning was something Sheng Mian had strongly promoted.
The military officers who had nearly been infuriated to death by this matter back then now felt their hearts racing, and even the seriously ill Marquis Wu’an seemed revitalized, as if experiencing a final surge of energy.
Far away in Luojing, they couldn’t hear the thoughts of the frustrated and long-suppressed officers stationed at the border, nor the suffering border people tormented by foreign tribes:
When will our esteemed Princess arrive at your loyal Northern Frontier?
[In summary, Chanyu Wuhai of the Northern Barbarians held up his sword in Xitai, formerly occupied by the Northern Barbarians—now Yunzhou—and surrendered to the supreme Your Majesty Xuanyi.
Cai Boxi, who would later wield immense power at court and, along with her sister Cai Tian, be hailed as the Great Yin’s most powerful sister duo, was at this time merely a minor official accompanying Your Majesty Xuanyi on her northern inspection.
After witnessing this historic moment, she felt greatly inspired and, upon returning, fully utilized her artistic talent to paint this surrender scene. At this point, the correct answer is clear—only option B is correct.]
Cai… Cai Boxi?!
The melon dropped from Cai Tian’s hand.
How many people in the Great Yin dynasty disguised themselves as men to join the army under the name Cai Tian and had an older sister named Cai Boxi?
Probably… only her, right?
A female general?!
Catching Your Majesty Xuanyi’s eye and rising swiftly through the ranks??
Waste is shameful! Just as Cai Tian was about to pick up the melon from the ground, brush off the grass, and continue eating, she unexpectedly met the fervent gaze of her fellow-townsman medic.
“If you rise to greatness, don’t forget me!”
Cai Tian paused in picking up the melon: Brother, there’s no sign of that yet!
This wasn’t the time when Princess Shunyang had become emperor. Her disguise as a man to join the army would likely be exposed soon, and then…
She’d have to take things one step at a time.
Meanwhile, in distant Nanzhou, a woman supporting her family by making lanterns while her husband was ill stared blankly at the Sky Screen.
Her husband hesitantly and incredulously said, “Boxi, what the Sky Screen said… it seems to be about you…”
Cai Boxi remarked, “A-Tian, she actually went to the military camp… so bold, truly unchanged since childhood.”
As for wielding overwhelming power in court?
Sheng Mian’s face darkened like murky water.
A woman ruling the world would inevitably promote other women.
But since ancient times, men have been superior and women inferior.
How could this be?
How could it!
Sheng Mian gazed up at the Sky Screen.
Oh heavens, when you revealed this Sky Screen, was it not to assist the Crown Prince and rectify the cosmic balance of yin and yang?
Could it be that women truly could become emperors, civil officials, and generals, performing even better than men?
Women, women—have you not heard of “womanly benevolence”?
Have you not heard that “long hair but short insight”?
Would the Sky Screen respond?
[Alright, the introduction is over. Now let’s move to this episode’s theme—The Blood-Stained Full Moon Night. This matter actually begins with Crown Prince Zhu Xuanyu being captured by the Northern Barbarians.]
Zhu Xuanyu: What does this have to do with me? No… can we not talk about this? The person involved doesn’t want to know.