Inside the Ganlu Hall.
The sudden pop up prompt only caused Li Shimin a moment of mild surprise.
But for Fang Xuanling, Du Ruhui, and the others, it was nothing short of an outright delight.
To peer into later generations through the light screen, and thereby understand the world.
To observe the present through the lens of the future, and thereby glimpse what is yet to come.
To inadvertently witness the methods by which later ages blessed the Chinese heartland, and after deep reflection, to summarize the gains and losses of a thousand years of scholarship.
Because of this, the more they watched, the more complaints Fang Xuanling and the others directed at His Majesty.
Why had he not summoned them earlier to watch together?
One person's plans were always limited, while many minds together produced long wisdom. This was the simplest truth in the world.
And now, simply by looking at the Ganlu Hall, the conclusion was obvious.
When it came to military formations, His Majesty could perhaps be counted as unmatched through the ages.
But when it came to matters that later generations valued so highly, engineering, mathematics, craftsmanship, administrative detail, and the fine mechanics of governance, His Majesty's level of understanding was roughly the same as his earlier assessment of Emperor Zhaolie's command ability.
"Haha."
Thus, whenever Du Ruhui thought of the earlier missed or mistaken content from the light screen, his heart ached so badly it almost cramped.
This pain, combined with His Majesty's vague and hazy recollections, turned into something close to pure frustration.
Fortunately, as the light screen began listing past content in detail, that frustration once again transformed into delight.
And as for what to watch first, for Fang Xuanling, Du Ruhui, and Changsun Wuji, the three men who had earliest watched alongside His Majesty, there was almost no need for discussion.
Naturally, they had to see the later generation's Chengdu.
Du Ruhui still remembered clearly that it was after watching this particular segment that His Majesty had indirectly asked him what he thought of the name Du Fu.
Changsun Wuji and Fang Xuanling also remembered vividly how shaken they had been while watching the episode titled The Fire of Yiling, the Extinguished Soul of Shu Han.
Yet afterward, His Majesty had remarked that although the Battle of Yiling was shocking even with later retellings, it still fell slightly short of the impact of the later generation's Wuhou Shrine.
But if pressed for details, His Majesty himself could not really explain why.
Now was the perfect chance to see it with their own eyes.
Thus, with the agreement of the three dukes of state, Du Ruhui did not hesitate. He stepped directly before the light screen, raised his brush without dipping it in ink, used the screen itself as paper, and wrote in sweeping strokes:
The Shu Han Memories of Chengdu
…
Inside the imperial palace of Bianjing, Zhao Kuangyin and the other two stared blankly at the words above their heads.
[Enable playback function?]
Zhao Pu remained seated, calm as ever.
Zhao Guangyi, meanwhile, stared intently at his elder brother, a faint trace of anticipation visible in his eyes.
Zhao Kuangyin slowly rolled his neck, then pressed at his lower back, stood up, and walked two circles around the stone table.
During this time, Zhao Pu could clearly see a hint of impatience creeping onto the face of the Prince of Jin.
That impatience was quickly washed away by the Emperor.
"Then let us watch together with Guangyi."
The light screen projected onto the ceiling was too far away. After sitting back down, Zhao Kuangyin thought for a moment, then extended his finger as if it were a brush and wrote the word "Enable" on the stone table.
Just as he expected, ripples appeared on the small light screen on the table, and these ripples were also projected onto the large screen overhead.
What followed, however, caught all of them completely off guard.
[Playback function activating…]
[No payment record detected. Playback function has been temporarily disabled.]
[Playback function activation failed.]
[This broadcast ends here.]
[Next broadcast will begin in three months.]
The miraculous light screen vanished abruptly.
Zhao Guangyi felt as if his heart had been shattered on the spot.
Zhao Kuangyin, on the other hand, quietly let out a breath, feeling as though the weight on his shoulders had lightened just a little.
Thus Zhao Pu watched as the Emperor and the Prince of Jin once again returned to an appearance of brotherly harmony.
One said there would be another chance next time.
The other said he had not really wanted to watch anyway, and had only been thinking of the Zhao family's foundation.
As for Zhao Pu himself, he frowned in thought at the words "no payment record detected."
The first thing that came to his mind was the calligraphy scroll signed by Lu Su.
Could this be what "payment" meant?
…
Back in the Ganlu Hall, aside from Li Shimin, this was the first time everyone else had seen the light screen place its background entirely within the later generations.
Buildings towered skyward like the Pillar of Buzhou.
Straight avenues crisscrossed the land, traffic flowing without pause.
The people, each with their own bearing, moved in bustling crowds that resembled the ideal world of Great Harmony.
At this moment, the light screen was like a new set of eyes for them, unreservedly displaying everything it saw in perfect clarity.
Everyone greedily tried to carve every detail into their memory. Yet with a single shift in perspective, the splendid scenery was already enough to seize their attention all over again.
Du Ruhui could not help sighing.
"To observe it leaves no time to spare, yet to remember it in full detail is impossible."
Fang Xuanling carefully studied the streets and buildings, examining every detail.
Changsun Wuji noticed the countless commercial establishments lining the streets.
Empress Changsun quietly watched the women passing by, their clothing even more bold and free than those of Great Tang, and smiled faintly.
Even Li Shimin himself leaned back comfortably, silently praising how much more pleasant this large light screen was compared to the earlier small one.
Yet all of this was merely the appetizer.
The light screen was carried upward by something called a "drone," and in an instant, an incomparably grand city appeared before them.
The image hovered quietly in midair, and they could still clearly see the later generation's people busy at work on the streets below.
Then the sun sank in the west and the bright moon rose in the east.
Yet it was only now that the great city below seemed to truly awaken.
The interwoven streets became bands of radiant light. The towering buildings glittered with countless points of brightness, eventually forming a city of resplendent brilliance, one that could contend with the moon itself.
The sight rendered everyone speechless.
Fang Xuanling murmured softly, "No wonder His Majesty cannot forget it."
The sleepless Chang'an was already impressive, but it could not compare to a spectacle so vast and overwhelming, one that made the gap of over a thousand years unmistakably clear.
It was a pity that the later generations did not linger long on this scene. The image soon descended again, and the younger man named Wen Mang led the light screen through streets and alleys, slowly recounting the memories left behind in Chengdu from the end of the Han dynasty.
From the rebuilt Huang Zhong Village to the Jiuli Embankment where visitors now rested.
From the mysterious Wudan Mountain to Guanmiao Street and Huanhou Alley.
Incense burned, faces were washed, bridge names were spoken. A journey of ten thousand li was understood in a single day.
Every place bore the marks of careful preservation by later generations.
Even Wei Zheng could not help lowering his voice and saying, "I wonder if later ages remember us as well."
The light screen's rapid tour eventually lingered for a long time at the Temple of Emperor Zhaolie.
From historical recollections to inscriptions carved by countless visitors.
From detailed accounts of past events with civil and military figures listed side by side, to later generations being stirred to loyalty and valor by the Memorial on the Northern Expedition.
Even Fang Xuanling, always humble and restrained, could not help feeling a trace of envy.
"If the Marquis of Wu could see this, he would have no regrets."
Du Ruhui smiled softly.
"The later generations' reverence for the Marquis of Wu is probably rare even in ancient times."
The segment on the Six Northern Expeditions made it clear just how exalted Zhuge Liang's reputation was in later ages. Yet when they considered the matter calmly, none could think of anyone who could have done better in his place.
What remained was only admiration and reflection.
"Emperor Zhaolie knew how to employ men."
"The Marquis of Wu devoted himself unto death."
"A ruler and minister so perfectly matched truly make a tale worthy of the ages."