[Lightscreen]
[At such a pivotal age, there ultimately emerged one who broke the deadlock.
In the name of a commoner who ascended as Son of Heaven, he gathered the shattered rivers and mountains with the spirit of Han, creating the miracle of "beginning with a single bowl, ending with a realm," an achievement of founding a state from nothing that none could replicate.
Born in utmost poverty, with no tile to roof his home and no whole garment upon his body. This was the Huai-Right orphan, Zhu Chongba.
Mending north and south, recreating Huaxia, temple name Taizu. This was the Hongwu Great Emperor, Zhu Yuanzhang.
Thus it is once again time to bid farewell for this episode. Next time, at the usual hour, we shall meet again.]
[Server Chat Log]
[NetLurker: After hearing all this, it's suddenly not surprising why the Yuan Dynasty was so loved by those who came later. It's logical: except for Kublai Khan, all the other emperors were busy drinking, sleeping around, or murdering each other. Even the occasional sober ones only wanted to govern for about three minutes. Even at the height of the "wise" Kublai's reign, he didn't know how much land or population he ruled. Local magnates thrived under the tax-farming system; it was truly the golden age for local landlords.
ReplyMode: But looking at history, it is pretty funny. They messed around for so long and stayed alive, yet the moment one of them tried to do something productive, fixing the Yellow River, the dynasty collapsed.
Alg0Kid: Toghotua probably knew the risks, but "desperate diseases require desperate remedies." He thought fixing the river might save the state; if not, it was fate. In the end, he got the middle result: the river was fixed, but the nation was gone.
LateTrend: A good thing it fell! The fall of the Yuan brought us Zhu Yuanzhang, the most high-profile "Kublai fan" in history.
ScrollSad: Is "Kublai fan" a euphemism for scouring the plains, launching multiple northern expeditions, and killing over nine hundred of Kublai's descendants?
WiFiKid: Only by wiping out Kublai's descendants can you sit securely in Kublai's seat. Makes sense, right? Doghead_emoji.jpg
ScrollPro: Old Zhu is truly a beast. The only true grassroots emperor, the Child of Destiny. The "whitest" of all self-made men.
ViralInMyHead: Rising as a commoner without relying on inherited prestige, removing tyranny for the people without initial intent to seize the throne... since the First Emperor, those who gained the throne with the most legitimacy are only the Han and the Ming!
Contentish: To use a Roman Imperial title, he is the only one in thousands of years qualified to be called "Restorer of the World." And when you add the story of his grandfather surviving the Battle of Yashan, it really feels like a novel plot.
WiFiPhilosopher: Expelling the barbarians, restoring Huaxia, establishing order, and saving the people. Magnificent, Hongwu Emperor!
SleepIsOffline: The "Proclamation to the Central Plains" said it best: "Saving the people from misery, restoring the dignity of Han officials, expelling the barbarians, and washing away China's shame."
EmojiFluent: Liu Bang & Zhu Yuanzhang: "We're amazing!" / Yang Jian & Zhao Kuangyin: "Those two sure did it the hard way."
CtrlAltDelMe: Throughout history, the Sixteen Prefectures of Yan and Yun that eight Northern Song emperors obsessed over for 150 years were recovered by the Hongwu Emperor in just three months. The "Chariot God" Zhao Er, is crying in the corner.]
---
The measured yet weighty voice of the light screen echoed within Huagai Hall, rendering the hall ever more still.
Zhu Biao felt his body tremble faintly. He could not name the emotion, only that it was unfamiliar.
He was not unfamiliar with Zhu Yuanzhang. This was his biological father, his mother's husband, the righteous army marshal of his childhood memory, the stern father who once stood upon the walls of Yingtian boasting to his mother, and the monarch who proclaimed the name of Great Ming to All Under Heaven.
He was not unfamiliar with his father. From childhood he had stood at his side, watching the garments upon him grow ever more splendid, his residence ever more expansive, his followers ever more powerful.
Yet now, through the light screen of later generations, for the first time in his life Zhu Biao regarded this familiar yet unfamiliar father from a distant vantage.
Years had marked his temples yet lent him added majesty. Wind and frost had worn his features yet rendered them softer.
Was he truly so great? Was it truly so difficult? Was it truly unique?
Unnameable emotions churned. Zhu Biao found himself momentarily at a loss, and at last hesitated.
"Father…"
But the call was instantly drowned out by a loud exclamation.
"Father, you carried on Hua and transformed Xia. Truly a divine and martial bearing!"
It was the flushed Fourth Prince, Zhu Di. As if stirred by his father's achievements, his cheeks bore a faint excited redness.
"In the future I shall surely take Father as my example, accomplish unprecedented feats for descendants to commemorate, so that later generations of Huaxia may praise me as they praise Father!"
Seeing his elder brother looking at him, Zhu Di waved his hands, suddenly aware he had spoken rashly.
"Elder Brother, I did not mean that. Father is still alive. No, that is not it. I mean the world is vast, and those who establish merit…"
The more anxious he became, the more he misspoke. Zhu Biao's mood eased despite himself. With a helpless smile he patted his younger brother's shoulder.
"How could I not understand your meaning? If you go to Beiping, learn military strategy well from the Grand General. In the future, Great Ming may indeed rely upon you."
The longing upon Zhu Di's face deepened, as though he wished to grow wings and fly north at once.
To Zhu Biao, this fourth brother, though occasionally impulsive, caused far less concern than the calculating second and third brothers.
As for the most reassuring, it was still the fifth. Thinking thus, Zhu Biao glanced toward Zhu Su and saw that even this usually composed younger brother had risen unconsciously to his feet. Beside him stood the sixth brother, smiling with untroubled innocence. In a certain sense, the sixth was reassuring as well.
Perhaps the princes had grown too noisy. Zhu Biao saw his father turn his profile toward them. Upon that face, which he had seen bear many expressions, there now rested a smile sincere and lightly colored with ease.
"If it is judged thus, then regardless of the length of the mandate, this Great Ming of mine also…"
Before he could finish, the sixth prince pointed at the light screen and suddenly shouted,
"This Father looks truly ugly!"
The Son of Heaven's smile froze at once. Zhu Biao sighed inwardly. The sixth brother was reassuring only on occasion.
Yet upon raising his head, the same thought leapt unbidden into his own mind.
It truly was ugly.
The face was distorted and unnaturally elongated, like some strange beast. Beneath it were plainly written the three characters: "Portrait of Zhu Yuanzhang."
This was Father?
Zhu Biao looked from the screen to his actual father. It could not be said there was no resemblance. It could only be said that horse and ox would not recognize one another.
The smile upon his father's face vanished. Anger gathered visibly.
Fortunately, new words soon flickered upon the light screen:
[My apologies, the wrong one was shown.]
The bizarre portrait disappeared, replaced by another bearing seven or eight parts resemblance to his father.
Even so, the previous grotesque image was not easily forgotten. Huagai Hall fell into a silence difficult to describe.
"It must be that the Hu Qing feared one resembling Chongba, and thus defamed him."
At last Empress Ma spoke to soothe the moment, preventing the silence from deepening.
Zhu Yuanzhang snorted in anger.
"I shall surely secure Liaodong forever, and not permit that Hu Qing any chance to rise!"