He must cultivate a strong body.
At present, that was Zhu Yuanzhang's only request of his beloved eldest son.
Of course, he also had to worry about the health of his good grandson Zhu Xiongying. For a time, this made the Emperor of Ming even more impatient about the reform of the Imperial Medical Bureau that was currently being implemented.
Although Dai Sigong could indeed be called a physician of extraordinary skill, one man alone inevitably found it difficult to divide his attention.
The illnesses that had afflicted his wife, his sons and grandsons, and even the daughter of Xu Da's brother who had married his fourth son had all suddenly been brought before him. This made him somewhat inclined to issue something like a "Summons for Physicians."
After all, looking back at the light screen, the Han and Tang seemed full of divine doctors and kings of medicine.
How could the vast Ming dynasty, inheriting the past and opening the future, possibly lack famous physicians?
Naturally, Zhu Yuanzhang would never admit that this thought was also partly due to the faint dislike he had begun to feel toward Zhu Yunwen.
After all, recalling the few scattered mentions about him on the light screen, it was not difficult to guess what had happened during his brief reign.
Nothing more than a newly enthroned emperor acting with youthful vigor, pressuring the princely kings to test whether the sword of the Son of Heaven was sharp.
Yet in the end, the fourth son marched south from the northern frontier straight toward Jinling.
And then?
What more needed to be said?
Zhu Yuanzhang shook his head inwardly.
To leave behind the reputation of forcing an uncle to death showed a lack of self-awareness.
To possess the entire empire of Ming yet lose to a frontier prince showed a lack of ability in employing men.
In the end there was only one evaluation.
He truly lacked the talent of an emperor.
As for the jokes of later generations that the fourth son ought to thank him because of the Hu Weiyong Case and the Lan Yu Case, Zhu Yuanzhang simply ignored them.
How could that possibly become his fault?
Did the great Ming lack military families?
Suppressing the many thoughts in his heart, Zhu Yuanzhang turned back to glance at Huagai Hall, where the light screen stood.
He could not help but sigh inwardly.
Since the founding of the Ming dynasty, officials had repeatedly submitted memorials requesting to imitate previous dynasties by celebrating the Festival of Heavenly Longevity, holding a birthday banquet for the emperor.
But at that time the border troubles had not yet been settled and internal virtue had not yet been cultivated.
Thus he had always refused.
Only last year, after Hu Weiyong was implicated in his case and the office of chancellor was abolished, did the Emperor of Ming finally agree to the celebrations of the Heavenly Longevity Festival.
He did so partly to comfort the officials, partly to display imperial authority, and partly out of an inexpressible hope for the future of the Ming.
And what had been the result?
In Jinshen Hall, the hundred officials raised cups and drank jade wine.
In Qianqing Palace, the empress, ill, watched the light screen.
The emperor sat in supreme dignity, pleased with himself as praises were offered for his virtue.
Meanwhile later generations discussed history with passionate judgment of praise and blame.
Just when he believed the Ming dynasty had already become as secure as a fortress of gold and jade, the light screen suddenly appeared through unfathomable means and showed him a future that was extremely difficult to accept.
To change the fate of his wife?
To change the fate of his son?
Either would mean changing the fate of the Ming itself.
And how it should be changed, Zhu Yuanzhang could see very clearly.
For the words of those descendants were never concealed.
With the intelligence that had raised him from a beggar to the imperial throne, he could easily summarize what later generations hoped for the Ming.
The laws of Ming must reach down into the fields.
The northern steppe must be incorporated and merged into the Chinese world.
Its power must awe the seas and intimidate the barbarians.
Only then could one present achievements before the ancestral temples and the altars of state.
Yet the Emperor of Ming understood even better how difficult each of these tasks would be.
But with the light screen present, and the wisdom of past figures available to draw upon, perhaps they would not be impossible after all.
Still, these were all long-term plans.
For the moment there was no need to worry about them.
At present, within the hall stood Li Shanchang, his face ashen.
The Xu brothers appeared stirred with thought.
Li Wenzhong looked eager to speak, as though a thousand words pressed at his lips.
The princes showed various expressions.
And Mr. Luo's eyebrows had nearly flown up into the heavens.
Zhu Yuanzhang had a premonition that the palace would be extremely busy today.
Even so, however busy he might be, it did not prevent him and his wife from watching with a more relaxed mood as the figures of the Han, Tang, and Song exchanged words upon the light screen.
[ Server Chat Log]
Zhuge Liang : Hebei's winter is severe. Once heavy snow falls across the plains, the movement of armies becomes extremely difficult.
Liu Bei : Indeed. When the roads are blocked by snow, even fast cavalry cannot travel freely. Grain and fodder must be prepared beforehand.
Zhang Fei: Why so many complications? If Song wishes to recover Hebei, just march north and take it back.
Zhang Fei: Zhao Da, when are you moving your troops?
Li Shimin: The Western Regions are of great importance. Control the passes, and the trade routes will follow.
Li Shimin: The South Seas should not be neglected either. Maritime routes can connect distant lands.
Du Ruhui: If sea routes are to be opened, shipbuilding must first be strengthened.
Fang Xuanling: We must also study the winds and currents of the ocean.
Wei Zheng: Ports must be established and navigation routes recorded in detail.
Zhao Kuangyin: Recovering the north cannot be done recklessly.
Zhao Kuangyin: The army must first be trained, provisions gathered, and the frontier stabilized.
Zhao Pu: Once the border is secure, we may advance step by step.
Zhao Pu: Only then can the northern lands truly be reclaimed.
Meanwhile the princes of Ming watched the famous names that they had previously only read in texts now chatting and laughing upon the light screen.
For a moment, many of them felt an impulse of excitement.
Among them, Empress Ma remembered something clearly.
She tugged at Zhu Yuanzhang's sleeve and pointed to a small box on the table beside them, then nodded toward the light screen.
Zhu Yuanzhang immediately understood.
This segment was somewhat familiar to him.
It resembled the ceremonial arrangements of the court during New Year celebrations.
Objects would be presented to later generations for commentary, perhaps even compared with items from earlier figures.
But when he remembered the merciless commentary of the light screen, and the previous remarks about the Great Ming Treasure Notes, Zhu Yuanzhang immediately changed his mind.
Without even glancing at the small box, he turned instead and took a sword hanging on the wall beside him, presenting it forward.
"Chongba…"
Empress Ma could not help laughing and shaking her head, though she did not say much.
She only sighed softly with a smile.
"You…"
Zhu Yuanzhang snorted lightly.
"Since they say I am a treasured blade, then let the descendants see what my blade looks like."
The conversation within Huagai Hall could not pass beyond the palace doors.
Naturally it could not reach Yecheng, where snow and wind still raged.
Liu Xie shifted slightly on his seat, moving closer to the brazier for warmth.
Before today's gathering he had not known what the meeting was for.
Thus he had worn formal robes to show proper respect.
But now he found himself missing the ordinary garments that retained warmth better.
Yet this was not what held his attention most at the moment.
Zhuge Liang and General Zhang Fei were constantly writing words on slips of paper and tossing them toward the light screen, conversing enthusiastically with unfamiliar names.
For Liu Xie and Fu Shou, this alone was already astonishing enough to be called miraculous.
Moreover, it seemed that the people of later generations were quite familiar with Zhuge Liang.
They often addressed him as the Marquis Wu, somewhat lacking in formality.
Some even called Zhang Fei the Marquis Huan.
This made Liu Xie extremely curious about the details of the "old histories" that the Imperial Uncle had once mentioned.
But what interested him most now was the sheets of paper that disappeared beneath the light screen in the blink of an eye.
After all, those documents had passed through his own hands.
Liu Bei seemed to guess what Liu Xie was thinking.
He calmly raised his hand.
"Your Majesty, are you concerned about that proclamation? Please look."
Following the direction of the Imperial Uncle's gesture, Liu Xie lifted his gaze.
Only then did he realize that the frequent exchanges of text upon the light screen had already ceased.
The dark background turned bright white again.
Soon afterward a new image appeared.
The wide frame suddenly narrowed.
Every object that entered the view seemed novel to Liu Xie.
The flat surface looked as smooth as though carved from jade.
There was also something emitting a soft glow like the legendary luminous pearl.
Except that this one was long and narrow rather than spherical.
Upon that table of unknown material, Liu Xie immediately recognized the document he had just sealed with the imperial jade seal.
And the same voice he had heard moments ago now sounded again.
[Lightscreen]
[Hello hello, this is Wen Mang. Long time no see, honored viewers.
Without further delay, we will go straight to the topic.
Today's vlog is not exactly an unboxing, because the masterpiece made by the master was not packaged in a box this time.
So we will simply introduce the items one by one according to how interesting they are.
First up.
The Proclamation to Restore Han, bearing the Imperial Heirloom Seal.]