This director is vindictive.

Chapter 518 Southern Dynasty Temples 996, Hongwu Imperial Cuisine 007
With the frequent release of creative short videos, no one expected that a short video that could be described as the most "grassroots" and the "shortest" would actually gain such high popularity.

The title of this short video is: "So I'm actually the emperor? Amitabha!"

The short video is very simple; it shows a person wearing a monk's robe chanting sutras while striking a wooden fish.

The protagonist of this short video is indeed a monk.

This video was originally quite ordinary, and you could say it had no technical sophistication whatsoever.

However, netizens immediately understood, especially the title.

After all, both emperors involved in this event are quite interesting.

One was an emperor who became a monk four times, and the other was Hongwu Emperor, the founding emperor who rose from humble beginnings to become a monk.

One is a Buddhist-like emperor, the other a wolf-like emperor, but in this short video, it's completely indistinguishable.

Netizens left comments and joked around, even creating a comparison image: Zhu Yuanzhang (still from the TV series "Ming Dynasty"): "When I was begging for food, my bowl was cleaner than your faces!"

Emperor Wu of Liang (from the documentary): "When I became a monk, my wooden fish was emptier than your hearts!"

Some netizens even used this short video to create memes, depicting a dialogue between the two from afar:

Zhu Yuanzhang (in a fit of rage): "You becoming a monk is laziness, but I becoming a monk is starting a business!"

Xiao Yan (calmly): "Benefactor, you have broken the precept against anger." (Image: Zhu Yuanzhang is so angry that he overturns the table, while Xiao Yan closes his eyes and chants scriptures.)
The key point is that, even though it's the same person and the same scene from beginning to end, netizens have photoshopped it into a Buddhist versus a wolf-like state!
Some netizens even photoshopped a group photo of the monk into the picture.

The accompanying text reads: "Of the 480 temples of the Southern Dynasties, none are as substantial as my bowl!"

This wave seems to have unlocked everyone's meme-making potential.

The hashtag #BuddhistStyleVSWolfEmperor# is starting to go viral on Douyin.

The main problem is that these two are really two extremes. As netizens say, one is the "lying flat aesthetic" and the other is the "cursed king ruling the country"!
So a stark contrast immediately emerged.

After all, they were both emperors.

So some netizens started to compare Xiao Yan (Emperor Wu of Liang)'s "lying flat aesthetics" and Zhu Yuanzhang (Emperor Hongwu)'s "ruling the country with a carefree attitude" by dressing up.

The background music at the beginning is "Zen Mind in Clouds and Water" (guzheng + wooden fish sound effects), and the color tone of the picture is bluish-gray, creating a cool Zen atmosphere. Then the BGM suddenly switches to the climax of "The Lone Warrior" ("I love you and walk alone in the dark alley"), and the picture turns warm yellow, accompanied by the "red pen imperial rescript" effect of reviewing the memorial.

In the video, Xiao Yan (the actor wearing a plain-colored monk's robe) is kneeling on a prayer mat in a temple, closing his eyes and striking a wooden fish.

A comment floated across the screen: "Your Majesty, the Northern Wei have attacked!"

A speech bubble above Xiao Yan's head reads: "Amitabha, I have already become a monk, please do not disturb me."

A "donation box" was photoshopped into the corner of the image, labeled "Redemption for my return to the court: 100 million coins!"

At first, some netizens didn't understand it, but soon others pointed out the source.

Historically, Emperor Xiao Yan was redeemed by his ministers four times after attempting to become a monk!
The short video took a sudden turn when the wooden fish was kicked away. The camera then panned to show the wooden fish crashing into a pile of memorials, scattering them in a clatter.

The sound of the wooden fish abruptly stopped, and the drumbeats of the intro to "The Lone Warrior" began.

The temple suddenly transformed into the imperial study.

The actor, dressed in a bright yellow dragon robe, slammed his hand on the table and rose to his feet, while memorials flew about.

This clearly marks the appearance of the Hongwu Emperor.

He wrote furious annotations on the memorial in red ink, adding the words: "Corrupt officials? Skin them alive!"

There's also a special effect of blood dripping from the imperial edicts.

The small print below reads: "Anti-corruption KPI during the Hongwu era: 3.5 people executed per day on average."

Close-up shot: On the table is a blank case file stamped with "Execution by Immediate Order"; in the corner is a takeout box labeled "Hongwu Special Delivery - Head of Corrupt Official".

The live chat exploded with comments: Holy crap, boss, this overtime intensity is even worse than 996!
The music suddenly stopped, and Zhu Yuanzhang suddenly pulled out a broken bowl. Xiao Yan peeked out from outside the door and handed him a wooden fish.

The subtitles appeared: "Buddhist-like or wolf-like? The Ancestor: I want them both!"

Multiple-choice questions appeared above the two characters' heads:
"What is your professional persona? A. Xiao Yan (who takes paid breaks) B. Zhu Yuanzhang (who makes his colleagues suffer)."

The comment section below completely exploded.

"Damn it, the memorials are piling up like a mountain, even the late-night snacks are like the imperial kitchen working overtime!"

Zhu: "Quarterly goal: A northern expedition against the Mongols!"

Xiao: "...I choose to become a monk." (Click the "Resignation Application" emoji)

"Wow, this is really enlightening! The emperor became a monk four times? That's just ridiculous!"

"One is truly Buddhist, lying down at the slightest disagreement; the other is truly stubborn, skinning and fucking at the slightest disagreement!"

"So, these are actually two attitudes in contemporary times. This collaboration is absolutely brilliant!"

The hashtag #BuddhistLeisureVSWolfEmperor# even trended on Weibo. The hashtag "#Can'tDistinguishBetweenXiaoYanandZhuYuanzhang" topped the list, with a history blogger explaining: "One monk became a monk and the country fell, the other a monk and the country was founded—choice is more important than effort!"

"Bullshit! Zhu Yuanzhang didn't have a choice, okay? Xiao Yan was a complete idiot; he was born in Rome. But what about Zhu Yuanzhang? He had no choice but to become a monk at first—if he didn't, he would starve to death. Later, he also had no choice but to stop being a monk. He wanted to, but they wouldn't let him!"

The delivery guy quickly chimed in: "His Majesty (Zhu Yuanzhang) delivers takeout, while Master (Xiao Yan) delivers vegetarian meals. I chose the latter because it avoids bad reviews!"

At the same time, all sorts of videos have appeared.

For example, a cute pet cameo appeared. One content creator made a picture of an orange cat wearing a mini black gauze hat on its head, with its paws touching the picture book "The Great Ming Code", and the owner's voiceover said: "I hereby sentence you to offer cans of food as tribute every day, so be it!"

Pet bloggers collectively jumped on the bandwagon, and the hashtag #CatsRulingTheCountry# became a viral sensation.

Meanwhile, offline check-ins also became a hit.

The AR Zhu Yuanzhang NPC at Ming Xiaoling Mausoleum was misused – a visitor deliberately answered the wrong question about “anti-corruption measures”, and the virtual emperor flew into a rage and unleashed an animation effect of “peeling skin and stuffing grass”, which scared the children so much that they cried loudly!
A tea stall owner in Confucius Temple capitalized on the trend by launching a "Hongwu Special Drink." Scanning the QR code on the cup triggers a hidden storyline: Zhu Yuanzhang praises it as "better than my coarse tea." Sales tripled on the day of its launch.

The Nanjing Culture and Tourism Bureau launched a joint set menu overnight – “Hongwu Emperor’s Banquet” (duck blood vermicelli soup + brown rice) and “Xiao Yan’s Vegetarian Bun” (shiitake mushroom and vegetable bun + Buddha’s hand pastry), which have become new must-visit spots for countless tourists.

Netizens joked: "After eating the same food as Zhu Yuanzhang, I have even more energy to work!"

The AR check-in point at the Six Dynasties Museum has added a "Xiao Yan Monk Simulator". Scanning the code can trigger a virtual wooden fish, and tapping it 100 times unlocks the "Bodhisattva Emperor" electronic certificate.

In just two days, the cultural and tourism data of Nanjing City skyrocketed.

Hotel bookings in Nanjing have surged by 300% year-on-year, and rental shops for Ming-style Hanfu (traditional Han clothing) are booked until next week. One shop owner said, "Dragon robes are already rented out, and now even eunuch costumes are in high demand!"

The streets and alleys of Jinling City were filled with people wearing yellow robes.

Meanwhile, according to AI data statistics online, this event caused an explosion in the usage frequency of AI software, and the number of questions about the ancient capital of six dynasties, the Hongwu Emperor, Zhu Yuanzhang, and other related topics increased by hundreds of times.

And the sponsors also benefited greatly.

They've all won so many times they're exhausted.

Because the 814 Welfare Festival has a very mature operating model, many sponsors started launching customized gift boxes for the event a long time ago.

The gift boxes given away as part of the event all bear the event logo and are divided into various series.

For example, a snack brand launched the "Hongwu Emperor Entrepreneurship Gift Box," with packaging designed like a "jade seal box." Opening the lid reveals a miniature Zhu Yuanzhang figurine, and it comes with an instruction manual titled "Emperor's Entrepreneurship Guide."

"Beggar's Edition" Meal: Coarse Grain Bun-Shaped Biscuits (with a broken bowl sticker) + "Comeback Energy" Beef Jerky (packaged with "Northern Expedition Army Rations" printed on it)
"Imperial Edition" Set Meal: Dragon-patterned pineapple cakes (engraved with "By the Mandate of Heaven") + "Anti-Corruption Peeling" spicy strips (copy: "Corrupt officials? So spicy it'll make your soul tremble!")
As a result, their similar product sold out immediately after it was launched!

Netizens shared their orders and used memes:

"Receiving the 'Imperial Seal' is like ascending to the throne on the spot! I suggest including a blank imperial edict as a bonus; I want to write 'My roommate is granted the right to wash dishes for life!'"

"Spicy strips are so timely! After eating them, I really want to tear apart corrupt officials (my roommate who stole my spicy strips has been caught)!"

The first week's activities were a huge hit.

Netizens had a great time and also took the initiative to learn about relevant historical knowledge because of the event, which naturally made Jinling City Culture and Tourism very happy.

They used to be envious of Chang'an Cultural Tourism, but now they don't need to be anymore, because they've also benefited from this wave of benefits.

In just a few days, the number of tourists visiting Nanjing was no less than that of Chang'an before.

Merchants also benefited. Although this event had a historical theme and they were only offering customized gift packs, the popularity of the event was simply too high.

Their customized gift sets sold out instantly after their launch, and also promoted their own brand.

This price-performance ratio is incredibly high!
The 814 Welfare Festival has also become increasingly popular due to such activities.

After all, although this event seems to have a threshold, in reality, it's actually quite low.

Don't know how to make short videos? No problem, you can take photos and write captions. Don't know how to write? Even less problem, AI software can handle it all!
There are games where you can get free gifts and even free trips, so everyone can have fun and eat well!
As one netizen put it, "I used to think of Zhu Yuanzhang as an old man from textbooks, but now all I can picture is that grotesque image of him begging for food with a bowl!"

"I suggest Chang'an as the next stop! I want to watch a live stream of Li Shimin and Wu Zetian's showdown and vote for them!"

"Ancestor: I never thought I'd be a top idol after being dead for hundreds of years. #ChineseEntertainmentHasFoundAGhost#"

Even official media outlets have chimed in with their praise.

The official media outlet Renren Daily published a special commentary titled "The Right Way to Make History 'Come Alive'," highly praising the "Ancient Capital 101" series of events.

The article states:

"When deliverymen are dressed in 'yellow robes' to deliver food, and when netizens are debating the greatest emperor of all time by 'voting for the center position,' what we are seeing is not the deconstruction of history, but an unprecedented cultural breakthrough."

The 814 Welfare Festival used the internet meme "starting with a bowl" to package Zhu Yuanzhang's rise to power, and used the "Emperor DNA Challenge" to encourage young people to actively turn to the "History of Ming". This "learning through play" model precisely hits the pain point of contemporary cultural inheritance - rather than lecturing with a stern face, it is better to let young people become "tough fans" of history themselves.

The article specifically praised the "triple participation mechanism" designed for the event:
Zero barriers to participation: Deliverymen use insulated boxes to cosplay as "Hongwu Emperor", and students use textbooks to film "Emperor Reviewing Memorials", bringing historical figures from textbooks into everyday life.
In-depth interaction: When AR technology is used to restore the Ming Xiaoling Mausoleum, visitors can scan a QR code to trigger a "Zhu Yuanzhang Anti-Corruption Quiz". Answering correctly unlocks an electronic badge, which is more rewarding than simply visiting the site.
Sustainable fermentation: Netizens spontaneously compiled comparison tables of the achievements of emperors from different dynasties, giving rise to sub-topics such as #HistoricalFiguresResumeContest#, forming a virtuous cycle of "the more they argue, the more they want to know."

When netizens from Luoyang used the original text of the *Zizhi Tongjian* to defend Wu Zetian, and when fans from Xianyang listed the standardized reforms implemented by Qin in unifying the six states, these "regional battles" essentially became history lessons for the entire population.

The article concludes by emphasizing that "cultural inheritance does not require solemnity. Encouraging young people to use emojis to support their ancestors and short videos to recreate historical scenes is the most vibrant expression of cultural confidence in this era."

(End of this chapter)