Sky Curtain: My Great Qin must have an aircraft carrier!

Zhu Yuanzhang looked at the sky, his face filled with undisguised sarcasm.

"The Manchu Qing dynasty... was it the dynasty that succeeded our Ming dynasty?"

"They reaped the benefits of American crops, and this is all they got? Only 300 catties of grain per capita, not even as good as our Hongwu Dynasty!"

"We don't even have the audacity to call ourselves a prosperous era, yet people with nothing but refugees dare to pat themselves on the back?"

"Now that their true colors have been revealed, they've only brought this trouble upon themselves."

Zhu Yuanzhang himself knew that the people of the Ming Dynasty were only getting by, and were far from a golden age.

In comparison, have we become a prosperous era?

Isn't this ridiculous?!

Zhu Yuanzhang put down his teacup and turned his gaze back to the sky.

The images shifted, and several scenes of everyday life in Qing Dynasty cities were projected onto the sky.

Zhu Yuanzhang had been glancing around casually, but when his gaze fell on the heads of the common people, he suddenly stopped.

His forehead was shaved clean, and his hair was braided into a single braid that hung loosely down his back.

"What hairstyle is that?"

Zhu Yuanzhang frowned, and his voice deepened.

Our bodies and hair are gifts from our parents; the traditional Chinese clothing and attire have been passed down for thousands of years.

Tying one's hair up and wearing a crown, crossing one's collar and fastening one's right lapel—these are the rules of our ancestors!

Such ugly and vulgar attire is definitely not in accordance with the orthodox style of the Central Plains.

"Barbarians beyond the Great Wall."

Zhu Yuanzhang squeezed out these four words through gritted teeth, his voice filled with a chilling coldness.

He acknowledged the legitimacy of the Yuan Dynasty in order to stabilize the people's hearts and continue the Mandate of Heaven.

But from beginning to end, Zhu Yuanzhang never treated the barbarians as his own people.

The proclamation for the Northern Expedition clearly stated: "Expel the barbarians and restore China."

As a result, several hundred years later, the descendants were unworthy and allowed these barbarians to re-enter and rule the Central Plains.

They even forced Han people to shave their heads and change their clothes, resulting in such inhuman and ghostly appearances!

"Very well, you're just barbarians from beyond the Great Wall, aren't you?"

Old Zhu grew increasingly angry, and a murderous intent suddenly arose within him. "We'll see which savage came from some remote mountain valley!"

The Ming Dynasty is now strong and well-equipped, with veteran generals like Xu Da and Chang Yuchun still serving.

If Tianmu reveals even the slightest hint that the Manchus rose to power, he will surely send hundreds of thousands of troops to wipe them out!

We should uproot these scourges before they die, leaving them not even a single seed.

Let's see how they manage to take over the Central Plains.

-

Another characteristic of the Kaiyuan era was its cultural confidence and inclusiveness towards the outside world.

Persian merchants, Arab envoys, Japanese envoys to Tang China, Silla students, and even Sogdians from Central Asia all chose to come to Chang'an in search of opportunities.

Even people from non-Han ethnic groups held important positions in the Tang Dynasty, taking pride in serving the Tang.

Therefore, the Kaiyuan era was a prosperous and developing era.

The Kangxi and Qianlong reigns, however, were somewhat overrated.

The imperial court treated the people as if they were thieves, instigating literary inquisitions to suppress thought and closing the country off from foreign influence.

Despite the nation's wealth increasing, the Kaiyuan era saw plenty of meat in the bowls, while the Kangxi and Qianlong eras saw only chaff to eat.

"puff--"

"So there really were such shameless dynasties, daring to call themselves a golden age while starving?"

"By this standard, wouldn't our Great Song Dynasty be considered a super golden age? At least we could afford to eat meat!"

"Then everyone can call themselves a golden age, as long as no one starves!"

People from all dynasties also discussed it extensively, filled with ridicule and disdain.

You call it a prosperous age when people in your country flee famine in droves?

Could we call those years of famine the first year of weight loss?

Inside the Forbidden City.

Emperor Kangxi's face turned ashen, and he couldn't utter a single word.

Tianmu has no particular stance; it's simply stating what the Qing Dynasty did.

But Kangxi did not think he had done anything wrong. There were more Han people than Manchus, so how could he not keep them in check?

These are all necessary means to consolidate power.

But compared to the prosperous Kaiyuan era… Kangxi closed his eyes and said nothing more.

-

"Cultural confidence, inclusiveness towards the outside world... Well said!"

After hearing the evaluation, Li Longji's previous gloom vanished.

But the knot in his heart was still not untied.

Why do people wish for my early death when I have done such a good job?

Before he could figure it out, the sky suddenly changed its appearance.

The bright and vibrant colors quickly faded, and a depressing grayness filled the picture.

The background music turned desolate and tragic, mixed with the neighing of warhorses and the sounds of clashing weapons.

Now that we've finished praising him, let's talk about why so many people wished for Emperor Xuanzong of Tang to die sooner.

Why is he called Emperor Xuanzong of Tang? Because his life before and after his death was so mysterious and drastically different.

It's hard to imagine that the brilliant and ambitious monarch in the past and the muddle-headed and incompetent old man in the future were actually the same person.

The An Lushan Rebellion lasted for eight years, and the population of the Tang Dynasty, which was over 50 million, plummeted to less than 20 million.

The cause of all this was Emperor Xuanzong of Tang, Li Longji.

The An Lushan Rebellion had a profound impact, causing all subsequent dynasties to shift from an inclusive and tolerant approach to a more conservative one.

Inside the Taiji Palace, Li Shimin swayed slightly.

Perhaps the Huang Chao Rebellion had prepared him somewhat, but his face was as pale as paper.

"His Majesty!"

Fang Xuanling reached out to support Li Shimin, his tone concerned.

"Should we invite Mr. Sun over to give His Majesty some treatment?"

Li Shimin waved his hand, and two lines of clear tears slid down his cheeks.

"Thirty million! Thirty million of my people died because of him alone..."

"I have wronged them."

Li Shimin finally understood why everyone, whether they liked Li Longji or hated him, hoped for his early death.

He was the one who propelled the Tang Dynasty to its peak, and he was also the one who personally plunged it into the abyss.

Emperor Xuanzong of Tang, this posthumous title is truly fitting, mysterious and profound, as if he were a completely different person.

Now the question is, what level would a perfect version of Emperor Xuanzong of Tang, who was never incompetent from beginning to end and worked diligently to govern the country, be?

It's no exaggeration to say that he and Li Shimin were truly a pair of legendary lovers in the Tang Dynasty.

When history books mention Emperor Tang in the future, the first person that comes to mind may not be Li Shimin, but Li Longji.

He will become a representative figure of the Tang Dynasty, representing a golden age.

Therefore, under the feudal system, emperors really couldn't live too long.

"So it's a mistake for me to live too long?"

Inside the Kaiyuan Palace, Li Longji could no longer laugh.

He noticed that Li Linfu, Gao Lishi, and even his most favored concubine were looking at him with strange eyes.

On the screen above, comments floated by at just the right moment.

(In his later years, Li Longji seemed to have been possessed; in the early years, he worked diligently and relied heavily on capable ministers, but later he went straight for the same path as Yang Guang.)

(Emperor Xuanzong of Tang was too funny. If he had died suddenly in the early years of the Tianbao era, the people of Tang Dynasty would have missed him for the rest of their lives, hahaha)

(Not only the Tang Dynasty, but also the Song Dynasty should be remembered; the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms period was a mess left by the late Tang Dynasty.)

Looking at the sky, Zhao Kuangyin suddenly asked Zhao Pu, "Kemin, do you miss the glorious Tang Dynasty?"

Zhao Pu remained calm and said indifferently, "That is all in the past. I only wish to assist Your Majesty in creating a future for the Great Song Dynasty."

"What are the Emperor's plans regarding what he said to Tianmu?"

Let's take it one step at a time.

Zhao Kuangyin shook his head. He had subdued Zhao Guangyi, so there should be no more trouble at Gaoliang River.

As for the issue of emphasizing civil affairs over military matters, let's deal with that later after we unify the country.

Just as everyone was eagerly anticipating the scene, the images on the sky changed once again.

Thick smoke billowed out, and a figure emerged from it.

He carried a three-foot sword and wore a nine-five robe.

Accompanied by the rousing voice of the narrator on the sky, it resounded throughout the land!

[Next up is the commoner emperor, the Han Chinese emperor with the most legitimate ascension to the throne throughout history!]

[Emperor Taizu of Ming - Zhu Yuanzhang!]

"Is it our turn?"

Zhu Yuanzhang gripped the armrests with both hands, and suddenly felt a surge of tension in his heart.

Later generations have always been ruthless in their evaluation of emperors, sometimes even harsh and sarcastic.

From Qin Shi Huang to Qianlong, none of them fared well after being criticized.

Now, it's finally Old Zhu's turn.

How exactly will they view us?

Was he, like Qin Shi Huang and Emperor Wu of Han, condemned as a tyrannical ruler who was eager for war and expansion?

Or is he like Emperor Taizu of Song, whose achievements were not overshadowed by his shortcomings?