He fiercely criticized the Manchu scholar clique and the twelve emperors of the Qing Dynasty.

The lighting in the passageway at the exit of the cinema on the top floor of MixC Mall was a warm yellow hue.

Zhao Shuyao walked ahead with his hands in his trench coat pockets, his steps slightly slow, while Gu Nanxi followed behind him, about half a body length apart, neither of them speaking.

Two minutes earlier, the end credits of "The Revenant" had just started rolling on the giant screen. Throughout the entire movie, Zhao Shuyao spent most of the time leaning back in his seat with his eyes half-closed.

The endless expanse of ice and snow on the screen, coupled with the extremely monotonous visual colors, made him feel deeply sleepy during those two and a half hours.

Gu Nanxi stopped and turned to look at the audience who were still walking out behind her. She raised her hand and rubbed her slightly throbbing temples.

"I knew I shouldn't have watched this movie." Gu Nanxi's voice was filled with obvious helplessness. She looked at Zhao Shuyao and said, "Before I came here, I read no less than twenty film reviews online. Those media people praised the artistic techniques of this film to the skies, and the whole thing was full of words like 'profound' and 'exploring the bottom line of humanity'."

She shook her head: "But after watching these two and a half hours, apart from seeing the bear hurting people in the snow, I really didn't see anything profound or mysterious in those film reviews. I feel like I wasted an afternoon."

Zhao Shuyao stopped and turned around, looking at Gu Nanxi's slightly furrowed brows. His mind quickly processed the subtle frustration she was expressing. This was a typical psychological letdown when facing sunk costs.

Zhao Shuyao's lips curled upwards, revealing a relaxed smile.

"Don't think like that." Zhao Shuyao's tone was calm, his voice just loud enough to penetrate the surrounding voices. "Look at this from a different angle. At least when you walk out of this door after watching this movie, you'll clearly know that Hollywood's extreme realism style is completely not to your taste, right?"

Gu Nanxi looked at him and nodded subconsciously.

"That's enough." Zhao Shuyao spread his hands. "If you don't come to see this one, you'll always have this obsession that there's a masterpiece that's been praised all over the world that you haven't seen."

He took a step forward, closing the distance a little: "Since we've already done it, we should think positively. You've eliminated a wrong option, which is a gain in itself."

"If you keep thinking about the bad things and wasting time dwelling on them, the end result will be that you will feel unhappy for the next few days and feel that the movie ticket was not worth the money. That would be losing money twice."

After hearing this, Gu Nanxi's tense nerves gradually relaxed. She stared at Zhao Shuyao for two seconds, then suddenly burst out laughing.

"Zhao Shuyao." Gu Nanxi's eyes lit up. "I really didn't expect you to be so philosophical. With this self-justifying logic, why didn't you consider studying philosophy when you were applying to university?"

Upon hearing the word "philosophy," Zhao Shuyao waved his hands repeatedly, his expression instantly turning realistic.

"Forget it," Zhao Shuyao sighed. "I'm already studying history, and finding a job is already a headache enough. If I study philosophy, I'll probably only be able to buy a train ticket home and farm after graduation."

He pursed his lips and added seriously, "Philosophy, like business administration, is not something that ordinary families can touch. You have to be rich to sit in the yard and contemplate the origin of the universe. For someone like me who has to calculate how to make money every day, thinking about how to fill my stomach is the most practical philosophy."

Gu Nanxi was amused by his unpretentious self-deprecation, which completely dispelled the previous dullness caused by the movie.

The two went down the escalator to the food court on the basement floor of the mall. It was lunchtime, and the air was filled with the aroma of various foods.

After turning a corner, a small storefront but packed with people came into view, filled with the sizzling sound of grilling meat and the noisy chatter of diners inside.

Zhao Shuyao stopped at the entrance and glanced at the bright red signboard above the store.

"You treated me to a movie, I'll treat you to barbecue." Without any hesitation, Zhao Shuyao pushed open the glass door and turned to Gu Nanxi, saying, "The sauerkraut and pork belly here is really authentic, let's go in and try it."

Gu Nanxi did not refuse and followed him into the lively shop.

I found a seat by the window, and the waiter quickly brought over a glowing red charcoal brazier, the heat instantly hitting my face.

Zhao Shuyao picked up the menu and pencil from the table and pushed them directly in front of Gu Nanxi. "You order first, pick what you like to eat."

Gu Nanxi glanced at the prices on the menu, quickly marked three meat dishes and a cold noodle dish, and handed the order back to Zhao Shuyao.

Zhao Shuyao took the order, glanced at it, shook his head, and then added a serving of pickled cabbage, a serving of beef, and two side dishes to the order.

"You can say that Fengtian is cold in winter, or that the place is developing slowly." Zhao Shuyao handed the bill to the waiter next to him, picked up the teapot on the table and poured Gu Nanxi a cup of barley tea. "But you absolutely can't say that the prices here are expensive. The food we ordered for the two of us only cost about fifty or sixty yuan per person."

He put down the teapot, his tone revealing a hint of certainty: "With the same quantity and quality of meat, even in the counties of northern Jiangsu, the price would definitely not be lower."

Gu Nanxi held the warm teacup in both hands and nodded in agreement.

Soon, the dishes filled the entire table. Zhao Shuyao picked up a pair of tongs, picked up a few slices of pork belly with snow-white fat marbling, and laid them flat on the grill. The fat sizzled instantly upon contact with the high temperature.

Gu Nanxi watched Zhao Shuyao skillfully flipping the meat slices and suddenly spoke.

"Zhao Shuyao, I have a question for you." Gu Nanxi's voice was clear in the noisy environment.

"Ask." Zhao Shuyao didn't even look up, staring at the heat on the grill.

"You know so much about the history of the Ming and Qing dynasties, and I've read all your articles and popular science videos online." Gu Nanxi placed her hands on the edge of the table and leaned forward slightly. "So, from a purely professional historical perspective, who do you think is the number one emperor of the Ming and Qing dynasties?"

The clip in Zhao Shuyao's hand paused in mid-air.

There was no immediate reply. Several slices of pork belly were grilled on the grill until the edges curled up slightly, oozing golden-brown fat.

The combined Ming and Qing examination system brought together two dynasties with completely opposite political ideologies and cultural identities to select officials.

Zhao Shuyao flipped the meat slice over, put down the tongs, picked up a tissue to wipe his hands, and looked up to look directly into Gu Nanxi's eyes.

"I'm really not good at answering your question," Zhao Shuyao's tone became a bit serious. "Because there's a premise here: according to my standards, the emperors of the Qing Dynasty are not included in this kind of ranking."

Gu Nanxi was stunned for a moment, clearly not expecting him to eliminate half of the option directly.

"Not participating in the rankings?" Gu Nanxi pressed.

"That's right." Zhao Shuyao nodded, his eyes clear. "This has nothing to do with ethnicity. I absolutely do not discriminate against them in historical evaluations just because they are ethnic minorities. There are thousands of years of Chinese history, and many ethnic groups have ruled the Central Plains. The reason I do not include them in the ranking of outstanding Chinese emperors is because the core logic of their rule is seriously flawed."

Zhao Shuyao tapped his finger twice on the table: "Whether an emperor can be on the list depends on whether he has boosted the productivity of this land and whether he has enhanced the cultural confidence and dignity of the people."

"After the Manchus entered the Central Plains, they broke the backbone with the 'shaving of heads and changing of clothes' policy and castrated the mind with the 'literary inquisition' policy. They treated the people as their guarded slaves. This group, which maintained the power of one family and one clan at the cost of the regression of civilization, does not deserve to be on this ranking list."

After listening, Gu Nanxi's doubts completely disappeared. She could clearly sense that the young man sitting opposite her had an almost obsessive insistence on the orthodoxy of Chinese civilization.

"What if we only consider the Ming Dynasty?" Gu Nanxi continued, following his logic.

Zhao Shuyao picked up the tongs and placed the grilled meat slices onto the small plate in front of Gu Nanxi.

"If we're talking about who's number one, without a doubt, it's Emperor Taizu of Ming, Zhu Yuanzhang," Zhao Shuyao said in a steady and powerful voice. "And who's number two is Emperor Chengzu of Ming, Zhu Di."

"No controversy?" Gu Nanxi picked up a slice of meat and dipped it in the sauce.

"Of course, I know many people have opinions about them." Zhao Shuyao looked at the charcoal fire and began to objectively deconstruct the two figures. "In his later years, the Ming Taizu went on a killing spree and restored the extremely cruel practice of funerary sacrifice. The Ming Chengzu rebelled against his nephew through the Jingnan Campaign. These are indeed stains that they cannot erase."

Zhao Shuyao paused for a moment, then changed the subject: "However, when we evaluate a historical figure, especially a founding emperor, we cannot just scrutinize their private morality with a magnifying glass."

"Zhu Yuanzhang's greatest achievement was 'expelling the Tartars and restoring China,' taking back the Sixteen Prefectures of Yan and Yun, which had been separated from the Chinese civilization system for a hundred years. He re-established the clothing and customs system of this land and set rules for the people."

"As for Zhu Di, he moved the capital to Beijing, with the emperor guarding the country's gates, compiled the Yongle Encyclopedia, and sent Zheng He on voyages to the Western Ocean to build an overseas trade system."

Zhao Shuyao spread his hands: "Their shortcomings are personal desires in the face of feudal power, which are minor losses. However, these losses do not affect their enormous contributions to the continuation of Chinese civilization. When looking at history, you have to look at the big picture."

Gu Nanxi listened intently, not even noticing the aroma of the roasted meat in front of her. She noticed that Zhao Shuyao spoke with no impulsiveness, only an extremely objective and rational scrutiny.

"I understand." Gu Nanxi nodded. "Historical figures cannot be judged by a black-and-white moral standard."

She poked at the cold noodles in the bowl with her chopsticks, then her eyes lit up as she asked her second question.

"Let me put it another way." Gu Nanxi looked at Zhao Shuyao, her tone tinged with inquiry. "You were asking about the first emperor, who achieved the greatest accomplishments. But if we set aside these grand achievements and focus solely on your personal preferences, which emperor from these two dynasties do you like the most?"

My favorite?

Zhao Shuyao frowned slightly upon hearing this question.

This is a completely subjective question; achievement does not equate to liking, and power does not equate to being endearing.

I picked up the teacup, took a sip of barley tea, and as the warm tea flowed down my throat, images of figures in dragon robes flashed rapidly through my mind's database.

A good ten seconds or so passed.

Zhao Shuyao put down his teacup and looked at Gu Nanxi.

"In terms of achievements, I admire Emperor Taizu and Emperor Chengzu the most," Zhao Shuyao said slowly. "However, if you ask me which one I personally prefer, it's really not either of them."

Gu Nanxi raised an eyebrow, waiting for what was to come.

"My favorite is the eighth emperor of the Ming Dynasty," Zhao Shuyao said, naming the emperor, "Emperor Xianzong of Ming, Zhu Jianshen."

Gu Nanxi was stunned; her knowledge of history was extremely limited, and she had very little recollection of the name.

"Zhu Jianshen?" Gu Nanxi racked her brains, trying to recall. "Was he very famous?"

"Not too famous." Zhao Shuyao picked up the tongs and put the pickled cabbage back on the grill. "In fact, his reputation isn't very good in the writings of many later writers."

He watched the sauerkraut gradually change color and continued, "But this emperor inherited a mess left by the Tumu Crisis. During his reign, he exonerated Yu Qian, the Minister of War, and appeased the people."

"In terms of foreign affairs, Chenghua suppressed the border troubles for decades. More importantly, he left his son with an extremely good foundation, which led to the later 'Hongzhi Restoration'."

Zhao Shuyao looked up and gave Gu Nanxi a mysterious smile.

"Moreover, he had a love story that is unique in the entire history of feudal emperors."

"A love story?" Gu Nanxi's attention was immediately drawn to this word.

"Yes." Zhao Shuyao stirred the pickled cabbage, his tone tinged with emotion, "A man who possessed the world fell in love with a woman seventeen years his senior, and loved her for a lifetime."