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

On the other end of the video, reporter Wang leaned forward, his eyes fixed on the screen. It was a carefully designed logical loop: if Zhao Shuyao's answer showed even a hint of nationalistic bias, the control of this interview would completely return to the hands of the Southern Media Group.

Room 302, Northeastern University.

After hearing the question, Zhao Shuyao's smile did not diminish. He did not rush to refute the so-called "prosperous age." Instead, he lifted his hands off the table and casually leaned back in his chair.

This backward leaning motion increased the physical distance between him and the camera, instantly dispelling the sense of oppression that the other party was deliberately creating.

"Reporter Wang, your angle of comparison is quite tricky." Zhao Shuyao's voice was calm and clear, without a trace of embarrassment at being cornered. "But you've overlooked a crucial prerequisite."

"What are the prerequisites?" Reporter Wang asked instinctively.

Zhao Shuyao picked up his water glass and took a sip of warm water: "You need to understand first that the 'tribute of all nations' during the Kangxi, Yongzheng and Qianlong periods of the Qing Dynasty differed from the 'tribute of all nations' during other unified dynasties in terms of the recognition of the entire world system."

Zhao Shuyao put down his water glass, extended his right index finger, and gently tapped it on the table: "The tributary states of the Han, Tang, Song, and Ming dynasties came to pay tribute to the Central Plains because the surrounding vassal states and even distant foreign lands genuinely recognized the culture, system, and advancement of the Central Plains. It was a natural centripetal force brought about by cultural radiation."

Zhao Shuyao withdrew his finger and looked directly at the camera.

"But what about the Qing Dynasty? Other countries in the world at that time did not recognize this dynasty." Zhao Shuyao's pace remained unhurried. "If you don't believe me, you can check the overseas trade archives of European countries in the 18th century, or take a look at the foreign trade porcelain collected by European royal families at that time."

Reporter Wang paused, holding the pen, and looked at the screen with some confusion.

"You'll discover a very interesting historical phenomenon." Zhao Shuyao's lips curled up slightly. "Those high-end porcelains that were fired in the Jingdezhen imperial kilns during the Kangxi period and exported to Europe often have inscriptions on the bottom that don't say 'Great Qing Dynasty,' but rather 'Made in the Kangxi Reign of the Great Ming Dynasty.'"

Reporter Wang was stunned for a moment. "Made in the Kangxi period of the Ming Dynasty?" The combination of these words created a strong sense of confusion.

"Because Westerners at the time only recognized the cultural brand of the Ming Dynasty," Zhao Shuyao explained clearly. "In their eyes, the Ming Dynasty represented the magical country in the East with its brilliant civilization and exquisite handicrafts. As for the later Qing Dynasty, outsiders did not recognize it, so they could only use the name of the previous dynasty to complete foreign trade settlements."

Zhao Shuyao crossed his arms in front of him: "The rejuvenation of a nation is never just about expanding its territory on a military map. The most important and core thing is the export of people's thoughts and culture. When others recognize your lifestyle and values, that is the foundation for all nations to pay tribute."

Reporter Wang paused, instinctively wanting to refute, but found that the other party had used real evidence to directly block the Qing Dynasty's "cultural confidence" from its very foundation.

"But if you examine the Manchu Qing dynasty, what cultural contributions did they leave to this land?" Zhao Shuyao didn't stop there, but continued to peel back the layers of logic, "The means of their rule were top-down cultural castration."

Zhao Shuyao put away the smile that had been on his lips and his expression became serious: "He launched a literary inquisition, destroyed ancient books to compile the Siku Quanshu, and imprisoned the thoughts of scholars and ordinary people in an extremely narrow cage. Anyone who showed even a trace of independent thinking would be executed along with their entire family."

Looking at the silent reporter Wang on the other end of the screen, I raised my voice slightly: "This kind of physical destruction of the foundation of civilization has never happened in any dynasty in our thousands of years of history. As a cultural professional, you should agree with this."

Reporter Wang remained silent, only nodding slightly. He had read those shocking archives; they were historical black holes in the Qing Dynasty that could not be erased.

Seeing him nod, Zhao Shuyao offered another comparison: "Even in the extremely turbulent and chaotic era of the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms, there were still people like Feng Dao who presided over the editing and woodblock printing of publications."

When Zhao Shuyao mentioned the name "Feng Dao," a genuine sense of respect appeared in his eyes.

"It was precisely because in that chaotic era, there were still people who did their utmost to protect the transmission of books and preserve the flame of culture that the Song Dynasty later achieved unprecedented prosperity in culture and economy, the Ming Dynasty saw a great explosion in firearms technology, and the Ming Dynasty achieved a leading position in the world in handicrafts."

At this point, Zhao Shuyao spread his hands: "We have discussed these inheritances and advancements in detail in historical documents, which is also recognized by the academic community. The same principle applies to Europe and America today."

Zhao Shuyao looked directly into reporter Wang's eyes: "Why do they give the world such a powerful feeling now? Because they have been exporting their culture to the world for one or two hundred years through film, music, and literature, and everyone has subconsciously accepted their set of rules."

This high-density information output made reporter Wang in his cubicle feel a bit overwhelmed. The other party not only had a wide range of knowledge, but also possessed a very strong ability to make connections vertically.

Reporter Wang quickly jotted down a few keywords in his notebook, then looked up, trying to find a new breakthrough.

"Teacher Zhao," reporter Wang pushed up his black-rimmed glasses, "but a strong nation also needs strong military power. Why isn't military strength considered true strength, and why can't it give people confidence? After all, the early Qing Dynasty conquered tens of millions of square kilometers of territory."

When Zhao Shuyao heard the question, he didn't find it difficult at all; instead, he chuckled.

"It's actually very simple." Zhao Shuyao leaned forward, looking at the camera. "Just look at the former Soviet Union."

Reporter Wang's hand, holding the pen, hovered in mid-air.

"The Soviet Union's military strength was formidable, wasn't it?" Zhao Shuyao asked casually. "At the height of the Cold War, their overwhelming military might could make all of Europe tremble. But what about their cultural influence?"

Zhao Shuyao shook his head: "They failed to create a way of life and cultural sustenance that the people could genuinely identify with. No matter how powerful their military was, their culture was extremely weak. In fact, they ultimately failed because of this. The country disintegrated, and their powerful military force became meaningless overnight."

"That's why I've come to this conclusion: military strength without cultural confidence as its foundation is just a castle built on sand."

Reporter Wang nodded repeatedly; this modern example was very convincing.

Seeing that reporter Wang had completely followed his train of thought, Zhao Shuyao decided to bring this grand discussion back to the most down-to-earth everyday scenarios.

"Reporter Wang, you're currently working in the south, right?" Zhao Shuyao suddenly changed the subject.

"Yes, I'm in Guangzhou," reporter Wang replied.

"Guangzhou is a thriving commercial area, and you should often see some Black people from other countries in the city." Zhao Shuyao said in a calm tone, "I'm just giving an example, and I don't mean any discrimination; I'm just exploring a psychological phenomenon."

Reporter Wang sat up straight, waiting for the next part.

"If you were walking down the street," Zhao Shuyao gestured, "and saw a Black person suddenly walk up to a Chinese beggar on the roadside, take out a few dollars, or give the beggar some food, wouldn't you feel very strange? Or rather, wouldn't you feel a kind of inexplicable unease?"

Reporter Wang was taken aback for a moment, and then the scene described by Zhao Shuyao involuntarily appeared in his mind: a foreign black man giving spare change to a Chinese beggar on Chinese soil.

A strong sense of unease instantly arose in reporter Wang's mind. He even felt that if this scene happened on the street, it would definitely make the headlines of the day's social news.

"Pfft..." Reporter Wang couldn't help but laugh at the sudden metaphor.

He shook his head and said very honestly, "Although I've never seen such a scene in real life, when I think about it carefully, I really find it a bit hard to accept, and it does feel very awkward."

Zhao Shuyao laughed along, nodding, "Actually, I can't accept it either. Why can't I accept it?"

Zhao Shuyao's smile vanished, his gaze piercing through the screen with a powerful intensity.

"Because this is essentially a kind of cultural confidence. Deep in the bones of our people lies a pride that has been accumulated over thousands of years. Subconsciously, you believe that our nation has a more advanced civilization, even if a person is in dire straits and has fallen so low that they have to beg for food."

Zhao Shuyao said, word by word, "In this beggar's mind, he also considers himself a Chinese person with thousands of years of civilization. How could he ask a black guy for alms? He would think, 'I'm not so bad off that I need an outsider from an uncivilized place to pity me.'"

Zhao Shuyao leaned back in his chair and finished his final summary: "This kind of pride that is ingrained in one's blood can be found even in the lowest-ranking common people. This is called cultural confidence. What the Manchu Qing dynasty broke with its literary inquisition was precisely this backbone in the hearts of the people, turning everyone into slaves who only know how to kowtow and express gratitude."

This extremely relatable yet darkly humorous deconstruction completely shocked reporter Wang.

I put down my pen and looked at the third-year graduate student in a gray hoodie on the screen. The other person didn't need any grand theories. With just a few words and a metaphor of a beggar on the street, he clearly dissected the deepest spiritual core of a nation.

Reporter Wang took a deep breath, suppressing the turmoil in his heart. He realized that this interview had transcended the initial scope of the dispute and was evolving into a deeper sociological proposition.

"Professor Zhao," reporter Wang's voice held a clear hint of inquiry, "would you feel the same way if you were dealing with other people, or with Western aid?"

Without waiting for Zhao Shuyao's answer, reporter Wang immediately raised another key question.

"You've been emphasizing the harm of cultural emasculation. Are you saying that this periodic break in our local culture isn't actually related to our economic development level or overall national strength? Is that right?"

Zhao Shuyao straightened his posture, looked at the screen, and slowly nodded.

"Yes, it can be said that it was mainly due to ideological constraints." Zhao Shuyao gave his judgment with a serious tone. "It cannot be said that it has nothing to do with the economic base, but I still believe that the cultural castration during the Ming-Qing transition was fatal. It made us lose too many things that our nation should have had in the past but no longer has."

Reporter Wang quickly grasped the key points and began a new round of logical verification.

"Why do you think that?" Reporter Wang frowned slightly, raising a common misconception: "According to general sociological theory, people generally believe that the economic base determines the superstructure, and culture is directly linked to the economy. If the economy is backward, culture naturally declines—isn't that common sense?"

Zhao Shuyao shook his head, directly rejecting this conclusion.

"It's actually quite simple." Zhao Shuyao's gaze fell on the local gazetteers piled on the desk. "In our ancient history, there were specific periods that verified this logic: cultural orthodoxy and economic level are not always absolutely linked."

"Which period of history?" reporter Wang pressed.

"The Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms period," Zhao Shuyao answered.

Zhao Shuyao placed his hands on his knees and began to retrieve the fragments of that chaotic history: "During that period, the Central Plains dynasties changed frequently, known as the Five Dynasties, namely the Later Liang, Later Tang, Later Jin, Later Han, and Later Zhou. There were endless wars year after year, with military men in power, and the people were displaced. The people in the Central Plains lived a very miserable life, and the economy was in dire straits."

Zhao Shuyao paused for a moment, then changed the subject.

"But what about the regimes in the south, such as the Southern Tang, which controlled the Jiangnan region, and the Wuyue, which occupied the Jiangzhe area?" Zhao Shuyao looked at reporter Wang. "These two places were relatively stable, living in a corner of the country. They not only did not suffer from major wars, but their economies also became more prosperous, and the people lived a very affluent life."

Zhao Shuyao narrowed his eyes slightly and posed a highly subversive question.

"But reporter Wang, why don't you look through the existing historical documents and see the conclusions reached by scholars and writers over the past thousand years? Why do people still believe that the war-torn and impoverished Five Dynasties period in the Central Plains was the legitimate successor to Chinese civilization? And that the economically prosperous and culturally advanced Southern Tang and Wuyue can only be called the 'Ten Kingdoms' and their partial regimes?"