The moment the light-screen finished speaking, Li Shimin strode forward at speed, seized a brush, and let ink fly across the paper.
Only after the final stroke did he turn back toward his mirror—and the mirror, at that moment, seemed to be looking back at him as well.
The Tang emperor smiled faintly.
"Xuan Cheng's words truly are pearls strung together."
Expectation flashed in his eyes as he looked toward Wei Zheng.
Wei Zheng did not demur. He straightened, his expression solemn.
"Does Your Majesty believe that, with the aid of this light-screen, all under Heaven will submit of its own accord?"
"If Your Majesty grows proud because of verdicts written a thousand years hence, then what blessing is this light-screen, truly?"
"I only hope Your Majesty does not rely on reputation, but instead remembers hidden dangers, and diligently seeks sound policy. Only then will this true omen not be squandered."
Li Shimin opened his mouth—then closed it again.
This… was not quite the response he had imagined.
Before he could speak, Zhangsun Wuji stepped forward sharply.
"When has His Majesty ever relied on his own fame?"
"Do you know that His Majesty wept over the Guiyi Army?"
"Do you know that His Majesty suffered headaches at the mention of Xuanzong and Xizong?"
"Do you know that even after learning of later generations' praise, His Majesty still reflects upon himself daily?"
Wei Zheng looked at Zhangsun Wuji steadily for a long moment.
Then he smiled.
"May I ask—what office does the Duke of Qi presently hold?"
Zhangsun Wuji froze.
His face flushed red. After a long pause, he flung his sleeve and stepped back.
Since declining the chancellorship, Zhangsun Wuji held only the honorary rank of Kaifu Yitong Sansi—a title of status, not function. He had no authority to participate in court affairs.
Whether the matters discussed in the Ganlu Hall truly counted as 'state business' was debatable—but Wei Zheng's words had struck squarely at the weakest point.
Li Shimin felt a headache coming on.
He moved to smooth things over, offering words to each side, but his original anticipation had clearly fallen flat.
Du Ruhui kept his face carefully neutral, though amusement flickered in his eyes. He still had the presence of mind to offer analysis.
"Your Majesty, judging from the descendant's tone, he speaks lightly of the Song, but praises the founding emperor of the Ming at length."
"When speaking of that 'Emperor Zhu,' he even uses the honorific 'Yongle the Great.' This suggests the Ming differed greatly from the Song."
Li Shimin, watching Wei Zheng and Zhangsun Wuji exchange silent glares, decided to stop intervening.
"Didn't they say Nurhaci rose because the Ming developed the northeast?"
"Then at the very least, Yan and Yun must have been recovered—and there was that Yuan dynasty in between, though its details are unclear…"
He paused, then snorted.
"That 'Emperor Zhu' has a strange pronunciation, and even uses a foreign-style name. Still—he shows respect for me. He has good taste."
Had Li Shimin heard this earlier, he would likely have preened and proclaimed Tang unmatched for a thousand years.
But now—having grasped Zhu Yuanzhang's origins—he felt only admiration.
"A beggar who pacified the realm?"
He imagined himself as a beggar on the streets of Jinyang.
Impossible.
Even setting aside everything else—how would he have learned to read?
"This Zhu Chongba… no wonder they say his mandate was the most legitimate."
On this point alone, Li Shimin harbored no resentment at all.
And on the matter of names, he was adamant.
If he was Erfeng, then Zhu Yuanzhang had to be Zhu Chongba.
As the light-screen gradually dimmed, lines of text—like centipedes crawling—began to appear once more. Li Shimin raised his head, anticipation returning.
Liu Bei had thought himself poor—until he saw Liu Yu.
Jinu, Jinu.
Didn't that mean someone without even a home of his own?
By comparison, Liu Bei felt almost wealthy.
Then came Zhu Yuanzhang's background.
Liu Bei was completely convinced.
"How many heroes the world contains!"
Zhuge Liang, quick to grasp the pattern, felt an inexplicable warmth toward the Great Ming.
"No wonder they say his mandate was pure," he murmured.
"Is this not proof of the people's will?"
"And this Yongle Emperor—he, too, was a benevolent ruler."
"As for Li Shimin, it is only fitting he is praised by later generations. His governance blends the virtues of Wen and Wu alike—caring for the people, yet resolute in arms."
Pang Tong nodded.
"If Li Shimin truly wished to act alone, who could have stopped him?"
"Those repeated refusals were merely his way of sparing the people needless burden."
As Pang Tong spoke, he noticed Zhuge Liang quietly cutting a small slip of paper and writing upon it.
"What's that?"
"A conjecture," Zhuge Liang replied, not lifting his head.
He finished writing, stepped beneath the light-screen, and flicked the paper upward.
It vanished like a clay ox sinking into the sea.
The hall fell silent.
All eyes lifted.
Dense lines of text streamed across the light-screen like racing boats.
The others hurried to copy them down.
Only Zhuge Liang remained motionless, staring intently.
[ Server Chat Log]
MintColdTea]: Speaking of it, when diabetes comes up, I always think of Prime Minister Zhuge—detachment and serenity. Calm clears the mind and extends vision. If Cao Pi had lived that way, he definitely wouldn't have ended up like this.
[KeyboardPatriot]: Give me a break—asking Cao Pi, a Wei crown prince, to adopt the life philosophy of Shu's chancellor? That's political heresy.
[HairLossResearcher]: Let me add a source for the UP: Waitai Miyao records that at age thirty, Cao Pi suffered severe hair loss—grease pouring from his scalp like a spring. Diabetes causes high blood sugar, which weakens the scalp and leads to hair loss.
[VisualPollutionWarning]: Just imagine it—historical Cao Pi with only a few strands of hair, shiny white scalp grease reflecting the light… thanks, I feel sick now.
[MotionSicknessUser]: Now imagine that Cao Pi arguing with Sun Quan… where'd that guy go to puke? Take me with you.
[FamilyTreeAuditor]: The Cao family's issues can't all be blamed on Lady Bian. Of Cao Cao's twenty-five recorded sons, only four or five lived past fifty. How many did Lady Bian even bear?
[DentalForensics]: Modern tests on Cao Cao's skull found multiple cavities. One theory says his love of sweets caused pulpitis and nerve pain—ancient medicine probably lumped it all under "head wind."
[MilkTeaRebel]: Watching this video while ordering milk tea—living dangerously.
[ParasiteTheoryGuy]: Another theory for Cao Cao's headaches: parasitic nematodes. Sishi Shizhi doesn't just list freshwater fish—it includes swordfish, river dolphins, baleen whales, rays, dugongs…
[FoodChainAnxiety]: Hold up—Cao Cao ate whales and dugongs?! Damn, foodie genes really do run in the family.
[IndustrialRevolutionMissed]: Wait—if Cao Cao ate whales, why didn't the Three Kingdoms develop whaling? Boss Cao, you missed an Industrial Revolution trigger!
[MercuryEnjoyer]: So Cao Pi died young because of diabetes? Scared me—I thought it was debauchery. Physician, bring me two more mercury pills—I'll fight poison with poison!
[FiveStoneVeteran]: Honestly, with Wei's decadent lifestyle, even without diabetes, five-stone powder would've gotten them eventually.
[NorthernRouteCopium]: By this logic, Sun Quan should've gone north and become King of Wu under Wei or Jin.
[TeethCheckLOL]: Ten-Thousand-Troops Bro was famous for good appetite, bad teeth.
[HefeiDentistry]: Bad teeth—LOL. Hefei too hard, broke his teeth? Go chew on some Mountain Yue, Brother Zhongmou.
[AmbitionMisfire]: Looking back, Sun Quan really did have ambition—he just never aimed it right.
[SurvivorBias]: Sun Quan was an anomaly. Southern China was disease-ridden—people dropped dead all the time. Yet he lived to seventy.
[AncientEpidemiology]: Low development, bad medicine—raw water or one mosquito bite could kill you. Lu Xun and Sun Quan living long were the real anomalies.
[PeiSongzhiAlt]: No wonder Pei Songzhi got angry… Shu had to invent logistics; Wu had naval supply lines.
[BattlefieldFacepalm]: Zhuge Liang retreated and counter-killed Zhang He. Sun Quan retreated while showing off and almost got killed by Zhang Liao.
[StrategicHangover]: Main issue was Lü Meng being useless… that logic was insane.
[LuoyangApplicationForm]: Why not just ask Cao Pi for Luoyang then?
[ConspiracySnack]: Conspiracy theory: Sun Quan killed Guan Yu because Guan Yu once pleaded for Zhang Liao.
[CoalitionExplainer]: Eastern Wu was basically a gentry alliance—defense united, offense loose sand.
[RetreatAnalysisBot]: Regardless of Hefei theories, one thing's clear: total force breakdown.
[EightHundredTrauma]: Failing to take Hefei isn't shameful. Being routed by 800 men is.
[TextbookVsScripture]: What the Chancellor gave Ah Dou—those who know call it Chu Shi Biao. Those who don't think it's Fengshen List.
[NoSurvivorsIndeed]: No survivors, right? Calling it Fengshen List isn't wrong.
[LateArrivalTheory]: Jiang Wei arrived too late. Even Zhuge Liang probably didn't expect Liu Shan to treat it like a strategy guide.
[AltHistoryConstitution]: Kongming should've set up a round table. Constitutional monarchy in the Three Kingdoms!
[HeavenSideComplaint]: Fengshan rituals—if I were Heaven, I'd be furious.
[UrbanPlanningFan]: Ming built one grand altar—efficient.
[GovernanceEnjoyer]: "Li Erfeng" really fits—cherishing the people's strength.
[AncestralLandSales]: Cherished it early, then later generations sold ancestral land without shame, huh?
[TreasuryAccounting]:Song Zhenzong used the private treasury for Fengshan—but that money was meant to fight the Khitan.
Zhuge Liang stared until, exactly as he had expected, two faintly glowing lines appeared.
Li Shimin:If I assist the Martial Marquis in unifying the Three Kingdoms—how would that be?
Zhuge Liang:Your Majesty, do not forget the tragedy of Crown Prince Li.
The hall went utterly still.