Dark Sand: My Players Are All Actors
Chapter 238 - 197: Stay True to Original Aspiration, Never Give Up (Requesting Guaranteed Monthly Votes)

Chapter 238: Chapter 197: Stay True to Original Aspiration, Never Give Up (Requesting Guaranteed Monthly Votes)

"Not bad, anything else?"

Emperor Taizu of Sheng gazed into the distance, his face showing some appreciation, yet it seemed his satisfaction with Meng Yuan’s response was not yet complete.

This query stunned all the viewers in front of the screen.

Anything else?

There shouldn’t be any, right?

To expel the barbarians, rebuild Huaxia, establish norms, and relieve the people — these were recognized already as Emperor Taizu of Sheng’s greatest achievements. Could a third point be contrived?

Actually, most could see that Emperor Taizu was not the type to overly pride himself on his achievements.

On the contrary, he was more interested in other matters he had done being recognized.

Meng Yuan was not confounded; he paused briefly and continued, "The third aspect that I admire most about my predecessor is: ’Unwavering in original resolve, relentless in spirit!’"

This statement left the audience a bit bewildered.

Because this third point was vastly different from the previous two, not even comparable, hardly a merit.

What’s there to say?

"People thought the third point would be some mind-blowing idea, just this?"

"Unwavering in original resolve, relentless in spirit? What’s that? Isn’t that just criteria required for a successful person?"

"Yes, compared to the first two points, this third one seems to lack substance, smacking of grasping at straws."

"I also think that there’s no need to forcibly contrive three points!"

However, Emperor Taizu was somewhat surprised and with a look of approval he asked, "Why does this aspect impress you the most?"

Meng Yuan looked up into the distance, and it seemed the thoughts of all viewers followed the rivers of time, streaming far away.

"The emperor was seventeen during the time of drought and locust plagues, a great famine. After his parents and brothers died, he could not afford their funerals.

"Initially, he joined the Emperor’s Army, in a year of great hardship, and was also doubted by Lady Peng, often going without food. Later, he stole boiled cakes, intending to offer them, yet the meat turned charred.

"He then fell ill. The ministers requested prayers and sought skilled doctors. Later, he said to the emperor: ’Life and death are fated; what use are prayers! And what can doctors do to revive someone! If the medicine is ineffective, shall innocent doctors be blamed because of me?’ As his illness worsened, the emperor asked for his last words. He said: ’I wish for you to seek the wise and accept criticism, be as cautious in the end as at the beginning. May your descendants be virtuous and your subjects gain their due.’ He passed away in the month of C, aged fifty-one. The emperor grieved deeply and did not remarry.

"In the intercalary month, the Emperor’s illness worsened. On the day of Yiyou, he died in the West Palace, aged seventy-one. His will stated: ’I have borne the mandate of Heaven for thirty-one years, always concerned with danger and diligently striving to benefit the people. Born humble, lacking the extensive knowledge of the ancients, fond of the good and detesting the evil, yet falling short at a distance. Now understanding the natural principle of all things, there is no need for sorrowful remembrance... For mourning and ritual artifacts, do not use gold or jade. Do not alter the natural features of Xiaoling’s mountains and rivers. Let all subjects mourn for three days, thereafter resuming normal life, without hindering weddings or other events.’"

Meng Yuan paused slightly after each of these four segments.

After he finished speaking, most of the audience in front of the screen remained confused.

Many were asking questions on video websites.

"What does that mean?"

"I didn’t understand, can you explain in simpler terms?"

"Seems like it’s text from historical records?"

It’s normal not to understand since Meng Yuan was citing ancient texts from historical records, difficult to guess without prior knowledge.

Even those who had read the original texts did not immediately react, as these accounts were from four different periods.

However, the audience, being quite talented, quickly looked up these historical texts online and guessed Meng Yuan’s intention.

"Now I get it, these four segments seem to narrate four events, about Emperor Taizu’s youth tragedy, the young empress sending boiled cakes to him, the empress’s death, and Emperor Taizu’s last will!"

"What do these have to do with ’not forgetting the original resolve’ mentioned earlier?"

Emperor Taizu did not respond, but his expression became more complex.

Evidently, upon hearing Meng Yuan’s words, his heart also underwent some change.

Because Meng Yuan’s words held profound information!

Emperor Taizu could not possibly know how future historical records would describe him.

Yet Meng Yuan’s words clearly came from the history books!

They say "the verdict is in the coffin"; what record a ruler leaves in the history books is always a matter of great concern.

The words spoken by the Empress before her death still echoed in his ears; although the phrasing had changed in the history books, it still felt incredibly real to Emperor Taizu;

As for his last will, at this moment Emperor Taizu had never thought about the specific wording, but upon hearing Meng Yuan’s words, he confirmed that these would indeed be his own final commands.

This complex emotion stunned Emperor Taizu momentarily, causing him to lose his expression for a while.

Meng Yuan calmed his own emotions and continued, "She was the empress, but she was also once an ordinary woman who, even when her husband was imprisoned and facing imminent execution, never abandoned him and even risked burns to bring him cakes.

"After becoming immensely wealthy and powerful, she maintained a simple style, not arrogant or extravagant, striving to save every person she knew or did not know.

"Even during her severe illness, she refused to call for the imperial doctors, knowing that doctors could only cure illness, not fate, and did not wish to implicate innocent people due to her death."