Dark Sand: My Players Are All Actors
Chapter 240 - 197: Stay True to Original Aspiration, Never Give Up (Requesting Guaranteed Monthly Votes)_3

Chapter 240: Chapter 197: Stay True to Original Aspiration, Never Give Up (Requesting Guaranteed Monthly Votes)_3

Exaggerating his mistakes and distorting his intentions is certainly wrong, but deifying him is also biased.

After evaluating the two major achievements of Emperor Taizu of Sheng, Meng Yuan addressed a third aspect based on his personal traits, which encompassed both the achievements and some weaknesses in Emperor Taizu of Sheng’s character.

Some said that the systems established by Emperor Taizu of Sheng were outdated, thus unsuccessful; others claimed that Emperor Taizu of Sheng was bloodthirsty and brutal, with rules for officials that were overly stringent and impractical.

To the point where someone asked, "There are many corrupt officials under heaven, shall all be killed?"

Emperor Taizu of Sheng’s reply was, "How could you know that killing them all wouldn’t work?"

He was like a fully drawn bowstring, once the bow was shot, there was no turning back!

If viewed from a perspective detached from the era, some of Emperor Taizu of Sheng’s systems indeed failed because they did not achieve his goals; however, in this world, no one has ever truly surpassed all of history.

Thus, it is difficult to discuss right and wrong, success and failure.

But there is no doubt about one thing—Emperor Taizu of Sheng was always Emperor Taizu of Sheng, he never changed!

He was a stubborn man, stubbornly adhering to his own path, no matter what obstacles he faced, he would forge ahead relentlessly!

Right or wrong, easy or difficult, he would only stop in death!

...

After Meng Yuan mentioned this third point, the camera shifted, connecting to new game footage.

In the role of a "beggar," Lu Heng was destitute and suffered immensely.

Particularly in one scene, he said to other beggars in a dilapidated temple that it would be great if an emperor could enact a law allowing righteous men to bring corrupt officials and tyrannical landlords to the capital, with anyone who dared to obstruct them punished by extermination of their entire family.

At that time, the other beggars in the temple just laughed out loud, treating it as a joke.

But with a shift of the camera, decades later, an old farmer surnamed Chen, with laws in hand, actually went to the palace to accuse officials before Emperor Taizu of Sheng.

After verifying the facts, Emperor Taizu of Sheng’s response was: "Execute all related officials without mercy!"

Additionally, there were some scenes not depicted in the game.

For example, the deaths of the empress and the Crown Prince caused this iron-hearted old man to weep bitterly in grief.

The identities of beggar and emperor continually intertwined, making it clear to all viewers.

Even decades later, despite being advanced in age, Emperor Taizu of Sheng remained that always-hungry farmer’s son who herded cattle for landlords, unchanged!

...

A gratified smile appeared on the face of Emperor Taizu of Sheng.

Clearly, the three points of evaluation from Meng Yuan pleased him greatly!

If Meng Yuan had only praised Emperor Taizu of Sheng’s reestablishment of Huaxia’s glory, then Emperor Taizu of Sheng would have just considered him no different from those mediocre officials who only knew how to sing praises, not particularly touching.

Even in the history books, Emperor Taizu of Sheng’s accolades stated, "The emperor, bestowed with wisdom and courage by heaven, unified the regions of Huaxia, versed in both military and civil affairs, unmatched by any sovereigns before him" focusing mainly on his achievements.

But Meng Yuan did not confine himself to that; his final words truly spoke to Emperor Taizu of Sheng’s innermost feelings.

The empress was the anchor in his heart, and the sheath for his sword.

All his life, he had cut through obstructions relentlessly, made achievements as well as mistakes, but all because he was Emperor Taizu of Sheng, with an unchanging initial resolve and indomitable will!

Having received such an answer, Emperor Taizu of Sheng was completely satisfied.

He looked at Meng Yuan again, "Who would have thought that hundreds of years later, there would still be many kindred spirits like you, truly a great fortune in life!

"I am now content. One lives a lifetime, endures much hardship, and it has not been in vain.

"I have one last wish, might you show me what Huaxia looks like centuries from now?

"Some say, compared to past dynasties, it is a splendid era, where even not having enough to eat becomes a noteworthy novelty, is that the case?

"I know the secrets of heaven should not be disclosed, and I do not wish for much, just a glimpse would suffice."

Meng Yuan nodded and raised his hand, "Elder, please look!"

...

Instantly, the surroundings transformed.

Scenes from centuries later appeared before Emperor Taizu of Sheng.

On the majestic river spanned a bridge soaring from south to north, with countless vehicles speeding across.

That is a bridge connecting the north and south, turning a moat into a thoroughfare.

Towering dams rose from the earth, river waters roared, thundering like a storm.

That is a high gorge creating a flat lake.

Skyscrapers and ordinary alleys filled the vast city, where many young people of the modern era either displayed joy or rushed about, but everyone’s face brimmed with a particular kind of confidence.

It was an expression that, throughout thousands of years of history before Huaxia, had only appeared on the faces of select groups during very few occasions.

Everyone was as a dragon.

...

This segment wasn’t very long, nor was it considered valuable footage.

For the audience sitting in front of the screen at this time, this was already a scene they had seen all too often.

In any other video, they might have immediately clicked to close it.

But now, placed before Emperor Taizu of Sheng in a film, these scenes took on many unspeakable special meanings.

Emperor Taizu of Sheng stared blankly at the screen, seemingly lost in thought.

Many in the audience couldn’t help but wonder, if Emperor Taizu were to exchange his tumultuous life for the peaceful and joyful life of an ordinary person in modern society, would he make the swap?

Of course, only Emperor Taizu himself knew that answer.

The surroundings faded away, and the camera angle returned once more to the small hillside at Wulan Tula Mountain.

Emperor Taizu of Sheng gently closed his eyes, and after a long while, he sighed, "Thank you. I am finally... without regrets."

When he opened his eyes again, they held only a lofty boldness.

In the distance, the Northern Barbarian army was stirring.

And the expeditionary forces of the Great Sheng Dynasty were also moving toward Wulan Tula Mountain.

Emperor Taizu of Sheng looked at Meng Yuan, "Young man, we are going to fight these barbarians one last time."

Clearly, his heart was without regret.

He spurred his horse and, under the setting sun, rode alone into the Great Sheng Dynasty’s expeditionary army.

Only his voice remained, echoing in the ears of all the audience members outside the frame.

"I, once a mere commoner from Huai right,

"How could I sit idle when the world was in uproar, people’s hearts straying, causing the people of Huaxia to perish horribly or be separated from their kin!

"Thus, I accepted the mandate of heaven, daring not to rest, and led nobles from the north to chase away the barbarians, to save our people from misery, and to restore the might of Huaxia!

"Those who return to me will find eternal peace within the Central Plains, those who turn their backs, will flee beyond the borders!"

At this point, Emperor Taizu’s voice paused slightly, "This life...

"I have no regrets at heart."

Emperor Taizu of Sheng gradually faded into the distance.

He was like a lonely old man who had left but an insignificant mark in the long river of history.

Yet behind him was a dynasty that was thriving!

Many in the audience before the screens fell into silence.

Those like Chu Ge, who understood history, knew very well that after the death of his beloved Empress, Emperor Taizu of Sheng had to spend over a decade more almost without rest.

Within eight days, Emperor Taizu of Sheng would review 1,660 memorials from the internal and external bureaucracy and deal with 3,391 state affairs, averaging over two hundred memorials and four hundred state matters each day.

His commitment to governance was extreme, as one can see.

And in the last years of his life, the most beloved Crown Prince succumbed to illness caused by cold, putting a final devastating blow on the elderly man’s fate.

Yet, as he himself said, he stubbornly and persistently fought against the cruel fate, never changing!

...

The end of the film showed Zhao Haiping playing Emperor Taizu of Sheng personally leading the charge against the Northern Barbarians in the final battle at Wulan Tula Mountain.

After a long journey to the Desert North, about whether to venture into the ambush of the Northern Barbarians, Emperor Taizu of Sheng, much like Zhao Haiping, had hesitated.

But, standing in the background with different identities, he finally made up his mind.

A thrilling and invigorating battle concluded the film.

The elite cavalry of the Sheng Army sped past Emperor Taizu of Sheng, continuing to chase down the surviving Northern Barbarian cavalry like the wind sweeping away the clouds.

The sun was setting, the remaining sunlight as red as blood.

In the overwhelmingly chaotic battlefield, Emperor Taizu of Sheng looked toward the setting sun in the distance.

All the audience members before the screens felt as if they too had traveled through centuries, uniting around the culture and legacy of a nation and a civilization, bringing distant souls together!

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