Emperor Xuanwu never imagined there would come a day when he would find himself vexed by the sheer competence of his own ministers.
His gaze lingered, reluctant to part from the four bold characters etched across the panel — "Minister for the Ages" and "General for the Ages." With evident reluctance, he finally turned his eyes to the second option.
[You have chosen Option B. Cen Shifeng successfully trains an elite naval squadron. His only daughter, Cen Yiyi, also shows rapid improvement over six months of training.
Later, Cen Shifeng leads the navy in a campaign against the Kingdom Wa. Though Cen Yiyi, due to her young age, is unable to take part in direct combat, witnessing the expedition firsthand grants her invaluable experience.
This lays the foundation for her future rise as Tian Sheng's first female Grand General Who Guards the Nation.]
An elite naval squadron — this seemed only marginally inferior to the "invincible naval force" cultivated by Tang Muzhi.
Still, it was a commendable result.
More than the strength of the squadron, however, it was the latter part of the message that truly startled Emperor Xuanwu.
Cen Yiyi — the same meek and soft-spoken young girl he had previously chosen to serve as Xiao Wu's study companion — that timid child, so easy to bully in appearance, was destined to become Tian Sheng's first female Grand General Who Guards the Nation?
That was no minor title. To ascend to the rank of Grand General Who Guards the Nation required martial prowess and military accomplishments far surpassing one's peers. It was the apex of any general's lifelong ambition.
Indeed, one cannot judge a book by its cover.
Shaken to his core, Emperor Xuanwu could hardly contain his excitement as he turned to the final option.
It was a rare occurrence that both preceding outcomes in this simulation had left him so thrilled.
What surprise would the third bring?
[You have chosen Option C. General of the South, Xue Weiyong, lacks naval expertise. The squadron he trains is only marginally more capable than one with no formal training.]
Crash.
The heart he had filled with such anticipation dropped instantly, shattered into pieces like brittle porcelain.
Emperor Xuanwu's mouth twitched. Without hesitation, he closed the panel.
What absurdity. He could not bear to look further.
[Please select the future assessment you wish to view (Note: only one may be chosen)]
With the first stage concluded, the upgraded system immediately presented the second phase of choices:
A. Posterity's evaluation of Tang Muzhi as a Minister for the Ages.
B. Posterity's evaluation of Tang Muzhi as a General for the Ages.
C. Posterity's evaluation of Cen Yiyi as the first female Grand General Who Guards the Nation.
D. Posterity's evaluation of General Xue Weiyong.
The fourth option was clearly filler and could be disregarded.
Emperor Xuanwu deliberated between the remaining three.
Cen Yiyi's potential was undeniable if she were to rise so far. But would the acclaim she earned be augmented by novelty — being the first female general of her kind?
Between the title of first female Grand General and that of a General for the Ages, which held greater weight?
To unify the realm — such a feat would certainly demand martial force.
If he could leave behind a General for the Ages for his little rascal to rely upon, it would surely serve her well.
Yet, once the empire was unified, governing it would be paramount. A Minister for the Ages might prove even more essential.
Best to examine the Minister for the Ages first.
If he lacked a general, he could perhaps find a replacement. But a minister of such caliber? That was another matter entirely.
After a moment of hesitation, Emperor Xuanwu chose Option A.
He expected to be greeted by a detailed record of Tang Muzhi's achievements as a Minister for the Ages.
Instead, what he saw was a series of baffling, seemingly disjointed remarks — clearly spoken by different individuals:
[Username: LoveRidingPigsSoWhat]: What do you mean this is the newly unearthed image of Tang Muzhi, the Minister for the Ages? That's clearly my long-lost husband from a past life!
[Username: AnythingIsPossibleInDreams]: I used to worry the historical records were exaggerated. I mean, how could anyone be so smart and that outrageously good-looking at the same time? But now I'm reassured. Muzhi is a god-tier man. Seriously, which window did Heaven even close on him?
[Username: Didn'tGraduateKindergarten]: Slurp. Who cares if he's a Minister for the Ages? All I know is, he's insanely handsome! It's like every elegant gentleman from a novel has finally been given a face!
[Username: IHeartStudying]: You must be young. This man got his own dedicated chapter in middle school history books! During Emperor Tian Sheng's reign, he served as Right Prime Minister and ushered in an age of peace, clean governance, and prosperity.
Many of her revolutionary reforms were only possible due to his guidance.
You could say the foundation of our current golden age rests entirely upon the partnership of that sovereign and her minister.
[Username: YouDontKnowThePainOfFailing]: Forget all that complicated talk. Let me put it simply. If not for Emperor Tian Sheng, Muzhi, and their cohort, we'd all be learning a dozen different languages right now, and every phone charger would be different!
Emperor Xuanwu fell silent.
Had he just witnessed something? Or nothing at all?
Was the future always this... unreliable?
This was the Minister for the Ages — yet all the people of the future seemed to care about was Tang Aiqing's face.
No one mentioned the ground-breaking reforms he had accomplished with Xiao Wu. Not a single word.
As for those bizarre mentions of phones and chargers, he had not the faintest idea what any of it meant.
Not a shred of valuable information.
Mimicking Yun Shu's earlier gesture, Emperor Xuanwu closed the memorial with a crisp snap. The sound was oddly satisfying, easing his growing irritation just a little.
"Very well. We are informed. The formation of a naval squadron shall be established in Qiongzhou."
He paused, then added, "However, the command must fall to the heir of Marquis Wu'an."
The heir of Marquis Wu'an — that was Cen Yiyi's father.
An old and venerable military family. The appointment was a sound one.
Yun Shu nodded in agreement without questioning the decision. She promptly raised another memorial.
"Father Emperor, this one is once again from Minister Yan."
"Him again?"
Emperor Xuanwu was developing a reflex.
"What has he accused you of this time?"
"This time, he has not submitted an impeachment against Your Daughter." Yun Shu opened the memorial and turned it to face Emperor Xuanwu. "Though perhaps he is trying to prove that his previous accusations were justified.
In this memorial, he requests that you cancel this year's autumn hunt at the royal hunting grounds… because the national treasury is truly out of funds."
Emperor Xuanwu fell into silence.