[Lightscreen]
[Hey hey hey! What is up history lovers, your favorite weekly uploader Wen Mang is back in action!]
The Light Screen flickered to life in the middle of the Chengdu administrative hall.
Conversation died instantly.
Tax ledgers, memorials, and government reports were pushed aside without a second thought.
Zhang Fei immediately dragged a plate of candied fruit in front of himself and settled into his seat.
"Finally, now let us see what new thing this future descendant brings to us."
Across the table, Zhuge Liang and Pang Tong held cups of tea in one hand and brushes in the other. They were ready to take notes.
Hundreds of miles away and centuries ahead in time, the same scene played out inside the Ganlu Hall.
The only new face in the hall belonged to Liu Rengui. After being summoned to the palace, he had expected discussions about state affairs. Instead, he found himself seated among the Emperor, the Prime Minister, and the Grand General. No one explained anything. He was starting to suspect this was some elaborate joke. Or maybe a test. Or maybe everyone in this room had simply lost their minds.
Then a gigantic glowing screen appeared right in front of him.
Liu Rengui's eyes went wide. His mouth opened, but no sound came out. He blinked. The screen was still there. He blinked again. Still there.
"What..." he finally managed, his voice barely above a whisper. "What is that?"
The screen flickered, displaying images he could not comprehend. Liu Rengui instinctively pushed himself back, his chair scraping against the floor. This was not some trick of the light. This was impossible.
Hou Junji reached over and steadied his shoulder before he could topple backward. "Careful, Zhengze."
Liu Rengui barely heard him. His mind was racing. This is why the Emperor called me. This is why the Duke of Lu brought me here. This is why they were both acting like lunatics.
He grabbed the armrest with both hands, knuckles white. "Is this... is this real? Am I dreaming?"
Li Shimin grinned. "No, Zhengze. You are not dreaming."
Hou Junji patted his shoulder. "You get used to it. Eventually."
Liu Rengui stared at him. Used to it? Used to a glowing screen appearing out of thin air? He looked around the room. Everyone else seemed perfectly calm. Like this happened every day. Like this was normal.
His entire opinion of the Tang court shattered right there.
Meanwhile, in a completely different timeline, Zhao Guangyi had been summoned by his older brother, the founding Emperor of the Song Dynasty. As he had expected, he found himself staring at the mysterious Light Screen floating above a stone table in the imperial gardens.
Zhao Guangyi glanced sideways. He noticed a heavy jade axe and hunting slingshot resting casually near his brother's waist, as if they were nothing more than a fan or an ink stone. He swallowed hard, lowered his head and kept his face perfectly blank. After all, it would not do to look too interested in either the screen or the "hunting tools" placed so conveniently within reach.
Emperor Zhao Kuangyin was in a surprisingly good mood though. He had ordered eunuchs to set out fresh melons, sweet pastries and hot tea long before his brother arrived. He looked relaxed and at ease, the picture of a benevolent ruler who just happened to keep lethal weapons handy for "afternoon target practice."
The Light Screen often delivered brutal criticism about the future incompetence of his Song Dynasty. Zhao Kuangyin took every word without flinching. Compared to the flood of complaints his own civil ministers unleashed during morning court, where every minor official thought they knew better than the man who actually built the empire, the sharp historical commentary from the magical screen felt like a gentle breeze.
His philosophy was simple. When the screen showed a future disaster, he would study it carefully. If he could fix the problem now, he would take action. If it was centuries away, he would write an edict warning his descendants not to be fools. That was as much as he could do, though he suspected some fools were just born that way, no matter how many warnings you left them.
His other main concern was keeping a close eye on his ambitious younger brother to make sure he did not try to speed up the dynasty's collapse
[Lightscreen]
[Before we dive into today's main historical deep dive, I have a quick vlog update! Your favorite historically illiterate uploader has successfully reached Tianshui City and has been exploring the area for the past few days.
Now when you think of Tianshui, what is the first thing that comes to mind?
"Old General, have you not heard of Jiang Boyue of Tianshui?!"
If you have ever read Romance of the Three Kingdoms, you know that line. It is the moment Zhuge Liang first learns about Jiang Wei. And ever since then, Tianshui and Jiang Wei have been inseparable. A thousand years later, the city still carries his name like a badge of honor.
So when I found out that Tianshui named their first tram line after him, I had to come see it for myself. They held a public poll and everything. The votes were unanimous. Not even close.
I cannot explain it, but standing here, watching a tram roll by with his name on it, it hits different. Even after a thousand years, the people of Tianshui still remember their Boyue.
So obviously, I had to buy a ticket and show some support.]
The image shifted to a sprawling and bustling metropolis that looked completely alien compared to Chengdu or Chang'an. It lacked the towering density of other future cities they usually saw, but it had clear skies and wide avenues. Watching it, Liu Bei felt a strange sense of satisfaction. This was how a frontier city like Tianshui should look.
The camera bobbed up and down as if the uploader was walking toward a sleek structure with a red roof. The view shifted to a glowing metal box set into a wall. The uploader tapped the glass and the box spit out a small rectangular piece of paper.
Then Liu Bei saw it.
A large and strange segmented metal box came speeding down the center of the avenue. It moved fast yet made almost no noise at all. The most striking feature was the large brightly lit characters plastered across its side: "The Boyue".
Seeing those three characters hit Liu Bei like a physical blow. He was deeply moved. He had memorized every detail the Light Screen had ever shared about Jiang Wei's future.
A man who inherited an impossible situation. A man who tried to pull a dying dynasty back from the edge of ruin. He fought until he had nowhere left to run, launching one final rebellion and bleeding out the last drop of Han loyalty on the battlefield.
Thinking about Jiang Wei reminded Zhuge Liang of a small irritation. He remembered that Pang Tong had secretly tried to recruit the boy first. Zhuge Liang shot him a sharp sideways glare.
Pang Tong pretended not to notice. He was already pointing at the screen.
"What are those metallic lines in the street?" Pang Tong asked, leaning forward. "They look like reinforced wheel ruts. Does this future tram work like a heavy cargo wagon?"
Zhuge Liang decided to let the recruitment rivalry slide for now. He watched as the future person stepped onto the tram. The camera showed heavy metal wheels locking onto parallel lines in the road.
"It appears to be a steel track system," Zhuge Liang deduced quietly.
"A track system?" Pang Tong stared at him. His face clearly said: "How could you possibly know that?"
Zhuge Liang sighed and gave a brief explanation.
"Pre-Qin records describe wooden track systems designed to reduce friction when hauling heavy carts of ore out of mines."
He took a slow sip of tea.
"The terrain around our new coal mines overseen by Cheng Ji is rough and uneven. Because of that, last April I traveled to Jiangzhou and spent weeks working with laborers. We flattened mountain roads and installed wooden tracks. It completely transformed the coal extraction process."
He pointed his brush at the steel rails on the screen.
"We already know future generations improved our wooden repeating crossbows by using steel. Following that same logic, if you replaced wooden tracks with smooth steel rails, the efficiency gains would be enormous. It is a basic logical step."
Pang Tong just stared at him.
"Basic?" Pang Tong thought to himself. "We must be using completely different dictionaries to define that word."
Pang Tong had read the same pre-Qin texts and knew about the wooden tracks. But reading a dusty old record did not mean you could reverse engineer the technology, adapt it and deploy it on a large scale.
Everyone knew the stories of Huo Qubing. But how many commanders could actually copy his incredible cavalry tactics? Almost no one.
A loud alarm bell rang in Pang Tong's head. Over the past year, because campaigns in Hanzhong and the northwest had gone so smoothly, he had allowed himself to become lazy. He had stopped studying advanced mathematics and experimental engineering.
Looking at Zhuge Liang now, Pang Tong realized with horror that the Prime Minister had left him far behind when it came to industrial technology.
Oblivious to Pang Tong's personal crisis, Zhuge Liang was already focusing on another problem.
"This vehicle," Zhuge Liang muttered, frowning deeply. "It does not use mules or horses. What provides the power to move so much weight?"
He tapped his brush against the table.
"They call it an Electric Tram. Does it capture lightning? How do you trap lightning? How do you store it? How do you turn it into movement?"
Zhuge Liang shook his head as he scribbled notes. The more he learned, the more questions he had.
He wondered how many of these mysteries he would actually solve before his time ran out.
Perhaps, he thought, "I should start with something simple. I will order the foundries to cast a short section of experimental iron track next week and test how it affects friction."
On the screen, the camera was now pointing out the tram window, watching the city blur past as the narrator continued talking.
Lightscreen]
[The love Tianshui holds for their historical prodigy is clear just by looking at their public transit system.
Because of this, people online have been making jokes. They suggest that if they ever build a high-speed rail line from Hangzhou to Nanjing to Hefei, they should name it "The Zhongmou".
Think about it from Sun Quan's perspective:
Hangzhou and the Huai River basin are the ancestral homeland of the Sun family. That is where the dream began.
Nanjing, originally called Moling, is where Sun Quan, also known as "Sun Shiwan" moved his capital after Red Cliffs. He renamed it Jianye. That is where the dream took flight.
And Hefei? Well, Sun Quan threw himself at the city walls over and over again and failed every single time. Having the train finally reach Hefei would comfort his traumatized historical ghost.
I can already hear the announcement: "Hello passengers. The Zhongmou Express has arrived at its final destination: Hefei Station. For those exiting: The doors on the left, named the Liu Fu Gates, lead to the historical district. The doors on the right, named the Wen Pin Gates, lead to luxury hotels. And the doors in the center, named the Zhang Liao Gates, lead to Xiaoyao Ford Amusement Park."
Obviously this is just an internet joke. But if they actually built that route, every history nerd in the country would buy a ticket just for the fun of it.]
Zhang Fei slammed his hand on the table and burst out laughing.
"This descendant's got a good sense of humor!" Zhang Fei howled, wiping tears from his eye. "He is actually pretty funny!"
He looked at the screen with a wide grin.
"It is a shame we cannot pull this screen out of thin air and send it downriver. I would pay a fortune to make Brother Sun Shiwan watch this part."
Liu Bei shook his head with a wry smile.
He privately thought it was probably a good thing Sun Quan could not see this broadcast. If he saw how future generations poked fun at his military career, the anger would likely give him a fatal aneurysm.
Last year during the Jingzhou campaign, Sun Quan had mobilized a large army of one hundred thousand troops and marched north to attack Hefei.
The result was a disaster.
Legendary defender Zhang Liao had launched a daring charge with just eight thousand elite cavalry and smashed the entire Jiangdong siege force.
The invasion ended in a humiliating rout. Instantly, the story of "Zhang Liao's Eight Thousand Smashing the One Hundred Thousand" spread like wildfire. Every merchant from Jingzhou to Yizhou was telling that tale in every tavern they visited.
However, only Liu Bei and his inner circle understood how lucky Sun Quan actually was.
Being mocked for losing with one hundred thousand against eight thousand was bad enough. But if history had played out exactly as the Light Screen originally showed, if Zhang Liao had shattered the army using only eight hundred men at Xiaoyao Ford, then people would not just mock his military skills.
They would be questioning his entire family background.
[Lightscreen]
[But seriously, why do the people of Tianshui focus all their love on Jiang Boyue?
It is an interesting question, especially when you look at the raw historical data. Tianshui is an ancient cultural center. The region has produced an amazing number of famous historical figures.
Specifically, the "Li" family clan from Tianshui is legendary.
You have the "Flying General" Li Guang from the Han Dynasty and his descendant Li Ling.
You have Li Yuan, founding Emperor of the Tang Dynasty, and his son, the legendary Emperor Li Shimin.
You have Li Jiancheng and Li Yuanji, the two brothers who famously met their end at Xuanwu Gate.
You have Li Xiaogong, the brilliant general who ranked second in the Lingyan Pavilion.
Every single one of these heavyweights traces their roots back to Tianshui. The city produced legendary Han generals, the God of War of the Tang, founding emperors, and some of the greatest politicians in history.
And yet, if you stack all of them together, they still get overshadowed in local popularity by a guy whose most famous historical quote is basically: "My brilliant plan failed. I guess Heaven just does not like me."
That is how deeply the people of Tianshui love Jiang Wei.
Regarding the naming of the 'Boyue' tram, some online commenters pointed out that this is a specific type of romance built into the cultural DNA of the Chinese people. It is about loyalty. About fighting until the very end. About never giving up, even when you know you are going to lose.
When I stood on the street and watched that tram pull into the station, I felt it too. Even though a thousand years have passed, seeing his name on that train felt incredibly personal. It was like running into an old friend you had not seen in years.
Just by looking at those three characters, you can feel the unbreakable spirit of the great scholars and warriors of Chinese history echoing through time.]
Inside the Ganlu Pavilion, Emperor Li Shimin could only manage a helpless wry smile.
He could command armies. He could rewrite tax laws. He could expand the empire's borders. But he could not control who the common people chose to love a thousand years in the future.
When Li Shimin had studied the Records of the Three Kingdoms, he had not paid much attention to Jiang Wei. Who could have predicted that a millennium later, this one man would completely dominate the cultural identity of an entire city, ignoring a whole dynasty of legendary emperors?
However Li Shimin stroked his beard thoughtfully. His political mind was already working through the reasons.
"It makes sense," he reasoned. "The Li Tang dynasty comes from Tianshui but we built our empire from Chang'an. Future generations probably link my legacy entirely to the capital, not to a frontier town."
He decided to let his bruised ego rest. He narrowed his eyes and focused on the small scrolling text comments appearing along the bottom of the screen.
[Chat Log Server]
[WanderingSwordsman_88: Since the uploader brought this up, let me share a fun fact. Tianshui is not just the ancestral home of the Li Tang dynasty. It is also the ancestral home of the Zhao family, founders of the Song Dynasty. The dynasty with the strongest military potential in history and the dynasty with the weakest military performance in history both came from the same city. It is absolutely wild.
DrunkenMaster_Tang: It is true! The History of Song says: "Tianshui is the origin of the national surname; all those who bear the name Zhao under heaven come from Tianshui." Even though Zhao Kuangyin was actually born in Zhuo County, after he founded the empire he actively claimed Tianshui Zhao lineage to strengthen his legitimacy.
TianshuiMountainHermit: As a Tianshui local, please stop talking about the Song Dynasty. It is embarrassing. Just look at the Jingkang Incident. When the Jurchen Jin captured the two Song Emperors, they gave them the mocking titles of "Duke of Tianshui" and "Marquis of Tianshui." They used the ancestral name to make the humiliation worse.
SaberRattler_42: Hold on, switching topics. I was re-watching the old video about Li Jing. During the founding of the Tang, Li Xiaogong basically just followed Li Jing around and took credit. Li Jing did all the real work. So why did Li Xiaogong get ranked number two in the Lingyan Pavilion while Li Jing was stuck at number eight? Was Li Shimin playing politics and fixing the results?
BackAlleyStrategist: No, Li Shimin was not stupid. If he ranked generals purely by military skill, it would have started a political war. The Lingyan Pavilion rankings were based on official positions held during the seventeenth year of the Zhenguan era. Also when a highly decorated official died, the Emperor would give them a posthumous promotion to a very high rank as a sign of respect. Both Li Xiaogong and Wei Zheng were already dead when the pavilion was built. They had been promoted to Minister of Works, a Rank One position, so they automatically went to the top.
BrokenSpear_77: Exactly. Poor Qin Qiong got completely cheated by that system. He ranked last of all. His health was terrible and he died too early. When he passed away he was only a Rank Three official so he got stuck at the very bottom of the list.]