The Emperor of Wangchao ultimately did not heed Zhen Xiang's advice.
As for Zhen Xiang himself, he soon drew the ire of the court and was quietly removed from the capital, reassigned to a minor post in a remote province.
The matter of mathematics, physics, and chemistry was never brought up again.
No one spared a second thought for such strange and foreign disciplines.
The court returned to its usual calm.
The Emperor continued to govern with diligence, and the realm remained prosperous and stable.
"See? Did I not say it all along? The running of a nation has no need for such nonsense as mathematics or chemistry!"
With the narrative seemingly back on the "proper path," Liu Daren's sour expression finally relaxed.
"Hmph! At least that child didn't lose his senses entirely. He still knows where true wisdom lies."
"Indeed."
Du Daren nodded reflexively, yet inwardly, his thoughts began to stir.
If all that effort and disruption only led things back to where they began… then what, precisely, was the point of that entire arc?
Was it even necessary?
Surely the one who penned something as profound as A Great Nation would not make such a rudimentary misstep.
Perplexed, Du Daren gave it more thought, but finding no answer, he simply continued reading.
After foreign ships arrived in Wangchao, the travelers aboard were left dumbfounded by the splendor and abundance of the empire.
Upon their return, word of a grand and mysterious eastern kingdom spread swiftly across distant lands.
According to rumor, this mighty Eastern nation was overflowing with gold and gems, its people enjoying bountiful lives, their faces always alight with joy and laughter…
Enticed by the tales, more and more foreign ships made their way to Wangchao's shores. Some even came bearing emissaries, seeking to establish trade relations.
Yet the so-called treasures these foreign nations brought forth failed to impress the court.
Officials grew uneasy, suspecting that these foreigners harbored ulterior motives, gathering intelligence under the guise of diplomacy, their true intent to undermine the empire.
Petitions were submitted to the Emperor, urging the court to close its borders and halt the frequent passage of outsiders.
After all, Wangchao was already strong enough to thrive in self-reliance. There was little need to entangle itself with resource-poor foreign lands.
[The ministers have petitioned. The Emperor has granted assent.]
After reading that final line, Liu Daren folded the latest issue of Capital Weekly and thoughtfully stroked his beard.
"Closing the borders… it may not be such a bad idea after all.
Look upon the world, and who else stands as tall as Tian Sheng?
Those petty states are beneath notice, but should they ever attempt something akin to the Seven Nations' Rebellion again—
Even if they cannot truly shake Tian Sheng, they remain a nuisance.
Would it not be better to seal the gates, tend to our own affairs, and spare them even a glance?"
"True enough," Du Daren murmured, furrowing his brow in contemplation.
"Especially now, with His Majesty and Her Highness the Crown Princess both showing no signs of pursuing further expansion. It seems they intend to first bring proper order to the lands already absorbed.
In such circumstances, starting more wars would bring nothing but trouble.
Closing the realm's borders… Liu Daren, if you ask me, this is something we ought to deliberate seriously upon our return. It may indeed be a wise course."
"Agreed."
Liu Daren answered at once.
"But no need to rush today. In any case, tomorrow marks the final installment of A Great Nation. Let us first see how that writer concludes the tale."
That day, many court officials shared the same thoughts as Liu and Du Daren.
By the next morning, even as Yun Shu waited in the Xuan Zheng Hall for the imperial court to convene, she overheard hushed whispers about "sealing the borders."
A faint, amused curve touched her lips.
She couldn't help but wonder how those ministers might react once they finished reading today's final chapter.
Would they scoff and dismiss it with curses?
Or would they curse first… and then begin to feel an uneasy dread?
Ah, time to filter for intelligence, perhaps.
Attending court as though nothing were amiss, Yun Shu wore a slight smile as she walked cheerfully into the Imperial Study. Her tone was light and spirited.
"Father Emperor, I assume today's memorials are not too many?"
"Do you not know the answer to that yourself?"
Emperor Xuanwu glanced at her with a dry look.
"Most matters were already handled before the Wanshou Festival.
With only a few days remaining until New Year's Eve, whether anything still requires Our personal attention depends entirely on your ability to manage affairs."
"Then does Father Emperor believe Your Daughter has such ability?"
Yun Shu grinned as she took her seat before the desk, resting her chin on one hand.
Emperor Xuanwu gave a cold snort and tossed a copy of Capital Weekly onto the table before her.
"Whether you have ability or not, We cannot say. What We do know is that you certainly dare to write anything you please.
After today's chapter, do you not expect those ministers to raise a commotion?"
"A commotion?" Yun Shu's expression remained utterly calm, her voice full of confidence.
"A commotion over their own lack of vision? For caring only about immediate, petty gains while failing to see the grand currents of the world?
Or is it that someone finally spoke the truth, and they cannot bear the sting of wounded pride?"
"You…" Emperor Xuanwu choked on her words for a moment before scowling at her.
"You cannot truly believe all those ministers are fools.
Perhaps they were misled before, but once they reflect, who would fail to realize that A Great Nation was authored by none other than the Crown Princess herself?
You've scolded them thoroughly in that piece—"
"Father Emperor," Yun Shu interrupted innocently.
"Do you mean to say that Your Majesty has never scolded the court officials?"
"Ministers exist to serve the court, do they not?
And I, as the Crown Princess, am sovereign before them.
They are officials, and I am ruler.
If they are foolish, stubborn, and hopelessly rigid, what harm is there in a few choice words of rebuke?"
Emperor Xuanwu had no words.
It wasn't that her reprimands were improper.
But the way she did it… her phrasing had not a single vulgar word, yet each line cut sharper than a blade.
And now that he thought about it more closely, wasn't her tone oddly reminiscent of the "netizens" from those simulated lives he had seen through the Simulation Life Selection System?
Casual, biting, irreverent—and every word pierced straight to the heart.
Could it be… that those future netizens had actually been influenced by Xiao Wu, the Emperor of the Ages?
So admired and revered was she, they even mimicked the way she spoke?
Could this child's influence truly reach so far, spanning millennia and reshaping how the people of the future thought and spoke?
Emperor Xuanwu's thoughts drifted further and further from their original track. In the end, he no longer cared whether the ministers had been scolded too harshly.
He fell completely silent.
At the same time, the ministers who had already left the palace and boarded their carriages—all without exception—opened their newspapers.
And began reading the final chapter of A Great Nation.