Chapter 151: Heavenly Curtain Strikes Down Cixi

Just as the myriad emperors were marveling at Empress Dowager Zhang's virtue, that familiar and annoying voice sounded again.

Qing Dynasty, during the reign of the Qianlong Emperor.

The last time Qianlong was so insulted he coughed up blood and fainted, he had to drink a lot of tonics before he recovered.

Now, seeing the Heavenly Curtain praising a Ming dynasty empress, that sour feeling rose again in his heart.

"Ha, it's the Ming again."

Qianlong waved his folding fan and said to He Shen,

"This Lady Zhang, being called a 'female Yao and Shun', I, the Emperor, see nothing more than that."

"Her husband died, she helped her son; her son died, she helped her grandson—she's just an old woman looking after children. Does she really deserve such praise from the Heavenly Curtain?"

He Shen flatteredly laughed: "Your Majesty is wise! The Ming empresses have all been glorified."

"If this servant may say, our Qing Empress Xiaozhuang was the true virtuous empress, assisting the Taizong, Shizong, and Shengzong of three reigns—that is called…"

He hadn't finished when another sharp female voice cut in.

It was Empress Dowager Cixi.

She leaned on a eunuch's hand, glanced at the Heavenly Curtain, and sneered: "The Ming? Just a fallen dynasty."

"Even if Lady Zhang were virtuous, didn't she give birth to the Ying Emperor, trigger the Tumu Incident, and almost bring about the dynasty's ruin?"

"If I may say, a woman who rules must have thunderous methods."

"Lady Zhang, all timid and indecisive, never lifts the curtain nor governs, pretends to be lofty—if it were me, I would have already …"

Before she could finish, the space-time of myriad dynasties exploded.

Ming founder Zhu Yuanzhang erupted first: "You, the chief of all Chinese villains through the ages, what right do you have to speak of our old Zhu family's granddaughter‑in‑law? Bah!"

Emperor Yongle Zhu Di, his beard standing on end, retorted: "Scoundrel! My daughter‑in‑law, can a witch like you even evaluate?"

"Still 'timid and indecisive'? When Lady Zhang was stabilizing three reigns and setting the world right, your ancestors were still gnawing bark beyond the passes!"

Qin Emperor Ying Zheng said coldly: "After the barbarians, they are like monkeys wearing crowns."

"Such a witch, how can she even comment on the sages? I think your Qing will perish at the hands of women."

At this moment, Liu Bang, the founder of Han, got fired up; he finally seized the opportunity.

"Yo, yo, yo, isn't this the chief of all historical villains nailed to the pillar of disgrace? Such a big mouth. And you say 'a woman who rules must have thunderous methods'?"

"You claim to rule? What kind of rule? Have you lost your family? I recall the Heavenly Curtain mentioned a certain Empress Dowager who misappropriated naval funds to renovate a garden, causing the Japanese to beat her into a mess of excrement—was that you?"

Liu Bang's remark was harsh, directly spoiling the First Sino‑Japanese War.

Tang Emperor Li Shimin shook his head and sighed: "A hen serving as the morning rooster, only the household's rope."

"These women dare to presumptuously discuss the 'female Yao and Shun'? If Empress Zhang were present, she would be laughed at by your ignorant, foolish women."

Cao Cao laughed heartily: "Interesting, interesting! This prime minister has finally opened his eyes today."

"What are you? Oh, I just remembered, you seem also an Empress Dowager, but a disaster‑bringing one."

…

The myriad emperors, each word you utter, you make Empress Dowager Cixi blush and fume.

"You… you all…"

Cixi pointed at the Heavenly Curtain, her hand trembling.

"I, the Empress Dowager of Qing, how dare you, the fallen rulers of previous dynasties, speak like this!"

Zhu Yuanzhang: "Empress Dowager? I think you're a witch! How dare you curse my Ming!"

"I tell you, with such conduct, your so‑called Qing is doomed! And it will fall disgracefully—beaten by Westerners, humiliated by the Japanese, and finally the Forbidden City burned! Bah!"

Zhu Di: "Father Emperor, well said! Let me add—this witch, any palace maid in my Ming understands more than she does! If our daughter‑in‑law Lady Zhang were present, a single glance would frighten her to death!"

Cixi shrieked: "I fear you won't succeed! The Ming fell, perished at the hands of Chongzhen!"

"Even if Lady Zhang were more virtuous, she still couldn't save the Ming! As for our Qing…"

Before she could finish, the voice of the Heavenly Curtain sounded coldly:

Yeh He Nala, Empress Dowager Cixi.

Consort of the Xianfeng Emperor, mother of the Tongzhi Emperor.

She ruled behind the curtain for forty‑seven years, during which she misappropriated naval funds to renovate the Summer Resort, leading to the defeat in the First Sino‑Japanese War; imprisoned the Guangxu Emperor, suppressed the Hundred Days' Reform; declared war on eleven nations, provoking the Eight‑Nation Alliance invasion, and signed the Boxer Protocol.

During her rule, Qing lost its power and territory, the people suffered, and China sank.

The so‑called Tongguang revival was merely a reflection; she can be called a timeless villain in Chinese history.

With you, how could you even comment on the sincere and filial Empress Zhang?

You are unworthy.

As the Heavenly Curtain finished speaking, Gu Shanhe bought a lightning bolt with 50,000 emotion points and struck Cixi directly.

Cixi instantly turned into a spiky 'exploding head', her face blackened, smoke pouring from her mouth.

Then, darkness fell before Cixi's eyes and she fainted outright.

"Empress Dowager! Empress Dowager!"

The eunuchs in the harem scrambled in chaos.

The space-time of myriad dynasties erupted in uproarious laughter.

Liu Bang: "Deserved! She got what she deserved for her sharp tongue!"

Ying Zheng: "Barbarians are barbarians, lacking any courtesy, righteousness, or shame."

Li Shimin: "Alas, the common folk of that era are pitiful."

Zhu Yuanzhang kept cursing: "It infuriates me! This witch dares to curse my Ming!"

"Fourth son, remember, when you see anyone surnamed Yeh He Nala, beat them to death for us!"

Zhu Di forced a bitter smile: "Father Emperor, those are events centuries later…"

Cao Cao laughed heartily, "Today's performance is far more entertaining than the dances at the Bronze Sparrow Terrace! Feng Xiao, don't you agree?"

Guo Jia suppressed a smile, "Prime Minister, watching someone embarrass themselves is indeed a pleasure. But such a witch‑like woman is best seen less, lest it sully one's eyes."

……

After the interlude, the celestial curtain resumed its solemnity.

In the scene, Empress Dowager Zhang's benevolent yet imposing visage reappeared.

A brilliant golden light surged, and the sound of the celestial curtain thundered:

The sincere and filial Empress Zhang, whose virtuous life steadied three reigns, left achievements for millennia and blessings upon all the people.

The celestial curtain list's producer, Immortal Gu, bestowed special rewards—

Reward One: fifty years of longevity.

A golden pillar, thicker than before, spanned time and space, descending into the Cining Palace of the Forbidden City in the early years of the legitimate dynasty.

On the sickbed, Empress Dowager Zhang, whose breath was already feeble, felt a surge of mighty vitality flood her body as the golden light entered her.

Her wrinkles relaxed, white hair turned black, and weakness vanished entirely.

She even sat up from the bed, feeling as if she had returned to the age of forty.

"This…"

She looked at her restored, gleaming hands, both startled and delighted.

Those beside her, including Yang Shiqi, were dumbfounded, then burst into ecstatic kneeling: "Heaven's grace is boundless! Congratulations, Empress Dowager!"

Empress Dowager Zhang gazed into the void, tearfully saying, "What virtue or ability does the Zhang clan possess to receive such a generous gift…"

Reward Two: Blueprint for the high‑furnace steel‑forging method.

Note: This method can forge premium steel, far tougher than current alloys.

Applied to armaments, blades and armor become razor‑sharp; for agricultural tools, plowing becomes highly efficient; for engineering, structures become sturdy and durable. It is the treasure that strengthens the nation and enriches its people!

A scroll shimmering with metallic luster floated into Yang Shiqi's hands.

Yang Shiqi unrolled it and saw a peculiar furnace structure illustrated, with detailed annotations beside it.

Though he knew little of metallurgy, upon reading phrases like "Steel‑forging efficiency increased tenfold" and "Steel toughness capable of forging divine weapons," he recognized it as a national treasure.

"I, on behalf of Ming, thank Heaven's grace!" Yang Shiqi bowed deeply.

Reward Three: Blueprint for cement production.

Note: This material is made by firing lime, clay, and similar substances, then mixing with water; once set, it is as hard as rock.

Used for city walls, the city becomes fortified; for road building, the roads are smooth; for river control, the dikes are sturdy. It can also erect skyscrapers, benefitting all the people.

Another scroll drifted down.

The Minister of Works knelt to receive it, glanced at it once, and trembled with excitement:

"A divine artifact! This is the artifact for building cities and controlling rivers!"

"With this, the Yellow River can be secured, border walls can be reinforced, and all the great roads of the world can be leveled! What a blessing for the common folk!"

Reward Four: Twenty years of favorable winds and rain in the future, plus a doubling of grain yields.

With this heavenly grace, repay their lifelong devotion to the people.

Twenty years without disaster or famine, granaries abundant, the populace safe and healthy. May the Ming dynasty's reign endure eternally!

With this grant, the entire Ming realm enjoys favorable weather and bountiful harvests.

In the north, wheat waves roll; in the south, rice fragrance stretches for a thousand miles.

The Yellow River is calm, the Yangtze River tranquil. The people cheer, all the masses bow.

In Cining Palace, Empress Dowager Zhang, assisted by Yang Shiqi and others, rose, adjusted her attire, and solemnly bowed toward the celestial curtain.

"Zhang clan, on behalf of Ming's ancestors and the people of the world, thank the boundless grace of Heaven!"

Behind her, nine‑year‑old Emperor Zhu Qizhen of Ming, along with the entire court of civil and military officials, knelt in unison, shouting like a mountain and sea:

"Thank Heaven's grace! Congratulations, Empress Dowager! Congratulations, Ming!"

Above the celestial curtain, the golden light gradually faded.

Empress Dowager Zhang's figure, within the light, transformed into specks of stars, finally coalescing into two lines of golden characters:

Three reigns' stabilizing queen Yao Shun, does not speak of the curtain‑hanging merits;

Deep within the inner palace, she bore the world, her sincere filialness shining brightly upon history.

The scene finally darkened.

The sound of the celestial curtain rang out at last:

The second of history's top ten virtuous empresses, the sincere and filial Empress Zhang, has been tallied.