Chapter 53

Great Tang.

Taiji Palace.

Li Shimin sat on the dragon throne.

Half an hour ago, he had been burning with jealousy over Xiao Sizi buying milk tea for Lin Xuan, wishing to dispatch troops across time and space to chop that fellow down.

But now, watching the Sky Screen, he saw Lin Xuan like a fierce tiger protecting its cubs, resolutely blocking all filthy things attempting to tarnish his daughter's talent before him.

The jealousy and hostility in the heart of the Eternal Emperor faded by more than half in that moment, like ice and snow melting.

Li Shimin deeply realized.

Lin Xuan was not using the princess; he was truly standing by his own principles, even risking offending powerful figures of later generations, to resolutely protect Sizi's purity.

Li Shimin exhaled a long breath of turbid air.

"Wang De, draft the edict!" Read novels on Tiantian Kan Xiaoshuo, ttkk. tw, super awesome.

"The youth Lin Xuan of later generations in the Sky Screen has meritoriously protected his master, possessing high moral character and integrity, bringing glory to our Great Tang!"

"Order the Zongzheng Temple to record him in the Jade Tablet!"

"Bestow upon Lin Xuan the title of Different-Surname King of Great Tang, with the honorific 'Protector of the State'!"

All officials were shocked.

Granting a king title to a different surname was unprecedented in Great Tang.

That was the supreme honor even Zhangsun Wuji and Li Jing had never enjoyed.

But Li Shimin did not care at all.

"Seeing this king title is like seeing me in person!"

"Even though separated by a thousand years, as long as the Great Tang's reign lasts even one day, Lin Xuan shall be our Great Tang's highest-level honored guest! The entire Great Tang shall be Lin Xuan's shield!"

Although Lin Xuan, located in the modern era, could not hear this imperial edict.

Yet, on the level of ancient laws and fortune.

He had already received the remote protection of the entire Great Tang's power.

Between the ancient monarch and the commoner of later generations, an extremely wondrous and solid bond had formed.

And all of this, Lin Xuan, far away picking green onions in the supermarket, knew nothing about.

Weekend evening.

The sky was heavy and turning greenish.

Lin Xuan sat before the solid wood desk in the study, processing a work document regarding next quarter's market analysis.

In the living room.

The wall-mounted eighty-five-inch smart TV was on.

The screen was playing the documentary "Huaxia Ancient Style: Splendid Prosperity".

The footage was currently showing the reconstructed scene of the Great Tang Shangyuan Lantern Festival.

Zhuque Avenue was brightly lit on both sides.

Countless girls in ruqun dresses walked through it.

Holding exquisite flower lanterns in their hands.

Xiao Sizi, hugging a plush teddy bear, sat on the living room carpet, watching intently.

"Brother Lin Xuan, look at that tavern's signboard; it looks just like the one Father often took me to."

Xiao Sizi pointed at the screen and shouted without turning her head.

"Is that so? That was reconstructed according to historical documents, showing that the archaeologists of later generations did not slack off."

Lin Xuan replied and continued to look down, processing the report.

Xiao Sizi watching this kind of ancient customs documentary.

Found it not boring at all, but rather felt a sense of familiarity, like returning home.

The documentary entered its conclusion.

The melodious sound of the guqin gradually grew low.

The black credits began to scroll across the screen.

The one-hour program had finished broadcasting.

The smart TV's algorithm mechanism, based on viewing records.

Immediately popped up a countdown prompt: "About to automatically play a highly recommended video for you — 'Modern Chinese History: A Century of Humiliation and Awakening'".

Buzz—

A grim horn sound rang out in the living room.

The originally brilliant colorful scene instantly switched to black-and-white imagery.

In the footage.

The sky was gray, and the ground was cracked and dry.

Houses on both sides of the street leaned and collapsed; amidst the broken walls and ruins, there was nothing but mud.

A group of people wearing tattered long gowns, with thin long braids hanging behind their heads, huddled under the wall roots.

Their faces were waxy yellow, cheeks deeply sunken.

There was not a single glimmer of light in their eyes, only endless numbness and dead silence.

The camera slowly panned.

On the sea horizon, several plumes of pitch-black smoke shot straight into the clouds.

Three massive monsters, entirely covered in cold steel, were breaking through the waves and approaching.

Those monsters had no sails, no warmth of wooden structures.

Only the hull, shimmering with a dull metallic luster.

And those thick, deep steel gun barrels, all aimed at the shore.

Strongly recommending "Sizi, Frail and Sick, Knocks on the Door, and I Become the God of Ten Thousand Dynasties"! Straight to the excitement.

Above the Sky Screen.

This sudden shift in visual style.

Was simultaneously broadcast via the cloud to all parallel timelines.

The common people of every dynasty.

Were originally immersed in the magnificent prosperity shown in the documentary just now.

They were used to seeing modern High-speed Railways.

Seeing those metal stars flying through the sky.

Seeing that prosperous world of abundant clothing and food.

But at this moment.

That gray image was like a cold hand, tightly choking their necks.

"Where... is this?" Tang Dynasty border pass.

A soldier guarding the city lowered his spear, eyes wide.

"Why do those people wear braids like rat tails?"

"Has the future... suffered a heavenly punishment?"

Panic spread across Jiuzhou.

Great Qin.

Xianyang Palace.

Ying Zheng pushed aside the bamboo slips of state affairs before him.

He stared at the steel giant spewing black smoke on the sea on the screen.

That monster stood steady as a rock amidst the waves.

Without any trace of oars, yet moving extremely fast.

"Gongshu Clan."

"Your subject is here." An old man stepped forward.

"What kind of warship is that? Does the Mohist school possess such mechanisms?" Ying Zheng pointed at the steel warship.

"Your Majesty, I have practiced my craft all my life and have never seen a metal monster driven by that black smoke, borrowing neither wind nor human power."

"Yet it moves by that black smoke."

The leader of the Gongshu Clan lowered his head, his voice full of fear.

Ying Zheng did not press further.

Seeing the strange flags hanging on the hull, he perceived the absolute suppression radiating from that steel surface.

An absolute suppression belonging to no era of this time.

Great Han.

Weiyang Palace.

Liu Che stood up.

He did not look at those great ships; he looked at the soldiers.

On the screen.

An army wearing tattered jackets with the character "Soldier" printed on their chests.

Were guarding behind low brick and stone gun emplacements.

They held spears in their hands, their eyes full of despair.

What made him feel even more uneasy were the braids on top of those heads.

"Is this strange attire worn by my Huaxia descendants?" Liu Che turned to look at his side.

No one dared to answer.

Liu Che stared at those numb eyes.

A nameless irritation rose in his heart.

He had fought battles all his life.

He knew what strong soldiers were, and what trash they were.

These armies before him, even through the Sky Screen.

He could smell a scent of decay and impending death.

Tang Dynasty, Taiji Palace.

Li Shimin's palms sweated a fine layer.

He was a commanding general, the commander who conquered the Tang Dynasty's empire.

His vision locked directly onto the row of dark, gaping holes on the side of those steel monsters.

The scale of those giant ships, the cold, hard metallic texture.

"Xuanling." Li Shimin called out.

Fang Xuanling stepped forward. "Your Majesty."

"Then it must be a great weapon of destruction!" Li Shimin's tone was decisive.

Although he did not know how that steel giant would attack.

He could feel that within each steel cylinder pointing toward the land.

lay a terrifying killing power capable of destroying all city walls and all battle formations.

"Go summon Li Jing. Summon Su Dingfang."

"Have them bring military strategy into the hall."

Li Shimin's eyes became extremely sharp.

A modern apartment.

Lin Xuan was in the kitchen.

He held a glass cup in his hand, filling it with warm water.

The heavy background sound from the television penetrated the living room air.

Lin Xuan's movements froze.

As a modern person.

he was too familiar with this sound.

And too familiar with the opening theme of this documentary.

It was "Modern Chinese History."

It was the most painful, most bloody memory of the Huaxia nation.