When Miaoyun started a live stream, all the ancients were completely taken aback.

Chapter 26: The water is too cold, the head is too itchy, the treacherous minister Qian Qianyi, Zhu

Amidst everyone's anticipation, Liu Yan slowly began to speak.

"After the Qing Dynasty entered the pass, in order to consolidate their rule over us Han people, they implemented the shaving of heads and changing of clothes, which was called: 'Keep your head, lose your hair; keep your hair, lose your head.'"

"While all those who were about to surrender were still hesitating, Qian Qianyi, the leading scholar of the late Ming Dynasty, suddenly said: 'My scalp is itchy.'"

"After he finished speaking, he got up and left. When he returned, his head had been shaved off and he had grown a Qing Dynasty-style pigtail, which was the first to signify his submission."

"From then on, the phrase 'the water is too cold and my scalp itches' became a laughing stock that mocked him for being cowardly and lacking integrity."

As soon as Liu Yan finished speaking, Xu Miaoyun's face instantly showed a look of disgust.

"That Qian Qianyi is absolutely despicable!"

"Just from the name 'money-tail braid,' you know it must be incredibly ugly!"

Liu Yan looked at her angry expression and the corners of her mouth curved slightly, but the smile did not reach her eyes.

Liu Yan continued, her tone calm yet firm.

"History will not let any bad person go unpunished. Although the stories of 'the water is too cold' and 'the scalp is itchy' may be dramatic embellishments to enhance the satirical effect, they are enough to show how despicable Qian Qianyi is in the hearts of the Chinese people."

"certainly."

Liu Yan changed the subject, a smile appearing on her face.

"The master to whom Qian Qianyi surrendered also held him in utter contempt."

Xu Miaoyun blinked, seemingly somewhat surprised.

Liu Yan continued.

"The Qianlong Emperor of the Qing Dynasty included Qian Qianyi in the 'Biographies of Traitorous Officials,' placing him at the beginning of the second section, and vehemently belittled him."

"And he personally wrote nineteen characters in vermilion ink as his annotation."

Liu Yan looked at the camera and spoke slowly and deliberately.

"He has failed in matters of principle and is not worthy of being called human."

"Unable to decide whether to advance or retreat, and fickle and unpredictable."

Xu Miaoyun opened her mouth upon hearing this, but did not speak.

After all, this evaluation was tantamount to kicking this leader of Shilin into the mud.

"That wasn't enough. More than a hundred of Qian Qianyi's works, such as 'Chuxue Ji' and 'Youxue Ji,' were all banned."

"Even books in which others mentioned his name in the preface were confiscated."

"The Qing Dynasty wanted to completely erase this person from its cultural memory."

Liu Yan lowered his gaze slightly as he spoke.

Someone wrote a poem mocking him: "He talked of integrity all his life, yet served two different kings. He had no principles for advancement or retreat, so what brilliance did his writings have?"

After listening, Xu Miaoyun nodded heavily, as if she wanted to remember these words.

"This kind of person deserves to be cursed for all eternity."

On the Qinhuai River, the sounds of oars and the reflections of lanterns remain unchanged. A painted boat drifts leisurely past a stone bridge, the water beneath the bridge arch gurgling as if echoing Xu Miaoyun's words.

Beyond the celestial canopy, countless emperors and emperors watched the two young men within, listening to their stories of integrity and betrayal, each with their own silence and their own anger.

The Chinese people have always despised such treacherous people who betray their former masters.

At this moment, in the Wenhua Hall of the Chongzhen Emperor's court, the Chongzhen Emperor Zhu Youjian, sitting on the dragon throne, had a face so gloomy it could drip water.

The mocking voices from later generations echoed and collided in the sky above the main hall, lingering for a long time.

Qian Qianyi knelt on the ground. This leader of the Donglin Party, who had been so spirited and energetic not long ago, was now deathly pale, as if all his strength had been drained away.

Her lips were turning purple, her eyes were dry, and even her breathing seemed to stop.

"He who wavers between two sides, betrays his country and forgets his sovereign, clings to life and fears death, is despised for eternity!"

These sixteen characters echoed repeatedly, like a temple bell being struck again and again, each time shaking him to his core.

Qian Qianyi couldn't believe that what the young man was talking about was his future.

How glorious he was at that moment! He was a leader of the literary world, the head of the Donglin Party, the Right Vice Minister of the Ministry of Rites, a Hanlin Academy Reader, and was recommended to be a cabinet minister, just one step away from becoming a prime minister.

However, now, as the sky brightens, he is dead! Not his physical body, but his reputation, his soul, his future! All are dead, without the slightest possibility of resurrection.

For the next hundred years! For a thousand years! Even for ten thousand years! He will be a treacherous minister like Qin Hui! A disloyal subject!

Qian Qianyi, kneeling on the ground, began to tremble. It wasn't fear, but a chill that went deep into his bones.

He wanted to cry out for justice, he wanted to say that he hadn't even had a chance to do these things yet! He wanted to say, "I am still a loyal subject of the Ming Dynasty, and I will be a loyal subject of the Ming Dynasty for the rest of my life."

But he couldn’t bring himself to say these words, because it was history, something that had already happened and was an unchangeable fact!

At this moment, on the dragon throne, Zhu Youjian's face was no longer ashen, but rather a pale, almost transparent color.

Zhu Youjian's eyes were very bright, abnormally bright, as if the anger in his chest was burning too fiercely and bursting out of his eyes.

His hands were trembling, and his breathing was becoming rapid!

Zhu Youjian, who had just ascended the throne, purged the remnants of Wei Zhongxian's eunuch faction.

At this moment, he was determined to appoint virtuous ministers and capable generals, to become the restorer of the Ming Dynasty, and to revitalize the Ming Dynasty!

However, reality dealt him a heavy blow! He discovered that the loyal minister he had placed so much hope in was actually such a two-faced, traitorous scoundrel!

Chongzhen's lips trembled slightly.

This moment is not due to fear, but to extreme anger, extreme disappointment, and extreme shame!

Zhu Youjian opened his mouth, remained silent for a long time, and then finally spoke.

"What a Donglin Party leader! What a traitor!"

As soon as the words were spoken, all the officials in the hall knelt down, none daring to raise their heads.

Qian Qianyi lay on the ground, unable to utter a single word, for his body was no longer under his control. His lips moved, but no sound came out.

Emperor Chongzhen walked step by step from the dragon throne to Qian Qianyi, looking down at him with a voice as sharp as a knife.

"When I first met Qian Qianyi, his literary talent was unparalleled, he was highly regarded by the Donglin Party, and he held a high-ranking position. He was revered by the court and the public as a member of the purist faction."

Zhu Youjian's voice resonated like a great bell in the Hall of Culture. Right after he finished speaking, his voice suddenly became sharp.

"Who would have thought that this man, who was renowned for his literary talent and spoke of sages and righteousness, was actually as weak as mud and cowardly of death."

Zhu Youjian's voice rose a few decibels.

"Even when the country is in ruins and the city is in danger, there are still those among the civil and military officials who care about the fate of the nation."

"He alone was the leader of the Donglin Party! The Minister of the Ming Dynasty! The model of the literati! He could neither die for his country nor defend the city, but instead knelt down to welcome the enemy and opened the gates to surrender to the traitors."

Zhu Youjian's hand trembled as he pointed to the sky.

"Liu Rushi, a woman of the night, still knew to drown herself to preserve her integrity, and you! Qian Qianyi! A scholar well-versed in literature, a two-time Jinshi (successful candidate in the imperial examination), a minister of a distinguished family for generations, are inferior to a courtesan!"

The heads of the courtiers in the hall bowed even lower.

No one dared to move, no one dared to breathe.

Zhu Youjian shifted his gaze from Qian Qianyi to the face of every minister in the hall.

His voice suddenly turned cold, as cold as the north wind in the dead of winter.

"They recite 'loyalty and filial piety' but have no regard for their ruler or father. They may be among the virtuous, but act like dogs and pigs."

At this moment, Zhu Youjian looked at Qian Qianyi, who was kneeling on the ground trembling, and felt no anger, only utter despair and unbearable contempt!

"When water cools, one forgets the mountains and rivers; when life is precious, one abandons moral principles!"

"Such traitors must not be allowed to stand in the court of the Ming Dynasty."

He suddenly raised his head, his voice booming like thunder.

"Luo Yangxing!"

Luo Yangxing, the commander of the Embroidered Uniform Guard, suddenly stepped forward, clasped his hands in a fist and bowed deeply, his voice booming like a bell.

"Your subject is here!"

Zhu Youjian pointed at Qian Qianyi and roared at the top of his lungs.

"Imperial prison for this cowardly and treacherous official!"

"I will severely punish his lack of integrity! I want to see why his bones are so weak!"

Luo Yangxing waved his hand, and two Jinyiwei centurions strode forward, one on each side, and lifted Qian Qianyi up.

Qian Qianyi's body was as limp as a lump of mud, and he was dragged out of the hall by two strong men.

"Your Majesty! Your Majesty is innocent!"

Zhu Youjian ignored him and sat on the steps below the dragon throne, breathing rapidly!

Liu Yan's words completely broke down the defenses of this emperor who was determined to become the restorer of the Ming Dynasty.