Ming Dynasty and New Rome and Infinite Magic Machine

Chapter 1690 Appearance
Because this portrait seemed different from the one he had seen in the Imperial Ancestral Temple before—the portraits in the Imperial Ancestral Temple were painted by court painters when Emperor Taizu and Emperor Chengzu were still alive.

But this one looks just like a photograph.

In the photo, Emperor Taizu Gaozu is still in his middle age. He has a majestic appearance, a broad mind, and an imposing presence even without anger.

Emperor Chengzu was remarkably handsome, with a long, flowing beard and a face similar to that of Emperor Taizu, though somewhat dark-skinned. Moreover, his countenance no longer exuded a dignified, imposing aura; rather, it appeared quite angry.
"Senior Fu, what is this?"

“Oh, you asked about that.” Fu Yuanshan put down what he was doing first. “You think it looks very realistic, right? Yes, we went to take pictures with Emperor Taizu and Emperor Chengzu. This portrait of Emperor Taizu is exactly the same as his portrait in his middle age, because it was taken at that time.”

"Taking photos, okay, no wonder it looks so realistic." At this point, asking the ancestor to take photos wasn't strange to him anymore, but there was one thing he couldn't understand, "Then why does Emperor Chengzu look so angry?"

Fu Yuanshan looked up at the sky: "The answer is right there in the question. One of our Holy Emperors, when he went to take a picture with Emperor Chengzu, he misspoke and called out, 'Grandpa Chengzu!!!' Then our [Emperor Yongle] instantly understood what was going to happen—and then his eyes turned like this."

Shangluo understood in an instant. Emperor Chengzu had given himself the temple name Taizong. But how exactly did this Taizong Emperor become Emperor Chengzu?
Once you understand the reason behind this, it's not hard to understand why Emperor Chengzu's eyes looked like that.

"So why is that?" Victoria asked curiously.

"No, no, no, I can't say, I can't say." While saying that he couldn't say, he just happened to put down a crucial portrait—the very one who was the instigator who turned [Taizong] into [Chengzu].

It was this Emperor Wanshou in the portrait who initiated the Great Rites Controversy, insisting on moving his own father into the Imperial Ancestral Temple, thus changing Emperor Taizong to Emperor Chengzu.

The succession from Emperor Taizu to Emperor Taizong was a normal one. But for Taizong to become Emperor Zu is anything but normal. Later, when someone asks about this period of history, they might wonder: "Hey? Didn't Emperor Yongle ascend the throne normally? Then why wasn't he called Emperor Taizong, but Emperor Chengzu? And why did the Hongwu reign last for thirty-five years?"

If you keep asking questions along the way, you'll eventually get to the most sensitive questions, and you might even find out about the non-existent Jianwen reign title.

Victoria noticed his gaze and immediately leaned closer to look.

"Wow, is this the one? He seems quite shrewd. But a little..."

[A bit eerie?]

"Yes, a little. Did we say something we shouldn't have?"

Several people looked at the portrait. The portrait did not show any change, but they felt as if a faint chime was echoing in their ears.

"Just don't ask." Fu Yuanshan then took out the remaining portraits from his pocket—until one portrait caught Shang Luo's attention.

That was before a long list of faces that Shangluo had never seen before, and after the faces that Shangluo had seen before.

This emperor was clearly the brother of the previous emperor. Upon closer inspection, their faces are very similar in many details, especially their noses and lips. But their styles are completely different—their eyes are completely different.

The older brother is on the left, and the younger brother is on the right.

His elder brother had delicate features, but with a carpenter's simplicity and intelligence, radiating a soft, white glow. His own face, however, was slender and fair, even possessing a sickly whiteness from years of lack of sunlight. In terms of looks alone, his fair complexion far surpassed mere handsomeness. He appeared to be around thirty years old, with a neatly trimmed, light mustache. He was a fine man, yet his eyes held a melancholy beyond his years, a melancholy accumulated over decades. He exuded a chilling aura, sending shivers down one's spine.

Historical records describe his appearance as follows: "He had a full face and a prominent nose, bright and piercing eyes, and fair and delicate skin. He possessed the grace of a phoenix and the bearing of a dragon—in other words, he had the appearance of a phoenix, a man with feminine features, and a face as beautiful as a woman's." If he were 10 years younger in the painting, his beauty would likely have made him famous throughout the capital.

“So handsome. But he looks so tired,” Victoria lingered in front of the picture for a long time. “His face tells a lot of stories. Who is this?”

"Emperor Suzong, reign title Chongzhen. Shangluo should be very familiar with this name—this is his portrait. You're probably seeing this face for the first time, aren't you?"

Shang Luo nodded. He could see Zhu Xianxi's resemblance in this face. In fact, Zhu Xianxi's features were very similar to this one. No wonder he used to be so popular.

However, the melancholy eyes that belonged to Emperor Chongzhen were not seen on Zhu Xianxi's face.

“Emperor Suzong.” Fu Yuanshan looked at Chongzhen’s portrait. “He was one of the few people who left behind a description of his good looks in history books. History books rarely say how handsome the emperor was. If they did, it should be something like an unusual appearance. Only people like Emperor Suzong and Prince Lanling could leave such a record in history books that are so sparing with words.”

"He looks like he's having a hard time," Shangluo said in a deep voice.

"Yes. The Chongzhen reign was extremely arduous. This can be seen from the character 'Su' in his temple name—shall we continue reading?"

"Hmm, let's go later."

We walked all the way to the last portrait of Zhu Xianxi.

"Pfft~~" Victoria laughed.

"Is the Emperor's face funny?" Fu Yuanshan asked in surprise.

"It's not funny. It's that his face looks so much like the Chongzhen Emperor's. It's probably a generational inheritance; his nose and eyes are especially similar, and he's even a bit fairer. But despite looking so alike, their eyes are completely different. There seems to be a certain something in the current emperor's eyes."

This resemblance is not complete, but rather a unique characteristic of the Zhu family: a striking resemblance in facial features. However, Zhu Xianxi's eyes are completely different from those of the Chongzhen Emperor.

[Is there a touch of arrogance and cynicism that comes with being invincible?]

"I'm not the only one saying this. His eyebrows are raised, as if he's never frowned in his entire life. Compared to the repressed Chongzhen Emperor in front of him, he looks like someone who wants to laugh. Why is it that with the same set of facial features, one looks bitter and resentful, while the other looks like he's won the lottery—or rather, he has 'I'm going to win' written all over his face?"

If I were to draw Shangluo in the lottery, I'd want to laugh too.

“Hmm,” Fu Yuanshan nodded. “Indeed. He only needs to sit at home and not move, and Shangluo will handle everything automatically. It’s really convenient.”

(End of this chapter)