From cute to empress

"Your Majesty, I believe..." Chen Daru stroked his graying beard and spoke slowly, a hint of hesitation in his tone, "Cultural revival should prioritize inheritance. Confucian classics are the foundation of our dynasty's culture and must not be shaken. Innovation is certainly important, but we must not stray from the right path. Otherwise, we will be missing the point and pursuing trivial matters, which will lead to endless troubles!"

His words resonated deeply, echoing throughout the hall. I frowned slightly, understanding his concerns. Confucianism is undoubtedly profound, but its overemphasis on tradition can easily lead to cultural rigidity.

"Mr. Chen is absolutely right," I said, carefully considering my words, trying to find a balance. "Inheritance and innovation are like the two wheels of a car or the two wings of a bird; neither is indispensable. We must inherit the wisdom of our predecessors while also being brave enough to explore and bring forth new ideas."

My attention turns to Master Wu, a talented young painter who has been committed to integrating Western painting techniques into traditional landscape painting, and his works have therefore been controversial.

"Wu Aiqing, please tell me, what are your thoughts on painting?" I asked.

Painter Wu stepped forward, bowed, and said, "Your Majesty, I believe that art must evolve with the times in order to flourish with new vitality. While our dynasty's painting has a profound heritage, it has seen few breakthroughs in recent years. The reason for this is a lack of innovation. Despite my humble talent, I would like to attempt to integrate Western painting techniques into our dynasty's traditional paintings, creating new works that possess both traditional charm and a contemporary feel."

"How audacious!" Chen Daru slammed the table and stood up upon hearing this. "The art of painting is all about artistic conception and artistic conception. How can you just add those strange and frivolous tricks? You are blaspheming traditional culture!"

Painter Wu, unwilling to be outdone, retorted, "Master Chen, your words are wrong! Art should allow a hundred flowers to bloom. If we blindly stick to conventions, what difference is there between us and stagnant water in a pond?"

"You..." Chen Daru was angered by his words and pointed at Painter Wu, but he was speechless for a long time.

As I watched this scene unfold, I felt a mixture of emotions. The road to cultural revival is destined to be fraught with obstacles. Balancing tradition and innovation will be a major challenge for me.

At this moment, Master Li, who had been silent all this time, suddenly stood up and bowed to me.

"Your Majesty," he said calmly, yet with a hint of determination, "I have a piece of music I would like to present to Your Majesty..." With my approval, Music Master Li instructed his disciples to fetch the instruments. Qin, zither, pipa, chimes, and panpipes—all sorts of traditional instruments were neatly laid out. I recognized several of them as coming from the Western Regions, and I couldn't help but look forward to what Music Master Li was about to perform.

Melodious music rang out, sometimes as clear as mountain streams, sometimes as majestic as the sound of iron cavalry. This was the Royal Music Band's signature piece, "A Splendid Chapter of a Prosperous Era." However, just as everyone was immersed in this magnificent melody, the style of the music suddenly shifted. The rapid drumbeats and leaping notes, with a hint of exotic charm, formed a sharp contrast with the previous elegance and solemnity.

"This...what a weird tune!" An old minister couldn't help but exclaim in a low voice, frowning, obviously unable to accept this "deviant" music.

Chen Daru blew his beard and glared, pointing at Music Master Li and angrily scolding him, "Master Li, as a royal musician, you don't care about inheriting our dynasty's elegant music, but instead play such lascivious music. How can you be so disrespectful!"

Musician Li was unhurried. After the piece concluded, he slowly stood up and bowed to the crowd. "My Lords, this piece, titled 'Fusion,' seeks to incorporate elements of Western music into the traditional music of our dynasty, creating a brand new musical style." He paused, his gaze firm. "The path of music is like sailing against the current; if you don't advance, you retreat. While upholding tradition is important, we must also keep pace with the times for continuous development."

His words caused a stir, with supporters and opponents arguing endlessly with each other.

At this moment, the poet Zhou, who had been silent until then, slowly walked to the center of the hall, bowed to me, and pulled a scroll from his sleeve. "Your Majesty," he cleared his throat and said aloud, "I have a new poem that I would like to present to you."

I motioned for him to begin. Poet Zhou took a deep breath and began to recite. His poetry lacked flowery rhetoric or strict rhythm, yet it was filled with reflections on reality and aspirations for the future. However, as soon as he finished speaking, a minister stepped forward and rebuked him, "Bold Poet Zhou, what a perverted poem you have written! It lacks structure, art, or artistic conception. It's a blasphemy against the poetry of our dynasty!"

I rubbed my aching forehead. The road to cultural revival was far more difficult than I'd imagined. Just then, Monk Meng, who had been sitting in the corner, seemingly unconcerned, slowly stood up and walked towards me...

Monk Meng clasped his hands together and nodded slightly to me. His tone was calm but resolute. "Amitabha, Your Majesty. I believe that the Dharma is like water, which can be contained in any vessel. The Buddha is compassionate and saves all living beings. No matter the form, as long as it can promote the Dharma and educate people, it is a good deed."

His words were like a revelation, a revelation in my mind. Indeed, cultural heritage can take many forms, so why must it be confined to tradition? Aren't musician Li's innovative music and poet Zhou's new-style poetry a development and breakthrough of traditional culture?

I looked around and saw that those old ministers who had originally looked sullen now had a thoughtful look on their faces.

"Your Majesty," Painter Wu, who had been silent until then, suddenly stood up and slowly unfolded a scroll in his hand. "This is my new work. I would like to ask for your guidance, Your Majesty."

I took a closer look and saw that the scroll was not a traditional landscape painting of flowers and birds, but a depiction of urban life. The cries of vendors and the sounds of children playing seemed to ring in my ears, full of the breath of life and the spirit of the times.

"Excellent!" I couldn't help but exclaim in admiration. "Master Wu's paintings combine the exquisiteness of traditional techniques with a touch of innovation. This is truly something that appeals to both the elite and the masses!"

Painter Wu's words seemed to open the floodgates, and the ministers began to express their opinions. Some supported innovation, believing that only continuous development could maintain cultural vitality; others adhered to tradition, believing that classics should not be arbitrarily subverted.

I listened quietly, my mind becoming increasingly clear. Cultural revival is not a simple return to the past, nor is it blind Westernization. Instead, it is about continuous innovation and development based on inheritance.

How can we find a balance between tradition and innovation? I fell into deep thought.

At this time, Zhen Youcai, who had been standing beside me, gently held my hand. His eyes were firm and warm, as if telling me that no matter what decision I made, he would support me.

I took a deep breath, and a thought suddenly flashed through my mind... "Pass the order down," I said loudly, "Three days later, I will be in the Golden Palace..."

"Pass the order down," I said loudly, "In three days, I will hold a cultural debate conference in the Golden Palace!"

My voice echoed in the Golden Palace. The ministers looked at each other and whispers gradually rose.

"Cultural Debate Conference?" Chen Daru stroked his beard, frowning slightly. "Your Majesty, I dare to ask, what is this debate conference about?"

"Of course, the debate is about how to proceed on the path of cultural revival!" I said firmly, sweeping my gaze over the crowd. "Tradition and innovation are not incompatible. How can we innovate on the basis of inheritance? How can we infuse ancient culture with new vitality? This is what we need to think about!"

"Your Majesty is wise!" Painter Wu was the first to respond. "I believe that art should change with the times. Only by integrating the spirit of the times can we create works that truly move people!"

"Master Wu is wrong!" an old official retorted. "Since ancient times, rules cannot be abolished, and classics cannot be discarded! If everyone pursues novelty and originality, wouldn't it be chaos?"

"Lord Li, what you said is not without reason," said poet Zhou. "But clinging to conventions and being complacent will only cause culture to lose its vitality and eventually decline."

For a moment, the Golden Throne Hall was abuzz with debate. Sitting on the Dragon Throne, watching this scene unfold, I felt immensely gratified.

This is the true Hundred Schools of Thought!

The debate lasted the entire afternoon, until the sun set, when everyone dispersed, still unsatisfied. Accompanied by Zhen Youcai, I returned to the imperial study.

"Well, Youcai, what do you think of this debate?" I asked with a smile.

"Excellent, truly wonderful!" Zhen Youcai's eyes sparkled with excitement. "I've never witnessed such a passionate and intelligent debate. Every single one of them quoted from classics and expressed their own opinions. It's truly eye-opening!"

I nodded, but an idea became more firm in my mind.

"Pass the order down," I instructed the maid beside me, "Tomorrow morning, I have an important announcement to make..."