The Seven Princesses' Journey Across Time

The woman walked slowly towards Qianlong with graceful steps. Every step seemed to be stepping on the clouds, without any worldly air.

When she arrived before Qianlong, she parted her red lips and uttered a sweet and melodious voice: "Your Majesty, your country is about to face a huge crisis. If you cannot find an effective solution in time, the consequences will be disastrous!"

Then he saw the woman wave her hand, and a flash of golden light shone into his forehead. He then saw countless men and women, each holding a pipe. Inside the opium den, people sat, lay, or stood sideways, huddled together in a cloud of smoke, their mouths clenched, lost in the smoke. The men were emaciated, the women, their eyes dazed, at the mercy of their masters. Then the scene shifted: he saw the Old Summer Palace engulfed in flames... Various foreign cannons fired at the nation... Countless civilians perished at the hands of the Japanese... The devastation was horrific. When he opened his eyes, his face was wet with tears.

Qianlong looked at the woman in front of him with a broken heart and asked in a hoarse voice: "Is this the future of my Qing Dynasty?"

The woman nodded gently and sighed, "If our country continues to implement a closed-door policy, it will restrict foreign trade and scientific and technological exchanges, leading to lagging economic development and an inability to compete with Western powers. If you continue to implement ideological and cultural authoritarianism, it will restrict people's freedom of thought and innovation, causing China to gradually fall behind Western powers in science, technology, and culture, and ultimately be defeated by others."

Qianlong's face turned pale as paper, his body trembling slightly uncontrollably. His eyes widened in horror, and he spoke in a trembling voice, "I absolutely cannot tolerate such a tragic and desolate scene becoming a reality! Tell me quickly, what measures should be taken to avert this catastrophic disaster?"

The woman's eyes were steadfast as she stared directly at Emperor Qianlong. Her tone was resolute, without a hint of hesitation. "So, we must act decisively now! We must strictly prohibit the opium trade—the so-called aphrodisiac trade. At the same time, we must implement comprehensive reforms encompassing the economy, politics, culture, military, and diplomacy. Only then will we have the strength to resist the invasion of foreign powers."

Qianlong frowned, looking suspicious, and asked, "Then how can you make me sure that you are not deceiving me?" His eyes were sharp and incisive, as if he wanted to see through the woman's appearance to her true thoughts deep in her heart.

The woman nodded slightly and continued, "Then I'll tell you a few more things you can verify. For example, the smallpox disease that terrifies you all can be prevented by vaccination against cowpox from cows. In addition, Xia Yuhe gave birth to a daughter for you in Jinan, Shandong, named Ziwei. Also, marrying between close relatives will make it difficult to get pregnant or the child will become sick, mentally retarded, or have congenital malformations. Also, marrying too early will affect physical health and development, increase the risk of dystocia, reduce life expectancy, and affect fertility. It is best to get married after the age of eighteen." After she finished speaking, the woman's figure gradually blurred and finally disappeared.

Qianlong awoke with a start, sweat dripping down his forehead. Recalling what he had just seen and heard in his dream, he couldn't help but feel a surge of doubt and unease. He wondered: This dream is so vivid, could it possibly hold a hidden meaning? With this thought, he immediately summoned his trusted ministers and ordered them to quickly investigate the dream's truth.

After hearing the emperor's dream, his confidants looked at each other in confusion, their hearts filled with doubt. However, the emperor's orders were as firm as a mountain, and they all obeyed and left.

Soon after, the results of the various investigations were presented to the emperor. Regarding the methods for preventing and treating smallpox, there were indeed medical records to verify this. Furthermore, after extensive investigation, conclusive evidence was found regarding the case of Xia Yuhe and her daughter Ziwei. The dangers of inbreeding and early marriage were also proven to be true.

Emperor Qianlong was stunned after reading the report. He hadn't anticipated how this series of events would align so perfectly with his own dreams. Completely convinced by the mysterious woman's words, he first ordered widespread vaccination against cowpox. He also ordered a decree prohibiting marriages between three generations of close relatives, explaining the reasons to the public to prevent them from ignoring the law. Finally, remembering Xia Yuhe's situation, which had even caught the attention of the fairies, he ordered the mother and daughter to be brought back. Xia Yuhe was then granted the title of Consort Lian, and Ziwei followed her. After turning six, she moved to the Qianxi Wusuo residence with the other princesses.

He also decided to follow the fairy's advice, strictly prohibiting the opium trade, building ships and training troops, and implementing comprehensive reforms. A huge change that concerns the fate of the country has begun...

Moreover, when he thought about how powerful the firearms he had always despised were, and remembered his grandfather Dai Zi's talent in making firearms, he felt it was a pity. But when he thought about how his son seemed to be still alive, he asked someone to find his son. Compared with others, he had been with his father for so many years and had learned more from him than others.

Meanwhile, on a moonless night in Yunnan, eight-year-old Xiao Feng, fresh from sword practice, wiped his sword with hatred in his eyes. He stared at the sword in his hand and vowed to perfect his martial arts and avenge his parents. He remembered his parents' dying wish: to find Xiaoyanzi and reclaim everything that belonged to them. Xiao Feng knew the road ahead was fraught with difficulties and dangers, but he remained undaunted.

The master's voice came from outside the window: "Feng'er, it's very late. Go to bed quickly. You still have to practice tomorrow morning."

Xiao Feng came back to his senses from his deep thoughts and responded loudly to the window: "Okay, Master, I'll go to sleep now."

The night was deep, and all was silent. Xiao Feng lay in bed, tossing and turning, unable to fall asleep. His mind kept flashing back to the horrific scene of his parents' murder and the hideous face of his hateful enemy. Gradually, he drifted off to sleep. In his dream, a mysterious veiled figure quietly appeared. That voice told Xiao Feng that the person he had always thought was his enemy was not the true murderer. The real murderer was someone else. It turned out that the disaster that had befallen his family was the result of the evil deeds of the son of Hangzhou Governor Ma Yu, who was murdered by the Jiangnan hero Xiao Zhihang. Therefore, Ma Yu, seeking revenge, fabricated evidence to accuse Xiao Zhihang of being a traitor to the Qinglong Gang. He then forged an imperial decree, which resulted in Xiao Zhihang's unjust execution on October 17th of the Renxu year, and his beheading. Finally, he explained that his sister was now being raised by Master Jinghui in a temple outside the capital.