Some might say this was a Manchu method to control the Han people, but that's not entirely accurate. The hairstyles mandated by the Bai Ze differed from the Manchu queue. The Manchus wore the "money rat tail" braid, while the Bai Ze demons ordered the Han to shave the front half of their heads. Eventually, people grew accustomed to it. The Manchus even found this Han hairstyle more appealing and, in turn, adopted it themselves, resulting in the half-shaved, half-braided style seen in television dramas today.
The horrific actions of the Bai Ze demons during the Manchu conquest of the Ming Dynasty remain a profound stain on their history, something they still find deeply shameful.
Past is past, scattered like a clean breeze. It is all history, and what has passed is gone.
These Bai Ze demons hailed from the indigenous land of Yanxia, inheriting its culture. Fearing that the Manchu rulers might not be capable of governing such a vast nation, they guided them towards full Sinicization, encouraging the adoption of Han culture. This was instrumental in the Qing Dynasty's longevity of over three hundred years.
From the Qing Dynasty to the present day, the Bai Ze have coexisted with humanity.
Upon their arrival in the European territories, the Shan Hai demons, after deep reflection and realizing they were outnumbered by the Bai Ze, chose a different path. Some remained in Europe, assisting the local white natives in developing technology and gradually embarking on an industrial revolution. Others aided the white race in expanding their reach towards the Americas and Africa. During this period, they colluded and exploited each other. The European whites gained the gold and territories they desired, while the Shan Hai demons acquired vast amounts of food.
The indigenous populations of the Americas dwindled from eighty million to just over two million. The so-called "slave trade" alone resulted in the loss of one hundred million people from Africa!
While some deaths were indeed attributed to colonization, the majority were actually consumed by the Shan Hai demons.
During the same period, the Bai Ze demons maintained a policy of isolation, unaware that the Shan Hai demons had re-established more extensive spheres of influence overseas. The Shan Hai demons successively supported the "Iberian" maritime empire, the "Sun Never Sets" empire, and the "Sea Chariot" empire. Ultimately, a faction of the Shan Hai demons established roots on the European continent, forming numerous small, kin-based nations. Another faction settled in North America, establishing a burgeoning Shan Hai demon nation destined to one day cast a global shadow.
A small rebel faction of Shan Hai demons was exiled to the East, intended to be dealt with by the Bai Ze. However, these rebels were cunning. Instead of provoking the Bai Ze in Yanxia, they headed south and established a new sovereign state on the continent of Australia, distancing themselves from both the Shan Hai and the Bai Ze, living in their own independent bliss.
Yet another group of curious Shan Hai demons, wanting to observe the progress of the Bai Ze in Yanxia, returned. Finding them still immensely powerful, they dared not land forcibly. Instead, they concealed themselves on several eastern islands adorned with cherry blossoms. There, they assisted the local natives in learning the reformist methods of Europe, leading to their gradual rise in power, an event historically known as the "Meiji Restoration."
Later, the European Shan Hai demons fractured again, engaging in constant warfare, with periods of both conflict and peace. During this time, a lower-ranking member of a Shan Hai demon clan, who initially aspired to be an artist but was rejected due to his mediocre talent, instead joined the internal conflicts of the Shan Hai demons. He gradually rose through the ranks, contacting his fellow Shan Hai demons who had infiltrated the cherry blossom nation, and together they launched a world war with the ambition of unifying the blue star.
This individual had also intended to enlist the Bai Ze demons. However, upon sending emissaries to Yanxia, he discovered that the Bai Ze demons had degenerated to a pathetic state, possessing little combat power despite their vast numbers. Consequently, he decided not to involve them, declaring that only one branch of the Shan Hai demons, known as "Prairie Shan Hai," constituted a superior race. All other Shan Hai clans, including humans and Bai Ze, were expected to serve the "Prairie Shan Hai" demons.
The "Prairie Shan Hai" demons, known in the Western Latin linguistic system as "Arya," or transliterated into Chinese as "Aryan," were the very Shan Hai demons who historically destroyed three other ancient civilizations!
However, this particular clan, within the larger Shan Hai demon hierarchy, remained relatively weak. Despite their formidable combat prowess and advanced technology, the 20th-century blue star was no longer solely determined by technology and fighting strength, but more importantly, by economics.
As is well known, the artist ultimately failed. The war engulfed the entire world, forcing the Bai Ze demons to participate, even if their involvement was merely symbolic.
"However, after the war, the greatest beneficiaries were not the victorious European Shan Hai demons, nor the American Shan Hai demons, but humanity..."
"Why?" I asked.