I Use Livestreaming to Promote Ancient Culture and Advance Technology

Nan Xing felt that she had used up all the good luck she would ever have in her life just by being chosen by the System.

The System, called "Finding Our Roots," was a livestream device sent to Planet E by humanity in the interstellar era. Its broadcasts were transmitted directly to the stars.

The traditional culture most coveted by interstellar humanity also happened to be one of Nan Xing's greatest interests.

As long as she livestreamed traditional culture she found interesting, the System would reward her with points that could be exchanged for future technology and knowledge. These things were of little use to Nan Xing, but some people desperately wanted them.

Like her "childhood friend," the researcher.

After making several deals with him, Nan Xing had made a fortune.

She had thought it was just a little cheat that could help her get rich, but it turned out the things she could exchange through the System went far beyond that...

Once she realized how powerful the System was, Nan Xing quickly handed it over to the research institute.

But the System was already bound to its Host and couldn't be unbound? Then she'd just have to spread traditional culture herself.

With this golden finger, Nan Xing somehow managed to fulfill her dream of traveling all around Xia Country at public expense, devoting herself wholeheartedly to the treasures of traditional culture.

That year, people suddenly noticed more and more livestream variety shows promoting traditional culture, showcasing intangible cultural heritage techniques, and visiting historic sites. And every show had the same host.

As Nan Xing gained countless fans through these shows, everyone's sense of cultural identity and confidence grew stronger, too.

Of course, the people affected were not just the inhabitants of Planet E. Most of Nan Xing's fans were people from the interstellar era, a thousand years in the future.

In the interstellar age, the Xia people had founded the Shenzhou Empire. Technology had advanced at an astonishing pace, but after countless journeys through space, the cultural divide had grown ever more severe.

Without cultural roots, they felt an ever-deepening lack of confidence and belonging. So when researchers accidentally created a System that could communicate across two different eras, they immediately sent it to Planet E in ancient times.

There was only one main character in the livestream, yet she helped the people of the interstellar era find their cultural roots. After years adrift in the universe, they had finally found where they belonged...

At the latest interstellar exchange conference, the Shenzhou Empire could finally hold its head high.

"Look, this is Shu embroidery from our star system. It's nearly six thousand years old! What a shame it's so beautiful but takes such a long time to make. Nothing like your traditional weaving technique. It's a lot rougher, sure, but so much more efficient."

"Tsk, tsk. Look at this little palace with its mortise-and-tenon construction, all those carved beams and painted rafters. Sigh, it's still far too complicated compared to your little building blocks. Not suitable as a toy for children."

"Come on, try this. These tea pastries were recreated using an ancient recipe. Well, they aren't that old, just nearly two thousand years older than your so-called macarons."

Thanks to the livestream System, people in the interstellar era finally had something to brag about.

Content warnings:

[1] There are lots of onscreen livestream comments in the story. If that's not your thing, please read with caution!

[2] The entire story is fictional! Very fictional! The author is a total shut-in and hasn't been to many of the places described. Most of the research comes from the internet, so please bear with me!

[3] The author is an idiot, and a lot of the techniques are made up on the spot. Please don't take them too seriously!

Coming soon: "The Princess Bride's Farming Journal." Here's the blurb. Please add it to your favorites if you're interested!

Mu Yun, an agricultural student, was born into the Jing Kingdom as its eldest princess. She thought she would live like a pampered princess, but her mother died in childbirth, and her stepmother saw her and her younger brother as thorns in her side. As soon as Mu Yun came of age, her stepmother sent her to marry into the grasslands to secure an alliance.

The Gaole people were rumored to be uncivilized savages who ate raw meat and drank blood. Their khan was over fifty, wounded by a blade, and gravely ill. Mu Yun had never imagined the dynasty had fallen so far that it would place the hope of maintaining diplomatic relations between two nations on the shoulders of one woman.

A grand bridal procession stretched for miles, laden with gold and jewels, thousands of private soldiers, hundreds of artisans, seeds, medicinal herbs...

This was Mu Yun's dowry, and also the diplomatic gift meant to preserve relations between the two countries.

The two nations celebrated, but Mu Yun alone grieved. With this parting, the business network she had spent years building would have to go underground, and her dream of continuing to develop new crops seemed out of reach.

The desolate grasslands stretched endlessly before her. Mu Yun stepped onto the moist soil of a river valley, and hope flared in her heart. This valley was the perfect land for farming.

Uenchi was the fourth son of the Gaole khan, born to a Han woman. Bullied throughout his childhood, he rose to become Gaole's commander. He had once taken the head of the Beidi commander, and now served as the envoy responsible for escorting the princess as part of the marriage alliance.

The bridal procession stretched for miles, and the journey covered a thousand. Dangers abounded. Uenchi slaughtered the Beidi assassins, wiped the blood from the corner of his mouth, and pulled the princess into his arms to protect her.

Only Mu Yun knew what he murmured in her ear.

"By the old customs of Gaole, a son inherits his father's wives. Princess, one day you will belong to me."

According to the historical records: Princess Mu was the eldest daughter of Emperor Jingwen and the eldest sister of Emperor Jingde. Born under the auspicious sign of the Maiden, she was gifted with spiritual wisdom from the womb. Clever from a young age, she excelled at farming. As she grew, she became gentle and refined, eager to learn and virtuous. In the eleventh year of Zhengping, she married into Gaole. She raised cattle and sheep, made butter and cheese, cultivated superior crops, and sought out cotton bollworms. She nourished the people and brought prosperity to the land for generations. She also valued diplomacy, establishing markets and opening trade routes. The two countries forged an unprecedentedly close alliance. In the third year of Fengning, Emperor De, moved by her virtue, bestowed upon her the title of Princess Who Guards the Nation, granting her equal status with the emperor.

Theme: Pass down the finest traditions of Chinese culture.