Sky Curtain: The Overlord Charges into Battle, Shocking Emperors of All Dynasties

At the end of the Eastern Han Dynasty,

Looking at Liu Bang's figure on the sky, Liu Bei felt a surge of emotion welling up inside him.

"Emperor Gaozu, dressed as a commoner and wielding a three-foot sword, founded the glorious empire of the Han Dynasty, which lasted for four hundred years. The hardships he endured during that time were no less than those he experienced before, such as the hardships he faced while wandering from place to place."

"I earnestly beseech the spirit of Emperor Gaozu in heaven to protect and bless us so that we may restore the Han Dynasty, eliminate the treacherous and wicked, and restore peace to the nation."

After speaking, Liu Bei knelt down, and Guan Yu, Zhang Fei, Zhuge Liang, and others who were standing nearby also knelt down.

"Brother, we brothers swear to serve you to the death and will surely help you restore the Han Dynasty!"

Guan Yu and Zhang Fei held Liu Bei's hands tightly, and the three of them looked at each other, tears streaming down their faces.

Zhuge Liang stood silently watching Liu Bei, silently vowing in his heart:

I have been deeply grateful to my lord for recognizing my talent three times in this life. I will dedicate myself to the cause until my dying breath, and no matter how difficult the road ahead may be, I will continue the four-hundred-year reign of the Han Dynasty.

At the end of the Qin Dynasty, in Pei County

"Brother, look at what the sky says, you'll become emperor someday."

Fan Kuai, with a loud and boisterous voice, pointed excitedly into the air, his roar echoing throughout almost half the street.

Liu Bang hurriedly covered Fan Kuai's mouth, quickly glanced around, and scolded in a low voice:

"What are you yelling about? With this celestial curtain appearing, it's not certain whether you'll even be alive in the future."

Liu Bang could see it clearly, and he wasn't the only one who could see the sky; the officials could see it too, and Xiang Yu especially could see it.

The government and Xiang Yu were on guard; the people they were arresting might already be on their way to Pei County.

If the First Emperor were still on the throne, things would be much better. At worst, he could take his old comrades to Xianyang and seek refuge with him. Given the First Emperor's magnanimity and ambition, it wouldn't be difficult for him to gamble and save his life.

But now it's Qin Er Shi. Not to mention the chaos in the court, Qin Er Shi has slaughtered all his brothers and sisters. How could he tolerate me?

If he were to act rashly at this moment, and with Xiang Yu watching him with predatory eyes, his life would likely be lost in an instant.

"Oh."

Empress Lü Zhi sneered beside him, her gaze icy. "So, Liu Bang, you have moments of fear too? Are you plotting to abandon me and our child in a moment of crisis and flee for your own life?"

"E'xu, listen to me! The things on the celestial canopy are just nonsense! How could I abandon my wife and children!" Liu Bang was sweating profusely, cursing the celestial canopy for being so meddlesome.

He hadn't done anything yet, but he was already being stigmatized for abandoning his child to escape.

Lü Zhi rolled her eyes at him, annoyed.

Since marrying Liu Bang, she had long been accustomed to his scoundrelly ways, but she never expected that he could be so heartless, kicking away his own flesh and blood without any regard for their kinship.

Liu Bang was truly a perfect politician, and even his descendants were almost all born political beings.

The Han Dynasty, founded by Liu Bang, was interrupted by Wang Mang's usurpation, but was later continued by Liu Xiu. The two Han dynasties combined lasted for more than four hundred years, longer than any other dynasty in history.

Follow-up comment: That's true. The Han Dynasty lasted for four hundred years, the Tang Dynasty for nearly three hundred years, and the Ming Dynasty for more than two hundred and seventy years. These three dynasties had the longest histories.

Follow-up comment: What, my Great Song Dynasty isn't worthy? The Northern and Southern Song Dynasties combined have lasted for over three hundred years.

Follow-up comment: Does the person upstairs want to laugh when they say that? The Southern Song Dynasty, with its tiny territory and limited territory, doesn't even deserve to be called a part of the country? If we're going to go by that logic, then the Southern Ming Dynasty should be included too?

Follow-up comment: Still talking about the Song Dynasty? What a coward.

Previously, there were people from Qin, Chu, and Zhao in various places, but since the Han Dynasty, we have all been Han people.

If Liu Bei truly succeeds in restoring the Han Dynasty three times, and the "Golden Knife Prophecy" reappears, then everything will be tied to one thing, and no one without the surname Liu can become emperor.

[If someone wants to become emperor in the future, they'll have to change their surname from Liu to Liu, even if they don't already have it.]

Throughout the chaotic periods of various dynasties, many people have raised armies and vied for power by claiming to be descendants of Liu Bang.

Follow-up comment: During the Five Barbarian Invasions, Liu Yuan, a Xiongnu, claimed to be a grandson of the Han dynasty and a descendant of Liu Bang, establishing his state under the banner of restoring the Han dynasty. Not to mention Liu Yu, Liu Zhiyuan, and others.

Follow-up comment: In chaotic times, those surnamed Liu are the first to be targeted.

Follow-up comment: What? The Great Han is going to be resurrected again?

Northern Song Dynasty,

Zhao Kuangyin gazed at the sky, his heart churning with complex and indescribable emotions.

Upon seeing that the Song Dynasty he had founded had lasted for over three hundred years, he was greatly encouraged.

Which founding emperor of a dynasty didn't hope for long-term stability and prosperity for his country? He was no exception.

The Han dynasty had the Western Han and the Eastern Han, and the Song dynasty had the Northern Song and the Southern Song. Could it be that among his descendants, there might also be a restorer like Emperor Guangwu Liu Xiu? At this thought, Zhao Kuangyin was deeply moved.

But the words that followed made his heart sink.

"Living in a remote corner"

This assessment clearly suggests that the Southern Song Dynasty, like the Eastern Jin Dynasty, retreated to the south of the Yangtze River and eked out a living.

After a moment's thought, Zhao Kuangyin understood the reason.

Zhao Kuangyin quickly realized the key to this matter.

Judging from the evaluations mentioned in the sky, there is a lot of disdain for the Southern Song Dynasty. It is likely that the Khitan invaded the south and in the end, the Southern Song Dynasty could only maintain its precarious existence in the south.

It's all that bastard Shi Jingtang's fault! He ceded the Sixteen Prefectures of Yan and Yun to the Khitan, leaving the north completely defenseless.

The Khitan, a foreign tribe—Zhao Kuangyin clenched his fists at this thought. To ensure that his descendants would never again suffer from Khitan invasions, he was determined to reclaim the Sixteen Prefectures of Yan and Yun in his lifetime.

When the emperors and ministers of various Song Dynasty eras saw what the celestial curtain said, they all changed color.

The Song Dynasty greatly promoted literary pursuits; those who passed the imperial examinations and entered officialdom were all intelligent individuals.

Tianmu highly praised the Han, Tang, and the unheard-of Ming Dynasty, but when talking about the Song Dynasty, he only used phrases like "small territory" and "surviving in a precarious state," no different from the Wei, Jin, and Eastern Jin Dynasties.

Furthermore, the criticism of being a "coward" is clearly a mockery of the Song Dynasty for emphasizing civil affairs over military matters, suffering repeated defeats in foreign wars, and being cowardly and afraid of war.

Some civil officials were indignant: How could the heavens understand? The Song Dynasty has its own national conditions.

Foreign tribes are merely a minor ailment; the real threat lies in the arrogance of military leaders. All the foreign tribes want are some money and silk; we should simply give them to them.

If we don't suppress the martial artists, what if the chaos caused by the martial artists of the Five Dynasties reappears?

Southern Song Dynasty, Lin'an

Some people have already started calculating in their minds.

Not long ago, the Mongols changed their name to the Great Yuan Dynasty, and they went crazy. The Yuan army surrounded Fancheng and Xiangyang like a tidal wave.

Although the imperial court sent reinforcements to the rescue, they were scattered and infrequent, and there was no large-scale military assistance, so the efforts were ultimately in vain.

In addition, the Yuan army is so powerful that Xiangyang is now in dire need of food and equipment, and it is impossible to transport them in. It is on the verge of collapse.

"Since Emperor Taizu established the nation at Chenqiao, it has been exactly..." an official murmured, his voice trembling, uttering a number that sent chills down everyone's spine.

"Three hundred and twelve years."

His words, like a thunderclap, shattered the self-deceiving illusions in the hearts of the assembled officials.

They had actually calculated this long ago, yet they still deceived themselves into hoping that what the heavens said was untrue.

More than three hundred years, or three hundred and ninety years, is still more than three hundred years. What if there is still a chance for a turnaround?

Jia Sidao and other pro-peace faction members still harbored illusions. They believed that as long as they ceded territory and sued for peace, they could at most give the Mongols some more money and continue to live in a state of complacency.

"Now that things have come to this, does Lord Jia still intend to cover it up and deceive us?!"

Wen Tianxiang stepped forward angrily and vehemently denounced them, saying, "The Mongol army is marching south with the intention of destroying our Great Song Dynasty and swallowing our land, yet you are still fighting for power and excluding dissidents in the court, disregarding the survival of our nation!"

Open your eyes and see what the heavens reveal! Observe the general trend of the world!

With the fall of Xiangyang, the natural barrier of the Yangtze River is lost, and our Great Song Dynasty will have no more natural defenses! The three-hundred-year-old Song Dynasty will be destroyed in an instant! Do you truly wish to be ministers who bring about the downfall of a nation, leaving behind an everlasting infamy?!

Wen Tianxiang's words were like knives, ruthlessly tearing apart the illusion of border peace that Jia Sidao had woven for Emperor Duzong of Song.

Emperor Duzong of Song was addicted to wine and women, and entrusted all military and state affairs to Jia Sidao. He still believed that the border was peaceful and that the Mongols were far away.

Even though he was incompetent, he understood one thing: if the Mongols really invaded, he would be the first to die. Although he was incompetent, he was not stupid.

The Mongol army had countless Han Chinese generals and civil officials, and the Mongols, in particular, trusted them quite a bit.

With this example in mind, there were quite a few people in the imperial court who harbored thoughts of surrendering to the Mongols.

There were countless Han Chinese generals and civil officials in the Mongol army, and they were highly trusted by the Mongol high command.

With such a precedent, there were quite a few people in the Southern Song court who secretly harbored the idea of ​​surrendering to the Mongols.

"Prime Minister Jia."

Emperor Duzong looked at Jia Sidao, his voice filled with barely concealed fear and urgency.

"Is the battle for Xiangyang truly as perilous as it's said?"

Jia Sidao's heart sank suddenly.

He already understood that the situation had deteriorated to its worst. Now, the sky was shining brightly over the entire world, and everyone—in the imperial court, the army, the common people, and even inside the besieged city of Xiangyang—could see this scene.

If the defenders of Xiangyang give up in despair, the eternal infamy of ruining the country will fall upon him.

"Your Majesty... Your Majesty, I will immediately mobilize the army from the capital to reinforce Xiangyang!"

Wen Tianxiang raised his eyes and swept them over the assembled officials, his voice resolute and brooking no argument:

"The nation is in dire straits. I urge all my colleagues to set aside personal grudges and cease their mutual attacks!"

"Abandon illusions, prepare for war!!"