Sky Curtain: The opening scene explains the four major cases of the Ming Dynasty plus the early Ming

Zhu Dijun's angry curse, "Ren Ni Ma ge Tou," was like a thunderclap from a clear sky, making the minds of countless people in all dimensions buzz!

The additional statement about Kang Mazi, in particular, plunged all time and space into an eerie silence.

"No way, no way? That Kang Youwei, who has plagued China for over a century, that Tunguska who instigated literary inquisitions, forced the shaving of heads and changing of clothing, turning the Han people into slaves, is actually posthumously honored as the Benevolent Emperor? Is that for real?"

"It's absolutely true! The posthumous title of Emperor Kangxi of the Qing Dynasty, Aisin-Gioro Xuanye, was Emperor Ren, who was known for his great achievements and virtues!"

"Damn! I get it! I completely understand why Brother Jun is so angry! If a butcher like Kang Mazi, whose hands are stained with blood, can be called 'benevolent,' then the word 'benevolent' itself is the biggest irony! It's just a fig leaf!"

"This is terrifying to think about! So, Emperor Renzong of Song (Zhao Zhen) and Emperor Renzong of Ming (Zhu Gaochi) probably did something similar to Kang Youwei! They sacrificed the future and integrity of their nations for a false reputation, and were then praised by those civil officials for centuries! We've all been deceived!"

The inferences expressed in the comments sent a chill down the spines of countless emperors and generals across different time periods.

They began to re-examine the posthumous title "Ren" (仁).

This word, which once represented supreme glory, now seemed to be tainted with deadly poison and exuded a nauseating stench in their eyes!

The Ming Dynasty, in a parallel world of the Yongle era.

Zhu Di's gaze was now filled with undisguised murderous intent.

He stared intently at his eldest son, Zhu Gaochi, with the same look he gave him as if he were looking at a familiar stranger.

Just now, he personally ordered the three Yangs to be crippled. Even if they were saved, they would be useless. He thought it was a warning to others and that it would make his son, who was too close to civil officials, more restrained.

But now it seems he was terribly wrong!

This isn't intimacy; they're clearly birds of a feather!

"Father... Your son... Your son doesn't know!" Zhu Gaochi felt his father's overwhelming rage and was so frightened that his fat body trembled like a leaf.

"I don't know what I did... This must be slander! It's the descendants of the third prince who are slandering me!"

"Brother, you're talking nonsense!"

Prince Zhu Gaochi of Han was furious on the spot.

"What do you mean by 'the descendants of the third brother slander you'? What heinous things have you done that would make your descendants point fingers at you and curse you? Stop trying to shift the blame onto us!"

"Moreover, when the third brother's descendants tried to prove the second uncle's innocence, they were assassinated by muskets. Just as the second uncle's descendants said, they braved wind and rain to uncover the truth covered up by the mites, and even faced the risk of assassination. Now, they're framing you from the afterlife. Do you have any conscience at all?!"

Prince Zhao, Zhu Gaosui, also sneered:

"Brother, the Three Yangs were originally officials under your Crown Prince's residence. Their rise to power has nothing to do with you? Now you dare to do it but not admit it?"

"Shut up, all of you!"

Zhu Di's thunderous roar silenced all the arguments.

His chest heaved violently as he pointed at the still trembling Zhu Gaochi and said, word by word:

"Keep a close eye on them!"

"Let's see what your descendants, like Judy Jun, have to say about you!"

"Boss, you better pray this is all a lie! Otherwise, we wouldn't mind personally deposing you from your position as crown prince!"

Upon hearing this, Zhu Gaochi felt dizzy and almost fainted.

Above the sky, Zhu Dijun's cold voice began to pronounce the verdict.

"Now, let's examine just how 'benevolent' this 'Emperor Renzong' of the Ming Dynasty really was!"

"Zhu Gaochi's first crime!"

Zhu Dijun's voice suddenly rose, and golden characters appeared in the sky with a roar!

"All treasure ships from foreign countries that have sailed to the Western Ocean have ceased operations!"

"All ships currently at sea, return to port immediately!"

boom!

These two short sentences struck Zhu Di like a thunderbolt!

He recalled the magnificent scene of all nations paying tribute to Zheng He's treasure ships!

I recalled the endless flow of overseas trade that filled the national treasury!

I recalled the mighty Ming Dynasty dragon flag that commanded respect in foreign lands and made the world submit!

All of this came to a halt the moment his son, on whom he had placed such high hopes, took office!

"Why?!"

Zhu Di let out a low growl like a wild beast.

On the sky, Zhu Dijun provided the answer.

"Why? Because the civil service told him that the voyages to the Western Ocean were 'a waste of money and resources'! They were 'a corrupt policy'!"

"They can't see the huge profits brought by overseas trade; they only see the imperial court spending money to build ships!"

"They couldn't see the supreme glory brought by all nations paying tribute; they only thought it was the emperor's vanity and ambition!"

"In the eyes of those bookish pedants, any territorial expansion or overseas expansion is nothing but 'militarism'!"

"And our beloved 'Emperor Renzong' Zhu Gaochi wholeheartedly agreed with this!"

"He not only halted the treasure ships, but also burned countless precious nautical charts and documents!"

"He personally severed the arm that allowed China to reach the ocean! He locked a great empire, poised to embark on the Age of Exploration, back onto the continent!"

"How foolish! How short-sighted!"

"This is the greatest betrayal of your father, Zhu Di!"

"In reality, this resulted in huge profits for maritime merchants along the Jiangnan coast, while the Ming Dynasty suffered enormous losses."

"puff--"

Zhu Di could no longer hold back and spat out a mouthful of blood, staining his dragon robe red!

He wasn't angry; he was heartbroken!

That was one of his proudest achievements, yet it was so easily destroyed by his own son!

Zhu Di's vomiting of blood plunged the entire Fengtian Hall into a deathly silence.

The two brothers, Zhu Gaoxu and Zhu Gaosui, couldn't care less about their internal strife and quickly supported their father, who was swaying precariously, on either side.

Looking at the indictments displayed on the sky, and then at their elder brother Zhu Gaochi, whose face was ashen, they felt a chill run down their spines for the first time towards this seemingly kind and gentle man.

Stop the voyages to the Western Ocean and burn the nautical charts!

This is no longer just a disagreement on political views; it's digging up the roots of the Ming Dynasty and desecrating Zhu Di's ancestral graves!

"Father..."

Zhu Gaochi collapsed to the ground, unable to utter a single word except for tears and trembling.

He wanted to explain, but the edict on the sky was written in black and white, and it was indeed an order that he would issue immediately after ascending the throne!

He has always believed that this is a time for recuperation and development, and a benevolent policy.

But he never imagined that in the eyes of later generations, and in the eyes of his own father, this would be such an unforgivable and heinous crime!

"The traitor..."

Zhu Di wiped the blood from the corner of his mouth, and in his hawk-like, wolf-like eyes, only endless disappointment and coldness remained.

He pushed his two sons aside, straightened his body again, and the iron-fisted and domineering nature of the Yongle Emperor once again filled the entire hall.

He wanted to keep watching!

He wanted to see just how many other outrageous things this unfilial son had done!