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

The moment Zhu Qizhen fell, time seemed to be paused.

Both inside and outside the sky, there was utter silence.

Then came a volcanic eruption of grief and anger!

【No--!】

【His Majesty! 】

I killed those sons of bitches!

In modern live-streaming rooms, countless netizens unleashed their furious roars at the screen.

The simulation video generated by SORA2AI is so "realistic" that it makes people think it happened in the 7th year of the Zhengtong era, a despicable and shameless regicide committed for personal gain!

Many people were already in tears, sobbing uncontrollably.

They witnessed firsthand how a young emperor, Zhu Qizhen, in the most desperate situation, defended his last shred of dignity in the most resolute way.

That was not a battle.

That was a sacrifice!

With their own blood, let's forever nail the Zhang family, the Sun family, and the Three Yangs—those traitors who stole the country—to the pillar of historical shame!

Above the sky, Zhu Dijun's figure reappeared.

His eyes were red-rimmed, and his voice was choked with an uncontrollable sob.

"Family members... This is a simulation video generated by SORA2AI, featuring Zhu Qizhen, the Great War God of the Ming Dynasty, in the seventh year of the Zhengtong reign, assuming he knew the truth."

"History books only record his 'disastrous defeat' at Tumu Fortress."

"But no one knows that in the simulation, when he was fourteen years old, he fought alone against the betrayal of the entire court until the last moment of his life."

"He lost, but he did not fail."

"His death unveiled the darkest chapter of the Ming Dynasty for us."

Zhu Dijun's words were like a knife, piercing deep into everyone's hearts once again.

But the scene in the sky did not end there.

The scene shifts to the lakeside behind the Prince Cheng's Mansion.

Under the cover of night, the lake water was deep and shimmering with a cold light.

Consort Wu carried eleven-year-old Zhu Qiyu and walked step by step toward the lake.

Her face showed no fear, only a deathly stillness.

"Yu'er, are you scared?" she asked softly.

Zhu Qiyu, who was in his arms, was already trembling with fear from the bloody scene in the sky. He looked at his mother, not understanding what she was going to do, and just instinctively shook his head.

Consort Wu smiled, a smile that was both poignant and resolute.

"Good boy, it's good that you're not afraid."

"Your elder brother... went to a very far place."

"Mother will take you to him now."

"We'll never be separated again, we'll never be someone else's pawns again, okay?"

After saying this, she took one last look at the magnificent, yet cage-like Forbidden City, held her son, and took her final step forward.

"Thump!"

A muffled thud.

The figures of the mother and son were instantly swallowed up by the dark lake water.

On the water's surface, only ever-expanding ripples and a few desperate bubbles remained.

Another life lost!

Yet another resolute mother!

The emotions of viewers across all time and space, which had just begun to calm down, were once again overwhelmed by immense grief!

"No!"

"They've gone mad! They've all gone mad!"

[Consort Wu! She...she brought Prince Zhu Qiyu with her...]

[I understand! She didn't want her son, Zhu Qiyu, to become the next puppet! She used her death to completely shatter the plans of Zhang Shi and Yang Shiqi, the civil officials!]

What a resolute woman! She would rather die a glorious death than live a life of dishonor!

Inside the Cining Palace.

Sun Ruowei, who had just been revived by having her philtrum pinched, hadn't even had a chance to catch her breath when her trusted eunuch rushed in, stumbling and scrambling, reporting in a tearful voice:

"Empress Dowager! Empress Dowager! Something terrible has happened!"

"Consort Wu...Consort Wu, holding His Highness Prince Cheng, jumped...jumped into the lake and committed suicide!"

boom!

This news struck Zhang Shi and Yang Shiqi like a bolt of lightning from the heavens!

died?

Zhu Qiyu is dead too?!

They went to great lengths, even risking the infamy of regicide, to kill Zhu Qizhen, all in order to install a younger and more controllable Zhu Qiyu!

But now, even this most important piece is dead!

What was the point of everything they did tonight?!

"puff--"

Yang Shiqi could no longer suppress the surging blood in his chest, and he spat out a mouthful of blood, instantly weakening himself.

It’s over.

It's all over!

They killed the emperor, but failed to install a new one.

When dawn breaks and the court officials discover that the emperor and the Prince of Cheng have both died suddenly, how will they explain themselves?

They will no longer be meritorious officials who helped the emperor rise to power, but utter traitors who murder their ruler!

How will scholars across the land view them?

How will the imperial clansmen of the realm punish them?

They will be doomed!

Zhang was completely stunned. She slumped in her chair, her eyes vacant, muttering to herself incessantly:

"How could this happen... how could this happen..."

However, the bad news was not over yet.

The camera angle shifts again to the sky.

This time, it was that cold and desolate nunnery that had imprisoned Hu Shanxiang for many years.

Inside the temple, a raging fire had broken out sometime earlier!

Flames shot into the sky, turning half the night sky blood red!

Amidst the flames, a figure dressed in a nun's robe sat upright on a prayer mat, hands clasped together, face serene, even bearing a hint of a relieved smile.

It was none other than the former empress, Hu Shanxiang!

She heard her son's cries.

She witnessed her son's death.

She also witnessed the resolute determination of Consort Wu and her son.

She knew it was time for her to get going too.

She didn't want to be "invited" out of here by that group of people, to be hypocritically honored as Empress Dowager, and then to continue being a tool for whitewashing the truth.

She wanted to use the most intense fire to wash away the injustices and suffering of her life.

She wanted to use the most complete destruction to make a final protest against this filthy world!

"Zhen'er, your mother is here..."

In the final moments before the flames consumed her, she murmured softly.

The fire raged all night.

When dawn broke, all that remained were ruins and a charred skeleton that could not be identified.

In the simulated video generated by SORA2AI

The seventh year of the Zhengtong reign of the Ming Dynasty, on this darkest night.

Emperor Zhu Qizhen died in battle at Qianqing Palace.

Prince Zhu Qiyu of Cheng committed suicide at Houhu Lake along with his mother, Consort Wu.

Former Empress Hu Shanxiang committed suicide by self-immolation in a nunnery.

Three close relatives of the royal family, through three tragic and resolute deaths, forever nailed Zhang, Sun, Yang Shiqi, and others to the pillar of historical shame!

Their true intentions were revealed, but what they gained was not absolute power.

Instead, it is a completely out-of-control, unsolvable deadlock!