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

Above the sky, Zhu Dijun's figure stood quietly.

He did not speak immediately, but let the silent sorrow and anger flow and ferment in the myriad worlds and timelines.

The chat in the live stream had gradually shifted from heart-wrenching roars to suppressed sobs and silent tears.

Those three decisive deaths, like three heavy mountains, weighed on everyone's hearts, making it hard to breathe.

After a long while, Judy Jun slowly raised his head. In his reddened eyes, there was something deeper than sadness—a cold chill.

He spoke softly, his voice not loud, yet it reached everyone's ears clearly.

"My family members, I know you are all very sad and angry right now."

"You might be very curious, extremely curious."

Why?

"Why is it that those three Yangs, hailed as the 'backbone of the Ming Dynasty' and 'wise prime ministers,' and the civil service group depicted in history textbooks as devoted to their duties until their dying breath, would commit such heinous and inhuman acts?"

Why did they betray us?

"Why plot to kill the emperor time and time again?"

Zhu Dijun's voice, like a scalpel, precisely dissected the biggest question in everyone's heart.

Yes, why?

that power?

In order to install a puppet emperor and seize power.

This reason seems sufficient, but it appears somewhat weak for powerful rulers like Zhu Di and Zhu Zhanji.

They were confident that they could suppress any subject's ambition for power.

Inside Yongle Palace, Zhu Di's seemingly madman-like rage gradually subsided, replaced by a coldness unique to emperors, a coldness that saw through the essence of things.

He also wanted to know why!

How dare these civil officials, whom he had personally promoted and entrusted with important responsibilities, these "mouthpieces" he thought were merely vying for power with military nobles? How could they possibly point their butcher knives at the bloodline of the Zhu family!

In the first year of the Xuande reign, Zhu Zhanji was rescued from a coma and stared blankly at the sky, also waiting for the final answer.

On the sky, a chilling smile curved at the corner of Zhu Dijun's lips.

He uttered two words, one after another.

"Benefit!"

boom!

These two words, though seemingly simple, are more impactful than any previous images or words!

"That's right, it's all about profit!"

Zhu Dijun's voice suddenly rose, filled with resolute determination!

"Family members, do you think this is merely a struggle between imperial power and ministerial power that began during the Hongwu era?"

"No! That's just an appearance!"

"The real core issue is money! It's the economic interests that can make these hypocritical so-called 'disciples of saints' tear off all their pretenses and transform into evil demons!"

Zhu Dijun suddenly waved his hand, and the scene on the sky changed!

No longer palaces and pavilions, no longer blood-stained battlefields.

Instead, it is a vast, dynamic economic map of the Ming Dynasty!

Golden trade routes extend from the coastal ports, like a dense network of blood vessels.

Judy Jun pointed to several incredibly dazzling locations on the map.

"Porcelain from Jiangxi!"

"Tea from Fujian!"

"Zhejiang silk!"

"Copper and iron from Huguang!"

"These are the most profitable commodities in the Ming Dynasty! And who stands behind these most lucrative industries?"

Zhu Dijun's voice was like a heavy hammer, striking everyone's hearts again and again!

"Yang Rong!"

"Yang Shiqi!"

"Luo Rujing!"

"Li Shimian!"

"Jin Youzi!"

"And countless other names, some familiar, some not!"

"They, and the families behind them, are no longer simply scholars or officials! They are the largest porcelain kiln owners in Jiangxi! The largest tea plantation owners in Fujian! The largest silk merchants in Jiangsu and Zhejiang!"

"They are the ones who control the economic lifeline of the Ming Dynasty—the major landowners and wealthy merchants!"

"And all these businesses ultimately lead to one place—the ocean!"

"Maritime trade!"

Judy Jun's voice has a penetrating power that unveils the ultimate mystery!

"Now, family members, do you understand?"

Why did Emperor Yongle (Zhu Di) spare no expense in sending Zheng He on voyages to the Western Ocean time and time again?

Why did Emperor Xuande, Zhu Zhanji, insist on restarting the voyages to the West despite pressure from the entire court of officials?

"Because they want to firmly control this golden ocean under the court's control! They want to establish official trade!"

"The money earned from official trade goes to the national treasury! It belongs to the emperor! It can be used to launch a northern expedition against the Mongols, build the capital, and provide relief to disaster victims!"

"But this has cut off some people's source of income!"

Inside the Yongle Palace, Zhu Di's body suddenly trembled!

A terrifying glint suddenly flashed in his hawk-like eyes!

He remembered!

Every time he proposed voyages to the Western Ocean, the most vehement opposition in the court came from civil officials like Yang Shiqi!

They say things like "wasting national funds" and "competing with the people for profit."

At the time, he thought it was just the pedantry of intellectuals, that they didn't understand the hundreds or thousands of times the profits behind ocean trade!

Now he understands!

They're not ignorant!

They understand perfectly!

They weren't afraid the court would lose money; they were afraid the court would take all the meat from their bowls!

"With the official ships out at sea, how are their private smuggling vessels supposed to make money?"

"If the imperial court's silk and porcelain are sold overseas, how can the goods of those gentry and wealthy families still fetch exorbitant prices?"

On the sky, Zhu Dijun's voice pierced the heart with every word!

"So now you know why they wanted to kill Zhu Di, Zhu Gaochi, Zhu Zhanji, and even go to any lengths to destroy our Great Ming's God of War, Zhu Qizhen!"

"Because this isn't some bullshit 'battle between ruler and subject' at all!"

"This is a life-or-death battle between state-owned and private enterprises!"

"This is an endless economic war between official maritime trade dominated by imperial power and private smuggling trade dominated by the civil service!"

"They'd do anything to protect their family's smuggling business and continue to bleed the Ming Dynasty dry!"

"The purpose of stopping the Northern Expedition is to drain the national treasury and prevent the emperor from building ships!"

"Tolerating the uprising is to create chaos within the country and prevent the emperor from going to sea!"

"The heavenly fire burning down the palace is the best excuse Heaven could give them!"

"And when all these methods fail to stop an ambitious emperor, they are left with only one last, and most vicious, option—"

"Kill your lord!"

"Kill an emperor who wants to engage in official trade!"

"Establish another obedient puppet ruler who is willing to impose a maritime ban!"

"This is the dirtiest, most shameless, and bloodiest truth behind a conspiracy that spanned four reigns—Yongle, Hongxi, Xuande, and Zhengtong—and lasted for decades!"

"Their 'loyalty to the emperor and patriotism' is all a lie!"

"The real way to ensure the family's eternal prosperity is to fill all of the Ming Dynasty's wealth into your own pockets!"

As soon as the words fell, all realms and time fell into a deathly silence.