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

Wang Zhen!

When this name came out of Judy Jun's mouth, it was like a final verdict, striking the hearts of all time and space.

In the fourteenth year of the Zhengtong reign, inside the Qianqing Palace.

Zhu Qizhen froze, and the raging anger he had just ignited against the entire civil service group instantly found an outlet.

Wang Zhen!

Yes, that's him!

He keeps talking in my ear about the achievements of our ancestors, about the emperor personally leading the expedition, and about the loss of military power!

It turns out that every word he said was honey laced with poison!

It turns out that the "Wang Daban" he trusted most was, from beginning to end, the sharpest knife handed over by that group of evil spirits!

A wave of nausea and excruciating pain from being betrayed by his closest loved ones instantly overwhelmed Zhu Qizhen's reason.

"Wang...Zhen..."

He squeezed out the name through gritted teeth, each word dripping with blood.

However, just when everyone thought that the final murderer in this major case of regicide had been apprehended.

Above the sky, Zhu Dijun let out a soft sigh.

"Family members, to be honest, putting all the blame on Wang Zhen is how the History of Ming Dynasty is written, and it's also the ending that the real murderers most want to see."

"But logically, it doesn't make sense."

These words shocked the entire world.

Zhu Qizhen, who had just identified the murderer, suddenly raised his head, his eyes filled with confusion.

It doesn't make sense?

Zhu Dijun's voice, tinged with pity, continued his analysis:

"We need to figure out Wang Zhen's identity and stance first."

"He was a failed scholar who, out of despair at the imperial examinations, castrated himself and entered the palace as a eunuch. Such a person harbors resentment towards the civil service. Therefore, he would naturally gravitate towards imperial power and become a tool for the emperor to fight against the civil service."

"In fact, that's exactly what he did. From bringing down Yang Shiqi to strongly supporting the Qing army, Wang Zhen was always the core of the Emperor's faction and Zhu Qizhen's most loyal henchman. For this, he offended all the civil officials in the court and became the public enemy of almost all Ming Dynasty scholars. He was contemptuously called a 'eunuch dog' by scholars during the Zhengtong era."

"So, here's the question."

"Would someone who has tied his life, his wealth, and all his glory to Zhu Qizhen's ship willingly sink it?"

Why did he betray Zhu Qizhen?

"As soon as Zhu Qizhen falls from power, given the hatred the civil service group harbors towards him, the first person to be purged will be Wang Zhen! He will be executed by slow slicing, his entire clan will be exterminated, and he will be nailed to the pillar of historical shame, never to rise again!"

"What's in it for him?"

Zhu Dijun's series of probing questions calmed everyone down.

Yeah! What's the point?

Wang Zhen's success stemmed from Zhu Qizhen's trust. While the emperor was alive, he was the powerful Grand Eunuch; after the emperor's death, he was a universally reviled eunuch!

He can't figure this out?

Therefore, Wang Zhen was not a traitor, or rather, he was not the mastermind.

Zhu Dijun presented a revolutionary conclusion.

"He's more like a pitiful yet hateful pawn, roasted over a fire!"

"He was manipulated by the civil service and the border generals!"

"How can we use it?"

"Take advantage of his ambition!"

"My family, even the highest-ranking eunuch is still a servant. But in history, are there any precedents of servants being granted titles and ranks? Yes!"

Zhu Dijun's voice was full of seductive charm: "Yang Sixu of the Tang Dynasty pacified Annam and achieved great military exploits! Our own Zheng He of the Ming Dynasty made seven voyages to the Western Seas, and his prestige shook the four seas!"

"The civil service only needs to whisper in his ear: 'Eunuch Wang, look, the Emperor trusts you so much. If you can assist the Emperor in achieving unparalleled merit, emulating Yang Sixu and Zheng He, you will be ennobled and appointed as a general, bringing glory to your ancestors. Wouldn't that be wonderful?'"

"Wang Zhen, blinded by fame and fortune, eager to prove his worth to the civil service, and yearning to achieve accomplishments beyond his status as a eunuch—he was tempted!"

"In addition, the border granaries were on fire one after another at that time, and Zhu Qizhen's investigation was at a standstill, so he needed a breakthrough."

"Thus, when the civil service feigned concessions and the border generals exaggerated their promises of easy military achievements, a plan for an 'imperial expedition' transformed from a crazy idea into a golden opportunity to make a name for himself in Wang Zhen's mind!"

"He's been completely fooled!"

"He thought he was the mastermind behind the plan, but little did he know, he was merely a pawn, thrown out by the true hunters to attract their prey's attention!"

So that's the truth!

Wang Zhen was not a wolf; he was just a foolish wild boar driven by a pack of wolves to charge at the emperor!

The orthodox timeline.

Zhu Qizhen slumped on the dragon throne, his hatred not dissipating, but replaced by an endless sense of sorrow.

He hated Wang Zhen's stupidity and ambition, but he hated even more those real devils who hid behind the scenes and manipulated people's hearts!

"Holy crap! It's a twist! Another twist! Wang Zhen is just a traitor; there's a big boss behind him!"

"This is true political maneuvering! Killing without a knife, destroying the heart without drawing blood! Turning your trusted confidants into your death warrant—the hearts of these civil officials are utterly filthy!"

"Poor Wang Zhen, he thought he could become Zheng Er, but he ended up becoming the number one scapegoat..."

"Wait! If Wang Zhen wasn't the mastermind, then who was? Who was the biggest beneficiary of the Tumu Crisis?!"

The comments in the live stream astutely grasped the core of the issue.

Zhu Dijun smiled slightly; this was precisely the question he wanted to raise.

"Good question, family members."

"Such a massive conspiracy must have an ultimate beneficiary. When the emperor was captured, the investigation team (questionable) was wiped out, and the Ming Dynasty was plunged into an unprecedented crisis, who stepped forward, turned the tide, and naturally took over supreme power?"

For modern audiences, a glorious and majestic name immediately came to mind.

【"Yu Qian!!"】

"Yu Shaobao! The Battle of Beijing!"

"It must be Yu Qian! He's become the Minister of War, in charge of the overall situation!"

"Could it be...could it be that Yu Qian is also...?"

On the live chat, hesitant and incredulous speculations appeared.

However, the emperors of the Ming Dynasty, especially Zhu Yuanzhang and Zhu Di, all frowned.

wrong!

With their political acumen, they knew that at that moment, a mere Minister of War was not enough to completely control the court.

Where will power ultimately go?

cabinet!

That so-called advisory body had actually become the center of imperial power!

Judy looked at the comments and shook her head.

"Family members, Yu Qian, the Junior Guardian, was indeed a pillar of the nation, but at that time, he was not one of the core figures of power, nor was he the leader. He was merely an informed participant."

"After the Tumu Crisis, the old cabinet collapsed due to issues of responsibility. A new name ascended to the position of Grand Secretary and became the de facto prime minister of the Ming Empire."

Above the sky, a name was slowly circled in vermilion red.

"His name is Chen Xun."

"His courtesy name was Dezun; he was from Taihe, Jiangxi."

"A political evergreen who survived five reigns: Yongle, Hongxi, Xuande, Zhengtong, and Jingtai."

"After the Tumu Crisis, it was he who stabilized the political situation of the Ming Dynasty and became the new Grand Secretary!"

boom!

When the phrases "a veteran of five dynasties" and "a native of Jiangxi" are combined, a familiar, chilling feeling instantly envelops all time and space!

Zhu Yuanzhang's pupils suddenly contracted!

Zhu Di clenched his fist again!

Zhu Zhanji's vision went black!

Another veteran of five reigns!

It's the Jiangxi gang again!

Isn't this just the second "Three Yangs" combination?!

"Holy crap!!! Another Jiangxi native! Another five-dynasty veteran! I've read this script before!"

"I'm dumbfounded! So, Yang Shiqi has fallen, and now there's Chen Xun behind him?! Has the Ming Dynasty stirred up a hornet's nest in Jiangxi?!"

"From Emperor Chengzu to Emperor Jingtai, a veteran of five reigns! Family members, this experience, this ability to infiltrate—isn't this just Yang Shiqi 2.0?!"

Ignoring the uproar in the live stream, Zhu Dijun coldly recounted Chen Xun's resume.

"Chen Xun was a Jinshi in the thirteenth year of the Yongle reign and was appointed as a compiler in the Hanlin Academy, thus beginning his long political career."

"Because he was familiar with the court's regulations and systems, he was successively given important positions by Emperor Chengzu and Emperor Renzong, and became a lecturer."

"After Emperor Xuanzong Zhu Zhanji ascended the throne, Chen Xun rose rapidly in rank, entered the Southern Palace, was granted a mansion, and successfully entered the cabinet during the later period of the Three Yangs' rule to participate in state affairs."

"The Grand Secretary at that time was Yang Pu."

"In other words, before the Tumu Crisis, he was already a member of the core power circle of the Ming Dynasty, second only to the Three Yangs."

"Now, family members, let's connect the clues."

Judy Jun's voice was like the whisper of death.

"A top politician who, like Yang Shiqi, came from Jiangxi and was a veteran of five dynasties."

"A Grand Secretary of the Cabinet whose interests might also be harmed under the 'Qing Army' national policy."

"The biggest winner who, after the Tumu Crisis, replaced all his political rivals and naturally ascended to the pinnacle of power."

Do you think all of this is just a coincidence?