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

In-laws!

When these four words, like four black thunderclaps, exploded in the sky.

The whole world was deathly silent.

In a parallel universe, in the fourteenth year of the orthodox reign, at Tumu Fortress.

The captured Zhu Qizhen stared blankly at the sky, his mind a complete blank.

Yu Qian...

Yang Hong...

relatives by marriage?

Yu Qian, who was known for his uprightness and integrity in the imperial court.

Yang Hong, who committed the heinous crime of regicide at the border.

They... are actually in-laws?!

A chill, even more biting than when he was betrayed by the border troops, instantly shot from the soles of Zhu Qizhen's feet straight to the top of his head!

He felt like a huge joke.

A clown who is tightly trapped and manipulated at will by all his subjects in a huge net!

The loyal minister he thought he knew, and the rebellious general who had defied his authority, turned out to be family!

"Hahaha……"

Zhu Qizhen laughed again, his laughter hoarse and filled with the smell of blood.

He got it.

He understood everything!

This is not a conflict between loyal ministers and treacherous ministers at all!

This was all a pre-arranged performance, a thief crying "stop thief!" act, a double act!

Hongwu Hall.

Zhu Yuanzhang was so angry that he trembled all over. He kicked the dragon table in front of him and knocked it to the ground!

"OK!"

"What a wonderful in-law relationship!"

"What a model of loyalty!"

Old Zhu's eyes were bloodshot. He pointed at the two characters "Yu Qian" on the sky and roared at the civil officials below the throne.

"Look carefully, everyone!"

"These are the scholars you admire!"

"They spout righteousness and morality on the surface, but behind your backs they're nothing but thieves and prostitutes!"

"While having their in-laws kill the emperor on the front lines, they themselves are lining up for official positions in the rear!"

"The coordination was flawless!"

"If we were that kid named Zhu Qizhen, when we get back, we'd rather tear that Yu guy to pieces than be surnamed Zhu!"

A parallel Yongle timeline.

Zhu Di's face was so cold it could have been covered in frost.

As a top military strategist and politician, he instantly saw through all the dirty deals behind this relationship.

"Yang Hong is stationed at the border, wielding military power, and is responsible for 'execution'."

"Yu Qian was well-regarded for his integrity in the court and was responsible for 'public opinion' and 'aftermath management'."

"One plays the good cop, and the other plays the bad cop."

"As long as the Tumu Fortress incident succeeds and the emperor is killed or captured, Yang Hong, as the 'culprit,' will inevitably be pushed out to take the blame."

"Yu Qian, on the other hand, could rely on his 'severing ties' with Yang Hong and his reputation for 'integrity and uprightness' to step forward, clean up the mess, and naturally take over military power, thus becoming a 'national hero'."

Zhu Di's voice was cold and devoid of any emotion.

"As for Yang Hong's family, under the protection of Yu Qian, the 'hero of the nation' by marriage, they will naturally be preserved and may even gain greater benefits."

"A perfect plan."

"A sure-fire, profitable political investment."

Listening to their father's analysis, Zhu Gaochi and Zhu Zhanji's faces turned ashen.

They couldn't imagine that the wickedness of human nature could reach such a level!

This is no longer just corruption or forming cliques.

This is a gamble with the fate of the entire nation and the life of the emperor!

As for Yu Qian and Yang Hong, they are still the "loyal ministers" that their father and son will promote in the future. Loyal my ass! They are traitors who murder their emperor and sell out their country. They still have a chance to correct their mistakes. It's not too late!

Modern live streaming room.

All the viewers felt their worldview being crushed and repeatedly rubbed into the ground.

"Holy shit! Holy shit! Holy shit! In-laws?! This is fucking...this is more outrageous than a novel!"

"I'm devastated! I'm really devastated! I always thought Yu Qian and Yang Hong were mortal enemies, but it turns out they're family?!"

"No wonder! No wonder after the Tumu Crisis, Yang Hong's family was only symbolically dealt with, and they were quickly reinstated and even promoted! It turns out that his in-law, Junior Protector Yu, was pulling the strings behind the scenes!"

"I get it! This is called risk hedging! Yang Hong is in charge of taking action, and Yu Qian is in charge of clearing his name! Regardless of success or failure, one of the Yang or Yu families will benefit! Brilliant! Absolutely brilliant!"

"Stop calling him Yu Shaobao, it disgusts me! He's a fucking political opportunist! A complete hypocrite!"

Above the sky, Zhu Dijun's voice, like a judge reading a final verdict, was cold and ruthless.

"Family members, now let's look back using the logic of 'reverse reasoning'."

"A high-ranking official who turned a blind eye to a burning granary and the desertion of military households within his own jurisdiction."

"A 'loyal minister of the court' who formed a marriage alliance with a traitorous general who murdered his emperor."

"A prime minister who rose rapidly in status after the Tumu Crisis, from vice minister of the Ministry of War to minister of the Ministry of War, and who was in charge of all the military forces in the country."

"When these three identities perfectly overlap in one person."

Do you still think that his line, "I fear not being crushed to pieces, but only wish to leave behind a pure reputation," was referring to himself?

"No!"

Zhu Dijun's voice suddenly rose, filled with sarcasm and mockery!

"He was advising those he was sending to their deaths to 'fear not being crushed to pieces'!"

"And he himself will step over the corpses of these people to reap the reward of 'leaving a name and glory in the world'!"

"Now, family members, let's move on to the next, most crucial, and most disruptive step."

"A colossal hoax that's been touted for six hundred years!"

Zhu Dijun's eyes became incredibly sharp, as if trying to pierce through the fog of history.

"Family members, I am here to tell you an even more cruel truth."

"In the history of the Ming Dynasty, there was that so-called magnificent and tragic 'Defense of Beiping'..."

"It's fake!"

"This so-called 'defense battle' never actually happened!"

"The truth is—"

"Esen, the Taishi of the Oirat Mongols, had no intention of attacking Beiping after capturing Zhu Qizhen! What he wanted to do was immediately send this hot potato back to the Ming Dynasty!"

"However, the vested interest group, led by Yu Qian, Chen Xun, and Empress Dowager Sun in the deep palace, vehemently refused!"

"They used every means possible to prevent Zhu Qizhen from returning!"

"Because they knew very well that once Zhu Qizhen returned to the capital, he could contact the remnants of the imperial faction who had survived the Tumu Crisis..."

"What awaits them is a bloody and relentless purge!"