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

The air in Nangong seemed to have lost all its warmth after Zhu Dijun said those words.

Zhu Qizhen took a deep breath, his chest heaving violently.

He is not a fool.

If he were truly a fool, he would have died at Tumu Fortress long ago, instead of returning to the capital alive and eking out a miserable existence in this Southern Palace.

From his own experiences to the experiences of his mentally unstable younger brother, and then connecting this to the shocking revelations displayed on the celestial screen...

The civil service group murdered the emperor!

These six words were no longer just a guess, but rather like a branding iron, burning his heart with pain!

However, there is no solid evidence.

The good younger brother in front of him had taken a huge risk to come to him, and it was not just to vent his hatred.

"Qi Yu..."

Zhu Qizhen's voice was terribly hoarse as he stared intently at his younger brother, who was kneeling on the ground but seemed even taller than himself when he was standing.

"You came to see your elder brother for more than just this, didn't you?"

His eyes were filled with vigilance and scrutiny.

"Why drag Jian Shen into this? He's my only son!"

This is his bottom line, his only thought and weakness within these cold palace walls!

Upon hearing this question, Judy slowly raised her head.

That face, which should have been filled with grief, was now eerily calm, without a trace of emotion.

He said calmly, "He is also my only nephew."

"Now, in our Zhu family line, only Jian Shen remains as the successor."

Zhu Qizhen's heart was deeply wounded by those words.

Yes.

Jianji is dead.

All that's left is to see the depth.

Zhu Dijun's voice is like the most precise scalpel, dissecting the bloody reality piece by piece.

"Brother, the moment he entered the palace, he had already become a puppet in preparation."

"Do you think that hiding him in the Nangong Palace and ignoring him is protecting him?"

"Wrong!"

Zhu Dijun's voice suddenly rose, carrying a cold sarcasm.

"That will only hasten his death! And make his death even more mysterious!"

"Just like my own experience!"

"Once my brother and I die, my nephew Jian Shen will be the next puppet to be pushed onto the throne, then arbitrarily deposed and executed!"

"Rather than dying silently like Jianji, it's better to..."

Zhu Dijun's gaze became sharp as needles, piercing straight into the deepest part of Zhu Qizhen's heart!

"Why not put him under everyone's watchful eye!"

"Having a publicly recognized 'Crown Prince' is his biggest protection right now!"

"Especially now, when everyone suspects that the Empress Dowager and Yu Qian are planning to 'replace the emperor'!"

boom!

These words were like a thunderclap from the heavens, exploding in Zhu Qizhen's mind!

He froze, and all color drained from his face.

He got it!

He finally understood his younger brother's insane plan!

Outside, nursery rhymes were used to create public opinion that "Yu Qian and Empress Dowager Sun want to kill the emperor and install a new emperor."

In the palace, he reinstated Zhu Qizhen's son, Zhu Jianshen, as the crown prince!

In doing so, it would be tantamount to declaring to the whole world: Look! Even if I, Zhu Qiyu, am to die, the throne will pass to my nephew! I have no heir! Can your trick of "the foundation of the state is shaken, and a new emperor must be established" still work?!

This move is both self-preservation and a strategic maneuver!

This effectively shut down all possible excuses that Yu Qian and Empress Dowager Sun might use to depose the emperor!

But... what's the price?

The price was that his only son was thrust into the limelight, becoming the center of the power struggle between the two sides! He became the sharpest and most dangerous pawn in his brother's hands!

"You...you're gambling with Jian Shen's life!" Zhu Qizhen's voice trembled.

"No."

Zhu Dijun slowly stood up, looking down at his former imperial brother, now a prisoner.

"I'm trading his life for all of ours!"

"Brother, haven't you figured it out yet?"

"Right now, we're like fish on a chopping board! Your life, my life, Jian Shen's life—they're all in someone else's hands!"

"They can kill Jianji today, they can 'die of illness' tomorrow, and they can make Jianshen 'die an accident' the day after!"

"Do we have any other choice but to sit and wait for our deaths?!"

Every word Judy Jun uttered was like a heavy hammer blow to Zhu Qizhen's heart, leaving him teetering on the brink of collapse.

yes……

Are there any other options?

Looking at his younger brother, who was both familiar and unfamiliar, he felt a fear that came from the depths of his soul for the first time.

This person is no longer the cowardly and mediocre Prince Cheng he remembered.

He is a demon who crawled out of hell, a demon in human skin!

……

The Ming Dynasty, during the Yongle reign.

Inside the Fengtian Hall.

"Good! What a brilliant 'use his life to save everyone else's life'!"

Zhu Di trembled with excitement, slapping the dragon throne again, his face full of admiration and fervor!

"Poisonous! Extremely poisonous!"

"But this is what an emperor is!"

Zhu Di pointed to the sky and roared at his three sons below, who were already numb.

"Did you guys understand? You idiots!"

"He's not gambling! He's creating his only chance!"

"Making Zhu Jianshen the crown prince may seem like pushing him into danger, but in reality, it's giving him an invincible shield that no one dares to easily touch!"

"Who dares to touch the Crown Prince? To do so would be to confirm the crime of 'murdering the emperor and plotting rebellion'! Can Yu Qian bear that responsibility? Can Sun Ruowei bear that responsibility?"

"Moreover!" Zhu Di's eyes gleamed, "His move wasn't just about self-defense!"

"He's setting a trap for Zhu Qizhen! He's using Zhu Jianshen as a rope to firmly tie this mad dog, Zhu Qizhen, to his war chariot!"

"From this day forward, if Zhu Qizhen wants his son to live, he must protect Zhu Qiyu's throne! Only when the emperor is alive can the crown prince's position be secure!"

"Use your greatest enemy as your most loyal dog!"

"Hahaha! Excellent! This is truly my worthy descendant! This is the art of a ruler who manipulates people's hearts!"

Zhu Gaochi and Zhu Gaoxu exchanged a bitter glance.

They no longer want to make comparisons.

Compared to these descendants, they don't even seem qualified to be pawns.

……

Modern live streaming room.

The comments section has completely gone crazy.

"Holy crap! I'm stunned! You can do this? Make your enemy's son the crown prince to save your own life? I'm speechless!"

"This isn't just being cunning, it's a black hole! It sucks in all the light!"

["Zhu Qizhen must be furious! This is like his son being held hostage, and he has to be grateful and help them count the money!"]

"Upstairs, you're wrong! Zhu Qizhen won't be furious; he'll only feel fear! Because what Zhu Dijun said is true! If they don't do this, both father and son are doomed! This isn't a choice; it's the only way to survive!"

"A calculated scheme! This is the real calculated scheme! I'm holding a knife to your throat and telling you, either cooperate with me or we die together! The choice is yours!"

……

Nangong, in a deathly silent room.

Zhu Qizhen slumped to the ground, utterly dejected.

He lost.

A crushing defeat.

They didn't lose because of power struggles, but because of reality.

He raised his head, looked at that cold figure, and asked with his last ounce of strength, "Why...why should I believe you?"

Zhu Dijun smiled.

That smile, under the cold moonlight, appeared incredibly cruel.

"You don't need to believe me."

"You just need to believe that your son wants to live, and you want to live too."

That's enough.

After saying that, he didn't look at Zhu Qizhen again, turned around, and walked back into the shadow of the dry well.

"Brother, please think it over carefully."

"My patience, and the patience of those people, are both limited."

The cold sound dissipated into the darkness.

Zhu Qizhen was left alone, slumped on the cold ground, surrounded by boundless darkness and despair.

He knew this from the moment his mad brother stepped into Nangong.

The game has changed.

And he, along with his only son, became the most helpless and most madman... pawns in this game.