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

night, deeper.

The dry well in Nangong, like the eye of a silent behemoth, stared at Zhu Qizhen, who was slumped on the ground.

Zhu Dijun is gone.

But the hellish chill he brought remained here forever, seeping into every inch of Zhu Qizhen's bones.

Crazy!

This plan is insane!

But ironically, this is the only way out!

……

In the fourteenth year of the Zhengtong reign of the Ming Dynasty, on the desolate plains north of Tumu Fortress.

Zhu Qizhen, dressed in rags and looking haggard, is now completely devoid of energy and spirit.

When Judy Jun finished reciting his cold plan on the screen that day, he froze on the spot.

No one else's voice could be heard at that moment.

He had only one thought in his mind.

Why...

Why wasn't it this descendant, Zhu Qiyu, who was in the capital back then?!

If he had a younger brother like that, no, if he himself had half the ruthlessness and decisiveness of this madman, he wouldn't have ended up like this today!

I'd trade my son's life for everyone else's...

How could this be a conspiracy?

This is clearly a well-laid plan, open for all opponents to see, yet they are powerless to do anything about it!

At this moment, as Zhu Qizhen looked at the figure of his "younger brother" in the sky, for the first time, there was no hatred in his eyes, only a kind of awe after being completely crushed!

……

The Ming Dynasty, during the Tianshun reign.

Inside the Qianqing Palace, Zhu Qizhen, whose temples were graying, suddenly stood up from the dragon throne!

He accidentally knocked over the imperial desk in front of him, scattering memorials all over the floor.

"His Majesty!"

The eunuchs nearby were so frightened that they all knelt down.

But Zhu Qizhen was completely unaware.

He stared intently at the sky in the void, cold sweat beading on his forehead.

He knew better than anyone how terrifying this plan was!

Because he himself relied on the banner of "welcoming back the retired emperor" to have the opportunity to stage the coup!

But now, this "Zhu Qiyu" is doing the opposite!

He voluntarily returned the title of "Crown Prince," the highest honor, to his own son, the retired emperor!

He was telling Shi Heng, Cao Jixiang, and all those with ulterior motives: Don't even think about messing with me, and don't even think about messing with the retired emperor! The first heir to the throne will always be Zhu Jianshen! Even if you kill me, it's not your turn to support the old master!

Cut off the fuel supply at the root!

This is the real solution!

By using the position of crown prince, he not only bound himself to power, but also directly rendered useless the biggest card in the hands of all his political enemies!

"A monster... truly a monster..."

Zhu Qizhen muttered to himself, then slumped back onto the dragon throne, feeling icy cold all over.

For the first time, he realized that his proud "coup of the gate" seemed like a childish game in the face of the earth-shattering feat of his descendants.

……

The Ming Dynasty, during the Jingtai reign.

"No...no! I didn't! I would never do that!"

Zhu Qiyu, sitting on the dragon throne, looked at the person on the sky with his own face on it, who was uttering those devilish words. He was so frightened that his face turned pale and he became incoherent.

He did indeed consider deposing the crown prince.

He did indeed want his son, Zhu Jianji, to take that position.

But all he wanted to do was...

He never imagined things would go to such extremes! So crazy!

Should his nephew be reinstated as crown prince?

Doesn't this mean that Zhu Qiyu admits to the whole world that he was wrong and that he is inferior to his elder brother?

Doesn't this mean he'll forever be stuck in the awkward position of "Emperor Daizong"?

He can't do it!

His dignity and his pride would not allow him to do that!

but……

Looking at the dead "Zhu Jianji" on the sky, and then at his living son beside him, Zhu Qiyu felt as if an invisible hand was gripping his heart tightly!

He suddenly understood.

These mad descendants of later generations don't care about the dignity of an emperor at all!

All he cares about is... surviving!

Survive at all costs!

Or rather, in his pursuit of revenge, he no longer cared about the old principles of morality and ethics; he simply wanted the civil service and Sun Ruowei dead!

……

The Ming Dynasty, during the Chenghua reign.

The young emperor, Zhu Jianshen, sat quietly in his study.

He wasn't shocked or angry like the others.

His face held only a deathly calm that belied his age.

So... that's how it is?

It turns out that he was able to be reinstated as crown prince back then not because of his father's resistance, nor because of the court officials' change of heart.

It was a transaction.

A devilish deal orchestrated by the man he should have called "Royal Uncle," in which he used his life to save everyone else.

He recalled his childhood, when he hid in Nangongli and often went hungry.

He recalled the disdainful and indifferent looks he received after being deposed and made the Prince of Yi.

He always believed that it was an injustice of fate.

Only today did he understand.

That's not fate.

That's a chess game!

And he, from beginning to end, was just the most important, and also the most tragic, piece in that game of chess!

Zhu Jianshen slowly closed his eyes.

When she opened her eyes again, all that remained in those once clear eyes was a cold darkness.

……

Nangong.

Zhu Qizhen slowly got up from the ground.

He walked to the dilapidated window and looked at the waning moon outside.

He recalled his days and nights in the Oirat Mongols.

He recalled the endless humiliation he felt in the Southern Palace after returning to the capital.

I remembered the timid yet longing look in my son Jian Shen's eyes.

I thought of my nephew Zhu Jianji's cold corpse.

Finally, he remembered what Zhu Qiyu had said when he left—

"You don't need to believe me, you just need to believe that your son wants to live, and you want to live too."

Yes.

I want to live.

It's that simple.

"Someone come here."

Zhu Qizhen's hoarse voice echoed in the deathly silent room.

An old eunuch dressed in ordinary servant's clothes, but with unusually sharp eyes, appeared behind him like a ghost.

"master."

Zhu Qizhen did not turn around, but looked at the moon outside the window and said, word by word:

"Tell our people outside."

"From this day forward, His Highness Prince Cheng... is our only master."

"His words are my words."

"Anyone who dares to disobey will be killed without mercy."

The old eunuch shuddered, then buried his head deeply.

"This servant... obeys the decree."

That night, the lights in Nangong were lit.

A cataclysmic storm that swept across the entire Ming Dynasty and overturned the entire court structure quietly began in this most inconspicuous prison cell.