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

Renshou Palace.

Sun Ruowei did not sleep all night.

She held a string of Buddhist prayer beads that had broken and then been re-strung by a palace maid, but no matter what she did, she couldn't calm her heart.

The fire in Nangong was like a poisonous thorn, piercing her heart.

who is it?

Who exactly made the first move?

Is he one of the three, Yu Qian, who wants to take all the credit?

Or perhaps there are other forces within the palace that have their eyes on those brothers?

This suspicion made her restless.

"Your Majesty!"

A trusted eunuch scrambled in, his face showing an expression of utter disbelief.

"There's news from Nangong's side... Nangong's side!"

Sun Ruowei's hand tightened, and she almost crushed the Buddhist beads.

"explain!"

"Reporting to...Reporting to Your Majesty..."

The eunuch's voice trembled like a leaf falling in the autumn wind.

"In the fire... only... only the charred remains of Consort Wu were found, and some... some fragments of the dragon robe..."

"What?!"

Sun Ruowei suddenly stood up, her well-maintained face instantly clouded with gloom.

"What about the emperor and the retired emperor?!"

"I...I couldn't find it..."

The eunuch's voice was barely audible.

"Yu Shaobao and his men searched the ruins three times, but... they still couldn't find it..."

"waste!"

Sun Ruowei slammed the Buddhist prayer beads in her hand onto the ground!

The beads scattered and flew everywhere, just like her heart, which was in complete chaos at that moment.

No body found!

She knew better than anyone what this meant!

This means that the two men she hated so much she wanted to eat their flesh and sleep on their skin were very likely... still alive!

They escaped!

A crazy idea exploded in her mind!

"Where is the Crown Prince?!" she demanded sharply.

"Where is Zhu Jianshen?! Where is that vile woman, Qian Shi?!"

The eunuch lowered his head even further, his body trembling like a leaf.

"They...they also disappeared..."

"Boom!"

A thunderclap seemed to resound in Sun Ruowei's mind.

She staggered back a step and slumped back onto the phoenix chair, her eyes filled with disbelief.

run away?

They even took the crown prince with them?

That madman... that madman named "Zhu Qiyu"!

He actually... he actually dared to do that?!

How dare he?!

How could he do that?!

That Southern Palace was impregnable and heavily guarded. How did he manage to vanish into thin air with three others in a fire?!

At this moment, Sun Ruowei finally felt it.

A feeling she hadn't experienced in many years, called "fear".

She felt as if she were trapped in an invisible net.

The person weaving the net was hiding in the shadows, coldly watching her with the eyes of someone eyeing prey.

"when--"

"when--"

The morning bell tolled softly.

Sun Ruowei's body trembled violently.

She knew whose death knell those bells were tolling.

……

Fengtian Hall Square.

The civil and military officials had already lined up in order of rank.

On everyone's face was a hint of undisguised surprise and unease.

The great fire in Nangong was known to everyone.

Everyone knows but no one knows who is imprisoned inside.

Now, no news has come from the palace, and His Majesty has not held court. Only this eerie bell ringing urges them to come.

The atmosphere was so oppressive that it was hard to breathe.

"Young Master Yu is here!"

"Chief Minister Chen and Minister Wang have also arrived!"

A low commotion arose in the crowd.

Everyone turned their attention to the three most powerful men in the empire.

Then, everyone was stunned.

What did they see?

Yu Qian, the Minister of War who was always known for his fortitude, looked haggard, with sunken eyes and what appeared to be a trace of blood at the corner of his mouth that he hadn't had time to wipe away.

Chen Xun was completely distraught, as if he had aged ten years overnight.

Wang Wen, on the other hand, had bloodshot eyes, his gaze filled with an almost manic rage, staring intently at everyone who looked at him.

What... what's going on?

The three Grand Secretaries looked as if they had just returned from the brink of death!

The unease in the hearts of the officials was magnified countless times in an instant!

What a big deal!

Something earth-shattering must have happened without their knowledge!

Yu Qian and his two companions ignored everyone's gaze and walked straight to the position of the head of all officials.

They stood there silently, without saying a word.

The intense despair and deathly aura emanating from them caused the surrounding officials to instinctively take a few steps back.

Time flowed slowly in the deathly silence.

The morning sun finally rose from the east.

Golden sunlight shines on the glazed tiles, refracting countless rays of light.

But the warm sunshine could not dispel the chill in everyone's hearts.

Finally, a eunuch from the Directorate of Ceremonial, holding a whisk, announced in a shrill voice more unpleasant than a sob:

"Your Majesty... is unwell and will be excused from court today..."

Before he could finish speaking...

An official, unable to contain himself any longer, stepped forward and asked loudly:

"May I ask, Junior Guardian Yu! Last night's fire at the Southern Palace... what became of His Majesty, the Retired Emperor, and the Crown Prince?!"

This question speaks for everyone!

Swish!

Hundreds of gazes, sharp as knives and swords, were all directed at Yu Qian!

Yu Qian's body was as stiff as a stone statue.

What could he say?

They say the retired emperor and His Majesty may have been burned to death inside, but we haven't found their bodies.

Is it true that His Highness the Crown Prince has also disappeared?

They're saying we suspect they set the fire themselves and then ran away?

He said he couldn't say it!

No matter what he says, to the officials, it will all mean the same thing.

—They, these powerful ministers who held sway over the court, poisoned the emperor and the retired emperor!

Looking at those pairs of eyes, some filled with suspicion, some with fear, and some with anger.

Once again, Yu Qian heard Chen Xun's desperate roar.

"We are Sima Zhao!"

"We have all become traitors whose intentions are as clear as day!!"

Yes.

Traitor to the nation.

Yu Qian, who dedicated his life to loyalty and protecting his country, was ultimately branded with historical infamy by a madman through a fire.

There is no chance of turning things around.

Yu Qian slowly closed his eyes.

He seemed to have already seen it.

In the not-too-distant future, the "ghost" that disappeared into the night will return, raising the banner of "Purge the court of corrupt officials and punish the traitors."

And they will be powerless to fight back.

Because they have lost the most important thing.

human heart.