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

Beneath the sky, within the long river of time.

One by one, the once powerful emperors have become the most loyal audience.

When the unprecedented "Unrestricted Fighting Tournament for Civil Officials" was broadcast live over the sky in front of the Fengtian Hall, emperors throughout history were plunged into a bizarre frenzy.

First Emperor, Ying Zheng:

"Ha! Good! Well done! Scholars, you scoundrels! This is how it should be—a mutual brawl! If I had known this would happen, why would I have had to bury them alive back then? Wouldn't it have been more satisfying to let them kill each other?"

Emperor Wu of Han, Liu Che:

"They use loyalty to the emperor as a pretext for factional strife. They talk about patriotism, but their hearts are full of business. I've seen through them all; these scholars have always been the same. Laughable, pathetic!"

Emperor Taizong of Tang, Li Shimin:

"Water can carry a boat, but it can also capsize it... I now believe it. These out-of-control civil officials are more terrifying than a chaotic army. Zhu Dijun's move, though risky, is the only way to break the deadlock. However, the price..."

Emperor Taizu of Song, Zhao Kuangyin:

"Back then, I, Old Zhao, resolved the problem of military generals by releasing them from their command over a cup of wine. But the power of civil officials... damn it, it's even harder to control than military power! These bastards are more ruthless when they fight their own people than they were when they fought the Liao!"

They sneered repeatedly; they saw it all clearly!

What's this about searching for the emperor? What's this about sharing the ruler's burdens?

It's all bullshit!

This was a celebration where, under the pretext of the emperor's "death," one could legitimately and legally kill one's political enemies using physical means!

As for how to explain it afterwards?

There are plenty of methods!

You could say that the other party was a traitor who murdered his emperor, and that you were filled with righteous indignation and accidentally killed him.

It can be said that the other party is putting up a stubborn resistance and intends to rebel, so they should be killed on the spot!

When faced with absolute self-interest, the ugliness of human nature is fully revealed.

However, amidst the jeers and comments, a few people reacted quite differently.

The Hongwu reign of the Ming Dynasty.

Emperor Hongwu, Zhu Yuanzhang, watched as the official robes he had personally designed were torn to shreds and the court etiquette he had established was trampled into mud on the sky. He trembled with rage, and his weathered face turned a deep purplish-red.

"They've rebelled! They've all rebelled!"

Old Zhu kicked over the dragon throne in front of him and pointed at the sky, cursing loudly.

"Our descendants! Our Ming Dynasty! Have we allowed these beasts who only know the Four Books and Five Classics to ruin it like this?!"

"They're all hypocrites, all righteous and morally upright! But their hearts are full of despicable acts, scheming and treacherous schemes!"

"Kill them! Kill them all! We didn't kill enough of these corrupt officials back then!!"

Empress Ma, who was beside him, kept patting his back to soothe him, but she could not suppress the founding emperor's raging fury.

Emperor Yongle, Zhu Di, had an icy expression on his face.

He didn't roar, but the murderous intent in his hawk-like eyes was almost tangible.

"waste!"

"It's rotten to the core, inside and out!"

He looked at the AI-simulated video of civil officials wrestling together in the sky, then at the isolated Yu Qian and the paralyzed Empress Dowager Sun, his eyes filled with disdain and contempt.

"That kid Judy Jun has some of our ruthlessness from back in the day... He knows that you can't build something new without destroying it."

Zhu Di's gaze finally fell on the figure that had never appeared in the scene, yet was omnipresent.

"But... this method is too dirty! And too risky!"

"To trample the dignity of the nation and the decorum of the court underfoot, all for the sake of a sliver of hope... this Ming Dynasty is truly terminally ill!"

……

Meanwhile, in a secluded mansion in the capital city.

Zhu Qizhen listened with a deathly pale face to the real-time battle report sent back by Zhang Ni's messenger.

When he heard about "civil officials fighting each other" and "even the Empress Dowager's regency could not stop it," he was completely dumbfounded.

He stared blankly at his younger brother beside him, who was leisurely sipping tea.

"Brother...this...this..."

He was completely unable to form coherent sentences.

He had assumed that Judy Jun's plan was to force him to abdicate or stage a coup.

But he never expected it to be such a... absurd and outrageous scene!

He even saw his young son, Zhu Jianshen, trembling in Empress Qian's arms, frightened by the noise outside.

Zhu Dijun put down his teacup, a cold smile curving his lips.

He looked at his brother, who was completely terrified, and said calmly:

"Brother, do you understand now?"

"In their eyes, you, me, and even the crown prince are just symbols, tools for them to fight for power and profit."

"If you live, they'll promote someone like Yu Qian to suppress you."

"If you 'die,' they will use the pretext of 'avenging' you to kill their own political enemies."

"From beginning to end, we are not important."

Judy stood up and walked to the window, as if she could see through the wall and witness the bloody farce in front of the Fengtian Hall.

"Therefore, what I need to do is to make them tear off this fig leaf themselves."

"Let them expose their ugliness to the light of day."

"When they fought until they were exhausted, until rivers of blood flowed, until everyone became traitors to their country..."

Judy slowly turned around, her deep eyes flashing with an air of confidence and ruthlessness that seemed to control everything.

"Brother, it's our turn to clean up the mess and be the saviors."