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

"Dirty?"

Xu Youzhen was the first to recover from his extreme shock. He looked up abruptly, his eyes filled with disbelief.

He couldn't understand it!

He risked his family's property being confiscated and his clan exterminated to launch a coup, welcome back the retired emperor, and "rescue" you brothers from the clutches of Empress Dowager Sun and Yu Qian's group.

Even if they didn't achieve great things, they certainly put in a lot of hard work, right?

Instead of praising us, you call us...dirty?

What kind of logic is this!

"Your Majesty!" Xu Youzhen stepped forward, her voice sharp with emotion, "We are here because..."

"For what reason?"

Zhu Dijun's voice suddenly turned cold, like a knife chilled to ice, instantly cutting off Xu Youzhen's words.

"To fight over the title of 'first merit,' right here in the Hall of Supreme Harmony, they actually fought each other?"

"To suppress dissent, they beat a high-ranking official to death right here in the imperial palace?"

Zhu Dijun's gaze slowly moved and landed on Yu Qian.

"Or is it that for the sake of the so-called 'state,' one can disregard the emperor and father, form cliques for personal gain, and imprison my elder brother in the Southern Palace for four years?"

These words made Yu Qian, who had just been filled with grief and indignation, suddenly stiffen.

His face instantly turned as white as paper.

Yes.

No matter how many reasons he had, no matter how much his original intention was for the Ming Dynasty.

The fact that the retired emperor was placed under house arrest is undeniable!

This is a political stain that he can never wash away!

As soon as Judy Jun opened his mouth, he labeled everyone on both sides as "guilty"!

Whether it was Xu Youzhen who struck, or Yu Qian who was beaten, in the eyes of this "emperor," you were both guilty!

"I'll ask you again!"

Zhu Dijun's voice suddenly rose to a high pitch, like a great bell, resounding throughout the hall and making everyone's eardrums buzz.

"Where are your court robes?"

"Where are your official tablets?"

"Where is your dignity as officials of the imperial court?"

"Have all the Confucian classics you've studied gone to waste?!"

"In this Hall of Supreme Harmony, under the watchful eyes of our ancestors, they acted like a bunch of country bumpkins and scoundrels, fighting tooth and nail over a few scraps of meat, displaying their utterly disgraceful behavior!"

"Do you all still have the slightest bit of dignity as subjects?!"

"Are you even worthy to stand in this imperial court?!"

Every word was piercing to the heart!

Every word is like a knife!

Every word Zhu Dijun uttered was like a resounding slap across the face of all the civil officials.

They were verbally abused mercilessly, but couldn't utter a single word in rebuttal.

Because what he said was true!

They were disgusted by their ugly faces when they fought each other for credit!

"Thump!"

Finally, some officials could not withstand the terrifying pressure, their legs gave way, and they knelt on the ground.

Then came the second, the third...

Like dominoes falling, everyone, whether from Xu Youzhen's faction or Yu Qian's side, knelt down in a dark mass.

They lowered their heads, which were usually so proud, their bodies trembling violently with fear and shame.

In the entire hall, only the two brothers on the steps and Shi Heng, who was completely dumbfounded, remained standing.

Shi Heng stared blankly at the surreal scene before him.

He didn't understand.

Why did the Jingtai Emperor not investigate the "serious crimes" of Yu Qian and others, but instead scold everyone?

This...this script is wrong!

Shouldn't he have stepped forward himself, listed the crimes of Yu Qian and others, and then had the retired emperor order the execution of their entire family, and then promoted himself to a higher rank?

He opened his mouth, as if to say something to bring the "off track" of the plot back on track.

But when he met Judy Jun's cold and indifferent gaze, it felt like there was a lump of cotton stuck in his throat, and he couldn't utter a single word.

That look in his eyes was telling him.

You have no right to speak here.

Looking at the kneeling officials at his feet, Zhu Qizhen felt an unprecedented sense of exhilaration!

It's been 4 years!

It's been a full four years!

He was imprisoned in the Southern Palace, like a useless person, while these ministers were outside, wielding power and influencing the fate of the Ming Dynasty!

He hates them!

He dreamed of seeing them kneeling at his feet, weeping bitterly!

And today, his younger brother did it for him!

Moreover, it was done in a way that he never dared to imagine—so domineering, so exhilarating!

He took a deep breath, knowing it was his turn to step in.

He took a step forward and spoke slowly in a tone that was both heartbroken and compassionate.

"My esteemed ministers..."

His voice, so different from Judy Jun's icy tone, carried a hint of warmth, causing the kneeling officials to grasp at a straw like drowning men, and they all raised their heads, looking at him with expectant eyes.

Emperor Emeritus!

The Emperor Emeritus was benevolent!

He will definitely plead for us!

"When I was in the Southern Palace, I often reflected on this," Zhu Qizhen said, his gaze sweeping over the crowd. "I thought, while I am certainly guilty of the defeat at Tumu Fortress, is the Ming Dynasty's current state solely my fault?"

"It was my mistake to favor Wang Zhen."

"But you, as pillars of the court, why does none of you dare to speak frankly? Why do you allow eunuchs to wreak havoc on the government?"

"In the Battle of Beiping, Minister Yu was appointed to a critical mission and turned the tide; his contribution is immense!"

"But later, why did the factional strife and infighting intensify day by day? Why could the court no longer tolerate the word 'loyalty,' leaving only the 'Donglin Party,' 'Chu Party,' 'Zhe Party,' and 'Qi Party'?"

Zhu Qizhen's voice grew increasingly sorrowful and louder.

"What I see today, after my restoration to the throne, is not a united and prosperous Ming Dynasty!"

"It is not a court, but a rotten, filthy one, where the struggle for power has driven them to shamelessness!"

"I am very disappointed!"

"My imperial brother is also very disappointed!"

They're singing in unison!

Flawless!

If Judy Jung's scathing remarks made them feel fear and humiliation...

Zhu Qizhen's "heartbreaking" words completely shattered their last bit of hope and psychological defenses!

Even their greatest hope, this "benevolent" retired emperor, was utterly disappointed in them!

They're finished!

"Your Majesty! The Emperor Emeritus! We know our crimes! We deserve to die!"

This time, it was a heartfelt wail.

They lay on the ground, weeping bitterly, completely losing all semblance of the dignity befitting high-ranking officials.

Seeing that the time was almost right, Judy Jun spoke again.

This time, his voice returned to calm, yet carried an unquestionable command.

"Do you know you're guilty?"

"What's the use of just knowing about sin?"

"Issue my decree."

Everyone pricked up their ears, their hearts pounding in their throats.

The trial is finally here!

Then, Zhu Dijun's cold voice slowly rang out.

"All officials involved in the fight, whether they were proactive or passive, and regardless of their rank."

"From this moment forward, all officials shall remove their official robes and hats."

"Kneel before me right here in the Hall of Supreme Harmony!"

"When will I finally understand where I went wrong and why my court has become so corrupt?"

"When will you put your official robes back on for me?"

These words shocked everyone in the room!

[Sky Screen Live Stream]

"Holy crap! Holy crap! Holy crap! Strip naked and kneel down to think about it?! What kind of insane move is this?!"

"To kill someone is to destroy their spirit! This is even more painful than killing them! For ancient civil officials, their official robes were their face, their status! Stripping them of their robes and making them kneel is like tearing off their face in public and then trampling it underfoot!"

["Brilliant! This move is absolutely brilliant! Brother Jun is using the most extreme method to tell them: Your identities are given by me! You can only wear them if I want you to! If I don't want you to wear them, you're not even human!"]

["Hahaha! A massive performance art piece! The theme is 'Reflection'! I can just imagine these old men, wearing only their underwear, kneeling in a pool of blood, trembling with fear! The scene is too beautiful for me to bear!"]

"Now, Xu Youzhen, Yu Qian, and all factions are gone! Faced with the emperor's absolute humiliation, all beings are equal! Brother Jun used one move to flatten everyone's spirit and factions!"

"Brilliant! Absolutely brilliant! Zhu Qizhen played the good cop, evoking their guilt. Zhu Dijun played the bad cop, directly resorting to the harshest punishments! This combination of blows left these civil officials completely utterly bewildered!"

["Stop talking, I'm already looking forward to the next episode! Fast forward to the scene where they're all kneeling as punishment! I want to see the iconic scene of Yu Qian and Xu Youzhen kneeling together, contemplating life!"]