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

The stench of blood in Cining Palace was carefully masked by the palace servants with the finest sandalwood.

But the chill that seeped into his bones just wouldn't go away.

Looking at his younger brother's calm, expressionless face, Zhu Qizhen felt for the first time that his once weak brother was hotter than the raging fire in the ruins of the Southern Palace, and colder than the ice of winter.

He took a deep breath, suppressing the metallic taste in his throat.

"Go ahead."

Zhu Qizhen's voice was hoarse, yet it carried an unprecedented firmness.

"I don't understand or can help with matters of the court. As for this family... I'll take care of it."

He turned around and looked in the direction of his wife and children, a resolute glint in his eyes.

"Qian, Jian Shen, they can't live among spies. I will personally pull out all those spies, those restless hearts, one by one."

Zhu Dijun glanced at him, did not try to dissuade him, and simply nodded.

"it is good."

In short, it's about division of labor and trust.

The Demon King's sins need no explanation.

Zhu Qizhen turned and left, his back no longer hunched. The shackles that belonged to the retired emperor had been completely shattered when Sun's body fell.

He is now an accomplice of the Demon King.

Judy Jun didn't set off immediately. He simply found a place to sit down and had a eunuch bring him a bowl of piping hot meat porridge.

He hadn't slept all night, but he was incredibly excited.

He needs food to replenish the energy his body will have to face the intense battles to come.

He ate slowly and quietly.

It was as if the capital city outside, which was about to be completely detonated, had nothing to do with him.

……

In stark contrast to the deathly silence of the palace.

At this moment, in the deepest darkness before dawn, countless mansions in the capital were brightly lit and bustling with people.

The Ministry of War's Office.

Shi Heng, Zhang Yi, Cao Jixiang, and other military generals surrounded a huge map of Jiangnan, their eyes gleaming with a wolf-like green light.

"Jiangsu and Zhejiang! Jiangsu and Zhejiang must be ours!"

Shi Heng slapped the map of the most prosperous Suzhou and Hangzhou region, spitting as he spoke.

"They produce silk and salt there, and one acre of paddy field there is worth ten acres of ours in the north! The sky says that the gentry there are richer than a country! If not us, who are risking our lives to fight for this fattest piece of meat, who else would get it?!"

"That's right!" roared a one-eyed general. "When those damned civil officials like Yu Qian were in power, they constantly cut our pay and rations! Now that they're gone, His Majesty wants to take over Jiangnan, and we have to be the first to benefit!"

"The twenty mu of land is for the soldiers below. We generals can't just ask for twenty mu too, can we? I won't ask for more, give me a whole county! Just a whole county's worth of land!"

Greed, naked greed, burned on everyone's face.

They could almost see countless fertile fields, gold, silver, and beautiful women beckoning to them.

Meanwhile, in another residence not far away, the newly appointed cabinet ministers and civil officials transferred from the north also stayed up all night.

Their discussion, however, was much more "refined".

"Gentlemen, these warriors are crude and uncouth, knowing only how to seize land and money. But the wealth of Jiangnan extends far beyond mere fields!"

A civil official with a goatee stroked his beard, his eyes gleaming.

"Salt and iron, canal transport, commercial taxes, overseas trade... these are the real inexhaustible gold mines! His Majesty has already stated that the seagoing vessels belong to him, but surely someone needs to manage the customs and salt fields in various regions?"

"We scholars should share His Majesty's burdens, clarify the situation, and take over these matters of 'civil administration,' which is the right path."

"That's right! Fighting and killing are for warriors; governing the world requires our help!"

"The Maritime Trade Office in Zhejiang seems quite good to me..."

"The tea plantations and mines in Fujian also need to be re-planned..."

Civil officials and military generals.

The two hungry wolves, released from their cage by Judy Jun, had already begun baring their teeth at each other before even starting to devour the fat sheep named "Gentleman of Jiangnan," wary of the other stealing the meat they had their eyes on.

They all knew that the emperor had given them a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.

The mountains that once weighed heavily on them, such as Yu Qian, Chen Xun, and Wang Wen, have fallen.

The emperor needed them as weapons to cut down the south of the Yangtze River.

And the reward is the wealth of Jiangnan that could drive anyone crazy!

"Clang! Clang! Clang—!"

The tolling of the court bell, like a death knell, echoed throughout the capital.

After arguing all night, the two groups, still unable to reach a conclusion, surged toward the imperial city, their faces filled with hostility and bloodshot eyes.

They decided to go to the imperial court, to the Emperor, and demand an explanation!

……

Fengtian Temple.

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

Several prominent spots in the main hall were left empty.

That place once belonged to Yu Qian, Chen Xun, Wang Wen, and others.

Now, the place is empty, and a chilling, bloody atmosphere pervades the air.

The officials stood still, but no one uttered a sound.

Everyone kept their heads down, cautiously observing their "colleagues" out of the corner of their eyes.

Last night, the Empress Dowager passed away.

This news was like a magnitude 12 earthquake, shattering the last shred of hope in everyone's hearts.

This new emperor, this "demon king" in the sky...

He really dares to do anything!

"His Majesty has arrived!"

As the eunuch announced his arrival in a shrill voice, Zhu Dijun, dressed in a black dragon robe, slowly walked up the steps and sat on the dragon throne that symbolized supreme power.

His face betrayed no emotion.

His gaze calmly swept over the assembled officials below, each with their own distinct expression.

"My ministers, if you have something to say, speak now; otherwise, the court may adjourn."

A simple sentence broke the deathly silence.

"His Majesty!"

Before the words were finished, Marquis Wuqing, Shi Heng, suddenly stepped forward, like a thunderclap from a clear sky.

"Your subject has a memorial to present!"

He ignored everyone else and roared, his neck bulging, "The gentry of Jiangnan have ravaged the people and are richer than a nation! I request permission to serve as Your Majesty's vanguard, leading the troops of the capital garrison south to quell the rebellion! The land gained should be prioritized for rewarding the meritorious soldiers of the north!"

"General Shi is mistaken!"

A newly appointed vice minister of the Ministry of Personnel immediately stepped forward to counter his argument.

"The key to governing Jiangnan lies in governance, not in warfare! The most urgent task is to dispatch capable civil officials to investigate the land and calculate taxes. How can we allow soldiers to wreak havoc on this land of plenty?"

"Bullshit!"

Shi Heng exploded on the spot, pointing his finger at the civil official and yelling, "Where were you useless cowards like you when we were fighting the Oirats at Tumu Fortress and outside the capital? Now that there's something to gain, you want to reap the benefits? No way!"

"You...you! You vulgar brute! I cannot associate with you!" The civil official trembled with rage.

"I may be crude, but so what? My sword only recognizes land and gold! Unlike you lot, full of wicked schemes and depravity!"

"That's enough!"

"quiet!"

The entire Fengtian Hall was instantly transformed into a bustling market.

In the north, civil and military officials completely broke off relations over the distribution of benefits.

In front of the emperor, they attacked and insulted each other, shattering the dignity of the court.

Those officials from the south who had remained from the previous dynasty, trembling with fear, looked at this scene with ashen faces and their bodies shaking like leaves in the wind.

They saw it.

They saw a pack of starving wolves discussing how to devour their flesh.

On the dragon throne.

Judy Jun sat there quietly, watching the disgraceful scene unfold below.

A cold, emotionless smile slowly curved the corners of his mouth.

well.

The dog has been let out.

And it has already started biting.

This is exactly what he wanted.