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

In a parallel Yongle era, at the Fengtian Hall.

The light and shadow on the sky slowly faded away, and Zhu Dijun's solitary figure finally disappeared into the deep night outside Kunning Palace.

But the phrase "to repeat the Jingnan Rebellion" echoed in Zhu Di's ears like a thunderclap, plunging the entire hall beneath his dragon throne into a deathly silence.

His Highness's civil and military officials dared not even breathe loudly.

The three figures standing at the forefront—Crown Prince Zhu Gaochi, Prince of Han Zhu Gaoxu, and Prince of Zhao Zhu Gaosui—felt as if they had thorns in their backs, their bodies stiff with fear.

Zhu Di sat on the dragon throne, without saying a word.

Those eyes, honed amidst mountains of corpses and seas of blood, were fixed on the spot where the sky had vanished, their pupils churning with a turbulent energy unfathomable to outsiders.

Jingnan Rebellion...

A new Jingnan!

How familiar, yet how ironic, are these words.

What did he see?

He saw two brothers who had once fought to the death stand together again on the ruins of imperial power and the country.

He saw the deposed Emperor Zhu Qizhen, who, after being imprisoned and humiliated in the Southern Palace, not only harbored no resentment but also chose to become an accomplice of the Demon King, cleansing the palace for his younger brother and stabilizing the rear.

He saw the new emperor, whom the heavens called "the devil," plotting a daring gamble. Instead of seizing power for himself, he entrusted his back to his former enemy, his own brother, without reservation.

One willingly became bait, venturing into the tiger's den in Jiangnan.

One was stationed in the capital, guarding the realm for him.

What a level of trust! What a level of understanding!

That's what brothers are all about!

This is the kind of person the Zhu family should have!

Zhu Di felt as if a fire was burning in his chest, making his blood boil.

That was a feeling of relief, admiration, and the joy of seeing successors bearing one's own shadow!

However, as this burning emotion reached its peak, his gaze inadvertently drifted down from the empty sky and landed on his three biological sons at his feet.

boom!

Just moments ago, I was filled with admiration and gratification, but in that instant, it was as if a bucket of ice water had been poured over me, instantly turning into a bone-chilling cold and boundless rage.

What did he see?

He saw his son, the obese Crown Prince Zhu Gaochi, who was sweating profusely, his eyes darting around, looking cowardly and ready to kneel down and beg for mercy at any moment.

He saw Zhu Gaoxu, the Prince of Han, who most resembled him. Zhu Gaoxu had his neck stiffened, his eyes filled with resentment and jealousy, and his fists were clenched so tightly in his sleeves that they made a cracking sound. His thoughts were written all over his face.

He saw the seemingly submissive Prince Zhao, Zhu Gaosui, with his head bowed and eyes downcast, yet deep within his eyes lurked a sinister glint that no one could fathom.

brother?

This is his "good brother"!

One was sickly, one was arrogant, and one was treacherous.

How many years have they fought openly and secretly for the chair he sits on?

Brotherly love?

In their eyes, it's probably not as important as a fiefdom or a reward!

Zhu Di slammed his hand on the armrest of the dragon throne!

"Bang--!"

A loud bang, like a thunderclap, made everyone in the hall tremble.

Zhu Gaochi knelt down with a "thud," his obese body hitting the ground with a dull thud.

"Father, please calm your anger!"

Zhu Gaoxu and Zhu Gaosui also turned pale and quickly knelt down.

"Calm down?"

Zhu Di slowly stood up, his tall figure casting a heavy, mountain-like shadow that made the three of them gasp for breath.

His voice, as if squeezed out from between his teeth, was full of disappointment and violence.

"I cannot quell this anger!"

He extended a finger, trembling slightly with anger, pointing it at the now empty sky above, and roared fiercely:

"Raise your heads, all of you! Take a good look! Think about this carefully!!"

"Look at those guys, that's what real brothers are!"

"A deposed emperor, a new ruler! Former mortal enemies, now, for the sake of the nation, one willingly serves as bait, the other as a protector!"

"Zhu Qizhen, imprisoned in the Southern Palace and subjected to endless humiliation, what did he do? He personally cleaned up his brother's house and removed the thorns in his side!"

"Zhu Qiyu held immense power, but what did he say? He said, 'I entrust the capital to my imperial brother!' He handed over his life and the entire foundation of the north to his former prisoner!"

Zhu Di grew angrier as he spoke, his chest heaving violently. He descended the steps and walked step by step to his three sons.

"And look at you all!"

His gaze was like a knife, piercing the faces of Zhu Gaochi, Zhu Gaoxu, and Zhu Gaosui.

"What have you all done for this chair?!"

"Eldest brother, when you were regent, you were always wary of your two younger brothers, wishing you could imprison them until they died!"

"Second son, you hold military power and repeatedly provoke the Crown Prince. Do you even respect your elder brother, or even your father, me?!"

"And you, Third Prince! Don't think I don't know about your little schemes!"

"Brothers turning against each other! This is the brotherhood you show me?!"

Zhu Di was so angry that he trembled. He remembered what he had said years ago to balance the Crown Prince and the Prince of Han: "The Crown Prince is often ill, you should encourage him."

The original meaning was to give a warning or to encourage.

But now it seems that those words have become the death knell for their falling out and mutual attacks!

An unprecedented sense of absurdity and frustration welled up inside me.

Throughout his life, Zhu Di waged numerous wars, including five expeditions to the northern deserts, three campaigns against the Manchus, the relocation of the capital to Beijing, the compilation of the Great Code, the construction of the Grand Canal, and Zheng He's voyages to the Western Ocean... What extraordinary talent and ambition he possessed!

But why is it that they fail so miserably when it comes to raising their children?

He looked at his three sons kneeling on the ground, trembling, yet each harboring their own secrets.

Then think of those two descendants in the sky, separated by time and space, who seem to be of one mind and join forces to recreate the universe.

Zhu Di suddenly felt incredibly tired and nauseous.

He suddenly kicked Zhu Gaoxu, who was closest to him, in the shoulder, sending the arrogant Prince of Han rolling twice on the ground.

"waste!"

"A bunch of useless cowards who only know how to fight for power and have no sense of the bigger picture!"

He pointed at his three good-for-nothing sons, his voice filled with a desperate roar. Those words were not only addressed to them, but also to himself, and even more so to his wife in the afterlife.

"Sometimes I really fucking doubt..."

"You unfilial sons..."

"Is it really my and Miaoyun's child?!"

Zhu Di's roar, emanating from the depths of his soul, was like an invisible hammer, slamming into every corner of the Fengtian Hall.

"...Is it really my and Miaoyun's child?!"

After he finished speaking, the entire hall fell into a terrifying silence.

The air seemed to have solidified into lead, making it impossible for anyone to breathe.

The officials, both civil and military, wished they could bury their heads in the cracks between the floor tiles. These were imperial secrets, royal matters; even hearing a single word was a crime, a death sentence!

Zhu Gaochi's obese body trembled like a leaf, and he could think of no other way to deal with the situation except to kowtow.

Zhu Gaosui lowered his head even further, perfectly hiding himself in his brother's shadow, like a lifeless stone statue.

In the suffocating silence, a muffled groan, clearly in pain, broke the deadlock.

It was Zhu Gaoxu, the Prince of Han.

He was kicked to the ground by Zhu Di, and was now struggling to prop himself up with his elbows and kneel upright again.

He did not weep bitterly like Zhu Gaochi, nor did he feign death like Zhu Gaosui.

He slowly raised his head, and beneath his disheveled hair, his face, which bore a striking resemblance to Zhu Di, was filled with humiliation, resentment, and a hint of bewilderment that even he himself was unaware of.

He met his father's fiery gaze, his lips twitching as he let out a low laugh, as if forced from his throat.

"Oh……"

Then he spoke.

The sound wasn't loud, but it was like sandpaper, relentlessly rubbing against the eardrums of everyone in the hall.

"If it's not yours or Mother's... then whose is it?"

This almost defiant question nearly made Zhu Gaochi faint. He stared wide-eyed in terror and reached out to grab his second brother's sleeve.

But Zhu Gaoxu ignored him, his gaze passing over his furious father and landing on the sky that had returned to nothingness.

His eyes became complicated.

There was jealousy, there was envy, and there was also a deep sense of powerlessness.

"To be honest, Father..."

"We, the descendants, also envy the deep brotherly affection between Zhu Qiyu and Zhu Qizhen."

He spoke these words with utmost sincerity.

Even Zhu Di, who was in a fit of rage, was taken aback.

Zhu Gaoxu seemed to be caught up in some kind of self-justification and analysis, his voice carrying a hint of sorrow and hoarseness.

"But how many fathers and sons have turned against each other, and how many brothers have become enemies, all because of this chair you sit on?"

"First came the Xuanwu Gate Incident of the Tang Dynasty, and now comes the Jingnan Rebellion of our dynasty."

He mentioned the term "Jingnan" as if to remind someone, or perhaps to mock himself.

"Born into royalty, from the moment we are born, we are no longer in control of our own lives."

"Brothers like them..." He looked towards the sky again, a longing flashing in his eyes, "They're not nonexistent, but they're just... far too few, far too few."

"So rare, it's like a dream in history books."

After saying that, he closed his eyes, as if he were ready to face his father's next round of thunderous wrath.

However, the expected roar did not come.

A long silence fell over the main hall once again.

Zhu Gaochi was horrified to discover that his father's anger was visibly subsiding.

But what replaced it was something far more terrifying than anger.

That's ice.

It is an absolute cold that emanates from the very marrow and can freeze all life.

Zhu Di smiled.

It was an extremely ugly smile, uglier than crying.

His gaze slowly moved from Zhu Gaoxu's face to Zhu Gaochi, and finally settled on Zhu Gaosui, who remained silent throughout.

"What a convenient way to say it is 'not in control of one's own destiny'."

"That's a perfect 'too little'."

Zhu Di's voice was as soft as a sigh, yet as heavy as a mountain.

"So, this is your justification for turning against each other, forming cliques, and making a mess of my household right under my nose?"

"Is this your excuse for trampling on brotherhood and only eyeing my dragon throne?"

He slowly walked back to the steps of the imperial palace, each step feeling as if he were stepping on the hearts of his three sons.

"I think you are just stupid, blinded by the lust for power."

"Now it seems I was wrong."

Zhu Di turned around and looked down at them, his eyes devoid of any warmth, only the scrutiny and disappointment of a monarch towards his subjects.

"You're not stupid."

"You're rotten!"

"It's rotten to the core!"

"You don't envy their brotherly unity; you just hate yourselves for not being the winner who can take everything for themselves!"

"Zhu Qizhen was able to relinquish the throne because he knew that the empire was more important than the throne!"

"Zhu Qiyu was able to trust his elder brother because he had the entire Ming Dynasty in mind, not his own selfish desires!"

"And what about you?!"

Zhu Di's voice suddenly rose, but it was no longer a roar; instead, it was a sharp, icy question.

"What else do you see besides this chair?!"

"Can you see the Tatars in the north? Can you see the Japanese pirates in the south? Can you see the porters crying for food on the canal, and the people being exploited layer by layer in the fields?!"

"You can't see it!"

"You only see each other! You only see each other as stumbling blocks on your way to the top!"

Zhu Di closed his eyes, took a deep breath, and when he opened them again, all that remained in his eyes was a deathly weariness.

He understood completely.

Hopeless.

These three sons are already set in their ways.

Their mindset, their limited perspective, their distorted nature shaped by power—it can never be undone.

The pair of younger brothers on the sky were no longer a source of comfort and inspiration for him; instead, they became a cruel mirror reflecting the ugliness of his own family.

"I... am tired."

He waved his hand, his voice filled with endless weariness.

"Get out of my sight, all of you."

"Get out of this hall."

"I don't want to see you again."

Zhu Gaochi felt as if he had been granted a pardon and scrambled to his feet.

Zhu Gaosui also quickly stood up, lowered his head, and walked briskly out of the hall.

Only Zhu Gaoxu remained kneeling in place, raising his head as if he wanted to say something.

But when he saw his father's eyes, which had completely lost their warmth, all the words stuck in his throat.

He finally realized that his "explanation" had not only failed to gain him any understanding, but had also completely severed the last remaining bit of affection between father and son.

He lost.

A crushing defeat.

Zhu Di didn't look at them again. He slowly turned around and walked towards the cold dragon throne, leaving behind only a lonely and aged figure.

He won the world.

But he lost his own home.

Of course, it wasn't just Zhu Di who broke down; Li Yuan, Li Shimin, Yang Jian, and Ying Zheng also did so. They all said the same thing, and were so angered by their rebellious sons that they vomited blood.