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

The city of Yangzhou stands majestically.

This famous city in Jiangnan, which prospered because of the canal and became rich because of salt profits, now resembles a woman trembling with fear after putting on heavy makeup.

On the city walls, flags and banners lay scattered, and the faces of the soldiers were filled with terror.

Beneath the city walls, the black iron torrent had solidified.

Thirty thousand cavalry, having completed their thousand-mile raid, silently arrayed themselves five miles from the city gate.

There was no shouting, no war drums.

Only 30,000 pairs of eyes, stained crimson with greed and slaughter, stared intently at this legendary city that was said to be overflowing with gold.

That gaze was more chilling than the sharpest blade.

However, between this torrent of steel and the walls of Yangzhou, a strange "buffer zone" appeared.

Tens of thousands of people were driven out of the city and crowded the wide official road.

They were ragged, emaciated, and had numb eyes, like a group of chess pieces being manipulated at will by an invisible hand.

Old, young, male, female.

They stood like a fragile yet incredibly heavy wall, built of flesh and despair, blocking the path of Judy Jun's army.

Shi Heng's face was so gloomy it looked like it could be wrung out of water.

"Your Majesty, these cowards from Jiangnan! They dare not confront us head-on, yet they use the common people as shields! They are utterly shameless!"

Xu Youzhen and Peng Shi exchanged a glance, their hearts sinking.

What a vicious plan!

If you charge in with this kind of force, you'll be slaughtering the people, solidifying your reputation as a "demon king," and public opinion will surely turn against you.

If you don't charge, the army's morale will be dampened, supplies will be depleted, and things will change over time. This great undertaking of "pacifying the rebellion" will probably come to a halt at the gates of Yangzhou.

This is a conspiracy.

A most vicious trap woven with "benevolence" and "morality".

Judy Jun remained eerily calm.

He simply watched the dense crowd of people quietly, as if admiring an interesting painting.

After a long while, he spoke softly, his voice revealing neither joy nor anger.

"Let them come over."

Soon, a group of people slowly walked out from the direction of the city gate.

The leader, dressed in a fourth-rank scarlet robe, with a lean face and three long strands of beard, was none other than Wang Tingxun, the prefect of Yangzhou.

Behind him followed a group of local officials and local gentry, each with a perfectly measured expression of compassion and composure.

It was as if they had not come to face a fierce and powerful army that was about to conquer Jiangnan, but to attend an elegant gathering in spring.

Wang Tingxun stopped a hundred paces away from the army. He first glanced at the apathetic people, a barely perceptible hint of smugness flashing in his eyes, and then bowed in the direction of Zhu Dijun.

The gesture was very convincing.

"Your humble servant, Wang Tingxun, Prefect of Yangzhou, pays his respects to the Emperor Emeritus."

His voice, transmitted through his inner strength, resounded clearly across the battlefield.

"Your Majesty, what do you think..."

Wang Tingxun pointed his finger at the tens of thousands of people, his tone filled with "unbearable" and "worry".

"These are all poor people from the vicinity of Yangzhou."

"Only because they heard that the heavenly army was coming, and were disturbed by those rebellious military households, and had no means of livelihood, did they think of rushing into Yangzhou City to beg for a meal."

"I would like to take them in, but my city is small and my resources are limited; I am truly powerless to do so."

He paused, then abruptly changed the subject, revealing his true intentions.

"You see, once your army arrives, they are even more terrified and at a loss, blocking the official road."

"The Emperor Emeritus was a benevolent ruler; surely he wouldn't want to see iron hooves trampling on the bodies of these innocent people?"

"Perhaps... we could retreat the army thirty li, allowing me to first settle the people properly, before we come to welcome Your Majesty?"

His words were impeccable and sincere.

He absolved himself of all responsibility and then pushed all the problems onto Judy Jun.

退？

Once the army retreated, its momentum vanished completely.

No refund?

You are a tyrant who harms the people!

Shi Heng and the other military officers were so angry that their eyes were about to burst, but they were speechless.

Peng Shi and Xu Youzhen's palms were sweating. They knew that this was the most crucial move; one wrong step and the whole game would be lost!

However, Judy laughed.

He spurred his horse forward a few steps and looked at Wang Tingxun with great interest.

"Prefect Wang truly loves his people like his own children. I am deeply gratified."

Wang Tingxun was secretly pleased, thinking that the other party had given in, but his face still showed that worried expression: "This is my duty."

"What a fine job."

Zhu Dijun nodded, then turned his head, his gaze sweeping over the tens of thousands of people. His voice suddenly rose, like a great bell, making everyone's eardrums buzz!

"Fellow villagers!"

"I am Zhu Qiyu!"

"I know you're hungry!"

"I know you are suffering!"

"I know why you're all standing here today!"

He pointed his riding whip at the shadowy figures of gentry on the city wall, his voice filled with cold mockery.

"They told you that once you enter Yangzhou, you'll have food to eat!"

"They tell you that my army is a pack of wolves and tigers who have come to burn, kill, and plunder!"

"They also told you that as long as you stand here, you can save your lives and your possessions!"

"but!"

Zhu Dijun's voice suddenly changed, becoming extremely sinister!

"Did they tell you why you're hungry?!"

"Did they tell you how your fields disappeared? How your houses were taken away? How your children were sold?!"

A slight commotion arose in the crowd.

For the first time, a ripple appeared on the numb faces of many people.

Judy Jun didn't give them time to think. His voice, like the sharpest knife, dissected the bloody reality layer by layer!

"Prefect Wang!"

He turned around abruptly and stared intently at Wang Tingxun.

"Tell me, how much does a large flatbread cost in Yangzhou these days?"

Wang Tingxun was taken aback, completely unprepared for such a nonsensical question. He subconsciously replied, "Reporting to Your Majesty, it's about... five copper coins each."

Five coins?

Judy Jun let out a deafening laugh, as if he had heard the funniest joke in the world!

"Hahahaha!"

His laughter sent chills down everyone's spine.

After the laughter came endless coldness.

"Wang Tingxun, are you deceiving me, or are you deceiving the people of the world?!"

"A large flatbread, five coins?"

"Very well! Today, I'll settle accounts with you!"

He faced the tens of thousands of people, his voice both plaintive and filled with raging fury!

"The flour for this flatbread is made from the wheat you grow! But after paying your rent, how many days will you have left?!"

"To survive, you'll have to borrow money! One bushel of rice, three bushels in return! Interest compoundes, and in the end, it'll be your land deeds! Your house deeds!"

"Without land and houses, you'll be left only as tenants and farmhands! You'll toil away all year, only to earn a meager amount of grain that won't even cover the rent!"

"Your sons were captured and made slaves, servants, and died in fights with other families! They didn't even receive compensation!"

"Your daughters were targeted by them, and they were forcibly taken as concubines! Once they were done with them, they were sold off like trash!"

"The government's taxes must not be reduced by a single penny! The gentry's 'tribute' must not be stopped for a single day!"

Tell me!

Judy Jun pulled hard on the reins, and the warhorse reared up, letting out a long neigh!

He was like a god or demon returned from hell, his blood-red eyes scanning every soul that was deeply pierced!

"Isn't every piece of bread you eat stained with the blood and tears of your loved ones?!"

"Every day you live, are you using the lives of your descendants to pay off a debt that can never be repaid?!"

"so!"

"This big pancake doesn't cost five coins!"

"It adds to the land that was taken from you, to the houses that were seized from you, to the parents who were driven to their deaths, to the children who were sold!"

"It costs five hundred thousand!"

"Five hundred thousand copper coins each!!"

"This is the real price you pay for eating a single pie!!!"

……

Dead silence.

A deathly silence so profound you could hear a pin drop.

then.

boom!!!!

The crowd erupted!