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

After the fall of Yangzhou, Zhu Dijun did not stay long.

He handed over the aftermath of the Yangzhou prefecture to newly appointed officials and left Shi Heng to lead a portion of the army to guard the area.

He then set off for Jinling with Peng Shi, Li Xian, Xu Youzhen and other civil and military officials, as well as three thousand personal guards.

Jinling, the secondary capital of the Ming Dynasty, was once the capital of Southern Zhili.

It was also one of the last strongholds of the Jiangnan gentry.

Zhu Dijun's trip was undoubtedly a direct attack on the heart of the enemy.

However, this road to Nanjing was destined to be anything but peaceful.

He was only a hundred miles from Yangzhou when he encountered his first assassination attempt.

A group of assassins disguised as merchants suddenly rushed out from the dense forest beside the road.

They brandished sharp blades and charged straight at Judy Jun's entourage.

The guards were prepared and well-trained, forming a defensive formation.

Swords flashed and blood and flesh flew everywhere.

Judy sat motionless inside the carriage.

He simply watched all of this calmly through the car window.

The ambush ended in the complete annihilation of the suicide squad.

But Zhu Dijun could smell a burnt odor.

"Your Majesty, there's a fire in the woods to your right!"

The commander of the personal guards rushed to report.

Almost simultaneously, flames also erupted from the forest on the other side.

The two fires, forming a pincer movement, spread rapidly, attempting to trap Zhu Dijun and his group on the narrow official road.

"It seems the gentry are truly in a hurry."

Zhu Dijun's voice carried a hint of amusement.

He lifted the carriage curtain and looked at the billowing smoke and towering flames.

"Pass down the order: all troops, accelerate, charge!"

"Don't bother with these little tricks."

His tone remained calm as always.

It was as if they were not facing a life-or-death crisis, but rather a trivial children's game.

The northern generals accompanying them had a gleam of excitement in their eyes.

They were either promoted by Zhu Dijun or attracted by the huge profits in Jiangnan.

Having personally witnessed the bloody purge in Yangzhou, they knew that following this retired emperor meant both sustenance and the opportunity to achieve merit.

In their eyes, these assassinations and fire attacks were nothing more than futile attempts to stop a chariot.

"The Emperor Emeritus is wise!"

Military generals such as Shi Heng and Xu Youzhen shouted and charged forward on horseback.

Although the civil officials were still shaken, seeing Zhu Dijun's composure and the generals' fervor, they had no choice but to bite the bullet and follow.

Their fates are now inextricably linked with that of Judy Jun.

One glory and one glory.

The fire was eventually broken through, and Judy Jun and her group passed through unharmed.

However, this is just the beginning.

During the rest of the journey, similar fires and assassinations occurred twice more.

But each time, Judy Jun easily resolved the situation with her powerful control.

He was not even delayed by this; on the contrary, it strengthened his resolve to settle scores with Jiangnan.

"These clowns only make me more certain that everything I've done is right."

Zhu Dijun stood outside Jinling City, gazing at the ancient capital, his voice cold.

"The more they resist, the more it proves their grave sins."

"This only proves that my 'land revolution' is inevitable."

In an effort to further expand his support base, Zhu Dijun once again made a statement.

His edicts were no longer directed solely at the soldiers in the north and the impoverished refugees.

"Anyone who is willing to work with me to accomplish great things, regardless of their background or place of origin."

"Whether they are from Jiangxi, Zhejiang, or Fujian, as long as they are willing to stand on my side."

"Everyone can participate in the distribution of Jiangnan's wealth and acquire their own land!"

"I promise that all those who submit will be pardoned for their past transgressions!"

This is undoubtedly a shot in the arm.

It broke down geographical boundaries, spreading the allure of profit throughout the Jiangnan region.

Many local small landowners, merchants, and even some impoverished scholars who had been oppressed by the gentry began to waver.

They saw Zhu Dijun's determination, and they also saw the unprecedented opportunities he brought.

"It's better to walk with a dragon than to negotiate with a tiger for its skin!"

In a short time, many people responded.

Zhu Dijun's group actually grew larger and larger on their way to Jinling.

However, Zhu Dijun's ruthless methods and thorough purge of the gentry class thoroughly enraged the vested interests in Jiangnan.

They felt an unprecedented threat.

The tragedy in Yangzhou made all the gentry realize that Zhu Dijun truly intended to overthrow them.

"If this boy is not eliminated, we gentry will have nowhere to stand!"

In Southern Zhili, Jiangxi, Zhejiang and other places, gentry secretly made connections and traveled around.

They placed all their hopes on the royal family.

Finally, in Jiangxi, Nanchang Prefecture.

The Prince Ning's mansion was brightly lit.

A group of gentry, their faces filled with fear, knelt before Prince Ning, Zhu Dianpei.

Zhu Dianpei was a fifth-generation descendant of Zhu Quan, the seventeenth son of Zhu Yuanzhang, who was also the Prince of Ningxian.

Although he was only from a collateral branch, in the eyes of the gentry in Jiangnan, he was the only "orthodox" figure who could stand against Zhu Dijun.

"Your Highness, Zhu Qiyu is a tyrannical and perverse man, purging the gentry and slaughtering loyal officials!"

"He held the retired emperor hostage and persecuted members of the imperial family; his intentions are despicable!"

"Your Highness, we implore you to prioritize the well-being of the Ming Dynasty, ascend the throne, and rally righteous armies from across the land to punish this traitor!"

The gentry pleaded with tears streaming down their faces.

Their aim was not to be truly loyal to Prince Ning, but to use Prince Ning's name to oppose Zhu Dijun.

Zhu Dianpei looked at the kneeling crowd, a glint of ambition mixed with fear flashing in his eyes.

He knew this was a road of no return.

But it is also his only chance to change his fate.

"good!"

Zhu Dianpei suddenly stood up, a resolute glint in his eyes.

"I, the King, am willing to punish the traitors for the sake of all the people and for the sake of the Ming Dynasty!"

"I hereby declare myself Emperor, effective immediately, and call upon the world to join in the rebellion against Zhu Qiyu!"

With the support of the gentry in Jiangnan, Prince Zhu Dianpei ascended the throne in Nanchang.

The news spread like wildfire throughout the world.

This means that Judy Jun's "land revolution" will transform from an internal purge into a war that will sweep across the entire South.

A full-scale confrontation between the old and new orders.

When Zhu Dijun heard the news of Prince Ning's ascension to the throne outside Jinling City, he simply smiled.

That smile was cold and profound.

"very good."

He spoke softly, as if praising a delicious dish.

"I was just worried that this fire wasn't burning bright enough."

He turned around and looked in the direction of Nanchang.

In his eyes, there was the hunter's excitement and murderous intent as he saw his prey about to fall into his trap.