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

Spring of the 24th year of the Jingtai reign.

Twelve years have passed since that night when the capital was massacred.

Twelve years is enough time for a newborn baby to grow into a literate teenager.

It was enough to transform an empire rotten to the core, bringing about a complete change.

Spring seemed to arrive earlier than ever before this year.

On the Grand Canal, the boats that once carried grain were no longer just official vessels; they were now filled with merchant ships laden with silk, porcelain, ironware, and all sorts of novel goods. The boatmen's chants were loud and clear, brimming with hope for the future.

On both sides of the canal are vast fields that are neatly planned.

The vast tracts of fertile land that once belonged to the gentry and landlords are now divided into small plots of twenty mu each, belonging to the tenant farmers who used to toil in the fields. In the fields, the whips of the overseers are gone, replaced by small groups of self-cultivating farmers who work while discussing the newly issued agricultural technology manuals from the village's "Iron Hammer Party" branch.

"This year's new rice variety is said to have been developed by those brilliant minds at the College of Agriculture of Jinling University, and the yield per mu is expected to be 10% higher than last year!"

"That's not all! I heard that Baoding University has developed a kind of iron lump called a 'combination harvester.' It doesn't need oxen and can harvest a hundred acres of land a day! It's just too expensive; our village can't afford it yet."

"What's there to be afraid of? After the autumn harvest, we'll join forces and apply for a low-interest loan from the 'Great Ming Royal Bank.' We'll definitely be able to use it next year!"

Such dialogues took place in Beizhili, in Zhejiang, in Jiangxi, in Fujian, and in every place swept by that storm.

Over the course of twelve years, Zhu Dijun used an iron fist to extend the "land revolution," which had previously only been piloted in the three southern provinces, to Huguang, Shandong, Henan, and beyond...

Wherever the iron hooves trod, the gentry were reduced to dust.

Countless vested interests wailed and rebelled, only to be mercilessly crushed by the "Hammer Party" and the new army.

Their land and wealth were taken away, their "family tradition of poetry and books" became a joke, and the knowledge they monopolized was shattered, broken up, and scattered to everyone on this land by Zhu Dijun in a more direct and efficient way.

Nanjing University, Beijing University, Xi'an University, Baoding University, Sichuan University, Kunming University...

The six magnificent academies, like six beacons of thought, stood tall on the land of the Ming Dynasty.

This text does not discuss "Confucius said" or "the Book of Poetry says," nor does it discuss "profound meanings in subtle words."

This section only covers mathematics, physics, chemistry, biology, engineering, and agronomy.

The only admission standard here is not family background or wealth, but passing the rigorous national unified examination known as the "college entrance examination".

Emerging from these universities are batches of entirely new bureaucrats and technical talents.

They may not know how to write elegant, formulaic essays, but they know how to build water conservancy projects, improve crops, smelt steel, and manage a county's finances with the most accurate data.

They scoffed at Confucianism and Mencius's doctrines, yet regarded Zhu Dijun's personally written "Report on Rural Surveys in Jiangnan during the Jingtai Era of the Ming Dynasty" as the ultimate guide.

They do not believe in the "divine right of kings," but only in the "sole criterion for testing truth."

They are the cornerstone of the new era.

The old Confucian gentry class was completely suppressed. Their voices were drowned out by the sound of students reading aloud on university campuses and the roar of machines in factory workshops.

They are like a group of vengeful ghosts living in the past, only able to curse this ever-changing world that feels completely foreign to them from dark corners.

The creator of all this, Emperor Zhu Dijun of the Ming Dynasty, had not attended court for a long time.

He is old.

Twelve years of painstaking effort and twelve years of fighting against the entire old world had long since exhausted his energy.

His hair was already gray.

His health deteriorated day by day.

Everyone knew that this iron-fisted emperor, who single-handedly reshaped the Ming Dynasty, was about to reach the end of his life.

At this moment, the familiar, ominous melody of the Ming Dynasty, "Half a Lifetime Gone," rang out once again.

Inside the Qianqing Palace, it was warm and spring-like.

Judy Jun lay half-reclined on the soft couch, covered with a thick blanket, holding a thin book in her hands.

The book's cover features several striking Song typeface characters: "Mathematical Principles of Natural Philosophy".

This is a groundbreaking work compiled by a young professor from the School of Physics at Imperial University, based on the scattered knowledge he has gained from teaching Professor Zhu Dijun over the years, combined with his own research.

"Your Majesty, His Highness the Crown Prince has arrived."

The eunuch's voice was as soft as a feather.

Zhu Dijun slowly put down the book and looked up.

At the entrance, a young man dressed in casual clothes with a resolute face stood quietly.

It was none other than the thirty-year-old Crown Prince, Zhu Jianshen.

Time has long since washed away his youthful naiveté, giving rise to a temperament completely different from his father, Zhu Qizhen.

It was a unique aura that blended imperial majesty with scholarly rigor.

"You're here, have a seat."

Zhu Dijun's voice was somewhat weak, but his eyes remained clear.

"uncle."

Zhu Jianshen walked to the bedside, knelt down, and reached out to tuck the blanket around Zhu Dijun.

He privately maintained this title for twelve years.

"Is everything arranged?" Judy Jun asked.

"Uncle, everything has been arranged."

Zhu Jianshen answered in a deep voice.

"Zhen'er has taken over the palace guards. She has already spoken with Li Xian and Peng Shi of the cabinet, the key members of the Six Ministries, and the military commanders in the capital region. There will be no trouble."

His voice was calm and clear.

For the past twelve years, Judy Jung has not only been transforming the country, but also devoting himself to nurturing this successor.

He sent him to the Ministry of Revenue to learn how to manage the country's treasury.

He sent him to the factory to learn how the steam engine propelled the country forward.

He sent him to the grassroots branches of the "Hammer Party" to listen to the most authentic voices of the people.

He even ordered him to personally investigate the remnants of the old gentry who were attempting to restore the monarchy, so that he could see with his own eyes their greed and folly.

Zhu Jianshen of today is no longer the boy who needed his uncle's protection.

He is the most qualified guardian of the new Ming Dynasty.

"Okay, very good."

Judy nodded with relief. He felt a wave of fatigue wash over him, and his breathing became a little rapid.

"uncle!"

A hint of panic flashed in Zhu Jianshen's eyes.

"It's alright." Judy waved her hand, indicating that he didn't need to be nervous.

He looked at Zhu Jianshen as if he were looking at his most outstanding work.

"Jian Shen, remember, our cause is not yet finished."

"We have only smashed an old world; the order of the new world is just beginning to be established. Those who were defeated, their descendants, and their ideas will not willingly perish."

"They will be like venomous snakes in the dark, always lurking, waiting for their chance to strike back."

"Therefore, universities must continue to operate, science must continue to develop, and the roots of the 'Hammer Party' must be planted even deeper!"

"Never forget that the source of our strength is the people of the world, those who own the land and have enough to eat!"

"Whoever wants to send them back to the past is us, the enemy of the entire Ming Dynasty!"

Zhu Jianshen kowtowed deeply, his words ringing out firmly: "Jianshen will heed your teachings, Uncle!"