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

Zhu Jianshen, historically known as Emperor Xianzong of Ming.

But what he preferred was the name his subjects called him in private—the Keeper of the Fire.

After he ascended the throne, his reign title was "Hongzhi".

Unlike his uncle, he did not undertake radical reforms.

His mission is to protect.

We must safeguard the system left by our uncle, the path he pioneered, and the spark of thought he ignited.

The thirty years of the Hongzhi reign were a period of concentrated bursts of the reform dividends of the Zhu Dijun era.

Universities continuously cultivate new talents, factory chimneys spew the lifeblood of industry, railways spread like a spider web across the heart of the empire, and the patrol range of steam-powered ironclad fleets extends from Malacca all the way to distant Europe.

This is an unprecedented golden age.

The people are prosperous, the national treasury is full, and the military is strong.

Zhu Jianshen strictly followed his uncle's will, making the "civilization backup" plan the highest national policy.

Countless books, blueprints, and technical documents were copied, sealed, and sent to top-secret locations.

At the same time, he devoted all his national resources to supporting the two vassal states overseas.

The Yan Kingdom of Annam took twenty years to completely conquer the entire Indochina Peninsula, incorporating Siam, Burma, Cambodia, and other places into its territory.

Meanwhile, the Han Kingdom in Mali launched a brutal yet efficient expansion on that isolated continent, continuously transporting gold, iron ore, and coal back to its homeland.

The two overseas kingdoms were like two iron fists of the Ming Dynasty reaching out to the world, powerful and aggressive.

In the thirtieth year of the Hongzhi reign, Zhu Jianshen passed away.

His son, Zhu Youyuan, succeeded him and changed the era name to "Zhengde," historically known as Emperor Xiaozong of Ming.

The Zhengde reign continued the glory of the Hongzhi reign, and even surpassed it.

The Ming Dynasty reached a dazzling peak in terms of territory, wealth, and technology.

However, beneath this immense wealth, in the shadows unnoticed by anyone, the cold prophecy of the Middle Ancestor Zhu Dijun began to quietly come true.

The first group to run into problems was the "Hammer Party".

This organization, founded by Zhu Dijun, which led countless peasants to divide the land and fight against landlords, and served as the cornerstone of the new regime, began to degenerate after nearly a century of peace.

The first generation of Party members were revolutionaries who cherished ideals.

The second generation of Party members are inheritors who enjoy the glory of their parents.

By the third and fourth generations, they had completely transformed into new "gentry" and new "landlords".

Instead of venturing into the fields, they sit in spacious, bright offices, sipping coffee imported from the West.

Instead of working for the people's suffering, they used their power to collude with merchants, seize land, and monopolize mineral resources.

They shelved Zhongzu's "Rural Survey Report," but mastered the art of cultivating relationships and accumulating wealth through corruption.

The boy who once slew dragons is now gradually growing scales on his body.

In the twenty-fifth year of the Zhengde reign, Zhu Houcong, grandson of Emperor Xiaozong Zhu Youyuan, ascended the throne and changed the reign title to "Jiajing".

At this time, eighty years had passed since the death of the Zhongzu Emperor.

Emperor Jiajing, Zhu Houcong, was an emperor who grew up at the peak of a prosperous era. He had never seen the dark old world described by his great-uncle.

What he saw was peace and prosperity throughout the world, with all nations paying tribute.

What he heard was praise and eulogy, a glorious chapter of a prosperous era.

He began to think that the warnings made by the Zhongzu back then were somewhat alarmist.

Meanwhile, the descendants of the old gentry, who had been suppressed for nearly a century, also saw an opportunity.

They changed their tune and no longer openly opposed new schools or industry.

They began to scheme their way into universities and into the imperial court.

They used more covert methods to erode the foundations of the empire.

They began writing books and reinterpreting history.

"Emperor Zhongzu certainly made great contributions to the founding of the dynasty, but his methods were too cruel. He slaughtered tens of thousands of officials in the capital in one night, which was against the will of Heaven."

"Although the land reform brought temporary benefits to the people, it also destroyed the centuries-old tradition of gentry self-governance, leaving no moral exemplars in the countryside."

"Abolishing Confucianism and focusing solely on science and technology will corrupt people's hearts, making them only interested in profit. If this continues, the nation will cease to exist!"

These arguments initially appeared only in the corners of some salons and newspapers.

But gradually, they began to circulate among scholars.

Many people who are disillusioned with the new era, and many officials who have been ostracized by the "Hammer Party" elites, have become advocates of this ideology.

They began to miss that "warm and affectionate" old era.

They began to think that the Zhongzu Judi Jun was a tyrant who had destroyed "civilization".

In the tenth year of the Jiajing reign, the Great Rites Controversy erupted.

The incident began when several Grand Secretaries of the Cabinet, deeply influenced by Neo-Confucianism, joined hundreds of other officials in submitting a memorial to the Jiajing Emperor.

Request: Change the temple name of Emperor Zhongzu Zhu Dijun!

"The title of Zhongzu, comparable to that of Taizu, is truly an overreach! Although Zhu Dijun is the emperor, he inherited the throne from his brother and did not have any founding achievements. During his twelve-year reign, he committed excessive killings and was extremely violent; he is truly unfit to be called an 'ancestor'!"

"Your Majesty, I humbly request that, in accordance with the ancestral system, his temple name be changed to 'Lizong' to set the record straight and serve as a warning to future generations!"

"戾" means cruel and tyrannical, and is one of the worst posthumous titles.

This memorial was like a thunderbolt, igniting an explosion throughout the imperial court!

The "conservative faction," led by the descendants of Li Xian and Peng Shi, engaged in a fierce battle with these "new Confucian" officials.

However, to everyone's surprise, Emperor Jiajing, Zhu Houcong, hesitated.

He was moved by those "warm and tender" words.

He also felt that his empire was so powerful that it might not need a blood-stained "ancestor".

What he needs is "benevolence" and "the way of the king".

Finally, he issued an edict.

Granted!

Emperor Zhongzu of the Ming Dynasty, Zhu Dijun, had his temple name abolished and was renamed Emperor Lizong of Ming!

The news sent shockwaves throughout the world.

Countless elderly people who knew about that period of history wept bitterly in front of their ancestral temples.

They knew that the world was about to change.

Meanwhile, in the distant Yan King's Palace in Annam, and the Han King's Palace in Ma Nali.

Upon receiving the report from the Ming Dynasty, the current Prince of Yan and Prince of Han silently threw the newspaper into the fire.

They walked up to the map, looking at that familiar yet unfamiliar homeland with cold eyes.

"The prophecy of our ancestors has come true."

"Pass down the order."

"Expanding the military and preparing for war!"

"At the same time, pay attention to internal corruption, especially in the education sector. Once discovered, the Imperial Guards can launch a large-scale operation to interrogate them and find out who the accomplices are!"

"And then there's the officialdom! Better to kill the innocent than let the guilty go free!"