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

[Modern simulation broadcast in progress]

light.

Endless light.

When the phrase "Our journey is to the stars and the sea" resounded through the sky, and when the steel torrent formed by the three branches of Chinese blood began to settle the blood debts of the past century with the whole world, the image on the entire sky finally froze on the aged yet resolute face of Emperor Longwu, Zhu Yujian.

Then, the image transformed into a dazzling galaxy, slowly rotating until it converged into a single point and disappeared completely.

The live stream screen went black.

The epic simulation, which lasted for months and captivated hundreds of millions of viewers worldwide, came to an abrupt end at its most glorious peak.

Dead silence.

A deathly silence that lasted for half a minute.

It was as if everyone was still immersed in that revenge and revival that spanned three hundred years, unable to extricate themselves.

Until a slightly hoarse and tired voice rang out in everyone's headphones and speakers.

That voice was no longer the majestic and weathered one of Emperor Zhongzu of Ming, but belonged to a young man of the 21st century.

"Alright, everyone..."

"This is me, Zhu Dijun, using AI to simulate the entire consequences of time travel to the time of Emperor Jingtai, Zhu Qiyu."

"That concludes today's live stream."

"I'm going to rest for a bit. My head is a little... um, a little throbbing. I'll start a new live stream in a few hours to chat and, by the way... give you a little surprise."

That's all for today.

boom!!!

When Zhu Dijun (Brother Jun)'s voice fell, and when the audience was finally pulled back to reality from that grand historical dream, the barrage of comments in the live broadcast room erupted like a volcano that had been accumulating for a hundred years, with an unprecedentedly terrifying force!

["No!!! Jun-ge, don't go! Don't end the broadcast, ahhhhh!"]

"Holy crap! That's it? My Central Plains! My vast universe! My united fleet! I haven't had enough!"

"Brother Jun, please simulate Zhu Qizhen, the Great War God of the Ming Dynasty! I beg you! I want to see the War God slaughter those treacherous officials like cutting melons and vegetables! Let him have a good time too!"

[“Upstairs, are you a monster? You just finished watching something like Jun Ge's work, and now you want to watch something like Zhu Qizhen's Tumu Crisis? You'll get high blood pressure from that!”]

"But... I really can't accept this! Although the ending was good, the part in the middle where China was destroyed almost made me smash the table! Fifty-five million! Fifty-five million of our compatriots died tragically! I really... I broke down!"

"To be honest, I thought Brother Jun would romanticize it later, but I didn't expect him to still deliver a blow. The sinking of China, the tragic deaths of 55 million people... This blow was too cruel, but also too real."

"Yes, according to conservative estimates by later scholars, China lost at least 90 million people, or even more, during the late Ming and early Qing dynasties due to war, famine, plague, and massacres! The 55 million figure that Brother Jun simulated is already a conservative estimate!"

"Now I finally understand why Brother Jun made sure to kill those bastards so thoroughly on the night of the cleansing! Because if they weren't killed off completely, they would return a hundred years later with a different race to slaughter millions of our compatriots!"

"Damn the civil service and the local tyrants! As Marx said, capital comes into the world dripping from head to toe, from every pore, with blood and filth! They only care about profit, they have no ethics, morality, or sense of national responsibility. They must die! They must die cleanly!"

"Therefore, the Zhu Qiyu that Brother Jun is imitating deserves the title of 'Emperor Zhongzu of Ming'! He did not act for his own selfish reasons, but for the survival of the entire civilization! In his lifetime, he ushered in a golden age; after his death, the spark he left behind reignited the flame of civilization in the darkest hour! This achievement is comparable to that of Emperor Taizu, who dares to disagree?!"

"I'm convinced! I'm fucking convinced! Brother Jun is awesome (heart-wrenchingly)!"

"What I really want to know is, if Emperor Hongwu (Zhu Yuanzhang) himself saw this simulation, what would he think?"

"What do you think? He'd probably jump out of his coffin, hug Jun-ge, and yell 'My good grandson!'"

["Hahaha, the comment above is spot on! If Zhu Yuanzhang saw how his unfilial descendants had ruined the Ming Dynasty, he'd probably be furious! And then he'd see someone like Jun Ge who turned the tide, wouldn't he treat him like his own son?"]

"Watching it while asleep? No, watching it while laughing!"

Countless bullet comments and countless donations illuminated the black screen as if it were daytime.

People are venting, discussing, and reminiscing.

This simulation has long surpassed an ordinary live broadcast.

It's like a history lesson that transcends time and space, a wake-up call that sobers everyone up, showing everyone the cruelty of history and the difficulty of continuing civilization.

----split line----

The Ming Dynasty, during the Hongwu era.

Inside the Fengtian Hall, there was a deathly silence.

The sky had already darkened.

But the phrase "Our journey is to the stars and the sea" still seems to echo in everyone's ears.

Zhu Yuanzhang sat on the dragon throne, remaining silent for a long time.

His fingers tapped unconsciously on the armrest of the dragon throne, making a soft "tap, tap, tap" sound.

His Highness Zhu Biao, Zhu Di, Zhu Gang, Zhu Su, and others, along with all the civil and military officials, dared not even breathe loudly.

They were all deeply moved by the magnificent and dramatic ending.

for a long time.

Zhu Yuanzhang's deep voice slowly broke the silence.

"Biao'er".

"Your subject is here." Crown Prince Zhu Biao bowed and stepped forward.

"Let me ask you, does this descendant named Zhu Dijun, who imitated the Jingtai Emperor, deserve the temple name 'Zhongzu'?"

Zhu Yuanzhang's problem was like a boulder thrown into a calm lake.

Everyone's heart was in their throat.

This is the Hongwu Emperor seeking a crown prince, and also seeking the final evaluation of the entire court!

Zhu Biao took a deep breath, raised his head, and his gaze was clear and firm.

"Your Majesty, I believe I am worthy of such an honor!"

"Oh?"

Zhu Yuanzhang raised an eyebrow slightly.

Tell us why you deserve it?

"Firstly, he has the power to reshape the world."

Zhu Biao declared loudly, "He inherited a mess, an era where imperial power was declining, powerful ministers were rising, and the borders were in disarray. He turned the tide, not only regaining imperial power but also pioneering industry, giving everyone land to cultivate and work to do—this is 'reconstruction'!"

Secondly, he possessed the virtue of initiating an era.

Zhu Biao's voice grew increasingly impassioned.

"What he ushered in was not the continuation of a dynasty, but a new era of civilization! He turned his attention from court intrigues to the people of the world and to the vast universe; this is what is meant by 'creation'!"

"Thirdly, and most importantly!"

Zhu Biao's gaze swept across the entire room.

"He possessed the ambition to pass on the torch for eternity! He foresaw the darkness that awaited him, yet he did not despair, but instead laid the groundwork for a 'civilization backup.' This foresight, this unwavering determination to preserve civilization at all costs, is enough to place him alongside the founding emperors in the Imperial Ancestral Temple!"

"He is not only the ancestor of the restoration of Chinese civilization, but also the pioneer who pointed out a completely new path for our Chinese civilization when it faced unprecedented changes in a thousand years!"

"Therefore, I believe that he truly deserves the title of 'Emperor Zhongzu'!"

Zhu Biao's words were powerful and thought-provoking!

Inside the main hall, you could hear a pin drop.

Zhu Yuanzhang listened quietly, his expression revealing neither joy nor anger.

He turned his head and looked at Empress Ma beside him.

Empress Ma's eyes were slightly red, clearly still reeling from the tragedy of "the sinking of China." She nodded gently and said softly:

"Zhongba, Biao'er is right. This child (Zhu Dijun) has the people of the world and the future of our Chinese nation in his heart. We think he deserves it."

Having received the approval of his wife and children, Zhu Yuanzhang slowly nodded.

His gaze swept over the silent civil and military officials below, and finally landed on his fourth son, Zhu Di, the Prince of Yan.

"Fourth brother, what do you think?"

Zhu Di was startled, stepped forward, bowed, and spoke in a loud, clear voice.

"Your Majesty! I believe that what my elder brother, the Crown Prince, said is absolutely right!"

"But I have something to add!"

Zhu Di raised his head, his eyes gleaming with a burning light.

"What I admire most about Zhu Dijun, the descendant of Zhu Dijun, is his ruthlessness! Ruthless to the enemy, and even more ruthless to himself! The purge of the capital may have seemed cruel, but it was actually like scraping the bone to remove poison! Without this, it would be impossible to break with the old and establish the new!"

"The contingency plans he left behind allowed China to rise from the ashes a century later, still able to unsheathe its sword against the world! Such achievements, such spirit... I, your son, am ashamed to admit my inferiority!"

"He truly deserves the title of 'Central Ancestor'!"

Upon hearing this, Zhu Yuanzhang finally smiled.

That smile was full of approval and satisfaction.

"Good! Good! Good!"

He said "good" three times in a row.

"Finally, one of our descendants has emerged who resembles us!"

"Pass down my decree: record every single detail of Zhu Dijun's imitation of Emperor Jingtai, and store it in the royal archives! We want all the descendants of the Zhu family to see how an emperor should be!"

"I, Zhu Yuanzhang, accept the title of 'Central Ancestor'!"

A promise is a promise!

The final evaluation by the Hongwu Emperor brought this simulation that transcended time and space to a perfect close.