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

Judy Jun's question was like a depth charge dropped into a calm lake.

The atmosphere in the teahouse froze instantly.

The three chibi versions of Emperor Yingzong instantly lost their smugness and arrogance, replaced by a deathly silence of astonishment.

They looked at each other, as if their deepest sore spot had been touched.

A full three seconds passed.

"boom!"

The three chibi-style characters have all gone berserk!

The first to erupt was Emperor Yingzong of Yuan, Shidebala, known for his fiery temper. His cartoonish eyes widened suddenly as he glared at Zhu Dijun and launched into a tirade of curses:

"You're not just asking the obvious!"

Immediately afterwards, Emperor Yingzong of Song, Zhao Shu, who had always appeared weak and melancholy, also blushed and added in a sharp voice:

"I...I was nominally killed by illness, but in reality...in reality, I was poisoned by those powerful ministers and that old hag! It was no different from assassination!"

Finally, it was Zhu Qizhen's turn.

He looked at this and then at that, seemingly finding a strange balance in his companion's tragic experience, but when he spoke, his voice was still full of resentment and unwillingness.

"I...I was almost there too! My empire was nearly usurped by a powerful minister!"

[Modern Live Streaming Room]

This unexpected "misery contest" made millions of netizens who were still watching in front of their screens at 2 a.m. burst into laughter!

["Hahahaha! We've broken down! Everyone's broken down!"]

["Shuodebala: You're asking a question you already know the answer to! Jun-ge's taunting is off the charts!"]

["Zhao Shu: Officially died of illness, but actually poisoned! One of the most aggrieved emperors in history, no doubt."]

"Wait a minute! Zhu Qizhen, what did you say? You were usurped by a powerful minister? But thinking about it, it makes sense. According to Jun-ge's analysis of the true Tumu Crisis, he really was seized power by a powerful minister."

[“Hey upstairs, stop trying to steal the bamboo shoot! Give the God of War some face, he's already trying so hard to portray himself as a ‘victim’!”]

"I see now, this isn't a meeting of three heroes, it's clearly a 'tea party for the unlucky!' The theme is: how I lost my throne / how I died!"

The live stream room was filled with a cheerful atmosphere.

Inside the teahouse, Zhu Dijun, facing the wrath of the three Emperors Yingzong, merely shrugged, his smile growing increasingly playful.

"Don't get excited, don't get excited."

He said slowly:

[Remember the fastest online novel website: 20 ...

"I'm just curious, since all three of them... well, their endings weren't perfect, why did they still receive the character '英' (Ying) as their temple name?"

"In my understanding, '英' means 'wise and powerful'!"

Zhu Qizhen spoke first, trying to save face for himself.

"That's right!"

Shuo Debala snorted coldly.

"If it weren't for the traitor Tieshina launching the 'Southern Slope Incident,' I would surely have been able to revive the Yuan Dynasty!"

Zhao Shu weakly echoed:

"If I were to rule personally, I would certainly live up to my reputation as a 'brilliant' ruler..."

"stop!"

Zhu Dijun interrupted their self-justification.

He cleared his throat and revealed a professional expression like a history popularizer.

"It seems that the three of you have a slight misunderstanding about temple names."

"The Yi Zhou Shu·Shi Fa Jie says that 'Ying' is indeed 'a person of outstanding virtue and talent.'"

"But it also has another meaning."

Zhu Dijun's voice suddenly became deep and magnetic, carrying a kind of magic that revealed the cruel truth of history.

"That is—'Buyi Xinggang Yueying' and 'Chulei Büchu Yueying'."

"The former refers to you as a person; although you want to do good, you are stubborn and unwilling to listen to advice. The latter refers to you dying young, or having a short reign, so you didn't have time to make any major mistakes, and therefore everyone is giving you a consolation prize by choosing a nicer term."

"Simply put, the temple name 'Yingzong' is often a synonym for 'dying young,' 'having unfulfilled ambitions,' and 'dying an unnatural death.'"

"It sounds wonderful, but in reality, it's just a consolation prize."

"A magnificent epitaph awarded to a loser."

Zhu Dijun's words were like a heavy hammer blow, striking the hearts of the three Emperors Yingzong.

Shuo Debala's face turned ashen.

Zhao Shu's body began to tremble slightly.

Zhu Qizhen was dumbfounded, his mouth agape enough to fit an egg.

"Holy crap! Is that even an explanation?!"

"To kill someone is to destroy their spirit! To kill someone is to destroy their spirit! Brother Jun has torn away the fig leaf from the three Emperors of Yingzong!"

"A consolation prize! Hahaha, this summary is so insightful! Died young, didn't have time to wreak havoc on the country, so here's a good review!"

"So, Emperor Yingzong of Song died after only four years on the throne, and Emperor Yingzong of Yuan was killed after only two years of reforms. They both qualify as 'consolation prizes'!"

"Then... what about our Great Ming War God?"

"That's right! Zhu Qizhen didn't die young! He came back unscathed, even staged the Coup of the Gate, and reigned for eight more years! Why is he Emperor Yingzong?"

"Fool, don't forget the truth. You didn't see Brother Jun reveal the truth about the Tumu Crisis. Zhu Qizhen was indeed Emperor Yingzong."

The audience astutely spotted the key points.

This question was precisely the "exclusive gift" that Zhu Dijun had prepared for Zhu Qizhen.

He looked at Zhu Qizhen, who was already in a daze, and spoke with a warm smile.

"Zhao Shu, Shuo Debala, and Zhu Qizhen, although your three met tragic ends, one was controlled by others, not guilty of a crime. The other two were determined to reform, but died in a counterattack by powerful ministers. Though defeated, they were still honorable."

"Your 'heroism' can barely be described as 'unfulfilled ambition'."

His words made Zhao Shu, Shuo Debala, and Zhu Qizhen's expressions soften slightly.

But the thought that he had been killed by his own ministers made him look extremely ugly.

"Alright, gentlemen, this meeting with King Yeongjong is now concluded. It's time to change the main focus. See you tomorrow at 14 PM."

[Modern Live Streaming Room]

"Jun-ge, no!"

"Let's continue talking about the Great Ming Dynasty's God of War."

"Yeah, I've already put my pants on, and you give me this?"

Zhu Dijun dared not listen to these people's wailing and shut down the live stream.