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

Zhu Dijun's voice carried a hint of amusement, like a chess player admiring the deadly trap he had set.

"Family members, have you thought about this?"

"What expression would a tiger have if it were to be relocated from the mountains, its claws and teeth removed, and dragged its weary body back to its lair, only to find that the entire mountain had been taken over by a new master?"

Before the words were even finished, the scene on the screen suddenly changed!

Outside Zhangyi Gate in the capital.

A dusty, well-traveled army is slowly approaching the city gate.

The leader was none other than Duke Zhongguo, Shi Heng, who had returned from a distant expedition!

He was in high spirits at that moment!

Although the battle in Yansui was not very successful, it was still a small achievement.

In his view, this was nothing more than a favor from His Majesty to allow him to make new contributions and further consolidate his status as the "most meritorious official".

However, the moment he looked up at the city gate, the smile on his face suddenly froze.

On the city wall, the general in charge of the capital's defense was no longer his familiar confidant.

Instead, there were unfamiliar faces, filled with awe yet also estrangement.

An ominous premonition, like a venomous snake, instantly coiled around his heart!

When he handed over the military seal and returned to the Duke of Zhongguo's mansion, which he had been away from for several months, that ominous premonition finally turned into a cold reality.

The way people in the entire capital looked at him changed!

It is no longer about reverence and flattery.

Rather, it was a kind of...sympathy, and schadenfreude.

"On the third day after Shi Heng returned to the capital."

Zhu Dijun's voice was like a death knell, tolling the countdown to Shi Heng's fate.

"Censor Yang Xuan has submitted a memorial impeaching [the emperor]!"

"Impeach Duke Shi Heng for encroaching on farmland and acting arrogantly based on his merits!"

Above the sky, inside the Golden Palace, the atmosphere was solemn and tense.

When Yang Xuan's voice, though not loud, was piercingly piercing, the entire court fell silent.

Everyone's eyes instinctively turned to that once arrogant figure.

Shi Heng's mind went blank with a "buzz"!

Encroaching on farmland?

A few months ago, such a charge wouldn't have even qualified him to carry his shoes!

But now, a mere censor dares to throw this bucket of dirty water in his face in front of the entire court!

And the emperor sitting on the dragon throne...

Zhu Qizhen simply watched quietly, expressionless, without uttering a word.

There was no rebuke, no defense.

No!

This damned silence terrified Shi Heng more than any thunderous rage!

He understood instantly!

Yang Xuan isn't the key; he's just a tool!

The person who truly wanted him dead was the emperor, whom he had personally rescued from the Southern Palace!

Praise to death!

A diversionary tactic!

Dismember the Beijing Garrison!

One imperial edict after another, one favor after another, at this moment, all strangled him with a cold chain, tightly constricting his neck!

He fell for the trap!

From the moment he agreed to "seize the door," he had already stepped into a trap tailor-made for him!

His so-called nephew, Shi Biao, is currently far away in Datong and can hardly protect himself!

The ten battalions he had painstakingly built in the capital had been dismantled into three major battalions, filled with relatives of the emperor and old nobles!

He's now a lone commander!

"Thump!"

In the deathly silence, Shi Heng, the Duke of Zhongguo who once held immense power in the court, suddenly collapsed to his knees and knelt heavily on the cold, golden floor tiles of the palace.

"I...are guilty!"

"Your Majesty, I... am willing to relinquish all military power and retire to my hometown. I beg Your Majesty... to grant me this request!"

His voice was hoarse, filled with endless fear and despair.

[Modern Live Streaming Room]

This scene sent chills down the spines of all the viewers, yet it was also incredibly exhilarating!

"Holy crap! That's killing someone by breaking their spirit! It's killing someone by breaking their spirit! The emperor didn't even have to lift a finger; just one look from him was enough to make that old dog Shi Heng break down!"

"Hahaha, that was awesome! That was fucking awesome! You got what you deserved with your 'using the emperor to command the nobles' scheme, now you know who the real hunter is!"

"That's what you call imperial tactics! Subtle and insidious! By the time you realize it, a knife is already at your throat!"

"I declare that Zhu Qizhen is no longer a war god in my hands, but a strategist god! His plans are flawless!"

Above the sky, Zhu Dijun looked at Shi Heng's humble, dog-like appearance without the slightest pity.

"Family members, do you think this is the end of it?"

"Does the fall of Shi Heng mean that Zhu Qizhen has completely seized control of the military?"

"No, not at all."

Zhu Dijun pulled up a complex diagram of interpersonal relationships.

"From the Jingtai era to the early Tianshun era, how many henchmen did Shi Heng actually plant during those eight years?"

"I'll tell you a number."

"The number of his cronies who were promoted exceptionally and falsely claimed military merits alone is in the thousands!"

"These people are spread throughout the Beijing Garrison and the Nine Border Garrisons, forming a huge network of interests, truly embodying the principle of 'following Shi Heng's every command'!"

"It's easy to move against Shi Heng, but what's needed to completely tear this net apart without triggering a violent backlash and mutiny?"

Zhu Dijun's voice became incredibly deep.

"It's about patience!"

"It's like water dripping on a stone—top-tier strategic patience!"

He then changed the subject, pointing to several other names on the map.

"In the second year, in July of the second year of Tianshun, Shi Heng's nephew, Governor Shi Biao, was appointed as General Who Conquers the West and transferred to Ningxia to quell the rebellion."

"In the same year, two other generals who also bore inescapable responsibility in the Tumu Crisis—Earl of Wuqiang Yang Neng and Earl of Zhangwu Yang Xin, who were the two nephews of the famous general Yang Hong—were transferred from the capital to the more remote Yansui in Shaanxi by a single order."

Zhu Dijun's gaze swept across all of time and space, as if he were giving a public lecture to those emperors and generals.

"Family members, don't be fooled by the scenarios I simulated earlier."

"Real history is far more complex and cruel than fictional stories."

"After dealing with civil officials like Yu Qian and Chen Xun, why didn't Zhu Qizhen immediately take action against Shi Heng and Yang Neng, who were also participants in the Tumu Crisis?"

"Is it because he forgot?"

"No!"

Judy Jun's voice was resolute!

"Because he's afraid!"

"He was afraid of pushing these military commanders who held power too far, fearing they would 'kill the dog after the rabbit is caught, and destroy the whole thing'!"

"Therefore, before fully controlling military power, even the deepest hatred must be suppressed in one's heart!"

"Not only can he not kill them, he should even greet them with smiles and promote them!"

"This is the most terrifying aspect of a mature emperor!"

"Every favor he bestows may be a cup of poison."

"Every smile of his might conceal a steel knife!"

"He spent more than a year first eliminating the biggest threat, Shi Heng and his nephew, and then slowly transferring second-level military leaders like Yang Neng and Yang Xin away from the center of power."

"Like boiling a frog in lukewarm water, clip its wings one by one!"

"By the time they realized what was happening, they had completely lost the ability to resist!"

"This is the longest and most deadly move Zhu Qizhen has made since his return..."

"The fourth cut!"