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

Zhu Dijun looked at the sky and, through the power of the sky, saw Shi Heng kneeling on the golden palace, humbly begging for surrender. A cold smile curled at the corner of his mouth.

"Family members, after seeing this, do you feel like the situation is already settled?"

"Do you feel that this once invincible tiger has been completely reduced to fish on a chopping board, left to be slaughtered by Zhu Qizhen?"

His voice suddenly changed, taking on a playful tone.

"If that's really what you think, then you're underestimating a hero who can rise to power in chaotic times."

"A tiger driven to the brink of death often bares its sharpest and most deadly fangs before it dies!"

Zhu Dijun's words made the atmosphere in the live broadcast room, which had just relaxed, tense again!

"Holy crap? They have another trick up their sleeve? Can that old dog Shi Heng still turn the tables?"

"That's impossible! The power of the Beijing Garrison has been dismantled; what can a commander without any troops do?"

"Brother Jun, stop keeping me in suspense! Tell me quickly! What other tricks is this old man hiding?!"

In the vast universe, both Zhu Yuanzhang and Zhu Di frowned at the same time.

They also didn't think things would be that simple.

How could someone who could orchestrate a coup not have prepared a way out for himself?

Above the sky, behind Zhu Dijun, a map of the northern border of the Ming Dynasty appeared, with the two characters "Datong" heavily circled in blood-red!

"Family members, do you remember Shi Biao, whom I mentioned before, who was transferred away from Beijing?"

"Zhu Qizhen's 'luring the tiger away from the mountain' strategy was indeed brilliant, but he had calculated everything except for the extent to which Shi Heng and his nephew had infiltrated the local military garrisons over those seven years!"

"During his tenure as the Deputy Commander-in-Chief of Datong, Shi Biao had already used various means to secretly establish a large army and cultivate his cronies, turning Datong into his family's private kingdom!"

"That's the last escape route Shi Heng left for himself!"

"One capital city, one Datong, one internal and one external, echoing each other from afar!"

"This is the real reason why Shi Heng dared to launch the 'Coup of the Gate'! If the situation in the capital fails, he can retreat to Datong, seize territory, and become a second Mu Ying, or even... a second An Lushan!"

These words caused an uproar throughout all time and space!

The Hongwu Hall of the Ming Dynasty.

Zhu Yuanzhang's face instantly darkened to the point of being so gloomy it could drip water.

"Fan-zhen (regional warlords)!"

Old Zhu's teeth were grinding together.

"What we hate most is the separatist rule of regional warlords! This Shi Heng deserves to be torn to pieces!"

On the backdrop of the sky, the plot begins to unfold rapidly!

When Zhu Qizhen's imperial edict to transfer Shi Biao from Datong to Ningxia arrived, Shi Biao's reaction confirmed all of Zhu Dijun's analyses!

He refused to obey!

Meanwhile, in the capital, Shi Heng, who had just been stripped of some of his military power, did not lie low but instead launched his final counterattack!

He personally intervened and secretly instructed and colluded with dozens of civil and military officials from Datong to jointly submit a memorial to the emperor!

The memorial was written in a grand and dignified manner, yet it was also filled with sincere emotion.

The reason is simply that "Datong is facing serious border troubles, with the Tatars constantly knocking on the gates. The military and civilians rely on Commander Shi as if he were a Great Wall. Changing generals in the midst of battle is a major taboo in military strategy." They request that His Majesty rescind the order and allow Shi Biao to continue guarding Datong.

A conspiracy, disguised as "local public opinion" and "overall border defense," was thus laid out before Zhu Qizhen!

"Holy crap! That was awesome! That was a dirty trick!"

"This is a coup! Didn't you, the emperor, say you wanted to protect the country? Now we're saying Datong can't do without Shi Biao. If you forcibly transfer him away and something happens on the border, will you take responsibility?"

"That's too ruthless! This is like throwing a hot potato at Zhu Qizhen! Agreeing means admitting you can't control a general; disagreeing means being branded as someone who disregards border security!"

"How do we break this deadlock? What choice should Zhu Qizhen make?"

Everyone's heart was in their throat.

They saw that in the Golden Palace in the first year of the Tianshun reign, Zhu Qizhen remained silent for a long time, facing the joint memorial and Shi Heng's seemingly respectful but actually threatening gaze.

The imperial court was deathly silent.

Just when everyone thought that this young emperor would choose to compromise in this political game.

Zhu Qizhen smiled.

He slowly stood up, his gaze sweeping over all the officials below him. His voice was not loud, but it clearly resonated throughout the entire hall.

"What you all say is for the sake of the country and the people, and I am very pleased."

He first affirmed everyone.

Then, the tone suddenly shifted, becoming as sharp as a knife!

"But I have a question."

"Is the Ming Dynasty's rule inseparable from Shi Biao?"

"Is it still Shi Biao who can't leave the military power of the Ming Dynasty?"

"Today, a general can use border defense as an excuse to defy the imperial court's orders. Will all the generals along the nine borders follow suit tomorrow, turning the imperial troops into their own private property?"

"By then, will the land beneath my feet still belong to the Ming Dynasty?"

"Do my people still pledge allegiance to the Emperor of the Ming Dynasty, or to those border generals who hold sway over their own armies?!"

His words were powerful and resounding, each one piercing to the heart!

He didn't even bother to debate the defense issues of Datong; instead, he directly elevated the matter to the political level of "loyalty to the emperor" versus "treason"!

This is a deadlock that no one can avoid or refute!

Zhu Qizhen's gaze finally landed on Shi Heng, his eyes eerily calm.

"Lord Zhongguo, you have guarded the border for many years. Come and tell me."

"Is the imperial decree more important, or the fate of a general?"

At that moment, Shi Heng felt as if he had fallen into an ice cave, his whole body chilled to the bone!

He knew he had lost.

A complete and utter defeat!

Faced with the banner of "righteousness," all his petty schemes seemed so ridiculous and so vulnerable!

Zhu Dijun's voice rang out, carrying the final verdict.

"Family members, this is the emperor."

"He can talk to you about interests and feelings, but when you touch the very foundation of his power, he will not hesitate to crush you completely with the most righteous and irrefutable 'justice'!"

"Shi Heng's last card was thus casually discarded by Zhu Qizhen!"