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

Zhu Dijun's statement, "Cao Qin is Cao Jixiang's son," seemed like an unintentional addition, yet it made viewers across all timelines feel a sense of unease.

Father and son.

In the context of royal power struggles, these two words often signify inheritance, but also... annihilation.

Zhu Dijun didn't give the audience much time to think. He cleared his throat, and his voice became steady and powerful again, as if he were telling a long-forgotten story that had nothing to do with him.

"Family members, in June of the fifth year of Emperor Yingzong's Tianshun reign, which is one month before Cao Jixiang's rebellion as recorded in later historical books, a seemingly unrelated little thing happened."

Above the sky, the scene switched to a map of the Ming Dynasty's territory, and the camera quickly zoomed in, focusing on the northwestern border.

"An urgent report came from the border in Liangzhou, Gansu, which is now Wuwei, Gansu, saying that enemy troops were invading the border."

Zhu Dijun's voice was calm and unhurried.

"The military situation wasn't particularly urgent, nor was it large-scale. But the reaction of the God of War, Zhu Qizhen, was quite interesting."

"He personally issued an imperial edict appointing Marquis Huaining, Sun Tang, as the commander-in-chief, ordering him to immediately lead troops to conquer Gansu."

[Modern Live Streaming Room]

"Sun Tang? That name sounds familiar, but he doesn't seem to be from Empress Dowager Sun's family, does he?"

[“Hey, did you forget what Brother Jun said? This is a 2.0 version of the 'luring the tiger away from the mountain' tactic! The familiar formula is back!”]

"I get it! This Sun Tang definitely holds military power in the Beijing garrison, and he's not one of Zhu Qizhen's trusted men! Zhu Qizhen is using the pretext of trouble on the frontier to transfer him away from the power center of the capital!"

"That's right! The exact same tactic used against Shi Heng! First, we'll take out your henchmen one by one, and then we'll deal with your master!"

Zhu Dijun looked at the analysis in the comments and nodded approvingly.

"My family's analysis is correct, but only half right."

"This Sun Tang is indeed not a member of the Sun family, but the three thousand battalions under his command are the strongest cavalry unit among the three major battalions in the capital!"

"More importantly, there's Sun Tang's background. He was a general promoted by Yu Qian and other civil officials during the Jingtai reign. In other words, during the 'Defense of the Capital,' he wasn't one of Zhu Qizhen's men; in fact, he was among those who were hostile to Zhu Qizhen's return!"

"After Zhu Qizhen's restoration, he was temporarily retained in order to stabilize the situation. But now that Shi Heng has been eliminated, it is time to remove this thorn in the side of the Beijing garrison."

"The God of War's goal is to use a grand imperial edict to strip Sun Tang of his military power without bloodshed!"

Everyone suddenly realized!

That was such a smooth operation!

This art of ruling has reached a level of consummate skill!

However, what Judy Jun said next made everyone's hearts jump into their throats again!

"But then, an accident happened."

"Just as Sun Tang received the imperial edict and was preparing his troops for departure, but had not yet officially left the capital..."

Zhu Dijun's voice suddenly lowered, each word seemed to be squeezed out from between his teeth, carrying a chilling aura!

"The infamous 'Cao Qin Rebellion' has erupted!"

"Because of this sudden mutiny, Sun Tang, who was supposed to go to Gansu, naturally stayed in the capital and became one of the main forces in suppressing the rebellion!"

"Holy crap?! What's going on? Cao Jixiang is starting a rebellion now? Has he gone mad? Shi Heng's body is barely cold!"

"Isn't this just making things worse? Zhu Qizhen finally managed to transfer Sun Tang away, and with this commotion, he's back! Isn't this just asking for trouble?"

"Wait a minute... my mind is a bit muddled... the timing is too coincidental, isn't it? Why did they have to rebel just when Sun Tang was about to leave?"

"A conspiracy! There's definitely a massive conspiracy going on here!"

In all the myriad realms and timelines, the breaths of all emperors and generals ceased at this moment.

They keenly sensed an extremely dangerous atmosphere!

This is by no means a simple, foolish rebellion!

The Ming Dynasty, Hongwu reign.

Zhu Yuanzhang narrowed his eyes to slits, staring intently at the sky.

Something's not right...

"No matter how powerful a eunuch is, he can only rely on the emperor's trust. Shi Heng's entire clan has just been exterminated. For Cao Jixiang to dare to take action at this time, unless..."

Old Zhu's pupils suddenly contracted!

"Unless, he didn't intend to use that knife at all!"

Above the sky, Zhu Dijun looked at those bewildered faces and finally revealed his true intentions!

He spoke slowly and deliberately, his voice not loud, yet it was like a thunderclap from the heavens, resounding deep within everyone's soul!

"Family members, now I will tell you a truth that has been buried in history books for six hundred years."

"The so-called 'Cao Qin Rebellion,' in my view, and in the view of many historians who want to get to the bottom of things..."

"It wasn't a rebellion at all!"

"On the contrary, this is a—"

"To serve the emperor!"

boom!!!

Loyal to the Emperor?!

These two words silenced the entire world.

Everyone felt as if their brains had been hit hard by a heavy hammer, and their thinking completely came to a standstill!

Rebellion turned into loyalty to the emperor?

The rebellious traitors have become loyal and brave men who saved the emperor?

How...how is this possible?!

Ignoring the audience's shock, Zhu Dijun's cold gaze seemed to pierce through the mists of history, pointing directly at the blood-red Forbidden City!

"Do you think Cao Qin led his troops to attack the palace and kill the emperor?"

"wrong!"

"His secret orders were to lead troops into the Forbidden City to eliminate another malignant tumor that truly threatened imperial power!"

"That cancer is the vixen Sun Ruowei, and the Sun family, her powerful maternal relatives, who have completely taken control of the Five Armies!"

"The so-called 'Cao Qin's convenience' is actually that the war god Zhu Qizhen ordered his trusted henchman Cao Qin to launch a war of annihilation against his own maternal uncle's family!"

"This is Zhu Qizhen's fifth cut!"

"One slash, and he's turned on his own closest relative!"

"One strike, and it cuts down on that seemingly unshakeable 'filial piety'!"

Zhu Dijun suddenly raised his voice and uttered the final, soul-searching question!

"Family members, do you still remember the Hundred Days' Reform coup in the late Qing Dynasty?"

Did Emperor Guangxu, in his desire to regain power, also place his hopes on Yuan Shikai's new army, hoping that he could lead troops into the Summer Palace to deal with the old witch—Empress Dowager Cixi—who was looming over him?

History, how it repeats itself!

"However, Emperor Guangxu lost, while Zhu Qizhen..."

"He gambled everything in a more tragic and resolute way!"

When the words "loyal to the emperor" came out of Zhu Dijun's mouth, and when the examples of Emperor Guangxu and Empress Dowager Cixi were put on the table, all the fog of time and space was completely torn away at this moment!

What is revealed is a bloody and chilling truth!

[Modern Live Streaming Room]

The comments disappeared for a good ten seconds.

Then, like a volcanic eruption, it exploded completely!

"Oh my god... my scalp is tingling! I have goosebumps all over my body!"

"Treason is actually loyalty to the emperor?! Cao Qin isn't a traitor, he's the emperor's loyal follower?! This plot twist... this plot twist is absolutely mind-blowing!"

"Holy crap! Holy crap! Holy crap! No wonder the history books say a eunuch wanted to be emperor—that's complete nonsense! It was all to cover up the truth! To cover up a palace coup orchestrated by the emperor himself, targeting the empress dowager!"

"Killing his uncle! Eliminating the maternal relatives! Zhu Qizhen is too ruthless! He even kills his own family!"

"I finally understand! Why we had to act when Sun Tang was about to leave! Because Sun Tang wasn't one of our own! Zhu Qizhen needed a hero to 'suppress the rebellion,' a third party who could stand in the open, clean up the mess, and silence public opinion!"

"Sun Tang was just a tool! Cao Qin was responsible for the actual killings, while Sun Tang did all the dirty work. Sun Tang was responsible for 'suppressing the rebellion,' getting rid of Cao Qin, this tainted blade, and then all the credit went to him! Finally, the emperor came out to appease the people and announced that everything was over! Perfect! A perfect closed loop!"