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

"Clang!"

Another longsword fell to the ground, its sound like a thunderclap in the deathly silence of the standoff.

Sun Tang's pupils suddenly contracted. He looked at the soldiers in front of him who had voluntarily laid down their weapons, their silent yet stubborn faces, and a chill ran from the soles of his feet to the top of his head.

lost.

We were not defeated by swords, but by the hearts and minds of the people!

We were defeated by that damned, ridiculously simple rice price chart on the sky!

"you……"

His lips trembled; he wanted to roar, he wanted to threaten.

But his voice was completely drowned out by another, even louder and more turbulent wave of sound!

"Purge the court of corrupt officials! Execute the traitors!"

"Protect His Majesty! Protect our livelihoods!"

"As long as the Sun family doesn't fall, rice prices will definitely rise! Brothers, think about how you're going to explain this to your wives!"

The cries of the people came from all directions, converging into an unstoppable torrent.

The sound penetrated into the ears of every soldier, and also into the depths of the imperial city, into the ears of Zhu Qizhen.

Inside the Qianqing Palace, the tense atmosphere that had been building up suddenly fell into an eerie stillness due to this unexpected turn of events.

Sun Lian's smugness and cruelty froze, replaced by a hint of panic.

He heard it; the shouts of battle outside had taken on a different meaning!

It was no longer a cry to suppress rebels, but... the roar of public opinion!

"You wicked woman, did you hear that?"

Zhu Qizhen smiled, a smile that carried the joy of surviving a calamity, and an unprecedented imperial majesty.

He looked at Sun Ruowei, who was being supported by a maid and whose face was ashen white, and said, word by word:

"This is the human heart! You and your Sun family have spent your whole lives scheming for power, yet you couldn't fathom these two simplest words!"

Sun Ruowei suddenly spat out a mouthful of blood and collapsed limply, it was unclear whether she had died or fainted.

"Empress Dowager!"

"Quickly, protect the Empress Dowager!"

Sun Lian snapped back to her senses and screamed sharply, trying to regain her composure.

He knew that once Sun Ruowei's banner fell, they would be completely finished!

"Don't listen to the nonsense of this tyrannical ruler!"

He drew his sword and pointed it at the Jinyiwei guards around him who were also wavering in their resolve.

"We will all die! The tyrant is lying to you! Have you forgotten how the Shi Heng family was purged?!"

However, the threat of death seemed so pale and powerless in the face of another, more alluring voice.

Zhu Qizhen's voice resounded throughout the hall at that moment, clearly reaching the ears of everyone present.

"I, the supreme ruler, speak with absolute authority!"

"In today's matter, I will only execute the ringleaders!"

"All accomplices, if they lay down their weapons right now, will be spared!"

He paused, his gaze sharp as lightning, sweeping across everyone's face.

"Those who have rendered meritorious service in protecting me today, I will generously reward them!"

He raised his voice, and every word was like a steel needle that had been tempered and pierced into everyone's hearts!

"Those who escort me to the front five positions, I hereby bestow upon them the titles of Earl or Marquis!"

Earl! Marquis! Of! Nobility!

boom!

These four words are sharper than any sword or blade!

In the Ming Dynasty, it was extremely difficult to be granted a noble title for military merit! Countless people shed blood on the battlefield, risking their lives, but they might not even be able to earn a noble title!

And now, the opportunity is right in front of us!

On one hand, they could follow the Sun family down a dark path, potentially ending up with their entire family being executed.

On the other hand, there was the restoration of order, the welcoming back of the holy emperor, and the bestowal of titles and privileges upon his wife and children, bringing glory to his ancestors!

Is there any need to hesitate about this choice?!

"Pfft!"

A dull thud as a sharp blade pierced flesh shattered the deathly silence in the hall!

The Jinyiwei centurion closest to Sun Lian had a crazy and resolute look in his eyes. With lightning speed, he plunged his embroidered spring knife into Sun Lian's waist and abdomen from behind!

"Traitors and rebels deserve to be punished by everyone!"

The centurion, having landed a successful blow, didn't even glance at Sun Lian's incredulous gaze. He drew his sword, retreated, knelt on one knee, and roared with all his might towards Zhu Qizhen!

"Zhang Meng, a centurion of the Embroidered Uniform Guard, is willing to die for His Majesty!"

This slash is a signal!

It was the last straw that broke the camel's back!

"kill!"

"Protect His Majesty!"

"You treacherous dogs of the Sun family, prepare to die!"

In an instant, all the Imperial Guards who were still hesitating in the hall completely switched sides!

They went berserk and pounced on Sun's most loyal followers!

The allure of being granted a title, the instinct for survival, and the hatred for treacherous officials all erupted at this moment!

The "shield" that originally protected Sun Ruowei instantly turned into a "knife" aimed at the Sun family!

Fire!

The bloodiest and most direct conflict unfolded right inside the Qianqing Palace, right in front of the dragon throne!

Zhu Qizhen watched all of this coldly, without the slightest pity.

He knew that the road to the pinnacle of power would inevitably be paved with blood and bones!

Today, he will use the blood of the Sun family to wash away all the humiliation he has suffered!

Meanwhile, outside the imperial city.

When the shout of "Protect the Emperor and Confer Titles" was faintly heard from inside the Qianqing Palace, the morale of the Five Armies Camp, which was already wavering, completely collapsed!

"Brothers, what are we waiting for!"

The captain who had questioned Sun Tang earlier was the first to throw away his shield, pick up his longsword from the ground, and raise his arm, shouting, "His Majesty has decreed! Whoever kills a traitor will be ennobled! Charge with me! Let's save the Emperor!"

"Charge!"

"For the title of Marquis!"

"Kill that old dog Sun Tang!"

The crowd reversed in an instant!

The soldiers who were just besieging Cao Qin now turned their blades around and, like a flood bursting its banks, rushed back towards the dumbfounded Sun Tang and Sun Jizong!

Sun Jizong, the emperor's brother-in-law who had always lived a life of luxury behind the scenes, had never seen such a scene before. He was so frightened that his legs went weak and he collapsed to the ground.

Sun Tang, the "Marquis" of Huaining, let out a desperate cry.

He tried to resist, but his personal guards, insignificant as a small boat in the face of thousands of defecting comrades, were instantly swallowed and torn apart by the waves of anger!

The outcome is decided!

When Cao Qin, with his blood-soaked remnants and surrounded by defecting Beijing garrison soldiers, burst through the palace gates and knelt before the steps of the Qianqing Palace, the sky was already beginning to lighten with the first hint of dawn.

Dawn has arrived.

Zhu Qizhen, dressed in a dragon robe, walked out of the main hall step by step and stood on the high steps.

He looked down at the soldiers kneeling below, and at Sun Jizong, Sun Tang, Ma Ang, and Li Xian, who were being dragged up like dead dogs, bound hand and foot…

He turned back and glanced at Sun Lian's already cold body inside the hall.

He won.

This time, he didn't rely on anyone. He relied on the revelation of the heavens, the hearts of the people, and himself, never giving up the fight in the most desperate moment!

He slowly raised his hand.

The entire Forbidden City fell silent instantly.

All eyes were on this emperor who had risen from the ashes.

"Issue my decree!"

Zhu Qizhen's voice no longer carried any trace of weariness or humility, but only endless majesty and coldness.

"The Sun family is plotting rebellion and treason; their crimes are punishable by death!"

"Sun Jizong, Sun Tang, Ma Ang, Li Xian, and all other traitors are to be immediately taken to the Meridian Gate and executed by slow slicing as a warning to others!"

"Investigate all accomplices thoroughly and show no leniency!"

"All those who participated in suppressing the rebellion and saving my life today will be rewarded by me!"

His gaze swept down and finally landed on the "house slave" who was covered in blood but still stood tall and straight.

"Cao Qin!"

"Yes, sir!"

"You, loyal and courageous in protecting your lord, have rendered invaluable service to the nation!"

Zhu Qizhen took a deep breath, his voice resounding through the sky.

"Today, I will break this ancestral rule!"

"I hereby bestow upon you the title of—Duke Protector of the Nation!"

Meanwhile, the emperors of past dynasties who witnessed this scene from below the sky began to ponder. If they could control the price of rice and keep it lower than in previous dynasties, then if they or their descendants encountered the same situation, the people of their dynasty would definitely come to their aid.