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

Above the sky, Zhu Dijun's words, "The birth of the strongest spy team in the Ming Dynasty, the West Depot," were like a drop of boiling oil splashed into a raging fire, instantly igniting the passion of all the audience!

After a moment of silence, the barrage of comments in the [Modern Live Room] completely covered the entire screen with an unprecedented density!

"Yu Huatian! It's Yu Huatian, the most beautiful woman in the West Depot!"

"What the Eastern Depot can handle, I will handle; what the Eastern Depot cannot handle, I will handle even more! Execute first, report later, with imperial permission! This is the Western Depot!"

"Holy crap! Just thinking about that devilish figure sends chills down my spine! Brother Jun, was the historical Western Depot Commander really this handsome and domineering?"

"Wang Zhi! The founder of the Western Depot, the historical prototype of Yu Huatian! This man was absolutely ruthless!"

"Tell me quickly! I can't wait to see how the young emperor and his sharpest blades join forces to overthrow the entire civil service!"

Everyone's been waiting for this!

However, Zhu Dijun unexpectedly smiled and shook his head when he saw "Yu Huatian" and "Wang Zhi" scrolling on the screen.

"Family members, please calm down."

"The establishment of the Western Depot occurred in the thirteenth year of the Chenghua reign, which is a full twelve years from now."

His voice slightly cooled down the frenzied atmosphere in the live stream.

"Let's continue with the present moment."

"Has Zhu Jianshen, who just swiftly deposed Empress Wu, truly now been able to rest easy and control everything?"

Zhu Dijun's tone suddenly changed, becoming somewhat heavy.

"No."

"On the contrary, that deposition of the empress was the limit that he could demonstrate as a new emperor."

"After that, he had to choose temporary... forbearance and compromise."

Images flow across the sky.

Sun Tang, who had just stood firm in the imperial court like an unyielding roly-poly toy, was now packing his bags and being "dismissed" from office and leaving the capital, surrounded by his family.

There was no confiscation of property, and no extermination of the entire clan.

He didn't even face the slightest imprisonment.

"Family members, did you see that?"

"As for Sun Tang, the ghost who was involved in all the conspiracies of his father's reign, Zhu Jianshen's final punishment was merely dismissal from office."

Why?

"Because he has just ascended the throne, his foundation is too weak! The court is full of the mess left by his father, and there are deeply entrenched interest groups everywhere!"

"What's even more deadly is that deep within his harem sat his own mother, Empress Dowager Zhou, who harbored ulterior motives!"

"So, that time, he could only stop there."

This scene caused Zhu Yuanzhang, in the Hongwu era, to frown deeply.

He understands.

For a monarch who is still developing his power, facing a vast interest group, cutting off even one of their outstretched hands is already the limit. Trying to uproot them completely will only backfire.

"This kid's got patience," Old Zhu muttered, a hint of approval in his eyes.

Knowing when to draw one's sword is important, but knowing when to sheath it is even more crucial; that is the mark of an emperor.

"Just two months after deposing Empress Wu, at the renewed 'advice' of Empress Dowager Zhou and the civil official group, Zhu Jianshen married his second empress."

"Wang, daughter of Wang Zhen, Commander of the Left Guard of the Golden Guard."

"This is still a pawn that the civil service group pushed to his side."

There was a hint of sympathy in Zhu Dijun's voice.

"With his grandfather Zhu Zhanji and his father Zhu Qizhen setting examples, family members, how do you think Zhu Jianshen will treat this new empress?"

This time, the comments in the "Modern Live Room" were unusually unanimous.

"Understood! Keep your distance! I will give you the honor and wealth of an empress, but I will never give you the chance to touch me!"

"Absolutely! Would someone be fooled twice after being cheated once? Zhu Zhanji and Zhu Qizhen are prime examples!"

"I even suspect that Zhu Jianshen's later acquisition of numerous concubines and the birth of so many children was a political maneuver! It was to dilute the power of the maternal relatives and prevent any one faction from becoming too powerful!"

Xuande Time and Space.

With a thud, Zhu Zhanji collapsed to the ground, his face ashen.

Looking at his grandson's calm and distant gaze on the sky, and then recalling his own favoritism towards Sun Ruowei back then, he felt as if his heart was being gripped tightly by an invisible hand, causing him unbearable pain.

The mistakes he made, his descendants will have to make up for with a lifetime of vigilance and loneliness!

"Family members, you guessed right."

Zhu Dijun's voice confirmed the audience's guess.

"But what I'm about to say may overturn your understanding once again, especially those family members who have been brainwashed by the History of Ming."

"Historical records say that Consort Wan became arrogant and poisoned the harem, which almost caused Emperor Xianzong to have no heir. In the end, only one son named Zhu Youcheng survived."

"But the truth is..."

Zhu Dijun's voice suddenly rose, like a thunderclap!

"Emperor Xianzong of Ming, Zhu Jianshen, had a total of fourteen sons! This number is second only to Emperor Taizu of Ming, Zhu Yuanzhang, among all the emperors of the Ming Dynasty!"

"And his first prince was born to Wan Zhen'er, who was vilified as a 'venomous woman'!"

boom!

These words plunged all of space and time into a deathly silence once again!

The Chenghua Era.

Zhu Jianshen suddenly stood up, his body trembling violently with excitement.

He stared intently at the sky, his eyes bloodshot!

He doesn't care if the whole world criticizes him!

People say he's muddleheaded, but he doesn't care!

But this is the only thing!

They, however, framed the woman he loved most for the death of the child he had risked his life to save!

This was his lifelong pain! His lifelong hatred!

Wan Zhen'er was already in tears. She held Zhu Jianshen's hand tightly, feeling the violent trembling in his palm, and her heart was breaking.

"Family members, you might ask, why would an emperor who fathered fourteen sons, an emperor who has just demonstrated his ruthless methods, still be considered a puppet?"

Zhu Dijun didn't give everyone much time to process the information and directly posed a deeper question.

"Because, at the beginning of his reign, imperial power was truly not in his hands!"

"At that time, power in the Ming Dynasty court was divided among three parties: the maternal relatives led by his mother, Empress Dowager Zhou; the noble families led by Sun Jizong (Sun Tang) and others; and the powerful civil official group!"

"In order to secure his throne, Zhu Jianshen even had to make huge compromises!"

Above the sky, the golden characters reappeared!

In the first year of the Chenghua reign, the Emperor issued an edict to exonerate Yu Qian, a loyal minister of the Jingtai reign.

In the second year of the Chenghua reign, the Emperor issued an edict restoring the titles and honors of Marquis Shi Heng of Wuqing and others who had been purged during the Tumu Crisis!

In the scene, Zhu Qizhen's ghostly figure is roaring in agony!

He killed those people with his own hands!

That was his enemy, whom he considered a lifelong disgrace!

But now, in order to survive and to secure the throne that rightfully belonged to him, his son has no choice but to personally restore the reputations of these enemies!

What an irony! What a tragedy!

"Did you see that, family?"

Zhu Dijun's voice, like a knife, dissected that humiliating period of history!

"An emperor who couldn't even avenge his father, an emperor forced to compromise with the accomplices of his father's killer! This is the most accurate portrayal of Zhu Jianshen at the beginning of his reign!"

"It's not that he didn't want to kill, it's that he couldn't! It's not that he didn't want revenge, it's that he lacked the ability to take it!"

"So, he had no choice but to endure it!"

"Endure until he can firmly grasp the Directorate of Ceremonial!"

"Endure until he can cultivate his own power base!"