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

Above the sky, the "declaration of rebellion" from the Ming Dynasty's civil officials was like a red-hot branding iron, deeply imprinted on the hearts of all emperors in the myriad realms.

Northern Song Dynasty, the first year of the Kaibao era.

Zhao Kuangyin's face was more grim than ever before.

He eliminated the threat to imperial power posed by those arrogant and unruly generals through a "banquet to release military power," and was preparing to implement the national policy of "using civil officials to control the military" in a sweeping manner.

In his view, this group of warriors who only knew how to wield swords and spears were the empire's greatest threat.

But now, the scene in the sky has given him a resounding slap in the face!

What did he see?

He saw an emperor who had been completely sidelined by the civil service and was even forced to resort to assassination to solve problems!

He saw a group of interests that had persisted for thousands of years, and their deep-seated arrogance and contempt when facing imperial power!

"The safety and well-being of the nation remains uncertain..."

Zhao Kuangyin chewed on these words repeatedly, a chill running from the soles of his feet straight to the top of his head.

These scholars were a hundred times more ruthless and dangerous than his generals who only knew how to drink and eat meat!

Military generals rebelling is an open and honest affair, known to all.

But scholars kill people by using memorials of "loyalty to the emperor and love for the country" and reasons of "serving the country and the people" to push you into an abyss of no return!

They don't even need to lift a finger; they can stir up the winds of change and have border generals "purge the court of corrupt officials" for them!

"Well... well, what a civil service group!"

Zhao Kuangyin's fists were clenched tightly beneath his dragon robe.

He originally thought he had closed a door to hell.

Little did he know that he had opened another door, one that was more hidden and more deadly!

"Issue my decree!"

Zhao Kuangyin's voice trembled slightly, almost imperceptibly.

Tell Zhao Pu!

"From this day forward, a new article shall be added to the laws of my Great Song Dynasty!"

"Punishment must be carried out by a high-ranking official!"

The eunuch beside him trembled, almost thinking he had misheard.

The law does not apply to high-ranking officials, and etiquette does not apply to commoners.

This has been the rule since ancient times, and it is the foundation for maintaining the dignity of the scholar-official class!

Is Your Majesty... going to make an enemy of all scholars in the land?

But Zhao Kuangyin's eyes were incredibly firm.

He had already seen the future of his descendants in Zhu Jianshen's tragedy.

If, at the very beginning of the dynasty, the harshest laws were not used to put the strongest shackles on this beast called "civil officials," then...

Then, sooner or later, the Zhao family's empire will be devoured completely by this beast!

……

During the Zhenguan era of the Tang Dynasty.

The atmosphere inside the Taiji Hall was extremely oppressive.

Li Shimin's gaze slowly swept over the kneeling officials below.

Fang Xuanling, Du Ruhui, Changsun Wuji...

Each and every one of them was a trusted and indispensable minister to him.

But at this moment, in his eyes, the figures of these people slowly overlapped with those Ming Dynasty civil officials who were forcing Zhu Jianshen to abdicate on the sky.

He thought of his Xuanwu Gate.

It also reminded me of the fallen Sui Dynasty.

While Yang Guang's death was certainly due to his own tyranny, the influence of powerful clans and aristocratic families was also a significant factor behind it.

Guanlong Group, Shandong gentry, Jiangnan aristocracy...

They are like giant leeches clinging to the empire, sucking its blood every day. Once the emperor's actions infringe upon their interests, they will not hesitate to push the empire to its destruction!

Auxiliary machine.

Li Shimin's voice revealed no emotion.

"What do you think of my sword compared to Emperor Ming Xianzong's Western Depot?"

Changsun Wuji's heart skipped a beat, and cold sweat instantly soaked his back.

He could hear the undisguised suspicion and murderous intent in the emperor's words!

"Your Majesty... Your Majesty's divine might is unparalleled in later generations."

"Yeah?"

Li Shimin smiled, but that smile caused the temperature in the entire hall to drop suddenly.

"I feel that my sword has become somewhat dull."

"So dull that some people have forgotten whether the head on their necks belongs to the Li, Cui, or Wang families!"

Five surnames and seven prominent families!

These four words weighed heavily on Li Shimin's heart, like four towering mountains.

He knew that these deeply entrenched powerful families were the biggest hidden danger to his Li Tang dynasty!

The sky gave him the most profound warning.

……

The Qin Dynasty, Xianyang Palace.

Ying Zheng slowly closed his eyes, his fingers rhythmically tapping the bronze table in front of him.

"No solution..."

He uttered two words softly.

From enfeoffment to prefectures and counties, from nobles to bureaucrats.

He believed that he had designed a perfect system that could be passed down for generations.

But the history displayed on the sky told him a cruel truth.

As long as power is exercised by people, interest groups will inevitably emerge.

The only difference is whether this group is a "powerful clan" bound by blood ties or a "civil service group" bound by teachers, students, fellow townsmen, or classmates.

They are all the same in essence.

That is, to seize imperial power, monopolize the country, and turn the entire world into their own private property!

"Li Si".

"Your subject is here."

"Tell me, can the laws of my Great Qin prevent future generations from using the safety of the realm to coerce their rulers?"

Li Si remained silent.

He knew that Qin law was harsh, but Qin law was ultimately used to control "subjects".

When those people on the sky tied themselves to "the world," they had already transcended the category of "subjects."

They placed themselves on par with the emperor!

This is an open conspiracy!

This is a malicious argument that no law can punish!

Looking at the silent Li Si, Ying Zheng suddenly smiled.

"It seems that harsh laws and severe punishments alone are not enough."

His eyes snapped open, revealing an overwhelming aura of dominance capable of burning down six kingdoms!

"I need another sword, one that follows no rules and is not bound by any laws!"

"A sword that belongs only to me!"

"A sword that can teach all those who dare to challenge imperial power the meaning of reverence through fear!"

He seemed to have found the answer in Zhu Jianshen—the answer to breaking the millennia-old deadlock.

Above the sky, Zhu Dijun's voice pulled all the emperors' thoughts back to the imperial court during the Chenghua era.

"Fellow citizens, when the civil service presented the emperor with the double-edged sword of 'rebellion,' they thought they had already won."

"Because in their view, no normal emperor would choose to perish together with the enemy."

"However, they miscalculated one thing."

A cruel smile crept onto Zhu Dijun's lips.

"They were not facing a normal emperor."

"But he's an avenger who crawled out of mountains of corpses and seas of blood, driven mad long ago!"

"Zhu Jianshen has withdrawn the Western Depot's mighty axe, but from his sleeve he has drawn a smaller, yet more deadly, scalpel!"

"What he wants to do is not to cut down the entire forest."

"Instead, we need to precisely sever the central nervous system of this massive corporation!"

The images flow.

The residence of Xiang Zhong, the Minister of War, appeared in the center of the sky.

The man who had just delivered a passionate speech in court, forcing the emperor to abolish the Western Depot, was now at home, drinking and celebrating with several close colleagues.

"Wang Zhi has been eliminated, and the Western Depot has been abolished; all of this is thanks to the efforts of you gentlemen!"

Xiang Zhong was beaming and full of vigor.

In his view, this was not only a victory in impeachment, but also a successful counterattack by the entire civil service group against imperial power!

They proved to the emperor once again who the true master of this empire was!

However, they did not see it.

On the opposite street corner from Xiang Zhong's residence, in an inconspicuous corner.

Several men dressed in ordinary cloth, but with eyes as sharp as hawks, were staring intently at this place.

Their cuffs were all embroidered with an inconspicuous flying fish pattern.

Embroidered Uniform Guard!

"Family members, did you see that?"

Zhu Dijun's voice was full of playfulness.

"On the surface, the emperor abolished the Western Depot, and even Wang Zhi was sent back to the Imperial Horse Stable to reflect on his mistakes behind closed doors."

"He adopted a posture of complete surrender."

"But secretly, he united the long-dormant Embroidered Uniform Guard and the Eastern Depot into one force!"

"They have only one goal!"

Zhu Dijun's finger landed heavily on Xiang Zhong's portrait!

"Xiang Zhong!"

"The emperor did not touch Grand Secretary Shang Lu, nor did he touch those deeply entrenched old ministers."

He only chose one person.

"That one who jumped the highest, shouted the loudest, and had the most dirt on him... the nail that sticks out!"