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

The era of Hongwu in the Ming Dynasty.

The air inside the Fengtian Hall was so stuffy it was suffocating.

Zhu Yuanzhang stared intently at the image of Zhu Youcheng's tragic death on the dragon bed on the screen, his eyes bloodshot.

He stopped smashing things as he had before and instead slumped down on the dragon throne in dejection.

The decisive and ruthless founding emperor of the Ming Dynasty had a face full of deep regret and disappointment at this moment.

He slapped his thigh hard, the sound echoing in the empty hall.

"Why!"

"All our efforts have been in vain!"

"What are you pretending to be so righteous for now!"

Zhu Yuanzhang pointed at his great-grandson, who had already stopped breathing, on the sky and began to curse.

"Now that you have taken control of the three major camps and have already dispatched an imperial inspector."

"After killing that wicked woman Zhang, just send the army to the Zhang family mansion and kill the Zhang brothers!"

"Why bother with all that ridiculous formality of impeaching officials with censors!"

"Now that we think about it, we can see how big a hole Zhu Youcheng dug for the later emperors of the Ming Dynasty after his failure!"

"He handed the knife to the civil official and the empress's relative, then stuck his own neck out!"

It wasn't just Zhu Yuanzhang; other powerful emperors across countless worlds and timelines reacted in the same way.

Yongle Time and Space.

Zhu Di looked up to the sky and sighed. The great opportunity to turn the tide had been completely lost because of the emperor's momentary leniency.

Zhengde Era.

Zhu Houzhao knelt on the ground, crying his heart out.

He finally understood why the Ming Dynasty he had taken over was so rotten.

Because his father, before he died, played all the cards he could get away with!

Above the sky.

Zhu Dijun's face was as cold as iron as he typed on the keyboard, bringing up a brand new document.

"Alright, family."

"What I just said about dying while riding the wave of success is just a general summary of Zhu Youcheng's final fate."

"Let's go into more detail."

"This also serves as a detailed reference for those who enjoy writing novels about the history of the Ming Dynasty, as well as for those who are meticulous about historical research."

"Let's see what kind of cards Emperor Xiaozong played before his death, and how he played them so badly."

The timeline on the screen is frozen in January of the eighteenth year of the Hongzhi reign.

There were only three months left before Zhu Youcheng was poisoned to death.

"At the end of the seventeenth year of the Hongzhi reign, Zhu Youcheng ordered his subordinates to impeach his brother-in-law Zhang Heling and his uncle Zhou Shou."

"This marks his formal declaration of war against his maternal relatives."

"Then, at the beginning of the eighteenth year of the Hongzhi reign, he launched a heavy blow against the civil service group."

"He ordered the Ministry of Personnel, together with the Censorate, to conduct an unprecedentedly rigorous examination of all officials in the country."

"That is, the famous 'Capital Inspection' and 'Grand Assessment' of the Ming Dynasty."

Zhu Dijun tapped the screen heavily with his finger.

A series of shocking data instantly filled the entire live stream screen.

"Family members, take a look at this assessment report."

"Including the Guangxi Provincial Governor, who was a third-rank official, a total of 802 people were identified as old and frail, and were simply not suitable to continue working."

"698 people were found to have extremely improper work conduct, spending their days either making money or visiting brothels."

"318 people were characterized as having severely insufficient work ability and were simply useless people who occupy positions without doing their jobs."

"In addition, five other people have been found guilty of embezzlement and abuse of power."

"The most outrageous and chilling thing is that 16 fugitive criminals disguised themselves as officials of the Ming Dynasty!"

Zhu Dijun's voice suddenly rose, filled with extreme anger.

"In this assessment, Zhu Youcheng disciplined a total of 1836 officials in one go!"

"Family members, 1836 people!"

"This is just what's been uncovered; how many more haven't been discovered yet?"

"Look what these corrupt officials have done to the Ming Dynasty's officialdom!"

In the modern live streaming room, the barrage of comments flew by like snowflakes.

"Holy crap! Fugitives can become officials? Were the political vetting processes in the Ming Dynasty done with their feet?"

"More than 1,800 incompetent and corrupt officials—is this the Hongzhi Restoration touted in history books?"

"This isn't ZTE; this is clearly a large-scale criminal gang committing legal robbery!"

"I finally understand. Civil officials control the narrative. Even if they're a pile of shit, they can be portrayed as a gold nugget in history books!"

On the sky, Zhu Dijun's gaze sharpened, locking onto the name that was highly praised in history books.

"From this assessment data, we can clearly see through a person."

"That's Ma Wensheng, the Minister of Personnel, who was praised by scholars as one of the 'upright gentlemen'!"

A portrait of Ma Wensheng appeared in the center of the screen.

Kind-faced and upright.

But with Zhu Dijun's explanation, this facade of hypocrisy was instantly torn to shreds.

What does the Ministry of Personnel do?

"It's responsible for evaluating and promoting officials throughout the country!"

"How could Ma Wensheng, as the Minister of Personnel, not know that a fugitive could openly become an official in the Ming Dynasty?"

"With hundreds of incompetent and corrupt individuals promoted to key positions, how could Ma Wensheng's hands be clean?"

"That old bastard is not only culpable, he's clearly protecting criminals!"

"He engaged in extremely shady and clandestine practices in the appointment and selection of officials, turning official positions in the Ming Dynasty into bargaining chips for private transactions within his civil service group!"

History records say he was a famous minister.

"Pah!"

"He's a complete and utter beast among officials!"

The Yongle Era of the Ming Dynasty.

Zhu Di was so angry that he trembled all over and kicked over the bronze crane incense burner in front of him.

"Ma Wensheng!"

"What a fine Minister of Personnel!"

"I established the Ministry of Personnel to select talented individuals to govern the Ming Dynasty."

"What's worse, he's turned the imperial court into a den of thieves!"

"Even fugitives can wear my official robes, is there no law left in this Ming Dynasty?"

Zhu Di turned to look at the assembled officials behind him, his eyes revealing a murderous intent.

"Investigate for me!"

"Now, within the Ministry of Personnel, there are all those who engage in such underhanded dealings, all those who protect criminals."

"Regardless of who is involved, skin them alive, stuff them with straw, and hang them outside the Ministry of Personnel!"

The universe follows the natural order.

Zhu Qizhen stared at Ma Wensheng on the screen, gritting his teeth in anger.

He favored Wang Zhen back then, and at least Wang Zhen knew how to help him consolidate military power.

These civil officials, on the contrary, have directly sold out the foundation of the country.

"hypocrite!"

"They're all a bunch of hypocrites who spout platitudes about morality and righteousness!"

On the screen above, Zhu Dijun's revelations continued.

"Family members, the handling of these 1836 officials is just the first wave of Zhu Youcheng's counterattack."

"What truly made the civil service group feel like the end of the world was what happened next was a shocking case."

"This case has directly torn away the fig leaf covering up the true nature of the Ming Dynasty's military and financial systems!"

"It was precisely this case that ultimately forced the civil officials and the imperial harem to join forces and issue a kill order against Zhu Youcheng!"

The scene on the screen instantly shifted from the bustling capital city to the towering mountains in the northwest of the capital.

There lies a secret that could shake the very foundations of the Ming Dynasty.