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

The atmosphere in the live stream room remained heavy.

Zhu Dijun picked up the water glass on the table and drank half a glass of warm water in large gulps.

He slammed the water glass down on the table with a thud.

"Family members, we are now officially entering the Zhengde era of the Ming Dynasty."

"Go and see that tyrannical and debauched ruler who was vilified in history books and misunderstood by countless people in later generations—Emperor Wuzong of Ming, Zhu Houzhao."

The image on the screen began to reverse.

Time was frozen in May of the eighteenth year of the Hongzhi reign.

That was a month filled with bloodshed and intrigue.

"After Emperor Xiaozong of Ming, Zhu Youcheng, was poisoned to death by his wife, who was a 'three-way intermediary' (a term referring to someone who is skilled in diplomacy and communication), in collusion with Liu Wentai, a physician from Jiangxi."

"The young Crown Prince Zhu Houzhao sat on that cold dragon throne under the watchful eyes of the entire court."

"He inherited a mess that was completely infiltrated by the civil service, where relatives of the empress dowager were rampant and domineering, and where the national treasury was empty."

Zhu Dijun's fingers tapped rapidly on the keyboard.

A top-secret document from the Ming Dynasty Records was projected onto a large screen.

"These old foxes in the civil service don't take this young emperor seriously at all."

"Only six days after Zhu Houzhao ascended the throne!"

"Note that this is the sixth day!"

"The late emperor's body is not yet cold, and the new emperor has not yet warmed his throne."

"The civil service couldn't wait to deliver an extremely bloody blow to their new master!"

The era of Hongwu in the Ming Dynasty.

Zhu Yuanzhang gripped the edge of the imperial desk tightly.

The knuckles turned white from excessive force.

He stared intently at the sky, his eyes blazing with fury.

They dared to make a move on the sixth day.

These civil officials are absolutely arrogant! Are they taking advantage of the Zhu family's lack of talent?

On the sky, Zhu Dijun's voice carried a chilling edge.

"A bizarre war broke out in Xuanfu, the gateway to the capital and one of the nine important border towns in history."

"According to the official records of the Ming Wuzong Emperor."

"The Tatars suddenly launched a large-scale invasion of the border, attacking Xuanfu."

"At that time, Zhang Jun, the general of Datong, led 20,000 elite Ming border troops to meet the enemy."

"This battle was extremely fierce."

"But the final outcome of the battle was chilling."

A list of fallen generals appeared on the screen.

The names above were circled in bright red cinnabar, a shocking sight.

"Huang Zhen, Deputy Commander-in-Chief of Datong, has been killed in battle!"

"Zhang Xiong, the guerrilla general of Xuanfu, has died in battle!"

"Two thousand one hundred and sixty ordinary soldiers of the Ming army were killed in action, and one thousand one hundred and fifty were seriously wounded!"

"The losses of warhorses, weapons, provisions, and other valuables are incalculable!"

This battle is known in historical records as the "Defeat at Yutailing"!

The moment these words were uttered, an uproar swept through countless worlds and timelines.

Yongle Time and Space.

Zhu Di drew his long sword directly from his waist.

The sword's edge points straight to the sky.

"Twenty thousand elite troops fought a defensive battle, yet they lost over three thousand men!"

"They also lost a deputy commander-in-chief and a guerrilla general!"

"What exactly did Zhang Jun, the General of Datong, do?"

"Is he a pig?!"

The era of the Zhengde reign of the Ming Dynasty.

Zhu Houzhao stood on the steps of the Leopard House.

Blood was still dripping from the embroidered spring knife in his hand.

He stared at the death toll displayed on the screen, his teeth grinding together.

He will never forget that day.

He had just put on the dragon robe and hadn't yet had time to get used to his identity as emperor.

Liu Daxia, the Minister of War, knelt in the Qianqing Palace, weeping bitterly, holding the blood-stained battle report.

The entire court was pressuring him to issue an edict of self-reproach.

Everyone was pressuring him to completely hand over military power to the Ministry of War.

In the modern live stream room, the screen was instantly flooded with comments from viewers.

"Damn it! Even a fool could tell it's the civil service pulling the strings again!"

"They're incredibly adept at fabricating border conflicts and using others to do their dirty work!"

"The deputy commander and the guerrilla general who died in battle were definitely members of the Imperial Party!"

"The border troops are in a terrible state. They have long lost their function of protecting the country and have become cannon fodder and tools for the civil service to fight for power!"

Zhu Dijun looked at the scrolling comments on the screen.

He nodded approvingly.

"It seems that our viewers have become very politically astute."

"Everyone saw through the trickery behind this battle at a glance."

"That's right, this battle is strange in every way."

"But what's even stranger is how the young Zhu Houzhao reacted to this sudden and devastating defeat."

The scene on the screen switched to the Qianqing Palace.

The young Zhu Houzhao sat on the dragon throne.

Faced with pressure from his ministers, he neither panicked nor complied with issuing an edict of self-reproach.

His eyes were as cold as ice.

"Zhu Houzhao simply did not follow the script of the civil service group."

"He bypassed the cabinet and the Ministry of War, issuing an extremely forceful imperial edict."

"He ordered Zhu Hui, the Duke of Baoguo, who was also the most trusted military general of his father Zhu Youcheng, to lead the elite troops of the Beijing Garrison to provide immediate support to Xuanfu!"

"Not only that."

"Zhu Houzhao also concentrated the military power of the nine extremely important border towns of Xuanfu, Datong, and Yansui into the hands of Zhu Hui alone!"

"The most fatal thing is..."

Zhu Dijun slammed his hand on the table, his voice impassioned.

Before Zhu Hui departed, Zhu Houzhao granted him a special privilege!

"Act first, report later!"

"No matter who it is, anyone who dares to delay battles at the border, withhold military pay, or even disobey orders will be punished."

"The knife in Zhu Hui's hand can easily sever his head without reporting to the capital!"

The era of Hongwu in the Ming Dynasty.

Zhu Yuanzhang's tightly furrowed brows finally relaxed a little.

He slapped his thigh hard.

"Good lad!"

"This is the true bloodline of our Zhu family!"

"If you encounter trouble, don't run away. Just hand the knife to the person you trust most and let them go and chop down those troublemaking beasts!"

On the sky, a mocking sneer curled at the corner of Zhu Dijun's mouth.

"Family members, what happens next is truly magical realism."

"When Duke Zhu Hui, the Duke of Baoguo, arrived in Xuanfu with the capital's army, wielding the imperial sword that allowed him to execute first and report later, he was in a very aggressive manner."

"Guess what?"

"In October of that year, a fierce battle took place that resulted in heavy casualties for the Ming army, with even the deputy commander-in-chief losing his life."

"It was lifted just like that, so inexplicably!"

"The Tatars vanished as if they'd evaporated into thin air, leaving no trace!"

"Not even a ghost left behind!"

The live stream room was completely silent.

Everyone was stunned by the illogical course of the war.

Zhu Dijun leaned back in his chair.

Cross your arms in front of your chest.

His gaze pierced through the screen, looking directly at every corner of the myriad worlds and timelines.

"Alright, family."

"I have finished recounting the events of the defeat at Yutailing, which is recorded in black and white in history books."

"Have you noticed anything?"