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

Confucius has fallen from grace, and the Confucian tradition has been stripped bare.

This ideological storm, spearheaded by the heavens, has had a far-reaching impact that has exceeded everyone's expectations.

It is no longer a critique of a particular dynasty or emperor.

It shakes the very foundation of the Chinese civilization, a foundation that has endured for over a thousand years!

Modern time and space.

The internet is already in an uproar.

Countless history enthusiasts, scholars, and ordinary people are discussing it passionately.

Holy crap! Today's livestream was practically like they dug up their ancestors' graves!

Confucius was so enraged by his AI descendants that he vomited blood; the scene was too beautiful to bear! Another famous historical moment added!

I used to think Qin Shi Huang's burning of books and burying of scholars alive was too cruel, but now it seems, First Emperor, you didn't bury enough!

[Confucianism has no loyalty, only flexibility! This summary is brilliant! No wonder there were so many traitors in ancient times; it turns out the guiding ideology was flawed!]

Don't generalize. Didn't Xunzi say, "Follow the Way, not the ruler"? Confucianism has its principles! But, they couldn't withstand the sloppy leadership of those "Dukes of Yansheng" from the Confucius family!

[The truth is out! The superstructure determines ideology! When even the most prominent Confucian figurehead is leading the surrender, how much backbone can you expect from the scholars below?]

The torrent of discussions ultimately converged on a core question:

If the Confucian concept of "loyalty" is unreliable.

So, what should a vast empire rely on to maintain unity and resist foreign aggression?

This same question has been faced by emperors throughout history.

The Qin Dynasty

Ying Zheng stood before the enormous sand table, but his gaze seemed to pierce through time and space, landing on Confucius, who was slumped on the ground.

A sneer of victory played on his lips.

"Law!"

He uttered a single word, his voice as firm and resolute as iron.

"Only the law can be the sole standard for maintaining the empire!"

"The law does not discriminate based on kinship, social status, destiny, or morality!"

"Even a prince is subject to the law if he breaks it!"

"Loyalty to Qin, reward! Betrayal to Qin, punishment!"

"Clear rewards and punishments, and strict adherence to orders! This is what an empire should be like!"

Li Si, standing behind him, bowed deeply, his eyes filled with fervor.

"Your Majesty is wise! Confucianism corrupts public law with private morality and neglects real achievements for empty fame, making it a great scourge to the nation! Only by taking the law as our teaching and officials as our mentors can we forge a foundation for a unified empire that lasts for ten thousand generations!"

Ying Zheng looked at the sky, his eyes becoming incredibly determined.

"What I want to build is an empire of absolute loyalty and absolute obedience!"

"I will stamp the minds of every Qin citizen with the steel seal!"

"The name of this seal is—Da Qin!"

The Great Han Dynasty.

Liu Che's expression, however, was more solemn than ever before.

He suppressed all other schools of thought and exclusively promoted Confucianism in order to consolidate his vast empire with a unified ideology.

But now, the Sky Curtain is telling him that the ideological weapon he chose actually contains a virus of "betrayal"!

"Is Confucianism... really wrong?"

He muttered to himself.

Dong Zhongshu, who was standing to the side, was already so frightened that he knelt on the ground, sweating profusely.

"Your Majesty! The original intention of Confucius' teachings was good! It was only misinterpreted by villains in later generations!"

"The concepts of 'interaction between Heaven and Man' and 'divine right of kings' remain the only ways to consolidate imperial power and intimidate subordinates!"

Liu Che remained silent.

He knew that abolishing Confucianism immediately would plunge the entire empire into ideological chaos.

But the seed of doubt had already been planted in his heart.

"Issue my decree."

He spoke slowly.

"In the Imperial Academy, courses on Legalism, such as the *Legal Canon* and *Han Feizi*, were added and made compulsory!"

"When selecting officials, we must not only examine their understanding of the classics, but also their character, especially... their loyalty to the Han Dynasty!"

"What I need are pillars of the state who can expand the territory of the Han Dynasty and guard the borders!"

"They're not a bunch of spineless cowards who only talk about morality and character, but when it really matters, they'll choose the right path!"

At this moment, the situation of exclusively respecting Confucianism was torn open.

The Legalist school's iron-fisted and pragmatic approach will be reinjected into this vast empire!

The Ming Dynasty, Hongwu Hall.

Zhu Yuanzhang had calmed down from his initial rage.

He looked at the civil officials who were paralyzed on the ground, his eyes no longer filled with pure murderous intent, but with a deep, cold indifference, like a frozen pool.

He knew that killing all these people would be easy.

But if we kill them all, who will govern this country?

Problems of thought must ultimately be solved using methods of thought.

"I understand."

Zhu Yuanzhang spoke slowly, his voice not loud, yet it carried throughout the entire hall.

"Our mistake was trusting these scholars too much."

"We thought that if we gave them wealth and status, they would be grateful."

"We thought that if we let them read the classics, they would learn to be good."

"In the end, we've raised a bunch of traitors who are even better at undermining us than the Mongol Yuan dynasty!"

He stood up, walked to the center of the hall, and scanned everyone with his eyes.

"From this day forward, the Great Ming Dynasty will have new rules!"

"The Great Proclamation should become a compulsory course in the Imperial Academy and even in all schools throughout the land! Every scholar must be able to recite it in its entirety! There will be an examination every year!"

"We must let them know that in our Great Ming Dynasty, 'law' is above 'propriety'!"

"Secondly, reopen the Grand Hall! Our princes and grandsons will study alongside the sons of meritorious officials and talented commoners! They will learn not only the Four Books and Five Classics, but also military strategy, mathematics and geometry, and the art of rulership!"

"Our successor cannot be a pedantic scholar bound by Confucian classics!"

"He must be a knight-errant who knows how to tame these wolves!"

"at last!"

Zhu Yuanzhang's voice suddenly rose, carrying an undeniable authority!

"The Embroidered Uniform Guard needs to be expanded!"

"We must not only supervise the officials, but also the gentry throughout the land!"

"Anyone who monopolizes lawsuits, seizes land, conceals persons, or evades taxes will be severely punished without exception!"

"We must let these self-proclaimed 'pure' scholars know that in our Great Ming Dynasty, no one can stand aside! No one can enjoy privileges outside the law!"

"What I want is a loyal empire!"

"Loyal to our Zhu family, loyal to the Ming Dynasty, and loyal to all the people of the world!"

"Who dares to be disloyal, who dares to betray..."

Zhu Yuanzhang's lips curled into a sinister smile.

"Let's make him and his whole family experience what it's like to be skinned alive!"

At this moment, everyone knew.

A brand new, more iron-fisted, more pragmatic, and more autocratic Ming Dynasty is about to be born!

And above the sky, Zhu Dijun's voice brought this chapter to a timely close.

"Family members, the greatest root cause of national subjugation is the confusion of thought."

"Emperor Taizu Zhu Yuanzhang made three mistakes in his life that were enough to bring about the downfall of the country. But fortunately, he also saw all of this in advance through the heavens."

He still has a chance to make corrections.