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

Faced with Jiang Chong's relentless pressure and blatant framing, Crown Prince Liu Ju finally realized that patience and concession would not bring him innocence, but only death.

Zhu Dijun's voice was deep and powerful.

"He wanted to confront his father, but Jiang Chong's faction had already blocked all roads leading to Ganquan Palace."

"He was like a bird trapped in a cage, struggling but unable to escape the cage that his father had built himself."

"In desperation, Liu Ju's teacher, Shi De, gave him an idea."

On the sky, the image of an old minister appeared.

[Crown Prince's Junior Tutor: Shi De]

He advised Liu Ju, "Previously, Chancellor Gongsun He and his son, the two princesses, and Wei Qing's eldest son were all killed in the witchcraft case. Now, the treacherous minister Jiang Chong has dug up a wooden figurine from the palace; we have no way to prove our innocence!"

"The only solution now is to forge an imperial edict, arrest Jiang Chong and his faction, imprison and interrogate them, and expose their conspiracy!"

"Then, I will personally go to Ganquan Palace to apologize to His Majesty!"

"Family members, is this plan risky? Yes, it is!"

"But this was Liu Ju's only way to survive at the time!"

Zhu Dijun's tone became agitated.

"He's not trying to rebel! He's trying to save himself!"

"What he needs to do is not overthrow his father, but eliminate the treacherous officials around him! This is called 'purging the court of corrupt officials'!"

The Ming Dynasty, the fifteenth year of the Yongle reign.

Upon seeing this, Zhu Di slapped his thigh, his eyes flashing with intense resonance.

"Yes! That's the right way!"

"Purge the court of corrupt officials! Resolve the national crisis!"

"This Liu Ju, at least he still has some backbone! It would be truly pathetic to let Jiang Chong slaughter him like this!"

He seemed to see himself in the past, also driven to the brink of despair, also fighting his way out under the banner of "purging the emperor's inner circle".

The Great Tang Dynasty, Taiji Hall.

Li Shimin nodded slightly, his eyes filled with complex emotions.

"Put yourself in a desperate situation, and you will survive. This plan is risky, but it is the only way to break the deadlock."

"However, to raise an army by forging an imperial edict is a heinous crime. If it fails, there will be no redemption."

His thoughts seemed to return to that blood-red morning, in front of Xuanwu Gate, where he made a life-changing decision.

The video continued playing above the sky.

"Therefore, Liu Ju adopted his teacher's advice. He sent men to impersonate the emperor's envoys, break into Jiang Chong's residence, and arrest him."

"After Jiang Chong was arrested, he remained arrogant and domineering, and cursed the Crown Prince for treason."

"Our Crown Prince Liu Ju, the heir apparent known for his benevolence, did the most decisive and 'outrageous' thing in his life."

"He personally oversaw the execution, angrily rebuking Jiang Chong: 'You slave from Zhao! Haven't you brought trouble to my father and me enough?' Then, he ordered Jiang Chong to be executed!"

"Not only that, he also burned to death those Hu sorcerers who had committed evil deeds with Jiang Chong."

"This is truly gratifying!"

Zhu Dijun's voice was filled with joy.

"After killing the treacherous minister, Liu Ju's army took control of Chang'an and confronted the army of Chancellor Liu Quli."

"He opened the armory and armed the citizens. He announced to the officials that the emperor was surrounded by treacherous officials and that he was raising an army to rescue him."

"However, tragically, his opponent was Chancellor Liu Quli."

"And this prime minister happened to be Emperor Wu of Han's nephew, and the son-in-law of General Li Guangli."

"In Liu Quli's view, the Crown Prince was rebelling! He immediately mobilized a large army to besiege the Crown Prince."

"A plot instigated by a treacherous official ultimately escalated into a bloody civil war that stained Chang'an!"

The scene depicts a fierce battle raging in Chang'an, with shouts of battle deafening the heavens.

On one side was the Crown Prince's army, which was fighting under the banner of "purging the emperor's corrupt advisors".

On the other side was the Prime Minister's army, which was fighting under the banner of "suppressing the rebellion".

The two sides engaged in a bloody battle that lasted for five days in the streets and alleys of Chang'an.

Countless soldiers and innocent civilians fell in pools of blood.

The once bustling capital city has been transformed into a living hell.

"In the end, due to the disparity in strength and because the crown prince was unwilling to escalate the situation, his army was defeated."

"Liu Ju fled Chang'an in panic with his two sons."

"Empress Wei Zifu, who had been with Emperor Wu of Han for nearly fifty years and had given birth to his eldest son, committed suicide in the palace in despair after learning that her son had been defeated in battle and could not clear his name."

The image on the screen freezes on the desolate silhouette of Wei Zifu hanging herself.

In the Weiyang Palace, Liu Che was struck dumb, as if by lightning.

Zifu...

His son-in-law...

The woman who once shared his youth, with a radiant smile.

The empress who stabilized his harem and served as the mother of the nation.

He actually... committed suicide?

He staggered back a few steps and fell heavily onto the dragon throne, his eyes instantly becoming bloodshot.

A piercing, excruciating pain spread from the deepest part of his heart, almost suffocating him.

He recalled the beauty of their first meeting, the joy of her giving birth to Liu Ju, and her gentle and virtuous companionship over the decades…

Scene after scene, like sharp knives, repeatedly cut into his heart.

"No...no..."

He let out a low, beast-like growl, his voice hoarse and desperate.

He couldn't accept that he had personally driven the woman he loved most to her death!

The narrative from the sky continues, like a dull knife, slowly torturing his soul.

After his defeat, Liu Ju fled to Hu County and hid in a poor family.

"However, local officials quickly discovered his whereabouts and led troops to surround and capture him."

Knowing he had nowhere to escape, and to avoid the humiliation of capture, Liu Ju, the former heir to the Han Empire, secluded himself in a simple room...

"He hanged himself."

"His two sons were also killed."

"At this point, all of Crown Prince Liu Ju's family members, except for his infant grandson Liu Bingyi, who was discovered by government soldiers and survived, perished tragically."

Above the sky, the scene turned gray.

Only the cold corpse of the prince hanging from the roof beam, and the two small corpses beside it, seemed so glaring and so tragic.

The most noble bloodline of the Han Dynasty was thus severed in the most humiliating way.

"Li" (戾).

Zhu Dijun's voice was filled with endless sorrow.

"This is the posthumous title that Emperor Wu of Han later gave to Liu Ju."

“Those who are ‘violent’ do not regret their past mistakes and do not think about following the right path.”

"Even at the very end, this great emperor still believed that his son had committed an unforgivable sin."

"A colossal miscarriage of justice, a tragic tale of father and son killing each other, has thus come to an end in the most devastating way."

"This is a wound on the Great Han Empire that will never heal."

silence.

A deathly silence.

All time and space, all emperors, all common people, fell silent.

As they gazed at the tragic ending in the sky, their hearts were filled with indescribable oppression and sorrow.

In the Qin Dynasty, Ying Zheng closed his eyes and let out a long sigh.

He thought of his son, Fusu. If it weren't for the appearance of the Heavenly Curtain, Fusu's fate would probably not have been much better.

Mutual distrust between father and son is a great tragedy for the nation.

In the Weiyang Palace, Liu Che stared blankly at the sky.

Tears silently streamed down the face of this iron-fisted emperor.

He saw it.

He saw it with his own eyes.

He saw his wife's desperate back, his son's cold body, and his grandchildren's small, lifeless faces.

His home is gone.

He destroyed it with his own hands.

"ah--!"

A roar so shrill it was inhuman came from Liu Che's mouth.

He suddenly spat out a mouthful of blood, staining the dragon-patterned table in front of him red.

He doesn't have swine fever.

He's gone mad.

Driven to madness by endless regret and pain.