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

The chat screen in the live stream across the entire network experienced a sudden and abrupt halt for ten seconds.

Then, a flood of question marks and profanities rolled across the screen. The biggest beneficiary of Yan Song's downfall wasn't the Ming Dynasty court, the common people, or even the exploitative Jiajing Emperor in the Western Garden, but rather the Qingliu clique led by Xu Jie?!

"Holy crap! Really?!"

"Jun-ge, your angle is too weird! Doesn't the history book say that Xu Jie was a loyal minister who endured hardship and rectified the chaos?"

"That's right! If Xu Jie hadn't brought down Yan Song, the Ming Dynasty would have perished long ago!"

"Immaculate? Aren't they all saints spouting platitudes about benevolence and morality?"

On the right side of the live stream, a bullet comment with a gold prestigious logo floated past in a very eye-catching way.

A user with the ID "Guardian of Ming History" commented: "[Answerer, don't resort to nihilism just to grab attention. Xu Jie endured humiliation for eighteen years, even sacrificing his granddaughter—what a magnificent act of forbearance! To portray the rectification of wrongs as a power struggle is an insult to historical figures!]"

Zhu Dijun stared at the golden barrage of comments, his eyelids twitching twice.

He grabbed the whiteboard eraser, wiped the whiteboard behind him clean, and then threw it into the wastebasket in the corner with a thud.

"Insulting historical figures?"

Zhu Dijun rested his hands on the edge of the holographic control panel, staring intently at the camera.

"To my fellow members of the 'Guardians of Ming History' group, today I'll teach you how to read the official records of the Ming Dynasty from an adult's perspective!"

He pressed the Enter key on the keyboard, and a huge network of relationships appeared on the large screen.

"Let's skip the formalities and go straight to the 'Veritable Records of Emperor Shizong of Ming.' It lavishes praise on Xu Jie, calling him the mastermind behind 'Heaven's aversion to the Yan faction and the Emperor's absolute decision-making.' Ladies and gentlemen, who the hell compiled the Veritable Records? It was compiled by Xu Jie and Zhang Juzheng, those victors!"

Zhu Dijun picked up an infrared laser pointer and drew a large circle over Xu Jie's name.

"Let's use a purely Machiavellian conspiracy theory perspective to dissect this so-called battle between loyalty and treachery. This wasn't some treacherous official falling out of favor; it was a power struggle, meticulously planned and perfectly executed by the opposition power group led by Xu Jie and Zhang Juzheng, who had endured for over a decade, using the sword of imperial power and the cover of divine will!"

The holographic projection split screen shows Yan Song and his son on the left and Xu Jie on the right.

"The setup. The official records clearly state that from Xu Jie's entry into the cabinet to Yan Song's downfall, a full eighteen years passed. What was he doing during those eighteen years? In four words—being subservient and self-protective. What does that mean? Playing the subservient role!"

Zhu Dijun speaks extremely fast, creating a very imposing atmosphere.

"Xu Jie married his own granddaughter to Yan Shifan's son! This is called a political marriage, using one's own flesh and blood as a hostage to gain the absolute trust of Yan's faction. Yan Shifan is usually arrogant and domineering, daring to point his finger at and curse even the Minister of the Six Ministries. Xu Jie, the Second Grand Secretary, not only doesn't impeach him, but also sends more generous gifts than anyone else when the Yan family holds celebrations or festivals!"

Some people in the live chat said it was to save their lives.

Zhu Dijun directly denied it:

"Save your life my ass! This is called long-term undercover work!"

He pulled a file from under the podium and slammed it onto the table.

"The Jiajing Emperor was extremely suspicious. When he asked Xu Jie for his opinion on state affairs, Xu Jie's answers always followed a fixed formula. He would first lavishly praise Yan Song's loyalty and diligence, then use extremely minor details to add what he considered to be shortcomings. He never engaged in any direct conflict with Yan Song. Even when Yang Jisheng, Shen Lian, and their ilk were executed for submitting memorials criticizing Yan Song, Xu Jie didn't utter a single word!"

Zhu Dijun extended his index finger and tapped his temple.

"Use your brain! Would a truly upright and incorruptible official stand idly by and watch a loyal minister beheaded by Yan Shifan? Xu Jie's goal wasn't to overthrow Yan Song and uphold justice; he wanted to take his place! He wanted to seize the position of imperial proxy held by the Yan faction. He was waiting—waiting for Yan Song to make a mistake, waiting for Jiajing to lose patience with the Yan faction, waiting for that opportune moment to deliver a fatal blow!"

A parallel Chongzhen era of the Ming Dynasty.

The old, crooked tree on Coal Hill swayed in the cold wind. Zhu Youjian wrapped his tattered cotton robe tighter around himself, his eyes red as he gazed at the sky.

"Her gentleness and allure are self-evident...waiting for the right moment to take her place..."

Chongzhen's voice was hoarse, like two rough stones rubbing against each other.

He recalled the Donglin Party members in his court. When Wei Zhongxian was in power, these scholars addressed him as "Nine Thousand Years Old" more sweetly than anyone else, practically wanting to build him a shrine. But as soon as he ascended the throne, they immediately turned their guns on the eunuch faction, ruthlessly persecuting them, and then naturally seized all the important positions in the court.

And then what? Did they manage the Ming Dynasty well? No. They abolished commercial and industrial taxes, increased the Liaodong tax, and pushed the country into an abyss.

"They are all hypocrites who will stop at nothing to gain power."

Zhu Youjian dug at the dirt on the ground, his fingernails broke and black blood flowed from them.

"A breath of fresh air...what a breath of fresh air! All he talks about are natural principles and human desires, but all he's thinking about is business!"

A parallel Hongwu era of the Ming Dynasty.

Zhu Yuanzhang sat upright on the dragon throne in the Fengtian Hall, his face taut with the fat on his cheeks.

"Using his own granddaughter as a pledge of allegiance to a treacherous official. How can such a spineless person become the Grand Secretary of the Ming Dynasty?!"

Zhu Yuanzhang snorted coldly, and the temperature in the main hall plummeted.

Having risen through the ranks from the bottom, Zhu Yuanzhang valued integrity above all else. Xu Da and Chang Yuchun were both men of unwavering integrity. In Zhu Yuanzhang's eyes, someone like Xu Jie, who climbed to a high position by sacrificing family ties and feigning ignorance, was less than a dog.

"This kind of cunning, kind-faced but ruthless old fox, once he takes power, is even more terrifying than Yan Song."

Zhu Yuanzhang turned to look at Zhu Biao, pointing to the sky.

"Biao'er, remember this: in officialdom, the more mild-mannered and agreeable a gentleman is, the more poisonous the knife he often holds. Because you never know when he might stab you in the heart from behind."

On the sky, Zhu Dijun's scalpel had already cut into the next layer of history's texture.

"For eighteen years, Xu Jie lay low, gathering countless incriminating facts about Yan Xishan's faction, but he never made a move. Until November of the fortieth year of the Jiajing reign, Heaven sent him a great gift!"

The screen transformed into a sea of ​​fire. The wooden structures of the Forbidden City collapsed in the flames.

"A fire broke out in Yongshou Palace! The Jiajing Emperor fled overnight and was forced to temporarily reside in Yuxi Palace."

Zhu Dijun held a laser pointer and pointed it at two memorials. "The house burned down, and the Emperor had nowhere to stay. At this time, Jiajing summoned the Grand Secretary Yan Song and the Second Grand Secretary Xu Jie and asked them what to do."

Judy clapped her hands, her laughter utterly sarcastic.

"Here comes the iconic scene! Yan Song is already over eighty years old, his brain has atrophied, and he's senile! He actually gave Jiajing a terrible idea that could lead to the execution of nine generations of his family—he suggested that the emperor move to the Southern Palace!"

A few question marks appeared sporadically in the live stream chat, many people didn't understand what was wrong with Nangong.

What kind of place is Nangong?

Zhu Dijun placed his hands on the edge of the podium, leaning forward, "Our Great Ming's War God, Zhu Qizhen, was captured by the Oirats during the Tumu Crisis. Later, his younger brother, the Jingtai Emperor, ascended the throne. After Zhu Qizhen was released, the Jingtai Emperor imprisoned this retired emperor in the Southern Palace! He was only released during the Coup of the Gate!"

The entire audience gasped.

"What did the Jiajing Emperor fear most in his life? He feared being controlled! He feared losing power! Yan Song, what's the difference between you making him live in the Southern Palace and pointing your finger at Jiajing and saying 'You're under house arrest'?!"

On the big screen, Jiajing's originally gloomy face instantly became distorted and deformed.

"This is a nuclear landmine within a political red line! Yan Song stepped right into it. But it's worth noting..." Zhu Dijun raised a finger, his gaze sharp.

"Yan Song has become senile and forgotten this. Xu Jie, the second prime minister, is even more shrewd than the most cunning of the three. Do you think he wouldn't know the political implications of the Southern Palace?"

He drew an arrow on the whiteboard, pointing directly from Xu Jie to Yan Song's heart.

"Xu Jie certainly knew! But he stood right there, not saying a word. He watched Yan Song say those words and saw Jiajing's face turn pale."

"Afterwards, Xu Jie delivered a fatal blow!" Zhu Dijun grabbed a file containing a simulated memorial and waved it around.

"He secretly submitted a memorial to the Jiajing Emperor, which contained only one sentence: 'Yan Song's order for Your Majesty to move to the Southern Palace is an attempt to imprison the Supreme Emperor; he harbors treacherous intentions!'"