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

The 15th year of the Yongle reign, Beijing, the Forbidden City.

Zhu Di was so angry that he trembled all over, pointing at the Crown Prince Zhu Gaochi, who was kneeling on the ground and looked equally bewildered.

"explain!"

"Was it you?!"

"Were you hoping we'd die all along, so you could give your father this infamy for all eternity?!"

Zhu Di's voice was filled with boundless killing intent.

He felt that his life was a joke.

In the first half of his life, he was regarded as a traitor by his nephew.

With great difficulty, he proved himself to be "acting in accordance with Heaven's will" and "purging the court of corrupt officials" through live broadcasts by his descendants.

As a result, he was immediately nailed to the pillar of shame as a "usurper" by his own sons and grandsons using the temple name "Chengzu"!

Zhu Gaochi was so frightened that his obese body trembled like a leaf, and he kowtowed repeatedly, rolling and crawling.

"Father! I'm innocent! Your son would never dare! Never dare!"

His voice was choked with sobs.

"To bestow a temple name upon Father Emperor is a matter of great national importance; how could your son dare to treat it so lightly! This... this was absolutely not done by your son!"

Zhu Gaochi was really on the verge of tears.

With his father's temper, if this matter isn't clarified today, he's afraid he'll be beaten to death right here in the Fengtian Hall.

Zhu Di's gaze passed over Zhu Gaochi and landed on the Crown Prince Zhu Zhanji, who was kneeling behind him with a deathly pale face.

"You did that?!"

Zhu Zhanji jolted awake and shook his head vigorously, like a rattle-drum.

"Grandfather! Your grandson has no right! My filial piety towards you is as clear as the sun and moon, how could I possibly give you such a temple name!"

"If that's not you, then who is it?!"

Zhu Di roared, "Could it be that a ghost possessed us?!"

Beside them, Prince Zhu Gaoxu of Han and Prince Zhu Gaosui of Zhao, who had not dared to utter a sound, were trying their best to suppress their laughter.

They huddled in the corner, their shoulders hunched.

That's hilarious!

That's absolutely hilarious!

Watching his older brother and nephew get thoroughly berated by the old man was more satisfying than winning a battle!

Zhu Gaoxu, in particular, was overjoyed.

Should!

I'll make you the crown prince!

Now look what happened, you've got to take the blame for this!

Your father will skin you alive today!

Zhu Di had nowhere to vent his anger, and the atmosphere in the entire hall was extremely oppressive.

……

Meanwhile, the Fengtian Hall in the eleventh year of the Hongwu reign.

Zhu Yuanzhang was chasing after the eighteen-year-old Zhu Di all over the palace.

"Stop right there!"

"You've gone too far! You dare to run away!"

Little Zhu Di ran away crying, shouting, "Father! I didn't! I really didn't!"

Crown Prince Zhu Biao couldn't bear to watch any longer and quickly stepped forward to hug Zhu Yuanzhang around the waist.

"Father! Please calm down! Fourth Brother is still young; he doesn't know anything!"

"This must be some kind of misunderstanding from later generations!"

Zhu Yuanzhang, panting heavily, pointed at the young Zhu Di, who was being protected by Zhu Biao, and roared, "Misunderstanding? There's a misunderstanding about the name 'Chengzu'?!"

"We've seen him have a rebellious streak since he was a child!"

……

The Great Han Dynasty, Weiyang Palace.

Emperor Gaozu of Han, Liu Bang, watched with great interest and slapped his thigh.

"Hahaha! This is hilarious!"

"Old Zhu, you've finally met your match! All those sons you had!"

"Look, something bad has happened!"

Xiao He and Chen Ping, standing nearby, wanted to laugh but dared not, their faces turning red from holding it in.

……

The Great Tang Dynasty, Taiji Palace.

Li Shimin couldn't help but chuckle.

He recalled the predicament he faced after the Xuanwu Gate Incident, when he was confronted with the clamor of public opinion.

Compared to Zhu Di, my own problems seem insignificant.

To be labeled a usurper by one's own son and grandson using their temple name is an unprecedented act.

"These descendants of the Zhu family are quite interesting," Li Shimin remarked, stroking his chin.

……

Above the sky, Zhu Dijun looked at the chaotic scene in various timelines, especially the simultaneous rampage of two generations of emperors from the Zhu family, and finally cleared his throat with satisfaction.

"Ahem!"

"I say, Emperor Taizu and Emperor Chengzu, please calm down."

This sound, like a divine pronouncement, caused both Zhu Yuanzhang and Zhu Di, who were enraged, to pause in their actions.

Inside the Hongwu Hall, Zhu Yuanzhang stopped his pursuit.

Inside the Forbidden City, Zhu Di also withdrew his foot, which he had been preparing to kick Zhu Gaochi.

Two pairs of murderous eyes simultaneously gazed at the sky.

"You brat, explain yourself!" Zhu Yuanzhang roared.

"Speak! Who did this?!" Zhu Di's voice was equally cold.

Zhu Dijun shrugged, looking completely innocent.

"Don't worry, family."

"Actually, this matter is not really the fault of Emperor Hongxi (Zhu Gaochi) and Emperor Xuande (Zhu Zhanji)."

Upon hearing this, Zhu Gaochi and his son Zhu Zhanji of the Yongle reign felt as if they had been granted a pardon, and looked up at the sky with tears of gratitude.

"After Emperor Chengzu passed away, Emperor Hongxi bestowed upon you the temple name of [Taizong]."

"Emperor Taizong of Ming!"

Zhu Dijun explained.

"This temple name is reasonable and in line with your achievements of 'inheriting the throne and rebuilding the country.' It is comparable to Emperor Taizong of Tang, Li Shimin, and is absolutely a commendation without any problem."

"Emperor Taizong?"

Upon hearing these two words, Zhu Di's raging anger instantly dissipated by more than half.

Emperor Taizong...

This is good! He can accept this!

His expression softened, but then new doubts and anger surged up again.

"Then why did it later become 'Emperor Chengzu'?!"

In the eleventh year of the Hongwu reign, Zhu Yuanzhang also perked up his ears.

Yup!

Since it was Emperor Taizong at the beginning, who was so blind as to change it to "Emperor Chengzu" later?!

All eyes were focused on the sky.

Zhu Dijun smiled, revealing an expression that suggested he was enjoying the spectacle.

"Because, more than a hundred years later, our Zhu family produced a very important figure."

"A Taoist emperor who is very individualistic, loves to add drama to his life, and especially likes to 'elevate' the status of his ancestors."

"It was he who overruled all objections and changed your temple name from 'Taizong' to 'Chengzu'."

He even posthumously bestowed the title of emperor upon his own father, who had never been an emperor.

"This distinguished guest is..."

Above the sky, the scene shifts again.

The image of a young emperor, dressed in a Taoist robe, with a thin face and eyes that held a hint of obsession and arrogance, slowly emerged.

He was sitting cross-legged in front of the alchemy furnace in the West Garden, closing his eyes to rest.

It was none other than the Jiajing Emperor of the Ming Dynasty, Zhu Houcong!

Zhu Dijun's voice resounded throughout the world, as if it were the final verdict.

"That's him!"

"The eleventh emperor of the Ming Dynasty, Emperor Shizong Su, Zhu Houcong!"

"It was he who changed your temple name from Taizong to Chengzu!"

During the Jiajing era, the Western Garden.

Zhu Houcong, who was meditating, suddenly opened his eyes and stared at the sky in astonishment.

What the heck?

What do you mean by posthumously bestowing the title of emperor upon his father? My father was rightfully an emperor!

What does it mean to change Taizong to Zu? It means to restore the honor that Chengzu should have originally had!

What...what did I do to deserve this?!

However, he didn't have a chance to defend himself.

Two roars, spanning a century and filled with endless fury, exploded in his ears and deep in his soul!

Zhu Yuanzhang during the Hongwu era: "Which unworthy descendant is Zhu Houcong?!"

Zhu Di in the Yongle era: "Find out this rebellious grandson named Zhu Houcong!!"

At this moment, Emperor Jiajing, Zhu Houcong, felt the double death stare emanating from the depths of his bloodline from his two most powerful ancestors.

He was completely numb.