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

Fengtian Hall, 15th year of Yongle reign.

As Zhu Di issued his final decree, an invisible chill swept through the entire Forbidden City from his center, and with unstoppable force, spread throughout the Ming Dynasty and even to all times and spaces.

【Eastern Police Station】!

These four words, like a brand, are deeply engraved in the hearts of every official.

They understood that from this moment on, the world of the Ming Dynasty had changed.

A monster, responsible only to the emperor, wielding boundless power, and created solely to hunt down an unseen enemy, was born.

Its fangs will tear apart all those who are doubtful, regardless of whether they are civil or military, noble or lowly.

……

Beyond the celestial canopy, emperors from other timelines also felt a suffocating chill from Zhu Di's almost insane declaration of revenge.

But what followed was a deeper, more visceral fear!

The Qin Dynasty, Xianyang Palace.

The First Emperor, Ying Zheng, stood with his hands behind his back, looking at the mad-looking future monarch in the sky. His face showed no mockery, only a cold acceptance.

"The Khazars... remnants of the former Yuan dynasty... tax farming system..."

He muttered those words to himself, his dark pupils reflecting the entire world's map.

He had just unified the six kingdoms, and the world seemed to submit, but were the former nobles of the six kingdoms truly content? Had those former princes who had been stripped of their land and power truly accepted their fate?

They lurked in the shadows like venomous snakes, ready to bite the Qin Dynasty at any moment.

And those merchants who are incredibly wealthy, like Lü Buwei, are they really law-abiding?

Ying Zheng's gaze suddenly sharpened.

The "tax farming system" is nothing short of handing over the power of the state to these profit-driven merchants and treacherous old nobles.

Let them establish their own states within states in the localities, raise private armies, and win over the hearts and minds of the people!

When the world changes, they will immediately jump out and seize territory!

"Li Si!" Ying Zheng's voice was devoid of any warmth.

"Your subject is here!"

"By imperial decree, thoroughly investigate all counties and prefectures in the realm! Any former nobles of the six former kingdoms who have privately hoarded weapons and armor, colluded with merchants, or criticized national policies, shall, without further investigation, be exterminated along with their entire clan!"

"Any merchant who hoards goods and manipulates prices shall have their property confiscated, be demoted to a prisoner, and be sent to build the Great Wall for me!"

"I want the whole world to know that this world belongs to me! Not to those damned, lingering slaves of a fallen nation!"

Ying Zheng's killing intent was in no way inferior to Zhu Di's!

He saw the shadow of the remnants of the six kingdoms in the "Khazar"!

He saw in the evils of the "tax farming system" a future of merchants causing chaos in politics!

The tragedy of his descendants served as a stark warning to him!

……

The Great Han Dynasty, Weiyang Palace.

With a clang, Emperor Wu of Han, Liu Che, sheathed his long sword.

His face was filled with undisguised ferocity and lingering fear.

"What a fine example of a civil official colluding with a foreign enemy!"

What was he thinking about?

He thought of those "wise ministers" who, year after year, advocated "peace through marriage" and advised him to recuperate and not to wage war against the Xiongnu!

He thought of those unscrupulous merchants who smuggled salt, iron, and grain out of the country for huge profits and sold them to the Xiongnu!

In the past, he thought these people were stupid and short-sighted.

Now, looking back, how many of them were truly stupid? And how many were truly malicious?!

Are they like those "remnants of the former Yuan dynasty" of the Ming dynasty, who inherently despise him, the emperor who rose up on horseback? Do they also want to exchange their own wealth and glory by colluding with the Xiongnu?

"Wei Qing! Huo Qubing!"

"Your subject is here!"

The two young generals stepped forward, their eyes filled with fighting spirit.

"Keep a close eye on those pro-peace faction members in the court! Keep a close eye on those merchants on the border!"

Liu Che's voice was extremely cold.

"I don't care who they are or what family they belong to. If I find any connection between them and the Xiongnu, I will take their heads and their family's money!"

"I will use their money to build a larger army and raise more warhorses!"

"I will make the Xiongnu disappear completely from this grassland!"

"I want those who dare to betray the Han Dynasty to know that there is only one consequence for colluding with the enemy—death!"

At this moment, Liu Che's determination to attack the Xiongnu in the north was stronger than ever before!

The "Khazar conspiracy" revealed by the sky curtain completely extinguished his last shred of tolerance for the internal opposition!

……

The Great Tang Dynasty, Taiji Palace.

Li Shimin's face was terribly gloomy.

Unlike Ying Zheng and Liu Che, he did not directly issue orders to massacre.

But Fang Xuanling and Du Ruhui saw in the eyes of this Heavenly Khan a bottomless, icy pool.

"Auxiliary machine,"

Li Shimin's voice was soft, yet it sent a shiver down Changsun Wuji's spine.

"Tell me, what are the similarities and differences between the powerful clans of my Great Tang Dynasty and the 'tax farmers' of the former Yuan Dynasty?"

Changsun Wuji was drenched in sweat and couldn't utter a single word.

different?

Of course there are differences! The aristocratic families of the Tang Dynasty valued passing down poetry and books, and possessed the integrity and character of renowned scholars.

But what do they have in common?

They also monopolized local power and profit! They also owned vast amounts of land and tenants who depended on them! They also looked down on the Li family, a "warrior" royal family that rose to power through military merit!

Back then, when he revised the "Clan Records", he listed the imperial Li clan as the first, but it still couldn't suppress the prestige of the Shandong gentry. People still regarded the Cui clan of Qinghe as the most prestigious!

These people talk about "loyalty to the emperor and love for the country," but in their hearts, do they ever truly respect the emperor?

If the Turks, like the Khazars, extended an olive branch to them, promising them greater power and benefits, would any of them be tempted?

Li Shimin dared not think about it, nor did he want to.

But he knew that this thorn had already been deeply embedded in his heart.

"The imperial examination system... must be implemented!"

Li Shimin said, enunciating each word clearly.

"I will give all those from humble backgrounds the opportunity to enter the imperial court! I will use them to replace those deeply entrenched aristocratic families!"

"I will firmly consolidate power in the hands of the court!"

The appearance of the sky curtain made this emperor, who originally wanted to be more lenient with the aristocratic families, completely make up his mind!

……

Meanwhile, in other Ming Dynasty timelines...

The reign of Renxuan.

Zhu Gaochi, known as "Renzong," was looking at the sky in horror.

His obese body trembled like a leaf.

Father Emperor... actually established the Eastern Depot?

The deaths of my uncle and grandfather... were actually a conspiracy by civil officials?

He had always been critical of his father's harshness and killings. He was close to civil officials and wanted to implement benevolent governance and allow the people to rest.

But now, Tianmu is telling him that among the group of people he is close to, there may be the murderer who killed his older brother and drove his grandmother to her death!

The "wise ministers" he will rely on in the future may just be a group of "remnants of the former Yuan dynasty"!

A chill ran from the soles of my feet straight up to the top of my head!

He looked at Yang Shiqi, Yang Rong, and Yang Pu, his three most trusted ministers, and for the first time, his eyes showed a hint of undisguised suspicion and fear.

The Xuande reign.

Zhu Zhanji was also chilled to the bone.

He was more cunning and shrewd than his father.

He instantly understood the profound meaning behind his grandfather Zhu Di's establishment of the Eastern Depot!

This isn't about checking and balancing the civil officials; it's about ripping out the bone to remove the poison!

He recalled that after his father, Zhu Gaochi, ascended the throne, he immediately exonerated a large number of former officials of the Jianwen Emperor.

He thought of himself, who had once held great admiration for those well-read scholars.

Looking back now, how ridiculous! How dangerous!

Among those who were exonerated, how many were accomplices of the Khazars? How many were descendants of the remnants of the former Yuan dynasty?

They are like maggots clinging to the bone, lurking inside the body of the Ming Dynasty, just waiting for an opportunity to strike again!