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

Zhu Dijun's words were like a boulder thrown into a calm lake, stirring up towering waves in all times and spaces.

The Khazars' next target was the Yongle Emperor, Zhu Di!

Beijing, the fifteenth year of the Yongle reign.

Zhu Di, seated on the throne, narrowed his eyes instantly, a terrifying glint flashing across his face.

His entire life was a struggle.

He fought against the Mongols, against the corrupt scholars in the court, against his own nephew, and even against Heaven!

He never imagined that behind the Jingnan Campaign, which nearly destroyed him, there was such a deep shadow hidden.

"Khazar..."

Zhu Di uttered the name in a low voice, his knuckles turning white from gripping it so tightly.

He was eager to know how these rats hiding in the gutter had plotted against him!

In the modern live broadcast room, Zhu Dijun seemed to feel a gaze from the other side of time and space. He smiled slightly, but suddenly changed the subject.

"Before we talk about how the Khazars plotted against my ancestor, let's talk about something interesting off-topic."

"After Zhu Di succeeded in the Jingnan Campaign and ascended the throne, he did something... well, it was a bit like burying his head in the sand."

"In order to demonstrate the legitimacy of his ascension to the throne, and perhaps also to give his suspicious father an explanation, he secretly revised the history books, forcibly adding four years to the lifespan of his father, the Hongwu Emperor."

Upon hearing this, the live stream audience burst into laughter.

"Holy crap? Is that even possible?"

"He extended his father's life by four years just to claim he wasn't rebelling, but rather that his father passed the throne to him? Was the Yongle Emperor really that adorable?"

"Hahaha, I know about this. It's called 'removing' the Jianwen reign title. They directly counted the four years of the Jianwen reign as more than thirty years of the Hongwu reign. It's really a bit outrageous."

However, the laughter of modern audiences turned into a deathly silence in the eleventh year of the Hongwu reign.

Yingtianfu, Fengtian Hall.

Zhu Yuanzhang, Empress Ma, and Crown Prince Zhu Biao all turned their attention to the young Prince Yan, Zhu Di, who was standing not far away and still had a youthful air about him.

Zhu Di was startled by the gaze and looked completely bewildered.

What is that?

I'll rewrite history for my father? And extend his life by four years?

Am I crazy?!

Empress Ma looked at Zhu Di with an expression that said, "How could my son do such a thing?" She felt both sorry for him and amused.

Zhu Biao's lips twitched; he wanted to laugh but dared not, struggling to hold it in.

Only Zhu Yuanzhang was stunned for a moment, then his old face darkened, and he squeezed out a few words through his teeth.

"This... unfilial son!"

He cursed, but deep down there wasn't much real anger in his eyes.

Because he understood the subtext in Tianmu's words.

The fourth prince altered the history books to prove the legitimacy of his throne!

What does this tell us?

This means that the fourth prince eventually became emperor!

Moreover, it was after a reign title called "Jianwen"!

In an instant, a flood of information exploded in Zhu Yuanzhang's mind, and his gaze toward Crown Prince Zhu Biao was filled with worry.

Above the sky, Zhu Dijun's voice rang out again, pulling everyone's thoughts back on track.

"That's the joke, let's get back to the main topic."

What were the root causes of the Jingnan Campaign?

"It was a wrong choice made by our aging and blind ancestor Zhu Yuanzhang after the loss of his crown prince Zhu Biao and his eldest grandson Zhu Xiong Ying."

Zhu Dijun's voice became heavy.

"He did not choose the Prince of Qin or the Prince of Jin, who were both highly accomplished in military affairs and in their prime, nor did he choose the Prince of Yan, Zhu Di, who had the most outstanding military achievements."

"He chose the Crown Prince, Zhu Yunwen."

"In order to ensure that this kind-hearted, even somewhat weak-willed, grandson of the emperor could smoothly inherit the throne, he wielded the butcher's knife, creating the 'Blue Jade Case,' and almost completely slaughtered the illustrious military group that had helped found the Ming Dynasty!"

"But this was merely a threat from powerful military generals that he cleared away for Zhu Yunwen."

"And yet, instead of eliminating another, even more terrifying threat, he practically opened the door for it!"

Zhu Dijun slammed his hand on the table, and several large words appeared on the PPT.

The North-South Ranking Case!

"In the thirtieth year of the Hongwu reign, the imperial examination was held. The chief examiner, Liu Sanwu, and others selected fifty-one successful candidates, all of whom were from the south!"

"Not a single scholar from the north has passed the imperial examinations!"

"When the news spread, the scholars in the north were outraged. They blocked the front of the Ministry of Rites, shouting that it was unjust! They even accused the chief examiner, Liu Sanwu, and others of favoritism and favoritism towards their fellow townsmen!"

"This incident is known in historical records as the 'North-South Examination Scandal'!"

The viewers in the live stream, many of whom were history enthusiasts, were thrilled.

"It's here! The biggest scandal in the early Ming Dynasty's imperial examinations!"

"There are too many suspicious points in this case. Liu Sanwu was a literary giant at the time, and he was upright and honest throughout his life. How could he possibly cheat in the imperial examinations?"

"Yes, and in the end, Zhu Yuanzhang was furious and killed several examiners. Then he personally reviewed the papers and admitted 61 people, all of whom were from the north. This created the 'Northern List,' which is quite a puzzling move."

Judy Jun glanced at the comments and gave a cold smile.

"fan?"

"Not at all confused!"

"Because this is not a regional dispute at all, nor is it any favoritism or corruption!"

"This is a full-scale attack launched against imperial power by the Khazar agents who have been lying in wait since Hu Weiyong—that is, by a group of civil officials deeply influenced by the former Yuan dynasty, who inherently hate military achievements and imperial power, and who attempt to use 'civilian' means to disrupt the government!"

"Their goal is to use the imperial examination system to massively place their people into the court, thereby gaining complete control over the future bureaucratic system!"

"They want to turn the Ming Dynasty's imperial court into their 'parliament'!"

"And Liu Sanwu was nothing more than a pawn they pushed to the forefront to draw their fire!"

boom!

In the eleventh year of the Hongwu reign, Zhu Yuanzhang's pupils suddenly contracted!

He understood instantly!

Imperial Examination!

Yes! The imperial examination!

With Hu Weiyong gone, they've found another way!

It has evolved from military infiltration to cultural and political infiltration!

They want to seize control of the imperial court from the Zhu family through the imperial examination!

What a vicious plan!

Zhu Yuanzhang broke out in a cold sweat.

He always believed that the North-South Examination Case was a case of those corrupt scholars engaging in regional discrimination, and that he had acted too harshly in a moment of anger.

In retrospect, he did not overdo it.

He almost let those jackals succeed!

"Therefore," Zhu Dijun's voice, tinged with sarcasm, echoed from the sky, "Zhu Yuanzhang's approach, though seemingly extreme, was in fact absolutely correct!"

"He killed several examiners in charge and then personally admitted a group of scholars from the north, forcibly balancing the power between the north and the south."

"He used the most direct and brutal method to tell those conspirators hiding in the shadows—"

"Your tricks won't work against Zhu Yuanzhang!"

"However, just because Zhu Yuanzhang could suppress them doesn't mean his benevolent grandson, Zhu Yunwen, could too!"

Zhu Dijun's gaze sharpened.

"After Zhu Yuanzhang's death, Zhu Yunwen ascended the throne, with the reign title Jianwen."

"Those civil officials who were suppressed and unable to raise their heads during the Hongwu reign have finally ushered in their 'springtime'."

"They surrounded Emperor Jianwen, shouting 'benevolent governance' and advocating 'rule by virtue,' completely negating Zhu Yuanzhang's iron-fisted policies."

"They pinned all the blame for the massacre of meritorious officials on Zhu Yuanzhang, and portrayed military generals like Lan Yu as traitors who deserved to be killed!"

"And they themselves, in turn, transformed into 'wise ministers' who rectified chaos and assisted a wise ruler!"

"They usurped the young Jianwen Emperor's power, and then turned their swords against their last and most feared enemy—"

Judy… Jun paused, then said, word by word.

"Commanding the strongest border army in the north, with a distinguished military record, is Zhu Di, the Prince of Yan!"