During the New Dynasty of Wang Mang.
Wang Mang's army, currently fighting against Liu Xiu, looked at the sky screen that suddenly lit up before them, and their eyes instantly filled with terror.
No way, you're here again!
Is it ever going to end!
You must be the son of heaven!
Liu Xiu's army.
Watching Wang Mang's army suddenly collapse due to the sky screen's resurgence.
All the generals and soldiers looked at Liu Xiu with fervent eyes, as if they were seeing a heavenly being on earth!
But at this moment, Liu Xiu, riding on his horse, looked at the generals and soldiers with a bewildered expression.
“No, why are you looking at me like that? This really has nothing to do with me!”
“Yes, yes, yes, everything you say is correct.”
The generals understood in their hearts.
They naturally understood that such a heaven-defying skill should not be known by outsiders.
They would believe it if it happened once by coincidence, but if it happened every time, then something was truly amiss.
“Alright, alright, think whatever you want.”
Liu Xiu also gave up; mainly, he really didn't know how to explain it anymore.
Could it be that I truly have the Mandate of Heaven?
At this moment, looking at the dazzling sky screen above, Liu Xiu himself began to have doubts.
Three Kingdoms period.
Jing Province.
“Big brother, that strange thing in the sky seems to be moving!”
Outside the house, a fierce-looking man with a leopard's head and round eyes pushed open the door and walked in.
“Third brother, don't speak nonsense. How can you casually refer to a divine miracle like that?”
Liu Bei, after reprimanding Zhang Fei, looked at the person of great stature sitting behind the desk in the hall.
“Military Advisor, why don't we go out and take a look together?”
At this moment, Zhuge Liang had already packed up the bamboo slips on the desk and stood up.
“Alright.”
Walking out of the house, Zhuge Liang looked up at the sky. For days, even he, despite his mastery of celestial phenomena, had no clue about the sky screen that had suddenly appeared.
At this critical juncture of survival, the appearance of this object would surely cause an uproar.
Xuchang.
“Protect the Lord!”
Seeing the sudden commotion in the sky, Xu Chu immediately pulled Cao Cao behind him, shielding him.
“You brute, get away from me.”
Cao Cao rubbed his forehead, glared at Xu Chu, and pushed him away.
Why so much force? My head was almost cracked open.
“Follow me outside to take a look!”
Xinye.
Sun Quan also received the news and looked towards the sky screen... Tang Dynasty, fourth year of Zhenguan.
“Let's go, follow me outside to take a look.”
After receiving the report, Li Shimin waved his hand and led the civil and military officials out of the room.
The war to annihilate the Eastern Turkic Khaganate, which had brought him the humiliation of the Treaty of Baima, had recently concluded. The Eastern Turkic Khaganate was destroyed in one battle, and furthermore, Khagan Jieli was captured and brought to Chang'an.
After watching Khagan Jieli perform a dance, Li Shimin, having swept away a great humiliation, was clearly in a very good mood at this time.
Li Shimin, with his hands behind his back, looked at the dazzling sky screen above, appearing somewhat radiant and spirited.
Although there were still many problems in the country that needed to be managed, at this moment, Li Shimin had no confusion about the future in his heart, only soaring ambition.
He was confident that under his leadership, the Great Tang would reach an unprecedented height.
He would prove to his father, to the world, and to later generations.
The Xuanwu Gate Incident was not wrong!
He, Li Shimin, was the most suitable person to sit on this throne!
...Song Dynasty.
Zhao Guangyi, who was currently racing at Gaoliang River, was startled by the sky screen that suddenly lit up beneath the firmament.
He almost flew out of the donkey cart.
Fortunately, his title as a master of chariots was not undeserved, and he quickly regained control of the direction.
But the deviated trajectory caused an arrow to strike him squarely on his buttocks.
“Ah, it hurts, it hurts, it hurts! I've been shot in the buttocks with an arrow!”
...Great Ming Hongwu fifth year!
Yingtianfu.
“Biao'er, come quickly, come quickly, the sky screen has finally lit up.”
Zhu Yuanzhang, without explanation, pulled his good son outside.
“Well, I've waited so long, and this thing finally has some reaction.”
“Father, Dad, slow down.”
Zhu Biao looked helplessly at the excited Zhu Yuanzhang.
“That old scoundrel Liu Bowen, he said he was a scholar of heaven and man. I ordered him to study this sky screen.”
“But he, good for him, didn't research anything for three whole months. In my opinion, he should be beheaded for deceiving the emperor!”
“Dad, you're at it again. Haven't we agreed not to bring this up?”
Zhu Biao pursed his lips, feeling a bit tired. He didn't know why his father disliked Mr. Liu so much.
He always looked for an excuse to cause trouble.
If his mother hadn't stopped him, Liu Bowen's body would have already been cold.
“Then don't bring it up.” Zhu Yuanzhang's gaze fell on Zhu Biao, and a rare hint of tenderness flickered in his tiger-like eyes.
He had endured countless hardships and experienced countless life-and-death struggles to reach this point in his life.
Now, only his Meizi and his good son, Zhu Biao, could touch the softest part of his heart.
Zhu Biao looked up at the sky, a hint of worry in his brows.
The appearance of the unknown naturally made people anxious.
Moreover, he was the Crown Prince of the newly established Ming Dynasty, so he naturally thought more about many things.
Seemingly sensing Zhu Biao's inner worries, Zhu Yuanzhang said in a deep voice.
“Is Biao'er worried about the sky screen?”
Zhu Biao nodded. In front of others, he would naturally conceal his true thoughts, but in front of his father, he needed no pretense.
“What Dad said is true. Our Ming Dynasty has not been established for long, Mongolia in the north has not been completely pacified, and the country is still ravaged and needs governance everywhere.”
“With this sky screen appearing now, your son truly doesn't know whether it is a blessing or a curse for our Great Ming.”
“If someone with ill intentions uses this sky screen, it will surely cause further unrest, and your son's heart is truly uneasy.”
Zhu Yuanzhang patted Zhu Biao's head and laughed heartily, his gaze towards the sky distant, as if reminiscing about something.
“Back then, if your father had even a small piece of land or a full meal to eat for a day.”
“There would be no Zhu Yuanzhang in this world. Instead, there would be a Zhu Chongba who worked in the fields all day, tending to the land, and lived a peaceful, law-abiding life.”
“But the Yuan court was without principle.”
“I will always remember when I was sixteen. On the sixth day of that year, my father died. On the ninth, my brother also died. On the nineteenth, my mother was also gone.”
“Within a short month, I lost my entire family.”
“My father, my mother, my brother, your uncles and aunts, they all starved to death.”
“What's hateful is that I didn't even have a piece of land to bury my parents.”
“And from then on, I also became a beggar, holding a bowl and begging for a living every day.”
Despite recounting such a sad past, Zhu Yuanzhang's face was full of calm, as if what he had just said was not about himself, but someone else's story.
“Dad.”
Zhu Biao felt a pang of sadness and held Zhu Yuanzhang's hand.
Although he knew his father had lived a hard life before, he hadn't imagined it was so tragic.
This was the first time he had heard his father recount that period of his past in such detail.
Facing his son's comfort, Zhu Yuanzhang smiled freely.
“When I was nineteen, I finally found a piece of land and became a monk, just to have enough to eat.”
“The stable life didn't last long. Who would have thought that the temple also ran out of food, and I was forced to leave the mountain again.”
“In those years, Dad witnessed how the Yuan people oppressed us Han people, and how those officials exploited the Common People.”
“The Yuan people bullied our Common People, and the Han officials didn't treat us as human beings either.”
“Does such a court, such a world, still have a reason to exist?”
“So, I simply joined the army and used the sword in my hand to carve out a bright and clear world!”
Speaking of this, Zhu Yuanzhang sneered, and the overwhelming scent of blood made people tremble with fear.
Zhu Biao, who was most directly facing all of this, even though he knew the person in front of him was his most loving father, couldn't help but break out in a cold sweat at this moment.
“I never thought that one day I would actually be able to sit on this vast empire.”
Zhu Yuanzhang suddenly drew his sword and looked at the sky.
“Biao'er, you don't need to worry. If the sky falls, your father is here!”
During the yongle era of the Ming Dynasty.
Zhu Di, who had just usurped the throne from his good nephew, looked at the sky with an unpredictable expression.
“Dad, it couldn't be you manifesting, could it?”
“Dad, please be clear, this rebellion was truly not what your son wanted!”
To be honest, even if immortals truly manifested, Zhu Di wouldn't be afraid at all.
But the fearless Zhu Di had one person who could make him truly afraid from the bottom of his heart.
That was his father, Emperor Taizu of Ming, Zhu Yuanzhang!
To be honest, even sitting on this throne today.
Zhu Di never thought how things would come to this point.
It's truly said that everything is fate, and one has no control over half of it.
When his elder brother was still alive, although he occasionally fantasized in his heart about sitting on this throne one day.
But that was merely a fantasy.
Who doesn't have a dream in their heart?
But he never for a moment thought of rebelling against his elder brother!
If he were to ask himself, putting others aside, he was convinced in his heart that his elder brother, Zhu Biao, deserved this throne!
Even later, when his good nephew, that little rascal Zhu Yunwen, ascended the throne, although he was displeased in his heart.
But he never had the thought of rebelling.
So, how did things come to this point today?
Perhaps it was the moment he learned of the King of Xiang's self-immolation.
Or perhaps it was during those days he pretended to be mad in the pigsty.
Thinking of this, Zhu Di's heart instantly turned as cold as steel. Even if this sky screen was truly his father manifesting, he would just kneel down and admit his mistake!
What's the big deal!