Sky Screen: How Did My Fourth Son, Zhu Di, Rebel Too?

In the eighth year of Yongle, Zhu Gaoxi jolts awake from a dream of Chongzhen's fall and the country's ruin. Looking at the pale blue System panel before him, he clenches his fist and silently resolves, "I will be emperor!"

He never expected his words to be overheard loud and clear by his father's Embroidered Uniform Guard. Old Zhu has just bound himself to the "Little Simulation Sky Screen," which lets him see the future paths of his sons!

On one side is the civil official faction behind his eldest brother, Zhu Gaochi. His second brother, Zhu Gaoxu, commands the army and watches hungrily, while his nephew Zhu Zhanji, a ruthless man who will one day turn his second uncle into "pot chicken," is waiting in the wings. On the other side is his father, Zhu Di, using the sky screen as a script and constantly testing whether his son is secretly plotting a rebellion.

Zhu Gaoxi is at his wit's end. He acts meek and tries to coast through life, but is still suspected. He proposes reforms and gets accused of "dragging the Great Ming into a pit of fire." Even when he asks for a fief on the northern frontier so he can keep his head down, he is forced to take on a tax reform plan.

Even more absurdly, when he is pushed to the brink and unveils the drastic measure of bringing land under state ownership, Zhu Di stares at the sky screen's assessment, "Hongzheng, a sage emperor whose achievements surpass Taizu's," and suddenly declares, "Fourth son, govern the country for half a month. Let's see what kind of storm you can stir up!"

Zhu Gaoxi looks at the suspicion of the court officials, the hostility of his brothers, and the excitement in his father's eyes as he watches the future emperor make trouble. He can only cry out, "Who wants to be emperor? I just want to go to my fief and build infrastructure!"

With every simulation Zhu Di runs, the sky screen before him grows larger. In the end, it gets out of hand, and emperors from every dynasty, not just the Yongle era, can see it.