You were asked to write a political intrigue drama, but you wrote "Da Ming 1566".

At this moment, the audience felt as if the clouds had parted and the sun had shone through, instantly drawing clear lines between their respective camps—

Lü Fang was a loyal minister with unwavering integrity!

Yan Song was a loyal minister with unwavering devotion!

Yan Shifan was the son of Yan Song, and naturally, he was also a descendant of loyal and virtuous officials passed down through generations!

On the contrary, Chen Hong in the eunuch faction, and Xu Jie, Gao Gong, and Zhang Juzheng in the cabinet were all treacherous officials who brought disaster to the country and the people!

As they were talking, the head of a listed company took over the conversation and began to speak eloquently:

"The analysis of the character factions just now was very insightful."

"But I also discerned another deeper meaning in it, which echoes the third of the three major predicaments of Emperor Jiajing that Chen Yu mentioned earlier."

"Did you all notice Yan Song's seemingly joking remark, 'How wonderful it would be if this snow could bring silver?' It may seem like a joke, but every word carries immense weight—the Ming Dynasty is desperately short of money!"

"Chen Yu wrote in the first act script that the Jiajing Emperor faced three predicaments: the first was the lack of snow, the second was the fire in the palace, both of which could be attributed to warnings from heaven."

"The third point, though not explicitly stated, coincides perfectly with this fiscal crisis—the national treasury is already practically empty!"

The more this business tycoon spoke, the deeper his words became, his gaze sharp and penetrating:

Just how deep is the financial hole in the Ming Dynasty?

"Even though Yan Song knew the Jiajing Emperor was overwhelmed with worry about divine retribution, he still hoped that what would fall from the sky would be silver instead of snow!"

"In other words, the urgency of this financial crisis is even greater than the divine retribution that threatens to shake the monarchy!"

"And this snow is a massive, heavy snowfall, the likes of which haven't been seen in years! Yet Yan Song wishes this blanket of snow would turn into piles of silver—a testament to the severity of the fiscal deficit!"

At this point, the CEO suddenly paused, let out a long sigh, and his face was full of solemn respect:

"Although I don't understand the intricacies of scriptwriting and character development, when I heard Yan Song say these words, I was truly filled with emotion and admiration!"

"An eighty-year-old man was so frail that he needed help to get out of the sedan chair and climb the steps."

"Even with this old and ailing body, he still steadfastly holds the position of Grand Secretary!"

"He had to go to the palace to discuss matters before dawn every day, and the cabinet ministers behind him were all like wolves and tigers, all wanting to bring him down."

"That's not all; we also have to drag this crippled body to plug the financial hole of the Ming Dynasty!"

"Alas, the hardships and difficulties faced by Grand Secretary Yan are truly beyond the capacity of ordinary people to endure!"

This analysis brought tears to the eyes of many in the audience.

Not only amazed by this bigwig's ability to glimpse the Ming Dynasty's financial crisis from a joke, but also deeply moved by his depiction of Yan Song's predicament—

Put yourself in their shoes, and you'll realize that it's as difficult as ascending to heaven!

Many netizens burst into tears on the spot, as if they could see a frail old body using its flesh and blood to support a crumbling empire!

At this moment, the live stream chat was flooded with comments:

"Grand Secretary Yan is truly a pillar of the nation!"

"A loyal minister! This is a true loyal minister! Even in this dire situation, he doesn't give up, gritting his teeth and persevering. Sigh!"

"This is the true spirit of a scholar!"

Chen Yu's character portrayal technique is unparalleled—without needing elaborate descriptions, he can bring a character's reaction in a specific situation to life with just a few words, instantly giving the character a vivid vitality.

As the barrage of comments surged, the topic of "Grand Secretary Yan, a man of deep concern for the country and its people" quickly spread like wildfire, topping various trending search lists. Accompanying this was a fierce condemnation of Xu Jie and others—

"An octogenarian who doesn't even know how to help someone up? Does someone with such character deserve to be called a high-ranking official?"

"Talent without virtue is the greatest scourge to a nation!"

"Grand Secretary Yan is working tirelessly for the Ming Dynasty's finances despite his advanced age, yet you're only thinking about vying for power and profit?"

"Attempting to overthrow the court and frame loyal officials is nothing short of wolfish ambition!"

Chen Yu's fingers didn't stop at that moment; after finishing the first chapter of the third act, he quickly turned his pen to the sequel. A sly glint flashed in his eyes—that part was just an appetizer; the real show was about to begin.

This court debate in the Golden Palace focused on last year's fiscal deficit and next year's plans. The huge expenditures of the Ministry of Works and the Ministry of Personnel under Yan Shifan's leadership, especially the Ministry of Works' muddled accounts, had long been the target of the Qingliu faction. Xu Jie, Gao Gong, Zhang Juzheng, and others wanted to use this opportunity to attack Yan Song and his son, but little did they know that the Yan faction held a trump card—all the deficits were under the banner of the Jiajing Emperor: palace construction and timber transportation, which expenditure could be said to be inappropriate?

More subtly, Emperor Jiajing's personal bias also leaned towards Yan's faction. Since the money had already been spent, it was better to find a way to raise new funds than to dwell on past debts. Thus, the court debate was unbalanced from the start: the judge (Jiajing), the presiding official (Lü Fang), and Yan's faction were secretly colluding, leaving the Qingliu faction seemingly isolated and helpless.

However, they also have a trump card—their status as Prince Yu's lecturers, and the fact that Princess Li, who is about to give birth, is also a potential heir. If they successfully give birth to a grandson, it will be a double guarantee of "the Crown Prince and the Grandson," enough to rival the Yan faction.

In this court debate, the thoughts of each side were like undercurrents, each with their own calculations and hidden cards. When first watching "Ming Dynasty," this confrontation in the Golden Palace was the most perplexing: everyone's arguments seemed reasonable, constantly proclaiming "for the Emperor" and "for the people," yet no one could find fault with them!

Even the "conversion of rice paddies to mulberry fields," which later caused great chaos, was perceived as a beneficial policy during court discussions. This gray narrative, where loyalty and treachery are difficult to discern, hides the true intentions beneath grand and dignified lines, which is precisely the most captivating charm of "Ming Dynasty"—and all of this began to ferment from this court discussion.

With the clatter of keyboards, lines of text spread like wildfire, instantly capturing the attention of all viewers.

[Outside Yuxi Palace.]

[Lü Fang's smile faded, her expression turning solemn and respectful as her gaze slowly swept over the crowd.]

Everyone knows perfectly well what happened with Zhou Yunyi. From the first day of the lunar month until now, the Emperor has been in seclusion, fasting and praying for snow, and hasn't stepped outside the palace gates once.

Although auspicious snow fell today, how could the Emperor's mind be at ease?

The deficit can be glossed over if possible; we'll find another way to make up for it this year. Let me reiterate—even if the sky falls, we must weather it together!

Yan Song nodded in agreement, but Yan Shifan turned his gaze to the cabinet ministers behind him, who only stared at the ground, offering no response whatsoever.

A collective gasp of gritted teeth erupted from the audience.

"What you say makes sense, sir. The Ming Dynasty's fiscal deficit has probably been going on for a while now!"

"With both divine retribution and financial deficit, it must have been quite difficult for Emperor Jiajing to spend these fifteen days praying for snow alone in the palace!"

"This is hardly the kind of responsibility an ordinary emperor could have. His compassion for the people is boundless. Even with some previous rumors of him being concerned with his image, what emperor in any dynasty didn't care about his reputation?"

"While I wouldn't dare call Emperor Jiajing a sage ruler, he was at least a wise and benevolent one!"

"Eunuch Lü's words make sense. We all serve the Emperor, so we must work together to overcome this difficulty!"

"Grand Secretary Yan is quite sensible; he nodded so readily! Look at those other cabinet ministers, they didn't even raise their heads—they clearly have something to hide!"

"Bah! A bunch of treacherous villains!"

……

Chen Yu then changed the subject and continued writing.

Inside the main hall, the throne was empty; the Jiajing Emperor was quietly listening to the cabinet's discussions in a side hall. If there was an imperial decree, a bronze chime would be struck—a rule the cabinet knew by heart.

[The chief eunuchs, including Lü Fang, stood to the left of the throne, while Yan Song led the cabinet ministers to stand to the right.]

After the three bows, the Directorate of Ceremonial and the Grand Secretariat lined up on either side, while Yan Song sat alone on a chair beside a brazier to the right of the throne.

A short while later, a clear, resonant sound of a bronze chime rang out from the study. Lü Fang immediately spoke—"Let's begin the meeting."

[As usual, the meeting was chaired by Lü Fang, who clearly and logically explained today's agenda.]

[As usual—the Cabinet will submit the actual expenditures of all ministries and the thirteen provinces in the two capitals last year. A clear decision must be made today regarding which expenditures should be settled and which should not.]

[This year, each ministry should first submit its major expenditure items, the Ministry of Revenue will compile and calculate them, the Cabinet will draft the edicts, and we will approve those that are within our authority.]

[Your Excellency, do you think this arrangement is appropriate?]

Yan Song let out a light sigh, as if a heavy burden had been lifted from his shoulders, and slowly summarized the past year.

[Thanks entirely to His Majesty's boundless virtue and the diligent efforts of all officials, we have finally weathered the most difficult days.]

Last year, two provinces suffered severe droughts, three provinces experienced severe flooding, several major battles raged in the north and southeast, and a fire broke out in the palace... To be honest, I still don't understand how we survived those days.

【…】

But today a heavy snow fell, with snowflakes as big as goose feathers fluttering down. Everyone knows that since the first day of the lunar new year, His Majesty has been alone in this palace, praying for snow. This snow is a testament to His Majesty's sincere prayers that moved Heaven!

With Heaven's blessing, as long as we, as subjects, serve with utmost sincerity, the Ming Dynasty will surely flourish!

After watching this segment, the audience, already familiar with the deliberation procedures of the Cabinet and the Directorate of Ceremonial, had no doubts about Lü Fang's words.

Yan Song's words, however, brought tears to the eyes of many.

"No wonder the Ming Dynasty is so heavily in debt! With so many disasters and wars last year, how could it not be in debt?"

"Two provinces are suffering from drought, three provinces from floods, there's war in the north and southeast, and a huge fire even broke out in the palace... How much silver must have been spent to cover all that?"

"These affairs are all being managed by Grand Secretary Yan, the Chief Minister of the Cabinet!"

"I'm forty years old, and after attending court meetings for just a few days, I feel like my whole body is falling apart. Yet, Minister Yan is over eighty, and still has to handle so many affairs. How arduous must that be?"

"If not for a firm belief in serving the country and its people, how could one have persevered until now?"

"Let's hear how Grand Secretary Yan explains himself—he says that this is all thanks to the protection of Emperor Jiajing's heaven-like virtue, as well as the concerted efforts of his colleagues."

"All credit belongs to His Majesty and all my colleagues; Grand Secretary Yan has not taken a single share!"

"What is character? What is integrity? Grand Secretary Yan is the backbone of the Ming Dynasty, single-handedly supporting half the country!"

Yan Song stroked his beard, his voice deep and slow: "You have all worked hard over the past month or so, and we have finally sorted out all the expenses from last year. The Cabinet's draft has been prepared, and once the Directorate of Ceremonial approves it, last year's accounts will be settled. Then we can discuss this year's expenses."

His gaze swept over Xu Jie and Gao Gong: "Grand Secretary Xu, you and Su Qing are in charge of the Ministry of Revenue. The draft proposals from the Grand Secretariat are currently in your hands. Please explain yourselves first, and then submit them to Eunuch Lü and the others for approval."

Xu Jie bowed slightly, his tone composed: "The draft proposals from the Cabinet were handed to me by Brother Shifan to the Ministry of Revenue yesterday. Suqing and I reviewed them all night. After reviewing them, we have signed and confirmed some of the proposals, but we dare not easily sign the others."

When Chen Yu presented this script, the audience invariably sat bolt upright—they were already familiar with the court deliberation process during the Jiajing era of the Ming Dynasty. The draft proposals of the cabinet were drafted jointly by the cabinet ministers in the presence of the cabinet ministers. Normally, submitting the draft proposals to the Directorate of Ceremonial for approval was merely the final step—if there were any objections, they should have been raised and resolved during the drafting process before being submitted for approval.

Now that things have come to this, Xu Jie and Gao Gong are claiming that some draft resolutions haven't been signed? Isn't this deliberately stirring up trouble? In an instant, the audience's eyes widened—

"You cunning bastard! You old cunning bastard!"

"Only now are you saying you haven't signed it?"

"As expected, they're using the court meeting as a pretext to launch an attack; the treacherous minister has revealed his true colors!"

"Xu Jie, the number one treacherous villain of the Ming Dynasty, is by no means a benevolent person!"

"Grand Secretary Yan is eighty years old; it's already a struggle for him to attend court. Yet they still dare to make things difficult for him. Isn't this bullying an elderly man?"

"To bully a loyal minister like Grand Secretary Yan, who served the country and its people, with half of the Ming Dynasty's territory at stake, Xu Jie and Gao Gong, don't your consciences hurt?!"

At this moment, many viewers showed expressions of indignation.

Some of them had encountered similar behavior in the workplace, such as Xu Jie and Gao Gong's sudden outbursts at the imperial meeting.

"The most repulsive people are these kinds of people."

"He's usually quiet and doesn't say a word about his thoughts, acting like a nice guy."

"But once he's in front of the big boss, he gets all excited. He doesn't mention a word of the plans that were discussed beforehand, and he's only concerned with jumping around for his own benefit."

"This kind of person is the most disgusting kind of person in the workplace—a scheming old fox, a two-faced workplace bitch!"

"Xu Jie even said that he didn't dare to sign some of the draft proposals. Heh heh, that's hilarious. He just wanted to show that he wasn't deliberately going against Yan Song and Yan Shifan."

"What good is it? You treacherous villain!"

Following the trending topic "Grand Secretary Yan, who served the country and the people," Xu Jie also gained several trending topics and nicknames.

"Xu Jie, the Ming Dynasty's Cunning Prostitute," "Xu Jie, the Peerless Schemer," "Xu Jie, the Shameless Scoundrel."

The buzz surrounding this is almost on par with "Grand Secretary Yan, who served the country and its people," which shows just how much the public hates this kind of backstabbing behavior in the workplace.

While the audience was hotly debating and criticizing, Chen Yu quickly wrote the subsequent script dialogue.

As soon as Xu Jie finished speaking, the Grand Eunuchs of the Directorate of Ceremonial, including Lü Fang, showed expressions of surprise, while Yan Shifan's face turned angry. All eyes turned to Xu Jie, but Yan Song, seemingly too old to have heard clearly or reacted, remained seated by the fire.

Yan Shifan was the first to react; his voice suddenly rose.

What? Some of the draft resolutions weren't signed? Which draft resolutions weren't signed?

Xu Jie replied calmly, "We signed the Ministry of War's expense reports, but the Ministry of Personnel and Ministry of Works' expense reports were far too over-spending, so we didn't dare sign them."

Yan Shifan's eyes widened in shock, his face a mask of anger and horror.

[Our Ministry of Personnel and Ministry of Works' bills haven't been signed off by your Ministry of Revenue?!]

In an instant, the atmosphere in the entire hall froze.

After saying these words, Xu Jie habitually closed his eyes and focused on his inner self.

Yan Shifan's gaze fell on Xu Jie, and seeing the other's reaction, he turned his attention to Gao Gong, his voice low but still almost a roar.

[You were all present when the cabinet drafted the expenditure proposals for each ministry, yet now you're signing off on some ministries but not others. What exactly is your Ministry of Revenue trying to do?!]