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

Chapter 104 is explosive! A god-level psychological battle! Something big has happened!

Wang, the jailer, kept his head down, as if there was something interesting on the ground.

A feeling of being forced into something unexpected arose spontaneously, which amused the audience. Tian Youlu and Prison Chief Wang were truly pitiful.

It's just like being a worker forced to do a high-risk project. There are no benefits, but you have to bear the risks. It's a miserable situation!

But then, the audience couldn't help but feel tense. If Hai Rui had really been tricked, things would be terrible. However, Hai Rui's performance was as formidable as ever; the title of "Great Ming Divine Sword" was well-deserved. He immediately saw through the deception from the expressions of Tian Youlu and Wang the jailer, not to mention the four soldiers from the local government standing behind them.

At this moment, Tian Youlu lowered his eyes and began to deceive Hai Rui, trying to trick him into leaving prison.

"Your Excellency, the Imperial Textile Bureau has sent someone to urge you. Please, Your Excellency, go to the dock immediately." Hai Rui immediately noticed Tian Youlu's slip-up and asked, "Where are the people from the Imperial Textile Bureau?" Tian Youlu stammered.

"At the dock, on the boat," Hai Rui asked again.

"Didn't you say you'd send someone to urge me? Where is that person?" Tian Youlu's mind was starting to go blank. "They're...waiting in the county government office..." Hai Rui continued to press.

"Since you're here to urge me, why didn't you bring them to see me?" This time, Tian Youlu immediately broke down. He had been forced into this situation by those two commanders to deceive Hai Rui. In the heat of the moment, facing a life-or-death crisis, his usual shrewdness had vanished; how could he possibly make up such a smooth story?

With his defenses broken, Tian Youlu could only shake his head blankly. "This humble servant doesn't know either..." he stammered, his voice trembling with tears. "Your Excellency, please don't ask." This exchange sent a collective gasp through the audience.

Hai Rui's alertness and quick thinking, as well as Tian Youlu's collapse and fear, are vividly revealed in these few words of question and answer!

In particular, Tian Youlu's last two lines, "This humble servant does not know either" and "You old man, please do not ask," upon closer examination, make one chuckle while also conveying Tian Youlu's deep helplessness and powerlessness.

"This conversation is absolutely explosive, truly explosive!"

"Every line of dialogue is packed with information. Although it's just text and Chen Yu didn't even describe the expressions of the two sides, you can feel their feelings just by listening to the dialogue."

"I can almost see Tian Youlu's face breaking down." "Those rambling scripts, full of empty words, are as good as saying nothing at all. You should all learn from them!" Immediately after Tian Youlu's breakdown, Hai Rui became even more certain. Tian Youlu and Prison Chief Wang must have been forced into this situation; otherwise, they wouldn't be reacting like this. Previously, these two would definitely have sided with the provincial government. After all, how could such low-ranking officials dare disobey provincial orders? They certainly wouldn't help Hai Rui; instead, they would help the province deal with him.

But now, these two men are being forced into involvement in this major case of murder to cover it up. They're not stupid; they understand that if they're caught, the high-ranking officials in the province and their cronies might be fine, but the two of them, minor figures, are doomed.

If scapegoats are needed, then these two are the scapegoats. They might even be accused of colluding with the Japanese, causing their entire family to lose their lives!

Under these circumstances, these two men's interests no longer aligned with the province's. They would side with whoever could help them out of this predicament, whoever could prevent them from being implicated. Therefore, they became targets for Hai Rui to win over.

Otherwise, given Hai Rui's lack of capable personnel, he would be powerless to resist in the event of any unforeseen incident. Hai Rui then dismissed the soldiers from the county yamen, leaving Tian Youlu and the jailer Wang behind. At the same time, the doors of the county jail were tightly closed.

In this process, to make it easier for the audience to understand, Chen Yu also wrote down Hai Rui's considerations in detail. Some viewers who were not familiar with the situation were still wondering why Hai Rui would keep Tian Youlu and Wang the jailer, who had already sided with Commander Jiang and Commander Xu, around. Wasn't this inviting trouble?

After reading Chen Yu's analysis, they finally understood.

Some viewers' eyes lit up as they recalled a question Chen Yu had posed in several earlier scenes: "There are no eternal friends, no eternal enemies, only eternal interests!" "This scene is yet another testament to that statement. The county magistrate and jailer who weren't on Hai Rui's side before can be won over once their most pressing interests are identified."

"From this perspective, Hai Rui's insight into human nature was simply unbelievable, as clear as a mirror."

"With such abilities, if Hai Rui had wanted to curry favor, he could have easily won over his superiors and risen rapidly in officialdom!" "But he didn't choose to do that; instead, he knew the truth but upheld it, making his character all the more outstanding!" "Chen Yu's portrayal is brilliant! There's not much direct description, but it's precisely in these details that the character's personality is highlighted, and it's incredibly convincing. Truly amazing!"

Then, an even more shocking scene unfolded for the audience.

Hai Rui, who had left Tian Youlu and Wang the jailer behind, did not rush to point out the two men's situations, but instead chatted with them about everyday matters.

During the conversation, Hai Rui also demonstrated his understanding of Tian Youlu and Wang the jailer. For example, Wang the jailer, who had previously claimed to be illiterate in front of the two commanders, actually had three sons at home, and he supervised their homework every day, fulfilling his duties as a father quite diligently.

But Wang, the jailer, was raised by his widowed mother since childhood. His younger brother was poor, yet he was left to support their elderly mother alone. This lowly jailer had a wife and even kept a concubine, but he didn't support his mother. He was unworthy of being a son!

There's also Tian Youlu, whose mother has passed away and who only has an elderly father. He lives with his wife and son in the county government office, but leaves his father alone in a thatched hut in the south of the city. That's unfilial!

These words deeply shocked both Tian Youlu and Wang the jailer.

They felt even more awe towards Hai Rui, who knew their backgrounds so well, and felt that this man was unfathomable. At this moment, Hai Rui said quietly.

[I bear a tremendous responsibility.] [From the provincial level to Chun'an, not a single person is on my side. I need to find out who exactly is disrupting the law and opposing the imperial court. If the court asks one day, I will have an explanation.]

These words were undoubtedly a veiled accusation against Tian Youlu and Wang, the jailer, suggesting they were attempting to disrupt the imperial court's laws and oppose its authority. This instantly sent a chill down the spines of the two men, who were already in awe of having their background exposed, into a cold sweat and inwardly groaning. They couldn't afford to offend Commander Jiang or Commander Xu, but they also couldn't afford to offend Magistrate Hai! Caught in the middle, their predicament was indescribable!

But then, Hai Rui stopped pressuring them and instead changed the subject, speaking in a gentle tone about what the two of them cared about most.

In truth, no matter how high one's official rank, in the end, one still has to live a simple life. No one wants to walk a path of death. To gain their trust, Hai Rui even revealed his family situation. "I also have an elderly mother, who will be seventy this year. But I have no sons, only a daughter. You are more fortunate than I am." At the same time, Hai Rui added a meaningful remark.

That's not true. There's only one thing I'm better off with: my family is in Fujian. The imperial court promised me that if I were murdered in Chun'an, someone would bring them to the capital.

On the surface, Hai Rui's words seemed like casual conversation. But in reality, he was beginning to reveal his true intentions. Tian Youlu and Prison Warden Wang were forced into their positions by the provincial authorities. Yet Hai Rui mentioned that he had people backing him in the imperial court, and how much those people valued him—that if he died, his family would be taken to the capital by those backing him!

This is a way of hinting at one's background.

Hai Rui didn't mention Prince Yu because he wasn't a member of Prince Yu's faction; Hai Rui was selfless and impartial. But now the situation was critical, and he had to hint at things that others thought the same way, such as his powerful connections. Provincial connections were powerful, but could they be more powerful than his own? Sure enough, Tian Youlu and the jailer, whose minds had been in turmoil before, suddenly became clear-headed. Yes, the provincial commander was powerful, carrying the weight of provincial influence. But even if he was powerful, could he be more powerful than Prince Yu behind Magistrate Hai? Tian Youlu immediately whispered to Hai Rui, "Sir, I heard you were recommended by Prince Yu?"

Hai Rui did not give a direct answer to this question.

He was indeed recommended by Prince Yu, but he wasn't a confidant of Prince Yu, nor did he ever intend to join Prince Yu's faction. He simply asked rhetorically, "Does that matter?" He didn't give a definite answer, but people always tend to have more faith in what they've figured out than in the answers they've been given.

Hai Rui's words only solidified Tian Youlu's suspicions, and he muttered to himself, "Who in the world doesn't know that Prince Yu is the future emperor?" Wang, the jailer, who had been somewhat confused before, suddenly understood. The magistrate Hai before him had truly powerful connections! Both men looked at Hai Rui with eager eyes.

Even at this point, Hai Rui did not give any answer confirming that he was Prince Yu's man, but instead asked a question.

"Do you want to leave Chun'an safely with your families?" But to Tian Youlu and Prison Warden Wang, this was tantamount to Hai Rui extending an olive branch. Behind Hai Rui was Prince Yu, the future emperor—a background far more powerful than the provincial government. So, by siding with Hai Rui, they were siding with Prince Yu; what was there to fear? Thus, even with two commanders holding leverage over them, Tian Youlu and Prison Warden Wang still decisively chose to betray him, kneeling down and crying out to Hai Rui.

"Help me, Master!" As this cry was uttered, the audience outside the script felt as if an electric current had passed through their bodies, goosebumps rose on their skin, and they all gasped in shock.

From the very first sentence Hai Rui uttered, he completely controlled the psychology of Tian Youlu and the jailer Wang. The rhythm and direction of the entire conversation were entirely under Hai Rui's control.

Tian Youlu and Wang, the jailer, were gradually guided to the situation Hai Rui desired, ultimately choosing to betray him. While there was no actual fighting, the thrill and excitement were no less than that of a martial arts film. If Hai Rui had uttered a single slip of the tongue, such as revealing that he was merely sent by the Qingliu faction to cause trouble and had no powerful background whatsoever, not even knowing what Prince Yu looked like...

Whether Tian Youlu and Prison Chief Wang will choose to betray him is anyone's guess! The more the audience pondered, the more they felt the psychological manipulation and rhetoric displayed in this dialogue were truly exquisite. "This psychological game is simply divine, absolutely divine!" "If I could learn even a little bit from this, who in the workplace could do that? Mastering manipulation, mastering it all!" Many viewers breathed a sigh of relief at this point, their lingering worries vanishing. Previously, many of them had been worried that Chen Yu's earlier plot had been interrupted, and that he had written a scene from "In the Name of the People" midway through.

Will rewrite the Ming Dynasty this time still capture its essence?

After all, creative state is the most elusive thing, and it can't be maintained at a certain level indefinitely. How many screenwriters become famous with one script, only to experience a precipitous decline with the next? If this is the case even for writing a single genre of scripts, let alone Chen Yu, who switches back and forth between historical political intrigue and modern officialdom scripts, it's truly worrying.

But now, seeing that familiar taste, these viewers are completely relieved. Those worries were only for ordinary people.

But is Chen Yu an ordinary person? He's a genius, absolutely top-notch!

At this point, following these plot developments, the Ming Dynasty drama, which had been stagnating at number 30 on the best drama list, suddenly rose two places to number 28, eliciting a gasp of amazement from the audience.

Meanwhile, the previous composure and jest of Huaying executives had vanished; their expressions were strained, and their foreheads were covered in cold sweat.

"Quickly, go to the teahouse and find Master Wang."

"Something's happened! This is a huge problem!"

Inside the Huaying Building, in a quiet room, unlike any other office, lies a hidden paradise. Antique-style rosewood furniture, hanging landscape paintings by famous artists, and even a small artificial rockery screen create the atmosphere. In the center of the room sits a small table and several exquisite tea sets. Master Wang meticulously prepares the tea-making process here. This is his hobby, and also his ritualistic preparation for creating art.

In his words, it's about bringing out the impurities in your mind through this ritualistic process, and the moment you drink the fragrant tea, inspiration flows like a spring and bursts forth in your heart.

Just then, before Master Wang could finish his procedure, there was a knock at the door. He frowned slightly and calmly put down the teapot in his hand. "Come in." A moment later, a senior executive from Huaying hurriedly walked in.