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

When this scene was performed, the audience's reaction was even stronger than Yan Shifan's fury in the script. They secretly rejoiced that they had studied Chen Yu's explanation of the functions of the cabinet and the six ministries word for word—otherwise, how could they have untangled this complex web of officialdom?

The Ministry of Personnel was in charge of official promotions, and the Ministry of Works was responsible for construction projects; both of these were within Yan Shifan's sphere of influence. The Ministry of War was under the command of Zhang Juzheng, and the Ministry of Revenue was jointly managed by Xu Jie and Gao Gong. As for Grand Secretary Yan Song, he only held the title of Minister of Rites—it was obvious to everyone that this was a deliberate attempt to avoid the suspicion of excessive power.

At this moment, Xu Jie suddenly spoke up, saying that while they had signed Zhang Juzheng's Ministry of War documents, Yan Shifan's Ministry of Personnel and Ministry of Works documents were unsigned. This action was blatantly blatant favoritism!

At the "Creator Competition" venue, some audience members couldn't contain themselves and started shouting at the top of their lungs:

"Xu Jie, you bunch of powerful officials!"

"Signing for one ministry while omitting another—isn't this forming cliques for personal gain? It's clearly targeting Grand Secretary Yan!"

"My heart aches for Grand Secretary Yan! He was devoted to the country and treated today's court assembly as a routine meeting. Who would have thought he would be attacked like this!"

"Grand Secretary Yan is old and hard of hearing. He's currently squatting by the stove warming himself by the fire, who would have thought someone would stab him in the back!"

"That old scoundrel Xu Jie, what kind of person is he to bully an elderly person!"

Many viewers noticed Xu Jie's reaction after speaking in the script—closing his eyes to rest and pretending to be deaf and mute. This demeanor gave everyone a completely new understanding of Xu Jie's shamelessness:

"I've truly seen something new today; Xu Jie's skin is thicker than a city wall!"

"You, the head of the Ministry of Revenue, just throw down a few words and then shut your eyes and wash your hands of the matter? So your subordinates are taking the blame for you while you're all relaxed!"

"Yan Shifan originally wanted to confront him directly, but he closed his eyes and pretended to be dead, forcing Yan Shifan to turn to Gao Gong and question him!"

"If I were working under Xu Jie, I'd probably be so angry I'd vomit blood!"

"Although Gao Gong also wanted to bring down Grand Secretary Yan, I'm actually starting to feel sorry for him—having Xu Jie as a superior is truly bad luck!"

At this moment, the name "Xu Jie" has become far more popular online than "Yan Song." However, public opinion surrounding Yan Song is overwhelmingly positive: various anecdotes and praises abound, such as "Grand Secretary Yan quelled droughts with his left hand and controlled floods with his right, conquered the northern frontier and fought wars in the southeast with both feet, and single-handedly supported half of the Ming Dynasty's territory."

As for Xu Jie? Nowadays, the only words to describe him on the Chinese internet are "infamous for eternity"!

Just as some audience members were expressing their indignation on behalf of Gao Gong, the next scene in the script suddenly silenced the entire audience:

Gao Gong pushed a stack of account books on the table forward, coughed lightly, and spoke in a low but clear voice.

[Young Grand Secretary, the Ministry of Revenue belongs to the Ming Dynasty, not "your" Ministry of Revenue.]

The Ministry of Personnel and the Ministry of Works were also government offices of the Ming Dynasty, not "your" government offices.

[If whatever your department says, the Ministry of Revenue has to do, then you might as well also be the Minister of Revenue. What's the point of us discussing anything then?]

Upon hearing this, some viewers gasped – this wasn't a debate, it was clearly an attack on their conscience!

They explained it in detail to the audience who were still confused.

"Gao Gong's words were clearly a wordplay—he didn't directly address Yan Shifan's questioning at all, but instead seized on a minor oversight in Yan Shifan's words, directly accusing him of 'privately appropriating the assets of the Six Ministries'!"

"To put it bluntly, he's implying that Yan Shifan treats the Ministry of Personnel and the Ministry of Works like his own backyard!"

"In the era of imperial power, this was a deadly and morally damaging statement!"

"Think about this, everyone. If you were the boss, and your subordinates told you that a certain manager was treating the department like his own private property, wouldn't you have some doubts?"

After this explanation, the onlookers suddenly realized the truth.

Those who had previously felt some pity for Gao Gong now felt nothing but anger.

"You cunning, Gao Gong with your thick eyebrows and big eyes! I thought you were a scapegoat, a victim of your boss's schemes, but who knew you were so insidious!"

"We were colleagues, was it really necessary to resort to such ruthlessness? You started the trouble first, which was already wrong, and now you're putting such a deadly label on someone?"

"Have you no shame?!"

"Avoiding the real issue and seizing upon verbal slips, you are intent on killing someone! Gao Gong, oh Gao Gong, your silver tongue is not the behavior of a gentleman!"

At this moment, even though Gao Gong had just earned the "reputation" of being "eloquent," the audience's hearts were hanging in the balance for Yan Shifan—

Yan Shifan is Yan Song's only son. If he offends the emperor, wouldn't Grand Secretary Yan be implicated?

Moreover, they had already investigated the backgrounds of the cabinet members—

Xu Jie and Gao Gong were both prodigies who achieved early success in the imperial examinations and ranked prominently on the list of successful candidates.

Yan Shifan, however, entered officialdom entirely through Yan Song's power; in terms of talent and ability, he was probably at the bottom.

Could this be the Achilles' heel of Grand Secretary Yan?

Just then, the ink on Chen Yu's brush surged forth—

Yan Shifan instantly realized—Gao Gong was attacking his spirit!

He immediately retorted, his anger intensifying.

【You two, one the Minister of Revenue and the other the Vice Minister of Revenue, sitting in these positions, what's wrong with referring to your Ministry of Revenue as "your Ministry of Revenue"?】

【The Ministry of Personnel and the Ministry of Works are certainly not my private property, Yan Shifan, but the expenditures of both ministries are decided by the Cabinet. If you feel you cannot or are unwilling to do them, you can simply say so! Now you are using the refusal to sign as a form of blackmail, delaying important court affairs; do you know what a crime this is!】

Yan Shifan's counterattack left the audience, who had just begun to understand the situation, thoroughly satisfied.

"That was a lightning-fast reaction! I had just finished analyzing Gao Gong's ruthlessness with the expert's help, and Yan Shifan delivered a flawless counterattack!"

"Not only did it clarify that 'your Ministry of Revenue' was merely a convenient term, but it also brought the topic back to Xu Jie and Gao Gong's refusal to sign!"

"You underestimate Yan Shifan! Although he entered officialdom through his father's influence, like father, like son. Just how much real ability does Grand Secretary Yan's son actually possess?"

"Excellent! Well said! Young Grand Secretary Yan, the fate of the Ming Dynasty rests on your shoulders, father and son!"

On the judging panel, several judges who were carefully examining the script, especially Teacher Shuping, gradually lost their doubts and were replaced by expressions of surprise.

"Have you noticed? Act Three has only just begun—"

"The characters are well-developed! These extraordinary characters have all come to life!"

"Yan Song's kind, benevolent, and hardworking demeanor as a veteran official; Xu Jie's sinister and treacherous manner of launching attacks; Gao Gong's sharp and barbed words; and Yan Shifan's quick wit and ability to counter every move..."

"Not only is his personality distinctive, but his witty remarks and resourceful responses are also beyond the reach of ordinary people!"

"Wonderful! Absolutely wonderful!"

"I initially thought Chen Yu had lost his composure in writing about the Golden Palace Council from the very beginning, but who knew he would actually bring out the essence of this ensemble piece!"

"This is what it feels like when gods clash!"