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

Chapter 16 His Majesty is confused! The young Grand Secretary is no match for him!

Countless viewers in front of their screens were applauding Yan Shifan's outburst on the spot, wishing they could jump into the story, stand beside Yan Shifan, cheer him on, and point their fingers at Xu Jie, Gao Gong, and Zhang Juzheng to condemn these treacherous officials who brought disaster to the country.

However, the judges on the judging panel all showed a hint of hesitation and confusion on their faces.

Logically speaking, in any drama series about political intrigue, the true nature of the villains and treacherous officials is usually only gradually revealed towards the end of the story.

However, "The Ming Dynasty" does the opposite. In the third act, Yan Shifan publicly denounces Gao Gong and Zhang Juzheng as treacherous officials.

This kind of operation would be impossible in 99% of political intrigue dramas.

How can this plot possibly continue?

A hint of worry had crept into Teacher Shuping's eyes, and her fingertips unconsciously tightened as she secretly felt a pang of anxiety for Chen Yu.

He was genuinely worried that Chen Yu's script might have some kind of flaw in its pacing and arrangement.

Teacher Shuping then turned his gaze to the resident executives of the leading film and television companies present at the scene.

Sure enough, he could clearly see that the executives all had a strange and intriguing expression on their faces.

Several executives had already placed their hands on the bidding board. It was obvious to everyone that they intended to be the first to bid for the cooperation rights of "Da Ming Dynasty" after the first day of recording of the "Creator Competition".

But now, all those hands have been withdrawn.

It's obvious that these seasoned veterans who have been in the film and television industry for many years have similar plans in mind to him.

The opening of "Da Ming Dynasty" was indeed stunning, but how will the subsequent plot carry it?

This is a huge unknown.

After all, buying a script means filming a long series of dozens of episodes. Even if you try to pad out the first three acts, you can only cut out enough material for two or three episodes at most.

If the subsequent plot falls apart and collapses, even if the opening is phenomenal, the script's price will definitely not be high.

Teacher Shuping's worries grew heavier, but the next second, his eyes became incredibly firm.

"No matter how Chen Yu writes the plot later, even if it really falls apart, I believe in him. As long as he has enough time, he can definitely polish this script into a masterpiece."

"If these top companies don't dare to make a move, then I'll take the lead myself and get my old friends to submit bids. We absolutely cannot let such a good script go to waste."

At this moment, Chen Yu was completely unaware of the thoughts of the judges and the film company executives.

They've only written three acts, and these people already think the plot of "Ming Dynasty" is going to fall apart?

That's a joke! It's not even an appetizer!

The most thrilling and skillful transformation of rice paddies into mulberry fields in "Ming Dynasty" hasn't even begun yet!

A hint of excitement flashed in Chen Yu's eyes; he was already full of anticipation for the plot he was about to write.

The argument in the imperial court had escalated to the point of life and death, and it was time for the Jiajing Emperor, who had never shown his face, to make his appearance.

This Jiajing Emperor is definitely the pinnacle of political intrigue in the entire series of "Ming Dynasty".

He did not attend court for forty years, yet he was able to firmly grasp the power of the entire court and the nation, manipulating it at will.

He possessed an almost innate, genius-like intuition and control over power dynamics and checks and balances.

Even top figures like Yan Song, Lü Fang, and Xu Jie, who could turn the tide at will, were merely fighting amongst themselves within the circle designated by Jiajing, following his wishes.

Even if Xu Jie's faction of Qingliu eventually defeated Yan's faction, what difference was there between what they did and what Yan's faction did?

In the end, they were just like the Yan faction, racking their brains to figure out the emperor's intentions and doing their best to collect money for Jiajing!

Throughout the entire series, the only one who could break free from Jiajing's power struggles and dared to stand up and confront him head-on was Hai Rui, the Great Sword of the Ming Dynasty!

A memorial that spoke frankly about the most important matter under heaven angered Jiajing so much in prison that he vomited blood. In the end, Jiajing, who was on his deathbed and terminally ill, summoned him to the Hall of Supreme Harmony and witnessed the succession of imperial power among three generations of Ming emperors!

Thinking of these iconic scenes, Chen Yu couldn't help but feel a surge of hot blood in his chest, his heart pounding with excitement.

Soon, soon.

With this scene completed, the momentous drama of converting rice paddies to mulberry fields will officially begin.

The ultimate power struggle within the Ming Dynasty is only just beginning!

Now, it's time for the Jiajing Emperor to take the stage!

Before he finished speaking, lines of text poured out from Chen Yu's fingertips and rapidly spread across the screen.

[The Ming Dynasty, Act III, Scene V, Begins]

[Having cultivated a form resembling a crane, I sit beneath a thousand pine trees, carrying two volumes of scriptures. I come to inquire about the Way, but there is nothing more to say; clouds drift in the blue sky, water flows in the bottle.]

Accompanied by the clear and melodious sound of reciting poetry, Emperor Jiajing, with his wide sleeves fluttering, slowly walked out of the study and appeared in the main hall.

】

Normally, if the audience saw Emperor Jiajing make such a powerful entrance, they would have already flooded the screen with "666" (a Chinese internet slang for "awesome").

At this moment, the audience's hearts were in their throats, and they were extremely anxious.

This is a matter of life and death, Your Majesty! Your son is plotting with his ministers to seize the throne!

Three treacherous officials have infiltrated the cabinet. The young Grand Secretary Yan Shifan has gone to great lengths to expose their names to you, yet you still have the leisure to recite poetry here.

"Why are you reciting poetry at a time like this!"

"Quickly smash the cup as a signal! Let the axemen who are lying in ambush rush out and chop Xu Jie, Gao Gong, and Zhang Juzheng into mincemeat on the spot. Then the Ming Dynasty will be secure!"

"Your Majesty, please act quickly!"

Just as the audience was getting impatient and wishing they could jump into the screen and execute Xu Jie, Gao Gong, and Zhang Juzheng, these "traitors," on the spot for Jiajing, the scene unfolded.

On Chen Yu's screen, the subsequent plot of "The Ming Dynasty" was clearly appearing line by line.

After Emperor Jiajing finished reciting the poem, Yan Song took the lead, kneeling down and shouting "Long live the Emperor!"

The Jiajing Emperor indifferently swept his gaze across the kneeling officials in the hall, then fixed his eyes on Yan Song.

"Grand Secretary Yan, Yan Shifan said that Zhou Yunyi, who slandered the court, has a powerful backer, and that backer is in your cabinet."

Tell me, who is Zhou Yunyi's backer?

The moment Jiajing asked that question, the audience's palms were sweating with tension, and everyone was hoping that Yan Song would immediately announce the names of Xu Jie, Gao Gong, and Zhang Juzheng.

Then let Jiajing issue an edict to have these people dragged to the Meridian Gate and beheaded as a warning to the public, so that the Ming Dynasty could be restored to peace and prosperity!

However, Yan Song's next answer greatly disappointed all the viewers.

"Your Majesty, Zhou Yunyi has no powerful backers here," Yan Song replied in a deep voice.

[Jiajing then asked, "How was Zhou Yunyi able to recount the court's various expenditures from last year with such perfect accuracy?"]

Yan Song immediately replied, "The imperial court has no private accounts."

"Just like last year when Yingtian repaired the Baimao River and Wusong River, Zhejiang repaired the Xin'an River, and Henan and Shaanxi suffered from severe drought, all the funds allocated were publicly announced by imperial edict."

[Jiajing suddenly raised his voice: "How does he know so much about the expenses for building those palace halls?"]

Yan Song replied calmly, "This shows that every penny spent by the Ministry of Works is accounted for transparently."

None of the officials in the hall had expected Yan Song to utter such words at this critical juncture of political turmoil. Many of them, whose faces were tense, gradually relaxed.

The coldness on Jiajing's face slowly melted away, and after sitting down, a smile appeared on his face: "Rise, all of you."

Only Yan Shifan looked at his father, Yan Song, with a face full of astonishment and disappointment, his eyes filled with grievance.

The Jiajing Emperor spoke calmly: "Don't just stare at your father like that. Learn from him."

[Clouds in the blue sky, water in the bottle—you people are like clouds, like water, all loyal ministers, none treacherous.]

When this dialogue between Emperor Jiajing and Yan Song was presented, not only were the ministers in the drama surprised, but the audience outside the screen was also in an uproar.

"How foolish!"

"Grand Secretary Yan, you are truly muddle-headed!"

"Your Majesty, you've also made a foolish mistake!"

"The treacherous officials are standing right there in the open, why don't you point them out, Grand Secretary Yan? At this critical juncture of life and death, are you still thinking of saving the lives of Xu Jie, Gao Gong, and Zhang Juzheng?"

"Your Excellency! Those are your political enemies who would love to grind you to dust! How can you be so soft-hearted and speak up for them instead?"

"When your son was surrounded and attacked by the crowd just now, you refused to stand up and help him, but now you're defending these treacherous officials?"

"I'm truly speechless. Although Grand Secretary Yan's memorial was ridiculously cunning, I'm absolutely furious! I feel so sorry for the young Grand Secretary!"

"And the Emperor, judging from this, he never intended to kill anyone. His thoughts are exactly the same as Grand Secretary Yan's."

"All loyal ministers, no treacherous ones? Bullshit! Those few are clearly treacherous ministers, and your son, Prince Yu, is the mastermind behind the plot to usurp the throne!"

"Alas, they were too soft-hearted! Whether it was Jiajing or Grand Secretary Yan, they were both too merciful! Because of this kindness, they missed the best opportunity to get rid of these people, and sooner or later they will be turned against them!"

"Forget it, all I feel now is sorry for the young Grand Secretary. He painstakingly built a winning position, and if Grand Secretary Yan had just followed up with one more blow, the victory would have been secured. But what happened? Sigh—"

"I now retract my previous ranking of the characters! Prince Yu, as the mastermind, is undoubtedly the highest-ranking, but the Junior Grand Secretary is absolutely the pinnacle of the righteous faction, fully capable of going head-to-head with Prince Yu!"

"He really gave it his all, but unfortunately, he couldn't carry a bunch of useless teammates who were dragging the team down!"

What followed was a textbook example of the checks and balances in the imperial court during the reign of Emperor Jiajing.

By winning over one faction and attacking the other, and then offering a sweet treat to the attacked side, the two sides that were fighting to the death were brought back to the same starting line, firmly maintaining the balance of power in the cabinet and ensuring that no one side could become too powerful.

For example, when Yan Shifan persisted and bluntly stated that the remarks of Gao Gong, Zhang Juzheng, and others were no different from those of Zhou Yunyi.

Emperor Jiajing then changed the subject, first expressing his regret over Zhou Yunyi's death, and then subtly criticizing the Directorate of Ceremonial and the inner court.

Then, the conversation abruptly shifted, and Yan Shifan was asked in front of everyone about his private life, including his recent marriage to his ninth concubine the day before.

Yan Shifan was so frightened that he hurriedly knelt down to beg for forgiveness, saying that he would send all his concubines back to their parents' homes. Xu Jie, Gao Gong, and Zhang Juzheng all smiled, thinking that Yan Shifan was going to suffer a big setback this time.

As a result, Jiajing casually remarked, "Only a hero marries nine wives," which not only made Yan Shifan keep all the concubines, but also instantly froze the smiles on the faces of Xu Jie, Gao Gong, and others.

It must be said that when Chen Yu typed out this line, he couldn't help but marvel at how Jiajing Emperor's art of checks and balances in the court had reached a level of consummate skill and effortless mastery.

To say that he represents the pinnacle of political intrigue in the entire "Ming Dynasty" series is absolutely well-deserved!

Many industry leaders in the live stream who specialize in political intrigue were stunned when they saw this dialogue.

So this is how factional checks and balances can be played out in such a creative way?

This isn't just political maneuvering; it's the pinnacle of political art!

The Jiajing Emperor was truly amazing!

However, most viewers in the live stream had only one thought regarding this legendary moment of checks and balances.

"What's the point of all this fancy stuff?"

"In the end, wasn't the Ming Dynasty destined to perish?"

"Sigh, I suddenly understand why those Tongtiandai would break down when playing games. It's probably just like the current Little Grand Secretary."

"If they had just followed my lead, they could have easily swept through the game and won. But these noobs insisted on doing their own thing and playing their own games."

"The young Grand Secretary has truly tried his best, but he simply can't be helped, he just can't be helped at all!"

Chen Yu became more and more excited as he wrote.

With the appearance of Jiajing, the most outstanding character in the entire series, the grand drama of converting rice paddies to mulberry fields is not far off!

From the imperial palace in Beijing to the Jiangnan region of Zhejiang, Hu Zongxian, Hai Rui, Zheng Bichang, He Maocai, Shen Yishi—

These figures, some powerful regional officials, others exceptionally courageous, and still others incredibly wealthy, are about to make their appearance, setting the stage for a grand political drama that will sweep across the entire Ming Dynasty.

Only then will the deep-seated and intractable problems of the Ming Dynasty truly be exposed to the light of day.

The moment Hai Rui entered the capital will set off an epic masterpiece that will resonate through the ages, leaving behind a memorial that will be remembered throughout history as the most outspoken and unparalleled memorial in the world!

Just thinking about these famous scenes, even though he had already typed tens of thousands of words today, Chen Yu still felt no fatigue, his fingers flying across the keyboard.

After calming the heated debate in the court with his words, Emperor Jiajing finally steered the conversation to the core issue he cared about most—money.

Previously, Zhang Juzheng had mentioned the principle of "preparation is the key to success, and lack of preparation leads to failure" in the planning of national expenditures. Emperor Jiajing then spoke first, asking Zhang Juzheng about his specific strategies.

Zhang Juzheng submitted a memorial requesting increased military funding for the southeast to suppress the Japanese pirates and open up maritime trade routes, which would generate tens of millions of taels of silver in revenue for the national treasury each year.

At this very moment, Yan Song, who had remained silent throughout the court meeting, seemingly advanced in years and lacking in energy, was unable to keep up with the heated debates in the court.

The true intentions have finally been revealed!