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

"It's not as mystical as you guys are making it out to be, okay? Stop overthinking it!"

"You've already come up with so much drama just because the identities of the two parties in the conversation are written down. Does Chen Yu even realize it?"

At this moment, Chen Yu's fingers flew across the keyboard, continuing the development of this scene almost without pausing—

Although Zhou Yunyi was bound hand and foot, he remained solemn, his gaze sharp and fixed straight ahead. He responded magnanimously: "The imperial court is extravagant, officials are corrupt, the people are struggling to make a living, and public resentment is boiling over, even the heavens are furious!"

Before he could finish speaking, a young eunuch next to him suddenly kicked his legs, slamming him to the ground.

As soon as Chen Yu's description was released, the viewers in the live stream widened their eyes instantly. Those who were just questioning him now obediently shut up—thanks to the interpretation from the history expert, they finally understood just how important Zhou Yunyi's position as the Director of the Imperial Observatory was.

Looking at these lines again now, I finally understand why he was tied up here and interrogated.

"Good heavens! The imperial court is extravagantly wasteful, corruption is rampant among officials, the people are suffering terribly, and public resentment is boiling over—this is not something an official of a feudal dynasty should say!"

"I wouldn't dare be this direct even if I lived in modern times!"

"Brother Zhou Yunyi, you really dare to say that! No wonder you're tied up here!"

After Chen Yu wrote down Zhou Yunyi's response, viewers in the No. 8 live stream couldn't help but shudder.

Although they don't know the exact year of the Ming Dynasty, according to the analysis of historical experts, they have already sensed the deadly danger hidden in this short conversation - the slightest carelessness could lead to death, which is chilling!

With just two lines of dialogue, he created such an atmosphere, leaving viewers thoroughly entertained: "I underestimated Chen Yu before; his dialogue skills are amazing! Just those two lines felt like I was being pulled into the treacherous and dangerous world of ancient officialdom!"

"Have you noticed? Feng Bao and Zhou Yunyi's images have been firmly established—Feng Bao asks such a murderous question with a smile on his face; he truly deserves to be called the Director of the Eastern Depot, a smiling tiger incarnate! Zhou Yunyi, as the Director of the Imperial Observatory, knows the consequences yet still acts without hesitation; he is absolutely a loyal and upright official!"

At this point, the audience began to wonder what the other contestants had written.

Is there a more exciting opening like Chen Yu's? Disappointingly, most of the other contestants were still building their worldviews or creating their characters. They had only just begun and were not very interesting. They couldn't compare to the thrilling opening of Chen Yu's show, which was full of sword fights and lurking danger.

They went around in circles and left disappointed. Even worse, their mention of Livestream Room 8 in other livestream rooms piqued the curiosity of viewers in the other seven rooms: "Livestream Room 8? Isn't that Chen Yu's? Has he started writing? Is it a historical drama? I heard the beginning is particularly exciting?"

"My God! This is outrageous! I have to check this out!"

Before he finished speaking, Chen Yu's No. 8 live stream room was instantly flooded with viewers. The previously deserted live stream room skyrocketed in popularity, jumping from the bottom of the eight live stream rooms to the top of the list.

At this moment, Chen Yu and the other contestants were still unaware of what was happening—as participants, they could only focus on creating content for the live stream, unable to see the barrage of comments or the soaring audience numbers in the live stream. Chen Yu was engrossed in writing, the pen scratching softly on the paper.

"Zhou Yunyi's forehead was pressed against the cold blue brick floor, his eyes were closed, his jaw was clenched, and only two crystal tears seeped from the corners of his eyes."

A hint of disappointment flashed across Feng Bao's face. He suddenly stood up and pressed on sharply again.

"I'll ask you one last time—who taught you to say these things to the Emperor?"

When Chen Yu wrote down Feng Bao's question, the audience who had been watching felt as if a thunderbolt had exploded in their ears, and their scalps tingled instantly.

"Holy crap!"

"This is an explosion of information!"

"Is Feng Bao questioning the mastermind behind Zhou Yunyi?"

"Combined with the previous analysis by historical experts of the Imperial Observatory's 'no snow in the twelfth lunar month' incident, this was a major event that touched upon the dignity of the emperor!"

"If Zhou Yunyi truly has a mastermind behind this, it's clearly aimed at the Emperor!"

"hiss--"

"Just a few lines of dialogue, and there are so many hidden meanings?"

"What kind of amazing script is Chen Yu trying to write?!"

The sound of keyboards clicking again interrupted the audience's heated discussion.

Zhou Yunyi remained silent and responded with his eyes closed.

"I am a subject of the Ming Dynasty, and it is my duty to convey Heaven's message to the Emperor. I need no instigation from others!"

Upon hearing this, Feng Bao took a half step back and stopped looking at him. His feet, which had been turned outwards, suddenly turned inwards.

[The official will administer corporal punishment.]

[Act One concludes with Zhou Yunyi's fading groans.]

When Chen Yu typed the "End of Act One" sign, the longtime viewers in the live stream were so excited they jumped up and down.

"This tastes just right!"

"Who said Chen Yu would be the first to be eliminated? Step forward!"

"Based on this script for the very first act, I hereby declare Chen Yu a god-like figure!"

"This is so mind-bending! Every line of dialogue is a trap!"

"I broke out in a cold sweat after watching just one scene. This isn't a script; it's a scene straight out of a sword fight!"

New viewers who entered the live stream were completely bewildered.

"No, what's all this fuss about?"

"What exactly is going on? Can someone explain this to me?"

"How did they become gods? I don't understand."

Just as everyone was discussing animatedly, Chen Yu typed "End of Act One" and started writing on a new line:

[Explanation and Background of Act One of the Script for "The Ming Dynasty"]

According to the rules of the "Creator Competition", program creation must completely simulate real industry processes.

Each scene script must be followed by a detailed explanation to help actors understand their role and personality traits; a character biography may also be added if necessary.

This is why Chen Yu immediately began writing script explanations and background introductions after completing the first act.

Previous contestants of the "Creator Competition" have complained a lot about this part - after all, in real creation, how can a screenwriter write a script and then teach the actors how to act step by step?

After all, when writing scripts, they always try to maintain a certain mystery, not revealing everything too clearly, so that readers can figure out the deeper meaning for themselves. However, in order to cater to the viewing experience of most viewers, the production team ultimately included this explanation segment.

At this moment, Chen Yu also felt that this part was absolutely crucial for a masterpiece of political intrigue like "Da Ming Dynasty". Otherwise, given the level of understanding of most viewers, they probably wouldn't even be able to understand the undercurrents in the characters' dialogues, let alone appreciate the profound political intrigue hidden between the lines.

The first episode of "Da Ming Dynasty" in his previous life had dismal ratings, wasn't that a mistake? It was only later, as word of mouth spread, that it was slowly elevated to the altar of Chinese dramas and became the recognized "ceiling". Chen Yu still remembers the bewilderment he felt when he first watched the show - the screen was full of officials, it was hard to tell who was loyal and who was treacherous; the lines were full of hidden meanings, leaving the audience completely confused.

He hadn't forgotten that he was currently on the set of the "Creator Competition." It's true that gold always shines, but how could he bear to let such a masterpiece remain buried for so long before it finally blossoms? If you're going to shine, you have to do it early!

Thinking of this, Chen Yu's lips curled into a slight smile. Although he was explaining the background, he only intended to analyze it from an objective perspective and would never easily label the characters as "good" or "bad." Firstly, the characters in "The Ming Dynasty" are inherently complex; how could they be simply black and white? Secondly, letting the audience guess who is loyal and who is treacherous, who is virtuous and who is inferior, is the greatest joy of watching this drama, isn't it?

Loyal ministers and treacherous officials, national righteousness, and those who harm the country and its people... let the audience debate these controversies to find out!

Chen Yu lightly tapped the keyboard and began writing the narration for the first act.

Winter of the 39th year of the Jiajing reign

This emperor, who has sat on the throne for forty years, has encountered three troublesome matters this year.

[Firstly, many parts of northern China have not seen a single snowflake since the beginning of winter—according to our ancestors' traditions, little snow in winter inevitably leads to locust plagues in spring, followed by famine.]

[The second event was a sudden fire at the Wanshou Palace where he practiced his cultivation.]

In the eyes of the ancients, the absence of snow and palace fires were both divine retributions—retributions signifying the emperor's moral failings. Emperor Jiajing, a Taoist emperor who deeply believed in destiny, was now in a state of extreme anxiety, awaiting a reassuring explanation from the Imperial Astronomical Bureau.

[But Zhou Yunyi, the Director of the Imperial Observatory, not only refused to cooperate in "fabricating celestial phenomena," but instead accused the court of divine retribution for its misconduct!]

[The court's misrule ultimately stems from the emperor's moral failings—isn't this pointing the finger directly at Jiajing?!]

As soon as this background information was released, veteran viewers exclaimed "Awesome!" and new viewers widened their eyes in amazement.

"So the killing of the Director of the Imperial Observatory in the first act had such a deep hidden meaning?"

"I was wondering about that just now, but now I understand—Zhou Yunyi refused to cooperate with the emperor's fabricated story and insisted on reopening old wounds for the court!"

"A single leaf falling heralds the coming of autumn; the Ming Dynasty is likely in a state of misery, with its people suffering and the people filled with resentment!"

"Zhou Yunyi is a true warrior for daring to say such a thing!"

"Wait, Feng Bao asked, 'Who taught you to say that?'—Is there someone behind this? Is the finger pointing directly at Jiajing?"

"It's chilling to think about! Is Zhou Yunyi a brave warrior, or a 'suicide bomb' being used as a pawn?"

"Information overload!"

Just a few words, yet so many twists and turns are hidden within; this pool of water is quite deep!

In the live stream, viewers were already engaged in a lively discussion: "We mentioned earlier that Jiajing encountered three problems, and we've only written about two so far. What exactly is the third one?"

Chen Yu's lips curled slightly, a hint of understanding in his expression. Although he couldn't see the comments, he could guess the audience's shock—after all, this was "Da Ming Dynasty," a pinnacle of Chinese drama!

However, this is just the tip of the iceberg. The depth and the ensemble cast of the entire series haven't even been revealed yet! As for the third question... it concerns the subsequent plot, so we'll leave it for now.

The third question will be answered later.

Just as the audience was scratching their heads in frustration, Chen Yu lightly tapped his finger and typed out another line of text:

In-depth analysis of Feng Baoben, the Director of the Eastern Depot.

Now, the audience, who were eager to ask the third question, all widened their eyes—goodness, the scriptwriters even keep us in suspense?

"No way? Is Chen Yu deliberately keeping us in suspense?"

"Probably not. They probably haven't figured it out yet, since the script has only just begun."

But soon, the new title drew everyone's attention away—after all, Feng Bao's words and actions in the first act had already left a deep impression. That ruthless edge hidden in his smile, that cunning lurking with murderous intent, was chilling.

Now that Chen Yu is about to analyze this character, the audience immediately forgets about the "third question" and eagerly awaits his detailed explanation.

Chen Yu pondered for a moment, then typed a few lines:

The character of Feng Bao is very complex.

[To become the head of the Eastern Depot at such a young age, one needs to be cunning and resourceful to maintain that position.]

[Note his gesture when he ordered Zhou Yunyi to be flogged—a slight turn of his toes, a single glance was enough for his subordinates to understand; there was no need to explicitly say "beat him to death."]

[That's a brilliant move! If anyone causes a commotion, he can claim, "I didn't give any death orders; it was my subordinates who lost their sense of proportion."]

Furthermore, he was, after all, a palace official, representing the Emperor. Did Jiajing want Zhou Yunyi dead? Yes! But could he say it outright? No, otherwise it would damage his imperial reputation.

[Thus, Feng Bao understood—without the Emperor's permission, he would "accidentally" kill Zhou Yunyi. He would do the dirty work, but the blame wouldn't fall on the Emperor; it would all fall on the eunuchs of the Eastern Depot.]

[One must be adept at understanding the emperor's intentions and willing to do the dirty work for his master; lacking either one, one cannot climb to this position.]

But don't forget, he also harbored some reluctance regarding Zhou Yunyi's death—deep down, he still had a conscience.

……

The moment this analysis was released, the live stream chat exploded. Viewers were astonished to realize they had only seen the tip of the iceberg; so many intricacies were hidden in those overlooked details!

A flood of comments poured in, filling the screen with: "Holy crap? So that's what it meant?!"

If Chen Yu hadn't written this analysis, I would never have realized that Feng Bao had so many hidden talents.

So, Feng Bao's change from pigeon-toed to pigeon-toed was actually an implication for the eunuch to beat Zhou Yunyi to death?

As for why he didn't say it outright, firstly, he didn't want to take the blame, and secondly, he was thinking of Emperor Jiajing's feelings—after all, some things would be awkward for both sides if said outright.

She's adept at reading the emperor's mind and also willing to do the dirty work for her master; no wonder she climbed to such a high position at such a young age. Then I look at myself, getting on in years and still stuck in the same place…

Wait a minute! Now I understand why I haven't been promoted. It's because I don't know how to read the boss's mind! Every time I ask my boss for instructions, he either gives vague answers or gestures, and I insist on pressing him to find out exactly what he means. He always looks helpless. On the other hand, my colleague who joined the company at the same time as me understands everything before the boss even speaks, and he got promoted three times in one year.

I used to never understand the intricacies of this, but after reading Chen Yu's script and analysis today, I finally understand—it turns out I just haven't learned how to read the boss's mind like Feng Bao has? In the eyes of the leaders, haven't I become a blockhead?

At this moment, many of the audience members who were leaders also praised Feng Bao.

"Having subordinates like this is truly worry-free and comfortable."

"Absolutely. You don't even need to say it outright; he takes care of all the things that are inconvenient to do openly."

"We leaders aren't stupid. Would we promote someone who doesn't understand our instructions? That would be such a headache."

"If we're going to promote someone, we should definitely promote someone like Feng Bao, who's good at reading people's minds and can do the dirty work for you. He's so considerate!"

"Ugh, just thinking about those clueless subordinates in the office who always complain about not being valued gives me a headache—if only you were a little more astute, would I not be giving you important responsibilities?"