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

Chapter 30 Collapse? Witness the destruction of dikes and flooding of fields!

Each piece of silk differs from the previous one only in subtle details. For example, the flowers embroidered on the first piece of silk are still buds waiting to bloom, while the next piece is already in full bloom, attracting bees and butterflies to the branches. A foreign merchant next to him couldn't help but ask about the reason for this design. Yang Jinshui simply said one sentence.

A truly important person doesn't want others to notice when they change clothes; you have to look closely to know. If someone changes clothes four times in one day, that's what makes them important.

This short sentence made the viewers watching the plot gasp, and the screen was instantly filled with question marks in the comments.

"You have to change clothes four times a day?"

"If you're going to change it, why are there so many hidden details? If you have to be this meticulous every day, what must it be like over a week, a month, or a whole year?"

"The amount of silver spent on these silks alone is staggering!"

Not to mention ordinary viewers, even many wealthy viewers, and even CEOs of listed companies, couldn't help but gasp in astonishment when they saw this scene.

In their daily lives, they might wear a suit from a well-known brand to look presentable and neat. They would only pay a little more attention to formal occasions. Who would bother changing clothes four times a day for no reason? Many self-made internet company CEOs often only change clothes every two or three days. If you were to throw them back into that era according to the standards of the Ming Dynasty's elite, wouldn't they just be seen as uncouth and ignorant people in the eyes of the upper class? Thinking about this, many people couldn't help but join in the吐槽 (tu cao, a Chinese internet slang term for complaining/criticizing).

"This is way too extravagant!"

"If the upper class of the Ming Dynasty all behaved like this, then the huge deficit in the national treasury would suddenly make sense."

Even Chen Yu, who wrote this part of the story, couldn't help but feel emotional as he put pen to paper.

Who was Yang Jinshui? He was the chief eunuch of the Jiangnan Textile Bureau, the adopted son of Lü Fang, the chief eunuch of the Directorate of Ceremonial. He was highly regarded and trusted in the palace, which is why he was sent to the Jiangnan Textile Bureau to manage such a lucrative position. Even he had to address him respectfully as "Nobleman," so what kind of person could he be? He must be a member of the imperial family, a member of the imperial nobility! If even these people were so particular, what kind of life must the Jiajing Emperor, who lived deep within the Western Garden, have led? The answer is almost self-evident.

Later, the Jiajing Emperor even hypocritically claimed in an imperial edict that "I wear no more than eight sets of clothes for the four seasons," a statement that sounds utterly ridiculous. According to Yang Jinshui's standard, if Jiajing truly only had eight sets of clothes, it wouldn't even be enough for a single day's changes. The only plausible explanation is that the eight sets he referred to weren't actually eight pieces, but rather eight categories, each with provisions for daily wear, totaling at least dozens of garments. Moreover, this only includes his everyday clothes; the Taoist robes he wore during his spiritual practice weren't even included in this "everyday clothes" category. Just this alone reveals the staggering expense involved!

What moved Chen Yu the most as he put pen to paper was the next part of the story he was about to write.

While Yang Jinshui was leading a group of high-ranking officials from Zhejiang, accompanying foreign merchants to carefully examine various silks, Ma Ningyuan rushed over in a panic because of the unrest among the people. He was eager to meet with Hu Zongxian and report that if no action was taken soon, it might incite a popular uprising.

But to everyone's surprise, he couldn't even get through the gate of the textile bureau before being stopped by the eunuch guarding the entrance. The eunuch, upon hearing Ma Ningyuan say that he needed to see Hu Zongxian immediately to report the urgent situation of the people's impending rebellion, not only showed no panic but also casually uttered a single sentence.

I thought it was heavenly soldiers and generals attacking at our doorstep.

After saying that, he left Ma Ningyuan behind, telling him to continue waiting outside the door.

If it weren't for Hu Zongxian's personal guard captain arriving by chance and allowing Ma Ningyuan to enter, this kind of rioting by the common people would likely have occurred.

The momentous military and national affairs, about to change, are about to be delayed by this mere gatekeeper eunuch!

This single detail perfectly illustrates the demeanor of those who come from the palace. As the saying goes, "What the superiors like, the inferiors will pursue even more fervently." If the high-ranking officials truly cared about the lives of the common people, which of these palace servants would dare to ignore the matter of a popular uprising? It is precisely because those powerful figures above don't care about the plight of the common people, their minds filled only with silk, silver, and personal gain, that these eunuchs dare to be so arrogant and dismissive!

In just one short scene, the corrupt practices of the upper echelons of the Ming Dynasty are vividly and thoroughly reflected!

This trade deal ultimately concluded with Yang Jinshui finalizing an order for 500,000 bolts of silk with foreign merchants.

However, at the same time, the news brought by Ma Ningyuan that troublemakers had gathered to cause a disturbance instantly shattered the joy that filled the room.

"To the Governor-General's Office." With those words, Hu Zongxian strode off towards the Governor-General's Office.

Yang Jinshui, Zheng Bichang, and He Maocai almost simultaneously glared fiercely at Ma Ningyuan before quickly following Hu Zongxian's footsteps. Ma Ningyuan, however, kept his head down and followed closely at the back of the group.

[The Ming Dynasty, Act VIII, The End.]

After typing the last word of this section of the script, Chen Yu let out a soft breath and slightly moved his somewhat stiff fingers. However, this relaxation was not the ease of completing a great task; rather, it felt more like a warm-up before an earth-shattering battle. He knew all too well that this scene in the entire "Ming Dynasty" was merely a brief buffer, simply to clearly establish just how important the order for 500,000 bolts of silk was in the eyes of these officials in Zhejiang.

This also serves to highlight the obsessive and fanatical mindset that Zhejiang officials held towards this deal.

At the same time, there is an even more obvious metaphor hidden here—the national policy of converting rice paddies to mulberry fields is almost driving the people to the brink of rebellion, but when this urgent news arrives, the Ming Dynasty's officialdom casually tells it to "wait and see."

Let's finish the silk business first, then we can talk about the lives of the common people.

This attitude couldn't be clearer. In order to promote the conversion of rice paddies to mulberry fields, the Ming Dynasty officials simply didn't care how many civilians would die!

In a sense, this plot is like a dark cloud spreading across the sky before a storm, occasionally blowing a cool breeze that makes people mistakenly think they can catch their breath, but little do they know that behind this breeze, a devastating downpour is brewing.

Starting from the next scene, one major event after another will unfold, pushing the conversion of rice paddies to mulberry fields all the way to the earth-shattering destruction of the dikes and flooding of the fields!

Chen Yu twisted his slightly sore neck and picked up his phone to check the live stream and the program's progress. But after just one glance, his brows furrowed slightly.

The screen was showing live footage of the "Creators Competition." As soon as the eighth scene of the story began, the film industry representative who had only offered 300,000 yuan for "Ming Dynasty" on the first day stood up impatiently, his face full of a smug expression of complete control.

"Now, shouldn't that prove that what I said before has already begun to come true?"

"I told you long ago that this plot about converting rice paddies to mulberry fields would be a complete disaster. I don't know how he's going to wrap this up."

"Previously, Chen Yu could barely maintain his popularity by writing about the Machiavellianism and power struggles in officialdom, but what about this scene? There's almost no plot conflict at all; it's as bland as a glass of plain water!"

"I predicted yesterday that the plot of 'The Ming Dynasty' was about to plummet, and now I'm absolutely certain that the precipitous drop in the plot of 'The Ming Dynasty' has truly arrived!"

Hearing his outrageous remarks, Chen Yu in front of the screen twitched the corners of his mouth, forming a smile that was neither a smile nor a frown.

Cliff? Landslide?

They really dare to say whatever comes to mind.

Immediately afterwards, Chen Yu stretched out a big yawn, finally loosening his stiff body from sitting for so long. The smile in his eyes faded, and his expression instantly became serious, yet it also concealed an irrepressible anticipation and sharpness.

"Landslide, huh? Cliff, huh? Then I'll show you what it truly means to fall from grace, what a cliff in the history of period dramas can never be crossed again!"

The next second, fingertips landed on the keyboard, and a series of rapid keystrokes rang out, with a striking title appearing on the screen.

The Ninth Act of the Ming Dynasty

Following the court discussion in the Golden Palace, the second major climax of the entire drama "Da Ming Dynasty"—the destruction of the dike and flooding of the fields—officially begins with this line of text!

[The Ming Dynasty, Act 9] [Location: Zhejiang Governor's Mansion]

[Characters: Hu Zongxian, Yang Jinshui, Zheng Bichang, He Maocai, Tan Lun, Ma Ningyuan...] When Chen Yu typed out this introduction, both the film industry representative and the contestants watching here frowned slightly.

Wow, that was fast.

The same thought occurred to them all, and they felt a little uneasy at the same time. The unease was especially strong among the contestants.

Because they are writers, they certainly understand what writing so quickly means.

If your train of thought is blocked, then progress will be extremely difficult, and it's not impossible to spend half a day without writing a single word. Some authors even bang their heads on the ground when they're stuck, hoping to break through the blockage. Writing quickly has only one explanation: the subsequent train of thought is very clear, and the plot is very well-defined!

A thought flashed through their minds: "Shouldn't Chen Yu be scratching his head in frustration right now?" "How could he write so quickly?"

"Could it be that the plot of 'Da Ming Dynasty' hasn't reached the point of collapse yet?" But after a moment, their gazes turned cold, and they didn't believe it.

They trusted their decades of creative experience. They'd come this far, how could they not collapse?! As for Chen Yu's actions, they must have been a desperate struggle.

Regardless, the plot of Chen Yu's "The Ming Dynasty" has begun to roll like a snowball, drawing everyone's attention into it.

The ninth act of the Ming Dynasty, which can be considered the prelude to the destruction of dikes and flooding of fields, began in the heavy atmosphere of the people of Chun'an surrounding the governor's mansion.

It's somewhat ironic.

Ma Ningyuan said that the troublemakers he mentioned intended to rebel, but how exactly did these "troublemakers" intend to "rebel"?

They knelt one by one on the street outside the Governor's Mansion, heads bowed, filling the entire street to the brim. This was the rebellion Ma Ningyuan spoke of. The people gathered on their knees; this too was a form of rebellion. Yes, unarmed, rebelling on their knees—a very novel form of rebellion.

Ironically, when Hu Zongxian and his entourage returned from the Textile Bureau and witnessed this scene, He Maocai, the Zhejiang Provincial Surveillance Commissioner, who was in charge of the rule of law in Zhejiang, immediately uttered the following words—

Arrest them first.

[Arrest people and investigate them one by one, punish those who should be punished, and submit memorials to the court as required.] How efficient and capable! This process is truly highly efficient.

Once the person is arrested, all the problems will be solved.

When Chen Yu wrote this part, he couldn't help but add a parenthesis after He Maocai's name, writing a footnote: "[He Maocai, Zhejiang Provincial Surveillance Commissioner, in charge of Zhejiang's legal and criminal law, a veteran of twenty years in criminal affairs]." Upon hearing this, the audience gasped, feeling a silent shock.

A script, or a play, or any work of art, is based on life and abstracts its essence.

Therefore, the so-called dramatic shock must have a sense of realism. At this moment, the audience also felt this consistent reality between the play and reality. [The provincial judicial commissioner, in charge of criminal justice for an entire province, upon seeing this, immediately ordered everyone arrested.] [This is still a twenty-year-old criminal code; is this feudalism? Is this the Ming Dynasty?] [Heh, don't talk about feudalism or the Ming Dynasty; it's as if something has changed.] [Don't believe me? Try kneeling with dozens of people right now!] At this point, many viewers gradually fell silent. Earlier, they had seen the Qingliu faction and the Yan faction attacking each other in the imperial court, engaging in heated debates, and they had imagined what it would be like to be in such a court in the Ming Dynasty.

But now they suddenly understand.

Oh, if I were in the Ming Dynasty, there's a 99% chance I'd be one of those commoners forced to convert rice paddies to mulberry fields, and even kneeling down, I'd still be arrested.

They finally remembered something.

While so many fan communities for officials of "Da Ming Dynasty" were being established, they forgot what the most important community should be established.

At this moment, a forum was quietly established, named "Da Ming Bai Xing Ba" (Great Ming Common People's Forum). The number of followers of this forum began to surge the instant it was established.

Surpassing all previous characters' Baidu Tieba followers, it has become the most followed character in the "Da Ming Dynasty" character support Baidu Tieba! The trending topics generated by these two scenes have also propelled "Da Ming Dynasty" to the top of all major platforms once again after its previous wave of dominating the trending topics charts!

At this moment, Chen Yu's live stream popularity, after a slight dip due to the somewhat lackluster transition in the previous scene, has rebounded again. One segment after another.

The organizers of the "Creator Competition" program, looking at the number of participants displayed backstage, felt their breathing quicken. The host, gritting his teeth and with a trembling voice, announced a message to the audience: "Here, the 'Creator Competition' program team has an announcement to make."

"The current show's ratings, number of bullet comments, and number of concurrent viewers have surpassed the championship day of the second season and are on par with the championship day of the first season."