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

Chapter 35 A Peerless Hero! Prefect Ma is hiding his true abilities, don't you understand?

"Holy crap, are they serious? Seriously? The pace is going this fast? There wasn't even any build-up for a battle of wits, and now they're about to stage a breach?!"

The audience, who were enthusiastically analyzing the plot developments just a moment ago, including many industry experts and seasoned screenwriters with years of experience, were all dumbfounded. They stopped typing and their faces were filled with disbelief and confusion.

"What the hell is there to analyze?" "A breach? They're really going to stage a breach?" They never imagined that the plot of "The Ming Dynasty" could be this outrageous. The pace of development is just too unbelievable!

After a few seconds of stunned silence, everyone shook their heads, convinced that it was absolutely impossible.

How could such a central event, capable of running through dozens of episodes and serving as the final conspiracy in any drama, possibly unfold so early and so quickly?

What else can be written in the remaining plot?

Many seasoned screenwriters who have been immersed in the industry for many years have taken the lead in offering their own interpretations and predictions.

"The breach mentioned in the title is definitely not the dike destruction and flooding plot planned by Yan Shifan. It's more likely that some inconspicuous small dike accidentally broke, and then the righteous forces used this incident to find clues about the river dike project. They then followed the clues layer by layer and finally uncovered the truth of the whole conspiracy."

This interpretation immediately garnered unanimous approval from all viewers in the live stream, who felt it was the logical progression of the plot. Many viewers breathed a sigh of relief on the spot.

"That scared the hell out of me! I was about to pee, but when I saw this title, I was too scared to move, afraid I'd miss some crucial plot point." "Now it seems Chen Yu, that kid, really lives up to his online novel writing background; his skill at using clickbait titles is truly masterful." "Phew, at least the pace of this scene is slowing down. I can finally go pee in peace. Later, please share the rest of the plot in the comments section, everyone!"

Just when all the viewers breathed a sigh of relief, convinced that Chen Yu's scene was definitely a clickbait tactic, Chen Yu's fingers were still tapping away on the keyboard in front of the screen, and lines of solid plot text poured out with each keystroke.

The opening of this eleventh act is a profound portrayal of the central character, Hu Zongxian.

To be fair, if Hai Rui, who hasn't yet appeared on screen, is the only outlier in the entire "Ming Dynasty" series who breaks free from the constraints of court rules, then Hu Zongxian in this script is a near-perfect character. His political acumen is enough to rival top-tier cunning figures like Lü Fang and Yan Song, yet his mind is never on vying for power or engaging in factionalism; instead, it is entirely and thoroughly devoted to serving the country and advocating for the people.

Putting aside the actual historical events, just considering the script and character development of this drama, Hu Zongxian truly deserves the title of "unparalleled national hero"! And this opening scene between him and Tan Lun perfectly highlights his character's integrity and vision.

Tan Lun had already received the news that Hu Zongxian's memorial requesting a postponement of the conversion of rice paddies to mulberry fields had been rejected by the cabinet before it even reached the emperor for approval. At this time, Tan Lun's vision was still trapped in the political infighting at court, and he was secretly pleased, thinking that this incident would finally make Hu Zongxian see reality clearly. Now, all he could rely on was Prince Yu and the Qingliu faction under his command.

But from beginning to end, he never understood Hu Zongxian's vision and perspective.

Hu Zongxian clearly told him to leave the Governor's Office immediately, but Tan Lun thought Hu Zongxian was afraid. He immediately asked Hu Zongxian if he was afraid that he would be implicated if he stayed. He even said something with a righteous and dignified expression.

"When the day comes that the court seeks to hold you accountable, with me, Tan Lun, standing here, I will ensure that you, Hu Ruzhen, bear no responsibility whatsoever." Hu Zongxian was both amused and exasperated upon hearing this, bluntly stating that Tan Lun, Tan Zili, had made no progress whatsoever in ten years, and he couldn't understand why Prince Yu valued him so highly. Tan Lun, however, thought Hu Zongxian was implying that Tan Lun's political maneuvering was not sophisticated enough, that he hadn't mastered the art of careful consideration in officialdom, and even displayed a hint of disdain on his face, as if indicating that he disdained such underhanded tactics.

Hu Zongxian only said one sentence to him in a lighthearted manner.

【I, Hu Zongxian, have never had a way out, nor can I change my stance.】 Tan Lun still misunderstood, thinking that Hu Zongxian was saying that he would never betray the Yan Party and join the Qingliu faction. His face was immediately filled with disappointment, and he even brought up Xu Jie, Gao Gong, Zhang Juzheng and others, talking about their earlier judgments of Hu Zongxian.

The ensuing conversation marked the second time Hu Zongxian publicly displayed his prowess, following his previous success in intimidating Zheng Bichang, He Maocai, and Yang Jinshui at the Governor-General's residence. Simultaneously, it was the first time he clearly articulated the principles he had upheld throughout his life.

Throughout the court, everyone believed that Hu Zongxian's memorial requesting a postponement of the rice-planting conversion to mulberry cultivation was solely due to the arrival of Tan Lun, representing Prince Yu, in Zhejiang. Everyone assumed that Hu Zongxian, seeing Yan Song's advanced age, was trying to curry favor with Prince Yu and secure his own future. This was the prevailing opinion among the Qingliu faction.

Even Hu Zongxian's mentor, Yan Song, failed to truly understand his protégé. Although he protected him in every way, he also interpreted Hu's actions as a sign of concern for the power of Prince Yu.

But none of them expected that although Hu Zongxian was promoted by Yan's party, his actions and conduct were quite different.

I never consider the stance of factions in the court; I only consider whether the matter is beneficial to the country and the people, and whether it is worthy of the heavens and the earth.

[Whether Tan Lun comes to Zhejiang this time or not, I, Hu Zongxian, will still do this; even if Tan Lun doesn't come, I will still do this; even if Tan Lun leaves tomorrow, I, Hu Zongxian, will still do this in the future!]

"Therefore, there's absolutely no need for you, Tan Lun, to teach me how to do it, much less for you, Tan Lun, to take the blame for me afterwards!" "Throughout my life, I, Hu, have never failed the country or its people in any major crisis!" Tan Lun was stunned, his face filled with bewilderment and astonishment. He never expected Hu Zongxian to say such a thing. And what Hu Zongxian said next revealed a breadth of vision, a high level of understanding, and a grander perspective that far surpassed the narrow confines of court factional struggles.

[If you, Tan Lun, hadn't come to Zhejiang back then, I could have calmly petitioned Grand Secretary Yan and submitted a memorial to the Emperor, clearly explaining the pros and cons. I could have proceeded steadily and gradually.]

It's like changing the national policy of converting half of the rice paddies to mulberry fields this year to a phased implementation over three years. Haste makes waste; as long as the pace slows down, there's still room for maneuver in this overall situation.

[But because you came, everyone from top to bottom treated me, Hu Zongxian, as someone who had gotten involved in the party struggle.]

"Now, not only will the palace and the cabinet no longer listen to me, but they will also never allow me to do what I want to do for the people of Zhejiang." In his final words, Hu Zongxian clearly told Tan Lun to immediately leave the governor's office, go to the military camp to find Qi Jiguang, and stay there. "The government is already in chaos; the military camp absolutely cannot afford any more trouble."

Just as Tan Lun turned to leave, his eyes red and brimming with tears, Hu Zongxian's eyes also glistened with tears. His weariness and exhaustion were palpable, and he sighed softly. "I am someone whom Grand Secretary Yan personally promoted and entrusted with important responsibilities. One day, I will rise and fall with Grand Secretary Yan. When that day comes, at least there will still be Tan Lun, who can speak a few words of justice for me."

As this exhilarating dialogue came to a close, the expressions of all the viewers in the live stream instantly became incredibly complex. "Tell me," one viewer asked, "was what Hu Zongxian just said truly sincere, or was it just an act?"

After a moment of silence, aside from a few scattered comments that still held a skeptical attitude, the vast majority of viewers completely chose to believe. Because the sincerity and helplessness revealed in this dialogue could not be faked or acted out.

Hu Zongxian's every move and action from his debut to the present is absolutely genuine.

Earlier, many viewers questioned why Hu Zongxian, who was clearly Yan Song's disciple, refused to fully implement the policy of converting rice paddies to mulberry fields as required by Yan's party, and instead showed an attitude of unwillingness to cooperate, both openly and secretly.

Isn't this character too ungrateful and incapable of repaying kindness? Such opinions had previously garnered considerable support and agreement from viewers.

Even though Hu Zongxian had previously expressed his heartfelt words that "without land, the people will be lost, and without the people, the country will be in danger," many viewers, after experiencing the shock of several characters "collapsed" one after another, still felt that this was just a high-sounding platitude, full of power struggles, calculations, and selfish considerations.

But now, even the viewers who first raised this question have personally deleted their original comments.

Hu Zongxian's heartfelt words to Tan Lun were also his true feelings, spoken to all the viewers through the screen. As soon as Hu Zongxian said, "At least there is Tan Lun to speak a few fair words for me," the Hu Butang Bar was created by the viewers in a very short time.

"Tan Lun is not the only one who can speak up for you. Minister Hu, we, the millions of viewers, can all speak up for you!" "When he submitted a memorial to stop the conversion of rice paddies to mulberry fields, the upright officials still called Tan Lun a national hero. Now it seems utterly ridiculous."

"The one who truly deserves the title of 'national hero' has always been Minister Hu Zongxian!"

"When the entire court was busy with factional infighting and neglected the lives of the common people, among all the officials, only Minister Hu truly cared about the millions of people in Zhejiang."

"Based on this alone, Minister Hu deserves these four words—a peerless national hero!" Line after line of "peerless national hero" scrolled across the live stream's chat screen.

At this point, the audience breathed a slight sigh of relief.

The opening scene is filled with such a long confrontation, entirely dedicated to highlighting and shaping Hu Zongxian's character. I reckon half of this scene is already over, and the breach mentioned in the title hasn't even appeared yet. It seems that, just as the audience guessed, this scene is somewhat of a clickbait gimmick; it's definitely not going to be a real major scene of dike destruction and flooding. At most, it's just a minor episode of an accidental breach in a small dike.

At this moment, many viewers who had been holding their breath, afraid of missing any key plot points, finally relaxed completely, letting their nerves soothe after a long day of tension. Some got up to get water, some rushed to the restroom, and others busied themselves making instant noodles, opening snacks, and ordering a cold dish, planning to watch the whole scene in one go when they returned.

Meanwhile, Chen Yu's pen shifted, and the scene fell upon the mansion of Shen Yishi, the wealthiest merchant in Jiangnan, where a subtle, undercurrent-filled conversation was quietly unfolding. The first to appear was a scene between Shen Yishi and Yang Jinshui, Zheng Bichang, and He Maocai. Even the simple order and seating arrangement contained countless intricacies and nuances.

Although the meeting was held at Shen Yishi's own home, it was Yang Jinshui and his entourage who took their seats first, while Shen Yishi was the last to sit down. Not only that, before taking their seats, Shen Yishi first respectfully invited Zheng Bichang, the highest-ranking official, to sit in the main seat with Yang Jinshui, who represented the emperor in the palace, and then invited He Maocai to sit in the honored seat on the right. He himself, however, was very respectful and intended to sit in the lowest and most humble seat at the very end.

Even when Zheng Bichang asked him to sit in the seat of honor, Yang Jinshui smiled and said that as the host, he should sit in the main seat. Shen Yishi remained respectful and dared not overstep his bounds in the slightest.

In his own words, sitting at the end of the table made it easier for him to report back to the officials.

This detail of arranging seating and assigning seats clearly distinguishes the status, rank, and hierarchy of everyone present.

Shen Yishi's awkward position in the middle, as well as his lifelong cautious and timid existence, are all vividly displayed in this short action.

Following this, considering that Shen Yishi would play a very important role in the plot after the dike was destroyed and the fields were flooded, the script also used this scene to make a very exquisite detail about the character of Shen Yishi.

He had prepared tea in advance, giving two catties of the finest tea each to Eunuch Lü, Grand Secretary Yan, and the Junior Grand Secretary in the palace, and one catty of good tea to each of the officials present. But he himself only drank plain water, using the most ordinary coarse earthenware teacup from a common household. Yang Jinshui jokingly teased him about this, asking who he was trying to impress by pretending to be poor every day. Shen Yishi simply lowered his head and replied meekly that it was just a habit he had developed over many years.

In reality, anyone who has watched the later episodes will know that Shen Yishi, the richest man in Jiangnan, is actually very poor! He lives a life of constant struggle and hardship.

Despite his reputation as the wealthiest merchant in Jiangnan, he worked for the Imperial Textile Bureau, supplying all the necessities for the palace.

In reality, his wealth had long been completely drained by the bottomless extravagance of the palace. Consider this: how much silk does the entire Jiangnan region produce in a year?

In order to make up for the shortfall of 300,000 bolts of silk, Yan Shifan was able to harden his heart and devise a vicious plan to destroy the dikes and flood the fields. He wished that all the people of Zhejiang would die, so that he could take over their fields and replant mulberry seedlings and weave silk.

Emperor Jiajing could bestow 100,000 bolts of silk with a casual remark. In previous years, such lavish rewards from Emperor Jiajing were not uncommon. Even Shen Yishi, the wealthiest man in Jiangnan, had long since had his fortune drained by these bottomless pits, forced to grit his teeth and rob Peter to pay Paul, barely maintaining a semblance of wealth.

Later, when Yan's faction wanted to discard Shen Yishi after he had served his purpose, they killed him and confiscated his property to fill the national treasury deficit. They then discovered that in Shen Yishi's warehouse, apart from box after box of meticulously recorded account books, the amount of cash and silk that could be confiscated was pitifully small!

It is no exaggeration to say that Shen Yishi is definitely a key figure in the middle of the story of "Da Ming Dynasty", whose every move has a significant impact.

However, the central figure in today's scene is not him, but Ma Ningyuan, the prefect of Hangzhou. Yan Shifan has already urgently sent letters to Zheng Bichang and He Maocai, ordering the direct implementation of the plan to destroy the dikes and flood the fields.

Such a serious matter, involving the loss of one's head and the extermination of nine generations of one's family, would certainly not be personally handled by seasoned officials like Zheng Bichang and He Maocai.

When someone is putting themselves in danger, they naturally need a willing pawn to carry the load. And Ma Ningyuan, the prefect of Hangzhou, is decisive and efficient, making him the perfect candidate for this dirty job.