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

The expressions on the viewers' faces in the live stream were priceless. No one had expected that Chen Yu's script would contain secrets to career advancement.

The live stream chat was divided into two factions arguing fiercely—one faction stood on the leader's side, criticizing the subordinates for not understanding the implied meaning; the other faction stood on the subordinates' side, accusing the leader of speaking in a cryptic and ambiguous manner. The two factions argued heatedly, their faces turning red.

Regardless of which side the netizens were on, they all shared a surprisingly consistent opinion about the character Feng Bao: "Feng Bao's methods are brilliant! Absolutely brilliant!"

"At such a young age, he's already risen to the position of Director of the Eastern Depot, and he's so adept at reading the emperor's mind, willing to do dirty and tiring work, and he even beat a loyal minister to death right at the beginning!" "This character is probably not the main villain in the drama, but at the very least, he's the second-in-command, right?"

At this time, not only were the audience discussing the script of the first act of Chen Yu's "Da Ming Dynasty", but the production team was also in an uproar.

They never expected that Chen Yu, who was least favored after the first round of themes was announced, would bring such a big surprise. According to the backend data, the popularity and number of bullet comments in Chen Yu's No. 8 live broadcast room are soaring, far surpassing the seven other contestants.

What's even more surprising is that, according to the scriptwriting process, the initial popularity of each round of the show is far less than that of the later stages, since the script is only in its initial outline at this time and there's not much to see.

However, Chen Yu's live stream popularity has already broken the highest record for the same period in the first two seasons of the "Creator Competition", and it is still rising!

The production team naturally wouldn't miss this golden opportunity. The host quickly switched the camera to the judges' panel: "Judges, how would you rate Chen Yu's performance so far?"

The judges invited by the program team are naturally not ordinary people; many of them are internationally renowned creative masters.

In previous episodes, their critiques were always sharp; even with the winning entry, they could still find numerous flaws while offering praise. But this time, faced with the host's questions, the judges gave a rare unanimous compliment: "So far, Chen Yu's performance has truly been unexpected."

"Here, I must apologize to contestant Chen Yu—I did have a prejudice against contestants like him who come from online literature backgrounds, but now, that prejudice has been completely broken."

"Based solely on the skill demonstrated in this very first act, Chen Yu possesses the ability to win the championship."

Teacher Shuping also gave a very high evaluation with a face full of admiration: "The two characters who appear in the first act of Chen Yu's writing can be said to be firmly established. Zhou Yunyi knew that saying such words would bring about his death, but he still went without hesitation, which can be called the model of a loyal minister; Feng Bao, as an antagonist, is vividly portrayed with only three lines and a few actions - Chen Yu's interpretation has greatly expanded the complexity of this character."

At this point, Teacher Shuping added a comment about the character Feng Bao: "I think this character is either the number one villain or the number two villain. I am very much looking forward to how Chen Yu will perform brilliantly in the future."

When the judges' comments were broadcast live, given the popularity of "The Creators Competition," it naturally generated a huge response immediately—"The first script with unanimously positive reviews since the start of 'The Creators Competition'!"

"A web novelist who wrote about historical power struggles received unanimous praise from the judges?"

"Three lines of dialogue bring the main villain to life: What kind of character is Feng Bao, the main antagonist of the Ming Dynasty?"

The overwhelming number of related articles and trending search terms made many viewers who originally wanted to wait for the plot to unfold before watching the show unable to resist clicking into Chen Yu's live stream.

Even netizens who never watch variety shows have heard that a villain named Feng Bao appeared in the "Creator Competition" and actually received high praise from teacher Shu Ping.

At this moment, the barrage of comments in Chen Yu's live stream was flying like snowflakes, almost covering the entire screen.

A group of film and television enthusiasts have already begun to speculate on what will happen next, and they are discussing it animatedly.

"I bet what follows will be Feng Bao's incredible rise from the head of the Eastern Depot to a powerful figure in the court!"

"This process inevitably involved turbulent court struggles, but Feng Baoding was able to resolve them one by one through his methods."

"Writing about power struggles from the perspective of an eunuch—Chen Yu's approach is truly fresh!"

These speculations immediately drew a flood of agreement, after all, the methods and scheming that Feng Bao displayed in the first act would definitely qualify him as a top-tier villain in other dramas.

If the subsequent plot is not about him stirring up trouble in the Ming Dynasty, what else could it be?

As they were discussing, Chen Yu lightly tapped his fingertip and typed another line of text.

The Ming Dynasty, Act Two

[Plot Summary: As the first snow falls, Feng Bao, who rushes to report the auspicious omen to the Emperor, is turned away and discovered by the Grand Eunuch of the Directorate of Ceremonial, thus ruining his political future.]

[Scene: The Forbidden City]

[Time: Snowy Night]

Characters featured: Feng Bao, Grand Eunuch Lü Fang of the Directorate of Ceremonial, Grand Eunuch Chen Hong, and other high-ranking officials of the Directorate of Ceremonial...

The previously lively barrage of comments froze instantly, and the screen exploded with question marks.

"What kind of move is this?"

"Chen Yu, are you trying to do something unconventional?"

"This ambitious young man, who was all charisma and power just a moment ago, barely warmed his seat as the Eastern Depot's commander, and then he fizzled out after only three lines?"

On the judging panel, several experts who had just finished their comments were also stunned.

Teacher Shuping had just taken a sip of tea when he nearly spat it out, coughing and choking: "This...this turn of events is too abrupt!"

The group looked at each other, their eyes filled with confusion.

"A villainous character like Feng Bao, and he's already dead in the second act?"

"Are you kidding me?"

In an instant, the judges gasped in shock—

"Could it be... that Feng Bao isn't a major villain in this drama at all, not even the second lead, just an ordinary character?"

"If that's true, then what kind of person would be capable of bringing him down?!"

Teacher Shuping gripped the armrests tightly, his knuckles turning white: "If Chen Yu can truly write characters of this caliber, then the script for 'The Ming Dynasty,' just from the first two acts alone, is destined to become a classic!"

But soon, doubts resurfaced.

Can Chen Yu really handle such a challenging role?

If this step is mishandled, not only will the new character fail to stand out, but the carefully crafted image of Feng Bao in the first act will also collapse into a joke!

At this moment, countless eyes were focused on Chen Yu's screen, waiting to see how he would put pen to paper—how exactly did Feng Bao, in this snowy night, gradually ruin his political life?

The sound of keyboard clicks resumed, Chen Yu's fingers flying across the keycaps...

On the fifteenth day of the first lunar month, the Jiajing Emperor sat alone in his hermitage, fasting and praying for snow; this had been going on for fifteen days and nights.

Under the eaves of the Forbidden City, the young eunuchs lighting the lamps huddled together, huddled together, and whispered complaints about how unbearable the cold night was.

Suddenly, large snowflakes began to fall like willow catkins. Several eunuchs were so surprised that they almost cried out, but Feng Bao, his face ashen, shouted angrily, "Shut up!"

[Feng Bao's brows furrowed suddenly, and he gritted his teeth, saying, "Listen up, you worthless bastards! Before I report this auspicious snow to the Emperor, anyone who dares to utter a single word of nonsense will have their legs broken on the spot!"]

The eunuchs were terrified and fell silent. Only then did Feng Bao lift his robes and hurried towards the emperor's meditation chamber.

[This concludes the first part of Act II.]

In the live stream, viewers stared at the text on the screen, each lost in their own thoughts.

Regarding Feng Bao, they seemed to have glimpsed an even deeper layer.

"Look, look! No wonder Feng Bao was able to become the Director of the Eastern Depot at such a young age!"

"Their enthusiasm for currying favor with the Emperor was truly astounding!"

"If I had that kind of scheming spirit, and spent every day currying favor with my superiors, I would have been promoted long ago!"

"And look at how he treats his eunuchs—anyone who stands in his way of reporting auspicious omens, getting promoted, or making money, he'll really deal with them to death!"

"And another thing, look at how eagerly he ran towards the Emperor's Abode—he practically jogged there!"

"With just these few details, the image of a sycophantic eunuch who bullies his subordinates and is single-mindedly seeking credit with the emperor immediately comes to life!"

But the more the audience thought about it, the more confused they became.

"If Feng Bao reports this auspicious omen to the Emperor, the Emperor will surely be pleased, won't he?"

"Perhaps it could even go further, so why does the synopsis say it ruined his political career?"

Not to mention the audience, even the judges craned their necks, their eyes all fixed on Chen Yu's screen.

Chen Yu didn't keep anyone in suspense and immediately began writing the second part of the second act—

Inside the office of the Directorate of Ceremonial, five senior eunuchs sat upright in huanghuali wood armchairs, warming themselves around a brazier. A junior eunuch knelt at their feet, helping them change into their court boots, while another junior eunuch draped white fox fur scarves over their shoulders.

Suddenly, a flurry of footsteps was heard outside the door. The eunuch on duty stumbled in and immediately knelt before the head eunuch in the center of the room.

["Congratulations, Ancestor! Congratulations to all ancestors! It's snowing! Heaven has sent down auspicious snow! What a heavy snowfall!"]

The head eunuch in the center—referred to as "Inner Chancellor" in the outer court and "Grand Ancestor" in the inner court—saw a hint of joy flash in his eyes, but remained seated calmly, saying in a deep voice, "This is truly a sign of His Majesty's boundless blessings!"

As soon as this text appeared, several worldly-wise viewers jumped to their feet, slapping their thighs in amazement: "Holy crap, that's incredible!"

"Now I finally understand how Feng Bao got into trouble—he bypassed his supervisor to report to someone higher up! A major taboo in the workplace!"

"The key is that his superior, Lü Fang, is no fool! Look at his reaction—'The Emperor is virtuous,' those four simple words flattered the Emperor while simultaneously reprimanding Feng Bao, who was above his rank. His methods are far superior to Feng Bao's!"

"Feng Bao's move was a well-deserved defeat!"

The rest of the audience remained completely confused.

"Brother, I know you're anxious, but don't panic—what exactly happened? We don't understand!"

At this point, several knowledgeable audience members began to explain:

"Take a look at the layout of the Directorate of Ceremonial's duty room—the halls with carved beams and painted rafters, the tables and desks inlaid with gilded jade. Such a magnificent place is not something an ordinary eunuch could use!"

"Listen to how the eunuchs address each other: Lü Fang, sitting in the very center, is called 'Grand Ancestor,' and the other four are also addressed as 'Grand Ancestor' this and 'Grand Ancestor' that. Feng Bao doesn't receive this treatment."

"Although I don't know much about the official system of eunuchs in the Ming Dynasty, it is obvious to anyone with eyes that these five chief eunuchs of the Directorate of Ceremonial Affairs are all Feng Bao's superiors."

"Feng Bao didn't consult with them first, but went directly to report to the Emperor without informing them. This is a major taboo in the workplace!"

Generally speaking, unless you have a major falling out with your boss and want to bring him down, or the situation is so urgent that you have no other choice, you would only resort to reporting to a higher-level manager.

"Feng Bao is eager to curry favor with the Emperor and climb the ranks, but if those chief eunuchs find out about this, they won't let him off easily."

"Alas, in the end, it's because Feng Bao is too young and too eager to climb the ranks. In addition, he just did something shady for the Emperor, which made him act rashly."

This explanation made many viewers suddenly understand, especially those who were new to the workforce, who felt a chill run down their spines and broke out in a cold sweat.

Is reporting to someone above your immediate supervisor really such a big taboo?

"My God, that scared me to death! When I first joined the company, I was even thinking of sending a message to my department head to report on my work results."

"Bro, it's a good thing you didn't post it, otherwise your direct supervisor would definitely make things difficult for you."

"Oh? Is it really that serious? I just sent an email to the company's general manager yesterday, sharing some thoughts on the company's development. But isn't our company supposed to have a flat management structure? It should be fine, right?"

"Hey you upstairs, I advise you to find another job right away! All that flat management stuff is a lie! Reporting to higher-ups and offering opinions—you've really messed up this time!"

At this point, someone wondered, "But what if Feng Bao's report to his superiors bypassing his proper level actually succeeds? If the Emperor really promotes him to an equal position with his former superior, wouldn't he have successfully risen to power?"

The audience members who had just spoken sneered upon hearing this: "Are you all daydreaming? Lü Fang's actions have already proven everything. His shrewdness far surpasses Feng Bao's. Look at his reaction to such joyous news—his eyes are smiling, yet he remains composed. What is he pondering? He's clearly calculating what to say and what to do. Feng Bao, on the other hand, immediately lost his mind upon hearing the news, rushing off to report the good news to the Emperor. That's the difference in their character!"

Look at what Lü Fang said. His first sentence was "Your Majesty is virtuous"—don't you understand? He was clearly saying that while the snow was indeed an auspicious sign from heaven, the main reason was that the emperor was virtuous, and the credit belonged to the emperor, understand? Although Feng Bao could guess the emperor's intentions and do some shady things for him, Lü Fang always put the emperor first in every sentence.

Do you believe it or not? If it hadn't snowed, Lü Fang's words would have become "we have failed in our duty."

All credit goes to the Emperor, and all blame is taken from oneself. This level of integrity is far superior to Feng Bao's "trying to claim credit for doing dirty work" approach! Even if Feng Bao were to rise to power by chance, he would still be completely crushed by Lü Fang!

After hearing this explanation, the audience, who were previously confused, finally understood – it turned out that the synopsis of the second act contained a hidden secret: Feng Bao, who was so successful in the previous act, was about to ruin his political future.

One wrong step and the whole thing collapses.

"Because he was greedy for credit and rewards and eager to climb higher, he ended up making a fatal mistake."

"Hiss... Is this what officialdom is like? It truly sends chills down my spine!"

"I thought the backstabbing and infighting in the workplace was scary enough, but after watching this play, I felt a chill run down my spine."

"As expected of a script marketed for its intellectual stimulation! This isn't just an ordinary story; it's a treasure trove of profound wisdom, every word a gem! I need to quickly grab a notebook and copy it down line by line to carefully study the survival strategies in officialdom—this isn't just watching a play; it's a living, breathing lesson in political intrigue!"