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

But Hai Rui refused to budge an inch, standing ramrod straight, his eyes coldly fixed on He Maocai. This demeanor, ironically, sent a chill down He Maocai's spine, filling him with a strange sense of unease. [What evil spirit has befallen me today?]

[The newly appointed prefect of Hangzhou dared to defy the provincial government, and now even a lowly county magistrate, who isn't even qualified to sit in the main hall, dares to exude such an aggressive and intimidating aura towards his superiors?!]

After this brief, subtle exchange, Zheng Bichang and He Maocai ultimately yielded first, temporarily compromising and ordering their servants to bring chairs for Hai Rui and Wang Yongji. But before this hard-won easing of tension could last even a moment longer, when the Zhejiang side presented their prepared proposal for reform and disaster relief, the atmosphere in the hall instantly became tense and volatile again.

Gao Hanwen stated on the spot that this proposal was completely contrary to his previous strategy of combining reform with disaster relief and resolving the dilemma, and he bluntly rejected Zheng Bichang and He Maocai's proposal.

In his haste, He Maocai blurted out that if they really followed Gao Hanwen's request and allowed the silk magnates to buy land at a price of thirty shi per mu, they would not be able to buy 500,000 mu of land in Chun'an and Jiande counties, and the imperial court's requirement of increasing silk production by 300,000 bolts this year would definitely not be met.

At this moment, Gao Hanwen demonstrated his exceptional analytical skills. His gaze sharpened, and he instantly seized upon the flaw in He Maocai's words. "I truly cannot understand why all the mulberry fields needed for 300,000 bolts of silk must be confined to these two disaster-stricken counties for conversion! There are so many other counties in Zhejiang that haven't been affected by the disaster; why can't we buy land in those areas and convert it to mulberry fields?"

[After converting to mulberry cultivation, the yield of silk production per mu is already much higher than that of rice cultivation. Even if we offer 50 shi per mu to buy it, why won't they buy it?] Upon seeing this, He Maocai immediately changed the subject, claiming that the disaster relief grain could only last for another five days at most. If those silk tycoons refused to buy the land according to their conditions, and people really starved to death, who should bear the responsibility?

And at this moment, Gao Hanwen experienced his first shining moment in the entire series of "The Ming Dynasty." [Whose fault it is, the court will naturally make a fair judgment in due time!] When He Maocai, enraged, threatened to impeach him, Gao Hanwen stood firm, his attitude becoming even more resolute. [You don't need to impeach me; you can dismiss me from my post right now!]

As Chen Yu wrote this, he couldn't help but sigh softly, feeling a pang of regret for Gao Hanwen's fate. This was Gao Hanwen's first shining moment in the drama, and probably also his last. After this meeting, it wouldn't be long before Gao Hanwen fell into the intricate web meticulously woven for him by those cunning old foxes in officialdom, plunging him into a near-impossible, irrecoverable predicament.

But this really can't be blamed on Gao Hanwen's lack of ability or inexperience.

From his chance encounter with Hu Zongxian on his way to his new post, to his quick understanding and willingness to follow Hu Zongxian's advice, to his determination to withstand the joint pressure from Zheng Bichang and He Maocai, his performance has far exceeded that of most ordinary people.

It can only be said that the opponents he faced were all seasoned veterans who had been navigating the officialdom for decades. Each of them was meticulous and ruthless, which led to Gao Hanwen, the newly appointed prefect of Hangzhou, suffering a major setback from which he could never recover.

After the glory came a long period of silence. In the days that followed, Hai Rui could only take up the mantle, with Wang Yongji assisting him. As a lowly county magistrate, he had to fight against a group of powerful regional officials and carve out a bloody path for himself.

Just then, as the highly charged meeting temporarily came to a close with Zheng Bichang's conciliatory remarks, the viewers who had been glued to their screens, barely daring to breathe, finally breathed a sigh of relief and began to breathe deeply.

"Damn, I thought I'd become immune to the suffocating atmosphere of court meetings after watching the seventeenth act's imperial audience, but this is another bombshell right off the bat! It's that familiar feeling of being unable to breathe!"

"The political maneuvering at this meeting in Zhejiang is indeed clearly inferior to the previous imperial audience, but the suffocating atmosphere is no less intense." "After all, during the previous imperial audience, various forces were deeply intertwined, and no one could fathom what those old foxes were plotting." "But this is different. The situation is crystal clear. It's obvious that Zheng Bichang and He Maocai, along with all the high-ranking officials in Zhejiang, are working together to put pressure on the newly arrived Gao Hanwen, Hai Rui, and Wang Yongji."

"I know this kind of pressure all too well. Isn't this exactly what it's like for a low-level manager like me, having to work under pressure from higher-ups every day, and even having to bite the bullet and refute their wrong opinions? Damn, just thinking about it makes me feel suffocated, and my legs are already starting to go weak!"

However, at this moment, some of the comments expressed obvious doubts.

Previously, in the eighteenth act, Chen Yu devoted considerable space to describing Hai Rui, even calling him the undisputed divine sword of the Ming Dynasty. However, in this act, the one charging at the forefront and carrying the main offensive force is clearly Yan Shifan's disciple, Gao Hanwen, while Hai Rui seems to have little presence. This inevitably caused considerable confusion among them.

But for the vast majority of ordinary viewers, who cares about all that? As long as the plot is exciting and satisfying, that's enough. Gao Hanwen's first and last moment of brilliance dealt a solid blow to Zheng Bichang, He Maocai, and others, and allowed the audience to finally vent their pent-up anger.

This caused the chat in Chen Yu's live stream to become increasingly dense, and the stream's popularity continued to rise steadily. However, the screenwriters from major film and television companies who had been watching the live stream intently had their eyes light up, their faces revealing smug satisfaction. "It's a mess! Chen Yu's plot arrangement is completely messed up!"

"They used to praise Hai Rui as some kind of divine swordsman of the Ming Dynasty, but in this scene, all the spotlight went to Gao Hanwen."

"It seems that Chen Yu himself has realized that Hai Rui, a mere county magistrate, is of such low status that he is simply not up to par in this high-level power struggle."

"That's why he had to let Gao Hanwen, the prefect of Hangzhou, take the lead and be the main force." "So, according to this, Hai Rui can only offer suggestions and make plans from the sidelines at most, while the real main force still has to be Gao Hanwen." "But in this way, wouldn't the title of 'Great Ming Divine Sword' that was given to Hai Rui become a huge joke?" "From this, we can see that Chen Yu's plot arrangement has completely gone wrong!" Their expressions became more and more confident, as if they had already won the battle.

"Quickly, send in more online trolls, and have those paid film critics and self-media accounts keep publishing articles to stir up trouble. 'The reputation of 'Ming Dynasty' is about to completely collapse from here!' Just then, a sly glint flashed in Chen Yu's eyes, and a hopeful smile appeared on his face."

Although it's a bit unfair to Gao Hanwen to say this, there's nothing I can do. Gao Hanwen, you've already had enough of a shining moment. It's time to hand over the stage to the real protagonist.

Next, it's time for Hai Rui to truly demonstrate what the Ming Dynasty's number one war god is, what the Ming Dynasty's walking law is, and what the Ming Dynasty's veritable divine sword truly is! Then, his eyes flickered slightly. Before Hai Rui truly reveals his prowess, it's time for Zheng Bichang and He Maocai's classic lines from this scene to make their appearance!

A moment later, the rhythmic tapping of keyboards resumed, depicting what happened after the Zhejiang conference in "The Ming Dynasty".

Zheng Bichang and He Maocai rushed to the residence of Shen Yishi, the wealthiest merchant in Jiangnan. There, He Maocai's pent-up anger from the earlier meeting resurfaced. He directed his fury at the three junior officials behind him: Yan Shifan, Luo Longwen, and Yan Maoqing. [What are they up to?]

[Why send someone like this to cause trouble?] [What are they thinking?] And that wasn't all; He Maocai was also quite angry with Yang Jinshui. [That eunuch Yang, he's got his pants on the ground but he's still hanging around in the capital!] He Maocai added a final grumble.

[At this rate, we might as well not change the rice-growing system at all, and let them weave the extra 300,000 bolts of silk every year themselves!] He Maocai's rant really made the audience laugh.

"Pfft, He Maocai seems to have no idea that Eunuch Yang Jinshui has already been instructed by Jiajing not to make things difficult for Hu Zongxian. Hehe, he has long wanted to avoid getting involved in this mess of converting rice paddies to mulberry fields."

"And then there are the Grand Secretary, Luo Longwen, and Yan Maoqing, whom He Maocai is counting on. Chen Yu's script mentioned that they chose Gao Hanwen because he's connected to the Yan faction but not actually a member, thus silencing any dissent." "Are they really expecting the Grand Secretary and his ilk to shoulder this pressure by sending down a die-hard Yan faction member? Wouldn't they be drowned in a sea of ​​criticism?"

"Given the difficulties you lowly underlings face, and the pressure you'll be under, what will the big shots choose? Do you even need to think about it? They don't care what troubles they cause you; they just let you put pressure on them."

Many viewers were laughing.

It's laughable that He Maocai, the high-ranking official who was so imposing at the meeting, always talking about impeachment and arrest, is now so pathetic and full of complaints behind the scenes.

But as they laughed, many viewers stopped laughing.

Because they realized that even though they were outside the script, weren't they in the same situation as Zheng Bichang and He Maocai? A group leader with three or five team members felt a pang of bitterness in his heart. Looking at He Maocai was like seeing himself; he was practically his own mouth double.

"Damn, isn't that exactly how it is when you actually get things done?"

"Who doesn't know some things are difficult, who doesn't know some things will offend people?" "Damn it, that's how it is when the higher-ups assign tasks. I'm just a low-level leader, what am I? What can I do besides listen to the higher-ups?"

"It's one thing that the tasks assigned by the top leaders are difficult to handle, but then some middle-level leaders often make things difficult for you, making things even more difficult."

"But are you going to approach these high-ranking leaders? They all stay out of it, they won't take responsibility, and when things get tight, they'll just push you along. They don't care what difficulties you have!"

"This damn workplace!" Zheng Bichang then naturally reprimanded the outspoken He Maocai. He followed with a wry smile and a slightly gentler tone, saying, "Let me tell you, I, the governor, and you, the lowly official, are still officials in Zhejiang. If things go wrong and reach the imperial court, we'll be no different from Ma Ningyuan!"

Zheng Bichang's words would have been one of the famous lines from the Ming Dynasty in his previous life.

It wasn't because these words held any profound philosophical meaning, but because they applied universally to officialdom and the workplace throughout history. They perfectly captured the awkward predicament of lower-level and mid-level leaders! Immediately, viewers in similar situations in the live stream erupted in excitement, with various adapted lines flooding in. "Waaah, I never imagined that those two scoundrels, Zheng Bichang and He Maocai, would speak my mind!"

"As the quality control team leader, I'm considered a leader in the workshop. But if the quality control isn't done well, how am I any different from an ordinary worker in the eyes of the higher-ups?"

"As the HR team leader, I'm considered a leader among the regular employees, but if the attendance rate is low or the fines aren't levied enough, I'm treated no differently from a regular employee by the supervisor!"

"In the eyes of ordinary people, I am called a leader or comrade. But if the targets are not met, what am I to the leaders?"

A thousand words can be summed up in one sentence.

"Who the hell doesn't want to be kind to others? Who the hell wants to do something that offends people?" "If I had that authority and didn't have to take responsibility, I'd be happy to give everyone paid leave every day, and promote and raise everyone. Who wants to be cursed behind their back every day?"

"What can we do? In front of the boss, I'm just a nobody, and in front of the boss's boss, the boss is just a small fish. So, we can only let the big fish eat the small fish, right?"

At this moment, on Weibo, due to the recent surge in popularity of various famous scenes and lines from the TV series "Ming Dynasty," some netizens have started a poll to rank the most memorable scenes and lines from the series.

Previous incidents such as destroying dikes and flooding fields, the emperor's mind being preoccupied with the entire country, imperial audiences, and treating Zhejiang as if it were a piece of rotten flesh, are all among them.

At this moment, Zheng Bichang's line of complaint resonated with many netizens and viewers.

Civil servants feel caught between their superiors and ordinary citizens, forced to do many things they don't want to do but have no choice. Teachers feel caught between their principals and students, doctors between their hospital's revenue targets and their patients… even a construction site foreman feels caught between the contractor and the ordinary worker… caught in a dilemma!

In no time, the number of votes for this line began to climb steadily, and it quickly entered the ranks of famous lines from the Ming Dynasty.