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

At this moment, Chen Yu, sitting in the competition room, had no idea that the six rules he had casually written down would cause such a huge uproar in the outside world.

He wrote a detailed account of the structure of the Six Ministries and the responsibilities of each ministry, simply to help the audience clearly understand the plot of the upcoming third act—after all, in that court meeting in the Golden Palace, the heads of the four ministries of Personnel, Works, War, and Revenue, along with the Grand Secretary, the Directorate of Ceremonial, the Maritime Trade Office, and other top Ming Dynasty officials would all make an appearance.

This court debate was the pinnacle of the court officials' discussions: from economic difficulties to the shirking of responsibility, from the determination of national policy to the undercurrents of factionalism, ultimately leading to the core national policy that runs through the first half of "Ming Dynasty"—converting rice paddies into mulberry fields. If this drama is filmed skillfully, it could tear away the disguises of the various forces, allowing the audience to glimpse the turbulent truth beneath the surface of the Ming Dynasty's calm.

But here's the problem—if the audience has no idea what the six parts are, which side they're on, or what power they wield, this thrilling political drama will likely become a blur, losing much of its impact.

Chen Yu remembered that when "Da Ming Dynasty" premiered in his previous life, it stumbled on this very issue: due to the overly profound and obscure official system, most viewers were completely confused, resulting in shockingly low ratings. Although it later made a comeback and became a "masterpiece of domestic dramas" through word of mouth, he didn't want to repeat that mistake in this life.

To become famous, one must do so early, and more importantly, make sure the audience can understand and appreciate it!

Explaining the Six Ministries system alone is far from enough—the official system of the Ming Dynasty was far more complex than imagined, and we also need to clarify key institutions such as the Grand Secretariat and the Directorate of Ceremonial.

Chen Yu quickly organized his thoughts and his fingers began typing again. The audience and judges were still reeling from the awe he had created with his "perfect official system." Seeing new content appear on his screen, they initially assumed he was about to begin writing the third act, but upon closer inspection, they saw another line of text—

Analysis of the Cabinet System

The affairs of the Six Ministries were extremely complex, and the affairs of the court were numerous and multifaceted. Therefore, the emperor specially selected trusted and capable ministers to form the Grand Secretariat, which would oversee all matters above the Six Ministries.

The cabinet, with the Grand Secretary as its head and the Second Grand Secretary as its assistant, is similar to the prime minister and vice prime minister, and is specifically responsible for suppressing court officials and coordinating various ministries.

Routine administrative tasks were handled by the Six Ministries, while major military and national affairs and important policy orders required closed-door discussions by cabinet members.

This system allowed the emperor to detach himself from other matters and focus his energy on key decisions, while also subtly becoming a balancing force for the emperor's control over the court—easily maintaining a balance of power between the court and the public by selecting representatives from various factions to join the cabinet.

What's even more remarkable is that entering the cabinet is the ultimate goal for any official. To obtain this position, they are like hungry dogs smelling meat, willing to be driven and doing everything in their power to complete the tasks assigned by the emperor.

After finishing writing about the cabinet, Chen Yu didn't stop typing; he continued typing on the keyboard, starting a new line—

[Detailed Explanation of the Directorate of Ceremonial System]

The Directorate of Ceremonial Affairs was originally a department in the Ming Dynasty responsible for managing eunuchs and palace affairs, but its power was limited in the early Ming period.

However, in the later periods, some emperors became reluctant to attend court and neglected state affairs, so they delegated the power to approve imperial edicts on their behalf to the Directorate of Ceremonial.

From then on, the Directorate of Ceremonial became the emperor's "proxy," interfering in decision-making and influencing the court.

However, it should be noted that the rise of the Directorate of Ceremonial Affairs was not entirely due to the emperor's neglect of state affairs—some emperors skilled in political maneuvering, such as the Jiajing Emperor who did not attend court for forty years yet still manipulated the court, were well-versed in using the Directorate of Ceremonial Affairs to check and balance the Grand Secretariat.

After introducing the functions and structure of the Directorate of Ceremonial, Chen Yu immediately sketched an organizational chart on the whiteboard, showing the tripartite balance of power between the Six Ministries, the Grand Secretariat, and the Directorate of Ceremonial. The branches and functions under each ministry were clearly marked and logically organized.

This is just the beginning. To help the audience intuitively understand the operational logic between these three elements, Chen Yu spread out a sheet of paper, picked up his pen, and wrote the title: "[A True Record of the Flow of Political Affairs in the Jiajing Reign of the Ming Dynasty]".

Local reports first enter the Six Ministries, which then compile and conduct a preliminary review before forwarding them to the Cabinet.

[The Cabinet, after reviewing the reports from the six ministries, reached a preliminary resolution through court deliberation. This resolution was then submitted to the Directorate of Ceremonial Affairs in the form of a "draft" and signed by the Cabinet.]

The Directorate of Ceremonial Affairs, holding the power of imperial approval ("red-ink approval"), was responsible for the final review and approval of the draft proposals.

Once the imperial approval is finalized, this matter can be considered to have received the emperor's consent, and may either be implemented or completely shelved.

……

After writing the last sentence, Chen Yu stretched with a sigh of relief. With this foundation laid, the audience will surely be able to better appreciate the subtleties of the third act, the court debate in the Golden Palace.

At this moment, the scene, the live broadcast room, and the judges' panel all fell into dead silence. Suddenly, a crisp "crack" was heard—it was Fan Haiyang, the history expert who had just been shocked by the Six Ministries system, who was now frozen as if struck by lightning.

"Gah!"

He suddenly looked up, his eyes wide, his voice trembling with excitement: "Papers! They're full of academic papers!"

"I...I can't hold on any longer! Quick, get me my nitroglycerin pills!"

The staff gasped, their eyes glued to Chen Yu on the monitor screen. Someone hurriedly turned on Chen Yu's headset, pleading, "Professor Su, please stop writing! Don't write about official documents anymore!"

"Please stop this 'supernatural power'! If Expert Fan continues to get so agitated, he might faint on the spot!"

Chen Yu was stunned upon hearing this, his face full of question marks: "???"

"What's going on?"

"A history expert so excited he almost fainted?"

"No...is it really that serious?"

The staff were both amused and exasperated—"Don't you know how weighty these things you wrote are? Just now, the way Expert Fan looked, I was afraid he wouldn't be able to catch his breath!"

A moment later, Chen Yu, having received confirmation, smiled helplessly: "Well... let's hope Expert Fan takes good care of himself."

"I have indeed written almost everything on the official system; any further additions would be superfluous, so I will stop here for today."

Upon hearing this, the staff breathed a sigh of relief, and the audience burst into laughter.

"To be honest, these official regulations that Chen Yu just wrote are driving me crazy!"

"My goodness! The Six Ministries, the Cabinet, the Directorate of Ceremonial... This isn't reading a script, it's like taking a history exam for liberal arts students!"

"To understand the political structure just by reading a script—no wonder it's an 'educational' theme—this is incredibly hardcore!"

"I dare say I've never been this focused, not even during the college entrance exam!"

"Finally, they're not writing about the official system anymore! Can we move on to the next part of the story?"

Just when everyone thought a new chapter was about to begin, Chen Yu paused for a moment, then suddenly typed a line of powerful characters on the screen—

Cabinet Member List

[Grand Secretary Yan Song: He began learning to read at the age of five, passed the county examination at ten, became a Juren (a successful candidate in the provincial examination) at nineteen, and achieved the highest rank of Jinshi (a successful candidate in the highest imperial examination) at twenty-five.]

By the fortieth year of the Jiajing reign (1551), Yan Song was nearly eighty years old and had held the position of Grand Secretary for twenty years, with his protégés and former subordinates spread throughout the country.

He was not only skilled in recognizing and employing talent, but also a master of writing exquisite eulogies; his poems and prose were elegant and unparalleled, earning him the title of "Eulogie Prime Minister" among his contemporaries.

[Xu Jie, the Second Grand Secretary: He began studying for the imperial examinations at the age of ten, passed the county-level examination at fourteen, and became a disciple of Nie Bao, a prominent student of Wang Yangming, at seventeen. He was praised as "a pillar of the nation."]

At nineteen, Xu Jie passed the provincial examination, ranking seventh in Yingtian Prefecture; at twenty, he passed the metropolitan examination, and in the palace examination, he won third place, becoming the Tan Hua (third-ranked scholar), making a name for himself in the capital.

By the fortieth year of the Jiajing reign (1550), Xu Jie held the concurrent positions of Second Grand Secretary and Minister of Revenue, ranking second only to Yan Song.

[Grand Secretary Gao Gong: He could compose couplets at the age of five, recite a thousand words at the age of eight, and pass the provincial examination at the age of seventeen with top marks in the rites and classics. However, he wasted thirteen years and finally passed the imperial examination at the age of thirty.]

[His talent gradually became apparent thereafter, and in the fortieth year of the Jiajing Emperor's reign, he was personally selected by the Jiajing Emperor to enter the Grand Secretariat as Vice Minister of Revenue.]

[Grand Secretary Zhang Juzheng: He was known as a child prodigy from a young age. At the age of twelve, he went to take the provincial examination. The governor of Huguang, appreciating his talent, wanted to temper his character and deliberately obstructed him, causing him to fail the exam.]

At the age of fifteen, Zhang Juzheng passed the provincial examination; at the age of twenty-two, he passed the imperial examination, ranking ninth in the second class.

[He later displayed extraordinary talent, serving as a principal officer in the Ministry of War, and was selected by the Jiajing Emperor to join the cabinet along with Gao Gong.]

[Grand Secretary Yan Shifan: Son of Yan Song. At the age of eighteen, he entered the Imperial Academy through his father's influence, and thereafter rose rapidly through the ranks.]

By the fortieth year of the Jiajing reign (1550), Yan Shifan had already entered the cabinet, concurrently holding the positions of principal clerk in the Ministry of Personnel and the Ministry of Works.

……

When this long resume of the person was laid out, the audience couldn't help but gasp.

If people's impression of the cabinet members was still vague before, they now understood completely—these were no ordinary officials; they were clearly a group of monstrous geniuses gathered together!

Grand Secretary Yan Song passed the imperial examination at the age of twenty-five, achieving the second-highest score in the second class. Even more astonishing is that he managed to hold the position of Grand Secretary for twenty years in the treacherous officialdom—anyone with a brain understands that such a position is no ordinary achievement.

The second-ranking minister, Xu Jie, was even more outstanding. He became the third-ranked scholar at the age of twenty. Such talent is extremely rare, both in ancient and modern times. It is no exaggeration to say that he was a literary star descended to earth!

Gao Gong's resume seems unremarkable, but it also hides his brilliance: he passed the provincial examination at the age of seventeen, how spirited he was! Although he passed the imperial examination thirteen years later, once he passed, he was promoted to the position of principal of the Ministry of Revenue based on his political achievements, and finally entered the cabinet, which all officials dreamed of. Apart from those thirteen wasted years, wasn't he a prodigy at the rest of the time?

Zhang Juzheng goes without saying. He was known as a "child prodigy" in his youth. The governor deliberately suppressed him just to temper his character. How outstanding must his talent be? He became the ninth-ranked Jinshi in the second class at the age of twenty-two, which is definitely a prodigy.

As for Yan Shifan, he became an "oddball" in the cabinet—he was the only one who had not passed the imperial examination and rose through the ranks in the officialdom entirely because of his father's influence, which lowered the "gold content" of the cabinet's academic qualifications.

Even so, the audience staring at the cabinet list instantly erupted in excitement—

"Gods! They're all gods!"

"Sigh, I used to think that Lü Fang was the most skilled one in the whole show, but now I'm not so sure."

"That's right! So many talented and extraordinary people, their skill levels might not be much lower than Lü Fang's."

"Especially the Grand Secretary and the Second Grand Secretary—one a cunning old fox who has held the position for twenty years, and the other a prodigy who achieved the third-highest rank in the imperial examination at the age of twenty. Could these be ordinary people?"

"Based on the character settings written by Chen Yu, coupled with the role of the Grand Eunuch of the Directorate of Ceremonial, if they were to actually engage in power struggles, the scene would be too terrifying to even imagine."

"It wouldn't be an exaggeration to call it a battle of gods, or Ragnarok!"

Before he finished speaking, several sharp-eyed veteran audience members and judges on stage frowned slightly, their faces showing surprise and doubt.

"This character designation doesn't clearly state who the main character and who the supporting character are."

"It seems... to have a peculiar meaning..."

"Group portrait?"

"Is this some kind of group portrait?"

Upon hearing this thought, everyone gasped.

Even Shu Ping, a leading figure in screenwriting, stood up, his gaze sweeping over the other judges with suspicion: "Gentlemen, have you also noticed this?"

"Why do I vaguely see the shadow of an ensemble cast in this character design chart?"

"Could it be... that I'm getting senile?"

The other judges swallowed hard before speaking one after another: "I...I also had a vague feeling about that."

"I was about to mention it too, but I just can't believe it—it's too outrageous."

"Since you've said that, Professor Shuping, then my guess is probably true."

"Judging from this setting, even if it's not a traditional ensemble drama, it certainly doesn't have an absolute distinction between main and supporting characters, or between strong and weak characters; it exudes the feel of an ensemble piece throughout!"

Upon hearing the judges' comments, Teacher Shuping turned around abruptly and stared at Chen Yu in the audience with a look of horror, as if he were a madman: "I thought this kid was ambitious enough, but I didn't expect that I still underestimated the courage of young people."

"The younger generation is truly formidable! They are indeed formidable!"

"If Chen Yu can truly understand these characters and write an ensemble drama, and the plot doesn't fall too far below the quality of the first two acts..."

"I dare say, this will be a milestone in the history of screenwriting in China, etched with the names of Chen Yu and 'The Ming Dynasty'!"

These words immediately caused an uproar in the audience.

When did Teacher Shuping give such an evaluation in the three seasons of the program?

A leading figure in the screenwriting world has surprisingly said that Chen Yu has the potential to become a milestone in the history of screenwriting in China.

The chat exploded instantly, filled with exclamations of amazement.

"What? That's powerful?"

"Wait, does anyone know anything about this? How come ensemble dramas are so popular?"

Film enthusiasts quickly explained: "Entire group scenes are inherently one of the most difficult scriptwriting techniques."

"There are not many restrictions between characters, and the boundaries between protagonists and supporting characters are blurred. In some parts of the story, the supporting characters can completely steal the spotlight from the protagonists."

"In ensemble dramas, each character is fleshed out and has their own highlights, unlike most dramas where most characters are just stereotypical tools."

"This alone makes it incredibly difficult to create an excellent ensemble drama."

"After all, we need to give each character a highlight moment while also driving the plot forward. Just designing these highlight scenes for these characters is a headache enough."

"Chen Yu's 'The Ming Dynasty' is a historical drama about power struggles, which is the most difficult genre to handle with a large cast of characters."

"Think about it again. In that cabinet role description you just mentioned, everyone was a genius or a prodigy—to make these people shine in the ensemble, they can't all be the same..."

"This difficulty level is off the charts!"