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

Many parts of northern China have recently experienced dry and sunny weather with little rain, leading to drought conditions. However, the current situation is relatively mild and does not yet constitute a major disaster that could threaten the nation's foundation.

[What I, your humble servant, find solace and sorrow is not merely the drought itself, but rather the fear that Your Majesty's benevolent heart, meant to save the world and bring peace to the people, will be misused and abused by those wicked and corrupt individuals.]

Immediately afterward, under the unhurried questioning of the Jiajing Emperor, Lü Fang bowed respectfully and presented a secret letter from Yang Jinshui of the Jiangnan Textile Bureau, delivered by express courier through the night. The moment the plot reached this point, the densely packed audience in Chen Yu's live stream froze in place, utterly dumbfounded.

Even those seasoned business leaders who had been meticulously analyzing in the comments why Lü Fang had come to wash Emperor Jiajing's feet first, but hadn't yet reported the earth-shattering incident in Zhejiang, were now completely dumbfounded, their minds blank.

No one in the live broadcast room could have predicted that Lü Fang would subtly and logically steer the conversation toward this major event in Zhejiang by taking care of the sick man by washing his feet and then pouring the leftover wine back into the wine jar.

Moreover, throughout this smooth and effortless process, he quietly and subtly flattered the Jiajing Emperor countless times, showering him with praise.

One moment he's praising Emperor Jiajing for his compassionate heart, comparable to Guanyin of the South Sea, and his concern for all people; the next he's saying that the millions of ordinary people in the world are only able to live in peace because of Emperor Jiajing's tireless protection. He keeps praising Emperor Jiajing's benevolence and benevolent virtue. But what's most ingenious is that, in these seemingly casual words, Lü Fang subtly defined the nature of the earth-shattering event about to unfold in Zhejiang, even clearly arranging who would bear the brunt of the blame. When Emperor Jiajing sees the contents of the letter, the whole affair will be seen as "ruined by those wicked people below."

All the blame lay with the corrupt officials in Zhejiang, not with Lü Fang or his subordinates! By the time the business leaders in the live stream had meticulously analyzed Lü Fang's seemingly ordinary actions and deciphered the intricate schemes and calculations hidden within, they realized how he had effortlessly and subtly steered the conversation toward the main point while simultaneously shielding himself from the impending rage of the Jiajing Emperor. Their faces were filled with genuine admiration and a desire to worship him.

"Lu Fang's actions this time, combined with his previous meticulous arrangement of Feng Bao's entry into the Prince Yu's residence, are simply divine. This is textbook-level, truly divine!"

"This is simply mastering the art of speaking to its fullest extent; it's a level of artistry that has never been seen before or will never be repeated!"

"I used to think I was very adept at navigating social situations, that I was always right in my words and actions, and that I was doing very well in the workplace. I was already considered a top-tier professional. But after seeing what Lü Fang did today, I realized that all those underhanded tricks I used before were utterly worthless compared to her. There's just so much more I need to learn in this life!"

"How could Chen Yu, a young man in his early twenties, write a plot that exposes human nature and power struggles so thoroughly? Did he secretly pour out the Meng Po soup when he crossed the Bridge of Helplessness, bringing back complete memories of his past life?!"

With the release of Lü Fang's legendary storyline, "Da Ming Dynasty 1566" surged forward in the real-time rankings of top-rated dramas, jumping from 69th to 67th. Before the viewers in the live stream could even recover from their shock and flood the screen with exclamations of amazement, a burning heat appeared on Chen Yu's face. His fingers suddenly began to tap away at the keyboard with a rapid, loud thud, like a sudden downpour on a bluestone.

In the script, after opening and reading Yang Jinshui's urgent secret letter, the usually composed Jiajing Emperor erupted in fury for the first time, instantly breaking through his years of composure. Without a second thought, he slammed the letter onto the cold, gold-brick floor, his surging anger transforming into a deafening roar that shook the entire palace: "Summon Yan Song!"

In Chen Yu's past life, this scene was one of the most classic and memorable moments in the entire series "Da Ming Dynasty 1566". What Chen Yu remembered most for many years and could never forget was the masterful way the classic TV series handled this moment.

The entire scene abruptly shifted from the warm yellow hues of palace lanterns to a cold, slow-motion black and white shot. Simultaneously, accompanied by the deafening roar of the Jiajing Emperor in a fit of rage, a low, animalistic howl, like a dragon emerging from its abyss or a tiger descending from a mountain, echoed for a long time in the empty palace, chilling the air. Chen Yu had meticulously written down, word by word, the specific camera angles and sound effects to be used in adapting this scene for film and television in the script's footnotes.

When the viewers in the live stream saw the details of the shot that Chen Yu had specially noted in the script, they couldn't help but applaud. They felt that just reading those few lines of text made the impactful scene appear uncontrollably in their minds, as if they were actually there.

At this moment, in the judges' panel in front of the live broadcast screen, Mr. Shuping, with his gray hair, could not control his excitement. He suddenly stood up from his seat, his face flushed, and shouted "Bravo!" with great excitement.

"The camera work in this scene is absolutely brilliant, a stroke of genius!"

"These few lines of notes perfectly capture the oppressive aura of an emperor's wrath, brimming with overwhelming killing intent. They also vividly and incisively illustrate the saying, 'Serving a ruler is like serving a tiger,' for the emperor's wrath is unpredictable!"

"Chen Yu's handling here is absolutely exquisite, a masterpiece unlike any other. His control over the language of the camera is so masterful that it deserves to be included in film and television textbooks and analyzed frame by frame!"

After the classic scene of Emperor Jiajing completely breaking down when he shouted "Summon Yan Song!" was released, the real-time ranking of "Da Ming Dynasty 1566" on the list of top-rated dramas jumped up once again.

But this earth-shattering plot is far from over.

Chen Yu's fingertips tapped across the keyboard, the crisp, rhythmic clicks continuing to echo in the live stream. The upcoming episode featured a scene where the Jiajing Emperor, Lü Fang, and Yan Song would face off. It would be a battle of wits and strategy, surpassing even the previous court debate in the Golden Palace and Hu Zongxian's solitary audience with the emperor—another pinnacle of power struggles and intrigue!

An inexplicable sense of foreboding spread like a surging tide.

Behind the screen, the minds of the film and television company executives who had been watching the rankings and plotting to suppress Chen Yu were filled with rage.

Almost every few seconds, they could watch as "Da Ming Dynasty 1566" steadily climbed one place on the list of top-rated dramas. At that moment, the sound of Chen Yu's keyboard tapping in the live stream showed no sign of stopping; instead, it became increasingly rapid and intense. Each crisp tap was like a torrential downpour in the height of summer, each one pounding heavily on their tense hearts, making it hard to breathe. Cold sweat unknowingly soaked through their shirts, spreading slowly down their backs, bringing a chilling sensation.

"This trend is completely wrong..."

Meanwhile, in the script, cold sweat was dripping down Yan Song's aged face.

Without any unnecessary perspective shifts or dragging plot build-up, after Emperor Jiajing's furious and completely broken-down cry of "Summon Yan Song!", all the details of delivering the decree, guiding the way, and waiting were ruthlessly cut out, leaving not a trace.

In the next line of the script, the eighty-year-old Yan Song stands bowed in the main hall of the Yuxi Palace, cold sweat beading on his forehead blurring his dim eyes. This time, the treatment Yan Song receives before the Jiajing Emperor is clearly vastly different from what he has received in the past.

In the past, when other cabinet ministers met with the Jiajing Emperor, they could only stand with their heads bowed. Even Lü Fang, the Grand Eunuch of the Directorate of Ceremonial who had been the Jiajing Emperor's most trusted advisor and companion for decades, was never an exception. Only Yan Song, who was already eighty years old and walking with difficulty, was always granted a chair by the Jiajing Emperor when he met with the emperor. This honor clearly demonstrated the Jiajing Emperor's unparalleled favor towards him. But this time, the small sandalwood stool that was always placed beside him had disappeared without a trace. He could only stand hunched over, head bowed, on the cold gold brick floor. This seemingly insignificant change revealed the Jiajing Emperor's waning favor towards him, which could not be concealed.

Before Yan Song could figure out the cause of this momentous event, he heard Emperor Jiajing's somber, emotionless question coming from the throne.

Last year, not a single snowflake fell throughout the entire twelfth lunar month. This year, since the start of the hottest period of summer, there hasn't been a single gust of wind for over ten days. I previously instructed you to inquire with the Imperial Astronomical Bureau; what was their report?

Emperor Jiajing's abrupt question left the viewers in the live stream completely bewildered. It was obvious to everyone that his previous outburst of anger stemmed from the shocking scandal in Zhejiang, where someone, using the guise of the Jiangnan Textile Bureau, was illegally buying up farmland at rock-bottom prices under the pretext of imperial decree. Why, now that he had finally summoned Yan Song to the Yuxi Palace, did he completely ignore the Zhejiang calamity and instead abruptly change the subject to inquiries about unrelated celestial phenomena?

The bigwigs in the live stream, well-versed in the ways of emperors and their rules, all frowned and fell into deep thought. At this moment, whether they were executives of multi-millionaire listed companies, after witnessing Lü Fang's textbook-level maneuver, they dared not underestimate the profound meaning hidden behind every line in the script of "The Ming Dynasty."

Lu Fang's previous masterful handling of the art of speaking and reporting had already left them utterly astonished. They felt that their usual pride in their social skills and rhetoric had been completely shattered in Lu Fang's presence. So, Emperor Jiajing's seemingly illogical actions now naturally concealed unfathomable imperial cunning.

After a moment of silence, a seasoned commenter finally figured out the hidden meaning in the question.

The reason why Emperor Jiajing did not directly confront Yan Song and expose the Zhejiang matter was that he had not yet fully confirmed the deeper reasons behind the matter, nor was he sure if there were any unknown secrets hidden in it.

"As a person in a position of power who holds the power of life and death, if one opens one's mouth to question someone but questions the wrong person or the wrong person, it will be a devastating blow to the prestige that one has built up over the years."

"Another, deeper reason is that if a true leader casually displays their emotions in front of their subordinates and gets angry on the spot, it is tantamount to exposing their own weaknesses and vulnerabilities to others."

"An old saying goes that a ruler's authority is unpredictable, and another old saying goes that if punishments cannot be measured, then authority cannot be known. They all mean the same thing: only by making your subordinates never understand what you are thinking, never guessing whether you will be angry or happy next, can you maintain your subordinates' heartfelt respect for you forever."

"As for why the Jiajing Emperor ignored the important matters in Zhejiang and instead asked Yan Song about the celestial phenomena observed by the Imperial Observatory..."

The big shot paused here, and then, as if you could see the look of horror suddenly bursting in his eyes in the comments, it was as if his forehead had instantly been covered in a dense layer of cold sweat.

"This is a life-or-death test!"

"Because as early as the very first act of the play, Zhou Yunyi, the director of the Imperial Observatory, was beaten to death outside the Meridian Gate for making irresponsible remarks about celestial phenomena and speaking frankly. This incident from the very beginning is enough to show how important and untouchable celestial phenomena were in the mind of the Jiajing Emperor."

"Interpreting celestial phenomena has always been the exclusive right of the emperor. This is directly related to the legitimacy and absolute authority of Emperor Jiajing as the emperor, who ruled the people on behalf of Heaven. It is a taboo area that no subject can touch or discuss at will."

"When Emperor Jiajing asked this question today, he was testing Yan Song on this matter, testing whether he had become arrogant because of the emperor's favor, lost the respect he should have for the emperor, and whether he had lost his sense of propriety as a subject, to the point that he dared to touch his absolute taboo."

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