If it weren't for the last-minute adjustments that had everyone running around like headless chickens, these firsthand gossip consumers would have immediately whipped out their phones to frantically share the juicy news.
As it was, they could only exchange wild glances, silently expressing their inner turmoil.
Explosive! Absolutely explosive!
The top-tier group... they were playing it so well! They were about to blow the roof off!
They could already imagine the entertainment industry would be rocked to its core tonight.
Look! Even their producer and director were bristling with tension.
The confidential script had already kept them on edge all day, prepared to deal with various public opinion storms at any moment. But seeing the current situation, their hearts, which had been hanging by a thread, finally gave out completely.
The director and producer broke out in a cold sweat backstage, lighting a cigarette to enjoy the last moment of calm before the storm.
The stage lights dimmed, and the background music began.
"In ancient times, there were beauties who served with their looks, disregarding morals and laws, seeking benefits, and bringing harm to everything. Hence the saying, 'Since ancient times, beautiful women have often been the source of trouble...'" a deep male voiceover resonated.
But just as it reached this point, it was interrupted by a clear, sarcastic female voice.
Everyone recognized it as Ji Fei's voice.
"Pinning all the blame for trouble on beautiful women, no wonder they're called 'beautiful troublemakers.'"
The live stream's comment section exploded with question marks: ????
Wasn't this supposed to be a critique of those 'beautiful confidantes' who rose to power?
What's going on?
It seems things aren't quite what everyone expected.
The live audience was also stunned, except for the Qin family sitting in the front row, who were excitedly rubbing their hands together. Here it comes, they thought. Knowing the inside scoop in advance was so satisfying. They couldn't wait to see everyone's reactions.
Speaking of beautiful troublemakers in ancient times, the first one that comes to mind is Su Daji.
Sure enough, as the stage filled with smoke, Qin Zhao, playing King Zhou of Shang, and Ji Fei, playing Su Daji, made their entrance.
There was a huge mock-up of a bath, probably meant to represent the infamous "pool of wine and forest of meat."
Qin Zhao and Ji Fei were in the pool, listening to the surrounding music and enjoying a decadent atmosphere.
Ji Fei was obediently feeding Qin Zhao wine, and she wasn't the only beauty around him.
Suddenly, a court official rushed in, kneeling with a desperate air, "I beg Your Majesty to withdraw the order. The Star-Plucking Tower is a burden on the people and a drain on the nation's resources. It has caused public resentment to boil over. It cannot be built!"
Qin Zhao immediately flew into a rage, "What's wrong with me building the Star-Plucking Tower for my beloved consort? What I do is none of your business." He then pulled Ji Fei closer by the shoulder and said, "My beauty, continue... I want more wine."
Ji Fei, however, remained stiff and unmoving.
The online viewers initially thought Ji Fei's acting was wooden, that she was nervous about coming on stage early and hadn't performed well. They felt a bit disappointed.
But in the next moment, they saw Qin Zhao smile and grasp Ji Fei's chin, forcing her to look up. "Does my beauty also think I should listen to them? Don't you want to ascend the Star-Plucking Tower with me, invite the immortals, and ask about eternal life?"
Ji Fei trembled, her hand shaking, not daring to look up at Qin Zhao. She stammered, "I do, of course I do."
Now everyone could see that Ji Fei was genuinely afraid of this brutal king. It seemed quite different from the legendary enchantress who supposedly manipulated King Zhou of Shang like a puppet.
"Wicked enchantress! You are indeed bewitching the king!" The official immediately pointed at Ji Fei and cursed, "You've monopolized the king, making him neglect state affairs and indulge only in pleasure. I should kill you and bring the king back to his senses!"
Ji Fei immediately cowered behind Qin Zhao in fear.
The official was promptly restrained by the guards.
Tears streaming down his face, the official cried, "Your Majesty, she is a beautiful troublemaker! She will ruin you and the kingdom! You cannot disregard the foundation of the Shang dynasty for this woman! Kill her, and everything can be salvaged!"
Ji Fei trembled, her face pale.
Qin Zhao, however, smiled cruelly, "I'd rather kill you first!"
In an instant, swords fell, and the official was executed.
The lights suddenly changed, and the big screen lit up. Ancient characters appeared, scrolling frantically, as if countless people were hurling accusations and curses.
"Su Daji is a demon, seducing the king, bewitching him, making him lose his mind. She's cruel and vicious, here only to bring calamity to the Shang dynasty!"
"All those cruel acts were done because Su Daji bewitched the king!"
"Without Su Daji, everything in the Shang dynasty would be fine."
"Kill the troublemaker Su Daji, kill the wicked enchantress Su Daji!"
The stage plunged into darkness, as if time had stopped. Only a single beam of light shone on Ji Fei, who was still hiding behind Qin Zhao.
Ji Fei trembled all over, crying out in a hoarse, desperate voice: "What have I done? Why are you pouring all this trouble on my head?"
She stood up and slapped Qin Zhao hard across the face, saying, "I was just a young girl in my family's home. I had a sweetheart, a fiancé. He forcibly summoned me into the palace. He loved my looks, he pursued me. What position am I in? Could I refuse? I'm just a concubine, can I scold the king? Why do you say I monopolized him? That I made him neglect court affairs?"
"You only see that he doesn't attend court, that he wants me to serve him. Which of you can actually prove that I have the power to influence a king's decisions!"
She then walked towards the court official and slapped him too, saying, "The Star-Plucking Tower was the king's idea. He wanted to build it, he wanted to become an immortal and live forever. What does that have to do with me? He wanted to take me along, is that my fault? He neglects state affairs and only seeks pleasure - that's his fault. Why don't you kill him? Why kill me?"
"If he succumbs to depravity because of my beauty, that's his own problem. Even if it wasn't me, someone else would have led him down this path. If serving him as ordered is wrong, then you should kill every servant in this palace! Why only kill me?"
Finally, Ji Fei turned and pointed at the big screen, shouting in anguish, "You're nothing but a bunch of cowards! You want to use romantic affairs to cover up your own incompetence. The king is foolish, the court officials are useless. You men in power have ruined the kingdom, and you don't want to bear the blame, so you throw mud at a weak woman like me! I don't accept this. I've done nothing wrong. I may be beautiful, but I am not the source of trouble!"
After her outburst, the text on the big screen exploded, and the entire stage was plunged into darkness.
The first act ended.
The audience was left speechless, probably not expecting to see such a performance.
Online viewers were also quite moved.
"I get it now. The top-tier group wants to present different perspectives on King Zhou of Shang and Su Daji to challenge the misconception of 'beautiful women causing trouble.'"
"It's quite a rare angle. Actually, I've always thought it was strange. In ancient times, could these beautiful women who supposedly influenced emperors all have had a penchant for cruelty? Did they really need to do such brutal things for enjoyment? It always seemed odd to me."
"Moreover, many facts now prove that the so-called 'national calamities' were very likely just men shifting blame."
"In the male-dominated ancient world, it's hard to imagine a woman having such a significant impact."
"Didn't Sister Fei say it? Romantic rumors are easier to spread. The public won't care about the complex politics of running a country at the time. If the country falls, rather than the king and court officials taking the blame, it's easier to pin it on a woman who has no voice."
"That's true. We gossip-mongers naturally prefer to hear these kinds of rumors. They spread widely and are more easily accepted by everyone. In the future, all they need to do is raise a banner saying they won't be like the previous emperor who was befuddled and lustful, bewitched by women."
"Cunning. When men get cunning, women always end up being the ones schemed against."
"King Zhou of Shang used Su Daji as a shield for his indulgences, and the court officials used Su Daji as an excuse for their inability to persuade the king. In the end, it's all Su Daji's fault, right?"
Seeing the serious discussion of the plot in the comments, the director and producer swallowed hard, hoping the rest would go as smoothly.
But in the next moment, the comment section exploded.
"Wait? Who did I just see? Why isn't it Ji Fei on stage?"
"Qin Zhao is playing King You of Zhou, so shouldn't Ji Fei be playing Bao Si?"
"Isn't that actress supposed to have left the entertainment industry?"
"Yeah, because she seduced a wealthy investor who poured tens of millions into her big movies, but they all flopped. The investor's wife then released her private videos online, accusing her of destroying their family and ruining his career, calling her a bloodsucking vixen!"
"Back then, she was criticized all over social media, mocked by everyone. She even came out crying to apologize and announced her retirement from the entertainment industry."
"Has the top-tier group gone crazy? How could they invite someone with such a scandalous history as a supporting actress?"
"Wait, it looks like she's the main actress for this scene!"
On the side of the stage, Yu Rouyin stared blankly at the actress who had returned to the spotlight. She remembered her—the one who had once tearfully tried to explain that she had done nothing wrong, that it was all the old CEO's unrequited feelings. But no one believed her.
Because of the video incident, she had fallen into depression and attempted suicide, ultimately retreating from the entertainment industry and vanishing without a trace.
All that remained on the internet were scandals and insults.
Yet Yu Rouyin had seen her movies. The scripts were terrible, but her acting... was excellent...
