Dark Sand: My Players Are All Actors
Chapter 142 - 137: Why Are You Adding More Scenes for Yourself?

Chapter 142: Chapter 137: Why Are You Adding More Scenes for Yourself?

"Lord Governor, I’m afraid the idea of breaking the dike to flood the bandits wasn’t your idea but rather Elder Yan’s, wasn’t it?" Mr. Xu revealed bluntly.

Chu Ge couldn’t help but be taken aback, and a complex expression immediately appeared on his face.

There was some delight, as he had not expected Mr. Xu to pinpoint the purpose of the plan from just the phrase "break the dike to flood the bandits" and even link it to Elder Yan; but there was also worry about being in a quandary about advancing or retreating; of course, there was also a bit of anticipation, hoping that Mr. Xu could provide a different answer.

Of course, as Governor Lin occupied a high position and was a man who didn’t let his emotions show, Chu Ge had to express these emotions through subtle changes in his facial expressions, very implicitly.

This was actually a very clever acting technique, but Chu Ge executed it just right, not a bit too much or too little.

The reason was simple: first, he had rehearsed this scene countless times and had seen the true expressions of Governor Lin, which he could imitate; second, Chu Ge himself was highly talented in acting, otherwise he wouldn’t have been the first to clear the instance for scholars; third, he had obtained a special talent skill.

[Xin · Heartfelt Emotions (Gold): You can express specific complex emotions more precisely, and this expression will be accurately reflected in your facial expressions and subtle movements.]

This was a basic talent that had been upgraded to a Xin rank gold skill. At the lower level and rarity, its effect wasn’t very noticeable.

After all, a slight improvement in facial expressions and subtle movements wouldn’t be much help in solving the puzzles of the instance.

But now that Chu Ge had mastered the entire plot and characters of the instance, this upgraded gold talent allowed his acting to ascend to a level where it became indistinguishable between truth and deception.

Discussing the situation and agreeing on strategies with Mr. Xu, waiting for Magistrate Ning to arrive, and ultimately deciding to prepare two memorial statements...

All the plotlines were perfectly performed according to the predetermined path.

Chu Ge didn’t know that demons were watching his every move; he only knew that his performance at this moment would affect the rating of the instance, and it would eventually be shown on the big screen before all viewers, so he definitely tried his best.

Like a dedicated actor, he would fully immerse himself in the role in front of the camera and deliver the most perfect performance.

And, of course, all his efforts were not in vain.

Li Hongyun, Fan Cun, and others mainly engaged in combat sequences, which basically involved no dramatic acting, so the likelihood of exposing themselves was very small. But Chu Ge, playing Governor Lin, had only dramatic scenes; any performance that was not realistic might alert the demons.

But the demon, after watching for a long time, failed to notice any anomalies.

At the moment, Chu Ge seemed to truly become one with the character Lin Xiangmin!

As such, the demon naturally never considered that this Lin Xiangmin might be a regressive, treating him entirely as a native.

Several times, black mists churned, wanting to manipulate Lin Xiangmin, but ultimately restrained themselves.

It struggled to make a final decision.

At that time, there were two suitable candidates in the demon’s mind, one being Lin Xiangmin and the other Wang Zongchang.

Wang Zongchang had died for his country in the battle of Nanhe City, but in fact, he had played a crucial role in the attack on Puning Port much earlier.

However, during earlier players’ clearing of Trial Illusion at Puning Port, they saw Wang Zongchang as a civil official without combat skills after being manipulated, hence they subconsciously overlooked him.

But from the demon’s perspective at that point, during the attack on Puning Port, Wang Zongchang had already become General Deng’s right-hand man, not only offering strategies and stabilizing the army’s morale but also often leading troops directly into battle, achieving outstanding results.

Whether manipulating Lin Xiangmin or Wang Zongchang could significantly impact this instance.

Manipulating Lin Xiangmin could likely cut off military supplies; while manipulating Wang Zongchang would cause General Deng to lose a key aide, a critical battle lost in purging the bandits, allowing the Yan faction to cause trouble and take subsequent developments in unpredictable directions.

But after considering for a long time, the demon still hesitated to make a decision.

It initially thought manipulating Wang Zongchang would be the best choice, as Lin Xiangmin’s position was high and his prominence likely also relatively high, and manipulating Wang Zongchang would be less likely to be noticed.

That was indeed its decision the first time it entered this historical slice.

But this time, inexplicably, it decided to wait a bit longer.

It felt there might be an even more perfect target.

...

The fog dispersed, and Chu Ge had arrived inside the imperial palace.

"Let me ask you, in May during the Dragon Boat Festival the river dike burst and it caused major flooding, drowning some good fields, what really happened?

"Elder Gu said it was Elder Yan secretly instigating it, what do you have to say?"

The Emperor’s authoritative voice came from above.

Chu Ge was stunned for a moment.

Logically speaking, he had confronted the Emperor many times during the process of clearing the instance, and he had heard these words countless times before; they should have been very familiar to him.

However, this time, Chu Ge felt something different.

A peculiar pressure surged toward him!

This pressure was brought about by the Emperor’s aura.

As an emperor, he instinctively possessed a strong desire for power and a "I alone am honored" temperament. His every action and every word exerted a tremendous oppressive force on ordinary people.

The so-called "imperial might" was another expression of this aura.

Chu Ge was not unfamiliar with this feeling, having sensed it faintly the first time he saw Emperor Weizhao in the scholar instance, and again when he first met the Emperor in the "Being Ennobled Was Not My Desire" instance.

However, as he came to understand the Emperor more and more, this feeling gradually faded.

Having completely deciphered the meaning behind every word the Emperor said, and having thoroughly grasped the Emperor’s thoughts, what dignity could the Emperor still command?

Thus, in the last few scoring rounds where Chu Ge played as Lin Xiang Min in front of the Emperor, it had become a routine matter. Even though he tried hard to portray Lin Xiang Min’s state of genuine fear and walking on thin ice, he ultimately could not perform as perfectly as at the beginning.

After all, the sense of the unknown had completely disappeared.

But now, he felt that long-lost sense of the unknown again, feeling the oppressive force brought about by the Emperor.

"Lift your head, look at Us when you speak!"

Just as Chu Ge was stunned, the Emperor’s voice came again.

He could only slightly lift his head, barely meeting the Emperor’s gaze.

It felt as if there was a "whoosh" in his mind, and Chu Ge’s thoughts seemed to be stripped away.

He knew that this Emperor was actually played by Meng Yuan, but at the moment his heart kept resisting this idea, as every movement, word, and even the subtleties of expression and the pores on the Emperor’s face seemed completely unrelated to Meng Yuan.

He even seemed more like the Emperor than the one he encountered in the simulated Trial Illusion!

After a brief moment of astonishment, Chu Ge quickly recovered.

Wasn’t this a perfect opportunity to perform?

At this moment, he felt like a talented young actor acting opposite a seasoned veteran.

Initially shocked by the veteran, he also took the opportunity to get into character, finding his own rhythm.

An actor acting alone ultimately performs a monologue with limited scope.

But when two skilled actors perform together, it becomes a duel of acting; their acting skills clash and spar, and the content immediately becomes richer!

And Chu Ge’s initial astonishment actually blended well into the performance: Governor Lin meeting the Emperor alone for the first time, momentarily subdued by the Emperor’s majesty, causing some slight internal turmoil – it was very reasonable.

Not only was it not a deducting point, but it also better reflected the character’s internal turbulence.

With this thought, Chu Ge promptly said, "Your Majesty bears the burden of the nation. Governing a great country is like cooking a small fish. One must not act on impulse..."

This dialogue was also a summary from numerous clearances, basically conveying, "Your Majesty, you are clear about the dam incident yourself. As a servant, I can neither be disloyal to you nor forget the grace of Elder Yan. I was not involved in the matter concerning Gu Qingzhang, but suppressing bandits in the southeast is indeed fraught with difficulties. The Cabinet matters are for you to consider, Your Majesty, but the military provisions in the southeast really need to be issued."

Of course, these words were very subtle and restrained, conforming to the unspoken rules of dialogue between a court official and the Emperor.

According to the normal script development, the Emperor should have complimented him with "You are loyal to the state," then simply say a few words and agree to his request for military provisions.

However, to Chu Ge’s surprise, the Emperor paused and then said, "Very well, We will not ask you about that for now.

"We have heard that suppressing bandits in the southeast is very arduous, yet you have fought battle after battle with repeated victories, have you not?"

Chu Ge was stunned.

What? That line wasn’t in the script!

Why was Meng Yuan going off-script and adding difficulty for himself?

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