Consort Hua's remarks about rewards were deeply down-to-earth.
Thus, netizens of all ages created a high-definition image of Consort Hua, photoshopped her into the God of Wealth, and shared it everywhere for good luck, hoping the God of Wealth would bless them with more money to go home for the New Year.
Jiang Ling saw this, not only forwarded it but also personally photoshopped Consort Hua's kingfisher-inlaid phoenix coronet into gold ingots, adding the caption: "The God of Wealth has arrived, happy new year!"
This interactive entertainment further endeared the character of Consort Hua to the audience.
So much so that when Consort Hua's character was eliminated, many people almost cried.
"OMG, I've been gutted again. First Li Shengnan, then the little fairy, and now Consort Hua!"
"Why does Jiang Ling always play such tragic characters? I can't handle it!"
"Consort Hua is an antagonist, she did bad things, why can't I hate her?"
"It's mainly because Jiang Ling acted so well, portraying the character's pitiful yet hateful essence perfectly!"
"Consort Hua is too pitiful, loving the Emperor her whole life, only to be schemed against by the one by her side. That dog emperor deserves to be killed!"
"Right, the hateful one is that heartless person wearing the dragon robe. How could he be so cruel to such a beautiful woman!"
Consort Hua's storyline concluded, and Zhen Huan, under the Empress's scheme, accidentally wore the old clothes of Empress Chunyuan. The court was further implicated, her entire family was exiled to Ningguta, and she herself became disheartened and left the palace to cultivate.
Seeing this, the audience's hatred and anger towards the Emperor reached its peak.
"Dog Emperor, you wronged Consort Hua and hurt Zhen Huan, you're just a scumbag!"
"I'm so angry, my little angel Liuzhu, I really want to rush into the drama and chop him down with a single blow!"
"How did the director choose the actors? I remember this drama is based on a novel, and the emperor in the novel was a young man around twenty-five. Why is he portrayed as old, ugly, and detestable in the drama? I don't want to watch it anymore!"
"With this appearance, he could make Consort Hua and Zhen Huan fall in love with him? Are they out of their minds?"
A string of complaints flooded in like a relentless tide.
The audience, too deeply invested in the drama, shifted their dislike from the characters to the actors themselves, unable to comprehend why the director had cast an old man as the Emperor.
Jiang Ling was also helpless seeing so many people disliking Teacher Jianbing's portrayal of the Emperor.
When "Chunyuan Musk Transmission" aired in her previous life, the Emperor character also received immense criticism.
However, the fact proved that the director had chosen the right person, and Teacher Jianbing's Emperor was the most suitable.
Only a middle-aged actor like him, with his age and rich life experience, could embody the imposing imperial aura of Emperor Yongzheng in history.
The audience's dislike was simply because they hadn't watched the entire drama.
A good drama is like good tea, it needs to be savored. The more you savor it, the more flavorful it becomes.
The first sip might not reveal much, but with repeated tasting, one can discover the hidden surprises.
"Chunyuan Musk Transmission" is considered a pinnacle of palace intrigue dramas, comparable only to "War and Beauty," which aired many years earlier.
As the originator of palace intrigue dramas, "War and Beauty" surpassed "Chunyuan Musk Transmission" in both concept and depth.
Yet, strangely, "Chunyuan Musk Transmission" had a Douban score of 9.2, while "War and Beauty" only scored 8.8, a significant difference.
The reason for this lay in the character of the Emperor.
While palace intrigue dramas are indeed ensemble pieces dominated by women, never forget that the Emperor is the key figure who dictates the fate of all these women.