Previously, Jiang Ling had only played scheming, deep-minded seductive enchantresses.
No matter how much the audience and her fans adored her looks, they were bound to experience some aesthetic fatigue.
Now, seeing her portray Consort Hua, the beauty with a missing brainstem emanating from her very core, instantly offered a refreshing sensation.
Consort Hua and the Empress engaged in a verbal duel, but in the end, Consort Hua didn't gain any advantage.
As she turned to leave the palace gates, she overheard the Empress, stroking her white jade Ruyi, say meaningfully to Jian Qiu, "It's time to select a few more new consorts to enter the palace and continue the Emperor's lineage."
Consort Hua cared most about the Emperor's favor. If new consorts entered, her own favor would diminish.
And concerning continuing the lineage, Consort Hua's greatest pain was her inability to bear children.
The Empress, indeed a high-level player, had struck Consort Hua two blows with a single sentence.
Consort Hua was furious but helpless. With a sideways glance, she left a look of longing and sorrow in the camera's frame.
With just a glance, Jiang Ling perfectly conveyed Consort Hua's deep love for the Emperor, as well as her worry, jealousy, heartache, and sorrow over the prospect of new consorts competing for his favor.
Upon seeing this, the audience bombarded the screen with comments, showering praise on Jiang Ling's acting.
As expected, she was the top-tier actress in the entertainment industry who excelled at acting with her eyes; her gaze acting was truly unparalleled.
As the plot progressed, the female protagonist appeared, entering the palace for the selection. She met her childhood best friend, Sister Mei, and An Xiao Niao, who was being bullied by Xia Dong Chun.
The three formed a friendship and debuted as a group, known as the harem version of S.H.E.
Sister Mei, with her dignified demeanor and respectable family background, was successfully selected. Zhen Huan followed onto the stage.
The moment the Emperor saw Zhen Huan's face, he immediately thought of his dearly departed white moonlight, Pure Yuan, who could do everything but knew how to live.
However, the Empress Dowager feared a repeat of past tragedies and, even more so, feared that this woman entering the palace would shake the Empress's position. She used the excuse that the candidate's surname, Zhen, offended the Emperor's given name, hoping to make Zhen Huan withdraw.
The rebellious and filial Emperor ignored all this, insisting on Pure Yuan. He even said, "In Jiangnan, there are the Twin Qiaos; in Hebei, Zhen Mi is beautiful. The Zhen clan produces beauties!"
Upon reading this, Jiang Ling sent a bullet comment: "Coincidentally, Zhen Mi was also liked by two brothers at the same time."
Immediately after, the Emperor added, "The feng shui of the Forbidden City nurtures people; it will surely not let you fade away prematurely!"
Jiang Ling followed up with a sarcastic remark: "The feng shui of the Forbidden City bites people; it will surely make you fade away prematurely!"
Almost none of the candidates in this selection had a good ending. Except for Zhen Huan, who was blessed with the protagonist's halo, all the others died.
The Emperor was indeed a jinx.
Seeing the Emperor's defiance, the Empress Dowager was also helpless, her face filled with worry.
Jiang Ling's bullet comments continued incessantly: "Ignore the elders' advice, and you'll suffer in the end. She'll end up being angered to death by Zhen Huan! Come on, Jay Chou's music, listen to your mother's words, don't let her get hurt..."
The main reason Jiang Ling was furiously sending bullet comments, aside from her love for "Pure Yuan Musk Tragedy," was to increase viewership and attention.
In her previous life, "Pure Yuan Musk Tragedy" had been popular for many years, considered by audiences to be a classic among classics.
However, few people knew that the show's initial ratings were not particularly good; they could even be described as a flop.
Back then, "Pure Yuan Musk Tragedy" and "Scarlet Heart" were filmed almost simultaneously in Hengdian, using the same snow scene.
Yu Ma, the notorious attention-seeker, seeing how well these two dramas were produced, copied their style and produced two dramas himself, releasing them ahead of time.
These two dramas were "Gong 1" and "Gong 2," namely "Palace Lock Heart Jade" and "Palace Lock Pearl."