Regarding this, Hua Ruyi had already made arrangements.
As a top director of idol dramas, Hua Ruyi understood love and women's yearning for it perfectly.
When the young and naive Li Zhi became assertive and shrewd, Wu Meiniang's personality gradually changed.
In previous dramas of similar themes, Wu Zetian was already strong-willed and ambitious from the start.
However, Hua Ruyi believed that a newborn child was like a blank canvas, and whether it would be filled with vibrant colors or left in darkness depended primarily on education and upbringing.
The Wu Meiniang in the drama, upon entering the palace, never thought of becoming emperor. She possessed neither the ambition nor the audacity for it, only wishing to be a favored concubine and live a life of wealth and ease.
Therefore, Wu Meiniang was initially weak. Her assertiveness and political acumen were cultivated later.
And the one who cultivated her was none other than Li Zhi.
As they joined forces to battle the court and the inner palace, Li Zhi, to better equip her against political rivals, taught her step-by-step how to manipulate politics and play with people's hearts.
Wu Meiniang, being intelligent, quickly surpassed her teacher.
After the downfall of Empress Wang and Zhangsun Wuji in the later stages, Wu Meiniang's power rapidly expanded. Li Zhi once intended to depose her to consolidate his own power, but why did he ultimately fail?
Besides Li Zhi's affection for Wu Meiniang, there was another crucial reason.
It was that Wu Meiniang was his creation, a work of art he had meticulously crafted.
To deny Wu Meiniang would be to deny himself.
The emperor's pride and self-esteem also prevented Li Zhi from doing so.
The romantic storyline Hua Ruyi crafted for Li Zhi and Wu Meiniang was that of pawns becoming lovers. They were not only allies fighting side-by-side but also husband and wife, bound by love and suspicion.
Li Zhi initially saw Wu Meiniang as a pawn, intending to use her to eliminate political enemies. However, he never expected to fall hopelessly in love with her amidst their intricate schemes.
Even more unexpectedly, Wu Meiniang's intelligence far surpassed his imagination.
He taught Wu Meiniang how to deal with court officials and concubines, solely to consolidate imperial rule.
But he forgot the old saying: "When the apprentice surpasses the master, the master starves."
It was precisely through his tutelage that Wu Meiniang, after his death, usurped the empire he had strived for his entire life.
This is the most ironic aspect of human nature: being too clever for one's own good.
Believing they controlled everything, they never anticipated being eliminated by an inconspicuous figure from the start.
As the plot progressed, Wu Meiniang was brought back to the palace from Ganye Temple by Empress Wang to deal with Consort Xiao.
Li Zhi and Wu Meiniang cooperated seamlessly, their combined efforts bringing down one enemy after another, much to the audience's delight.
However, the scene that most deeply touched the viewers was the death of Empress Wang.
When Empress Wang was decreed to be bestowed with the silken noose by Li Zhi, Wu Meiniang, much like Zhen Huan visiting Consort Hua in the cold palace, went to bid her a final farewell.
In the dark, desolate cold palace, Empress Wang, filled with resentment and confusion, questioned relentlessly, "Why? Why would His Majesty love a woman like you? How am I inferior to you in terms of family background, looks, or figure?"
Wu Meiniang smiled and replied, "Indeed, your family background is a hundred times nobler than mine, and your looks and figure far surpass mine."
Empress Wang, utterly bewildered, asked, "If that is the case, then why does His Majesty only favor you, you wretch?"