Chapter 32: The Rising Trend

Chapter 32: The Rising Trend

Regardless of Mu Qian's headache, for Grape Film and Television and Ling Ge Entertainment, the first-day popularity of "Rising Sun" surpassing ten thousand views was undoubtedly a huge encouragement.

Grape Film and Television's promotional efforts for "Rising Sun" were far less than those for "Watchmen," and the lead actor Gu Sinian had left the audience with the impression of being seen as a liability in "Watchmen."

Under such circumstances, "Rising Sun" still managed to achieve such data, which is enough to prove the quality of the series itself.

Gu Sinian secretly checked the premiere ratings of "Rising Sun" several times.

After all, this was his first lead role in a series, completely different from when he was a supporting actor.

On the popularity chart, the only series that surpassed ten thousand views was "Rising Sun," with Dei Film and Television's "Solo Dive" in second place, a spy thriller with a relatively fixed audience.

Gu Sinian scrolled down and saw that "The Son of Heaven" was currently ranked fifth on the chart, with a popularity of 6000+, a significant gap behind "Rising Sun."

"Who initially compared 'The Son of Heaven' to 'Rising Sun'? The start of 'The Son of Heaven' isn't looking too good, is it?"

"The data... is average. It seems Yunxi Film and Television is struggling to stay afloat with 'The Son of Heaven.' Historical dramas have been underperforming in recent years. It remains to be seen if 'The Son of Heaven' can rise further; if not, its potential is limited."

From any angle, 6000+ is a precarious figure.

Moreover, "The Son of Heaven" is not a late-night drama, and Yunxi Film and Television's broadcasting platform is not considered cold.

Gu Sinian couldn't help but smile slightly.

His agent had reminded him not to post misleading comments online or celebrate too early—the heavy criticism "Watchmen" received might have been partly due to celebrating prematurely.

So this time, Gu Sinian has been holding back, watching his words and actions carefully, fearing that "Rising Sun" might be overturned like "Watchmen."

However, Gu Sinian believes that "The Son of Heaven" is not "The Noble Son."

"The Noble Son" was a bizarre drama where the audience sought novelty, while "The Son of Heaven" is the most obscure historical drama in recent years, starting with a group of smart people playing mind games.

The audience has no patience to wait for the crew to reveal the mystery.

...

As Gu Sinian expected, in the first few days, "The Son of Heaven" did not move in the popularity rankings, maintaining a popularity of 6000+.

It did increase a bit, but only by 1 or 200 per day, proving that the current state of historical dramas is indeed bleak.

The popularity of "Rising Sun" slowly dropped from 10000+ to 9500+, which is a normal decline. Compared to "Watchmen," "Rising Sun" maintained its data quite well, consistently holding the top spot on the popularity chart.

By this time, Ling Ge Entertainment and Gu Sinian's long-held worries finally began to ease.

"The Son of Heaven" is rising at a snail's pace; it's unlikely to surpass "Rising Sun" all of a sudden, right?

Thus, overnight, various platforms suddenly flooded with articles—

"'Rising Sun' vs. 'The Son of Heaven': The Victory of Young Actors!"

"Behind the Cold Reception of 'The Son of Heaven': The Survival Dilemma of Niche Actors."

"Another Historical Drama Fails: When Will This Genre See Spring?"

"The Expected Showdown Between February's Top Dramas Fails to Materialize: Yunxi Film and Television's Bet on 'The Son of Heaven' Fails."

In an in-depth analysis of the intersection between "Rising Sun" and "The Son of Heaven," a drama critic revealed that the "Rising Sun" crew had specifically invited Lu Xu to play the role of Wu Shen, but Lu Xu declined due to his participation in "The Son of Heaven."

"A wrong decision can lead to drastically different outcomes. I dare say, by missing out on Wu Shen, Lu Xu has essentially lost the momentum he built up from 'The Noble Son'."

"Despite the upheaval of changing directors and actors, 'Rising Sun' has still managed to maintain its current level of popularity. The actors' persistence and hard work have finally paid off."

Below this article, there are numerous comments, with the top one coming from fellow TV drama critic Song Zhong.

In his view, Liu Chunfeng's stubbornness and inflexibility, insisting on filming a historical drama that others have abandoned, and casting a group of actors who didn't resonate with the audience, are the main reasons for the failure of 'The Son of Heaven'.

"Lu Xu still dismisses 'Rising Sun', hoping to strike it big with 'The Son of Heaven'!"

"I always said that the success of 'The Noble Son' was luck, and Lu Xu won't always be that lucky."

"Mu Qian previously acted as if Lu Xu was indispensable, but without Mu Qian and Lu Xu, 'Rising Sun' is still a hit, isn't it?"

"The world goes on without anyone, Mu Qian and Lu Xu take themselves too seriously."

...

On the set of 'The Supreme' production.

Lead actor Zheng Xiao is engrossed in watching something on his tablet, and lead actress Wei Yi, peeking over, notices the Yunxi Film and Television logo on his screen.

"Watching 'The Son of Heaven'?" Wei Yi asks.

Zheng Xiao nods.

"Objectively, is the show good? I'm in a drama drought lately."

Wei Yi knows that 'The Son of Heaven' has only average popularity, not a hit, but since Lu Xu is in it, she keeps an eye on it.

Lu Xu's scenes in 'The Supreme' have already wrapped up, but she and Zheng Xiao are still on set for post-production work, which leaves Wei Yi feeling a bit down.

But they stayed voluntarily, to reshoot some scenes—actually, Lu Xu's portrayal of Ji Xiuya was so compelling that the more they acted opposite him, the more they felt like novices.

Naturally, they weren't happy with their earlier performances, and with enough funding, they were willing to reshoot some scenes.

Otherwise, being outshone in both looks and acting chops would crush their pride as actors.

"It's good," Zheng Xiao points to the episode number on the screen for Wei Yi, "I just started watching it this morning."

He's already caught up to the latest episode without realizing it.

'The Son of Heaven' has a fast pace, seemingly a dull historical drama on the surface, but if one is willing to invest the effort to follow it, they will find themselves engrossed in the plot.

The steady climb in popularity since its premiere proves this point.

Among the shows on the popularity chart, 'The Son of Heaven' is the only one where each episode's popularity surpasses the last, whereas usually, if a show lacks appeal, each episode's popularity tends to decline.

Zheng Xiao can only say that 'The Son of Heaven' is the kind of show that doesn't draw a big crowd, but once you start watching, you're hooked.

"Has Lu Xu appeared yet?" Wei Yi asks.

"He's about to appear in this episode," Zheng Xiao points to the tablet, alerting Wei Yi as soon as Lu Xu, playing Qin Zhao, makes his entrance.

This is a scene in the palace courtyard.

Crown Prince Qin Zhao wants to administer medicine to Emperor Cheng, but is stopped by the emperor's suspicious gaze. Although he has no intention of harming his father, this suspicion is still chilling.

However, such is the palace.

The dragon throne is the loneliest throne in the world.

The crown prince arrived full of worry, but now only fear and dread remain. Being under suspicion feels awful, and being tested on knowledge is no better. Like the icy tiles of the grand hall, their relationship was frigid, devoid of any warmth between father and son.

Although Cheng Yun and Lu Xu acted restrained, the air in the hall seemed to freeze at that moment.

Zheng Xiao and Wei Yi exchanged glances.

"Can you tell that this is Lu Xu?" Zheng Xiao asked.

Wei Yi honestly shook her head.

Ji Xiuya was a flamboyant and over-the-top villain, powerful and dazzling, with an aura that could easily be described as two meters eighty centimeters tall. But Crown Prince Qin Zhao? A timid, hesitant crown prince—there was almost no connection between the two.

Yet, in just this one scene, the plight of Crown Prince Qin Zhao was laid bare.

"I also watched a bit of *Rising Sun*," Zheng Xiao said. "I only got through four episodes before I quit."

"The quality gap is way too wide."

For some reason, while watching *Rising Sun*, Zheng Xiao only felt awkward.

When he watches dramas, he tends to analyze the performances from an actor's perspective. He always felt that the plot and characters in *Rising Sun* were disjointed.

The plot was the plot, and the characters were the characters—there wasn’t much cohesion between the two.

He wondered if it was just his taste, given how popular *Rising Sun* was. But by the fourth episode, he was still spacing out, so Zheng Xiao had to give up on it.

Yet, seeing the homepage filled with praise for Gu Sinian's acting and discussions about the reasons for *Rising Sun*'s success, Zheng Xiao felt utterly bewildered.

Wei Yi also: "..."

She and Zheng Xiao were alumni, so she was blunt in her rant: "Whenever Gu Sinian has a drama coming out, there's nothing else trending on the hot search. It's all just Ling Ge Entertainment's nonsense."

But she only dared to say this in front of close friends. If Gu Sinian's fans found out, she’d be hunted down.

Wei Yi’s alt account had indeed vented about Gu Sinian before, during the time when *Watchmen* flopped. She had commented on the character issues and was chased and cursed at by Gu Sinian’s fans for three days and nights.

Now that *Rising Sun* is doing well, Gu Sinian’s fans are rewriting history, refusing to admit that *Watchmen* flopping was Gu Sinian’s fault, or even claiming that *Watchmen* was a hit.

Stuff like "XX advertising leader," "the only Chinese drama recognized by the XX overseas awards," "top of the Asian male star appreciation rankings..."

Wei Yi: "..."

What the heck.

It’s no wonder she cursed. Back when she was being cursed, she learned a whole new vocabulary from Gu Sinian’s fans, greatly enriching her knowledge of physiology.

Wei Yi also added *The Son of Heaven* to her watchlist.

...

Wei Yi had just discussed *The Son of Heaven* with Zheng Xiao in the afternoon. That evening, when she opened a forum, she saw a drama recommendation post on the homepage that had been pushed to hot.

The OP was in a drama drought just like her, and the OP seemed like the type who dared to speak their mind. In the post, they directly asked if there were any good dramas recently.

"Don’t recommend *Rising Sun*. It’s not good."

Naturally, the OP was chased and cursed by Gu Sinian’s fans, but it must be said, the OP was quite brave. Half of the replies in this hot post were the OP and Gu Sinian’s fans going at it, with the OP taking on dozens of people and not losing at all.

"A woman like a female eagle! A war god!"

"OP is so bold hahaha but it's really well-put! I also think *Rising Sun* is just average, but I dare not say it, really can't argue with them."

"OP, are you looking for old or new drama recommendations?"

"If it's new dramas, I want to recommend *The Son of Heaven*. Although its popularity is just average, it's really good."

"I second *The Son of Heaven* recommendation. It's one of the new dramas I like recently, and personally, I think it's better than *Rising Sun*."

"*The Son of Heaven* +10086! The confrontations between the old uncles are absolutely amazing, especially the case of selling official positions. The big boss revealed will definitely blow your mind!"

"Did Guo Yining play a father in *Soul's Return*? His role made me cry to death, and this time he plays a treacherous minister, which is also amazing."

"There's no weak link in *The Son of Heaven*. Lu Xu's portrayal of Qin Zhao is also very impressive—he holds his own against Cheng Yun!"

"Wait... the crown prince is played by Lu Xu????"

"I didn't notice!!!"

"What??!!"

In the thread, recommendations for *The Son of Heaven* come one after another. Some emphasize its fast pace, while others praise the intense tension between the actors. Photos of Cheng Yun, Guo Yining, and other actors from their youth have been posted.

Someone also posted stills of the characters Qin Zhao and Yu Wei. Although both characters are not cheerful, the differences between them are still huge.

This difference is fully portrayed by Lu Xu.

"*The Son of Heaven* is super good. Although the hot searches are all reports reflecting on its failure, I believe in my own judgment."

In the episode where Qin Zhao appears, the plot of *The Son of Heaven* reaches a small climax. The powerful minister wins a great victory in the struggle with the Minister of Personnel, who is dismissed and returns home. The new Minister follows his lead. The struggle between the two is quite intricate—the breakthrough found by the powerful minister is on a small character, leading from a minor role to a major one. The connection between the characters was originally unknown, but when the truth is revealed, it makes the audience suddenly realize—it's truly a dramatic masterpiece.

That same day, *The Son of Heaven*'s popularity surpassed 7000 for the first time, reaching fourth place in the popularity ranking.

The popularity of *Rising Sun* dropped to 8900+.

"Will *The Son of Heaven* follow the same route as *The Noble Son*?"

"It shouldn't. *The Noble Son* had a popularity of 9000 by this time when it was broadcast."

Ling Ge Entertainment and Grape Film and Television optimistically believe that the growth route of *The Son of Heaven* has no similarity with *The Noble Son*.

However, the day after breaking through the 7000 mark, *The Son of Heaven*'s latest popularity suddenly soared to 7500+.

A clip video went viral online.

It excerpts the confrontation between the powerful minister and the Minister of Personnel.

These two fight fiercely in the drama, but when they were young, to support the current emperor to the throne, they were imprisoned. In prison, the Minister gave the good food to the powerful minister, while he himself ate a bowl of spoiled food.

When the powerful minister was exiled to Lingnan, no one in the court dared to speak. It was also the Minister of Personnel who sent him off in the snow.

In their youth, both aspired to contribute to the country and its people. For this, they studied hard day and night, supporting each other.

No one ever thought that the desire for power would distort them to such an extent.

The once pure and sincere young men have now become despised, mediocre officials.

Ironically, this video is titled *Best Friends*.

"Who would have thought that I would be so moved by the storyline involving the older characters!!"

"They destroyed their youthful ideals with their own actions, and also betrayed their closest friend!"

"I was bawling my eyes out when the Minister of Personnel was stripped of his position, and the Prime Minister came to bid him farewell. In the past, it was always the Minister of Personnel who looked back, but this time, it was the Prime Minister who glanced back."

"Two individuals corrupted by power—I was sobbing uncontrollably; I just can't handle this kind of plot where the hero who slays the dragon eventually becomes the villain."

The views for this fan edit skyrocketed past 100,000, even surpassing the latest episode of *The Son of Heaven*.

Although fan-made CP edits can be misleading, they’re enough to attract a group of viewers to watch *The Son of Heaven*.

As a result... just like Zheng Xiao, once they started watching, they couldn’t stop.

Since its broadcast, *The Son of Heaven* has finally experienced its first major surge in popularity.