Huayu: From charlatan to great entertainer

Chapter 551 Do you want to be Feng Qingyang or Yue Buqun?

Based on past projects like the "Quest for the Boundary" project, it's highly unlikely that such a large-scale marketing campaign would begin before the first draft of the script was even released.

However, the sheer size of this project, which is actually a "cultural resource platform" but is actually a TV series, and its strategic significance, compels all parties involved to be on high alert and start building momentum and publicity from the very beginning of its inception.

The filming period will be long, so the marketing period will also be extended accordingly. After today's stunning announcement at the project launch, details such as casting, plot, character design, costumes, and behind-the-scenes footage will be released one after another to attract the audience's attention.

Starting from the 7th, a new topic group appeared on Weibo, and Zhijie Video also opened a separate page on its homepage specifically for the promotion of "Taiping Shu".

The first video was uploaded to the special section. It was a simple video made a few days ago when the costume photos were taken. The main content was to use the top actress Liu Yifei to create publicity gimmicks and then gradually unveil the mystery of the drama to the audience.

"Gu Nan's sword cuts through two thousand years; which dynasty's story would you like to hear first?"

In the video, Liu Yifei is wearing a red traditional Chinese robe with delicate dark patterns. A white inner garment is visible at the collar, and the overall cut is dignified and elegant.

She held a long sword with a reddish-brown hilt adorned with red tassels, and gold lettering embellished the blade.

The overall color scheme is red and black, highlighting her heroic and dashing temperament. Her makeup is also very light and slightly androgynous, seemingly in preparation for the revelation of the female protagonist's background later on.

The concept of a male soul in a female body is a core element of the entire series, essentially placing a "genetic lock" on this immortal being, objectively ensuring that he survives the long history of loneliness.

The video was followed by an introductory interview, in which Liu Yan and Liu Yifei filmed the interview on the sofa in Boss Lu's office.

The beautiful host from Travel Channel started by saying, "Hello everyone, this is the behind-the-scenes salon of 'The Book of Peace'. Starting today, we will regularly release 10-20 minute videos related to the series on the homepage of Wenjie Video, Xinlang Portal, and Weibo topics."

"The video will invite all the main creators and staff involved in this series, including our lead actors, director, historian, and screenwriter, to share the behind-the-scenes stories of the creation of 'The Book of Peace'."

"Okay, today is the first episode. We have invited the first actor tentatively selected for this drama, Yi Fei, who will play the female swordsman Gu Nan."

When Xiao Liu appeared in the video, the number of comments on the screen skyrocketed.

"Yifei, your costume photos from yesterday have already gone viral, generating a lot of funny memes and fan art. Since the press conference is short, let's talk about the female lead a bit more."

"Hello friends!" Liu Yifei shook her hand at the video to greet everyone, and introduced herself in the video: "My role is that of an observer and a participant. In English, I would say an outsider, someone who is both in and out of the picture."

The subtitles are in both Chinese and English and will be simultaneously broadcast on Twitter, Mytube, and Korean and Japanese networks.

"The word 'outsider' has a dual meaning. The first meaning is that it refers to someone who travels from the modern era to the ancient era, and is an outsider in time and space."

"The second layer is a male soul in a female body. In that era, this was another kind of outsider in terms of gender identity, which would be very difficult to perform. I have to constantly remind myself of these personality and gender details."

Liu Yan nodded: "I heard that Consort Yi and Director Lu will have a scene together."

"You could say it's a scene between two actors, but we're actually playing the same person," Xiao Liu laughed. "He'll play my male predecessor, with a very short role, his soul after the time travel..."

"After we transmigrated, we merged into this body. He is me, and I am him."

Liu Yifei, who was used to being told dirty jokes by the washing machine at home, wanted to say "his soul entered my body," but luckily she stopped herself in time, otherwise "a top female celebrity making dirty jokes on a show" would have stolen the show's thunder.

Liu Yan exclaimed in surprise, "That's quite an interesting way of putting it; it's a bit like something from a Yuan dynasty poem—"

"Let's break us both apart, mix us together with water, so that I'm in your mud and you're in mine, right?"

Xiao Liu covered her mouth and laughed, "It feels like Liu Yan is just trying to trick the viewers. Is this related to your KPIs?"

The video wasn't live, but after that statement, the phrase "roadkiller" started flooding the Zhijie Video feed.

Today's episode mainly focuses on the female lead's most distinctive feature. Liu Yifei continued to explain: "It is precisely because of this setting that Gu Nan's character is like a stranger no matter where or when she is. Including the change of gender identity, it creates a fundamental gap between her and each era."

"This inability to fully integrate amplifies the eternal loneliness and tragedy brought about by immortality, making the emotional impact stronger, which is why I like this character."

Liu Yan nodded: "We all know about the South American magical realism novel 'One Hundred Years of Solitude.' It seems that your role is to depict a thousand years of solitude, which is indeed quite challenging. You need to progressively show the changes in the character's psychology across different eras."

After discussing the core concepts, the beautiful host continued to guide the conversation to unveil the mysteries of the *Taiping Shu*:

"According to our current information, there are probably more than 100 prominent historical characters in this play, many of whom are your colleagues at the Beijing People's Art Theatre, as well as senior actors from the National Theatre of China, the Air Force Political Department, the General Political Department and other drama troupes."

"As a female swordswoman and a witness to history, you will have many scenes with them, acting alongside so many veteran actors. How does Consort Yi feel right now?"

"Excited and nervous!" Liu Yifei said with a smile, "For a young actress like me who is still learning, this is the happiest thing. It is a very rare opportunity to learn and improve."

"In previous films, I had professional exchanges and scenes with several veteran actors such as Li Xuejian, Liang Jiahui, and Feng Yuanzheng. The dedication and professionalism of these older actors are admirable. This is undoubtedly a challenge for me, but I am still quite looking forward to it."

After thinking for a moment, Xiao Liu said, "I can give you all a little scoop. Xue Jian, who has recovered, has been confirmed to star in the show. He will play my mentor and will have a great influence on Gu Nan's ideals and beliefs. I won't spoil the specifics of his role for now, so please look forward to it!"

Liu Yan smiled and said, "Speaking of this, we have to mention a behind-the-scenes story that circulated during the filming of 'A Home Away' in 2003. Leonardo DiCaprio mentioned in an interview that every morning an old gentleman would bring a little girl to do morning exercises. Was that you guys?" (Chapters 204 and 205)
The video includes an old, blurry clip, which was likely footage shot by Liu Xiaoli using a DV camera.

At that time, Liu Yifei still looked very young, following the 50-year-old "old man" Li Xuejian with his hands behind his back, which seemed very novel to Leonardo at the time.

“Yes, it was me and Teacher Xuejian.” Xiao Liu couldn’t help but laugh: “At that time, he was receiving medical treatment in the United States and was working as a consultant on the film crew. My mother asked him to mentor and teach me.”

“I was just 16 years old at the time. I was cast as the female lead in ‘A Home Too Far’ at the last minute. I was under a lot of pressure, especially acting opposite an international superstar like Leonardo DiCaprio. My performance was very poor at the beginning.”

Liu Yan nodded and said, "I've heard this story before. Leonardo mentioned it when he came to China for a promotional tour. He said that Director Lu and Teacher Xue Jian tricked him into doing something to boost your confidence."

"It's a movement link from when Teacher Xuejian was filming 'Aspiration' in 90, where she chased and suddenly stopped, then turned around and looked back. It looks very simple, but it's very difficult to do. If you don't have enough muscle control, you might even strain your tibialis anterior muscle."

Liu Yifei revealed with a smile: "Leonardo's acting skills are excellent, but because I had been practicing my posture and muscle control for a long time, this move was not difficult for me. I am amazed by this move, so I actually got the upper hand."

"They deliberately tricked Leonardo, using this little incident to build my confidence. Later, I gradually overcame my fear of facing international superstars and was able to perform normally."

"So in this sense, it's quite a interesting coincidence that Teacher Xuejian is my mentor both in real life and in the drama."

The first episode was only twenty minutes long. Liu Yan and Xiao Liu said goodbye to the audience, and the former also took the opportunity to preview the next episode:
"In the next episode, we will invite several of the composers of this drama, namely Gu Jianfen and Wang Jian, who composed and wrote lyrics for the old version of Romance of the Three Kingdoms. Familiar works such as 'The Mighty Yangtze River Flows Eastward' and 'This Bow' are all their works."

"Also, Mr. Ryuichi Sakamoto, who composed the music for 'The Sky of History,' and others will share their perspectives on this historical drama."

Goodbye, friends!

This episode primarily introduces the core character of the female lead, played by Liu Yifei, leaving room for the audience's imagination and explaining the reason for the fusion of male soul and female body, thereby increasing the audience's acceptance.

For Xiao Liu's fans, this is a slight relief from their "Faye Wong addiction," since she has indeed seemed to disappear for more than a year, and they hope she won't really be hidden away by the washing machine and never show her face again.

The richest man in the world has over 200 billion US dollars! He couldn't spend it all in several lifetimes. Anyone could just retire on the spot.

Afterwards, Xiao Liu enthusiastically opened her Weibo replies and video comments, hoping to see if there were any objections so that she, as the female protagonist, could interact and explain.

The result was all about "Leaning Tower of Pisa," and the replies completely went off-topic.

"According to my calculations, from the time 'Under the Hawthorn Tree' finished filming until the tentative start of filming for 'The Book of Peace' early next year, you'll be at home picking your toes for more than 400 days. You'll probably get athlete's foot from picking them so much, right?"

"I wasn't particularly interested at first, but as soon as I heard that the soul of the washing machine had entered the body of a celestial being, I instantly... became involved."

"When will we be able to make a real-life story like the current Qidian novels, where a washing machine actually transmigrates into Liu Yifei's body? I want to see a fairy godmother playing with soldiers, sweet girls, and honeys, and so on. Let's get this going!"

Female fans cheered: "Great! A goddess-like beauty is great! I'm your sister! Go for it!"

"The DNA of Farewell My Concubine has been activated, and the celestial being says: 'I am a man, not a delicate woman.'"

"Actually, I can understand. Without this setting, whether the protagonist is male or female, they would be caught up in endless hunting for women and clichéd, melodramatic love stories. I really want to see a historical drama without a romantic couple."

……

News about the Taiping Book has spread rapidly. Whether it's official media, industry media, or Japanese and Korean media that have been lobbied, almost all of them are full of praise. Even media outlets like Nanfang find it difficult to lie in the past two days and have to wait to find out more errors.

The culture section of the People's Daily set the tone first:

The launch of the "Book of Peace" project marks a significant exploration of historical depth and philosophical dimensions for Chinese television dramas. Through the unique perspective of immortals, it organically connects the magnificent two-thousand-year history of Chinese civilization, showcasing the enduring resilience of our nation and its eternal pursuit of "peace throughout the world."

This drama has lofty ideals, and its core spirit is highly consistent with our current advocacy of promoting excellent traditional Chinese culture and enhancing cultural confidence. We expect the production team, Wenjie, to use a rigorous creative attitude and exquisite artistic techniques to successfully create an epic work that can carry the memory of civilization and unite the national spirit, setting a new benchmark for the creation of major historical themes.

Global Times (English version):

The foreign title "Daughter of Time," proposed by actress Liu Yifei, aptly captures the character of Gu Nan as a witness to history. This actress, possessing both classical Eastern beauty and modern charisma, will showcase a non-Western perspective on history to the world through her international acting style.

"The Book of Peace" brings together top creative talent from China, Japan, and South Korea. Liu Yifei's participation further solidifies its status as a representative work of the Asian cultural community, potentially breaking Hollywood's monopoly on epic themes.

China Youth Daily:
The unique feature of "The Book of Peace" lies in its perfect combination of historical research and artistic imagination. With reference to the meticulousness of "The Sky of History", the creation team's restoration of details such as clothing, etiquette and artifacts from the Warring States period to modern times should be textbook-level.

Liu Yifei's portrayal of Gu Nan, with her "male soul in female body" setting, breaks the traditional gender stereotypes in historical narratives, offering viewers a fresh perspective on history. This drama is not only a breakthrough in film and television creation, but also a profound exploration of the core of Chinese civilization, worthy of attention from both the academic community and the public.

Economic Daily:
From the perspective of industrial development, the boundary-crossing model of the Taiping Book provides a brand-new approach to the construction of cultural industries and platforms.

With film and television IPs at its core, and integrating high-quality resources such as the Beijing People's Art Theatre and the Pan-Asia Film Academy, a closed-loop ecosystem of culture and commerce is formed. The collaboration between the Double 11 shopping festival and "The Book of Peace" further demonstrates Wenjie's ambition to create a benchmark for "cultural consumption."

The project's future success lies not only in its artistic value, but also in its exploration of a sustainable path for cultural industry upgrading, providing an important reference for the future development of China's cultural economy.

……

Most media outlets and netizens praised the project's grandeur and excellence, but after the release of the first behind-the-scenes salon video, Liu Yifei, who had been staying at home for more than 400 days, once again topped the trending charts, becoming a "permanent traffic queen" on Weibo's hot search, various portal websites, and Baidu's Douyin index.

Even LeTV Culture couldn't suppress it with money; the former could only try to boost the popularity of "The Power of Love" by colluding with Baidu.

In terms of market value alone, the lowest-ranking actors are those who rely solely on their acting skills, and in today's increasingly market-driven world, they are "the least marketable."
Secondly, there are traffic stars. Although it's sad for a real actor, like Yang Mi who is now on the path of hype and can never return to her former charm, production teams will still give them priority.

But if an excellent actor also has a large following, especially a top-tier "red streamer" like Liu Yifei, who is completely untainted by any negative publicity, then that's truly a rare find among pandas.

Especially after the policy of banning celebrities with bad records was introduced in later generations, a female star who has maintained her popularity for more than 20 years is a very scarce resource.

Film and Television Weekly:
In the Reuters photo, Liu Yifei's female swordsman in "The Book of Peace" has a cool and elegant appearance, and holds a sharp sword like a banished immortal. From Zhao Ling'er to Xiaolongnu, from Lu Xueqi to Gu Nan, this time the role is no longer just a beautiful woman in ancient costume, but a historical witness with a complex soul.

This kind of loneliness and compassion is perfectly matched by Liu Yifei's classical beauty and modern heroic spirit, which perfectly match the alienation of the character "a stranger in time and space". Her international performance experience can also give the character a narrative tension that transcends culture. Let us look forward to her performance.

TV Drama Guide:
Upon seeing Liu Yifei's several costume photos as a female swordsman, as well as her interview about the role, one sentence flashed through my mind—

When she looked up, it was as if she had seen through a thousand years; when she looked down, it was as if she had never lived.

Even with a neutral makeup style, the actress's excellent bone structure cannot be hidden. If we were to find a chosen one from ancient times to promote our classical culture, I cannot think of anyone more suitable than this 22-year-old actress.

……

From the press conference on the 6th to the first behind-the-scenes salon on the 7th, plus the immediate reports from more than 100 reporters on site, regardless of their stance, the reputation of this TV series has been established from the mainland entertainment industry to the entire Greater China region, including Hong Kong and Taiwan.

If it were an ordinary movie, TV series, or variety show, its popularity would only circulate within a small circle and then fade away. However, this work, which is officially designated as a "cultural project," has broken through to a wider audience to the greatest extent possible.

Not only many industry insiders, but also many cultural scholars from other industries participated, some offering genuine praise and appreciation, while others made sarcastic remarks and poured cold water on the idea.

The latter mostly consist of old-fashioned people who were frightened by this overwhelming tide, LeTV Culture, which has already made "Palace" and Yang Mi its main works, as well as Nan Fang and Gong Zhi.

Wang Liqun, a professor at Henan University and a lecturer on the popular Chinese lecture series "Lecture Room," was delighted and commented on the "Book of Great Peace" in a recent episode of his program "Reading the Records of the Grand Historian":

"I am really looking forward to seeing this TV series. If the production team needs me, I can be a consultant for free."

"If you ask me, the most exciting part of this TV series is the character Gu Nan's background and her sword strike!"

The old man spoke with great passion: "This sword pierced through the false history built up by cosmetics and powder, and pierced through the perspective of a lackey who kneels and watches the imperial power! The immortal who has lived for two thousand years uses his own vision to measure the rise and fall of civilization, and in fact, he is also leading the audience to appreciate the vastness of history."

"What's this called?"

"This is called allowing the swordsmanship of the Warring States period to collide with the poetry of the Tang Dynasty in the same soul, and letting the Neo-Confucianism of the Song and Ming Dynasties and the chivalry of the martial arts world converse in the same body. This is a precise dissection of five thousand years of civilization!"

“Excellent!”

Wang Liqun was very popular in 09, having just received the fourth "National Teaching Master of Higher Education" award from the Ministry of Education, and had also accumulated a large audience through the "Lecture Room" program.

Liu Yifei and her fans from Wenjie arrived as promised, exchanging greetings with the old professor, but a cultural scholar from Taiwan Province raised a "minor objection".

Dragon Shadow Terrace.

She stepped down from her position as director of a cultural bureau in 03 to focus on writing and acting.

In terms of stance, he was a typical fence-sitter, and his famous saying, "I don't care about the rise of great powers, I only care about the dignity of ordinary people," is a standard fallacy and sophistry that has been widely criticized.

The author commented on Twitter:

I watched Director Lu Kuan's portrayal of Mr. Jianfeng (Xiao Jiang) last month, and to be honest, it was very good. But apart from that, I have some minor opinions to express regarding Director Lu Kuan's evaluation of the Golden Horse and Taiwan culture, as well as this project that will probably cost over 1 million US dollars. I hope you won't mind.

My biggest question is, within this grand narrative spanning two thousand years, where is that specific "person"?

You attempted to traverse history from the perspective of an immortal, but unfortunately, it ultimately fell into the old-fashioned historical view that glorifies emperors and generals and glorifies violent conquests.

We have witnessed countless magnificent wars and heard grand pronouncements about 'the world' and 'peace,' but I can hardly see the pain and cries of every individual life crushed behind the war. This kind of narrative is essentially a form of anesthetizing history once again.

What worries me most is that this grand narrative, in the name of the nation and history, is eroding respect for individual value. When the protagonist shouts that they are fighting for "peace under heaven," have they ever considered whose bones were used to build that peace?
Such works may be exported overseas, satisfying foreign imaginations of Eastern wonders, but can they truly touch people's hearts and evoke universal concern for life itself? I have my doubts.

Hopefully, director Lu Kuan, as the producer, can resolve this issue. We want to see not only a story about "China," but also a story about "the Chinese people."

The author's arguments were actually very popular during this period. At present, Southeast University has introduced a series of economic stimulus policies, represented by the 4 trillion yuan investment plan. Although it has successfully driven the rapid economic recovery, it has also brought about problems such as the rapid rise in housing prices.

A wave of reflection has begun to emerge in society: What is the ultimate goal of economic growth? Can the fruits of development truly benefit every ordinary person?

Although Long's description of "a great nation and a small people" is biased in its opposition to the two, it accurately captures the sense of powerlessness and anxiety felt by some members of the public when faced with high housing prices and rising living costs, giving them a different voice.

At the same time, the cleverness of her words lies in the fact that there is no mature and complete script for "The Book of Peace" at present. Even if there is, it cannot be revealed in its entirety just because of her questioning, wouldn't that be a spoiler?

These words were not particularly strong, but they were indeed able to motivate and influence a large number of uninformed netizens.

She first posted on Twitter, which caused a stir, and then she took a screenshot and reposted it on Weibo in mainland China. Upon closer examination, it actually subverted the core theme of the entire script:

After all, this isn't a serious historical drama; rather, it takes the audience on a unique journey of experiencing and feeling history from Gu Nan's perspective, allowing them to view and influence it. If you now distort it into a mere biography of emperors and generals, its appeal to potential viewers will be greatly diminished.

For a time, such arguments and pessimistic followers abounded, and public intellectuals praised them and exchanged comments.

Like a barrage of attacks, Han Han, a Weibo influencer with over ten million followers, posted a scathing critique of writer Long, his tone anything but polite:

I'd like to ask Director Lu Kuan of Wenjie whether you invited writer Long to participate in your screenwriting work.

If not, how did you come up with so many fictitious plot points before the script was even finished and before the official statement was made?

Actually, upon closer reflection, your profound argument is like sitting in Vienna's Golden Hall with a coffee and criticizing Shaanxi folk songs for lacking Mozart's elegance. If history only focuses on the microscopic details of individual snot and tears, what's the difference between that and using a magnifying glass to count ants moving house?
You said this film would be a glorification of emperors and generals. Does that mean if we're going to make a film about Qin Shi Huang, we have to film him suffering from hemorrhoids and being unable to sleep at night to be considered objective?
As a seasoned film buff, and considering TV dramas are still films and television works, if the theme is about humanity, what I want to see is Liu Yifei's portrayal of the female swordsman crawling out from the piles of corpses on the battlefield, witnessing the loneliness of watching her loved ones die one by one, rather than her standing on the city wall with a megaphone shouting "I'm so miserable!"

If you insist on taking pictures of people with a magnifying glass, this is probably what you want to see, right?

Actually, everyone can see that you just want to satirize the topic of the great power versus the common people, right? So you're using this TV series to indirectly criticize others.

All you want are tragic stories that conform to your own ideology. It's disgusting how you show double standards and affectation. Stop with your hypocrisy!

……

Han Han's tone was relatively restrained, after all, Long Yingtai's words were also very subtle, a case of veiled barbs, so he couldn't just behead him directly.

But the debate did not end there. As the former said, the writer Long and many other intellectuals were using the opportunity of pointing out the flaws in the TV series to satirize the current situation and express their own rational stance.

Among them, Nanfang and LeTV Culture, which felt their situation was precarious, were particularly affected. Hunan TV, which was also producing "Princess Pearl 3", did not dare to participate, after all, they were still a state-owned TV station, and even if their station's style was "open and inclusive", they still had to exercise some restraint.

Long Yingtai was attacked by a group of domestic scholars and writers, including Han Han, Yu Qiuyu, and Yi Zhongtian. Feeling isolated and helpless, he decided to call an old friend for help.

At the same time, Jia Yueting of LeTV Culture's previous plan to hire online trolls to attack Zheng Xiaolong and to insinuate that someone was inciting and provoking ethnic issues all failed, because Boss Lu, who is still focused on filming in North America, would not personally get involved and use Zheng Xiaolong to cripple the Beijing circle.

LeEco Culture and Nanfang's all-out efforts to make their voices were like punches hitting cotton; they couldn't even hurt Zheng Xiaolong, who was like cotton.

This is no longer a case of the West overwhelming the East. If the historical narrative of "The Book of Peace" is established as the orthodox work, and Zheng Xiaolong's assessment that "Palace" represents the Qing Dynasty dramas as feudal dross and cultural garbage is confirmed, it would be far from ideal for LeTV Culture, which is about to go public next year, and its top star, Yang Mi.

Seeing the heated debates on the internet about domestic history, culture, and art sparked by the "Taiping Book," Jia Yueting also thought of the same influential figure.

Moreover, he is the most qualified to speak on this kind of composite work that combines history as its bone, martial arts as its flesh, and fantasy as its soul.

November 9, 2009, 1 Peak Road, Hong Kong.

This is a traditional luxury residential area in Hong Kong, far from the hustle and bustle of the city. It offers excellent views overlooking Victoria Harbour and strong privacy. A renowned writer in the Chinese-speaking world retired here.

The mansion is situated on a hillside, surrounded by green trees, relatively independent, with few other houses nearby, making it very quiet and private.

According to the elderly writer, he has always preferred a quiet environment since he was young, as it is conducive to thinking and writing. Therefore, he and his third wife, Lin Leyi, spent their later years here.

In the study, an elderly writer with thinning hair leans back in his recliner, flipping through "Zizhi Tongjian" (Comprehensive Mirror for Aid in Government), a cup of Longjing tea steaming beside him—a symbol of homesickness.

His wife was peeling an apple beside him, never disturbing him while he was reading. She would just go about her business, occasionally scooping off a piece and stuffing it into his mouth without a word.

The old man is 85 years old this year, and his young wife is only 59. In such a combination, the latter usually has a stronger control over the former in life as they get older.

In particular, Lin Leyi and the old writer had agreed before marriage not to have any more children, but through the terms of the agreement, they guaranteed the inheritance rights of their last "young wife" after his death.

The old writer was always shrewd.

That's why the butler knocked lightly on the door and only came in to report after receiving a signal from her:

"Mr. Jin, writer Long from Taiwan Province has called at least five times today. I kept refusing, saying you went to the mountains. What do you think..."

Before Jin Yong could speak, Lin Leyi, who was peeling an apple to the side, sneered: "Tell her to hit him as hard as she wants. If she can't win an argument, why bother calling the teacher?"

"The gentleman is already so old, just waiting to enjoy his retirement, but she has to be so talkative and drag him into so much trouble."

As people get older, they become more insightful, and Jin Yong is no exception. He chuckled twice and said, "I'm old now, how can I still go around making a fuss and annoy people? Please ask her to understand."

The housekeeper responded and left. Lin Leyi, who went to the kitchen to wash her hands, received a strange phone call and returned to report to the old man with a somewhat delighted expression.

"What's wrong? Did you find some money?" Jin Yong got up and stretched, glancing at his wife. This was a self-deprecating joke.

He was notorious for his stinginess; many people in Hong Kong called him Scrooge. Ni Kuang once joked that the writer Jin always walked with his head down, hoping to find money on the ground.

Of course, the great writer himself didn't care much; as long as the money was in his own hands, that was fine.

"More or less." Lin Leyi smiled and said, "It was Zhang Xiaoqing who called. He said that LeEco Culture, a company with a strong background in mainland China that is preparing for listing, wants to talk to you about cooperation."

"Zhang Xiaoqing's business is doing quite well now; she's expanding into the mainland." The old man waved his hand by the window without turning his head: "How about a collaboration?"

Zhang Xiaoqing is the actual controller of "World Chinese Media", a Hong Kong-listed company, which originated from Ming Pao, co-founded by Jin Yong and Shen Baoxin in 1959.

In the 1990s and early 2000s, Jin Yong cashed out a large sum of money and left, pocketing HK$1 billion, before handing the company over to Zhang Xiaoqing.

He now exists more as a legendary founder and cultural icon. His works and influence remain valuable spiritual assets and brand heritage for the company. However, in terms of capital and operations, the two parties no longer have any direct connection, except that he has a close personal relationship with Zhang Xiaoqing.

Lin Leyi walked over and took his arm: "LeTV Culture is willing to hire you as a consultant for their cultural projects at a high salary, and invite you to invest in the company at the Series A price."

"Taking a stake? This is definitely a windfall." As people get older, they become more insightful, and Jin Yong is no exception. He chuckled twice and then said, "But such a big pie, can I still chew it with my teeth?"

It's perfectly normal for LeEco Culture to seek out Lao Jin, as he can speak on their behalf and also win over influential shareholders like Zhang Yimou. But why would people like Lung Ying-tai think of Lao Jin at such a crucial juncture?
Besides his harmonious relationship with the cultural department of the Bay Province, it was also due to the stance and inclination he consistently expressed in his novels.

Of course, even today, he doesn't think it's wrong.

Here are a few examples—

In his only work of historical speculation, "A Critical Biography of Yuan Chonghuan," the old writer is filled with rhetoric that cheers for the Qing army's entry into the pass and expresses great joy and excitement for the Qing replacing the Ming.

For example, overall, the Qing Dynasty was far superior to the Ming Dynasty. I believe that the twelve emperors of the Qing Dynasty, starting from the founding emperor, are mathematically incomparable to the sixteen emperors of the Ming Dynasty.

Because the former scored quite high, while the latter scored extremely low.

Modern assessments of the Manchu rule over the Central Plains differ from those of the ancients.

The Manchu Qing dynasty, established by the Manchus, was undoubtedly superior to the Ming dynasty.

I have reflected these views in my novels, and I hope to write them into academic articles in the future.

The Ming Dynasty was the most autocratic, corrupt, and tyrannical dynasty in history, and the late Ming period was one of the darkest periods in thousands of years of history.

The Ming Dynasty deserved to perish; for the people, the Qing Dynasty was far superior.

It's perfectly normal for writers to enjoy criticizing current affairs and expressing their opinions; almost no writer can resist complaining.

The above comments, if viewed solely from the perspective of historical research, are merely academic debates and do not yet rise to the level of national ideology.

However, this literary giant, who was degraded and referred to as a bondservant, portrayed the differences between Han Chinese emperors and foreign emperors in all his novels and critical essays far too clearly.

In "The Sword Stained with Royal Blood," Emperor Chongzhen is portrayed as a foolish and suspicious ruler who brought about the downfall of his country. In "The Book and the Sword," Emperor Qianlong is depicted as a hypocritical and untrustworthy schemer. This is because the Qianlong in the book is of Han Chinese descent and uses and suppresses the Red Flower Society, betraying his promises.

Including Zhu Yuanzhang, the first to expel the Tartars, in "The Heaven Sword and Dragon Saber" he is portrayed as a scheming hypocrite, an ugly, murderous schemer with almost no redeeming qualities.

Conversely, in "The Deer and the Cauldron," Emperor Kangxi is portrayed as a wise and benevolent ruler, praised by Wei Xiaobao as "Bird-born Fish Soup," a reference to the legendary emperors Yao, Shun, and Yu.
Genghis Khan was a heroic figure of the grasslands. In the early stages, he had a father-son relationship with Guo Jing, demonstrating both leadership qualities and paternal love. Although his ambition was revealed in the later stages, he remained complex.
Kublai Khan was a ruler who valued talent and respected Guo Jing. He tried to recruit Yang Guo, demonstrating his magnanimity and kingly demeanor.

Admittedly, opinions differ on the merits and demerits of emperors, but they are all part of the Chinese nation. The Central Plains dynasties were judged not by bloodline, but by culture.

But even in novel writing, why go to such lengths?

Ultimately, the reason for this is still the same: "Your position determines your perspective, and your background determines your position."

The Cha family played a key role in the famous literary inquisition "History of Ming" during the Kangxi era. After Zhuang Tinglong, a wealthy merchant from Huzhou, was reported and punished for gathering scholars to compile a true history of the Ming Dynasty, and subsequently his entire family was exterminated, the Cha family produced seven Jinshi (successful candidates in the highest imperial examinations) and two compilers of the Hanlin Academy in the following decades, and prospered immensely.

This viewpoint was never concealed, including his speech at Yenching University in mainland China last year and his writings.

Therefore, Lung Ying-tai thought of him first;
LeEco Culture was completely won over by Mr. Lu from top to bottom in mainland China. When it was "at its wits' end", it thought of this heavyweight writer who could still speak up for period dramas.

Isn't your "Book of Peace" now being promoted with an inclusive attitude, sparking a major discussion from Lung Ying-tai in Taiwan to various cultural scholars in mainland China?

Is it okay for me to ask Mr. Jin to speak out and express his opinion normally?

The elderly couple and their young wife were still discussing matters in the study. Lung Ying-tai, that poor Taiwanese woman who was "mooching off" others, should get out of the way. Just looking at the conditions proposed by LeTV Culture, the third wife, Lin Leyi, who had signed a prenuptial agreement and wouldn't receive much of the inheritance, couldn't help but be tempted.

She could only watch her husband's expression as he made this decision, pursing her lips and not daring to utter a sound for a long time before finally probing indirectly:

"This matter... is probably similar to the situation of Lung Ying-tai's request for help. That young tycoon from the mainland has made the pie too big and his appetite is not small either."

"Not only does he openly satirize the Golden Horse Awards, but now he also wants to unify artistic aesthetics and put all the Qing Dynasty dramas that do not conform to his cultural aesthetics into the trash can."

"The Taiping Book project has probably become a household name throughout Greater China these past few days. According to some Hong Kong newspapers, they're trying to launch their own cultural flagship even earlier than...

"Hahaha!" Jin Yong laughed loudly, looking at his wife with a hint of mockery: "You, you're always good at playing tricks. You wanted me to speak up for you so you could earn some money for your retirement, so you told me all about this richest man's disparaging remarks about the Manchus."

"Have you ever considered that I'm old and quite timid? If your aircraft carrier comes down, it might scare this old boatman so much that he'll fall into the river?"

"Sir! What are you saying! I... sigh!" Lin Leyi blushed with embarrassment. After a long while, the old writer smiled and patted her arm, indicating that she was alright.

In a large, secluded mansion, intrigue and backstabbing are to be expected, especially when you're with such a stingy husband.

But it seems that Lin Leyi, who started working as a waitress at a restaurant at the age of 16, won Jin Yong's favor with this "pretended shrewdness".

She appears calculating, but is actually naive; outwardly mercenary, but inwardly sincere.

This sense of contradiction made Jin Yong, who had seen the world, both amused and subtly gave rise to a feeling of pity and a sense of control.

Men often enjoy the feeling of being relied upon, but they also dislike pure dependence.

In a way, isn't that the same for Bingbing and Xiao Liu with Lu Kuan?

If the roles were reversed, and the washing machine were to wash another woman, Bingbing might try some underhanded tactics, but she would never dare to directly stop it.
But if it were Consort Liu, she would have preferred to die with him.

But men happen to like this kind of person who is 100% loyal to them, and who always has some cute and appropriate temper tantrums, leaving people speechless.

In one word, cheap.

This applies to both men and women.

……

Jin Yong paced around the study, not directly addressing his wife's question, but instead asked curiously, "Le Yi, you said that Little Dragon Girl played a female swordsman who has lived for two thousand years... If you were in that role, wouldn't you find it boring?"

"I'm so bored, I just need to live long enough to serve my husband."

"Hahaha!"

Amidst the fragrant aroma of tea, the old writer laughed heartily. He didn't care whether what he said was true or false; he just thought it sounded nice.

Just like the money on the ground, why do you care what its previous owner's name was?
Wipe it off and put it in your pocket.

He understood why Lin Leyi, who had no children, was tempted by the conditions offered by LeEco Culture, but the matter was of great importance. Although he appeared to be joking, he was actually weighing the pros and cons in his mind.

Jin Yong had been focusing on reading and retirement at home for a long time and didn't know much about Lu Kuan. It wasn't until Lu's assets were "exposed" in October that Jin Yong was truly envious.

However, the old writer only needed one fact to make him hesitate when faced with such temptation:

The richest man at Dongda University has remained the same for several years, and his position has only grown stronger and more stable.

Old Jin is well-versed in history books; he's no ordinary person.

Jin Yong patted his wife's back: "Le Yi, don't worry. As you said, we can meet this visitor from the mainland tomorrow."

"By the way, who is it?"

Lin Leyi's expression turned serious: "Huijin Cube, Wang..."

"Okay!" Jin Yong's expression slightly changed. "I understand."

Both sides are equally complex and equally challenging.

After finishing his activities, the elderly writer sat back down in his chair, closed his eyes, and fell into deep thought, remaining silent thereafter.

……

Just as Wenjie had quelled the clamor of the mainland arts and culture scene and was preparing to venture into Hong Kong, Taiwan, Japan, and South Korea, it suddenly encountered local forces such as Lung Ying-tai and Lao Jin, who might also enter the fray.

After all, the cultural discourse in these lands has long been controlled by pro-Western, nativist, and "de-Tokyoization" forces.

In the tiny place right under Kim Yong's nose, some very unpleasant things will happen four years later, to the point that Liu Yifei will be targeted by anti-gangsters for supporting the Hong Kong police, and even boycotted by Western netizens who demand that she be disqualified from casting in "Mulan".

Just as Lin Leyi said, the cultural aircraft carrier of Wenjie will be launched earlier than the actual war, and will also enter the battlefield without gunpowder ahead of time.

Its victory or defeat does not depend on temporary strength or weakness, but on who can plant the seeds of culture deep in people's hearts, and who can make history and the future take root and sprout on the same land.

As for the present, this 85-year-old writer still can't help but bend down to pick up money—

He simply wanted to live the life of Feng Qingyang, enjoying his retirement with the reputation of a literary giant.
I'll still be Yue Buqun, crushed to pieces by the torrent of the era brought by the time traveler!

(End of this chapter)