This director is vindictive.

Chapter 510 A Night Banquet at the Tang Palace: A Culinary Taste of the Tang Dynasty

No wonder people say that.

Although everyone attributes this incident to Chen Mo's planning.

However, Fan Binbin is indeed the biggest beneficiary of fame.

Although he retired, he can be said to have truly achieved godhood.

As twilight bathed the eaves and brackets of Chang'an City, a thousand palace lanterns suddenly illuminated the Vermilion Bird Avenue in front of the Grand Cinema. At the end of the red carpet, the moment twelve halberd-wielding guards pushed open the gilded palace doors, the entire hall fell silent—

Actually, everyone knows that the main character is about to appear.

As expected, Chen Mo stepped out in a black prince's ceremonial robe. The jade buckle on his belt clashed with his sword, producing a clear, resonant sound in the silence. He turned and reached out, and a gilded armor adorned with pearls gently rested on his palm.

"Welcome, Empress!"

As the master of ceremonies drawled out the greeting, Fan Binbin, dressed in the crimson-gold robe from "The Empress's Wedding," slowly emerged. The twelve layers of embroidered phoenix patterns shimmered under the palace lanterns, and the beaded curtain of her phoenix crown couldn't conceal the reddened corners of her eyes. At this moment, she wasn't the celebrity Fan Bingbing, but rather seemed like a true emperor who had stepped out of the Tang Dynasty.

This was probably the most glorious moment of her many years in the industry.

My feelings are undoubtedly complicated.

She certainly never expected that her retirement from acting, coupled with the premiere Chen Mo organized for her, would cause such a huge sensation.

For a celebrity, such an exit ceremony is unprecedented!

"Farewell to the Empress!!!"

The sudden burst of sound swept across the red carpet like a tidal wave.

In the dense crowd, thousands of "ice pops" dressed in matching ruqun (traditional Chinese dresses) performed the Tang Dynasty salute in unison—women pressed their right hand against their left forehead, and men clasped their hands and bowed, their movements so synchronized that it seemed as if they had rehearsed it hundreds of times.

Even more stunning was the real-time switching of projections on the city wall, where twenty classic characters overlapped with the Empress's figure at that moment, and the barrage of comments was filled with "No regrets in joining the Ice Kingdom in this life".

"Her life was worthwhile!"

"Brilliant!"

Fan Binbin's nail guards suddenly gripped Chen Mo's fingers tightly.

Through the swaying beaded curtain, she saw the familiar die-hard fans in the front row.

The president of the fan club held up a faded photo of "My Fair Princess" with tears in his eyes;
She saw the paparazzi reporter who had followed her for ten years secretly wiping his eyes;

I saw many celebrities I had worked with before standing smiling in the crowd.
Fan Binbin took a deep breath, suddenly shook off Chen Mo's hand, and completed a standard Tang Dynasty "Wanfu" ceremony under the watchful eyes of everyone—her wide sleeves flowed like clouds, her phoenix crown and necklace remained perfectly still when she bent her knees, but when she stood up, her tears fell and shattered on the gold-inlaid jade of her belt.

This tear sparked an even wilder response.

It's unclear who started it, but the melody of "The Song of Rainbow Feathers" was replaced by a massive sing-along, with some people shouting, "The Legend of Wu Zetian is so good!" and young girls screaming, "Sister, don't retire! I haven't saved enough money for a fan meeting yet!"

Meanwhile, the female celebrities looked at Fan Binbin, who was saying goodbye to his fans with tears in his eyes, and they were all incredibly envious!
Not only female celebrities, but male celebrities are also extremely envious.

For an artist to achieve this level is something everyone dreams of.

Of course, many people soon turned their attention to Chen Mo, who was willing to play a supporting role. They all knew that this man had orchestrated everything.

It's safe to say that there are countless celebrities in the entertainment industry who are more popular, more famous, have better acting skills, are more well-known, have a higher status, and have won more awards than Fan Binbin.

But it was only her farewell ceremony that was so amazing.

All of this was because of the man beside her.

Chen Mo's female confidantes also had tears in their eyes.

Don't get me wrong, it's pure envy and jealousy!
Yang Mi looked at Chen Mo with almost gritted teeth. This bastard is too good at this.

She was also thinking to herself that if she ever got tired and wanted to retire, she would definitely make sure that this big jerk treated everyone equally.

Even Gao Yuanyuan, a woman known for her laid-back attitude, was filled with envy at this moment.

In the world of fame and fortune, no one can escape the temptations!
Fan Binbin looked at the "ice popsicles" surging like a tide below the stage, her eyes behind the beaded curtain already moist.

She took a deep breath, suddenly lifted her skirt, and strode down the steps, heading straight for the fan area under the tense gaze of the security personnel.

"Help me lift the beaded curtain!" she called to Chen Mo, her voice slightly choked with emotion.

Chen Mo understood and personally lifted the swaying beads on her phoenix crown for her. This action caused a burst of screams from the audience—Fan Binbin, whose face was fully revealed, had red eyes, but her smile was more genuine than any other moment on the red carpet.

A die-hard fan from Fan Binbin's fan club in the front row suddenly held up a roll of yellowed photos: "Sister Binbin! This is the autographed photo you gave me during the promotion of 'My Fair Princess' in 97!"

In the photo, a young Fan Binbin, who was only a teenager at the time, and a little girl are making a peace sign at the camera.

Fan Binbin covered her mouth with an "Ah!" and looked at her old fan who had been with her for more than 20 years. Tears streamed down her face.

"You actually kept it!"

"Yes, I will cherish this forever!" The two embraced, a moment captured by reporters.

Such a scene is rare; they have remained inseparable for over twenty years.

Such fans are truly rare.

Now that Fan Binbin has announced his retirement from acting, it's like the hug he received from his first fan when he first started out – a kind of fulfillment in another sense.

Afterwards, Fan Binbin hugged many fans with tears in his eyes.

Only then, under their watchful eyes, did she walk hand in hand with Chen Mo to the interview area.

When Chen Mo and Fan Binbin walked hand in hand into the interview area, the media section under the gilded light stand instantly erupted in cheers. The reporters who had been waiting for a long time raised their antique-style microphones, and the flashes of light made the couple's Tang-style clothing shine like daytime.

A reporter excitedly asked, "Chen Mo, this premiere has been dubbed the 'most expensive farewell ceremony in history' by netizens. What are your thoughts on the controversy surrounding the 'money-burning' event? Will cinemas open Tang Dynasty-style theaters in the future?"

Chen Mo lightly tapped the jade belt at his waist with his fingertips, smiling calmly: "Controversy? Tonight's economic data for Chang'an is the best answer."

He turned and pointed to the cluster of palace lanterns on the cinema's dome: "Every renovation here will be preserved. Starting tomorrow, the 'Tang Dynasty Cinema' will be open regularly—of course, ticket prices will not increase." (Laughter erupted from the audience.)

A reporter turned to Fan Binbin and asked, "Sister Binbin, fans are most concerned about your plans after retiring from acting! Will you transition into producing or building a fashion brand as rumored?"

Fan Binbin's fingertips traced the tassels on her phoenix crown, her eyes still flushed: "See you in the martial arts world again, but it doesn't mean I'm retiring to the mountains. It just means I'm no longer acting, just retiring from the screen, not completely leaving the entertainment industry, so everyone should still be able to see me!"

At this moment, a reporter seized the opportunity to ask, "Mr. Chen has a tradition of spending lavishly on his female confidantes. Will you treat other goddesses the same way next time?"

This question directly hit Chen Mo's Achilles' heel.

He glanced nervously at Yang Mi and the others not far away. If he didn't answer this question well, things could get out of hand!

Chen Mo's eyes darted around, then he suddenly became serious and put his arm around Fan Binbin's shoulder: "Tonight belongs to her only. Who knows what will happen after that?"

The final question came from a CCTV reporter: "Director Chen, did you anticipate the cultural and tourism boom sparked by this event?"

Chen Mo shook his head and said, "How could that be? I'm not a god. My original intention was just to create a unique premiere and farewell party. I never expected it to turn out like this!"

"So, what would you two like to say to Chang'an?"

Fan Binbin took Chen Mo's hand and solemnly said to the camera, "Thank you, Chang'an, for making my exit worthy of these twenty years of stardom."

Chen Mo looked at the brightly lit ancient city wall in the distance and chuckled: "The grandeur of the Tang Dynasty should be just like this."

The reporters at the scene immediately brightened up.

"The grandeur of the Tang Dynasty should have been like this." This statement immediately reveals the scope of the era.

The red carpet event for the premiere has ended.

Inside the premiere venue, the reporters were already stunned by the extravagance of the grand Tang Dynasty-style cinema, which reportedly cost over 20 million yuan to build.

Although some photos had been leaked before, they were not complete or incomplete.

Viewers, watching the live streams from media and fans, were utterly stunned and speechless by the magnificent spectacle before them.

"Help! This isn't a movie theater! It's practically the Empress's Hanyuan Palace! (Image: Panoramic view of the interior) Golden nanmu pillars, glazed palace lanterns, even the seats are carved dragon thrones! Did Chen Mo bring the Forbidden City here?!"

In the photo, hundreds of replicas of Tang Dynasty palace lanterns hang from the ceiling of the theater, their interplay of light and shadow subtly revealing the "Ladies Wearing Flowers in Their Hair" mural on the wall. Even more remarkable are the mother-of-pearl inlaid armrests and the gilded teacup and silver charcoal stove at each seat—some audience members even tried it out, and the stove actually worked!

Meanwhile, some netizens posted videos: "Sisters, look at the gifts! (The camera pans across the brocade box embroidered with 'See you again in the Jianghu') Inside the custom-made mother-of-pearl inlaid cosmetic box are: gold foil tea cakes, celadon incense holders, and a letter handwritten by Fan Bingbing! This is not a movie screening, it's clearly an empress's banquet!"

The video quickly went viral, and the comment section exploded:
"It's so sour! I heard there are even intangible cultural heritage masters making Tang-style pastries on the spot as snacks?"

"I just asked a scalper, and even empty gift boxes are going for 8,000 yuan! That's insane!"

"I'm so envious! I want it so badly, and I really want to eat it!"

When the "Tang Palace Banquet" officially began inside the premiere venue, and the dishes of the magnificent Tang Dynasty imperial cuisine, meticulously prepared by inheritors of intangible cultural heritage, were served on gilded tables by maids, the scene seen by netizens outside the venue through the media live broadcast caused an uproar across the entire internet!
Weibo's trending topics refreshed instantly:

#Tang Palace Banquet Menu Revealed# (Breaking News)

#Chen Mo treats intangible cultural heritage like everyday cooking# (Boiling Point)

#Begging for a chance to taste the imperial cuisine# (Hot)

A food blogger immediately posted a nine-grid photo: "I'm blown away! The menu is a replica of the Tang Dynasty court menu provided by the Chang'an Museum! (Photo: The moment the gilded food box is opened) Exquisite Peony Pickled Fish, Gold and Silver Flower Flat Cut, Snow Baby (Note: A famous Tang Dynasty dish, the main ingredient is frog meat), Imperial Yellow Queen Mother Rice"
Even the tri-colored pottery displayed on the plates was fired at a 1:1 scale according to the Hejiacun relics!

The comments section instantly turned into a massive wishing frenzy:
"The Snow Baby was actually carved from a frog's leg and steamed? That knife skill would be at the level of a state banquet today!"

"That 'Xijiang roasted lamb' (Note: a whole roasted lamb from the Tang Dynasty) used an ancient Western Region method, and the roasting rack was even restored based on the Dunhuang murals!"

"I just asked the head chef's apprentice, and he said that the 'Golden Minced Jade Sashimi' dish alone requires 108 cuts. This isn't eating a meal; it's eating an antique!"

(End of this chapter)