I am a historical film director in the entertainment industry.

During the Zhenguan era, the territory of the Tang Dynasty was unprecedentedly vast, exceeding that of the reign of Emperor Xuan of Han. It reached its peak in the first year of Longshuo of Emperor Gaozong of Tang (661 AD), when the territory bordered the sea to the east, the Pamir Mountains to the west, the Gobi Desert to the north, and the South China Sea to the south.

The main characters of "The Great Tang Dynasty 1" are Yang Guang and Li Shimin, so the main character of "The Great Tang Dynasty 2" is only Li Shimin.

The most difficult part of filming Li Shimin is perfectly combining his two images: a great and powerful ruler and a benevolent and virtuous monarch.

It's not that no one has made films and television series about the Tang Dynasty and Emperor Taizong of Tang before, but those works often tend to highlight Emperor Taizong's background and wisdom. The classic image of Emperor Taizong is more of a gentle, refined, and sophisticated nobleman, even somewhat incompetent.

Some film and television works that focus on the founding of the Tang Dynasty and the Xuanwu Gate Incident portray Li Shimin as overly domineering, ruthless, and even somewhat lacking in moral principles, completely failing to reveal his benevolent nature.

This sense of disconnect between film and television characters is unique to Emperor Taizong of Tang, Li Shimin; it is rare for other ancient figures to exhibit this characteristic.

In fact, this problem couldn't be solved even in ancient times, let alone in modern films and television dramas.

Ancient novels about the Sui and Tang dynasties often created an invincible Li Xuanba to replace Li Shimin during the founding period, while Li Shimin himself was portrayed as a coward from the very beginning to maintain consistency in his image.

Ultimately, the problem lies in the artistic creators' flawed understanding of Emperor Taizong of Tang's benevolent rule, love for the people, and willingness to accept good advice.

Some believe that if Li Shimin had committed the acts of killing his brothers, he must have been cruel and bloodthirsty, and that his image as a benevolent ruler was merely a political show.

Some people believe that since Emperor Taizong of Tang has already established an image of being a benevolent ruler who accepts advice, it would be better to portray him as benevolent or even weak, thus diminishing his initiative in killing his brothers.

If we understand Li Shimin's life in its entirety according to historical records, we will find that all his actions were consistent in logic. Killing his brothers was a political struggle, while benevolent governance and love for the people were his political ideals. There was no contradiction or conflict between them.

The historical record of Li Shimin is vivid and consistent; it's just that previous literary works failed to capture it well.

This movie was entirely based on a script provided by a simulation panel, with Cheng Sheng occasionally going to the set to give the crew some extra help.

"The Great Tang Dynasty 2" will basically continue the miracle of "The Great Tang Dynasty 1".

Of course, it's probably unlikely that it can surpass "The Great Tang Dynasty 1".

After all, Cheng Sheng didn't help out on set the whole time.

three days later.

Xing Aina held an internal screening, inviting all the investors who had invested in the film.

There are three investors in "The Great Tang Dynasty 2": China Film Group, Xishan Coal Boss, and Central Academy of Drama.

All three companies had invested in "The Great Tang Dynasty 1", so when it came to investing in "The Great Tang Dynasty 2", Cheng Sheng didn't leave them out.

Cheng Sheng still knows how to repay kindness. If someone helps you and you turn around and get rich, you can't just abandon them. Cheng Sheng would never do something so ungrateful.

Originally, Yu Dong and Starlight Brilliant also wanted to invest, but Cheng Sheng refused.

"The Great Tang Dynasty 2" is a continuation of "The Great Tang Dynasty 1". Cheng Sheng will not change the number of investors from the previous one.

Cheng Sheng also attended the screening and greeted Han Sanye, representatives of the Xishan coal mine owners, and several leaders from the Central Academy of Drama.

Then I sat down with them in the front row and we chatted.

The coal mine owners from Xishan sat there somewhat awkwardly. They were all nouveau riche with little education, and they couldn't get a word in edgewise about what Cheng Sheng and the others were saying.

Seeing this, Cheng Sheng took good care of the Xishan coal bosses, occasionally steering the conversation towards them, which eased their embarrassment.

Seeing this, the cunning Master Han nodded secretly, feeling very satisfied with Cheng Sheng.

He admires Cheng Sheng's talent and hopes that Cheng Sheng can lead the Chinese entertainment industry to the world stage, but he doesn't want Cheng Sheng to be an ungrateful person.

If the other party is an ingrate, no matter how talented they are, Master Han will not become close to them.

The most obvious characteristic of "ungrateful wretches" is that they are often selfish and self-serving, and are sophisticated egoists.

They will fawn and flatter anyone who benefits them. But for ingrates, their only pursuit is profit; if there's no gain, they'd rather have never met.

For them, emotions are nothing more than a tool for making a living; they pick them up when they can be used and discard them when they have served their purpose.

Such a person would only chill Master Han's heart.

Cheng Sheng's performance greatly satisfied Master Han.

After becoming wealthy, Cheng Sheng never forgot those who had helped him.

Only someone like that can put Master Han at ease.

Soon after, the screening room went dark, and "The Great Tang Dynasty 2" began to play.

The runtime of "The Great Tang Dynasty 2" is approximately two hours.

For two hours, no one in the room spoke; everyone was completely absorbed in watching the screen.

Sitting in the back row, Liu Meng was very nervous. He kept glancing at the people in front of him, hoping to get their opinions on "The Great Tang Dynasty 2" from their reactions.

Until the movie ended.

clap clap!

applause.

The lights also turned on instantly at the same time.

Han Sanye stood up, turned to Liu Meng and said, "Director Liu, the movie is well made. Although it is not as perfect as 'The Great Tang Dynasty 1', it is still a classic movie."

Hearing Master Han's evaluation, Liu Meng finally breathed a sigh of relief.

"Mr. Zheng Guolin, your performance was fantastic! You brought Li Shimin to life. I wonder if you have time? I hope to sign an endorsement deal with you."

A business owner from Xishan approached Zheng Guolin and said warmly.

Upon hearing this, Zheng Guolin excitedly replied, "Of course, no problem."

Those who can attend this screening are basically big shots. If Zheng Guolin can establish a relationship with them, it will be very beneficial to his future development.

He would accept endorsements even if they were free.

Besides, the coal mine owners in Xishan are not short of money.

On the other side, Cheng Sheng chatted with the leaders of the Central Academy of Drama. One of the leaders said gratefully, "Xiao Cheng, you are the pride of the Central Academy of Drama. The fact that the Central Academy of Drama has been able to surpass the Beijing Film Academy in recent years is all thanks to your help."

"You're too kind. Without the strong support of the leaders at the Central Academy of Drama, someone as insignificant as me would probably have been completely taken advantage of as soon as I entered the entertainment industry."

Cheng Sheng wasn't being modest at all. Ever since he made "The Great Tang Dynasty 1" and it became a hit, film and television companies in the entertainment industry have been eyeing him covetously.

At first, they tried to win them over; when that failed, they resorted to suppression; and finally, they resorted to smear campaigns, blacklisting, and other underhanded tactics.

If it weren't for the Central Academy of Drama helping to block those capitalists, Cheng Sheng couldn't even imagine what would have happened to him.

Cheng Sheng, who has the memories of another version of himself, is very clear about the ruthlessness of the capital in the entertainment industry.

For example, the methods used by film and television companies or talent agencies in the entertainment industry to suppress 'disobedient' artists are utterly shameless.

The entertainment industry may seem glamorous, but the realities behind it are things most people could never imagine. (End of Chapter)