Huayu Entertainment Starts with Xiang Yu, the Hegemon of Western Chu

"Legend of Lu Zhen" was a huge hit, undoubtedly the hottest drama of 2013, and a great success.

After the event concluded, Yu Zheng specially organized a celebration banquet.

Jiang Yang, the second male lead, is also one of the biggest beneficiaries of "Legend of Lu Zhen," no less so than the main male lead Chen Xiao, and was also invited to attend.

That sly girl is so cunning; she was very enthusiastic when she saw him, but didn't mention a word about Feng Shaofeng.

This moment, that moment.

Since we couldn't suppress it, then we won't suppress it anymore.

Since they all originated from "Legend of Lu Zhen," there's a certain connection between them.

Yu Zheng implied that he considered himself a talent scout, saying how much he thought highly of Jiang Yang and how he overcame all opposition to cast him as Shen Jiayan, even adding more scenes for him.

Jiang Yang almost laughed himself to death.

Do you have amnesia?

The first person I want to thank for getting the role of the second male lead in "Legend of Lu Zhen" is Gao Xixi.

The latter is also here today, because he is the second largest producer of this drama. Now that "Legend of Lu Zhen" is a hit, he has also made a lot of money.

Gao Xixi was very satisfied with Jiang Yang. The young man performed well and did not disappoint her.

Oh no, now I've really become a "disciple of a high-ranking family".

However, with Gao Xixi around, Yu Zheng couldn't possibly manipulate Jiang Yang. The brat wasn't discouraged even though she didn't get the better of him, and enthusiastically threw out a suggestion.

"During the broadcast of 'Legend of Lu Zhen,' viewers were so enthusiastic about the on-screen couple Shen Jiayan and Lu Zhen that they hadn't had enough."

"I heard that you and Liying are also good friends off-screen. Have you considered working together again to make up for the fans' regret that you couldn't be together this time?"

"I happen to have a notebook here; it's practically tailor-made for you!"

Zhao Liying remained silent and lowered her head.

She was clear about her grudges and gratitude. Her relationship with Chen Xiao was one thing, but her relationship with Yu Zheng was another. The latter had chosen her to play the female lead in "Legend of Lu Zhen," and she had to remember that.

So now that she's famous, that brat invited her again, and she couldn't refuse, both morally and logically.

Jiang Yang no longer had any concerns about personal relationships.

If I'm going to remember something, it will be Gao, hehe!

"What kind of play is it?"

"A major production! You must know the 'Palace' series, right? This is the third installment, 'Palace 3: The Lost Daughter,' which I personally wrote. The script is solid and full of twists and turns..."

Yu Zheng gave a long, enthusiastic speech.

"Palace" marked the beginning of Yu Zheng's peak career. Besides the one starring Yang Mi and Feng Shaofeng, a second one called "Palace 2" starring Yuan Shanshan has already been filmed.

They're making a third installment now, and she was originally supposed to be the one again.

Because of the recent online incident involving "Men on the Left, Women on the Right," Yu Zheng thought of using the popular Jiang Yang and Zhao Liying couple to make a film.

Zhao Liying originally had the opportunity to participate in the "Palace" series.

But it's not a TV series.

There's another movie in this series called "The Palace: Lock Sinensis," starring Zhang Yimou's protégé, Little Yellow Duck, and the male lead, Chen Xiao. She was given the second female lead, a villainous role.

Because she had a falling out with Chen Xiao, Zhao Liying didn't film.

Unexpectedly, we've come full circle again.

She herself wasn't particularly averse to it; it was better to repay the girl's favor as soon as possible so she wouldn't keep thinking about it.

Wait a minute, Jiang Yang has a problem with this.

If I remember correctly, the script for "Palace 3: The Lost Daughter," which was later proven to be plagiarized by Aunt Qiong Yao, was written by Yu Zheng himself.

What kind of crazy thing must I have been to get involved in this mess?

By the way, Yuan Shanshan's famous scene of making tomato and egg drop soup also originated in "Palace 3: The Lost Daughter".

Jiang Yang wouldn't mind working with Sister Zhao again, but it has to be a script worth filming.

"A Qing Dynasty drama? Can't be filmed."

"I'm the kind of person who would rather die than have my hair messed up, so I'm afraid I'm not destined for a role in a period drama with queues."

"I'll consider those who advocate overthrowing the Qing and restoring the Ming."

He didn't seem particularly bitter or resentful when he said this, and Yu Zheng couldn't tell if he was joking or serious. He was stunned for a long time after hearing it.

You still have this ridiculous rule?

The past two years have witnessed the second wave of Qing Dynasty dramas following "My Fair Princess," with several blockbuster series emerging, including "Palace," "Scarlet Heart," and "Empresses in the Palace."

If you don't make Qing Dynasty dramas, you're really missing out!

But regardless, Jiang Yang had already refused, so Yu Zheng couldn't force him; discussing this topic too deeply could easily lead to awkwardness.

I could only sigh inwardly at the pity.

He actually has another drama in hand – "Song in the Clouds", which is the same series by the same author as "Ballad of the Desert" that Jiang Yang rejected.

The female lead in "Song in the Clouds" is the daughter of Huo Qubing and Jin Yusheng in "Ballad of the Desert".

However, the review process for "Ballad of the Desert" was stalled. The author, Yaya, quickly seized the opportunity and completely removed the character connections between "Ballad of the Desert" and "Song in the Clouds" to avoid being implicated.

"Song in the Clouds" is already being filmed, so naturally Jiang Yang and Zhao Liying can no longer be used.

Since Jiang Yang isn't going to act, there's no need to use Zhao Liying anymore. The female lead for "Palace 3: The Lost Daughter" has returned to Yuan Shanshan.

Yu Zheng shook his head repeatedly.

"What a pity! Let's work together again next time."

"If you have time, you can come and play a small role during the filming of 'The Return of the Condor Heroes' in the second half of the year. You can choose whichever role you like."

"This film boasts a star-studded cast!"

Neither Jiang Yang nor Zhao Liying declined the cameo role.

The cast of "The Return of the Condor Heroes" is quite extensive, including Jiang Yang's uncle, Yan Yikuan.

Although its most memorable feature for viewers is its "xiaolongbao" (soup dumplings)...

Yu Zheng's attempt to matchmake Jiang Yang and Zhao Liying for a second time failed. After he left, Sister Zhao spoke up again.

"You're not saying you don't want to work with me again, are you?"

"How could that be?"

"I have another film here, do you want to film it?"

"As long as the acting is good, that's all that matters."

Since "Legend of Lu Zhen", Zhao Liying is now extremely popular, receiving a ton of scripts and having plenty of options to choose from.

She didn't stand on ceremony and directly handed the script to Jiang Yang, which was supposed to be a violation of the confidentiality agreement.

Jiang Yang glanced at it and realized it was "Boss & Me".

This is an urban idol drama adapted from a novel. The female lead, Xue Shanshan, perfectly embodies the cute and adorable characteristics of Sister Zhao.

An ordinary office worker is unexpectedly recruited by a large company.

She later learned that she was able to get this opportunity because she and the boss's sister shared the same very rare Rh-negative blood type.

Blood-nourishing pack...

But it was through the opportunity to donate blood for the boss's sister that she met her big boss.

It's a very clichéd premise.

Feng Teng, the male lead in "Boss & Me," is a typical domineering CEO. The success of this drama does not rely on a novel plot, but on the creation of a certain atmosphere.

Although the "fishpond" meme was ridiculed online, it remains a benchmark for contemporary romance dramas in the Chinese entertainment industry, where historical romance dramas dominate.

Jiang Yang would be interested in filming "Si Teng".

Whether we film it or not is up to us now, it depends on our schedule.

When asked, the only response was a shake of the head.

"No, we can't film here. I've already booked this time slot."

"So, you've already taken on another role?"

Zhao Liying thought to herself, no wonder he rejected Yu Zheng and then her. She asked a few more questions, and Jiang Yang smiled mysteriously.

"What kind of play is it?"

"Didn't I say it already? We're against the Qing and for the restoration of the Ming."