Film and Television: The Villain's Life Begins with Joy of Life

As night fell, candlelight flickered in the study of the Marquis of Sinan's residence.

Fan Xian pushed open the mahogany door and stood respectfully before Fan Jian's desk. The candlelight cast his long shadow on the bluestone floor.

He scrutinized the father, his mind racing. The latter, engrossed in working on official documents, paid him no heed.

Time flowed silently until the night outside the window grew darker, at which point Fan Jiancai finally put down his pen and rubbed his temples.

He looked up at Fan Xian, his gaze deep and unfathomable.

Just like in the movie plot, Fan Jian did not show any closeness and immediately asked Fan Xian about his ambitions.

Fan Xian frankly stated that he only wanted to be a wealthy and leisurely person, and even offered up the three tricks for transmigrators to get rich - glass, soap, and white sugar, hoping to establish himself in the capital.

Unexpectedly, as soon as he mentioned it, Fan Jian told him that Ye Qingmei had already made these things.

Fan Xian was helpless.

While lamenting, "Why did the mother give birth to the son!", it also confirmed Ye Qingmei's identity as a transmigrator.

Following up on the topic, Fan Jian mentioned that many of Ye Qingmei's businesses had been incorporated into the current internal treasury.

He then mentioned the eldest princess and informed him of her engagement to Lin Wan'er.

This would give him the opportunity to reclaim Ye Qingmei's inheritance.

Having just fallen in love with the "chicken leg girl" at first sight, Fan Xian naturally resisted the marriage proposal upon hearing about it.

Furthermore, being wary of Fan Jiancun, he was unwilling to dwell on the topic, neither refusing nor agreeing, but instead asking:

"Father, I have survived several assassination attempts in Danzhou this year. Are you aware of this?"

Fan Jian nodded solemnly.

Upon seeing this, Fan Xian directly expressed his suspicions about Liu Ruyu of the Liu family.

After listening, Fan Jian slowly shook his head and lightly tapped his fingers on the table:

"It couldn't be your second aunt. At most, she's worried that you and Fan Sizhe will fight over the family property."

They might trip you up a bit and make you lose face, but they would never dare to arrange an assassination!

Seeing Fan Jian's confident tone, Fan Xian couldn't help but suspect that the other party was favoring Liu Ruyu.

At this moment, Fan Jian said again:

"As you said, the first assassination attempt was carried out by a sixth-rank assassin, and later there were even seventh-rank assassins."

You must understand that, let alone Danzhou, even in the capital, seventh-rank martial artists are not as common as cabbages.

Such a skilled fighter could serve as a lieutenant general in the army. Even the highest-ranking guards around me are only seventh-rank officials.

His gaze sharpened: "Liu Shi is just a woman from the inner courtyard; she doesn't have the power to mobilize a seventh-rank expert. If she did, she wouldn't have married me and only become my second wife."

Upon hearing this, Fan Xian suddenly understood.

His perspective was limited when he was in Danzhou. He rarely saw masters, and the ones he did see were mostly top masters like Wu Zhu. Therefore, it was easy for him to have a distorted understanding of the different levels of martial artists.

After Fan Jian pointed it out, Liu's suspicion could indeed be ruled out.

"Then who exactly wants to kill me? There has to be a suspect, right?" Fan Xian pressed.

Fan Jian pondered for a moment, then picked up a warrant for arrest from the side, the very warrant for the arrest of Teng Zijing.

"His Majesty is referring to an assassination attempt before the wedding, and I'm not entirely sure. But with the Censorate's involvement this time, I can roughly pinpoint the target." Fan Jian handed the document to Fan Xian. "Those who can mobilize the Censorate for an assassination must be powerful figures within the palace."

"The Imperial Treasury is in the hands of the Eldest Princess, and many members of the royal family benefit from it. If you take over, she will naturally be the first to be targeted. In addition, the other princes may also make their move. The royal family's finances are too intertwined; moving one thing can have far-reaching consequences. Some people dislike change and want to maintain stability, so they may also harbor thoughts of killing you."

Fan Xian rolled his eyes: "Father, what you mean is... that I was thousands of miles away, living a peaceful and unknown life, and yet His Majesty, with just a single word, has made me offend all the princesses and princes in the capital?"

"Not all of them, but they're pretty much the same." Fan Jian nodded and explained to him, "Our Emperor has five sons. The eldest prince is in charge of the army outside, and the fourth prince is still young. The only ones in their prime are the Crown Prince Li Chengqian, the second prince Li Chengze, and the third prince Li Chengcheng."

"Any one of these three is a suspect." He explained in detail, "As the heir apparent, the Crown Prince is the legitimate ruler, and the Ministry of Rites, the Censorate, and the Eldest Princess are all his supporters. He is the most likely one to target you."

The Second Prince has the support of the Ministry of Revenue and the Ministry of Works, making his power no less than that of the Crown Prince. The change of power within the Imperial Treasury is both beneficial and harmful to him. Therefore, he may also have a chance to act. As for the Third Prince…”

Fan Jian paused slightly, then said, "The Third Prince, Li Chengcheng, is now known as Prince Cheng. Of the three princes, he is the least likely to target you."

"Why is that?" Fan Xian asked.

Fan Jian thought for a moment: "The Third Prince is the most special. Back then, His Majesty appointed the Left Censor-in-Chief as the Third Prince's tutor, intending to give him the staff of the Censorate."

Unfortunately, he disliked studying literature and politics, and was only interested in martial arts. At that time, His Majesty did not allow him to practice martial arts, which resulted in the Third Prince being neither good at literature nor martial arts.

He had no support from the court and was not good at scheming. He neither formed factions nor pursued personal gain, making him a transparent figure among the princes.

The Third Prince has almost no capable subordinates, and maintaining the Prince's residence is barely enough to make ends meet. Who controls the Imperial Treasury has little impact on him, so I say he is the least likely to send someone to assassinate you.”

"I see!" Fan Xian nodded, then, thinking that a prince's residence was actually struggling to make ends meet, he couldn't help but remark, "This Third Prince, he's just completely laid down!"

"Lie down?"

"Lie flat, uh, that means..."

Fan Xian scratched his head and explained to Fan Jian.

Fan Jian nodded after hearing this: "That description is quite apt."

As the forces that might assassinate Fan Xian began to unfold, Fan Jian analyzed the various forces in the capital for Fan Xian one by one, until the night was deep.

"Is there anything else you'd like to ask?"

"No, that's all." Fan Xian shook his head.

In fact, ever since he met Fan Jian, he had another question in his mind: how exactly did Ye Qingmei die?

It was their first meeting, and he knew little about this father, so he was wary and dared not trust him easily. He could only suppress his impulse and wait until another day.

Then, Fan Jian led Fan Xian out of the study and had a reunion dinner with everyone.

After the meal, Fan Xian returned to his room and handed the wanted notice to Teng Zijing, who was hiding there.

Teng Zijing's wife and children have gone missing, and he begs Fan Xian to help him investigate the case files at the Forensic Academy. Fan Xian learns about Teng Zijing's past through this and agrees to help him find his family.

Fan Xian's first day in the capital passed by amidst undercurrents and outward calm.

......

The next day, the weather was fine. Fan Xian slept in late.

As noon approached, the three siblings of the Fan family decided to have lunch at a restaurant, and also to let Fan Xian see the bustling capital.

Meanwhile, at one end of a main street in Kyoto, Zhou Cheng, holding a white ivory folding fan and dressed in a low-key indigo brocade robe, was strolling with Sang Wen.

Sang Wen wore a plain-colored ruqun (a type of traditional Chinese dress) today, without any makeup, which made her look even more like a lotus flower emerging from clear water.

Chen Quan followed not far behind, carrying large and small bags, bearing the fruits of their labor that morning.

"You must be tired after walking around for so long. Let's find a place to eat." Zhou Cheng turned and glanced behind him. "Also, have Chen Quan arrange for someone to send the things back to your residence first."

Sang Wen smiled and said, "Of course it's acceptable."

Zhou Cheng accompanied her shopping all morning, and she was already completely satisfied.

The two found a restaurant nearby and, led by the waiter, went straight to a private room on the top floor.

Chen Quan called for help from the shop and ordered the purchased items to be delivered back to Prince Cheng's residence. He then wisely stayed in the main hall.

Zhou Cheng ordered several of his signature dishes and asked Sang Wen to add a few more.

The two sat by the window, overlooking the street scene, chatting as they waited for their food to be served.

As they chatted and laughed, Zhou Cheng looked out the window, his gaze suddenly sharpening.

A horse-drawn carriage was seen approaching on the street, slowly slowing down and stopping in front of the restaurant.

"Young master, what's wrong?" Sang Wen noticed something was amiss.

Zhou Cheng pointed down: "The carriage from the Marquis of Sinan's residence, what a coincidence."

Sang Wen didn't understand how this was such a coincidence, but she looked over and saw three people getting off the carriage, two men and one woman. Their clothes and appearances were all extraordinary, but she didn't recognize any of them.

The three who got off the carriage were Fan Xian, Fan Ruoruo, and Fan Sizhe.

Zhou Cheng was most familiar with Fan Xian, and Fan Ruoruo had also met him several times. The remaining slightly sleazy-looking young man must be Fan Sizhe.

He glanced again at the coachman behind the three men.

The coachman was well-dressed, and his movements showed skill; judging from his restrained inner energy, his martial arts level was not low. Considering the situation, he was likely Teng Zijing, disguised as Fan Xian's bodyguard.

"Is that girl Fan Ruoruo?" Sang Wen asked curiously, watching Fan Ruoruo intimately linking arms with Fan Xian.

"Have you heard of her?"

"The most talented woman in Kyoto—though I've never met her, I've certainly heard of her." Sang Wen chuckled, then asked with a hint of doubt, "Who's that woman beside her?"

"Fan Xian. Nominally, he is the illegitimate son of Si Nanbo and the elder brother of Fan Ruoruo."

"In name only?" Sang Wen asked in surprise.

Zhou Cheng said calmly, "He is actually my father's illegitimate son, and can be considered my younger brother. No more than a handful of people in the capital know about this. Just listen to it and don't spread it around."

"Huh?" Sang Wen stared wide-eyed at Fan Xian downstairs in disbelief, just as Fan Xian looked up at her, she hurriedly looked away.

"Your Highness, please don't tease Sangwen... How could this be?"

Zhou Cheng lightly patted her head with his fan and said with a smile, "You've been with me for so long, you should know that I never lie."

Sang Wen cried out "Ouch!" first covering her head, then covering her ears with both hands: "My Your Highness, please don't tell Sang Wen about such things in the future. I feel scared just hearing about it!"

"Just don't talk about it outside, it's nothing serious." Zhou Cheng didn't take it to heart.

Putting aside the fact that he is a hidden grandmaster, given his status as the third prince, there are very few things he can't cover up these days.

Sang Wen smiled bitterly.

She was truly amazed by her prince's incredible insensitivity.

Royal secrets are minor matters, so what exactly constitutes a major matter?

As the two were talking, Fan Xian, who had gone downstairs, noticed a woman holding a child selling books on the street.

He went to investigate and discovered that the book being sold was actually "Dream of the Red Chamber".

Fan Xian became interested and let Fan Ruoruo go upstairs to order food first. He then used the excuse of buying a few more books to follow the woman and found the person behind the scenes, Wang Qinian.

Wang Qi was young and highly skilled, and took advantage of Fan Xian's momentary lapse in attention to slip away.

Fan Xian had no choice but to return.

The private room of the Fan siblings was separated from Zhou Cheng's room by only one room.

She could not hide the commotion from the other side.

Once the dishes were served, Sang Wen peeled shrimp for Zhou Cheng. Seeing the bookseller downstairs on the street again, she asked curiously, "Your Highness, what kind of books are they selling down there?"

"Dream of the Red Chamber".

"Dream of the Red Chamber?" Sang Wen's eyes lit up.

This book has undoubtedly been the most popular reading material in Kyoto in the past two years.

The reason why Fan Ruoruo is known as the "first talented woman" is largely due to "Dream of the Red Chamber".

"Want to buy?"

"Yes!" Sang Wen nodded repeatedly.

Although she read books while at Zuixianju, she couldn't read "leisure books" like "Dream of the Red Chamber".

"If you like it, go buy it. If you don't want to go downstairs, just call Chen Quan."

Sang Wen quickly peeled the shrimp shells in her hands, placed the shrimp meat in front of Zhou Cheng, and then stood up happily: "No need to trouble Mr. Chen, I will do it myself."

She hurried downstairs, while Zhou Cheng nodded, picked up some shrimp, and savored it while his gaze drifted toward the street.

The book *Dream of the Red Chamber*...

To be honest, he found it hard to understand why others were so enthusiastic about "Dream of the Red Chamber".

Perhaps it was the first time this type of book had appeared in the world, or perhaps it triggered some kind of underlying logic among literary youth, but in any case, "Dream of the Red Chamber" became incredibly popular.

Compared to "Dream of the Red Chamber," Zhou Cheng in the real world actually prefers "**Plum Blossom".

Putting aside its literary value, "**Plum Blossom" can at least hone one's skills and bring joy to the mind and body.

Sang Wen successfully bought a copy from the woman and was happily waving to the upstairs when a group of people suddenly rushed out from the street corner.

Zhou Cheng recognized the man in the lead. Although they had never spoken before, they had met a few times at banquets. He was Guo Baokun, the son of the Minister of Rites.

As soon as Guo Baokun appeared, he led his men to drive away the bookseller. He noticed that Sang Wen was dressed simply and was carrying "Dream of the Red Chamber." Without thinking, he snatched the book and shoved her hard.

Sang Wen staggered a few steps and almost fell.

Ignoring everyone else, Guo Baokun simply raised the book, turned to the gathered crowd, and shouted:

"My name is Guo Baokun. My father holds the official position of Minister of Rites. I am but a humble compiler in the palace! We scholars should value propriety and study the classics. Such filthy and disreputable books are an insult to literature and should be banned!"

Sang Wen was both surprised and angry. He looked up at the restaurant and saw Zhou Cheng frowning as he looked over, which calmed him down a little.

She mustered her courage and stood in front of Guo Baokun:

"Those are books I bought with my own money! If you want to ban books, then ban their printing and sale. Why are you stealing my things?"

"Rob?" Guo Baokun was taken aback, then glared at him. "Young lady, don't talk nonsense! I'm just preventing you from going astray! Only improper people read improper books. I'm doing this for your own good!"

"You...!" Seeing the other party's shameless appearance, Sang Wen was so angry that he couldn't speak.

Seeing that Sang Wen could not refute him, Guo Baokun just sneered, then held up "Dream of the Red Chamber" and spun it around before slamming the book to the ground.

He declared loudly, "Scholars should read the classics! Such filthy and vulgar books are probably only for actors and brothel people!"

He turned to Sang Wen and said sneer, "Young lady, could it be that you too are of lowly birth, and enjoy reading such lewd books?"

Sang Wen trembled all over, and his eyes instantly turned red.

She was already insecure about her background because of being by Zhou Cheng's side, and being publicly humiliated like this touched a raw nerve.

She didn't want to get entangled with this scoundrel and was about to leave in a huff to avoid ruining Zhou Cheng's mood when someone pushed through the crowd and blocked her way out.

The man then cupped his hands to Guo Baokun and said, "Young Master Guo has outstanding literary talent and a family with a long tradition of learning. Meeting you today, I am even more impressed by your discerning eye!"

This unconventional book is indeed only for unconventional people!

I recognized the woman just now, and after thinking about it carefully, I remembered that I had seen her at Zuixianju.

What kind of place is Zuixianju? The people inside are nothing but brothels and prostitutes!

Sang Wen's figure swayed.

Guo Baokun looked puzzled: "Who are you?"

"My name is He Zongwei. Today, seeing Young Master Guo defend the rights and wrongs of scholars across the land, I am filled with admiration, which is why I have taken the liberty of speaking out."

"So it's Young Master He!" Guo Baokun exclaimed in realization.

He Zongwei was quite well-known in Kyoto. He knew about him immediately upon hearing this.

Then, as if they had known each other for a long time, the two of them started to sing in unison, not only belittling "Dream of the Red Chamber" but also indirectly criticizing Sang Wen.

"How dare you bully a woman!"

Fan Sizhe, who couldn't sit still after hearing Guo Baokun's criticism of "Dream of the Red Chamber" upstairs, rushed over.

He pushed Guo Baokun aside, picked up the copy of "Dream of the Red Chamber" from the ground, and brushed off the dust.

"So many people love reading this book, it must be a good book! You're just a lowly compiler in the palace, a nobody who can't even get into the government office, how dare you talk about banned books?"

Guo Baokun recognized Fan Sizhe and retorted without backing down, "I thought he was some stupid pig!"

He turned to He Zongwei and introduced Fan Sizhe's background, which reassured the latter.

Two against one, Fan Sizhe could not win the argument and was insulted by his father's elders. Enraged, he was about to take action.

Guo Baokun's entourage rushed forward, and just as Fan Sizhe was about to suffer a loss, Fan Xian upstairs finally made his move.

He lightly touched the ground with his toes, swooping down like a swallow to protect Fan Sizhe behind him.

At this moment, Sang Wen also saw Chen Quan push through the crowd, with Zhou Cheng slowly walking up behind him.

The pent-up grievances instantly turned into tears. Sang Wen wiped her face and quickly walked to Fan Sizhe's side:

"Thank you for speaking up for me, Young Master Fan. My master has arrived; please give the book to me first."

Fan Sizhe said "Oh" and handed the book back.

He Zongwei, who was initially taken aback by Fan Xian's appearance, recovered and, upon hearing Sang Wen's request for a book, couldn't help but sneer again:

"No wonder she's a courtesan; even at a time like this, she's still thinking about these obscene books. Young Master Fan said before that many people like to read these books. I'm truly curious; if you, a prostitute, like to read them, do your patrons like to read them too?"