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

As Li Hongcheng left, Fan Ruoruo stepped forward from the crowd and gave a graceful curtsy: "Ruoruo greets the Third Prince."

Zhou Cheng smiled warmly and raised his hands slightly, saying, "Ruoruo, there's no need for such formalities."

Fan Ruoruo did as she was told, then smiled and pulled Fan Xian aside: "Your Highness, this is my elder brother Fan Xian, who just arrived in the capital from Danzhou yesterday."

Zhou Cheng laughed heartily, slapped his palm with his folding fan, and openly sized up Fan Xian: "I've naturally heard about Fan Xian, whom my father has betrothed to. To be honest, I've had people keeping an eye on him ever since he arrived in the capital yesterday."

Fan Xian was taken aback, not expecting Zhou Cheng to speak so bluntly.

He quickly regained his composure and could only bow and say, "Thank you for your concern, Your Highness."

Zhou Cheng took a half step closer, tapped his chest with the tip of his fan, shook his head and laughed:

"I can't help but worry. Your father has betrothed your cousin Wan'er to you, summoned you to the capital, and it involves the inner treasury's finances. In this capital, who wouldn't be concerned about you, Young Master Fan?"

I was puzzled before that Father Emperor valued you so highly. But seeing it today…”

Zhou Cheng circled Fan Xian halfway around, clicking his tongue in disapproval.

Fan Xian was somewhat bewildered by Zhou Cheng's actions. He looked down at himself, but couldn't see anything unusual, so he could only shrug and ask, "Does Your Highness see me in any different way?"

Zhou Cheng's expression was ambiguous, and his words seemed to carry a deeper meaning as he said:

"Young Master Fan, you may not know this, but in terms of appearance, you bear a striking resemblance to my eldest and second eldest brothers. Those unaware of this might mistake you for one of our brothers, and might even mistake you for Father Emperor's illegitimate son!"

Upon hearing this, Fan Xian coughed twice and waved his hands repeatedly, saying, "Your Highness, please be careful with your words! Be careful with your words!"

Fan Xian always thought he was the kind of person who was a bit too eccentric, but he didn't expect the person in front of him to be even more eccentric than him, and to dare to say anything!

Zhou Cheng unfolded his folding fan and laughed nonchalantly.

Fan Sizhe pursed his lips and rolled his eyes, muttering something under his breath.

Fan Ruoruo gave a helpless bitter smile, feeling that the Third Prince was just as rumored, daring to make any joke regardless of the occasion.

The Fan siblings naturally took it as a joke by Zhou Cheng.

Only Sang Wen, who was standing to the side, suddenly lowered his head.

She recalled Zhou Cheng's earlier statement that "Fan Xian is His Majesty's illegitimate son," which he was now saying in front of the person involved, albeit jokingly...

Her Highness is so naughty and playful!

Without revealing his identity, Zhou Cheng and Fan Xian didn't have much to talk about during their first meeting.

After a brief exchange of pleasantries, Fan Xian and Fan Ruoruo were fine, but Fan Sizhe, standing to the side, already felt extremely uncomfortable.

Zhou Cheng nodded in acknowledgment, and after Fan Xian and the others returned the greeting, Zhou Cheng led Sang Wen back to the restaurant. Fan Xian and his two siblings waited a few moments before entering the building as well.

"Ruoruo, tell me about this Third Prince!"

Upon returning to the private room, Fan Xian inquired about Zhou Cheng's details from Fan Ruoruo.

This meeting piqued his interest in Zhou Cheng.

Although Fan Jian mentioned Zhou Cheng a few times before, he revealed very little information.

With no outsiders around, Fan Sizhe immediately became lively again.

He volunteered, lowering his voice, "I know a thing or two! Considering how you stood up for me down there, I'll tell you, our Third Prince is even more unreliable than me!"

My reputation outside is so-so; I've never had the chance to prove myself.

But that Third Prince, a prince of high standing, has had countless opportunities presented to him since childhood, yet he couldn't seize them!

In recent years, he has become the most famous wealthy idler in Kyoto.

Of course, "rich and idle" is a nice way of putting it; there are certainly more unpleasant terms, but no one dares to say them out loud.

Fan Xian looked at Fan Ruoruo and gestured with his eyes.

Fan Ruoruo frowned slightly, carefully considering her words: "What Sizhe said is generally correct, and the rumors outside are basically the same. However, some people say that the Third Prince is a man of hidden virtue and talent, and is most favored by His Majesty. After all, our His Majesty was already the heir apparent of Prince Cheng when he was still a prince."

Fan Xian listened attentively as Fan Ruoruo recounted the rumors surrounding Zhou Cheng.

Just then, there was a knock on the door, and a waiter brought in fresh tea.

After the waiter left, Fan Xian sniffed the tea, and after confirming that it was safe, he thoughtfully poured tea for Fan Ruoruo and then poured some for himself.

Fan Sizhe tapped his teacup on the table. Before Fan Xian could react, Fan Ruoruo gave him a murderous look.

The former fell silent, behaving himself once again.

Fan Ruoruo continued her lecture.

As Fan Xian listened, he picked up his teacup and gently blew on it.

At this moment, Fan Ruoruo said, "The most famous thing about the Third Prince is his famous saying at the state banquet when he was a child: 'Why don't they eat meat porridge?'"

Fan Xian had just managed to take a small sip of tea while enduring the heat when he heard that all-too-familiar phrase. His body stiffened, and he spat out the tea.

He didn't even bother wiping it off, and hurriedly asked, "Ruoruo, say it again! Are you sure it's 'Why don't they eat meat porridge?'"

Fan Ruoruo was slightly taken aback, not understanding why Fan Xian was so agitated.

At this moment, Fan Xian was shocked. The phrase "Why don't they eat meat porridge?" came from the mouth of Emperor Hui of Jin, Sima Zhong, and is recorded in the "Biography of Emperor Hui" in the Book of Jin.

Having been a liberal arts student in his previous life, Fan Xian was extremely familiar with this subject.

The same proverb appears in two different worlds. There is a possibility of coincidence, but the probability is too small!

Thinking of his mother, Ye Qingmei, who was basically confirmed to be a time traveler, Zhou Chengtong's chances of being a time traveler rose rapidly in his mind based on this statement!

"Ruo Ruo, this sounds interesting. Tell me more about it." Fan Xian put down his teacup with trembling fingers, trying to suppress his excitement.

As a time traveler, no one knew his loneliness as a stranger in a foreign land for sixteen years. Now, the thought that Zhou Cheng might be a fellow villager filled him with excitement!

Fan Sizhe looked at Fan Xian like he was an idiot, not understanding what was so exciting about hearing about the Third Prince's dark history!

In his heart, he always felt that he was much smarter than the Third Prince Li Chengcheng.

At least when he was eight years old, he would never have said something as foolish as "Why don't they eat meat porridge?"

Fan Ruoruo organized her thoughts and began to explain to Fan Xian based on her own understanding.

After listening, Fan Xian's mind calmed down considerably.

Thinking that this alone might be a coincidence, I then asked him about it.

Fan Ruoruo had no choice but to try her best to recall the story and recount it in detail, seeing that Fan Xian was interested.

Gradually, Fan Xian's mood became depressed.

There are many anecdotes about Zhou Cheng, but after listening to Fan Ruoruo tell several, only the one about "Why not eat meat porridge" fits the bill.

He was fed up with his spiritual loneliness and longed to discover the existence of other people from his hometown in this world.

He was tempted to test Zhou Cheng, but felt that acting rashly would be too risky.

Fan Xian paced back and forth in the room, feeling anxious and uncertain.

Suddenly he stopped, remembering Li Hongcheng's invitation.

"The Third Prince will also be invited to the poetry gathering tomorrow, so this is a suitable time."

Having figured this out, Fan Xian finally breathed a sigh of relief.

Zhou Cheng was unaware of Fan Xian's inner turmoil. After finishing his meal, he left the restaurant with Sang Wen.

As the protagonist of Joy of Life, Fan Xian is important but unnecessary to him. At most, he is an emotional tool and an insurance for completing system tasks.

Now that the second system mission has no time limit, he is not in a hurry.

On the other side, Fan Xian finished his meal in a dull and uninteresting manner. As he left the restaurant, he couldn't help but ask a question downstairs, only to learn that Zhou Cheng had already left.

He had no choice but to suppress his emotions again, and then went to the Forensic Center alone.

He had promised Teng Zijing that he would retrieve his files and help him find his family.

Fortunately, he had a Ti Si badge given to him by his teacher, Fei Jie, which represented his Ti Si status.

Although the Director of the Censorate has no real power within the Censorate, the position is still a symbol of status.

At least they have free access to the Forensic Service, and retrieving internal files is still a piece of cake.

As the story unfolds, Fan Xian leisurely enters the Censorate, where he encounters Wang Qinian and learns of Wang Qinian's identity as a clerk within the Censorate.

The two met and, after a deep conversation, not only cleared up their misunderstandings but also discovered that they shared similar interests and had a very pleasant chat.

Fan Xian then asked Wang Qinian to help him retrieve Teng Zijing's documents. Wang Qinian agreed to deliver the documents to Fan's residence the next day.

Fan Xian didn't think much of it and agreed immediately.

He also learned from Wang Qinian that the person who falsely issued the order in the censorate to have Teng Zijing assassinate him was named Xu Yunzhang.

Xu Yunzhang had already been secretly silenced...

Fan Xian walked out of the gate of the Observation Bureau and saw the stone tablet left by Ye Qingmei when she established the Observation Bureau.

The stone tablet recorded Ye Qingmei's beautiful vision, and Fan Xian stood there for a long time.

The inscription on the stone tablet revealed that his mother, Ye Qingmei, was an idealist, and he vaguely understood why Ye Qingmei had died.

Afterwards, Fan Xian returned to the Si Nan Marquis's residence and told Teng Zijing that the dossier would be delivered the next day.

With the clues from Xu Yunzhang, he began to investigate the person behind his assassination attempt.

With Teng Zijing's help, Fan Xian changed into night clothes and went to a secret shop in Kyoto that specialized in selling information.

The shop was disguised as a gambling den. When he entered, a group of people were shouting and making a great commotion.

Fan Xian found the shopkeeper and was led into an empty private room. He lowered his voice and whispered to the shopkeeper:

"I want to investigate Xu Yunzhang's personal relationships and connections in the Fourth Division of the Forensic Science Institute."

Upon hearing this, the shopkeeper glanced at him and was about to turn away when Fan Xian called out to him again.

Fan Xian paused slightly, then hesitated a bit: "Well, um... I also want detailed information about the life of our Qing Kingdom's Third Prince, Li Chengcheng, also known as Prince Cheng."

The shopkeeper's expression changed drastically, and he immediately took a half step back.

He stared intently at Fan Xian's face for a few moments, but dared not say anything more, only leaving behind the words "Wait" before turning away in a hurry.

While Fan Xian was still secretly regretting that he had been too blunt, a carrier pigeon soon flew directly from the gambling den's backyard into the palace.

The secret letter on the pigeon's leg fell into the hands of the portly-looking Grand Eunuch Hou, who quickly delivered it to Emperor Qing.

Inside the imperial study, Emperor Qing placed the secret letter on the table and lightly tapped the surface with his fingertips:

"This Fan Xian! Buying information from Xu Yunzhang is one thing, but why did he think of buying information from Cheng Cheng?"

Eunuch Hou hurriedly handed over a scroll of documents, bowing and saying, "Your Majesty, this is today's inspection record. Prince Cheng and Fan Xian had an encounter at Yishi Residence during lunch. Perhaps that's what sparked his interest."

Emperor Qing frowned slightly and quickly browsed through the files.

After reading it, he slammed the file onto the table: "This Li Chengcheng is getting more and more outrageous! He parades around with prostitutes, making it known to everyone—it's utterly ridiculous!"

At this moment, Eunuch Hou stood silently with his head down, not daring to say a word.

After Emperor Qing calmed down slightly, he whispered, "His Highness Prince Cheng had a conflict with that talented scholar surnamed He. Afterwards, he ordered the Heir Apparent of Prince Jing to bring him to the palace. Now that talented scholar He is waiting in line at the castration room. Your Majesty, what do you think... should be done with him?"

Emperor Qing snorted coldly: "Now that they've entered the palace, they should be dealt with as they see fit. Do I have to issue an edict to send them back?"

This third son, besides taking things out, never sends anything good into the palace!

Eunuch Hou quickly smiled and said a few kind words for Zhou Cheng.

After saying that, he asked Fan Xian how to respond.

Emperor Qing pondered for a moment: "This Fan Xian is quite bold. I don't know if he's really stupid or just pretending. Buying information about princes in the capital, isn't he afraid of being arrested as a spy for an enemy country?"

After speaking, Emperor Qing paused, then said, "Give him Xu Yunzhang's information, but as for the third prince's, tell him to forget about it!"

Wait for Eunuch Hou to go out and deliver the order.

Emperor Qing looked at the files on his desk and muttered to himself, "I mentioned before at Mount Dadong that I would bestow a marriage upon the third prince, but I didn't expect it to be delayed until now. Oh well, I'll just write a letter first."

As he spoke, Emperor Qing began to write a letter, and soon a letter was written and put into an envelope.

After sealing the envelope, he wrote "To be opened by Ye Liuyun" on the surface.

The carrier pigeons flew back from the palace to the gambling den.

The shopkeeper also handed over Xu Yunzhang's files to Fan Xian.

Fan Xian took the dossier, exclaimed, "There really is one," and then looked at the shopkeeper.

The shopkeeper waved him away, saying irritably, "You dare to think about information about the prince? Believe me, I'll report you to the authorities right now and have you arrested!"

Fan Xian was stunned after hearing this.

You intelligence broker, threatening people by using the police?

However, he couldn't say much. Just as he was about to leave, the shopkeeper stopped him and paid him the money for the information.

Under the cover of night, on the street, Teng Zijing examined the secret scrolls by the dim light and discovered that Xu Yunzhang had close ties with the Crown Prince.

Fan Xian then suspected that the Crown Prince wanted to kill him.

He then remembered that Fan Jian had specifically warned him to be careful of the Crown Prince.

The Crown Prince immediately became the prime suspect in his mind.

However, after discussing it with Teng Zijing, he realized that such top-secret information had come too easily.

They rushed back to the hidden shop to investigate, only to find that the once bustling gambling den was now deserted.

While Fan Xian was busy running around all night, Zhou Cheng was quite relaxed.

After their lovemaking, Sang Wen read "Dream of the Red Chamber" to him.

It's one thing if he doesn't like reading this book, but it's quite another if a beautiful woman is reading it to him.

Just as he was listening to the novel and resting with his eyes closed, he heard a negative notification from He Zongwei that was as high as 999.

"Li Hongcheng is quite efficient!" Zhou Cheng thought to himself as he opened his eyes.

Li Hongcheng may not take sides, but when it comes to getting things done, he's definitely not ambiguous.

He did what the Crown Prince asked him to do. He also did what the Second Prince asked him to do.

His third brother asked him to do something, and he did it!

When it comes to being a tool or utility character, few in the entire Joy of Life world can compare to him!

After praising Li Hongcheng, Zhou Cheng thought of He Zongwei.

He Zongwei may be a petty person, but he has an undeniable tenacity and will never give up on himself just because he is disabled.

Compared to other ordinary characters in the story, He Zongwei has a strong will, and the level of negative emotions he receives in a single instance is the highest!

In this respect, Guo Baokun, who was also punished, is simply incomparable.

He slapped himself in the face in public and forced Guo Baokun to kneel down and beg for forgiveness, yet the negative emotions he generated for Guo Baokun barely exceeded 100.

People like Guo Baokun have a clear sense of ideology and class distinctions. If you punish him, he will only feel that it is a matter of course.

In other words, Guo Baokun was just stupid, not particularly bad-natured, posed little threat, and had a powerful background, so he didn't take it too seriously.

In any case, barring any unforeseen circumstances, Guo Baokun will soon suffer the consequences.

He really didn't need to argue with a complete fool.

Just then, He Zongwei's negative notification popped up again. Although it was no longer 999, it was still a three-digit number.

Zhou Cheng guessed at the origin of this emotional value, and thinking that He Dacaizi might receive a notification every time he went to the toilet in the future, the corners of his mouth immediately turned up.

"Your Highness, what are you laughing at?" Sang Wen stopped reciting, puzzled. The passage she was reading was clearly not funny at all…

"It's nothing," Zhou Cheng waved his hand, "I just thought of some funny things."

"Something funny? Tell me about it too!"

"Uh... well, it might not actually be that funny..."

Just as Zhou Cheng was racking his brains for words, He Zongwei was filled with rage in the eunuch's chamber of the Qing Kingdom's palace.

He was tied to the bed board with his legs spread wide. His genitals were now empty, with only a feather stuck in them.

His eyes were filled with a mad, venomous hatred, and his face was swollen like a pig's, with blood constantly seeping from between his teeth as he clenched them so tightly.

"Li Chengcheng! Li Chengcheng! You want to ruin me? No way! Even if I become a eunuch, I will climb to the top! One day, I will make you pay!"

He was screaming hysterically inside, but dared not utter a single sound from his mouth!

As He Zongwei was immersed in overwhelming hatred that consumed him both physically and mentally, time turned and the next day arrived.