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

Zhou Cheng did not resist the Emperor's bestowal of a marriage.

He could have several women around him, and even a few more wouldn't be unacceptable.

"Ye Ling'er..." he murmured to himself.

Ever since that time at Mount Da Dong, when Emperor Qing mentioned "a good match for the Ye family," he had a vague idea that it would be Ye Ling'er.

Ye Ling'er is the most outstanding daughter among the younger generation of the Ye family. Her father, Ye Zhong, is the head of the Ye family and the garrison commander of the capital, holding military power in the capital region.

Marrying her would be tantamount to binding half of the Kyoto military to his ship.

In the original storyline, in order to balance the relationship between the Crown Prince and the Second Prince, Emperor Qing specially betrothed Ye Ling'er to Li Chengze.

Now it's his turn...tsk, I guess Emperor Qing has the intention of bringing him out to stir up this mess.

After all, in Emperor Qing's eyes, how could a prince who dared to slap his elder brother in public not have ambition?

Since you're restless, I'll just give you military power and let you fight with the Crown Prince and the Second Prince.

[At this point, I hope readers will remember our domain name: 202ᴋᴋs.ᴄᴏᴍ]

Compared to allowing Li Chengze to achieve a unified military and political system, the current separation of military and political power, with the three parties standing in a tripartite balance, makes it easier to control.

Emperor Qing's move was grand and decisive, but unfortunately, Zhou Cheng had no intention of playing his game.

"A martial arts fanatic paired with another martial arts fanatic... that's a perfect match."

He chuckled softly, a glint of shrewdness flashing in his eyes.

Now, the only task on the system panel is to defeat Emperor Qing and seize the throne.

As the number one among the Grandmasters, Emperor Qing needs to either continue to improve his martial arts or rely on external forces to defeat him.

Just in case, he naturally prefers to take a two-pronged approach.

First, have the other grandmasters gang up on Emperor Qing and beat him half to death, then let him step in for a one-on-one fight. He will surely be able to complete the mission easily.

To contact other grandmasters, one cannot remain in Kyoto indefinitely.

Moreover, in Kyoto, he did not have an equally matched opponent like Wu Zhu, and his progress in martial arts had already slowed down.

He needs external pressure to improve himself, and he also needs to prepare more for future plans.

As the third prince, Prince Cheng, he needed a convincing excuse to leave the capital.

The arranged marriage with Ye Ling'er is not without its opportunities.

After all, they were two martial arts fanatics who colluded and hit it off immediately, so it was normal for them to do something unconventional.

It's all understandable that they would sneak out to experience life in the martial arts world, uphold justice, spar with masters, or even become Ye Liuyun's apprentice.

There's nothing we can do; that's just how their public image is!

Marrying Ye Ling'er would be entirely beneficial to him.

"He beat up his second brother, and then gave him a sister-in-law... Sigh, what a mess..."

Zhou Cheng shook his head inwardly. Although it was a bit dishonest to take food and money at the same time, there was nothing he could do. He was not a decent person to begin with!

After leaving the Imperial Study, Zhou Cheng did not leave the palace directly. Standing in the shadow of the majestic palace, he hesitated for a moment, then naturally turned and walked towards Guangxin Palace, a place he knew well by heart.

Upon meeting Li Yunrui, he didn't beat around the bush and went straight to the point.

When he took out Fan Xian's letter of annulment, Li Yunrui's eyes lit up with joy. She was overjoyed and even took the initiative without him having to say anything.

Li Yunrui couldn't wait any longer. At first, she planned to meet with Emperor Qing afterward to bring up the matter of annulment, but by the time Zhou Cheng left satisfied, she was already slumped on the brocade couch, unable to even move a finger.

Helpless, she could only give up for the time being, prepare to rest for the night, and go to see him again the next day.

As Zhou Cheng left Guangxin Palace, the moment he stepped through the vermilion gates of Prince Cheng's residence, the imperial edict on bright yellow silk bestowing the marriage decree from Emperor Qing arrived in a grand procession.

As soon as Zhou Cheng received the imperial edict, its contents spread to all directions in an instant. The already turbulent capital city was thrown into turmoil as if a boulder had been thrown across the water.

The Second Prince's Residence, Inner Study.

As dusk filtered through the delicate curtains, it cast a hazy, golden glow over everything inside.

Li Chengze leaned against a soft sandalwood couch covered with a brocade cushion, his face covered with a damp towel that had been soaked in ice water and wrung out slightly.

He closed his eyes, his fingers gently pressing against the wet wipe, his mind replaying the humiliating scene in the Kyoto government office that day. Each time he thought about it, the anger in his heart rose an inch higher.

He was waiting. Waiting for news from the palace, eager to know as soon as possible what punishment Emperor Qing would give to that disrespectful, arrogant, and immoral third son.

In the afternoon, Crown Prince Li Chengqian was urgently summoned to the palace, and soon after, news spread that the Crown Prince had been confined to the Eastern Palace for ten days.

The palace did not release the reason, and outsiders, unaware of the inside story, were full of speculation, but he knew the truth perfectly well.

Being confined for ten days, which may seem like a light punishment, has a huge impact. At least in the short term, the forces in the court that support the crown prince will shrink.

He was pleased that the Crown Prince was punished, but what he was most concerned about was Emperor Qing's punishment of Zhou Cheng.

And so they waited, from afternoon until the sun began to set.

When Li Chengze heard from his spy that Zhou Cheng had returned to the manor and that Emperor Qing had bestowed a marriage upon Zhou Cheng and Ye Ling'er, all the anticipation on his face instantly froze.

"Say it again!"

He sat up abruptly and ripped off the already warm, damp towel from his face.

The spy knelt on the ground, lowered his head even further, and carefully repeated the exercise.

"Clang—crash!!"

Li Chengze suddenly kicked over the ice basin next to the bed, which had long since melted into clear water!

"Clang—crash!"

The cold water splashed out and instantly soaked the carpet.

"Li, Cheng, Cheng!!"

Veins bulged on Li Chengze's forehead, his face contorted with rage, and the palm print that had faded to a pale red instantly turned bright red again. "Such blatant disrespect! Not only does Father not punish them severely, but he even wants to bestow a marriage upon them?! Ye Ling'er... Ye Ling'er! Father... has he gone senile?!"

His chest heaved violently, his heart filled with an indescribable sense of frustration.

He was publicly humiliated and utterly disgraced, while the instigator received a reward. Emperor Qing was being far too unfair! How could he swallow this insult?

But no matter how angry he was, it was all in vain.

Li Chengze sat down tremblingly, took several deep breaths, and barely managed to suppress his emotions.

He glanced at the spies still kneeling on the ground, silent and trembling, and sighed, his voice hoarse, "Step back!"

The spy felt as if he had been granted a pardon, and he kept bowing and backing out of the study, carefully closing the door behind him.

The study fell into a deathly silence, with only Li Chengze's slightly heavy breathing remaining.

Li Chengze made a gesture to the side, and Xie Bi'an, who had been standing in the shadows like a shadow, silently opened the door and chased after him.

Before long, Xie Bi'an returned.

Li Chengze walked slowly, occasionally stepping into puddles, making a soft splashing sound.

He seemed to be speaking to Xie Bi'an, yet it also sounded like he was talking to himself:

"Behind the Ye family lies the most deeply entrenched military power in Kyoto. For years, I've been openly and covertly trying to win them over... I never imagined that a single, casual remark from my father would hand them over to my third son. I need more support now..."

There are influential forces in the capital, including the Censorate, but Chen Pingping is no match for them; he's only a minor official, barely qualifying...

"Chief Inspector?" Xie Bi'an asked at the opportune moment, "Does Your Highness intend to continue courting Fan Xian?"

Li Chengze stopped and nodded: "That's right. After we left Kyoto Prefecture, didn't we receive news that the Third Brother and Fan Xian had another dirty fight at the yamen gate, and Fan Xian was almost forced to fight on the spot?"

Although the specific reasons are unknown, the enemy of my enemy is my friend.

Fan Xian is now not only the Director of the Censorate, wielding oversight power, but also the future husband personally chosen by the Emperor to marry Wan'er. If he can successfully marry Wan'er, then his importance will be no less than that of the Ye family.

"But Your Highness previously plotted against Fan Xian through the Prince Jing's heir."

Upon hearing this, Li Chengze gave a cold laugh: "There are no permanent enemies, only permanent interests. Fan Xian has thoroughly offended the Crown Prince in court. Now he has also fallen out with the Third Prince. In the capital, he is almost completely isolated and helpless. Anyone with a brain would know what to choose!"

After saying that, he subconsciously touched his still swollen cheek, a shadow passing over his eyes.

"I need a secluded and secure place to meet Fan Xian privately... but I'll have to wait until my face is at least presentable enough to be seen in public."

......

Just as the various factions in Kyoto were openly or covertly digesting and reassessing their plans in response to Emperor Qing's decree of marriage, a day quietly passed.

The next morning, just as dawn was breaking, Fan Xian got up.

He changed into the robes he wore when he first arrived in Kyoto, the same robes he wore when he first met the Chicken Leg Girl. With a heart full of trepidation, he left early and headed straight for Ichishi-ju.

"There's absolutely no decoration at all..."

After carefully observing the area around Yishi Residence, the result was slightly unexpected for Fan Xian.

He had assumed that after his complete falling out with Zhou Cheng yesterday, given the latter's unpredictable nature, today's "date" would be fraught with traps. He was even prepared to deal with all sorts of difficulties and even face direct conflict.

It turned out he was overthinking it.

As soon as Fan Xian stepped into Yi Shi Ju, the waiter asked him a few questions and then warmly led him to the private room that had been reserved for him.

The room was bright and clean, the tea was warm, and the fruits were fresh. Everything was prepared so thoughtfully that it seemed like just an ordinary, pleasant date arranged by a middleman.

This unusual calm only made Fan Xian more uneasy.

He sat by the window, his gaze fixed on the long street below. His mind was a jumble of thoughts, sometimes wondering where Zhou Cheng's conspiracy was hidden, and other times imagining the beautiful figure he was about to see. His heart was pounding like a drum.

Just after the anxious wait, a rather ordinary-looking carriage with no ostentatious markings slowly approached from afar and finally came to a steady stop in front of the restaurant's main entrance.

At this time, Yishiju, as a restaurant, was still far from the bustling midday hour, and the area in front of it was quiet. The arrival of this carriage was quite eye-catching.

Fan Xian held his breath instantly, subconsciously clenched his fists, and stared intently at the hanging carriage curtain without blinking.

Under his gaze, a slender, fair hand reached out from inside the carriage and gently lifted the blue curtain. Immediately afterwards, a figure bent slightly and leaned out of the carriage, standing beside the carriage shaft.

Dressed in white, she was as pure as snow, untouched by dust; her black hair cascaded down her back, loosely tied up with a simple jade hairpin.

The slightly chilly morning air stirred her skirt and hair, and sunlight streamed through the gaps in the eaves, casting a hazy halo around her.

With just a profile view, and the simple gesture of brushing a stray hair from his forehead, Fan Xian was absolutely certain—

That's right! It's her!

It's really her!

This time, Li Chengcheng actually didn't play any tricks and really invited the person over!

The overwhelming surprise swept away all his guard and suspicion like a torrent. Fan Xian felt a surge of excitement rush to his head, and he could no longer care about etiquette, manners, or caution.

He couldn't wait any longer. He braced himself against the carved window railing with one hand, and in a flash, he jumped out of the second-floor window!

At this moment, Lin Wan'er had just landed firmly on the ground, and she was equally apprehensive.

As an unmarried young woman bound by marriage, she secretly accepted a man's invitation to come to this kind of restaurant. The societal scrutiny and inner barriers she had to overcome were far more difficult and burdensome than those faced by the man. Yet, she still mustered immense courage and chose to come.

As a result, just as she regained her footing and before she could even look up to see the famous "Yishiju" plaque of the restaurant, she heard a whoosh of wind overhead and a dark shadow descended from the sky with lightning speed, landing with a thud just two steps away from her on the ground!

"ah--!"

Lin Wan'er was so frightened by this sudden "attack" that she cried out in surprise, staggered, and almost fell. Instinctively, she raised her hand to cover her rapidly heaving chest and looked at the person who had come in, still shaken.

"It's...it's you?!"

Lin Wan'er's breath caught in her throat, and then, unable to speak, she covered her mouth tightly with a handkerchief, bent over, and began to cough violently.

Fan Xian landed, initially filled with fervent joy and excitement, but his impulsive actions had startled his beloved to this state. He froze, wanting to help her up, yet afraid of being impolite. He wanted to apologize, but seeing her coughing so painfully...

For a moment, all he could do was awkwardly rub his hands together, watching helplessly, his eyes filled with regret and heartache.

Lin Wan'er coughed for a long time before she finally felt better.

Feeling embarrassed, she was too ashamed to look up. She hadn't expected that their reunion would reveal her frail appearance. She worried about ruining the good impression she had of him, and also feared being recognized in front of the building and causing unnecessary trouble.

"Let's go inside."

Lin Wan'er covered her mouth with a handkerchief while lifting her skirt and quickly walked into the restaurant.

Fan Xian then seemed to snap out of his daze and quickly followed, carefully keeping a step or two's distance so as not to disturb her again.

This second meeting started so unexpectedly, not only lacking the romance I had imagined, but even somewhat disastrous.

But looking at that slender white figure in front of him, Fan Xian still felt as if his heart was melting.

The two went upstairs in silence, one after the other, and returned to the private room.

Fan Xian hesitated for a moment behind him, then reached out and gently closed the carved door.

He turned around and stared at Lin Wan'er intently, making her feel uncomfortable all over. Her cheeks grew redder and redder until she couldn't help but turn her head away, only then did he snap out of his daze.

Fan Xian took a deep breath and smiled from the bottom of his heart: "I've finally... found you."

Lin Wan'er asked shyly, "What...do you want with me?"

"I don't know either. I just want to see you."

"real?"

"real!"

After Fan Xian finished speaking decisively, he began to express his deep longing for Lin Wan'er. Lin Wan'er became even more shy, and her heart felt like a little deer had taken up residence in her heart.

After Fan Xian finished speaking, Lin Wan'er unconsciously twisted her ten fingers together.

She didn't speak for a moment, and the person in front of her continued to stare at her. Seeing that she was about to fall into that dazed gaze again, she quickly turned away, calmed her wildly beating heart, hesitated for a moment, and then asked nervously, "When...when did you meet my third brother? And why...why are you asking him about my whereabouts?"

"Third? Third Brother?"

Fan Xian was so immersed in the beauty of his beloved that he didn't react for a moment. He subconsciously repeated the name, and after a couple of mental cycles, he suddenly snapped out of it.

Third Brother? Isn't that the Third Prince?

Should we call the Third Prince "Third Brother"?

Who exactly is this chicken leg girl in front of me?

For some reason, Fan Xian suddenly had a bad feeling.

"It's Prince Cheng! Didn't you ask Third Brother to tell me to meet you here today?" Lin Wan'er lowered her head and said shyly.

Suppressing his unease, Fan Xian tentatively asked, "You call Prince Cheng 'Third Brother,' may I ask your name, young lady?"

Lin Wan'er bit her lip and said shyly, "I am Lin Wan'er."

"Lin? Lin Wan'er?"

Fan Xian was stunned, as if struck by lightning. He couldn't believe it and asked again, "You... are you Lin Wan'er from the Lin family? The Princess Chen, personally appointed by His Majesty?"

"Yes, it's me..."

Seeing Fan Xian's strong reaction, Lin Wan'er assumed he knew about her engagement and quickly explained, "Although I am engaged, it's about to be dissolved. Fan Xian has already written the letter of annulment, which should be sent to the palace soon. I will soon have nothing to do with him anymore!"

"Letter of annulment..."

Fan Xian was even more dumbfounded, his brain went blank for a moment, and he couldn't recover for a long time.

Seeing Fan Xian's dazed expression, Lin Wan'er thought he was disgusted by her. A wave of grievance washed over her.

"If you don't believe me, and think I'm promiscuous, then I'll leave."

As she spoke, Lin Wan'er turned to leave.

Fan Xian panicked when he saw this and quickly pulled her back.

"No, no! It's not that I don't believe it. It's just that I haven't quite grasped it yet."

Fan Xian grabbed the girl's sleeve and quickly explained.

Lin Wan'er was pulled by him, struggled for a moment, but couldn't break free. She turned around and saw that the expression on his face didn't seem fake, so she stopped.

After calming herself down a bit, she asked, "I have already told you your identity, young master. May I ask who you are?"

"I?"

Fan Xian's mind was still in a mess. He hesitated for a moment, but decided to be honest: "I am Fan Xian."

"..."

Lin Wan'er stared at him intently, her eyes instantly turning red.

She abruptly shook off Fan Xian's hand, her voice trembling with tears, "You! How dare you humiliate me like this! I already told you that Fan Xian and I were going to break off our engagement, and if you didn't want to accept it, that was fine, but why did you have to treat me like this! I hate you!"

Tears welled up in Lin Wan'er's eyes, and she struggled to break free from Fan Xian, trying to run away.

As the misunderstanding deepened, Fan Xian felt a chill run down his spine. He quickly stepped aside to block her escape route and grabbed her arms with both hands to firmly control her.

"Let go! You lecherous scoundrel! I misjudged you! If you keep this up, I'll call for help!" Lin Wan'er struggled fiercely.

Fan Xian vehemently explained, "I am Fan Xian! I really am Fan Xian! I'm not trying to humiliate you, my name really is Fan Xian!"

Seeing Fan Xian's pained expression as he desperately tried to explain, Lin Wan'er finally calmed down a little.

She hesitated before asking, "Are you Fan Xian?"

"Yes, I've had this name for so many years!"

"Then how can you prove that you are Fan Xian?"

"Huh? Me? You want me to prove I'm myself?"

Lin Wan'er asked Fan Xian to release her hand. Fan Xian gestured for her to calm down as he slowly let go.

"You wrote that seven-character poem at the poetry gathering, right?" Lin Wan'er asked.

Fan Xian nodded.

"Alright, then rewrite that poem."

Fan Xian decisively said, "Okay, I'll go get some paper and pen."

Lin Wan'er stopped him: "No need to go out. Just stay here, I'll watch you write with tea on the table!"

Fan Xian hesitated and pointed to the table, and Lin Wan'er nodded.

"good!"

Fan Xian poured a cup of tea directly into the teacup. Without even testing the temperature, he dipped his finger in the water and began writing on the gleaming black lacquered square table.

Fan Xian's calligraphy was a complete mess. He used his fingers instead of a brush, which made it look a little better, but the level of beauty was still limited, barely escaping the category of dog scratch.

Lin Wan'er watched him finish writing the poem in one go. After reading it, she finally realized that the Fan Xian in front of her was the same Fan Xian with whom she was engaged.

"But, how could this be?"

Lin Wan'er murmured to herself, as if in a dream.

"Now we can finally confirm that I am indeed Fan Xian!"

Fan Xian was quite pleased, not expecting that Lin Wan'er would recognize his handwriting.

Lin Wan'er took out a silk handkerchief and wiped her face twice to dry the tear stains.

She looked at Fan Xian, her eyes filled with complex emotions: "You're the one I'm engaged to. Why...why did you write that letter of annulment?"

Upon hearing the "letter of annulment," Fan Xian's face, which had just begun to light up, immediately turned green.

He gritted his teeth and said, "It's all because of your third brother! It's Prince Cheng! He lied to me, saying that I would only agree to arrange a date with you if I broke off my engagement with Lin Wan'er. How was I supposed to know that you were my fiancée!"

"Who's your fiancée?!"

Lin Wan'er retorted, embarrassed and annoyed. After saying that, she immediately fell into deep confusion.

"Third Brother... Third Brother clearly knew that you were Fan Xian, and he also knew that I was Lin Wan'er. Why did he do this? Why did he make you write the letter of annulment, and why did he arrange for us to meet? What exactly is he trying to do?"

She recalled that yesterday, Zhou Cheng personally came to her door, showed her the letter of annulment written by Fan Xian, and encouraged her to come and meet him.

Fan Xian was equally baffled and still couldn't understand Zhou Cheng's actions.

"If Prince Cheng doesn't want us to be together, why would he go to the trouble of arranging for us to meet? If he does want us to be together, why did he trick me into writing a letter of annulment, trying to ruin the marriage? What benefit would that bring him?"

The two of them walked to the table at the same time and sat down across the table covered with water-stained poems. They recounted, one after the other, all their interactions, conversations, and details with Zhou Cheng before and after their meeting, without reservation.

"He clearly saw us at the poetry gathering, but he didn't mention it at all."

"We had already missed our chance, and we were thinking of calling off the engagement. It seemed incredibly difficult to see each other again, but he acted as a go-between for us..."

Fan Xian scratched his head in frustration. The more he analyzed it, the more he felt that Zhou Cheng's behavior was completely illogical and outside the realm of normal human thinking.

He used to pride himself on his wit, but now he felt utterly powerless.

"I don't know either. The Third Prince... he's just my cousin, we rarely have a chance to talk." Lin Wan'er also frowned, looking bewildered.

I can't figure it out, I really can't. It feels like facing a tangled mess, with no loose ends.

Helpless, Fan Xian sighed:

"What's your third brother thinking?! Is he crazy?!"

Lin Wan'er could only respond with an innocent and helpless expression.

Unable to figure it out, Fan Xian didn't want to think about it anymore.

He looked at the person in front of him with deep affection: "It's good that it's you, Lin Wan'er."

Lin Wan'er gazed at Fan Xian with equal affection, then suddenly her expression changed: "Oh no, the annulment letter!"

"A letter of annulment? What happened?"

Fan Xian now feels an itch to the core whenever he hears the letter announcing the annulment of the engagement.

Lin Wan'er suddenly stood up and said urgently, "Third Brother said he would deliver the annulment letter to my mother personally. My mother might request an audience with His Majesty today to dissolve our engagement!"

"What!" Fan Xian jumped up suddenly, his face changing instantly.

Lin Wan'er hurriedly started walking out: "I need to go to the palace now, I hope I can make it in time."

Upon hearing this, Fan Xian realized the urgency of the situation.

However, once he entered the palace and stopped the eldest princess, he was unable to intervene.

He helped Lin Wan'er onto the carriage, then watched helplessly as it quickly disappeared down the street.

Fan Xian returned to the private room, looking dejected.

Looking down at the dried-out tea and blurred handwriting on the table, Fan Xian slammed his hand heavily on the table.

"That son of a bitch Lee Seung-sung! He's a complete lunatic!"