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

Chapter 43 The Empress's Investment (Seeking First Subscription)

Inside the inn's private room, as Zhou Cheng finished speaking, a strange look flashed across Zhan Doudou's handsome face.

She subconsciously looked at the begonia blossoms beside her.

Haitang Duoduo's hand holding the teacup froze in mid-air. Her gaze fell on Zhou Cheng's face, and she blinked repeatedly, as if confirming that she hadn't misheard.

The third prince of Qing Kingdom, a newly promoted Grandmaster, wants the Qi Kingdom to help him become the emperor of Qing Kingdom.

This feels so awkward!

Zhan Doudou's brows furrowed almost imperceptibly, but she quickly returned to normal.

"Sir, please don't joke." She held her folding fan in her palm, a polite smile on her lips. "Sir, you are a Grandmaster, and of royal blood from the Qing Kingdom. If you wish to ascend to that position, you only need to raise your arm and call upon the entire Qing Kingdom, and they will surely follow you. Why would you need the assistance of my Northern Qi?"

She paused, then looked directly at Zhou Cheng: "The nobility of a Grandmaster surpasses even imperial power. I truly do not understand your words, sir."

Haitang Duoduo also came to her senses, slammed her teacup on the table, and nodded repeatedly.

"That's right!" she chimed in, her tone laced with certainty. "You're a Grandmaster! My master said that at the Grandmaster level, worldly power is nothing but fleeting smoke. If you want to be emperor, who can stop you? No matter how powerful Emperor Qing is, can he really stop you?"

As she spoke, she suddenly remembered something, and her eyes lit up: "You don't mean you don't want to reveal your strength, do you? But what's the point of hiding it? If you revealed your identity as a Grandmaster, wouldn't all the court officials of the Qing Kingdom kneel down and beg you to ascend the throne?"

Zhou Cheng didn't rush to answer.

He pulled Zhan Yuanyuan to sit down directly in front of the tea table, his movements casual. Then he pushed an empty cup in front of Haitang Duoduo.

Haitang Duoduo rolled her eyes at him, and was about to say something when Zhan Doudou reached out and took the teapot, personally filled the empty cup and pushed it to Zhou Cheng, then sat down.

Zhou Cheng didn't stand on ceremony and took a small sip of tea.

The tea was warm, with a refreshing aroma. He put down his teacup and looked up at the two of them.

"I really don't want to reveal my strength. Although a Grandmaster is already extraordinary, he is still not free to do as he pleases. Just like Ye Liuyun, he was born into the Ye family, but he hasn't returned to the capital for decades."

Zhan Doudou was slightly taken aback, then tentatively asked, "Are you afraid that revealing your strength will make you a second Ye Liuyun?"

Zhou Cheng shook his head. "Quite the opposite!"

As he spoke, his gaze swept across the two men's faces: "Do you know that there are four Grandmasters in the world, yet they have managed to maintain a tripartite balance of power between Southern Qing, Northern Qi, and Eastern Yi City?"

Zhan Doudou and Haitang Duoduo exchanged a glance.

They hadn't really thought about this issue carefully.

Haitang Duoduo thought for a moment, then asked uncertainly, "Is it because the two grandmasters of your Qing Kingdom are at odds?"

"No," Zhou Cheng said directly.

Ye Liuyun has not entered the capital for decades. From an outsider's perspective, this is because Ye Liuyun is at odds with the Grandmaster of Qing Kingdom.

But the truth is that Ye Liuyun retained too much humanity after breaking through to the Grandmaster level. He couldn't bear to part with his family, which allowed Emperor Qing to exploit his weakness.

Ye Liuyun's frequent absences were largely a performance arranged by Emperor Qing for outsiders to see.

"Then why?" Haitang Duoduo pressed.

Zhou Cheng said calmly, "Because if a Grandmaster wants to leave, even if two Grandmasters attack at the same time, they cannot stop him."

Zhan Doudou frowned slightly.

She wasn't a martial artist and could understand the surface meaning, but she instinctively felt that there was a deeper meaning to those words.

Haitang Duoduo froze, and then, the color drained from her chubby face at a visible speed.

Zhou Cheng looked at Haitang Duoduo, "Judging from the Holy Maiden's expression, she must have figured it out!"

Haitang Duoduo opened her mouth, but no sound came out.

Zhou Cheng's voice continued, unhurriedly: "The Grandmaster realm is extraordinary, possessing the power to rival a nation, and is already the pinnacle of the world. In a one-on-one duel between Grandmasters, a winner may be determined, but a fight to the death will not be decided."

He paused.

"Even in a two-on-one situation, if the last one wants to leave, the other two grandmasters can't stop him. And that's why, despite having four grandmasters, the world can maintain a three-way balance of power."

Zhan Doudou's face turned deathly pale in that instant.

She finally understood.

Only Zhan Yuanyuan blinked, as if listening to their riddle.

"You mean..." Zhan Doudou and Haitang Duoduo spoke almost at the same time, their voices trembling slightly.

Zhou Cheng nodded slightly to the two of them: "That's right. It's exactly what you think."

If three grandmasters gang up on one person, the latter will surely die. The three grandmasters won't even have to pay a heavy price.

Once the news of my being a Grandmaster leaks out, the Grandmasters of my Qing Kingdom will be unable to contain themselves. At that time, I will be powerless to resist, and both Si Gu Jian of Dongyi City and Ku He of your Northern Qi will surely die!

As soon as the words were spoken, Zhan Doudou and Haitang Duoduo felt a chill run through their bodies.

They knew what that meant.

Once the Grandmaster of Dongyi City and their Northern Qi were killed in battle, there would be no one or any force in the world that could stop the Qing Kingdom's conquest.

The world will be engulfed in war, resulting in widespread suffering and countless deaths. Finally, amidst the endless bloodshed, an unprecedented unified empire will be born.

A fine layer of cold sweat seeped from Zhan Doudou's forehead.

The crabapple blossoms aren't much better off.

For future generations, being born into a unified empire is an immense source of pride, but for their generation, it was a catastrophe.

The private room fell into a deathly silence. The faint sounds of street vendors calling out could be heard outside the window, but those sounds seemed distant and unreal, as if separated by a thick curtain.

Only Zhou Cheng's small sip of tea carried a hint of authenticity.

Zhan Doudou took a deep breath, trying to calm herself down.

Her voice was hoarse: "If what you say is true, then the three Grandmasters of Qing Kingdom, working together, would be enough to defeat Master Kuhe and Sigu Jian, and unify the world. At that time, the four seas would be united, and all people would submit. This would be a truly unparalleled achievement."

She paused, then looked directly at Zhou Cheng.

"Why did you take the initiative to show yourself and even tell us all this?"

Haitang Duoduo also came to her senses and nodded repeatedly.

"Yes!" she interjected, her tone tinged with tension and confusion. "Normally, the three grandmasters should have gathered in the capital to ambush the old man! Why are you telling us this? Could it be that you have the world at heart and can't bear to see the people suffer?"

Zhou Cheng glanced at her sideways: "You're overthinking it."

He said calmly, "Grandmasters pursue different things. The so-called unparalleled achievements and the well-being of the world are meaningless to me. I just dislike being unable to control my own destiny, and I dislike even more those who might make me unable to control my own destiny."

Zhan Doudou and Haitang Duoduo exchanged a glance; they roughly understood.

The pursuits of the three Grandmasters of the Qing Kingdom are not the same. Zhou Cheng, standing before us, has a different philosophy from the other Grandmasters of the Qing Kingdom.

Therefore, he concealed his identity, did not want to stand in the spotlight, and did not want to be threatened.

Although they still had many doubts, Zhan Doudou and Haitang Duoduo finally breathed a sigh of relief.

They didn't understand Zhou Cheng's thoughts, but now, at least for the State of Qi, Zhou Cheng's actions were a stroke of good fortune amidst misfortune.

If Zhou Cheng hadn't shown up, they wouldn't have known that the fall of the Qi Kingdom was imminent.

The silence in the room lasted for a few more breaths.

Zhan Doudou closed her eyes, took a deep breath, and tried to calm her turbulent emotions.

A moment later, she opened her eyes and looked at the red figure beside Zhou Cheng.

Zhan Yuanyuan had been keeping her head down since earlier, shrinking into Zhou Cheng's side like a quail burying itself in the sand.

She only half understood what they were saying—the terms "grandmaster," "siege," and "certain death" were like gibberish to her.

But she understood at least one thing—

The man who took her out of the palace and accompanied her to the night market is very impressive.

He was so powerful that even his elder brother, the emperor, had to be wary of him, and even feel awe towards him.

Noticing Zhan Doudou's gaze, she shrank back in fright and quickly lowered her head, wishing she could hide behind Zhou Cheng.

Zhan Doudou was speechless at her pathetic state.

This silly girl, she'll probably be sold out and still have to count the money for the seller.

but----

Her eyes sparkled.

"I heard that you are already engaged in Nanqing?" she suddenly asked.

The moment the word "engagement" was uttered, Zhan Yuanyuan, who had been looking down, immediately perked up her ears.

She secretly raised her eyes and looked at Zhou Cheng.

Then Zhou Cheng nodded calmly.

A sudden pang of sadness struck my heart.

She quickly lowered her head again, her fingers unconsciously twisting the hem of her clothes.

Zhan Doudou knew his identity, so naturally she was aware of the engagement she was bound to.

Zhou Cheng said directly, "That's right. My fiancée is Ye Ling'er from the Ye family."

Haitang Duoduo was unaware of these things.

She paused for a moment, then her eyes widened: "Ye Ling'er from the Ye family? I've heard of her. Ye Liuyun is her great-uncle. Doesn't that mean Ye Liuyun is naturally on your side?"

Zhou Cheng hesitated for a moment, then nodded.

"You could say that."

Haitang Duoduo was speechless.

She originally thought that the relationship between the three grandmasters of Qing Kingdom was just so-so.

I never expected that Zhou Cheng and Ye Liuyun had this kind of relationship.

Ye Liuyun is the patriarch of the Ye family. Zhou Cheng married Ye Ling'er, making him a son-in-law of the Ye family. If Ye Liuyun doesn't help him, who else should he help?

Zhan Doudou's self-awareness has become even more profound.

If Zhou Cheng wants to become the Emperor of Qing, then Ye Ling'er will naturally be the Empress. Their child will also be the future Crown Prince of Qing.

With such a strong relationship, there was no way Ye Liuyun wouldn't side with Zhou Cheng.

Such a close relationship between the two grandmasters is naturally a good thing for the Qing Kingdom, but it's a different story for the Qi Kingdom.

Zhan Doudou suddenly asked, "What does the gentleman think of Yuanyuan?"

Before Zhou Cheng could react, Zhan Yuanyuan suddenly looked up, completely stunned.

"Your Majesty?" she stammered, completely bewildered as to why Zhan Doudou had suddenly brought her up.

Zhou Cheng's expression remained unchanged; he merely glanced at Zhan Yuanyuan with a smile.

That one glance made Zhan Yuanyuan's heart skip a beat, and she quickly lowered her head, her face as red as a ripe shrimp.

"Innocent and naive, unaware of the ways of the world. She's a good girl."

Zhan Doudou nodded, then suddenly stood up, walked up to Zhan Yuanyuan, and looked her up and down.

Zhan Yuanyuan felt extremely uncomfortable under their gaze, shrank her neck, and pitifully called out, "Your Majesty—"

Zhan Doudou did not respond.

She turned around, looked at Zhou Cheng, and said, slowly and deliberately, "I want to betroth Yuanyuan to you, sir."

"ah--?!"

Zhan Yuanyuan jumped up from her chair, her eyes wide open.

She looked at Zhan Doudou in disbelief, then at Zhou Cheng, and a blush instantly spread from her face to the base of her neck.

"Your Majesty! I, I—this, this—he, he's already engaged..." She stammered, completely at a loss for words, gesturing wildly in the air with her hands.

Zhan Doudou ignored her completely and just stared at Zhou Cheng.

Haitang Duoduo pursed her lips and sat quietly to the side, her gaze shifting back and forth between Zhou Cheng and Zhan Doudou, but she remained silent.

Zhou Cheng remained calm, as if he had expected this scene.

He looked at Zhan Doudou with a hint of admiration in his eyes.

This female emperor of Northern Qi was quite decisive.

He came to terms with reality faster than he had anticipated.

"Your Majesty is quite straightforward."

Zhan Doudou sighed softly, "We in Northern Qi have no choice. Our life and death are in your hands, sir. What can I do but offer my utmost sincerity to satisfy you?"

She paused, her gaze falling on Zhan Yuanyuan, her tone carrying a hint of imperial coldness, yet also concealing a subtle tenderness.

"Although Yuanyuan is not my biological sister, she is still of royal blood from Northern Qi. She grew up in the deep palace and is naive and pure of heart. I believe that marrying you, sir, will not disappoint you."

Zhan Yuanyuan stood there, completely dumbfounded.

She looked at Zhan Doudou, then at Zhou Cheng, her mind blank.

She did indeed have feelings for Zhou Cheng.

But he already has a fiancée... and this is all too fast.

Her face was flushed, and her heart was pounding like a live, jumping rabbit.

Just then, Zhou Cheng spoke up: "I am naturally satisfied with Yuanyuan. Moreover, my child with Yuanyuan will be the crown prince of Qi."

Zhan Yuanyuan's eyes widened and her mouth gaped open, but she couldn't utter a single word.

She thought Zhan Doudou had arranged her marriage quickly enough, but she never expected Zhou Cheng to have already arranged their future children!

And, and he's also—the Crown Prince?!

In front of His Majesty, this is outrageous!

"Li—Li—" She subconsciously wanted to call Zhou Cheng's name to remind him.

Zhan Doudou's pupils contracted slightly.

She stared at Zhou Cheng, her clear, cold eyes flickering with uncertain light.

Make Ye Ling'er's child the crown prince of Qing Kingdom, and Zhan Yuanyuan's child the crown prince of Qi Kingdom!

The crown princes of both countries were their own children.

This is practically a bloodless victory; in just a few decades, the entire world will be under the control of his bloodline.

In a way, this could be considered a different kind of unification of the world.

Zhan Doudou felt she had seen through Zhou Cheng's thoughts. At this moment, Zhou Cheng's voice rang out: "I suppose His Majesty won't refuse, after all, His Majesty..."

""

He didn't continue speaking.

Zhan Doudou met Zhou Cheng's gaze, and they remained silent for a few moments.

Then, she chuckled softly.

The laughter carried a hint of relief, a touch of helplessness, and a dash of appreciation.

"Sir, you truly are a Grandmaster. With just a glance, you saw through my disguise." Her voice regained its usual coldness. "In truth, no matter what, I couldn't refuse, could I?"

After saying that, the corners of his lips curled up slightly.

That smile carried a peculiar allure, and a hint of the ambition unique to emperors.

"In fact, I suggest that your child with Yuanyuan be first designated as a prince and included in the imperial genealogy. As for whether he will be the crown prince..."

She looked at Zhou Cheng.

"That depends on whether there will be better options at that time."

Zhan Yuanyuan's mind was still a mess, and she couldn't understand the deeper meaning in Zhan Doudou's words at all.

She just looked blankly at Zhan Doudou, then at Zhou Cheng, not understanding what kind of riddle the two were playing.

Haitang Duoduo realized what was going on.

Zhou Cheng's hesitation just now was because he had seen through Zhan Doudou's disguise as a man.

And what Zhan Doudou calls a "better choice"

It's naturally her own child!

Haitang Duoduo's feelings were extremely complicated.

She looked at Zhan Doudou, then at Zhou Cheng, feeling a mix of emotions.

My best friend has really sacrificed so much for the State of Qi.

Zhou Cheng naturally understood the unspoken meaning in Zhan Doudou's words.

He did not refuse.

He's not Fan Xian; he doesn't have such high standards of male virtue.

"What Your Majesty says is reasonable," he said.

Zhan Doudou looked at him, their eyes met, and everything was understood without words.

Her words just now were veiled, yet they were also quite straightforward.

If necessary, she was willing to personally give birth to his child, who would become the next emperor of Northern Qi.

This was the biggest bargaining chip she could offer as the emperor of Northern Qi.

Zhou Cheng's reaction told her that he understood.

Of course, whether or not it will really come to that point depends on the outcome of Zhou Cheng's meeting with Ku He.

If Zhou Cheng demonstrates sufficient financial strength when facing Ku He, then she naturally wouldn't mind making further investments.

If not enough————

Then it's Zhan Yuanyuan's turn.

Zhan Doudou poured herself a cup of tea to moisten her slightly dry throat.

She put down her teacup and nodded slightly to Zhou Cheng.

"You should understand my stance, sir. I also understand what you want." Her voice regained its imperial composure. "I will fully support what you wish to do. I will arrange the meeting with Master Kuhe as soon as possible."

After saying that, she turned to Zhan Yuanyuan.

"I will trouble you to take care of Yuanyuan from now on, sir."

After saying that, she turned and walked out.

Haitang Duoduo was stunned for a moment, then quickly got up and followed.