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

Ye Wan reached out his hand.

"Wait, let me catch my breath."

He turned around, his back to Zhou Cheng and Zhan Yuanyuan, and took a deep breath.

When he turned back, Zhan Yuanyuan was already sitting upright, no longer the timid little wife she once was.

She stood upright, her chin slightly raised, the innocence in her eyes fading, replaced by an innate nobility.

She was still wearing that red palace dress, and she was still sitting next to Zhou Cheng, but her aura had changed, and she was completely different.

Luxurious, dignified, and inviolable.

Ye Wan knew very well that without years of cultivating manners and an innate social status, one could never put on such an air.

His eyelids twitched uncontrollably a few times.

Given Zhuang Mohan's previous unusual behavior, he was inclined to believe Zhou Cheng's words.

Goodness, he's carrying a princess with him everywhere!

Ye Wan recalled the reports from people all over the world: in Zhou Cheng's tent, that girl served him tea and water, helped him wash up, day and night, shamelessly...

At the time, he thought she was just some random woman Zhou Cheng had brought back from somewhere, and he felt sorry for Ye Ling'er.

But now—

Looking at Zhan Yuanyuan's dignified and unapproachable demeanor, and recalling the commotion mentioned in the report...

He suddenly couldn't hold back anymore.

The eldest princess of Northern Qi, a golden branch and jade leaf of the Qi Kingdom, was taken in and won over by Zhou Cheng?

Looking at what's in front of me now, and thinking back to what I did before, the contrast is just too great!

He instinctively covered his eyes with his hand.

Ugh, it's unbearable to watch.

This……

Ye Wan lowered his hand, his gaze falling on Zhou Cheng, hesitant to speak.

To be honest, he did look down on Zhou Cheng before.

As a prince, he volunteered to supervise the army, but what was the result?

During wartime, they endured hardship and suffering, relying on body doubles; after war, they ate, drank, enjoyed themselves, and played with women.

Aside from his royal lineage, there is not a single thing about him that is worthy of respect or praise.

But now—

The transformation of an unidentified "wild woman" into a princess of a country is a completely different matter.

Women are the flags carried by men.

Ye Wan commanded the three armies, won the war, and occupied a province of Qi. This was his ability.

But what about Zhou Cheng? He infiltrated the enemy country alone, abducted their eldest princess, and even trained her to be completely subservient and obedient—

This is also a skill.

We're both men.

He felt that Zhou Cheng's achievements were perhaps even greater than his victories in battle and the conquest of a state!

After all, Qi had thirty states, but Qi only had one eldest princess...

Upon arriving here, Zhou Cheng had become different in his eyes.

Even the initial resentment on behalf of her sister had faded considerably.

Unfortunately, Ye Ling'er's background was decent, but it was still inferior to that of a princess.

The eldest princess of Northern Qi had to live in anonymity while serving Zhou Cheng, while his sister Ye Ling'er at least had a formal title.

However, he couldn't understand why the eldest princess of Northern Qi would appear by Zhou Cheng's side.

Didn't he only go to the State of Qi to avoid danger?

After thinking it over and over, I still didn't have many clues.

I just instinctively felt that Zhou Cheng's trip to Northern Qi was probably not as simple as just seeking refuge on the surface.

There must be a deeper purpose behind it.

As for his purpose, he did not know.

As a member of the royal family, Zhou Cheng had neither the standing nor the right to interfere in many matters.

As the commander of the border army, with the princess of the enemy country appearing in his own camp, there were some things he had to ask, even if he shouldn't.

Ye Wan took a deep breath, looked at Zhou Cheng with intense gaze.

"Your Highness, I dare to ask you something."

"explain."

Ye Wan looked at Zhan Yuanyuan: "Why is this eldest princess of Qi by His Highness's side?"

Zhou Cheng also looked at Zhan Yuanyuan, who happened to be looking back at him as well. Their eyes met.

"Because of love."

Zhan Yuanyuan's dignified and noble demeanor instantly crumbled. Her face flushed red, and the arrogance in her eyes turned into a pool of spring water. Her gaze towards Zhou Cheng seemed to melt away.

Ye Wan: "..."

His lips twitched.

love?

What a terrible love story!

It's true that ordinary men and women can have love, and for the sake of love, they might do some outrageous things.

But who are these two? One is the third prince of Qing Kingdom, and the other is the eldest princess of Qi Kingdom.

For love?

Could a princess escape the palace?

Isn't that ridiculous?

Even if they agree, would the Qi royal family agree?

The royal family disagrees, yet Zhou Cheng manages to bring people out of the palace, and even out of the Qi Kingdom?

If the princess goes missing, it's no wonder the Qi Kingdom's Imperial Guards will go crazy.

Ye Wan also had spies in Qi, though not many. But with such a big event as the eldest princess's disappearance, it was impossible for no news to get out.

The only explanation for Zhan Yuanyuan's presence at the military camp alongside Zhou Cheng is that the Qi Kingdom did not treat this as a "missing person" at all, but rather tacitly approved of it and even cooperated with it.

This clearly indicates that the State of Qi and Zhou Cheng reached some kind of deal or consensus.

Considering that Zhou Cheng had only sent a double to the border army from beginning to end, and even had Ye Ling'er write a letter to reassure him, perhaps his purpose was to hide his tracks and infiltrate Qi to secretly contact the Qi high-ranking officials...

Ye Wan was suddenly startled.

He felt that everyone in the Qing Kingdom probably underestimated this prince.

Zhou Cheng is not as simple as he seems on the surface.

Even if it's not simple, it shouldn't be enough for the State of Qi to send a princess directly, right?

Even if it's not simple, it shouldn't be enough for the State of Qi to send a princess directly, right?

Ye Wan's mind raced, and he thought of the person who had just left.

Zhuang Mohan.

If it weren't for Zhuang Mohan, he wouldn't have discovered Zhan Yuanyuan.

Who is Zhuang Mohan?

A literary giant of the Northern Qi Dynasty, a leading figure among scholars, and the leader of this peace negotiation delegation.

Zhuang Mohan suddenly requested an audience with Zhou Cheng.

At first, he didn't think there was anything wrong with it.

But now, thinking about it carefully, who is Zhuang Mohan? A literary master who has spent his whole life dealing with poetry and prose, a "literary sage" revered by all. Does he really need to, or have the curiosity, make a special trip to meet Zhou Cheng?

not necessarily.

But he still came.

Ye Wan squinted his eyes.

Zhuang Mohan was the Northern Qi's peace representative, and his primary task was to negotiate peace.

But the journey from the border prefecture to the capital was long and arduous, and countless eyes were watching in the shadows.

In the Qing Kingdom's court, there were many people who were unwilling to negotiate peace.

Which of those courtiers who advocated war, or those generals who wanted to continue accumulating military merits, didn't want Zhuang Mohan to die on the road?

If Zhuang Mohan were assassinated en route and unable to reach Kyoto, the pro-war faction would have an excuse to continue the war.

Even if Qi sends more people, it will take a considerable amount of time. During this time, the border army might capture a few more cities, or even another province.

Can the merits of a battle fought in one state be divided the same as those of battle fought in two states?

Ye Wan suddenly felt that he had discovered the truth.

Isn't Zhan Yuanyuan, the eldest princess of Northern Qi, being by Zhou Cheng's side another example of "blind spots"?

Zhou Cheng is a prince, and the guards protecting him on his return to the capital are definitely not weak.

If Zhuang Mohan were assassinated en route, as long as Zhan Yuanyuan could safely reach Kyoto, she could still regain her identity and lead the peace negotiations, without needing to send another envoy and waste time.

Zhuang Mohan's group, and the Northern Qi Grand Princess's group—

This is a two-pronged approach.

Ye Wan thought about it more and more and it seemed reasonable.

Otherwise, how do you explain Zhan Yuanyuan appearing next to Zhou Cheng at this exact moment?

As for their intimate relationship... well, young people are like dry wood meeting a raging fire...

He joined the army at a young age, and although he never experienced it, he fantasized about it to some extent.

Watching the two exchanging glances as if no one else was around, Ye Wan suddenly felt a pang of sadness.

Ye Wan joined the Dingzhou army camp at the age of fifteen. Now he is twenty-three years old, twenty-four years old by the traditional reckoning, twenty-five years old, and twenty-six years old by the standard reckoning. He still deals with a bunch of rough old men every day and has never tasted the flavor of love.

They still only have fantasies about their other half and love.

And what about Zhou Cheng? Not only did he arrange a marriage with his sister, but now he's even won over a foreign princess.

In comparison, even though he was the commander of the border army and a ninth-rank martial artist, he seemed to have failed.

Ye Wan shook his head, trying to clear his mind of the jumbled thoughts.

He looked at Zhou Cheng and Zhan Yuanyuan again, his gaze becoming serious.

"Your Highness," his voice became solemn, "this humble general now asks you a question simply in my capacity as the commander of the border troops—"

He paused, his gaze intense.

"Is the eldest princess by your side because you have reached some kind of cooperation agreement with Northern Qi?"

Zhou Cheng looked at him but did not answer.

Ye Wan continued, "I won't ask about the specific details. Your Highness only needs to tell me whether it is or is not."

Zhou Cheng was silent for a moment, then slowly nodded.

"Yes."

Ye Wan was already prepared, but hearing the affirmative answer still made him feel a chill.

He then asked, "Have you betrayed the interests of my Qing Kingdom?"

Zhou Cheng met his gaze and said frankly, "No."

Ye Wan stared into his eyes for a long time.

His gaze was calm as still water, without a flicker of emotion or a trace of guilt.

All he saw was composure.

Finally, Ye Wan slowly nodded.

"This humble general is Your Highness."

He didn't ask any further questions.

There are some things he shouldn't know, so he won't find out. As long as he's certain Zhou Cheng hasn't betrayed Qing Kingdom's interests, then everything else is none of his concern.

From that moment on, Ye Wan's attitude towards Zhou Cheng completely changed.

He really wanted to find an opportunity to get to know his future brother-in-law, but it was too late.

Shortly after the Northern Qi peace delegation left the border garrison, a commotion suddenly broke out outside the camp.

"Get out of the way! Get out of the way—!"

A troop of horses galloped in, their iron hooves pounding the dirt road, raising clouds of dust and producing a deep, thunderous roar. The sound of their hooves made the ground tremble slightly.

Before long, Ye Wan led a eunuch into Zhou Cheng's tent.

The eunuch, dressed in brand-new robes and carrying a whisk, bowed respectfully as he entered, his high-pitched voice echoing through the tent:

"By His Majesty's decree—the Battle of Qingqi was a great victory. Prince Cheng, Li Chengcheng, deserves immense credit for his merits and commendable courage. He is hereby ordered to depart immediately and return to the capital to receive his reward!"

Zhou Cheng stood up, took the imperial edict, and casually placed it aside.

The eunuch said with a fawning smile, "Your Highness, His Majesty has also sent twenty Tiger Guards to escort you back to the capital. When would you like to depart?"

Zhou Cheng glanced at him, then looked past him and towards the outside of the tent.

Twenty black-armored warriors stood silently there, their armor gleaming coldly in the sunlight.

They stood in a row, motionless, their breathing seemingly in unison.

Tiger Guard.

Trained personally by Fan Jian, the Vice Minister of Revenue, they were Emperor Qing's most elite personal guards, a group of meticulously trained "killing machines."

Each Tiger Guard is a top-notch fighter, selected from thousands, and all are experts of the seventh to eighth rank, skilled in combined attacks.

In the original novel, seven eighth-rank Tiger Guards working together in formation could defeat Haitang Duoduo, a ninth-rank high-ranking officer, to a draw.

The combined attack of a hundred Tiger Guards in a sword formation is said to be theoretically capable of injuring a Grandmaster.

The idea of ​​injuring a Grandmaster is obviously a joke, but the fact that seven Tiger Guards managed to defeat Haitang Duoduo is enough to demonstrate the terrifying power of the Tiger Guards.

These twenty Tiger Guards, when deployed in battle, are roughly equivalent to two high-ranking ninth-grade soldiers.

The fact that Emperor Qing dispatched such a powerful guard to escort him back was undeniably high-profile and extravagant.

When Zhou Cheng first met the eunuch who delivered the imperial decree, he thought he could return to the capital with the Northern Qi delegation and find an opportunity to chat with Zhuang Mohan along the way.

Not anymore.

Having twenty Tiger Guards by one's side is itself intended to intimidate and demonstrate authority, making it unsuitable for traveling with the Northern Qi delegation.

He sent an imperial eunuch to deliver the decree.

"Then let's set off today."

……

After saying goodbye to Ye Wan, Zhou Cheng and Zhan Yuanyuan got into the carriage they had come in.

The drivers were changed to Chen Quan and Chen Bao.

Twenty Tiger Guards, half of them surrounding the carriage, the others positioned themselves to guard the front and rear. The sound of hooves was uniform, their black armor gleaming, their imposing presence awe-inspiring.

They came in sneaking around, but left openly and honestly.

This is perhaps the effect that Emperor Qing wanted.

He wanted more people to know about Qing Kingdom's great victory.

The Tiger Guard, this special ceremonial guard, is not only for his protection and for his own benefit, but also for the benefit of the world.

……

With the Tiger Guards protecting us, the journey back to Beijing was completely unimpeded.

No monsters or demons dared to provoke us.

Zhou Cheng's carriage traveled in the center, surrounded by Tiger Guards on all sides. These black-armored warriors were silent and unwavering, their eyes fixed straight ahead, forming a moving iron wall that kept all danger at bay.

As the route passed through towns, crowds of people would gather to watch.

The crowd crowded the roadside, standing on tiptoe, craning their necks, pointing and gesturing.

"That's the Third Prince's carriage!"

"Truly worthy of His Majesty's bloodline! His youthful folly has now revealed his heroic nature!"

"I've heard that His Highness the Third Prince personally braved arrows and stones at the border, routing the Northern Qi forces!"

"A young hero!"

Some people stood by the roadside, bowing respectfully to the carriage with their hands clasped in reverence.

Zhan Yuanyuan huddled inside the carriage, peering out through the gap in the curtain, her eyes sparkling.

"Your Highness, are they welcoming you?"

Zhou Cheng leaned back on the soft cushion and closed his eyes to rest.

"Um."

Zhan Yuanyuan leaned closer, her little face full of admiration: "Your Highness is so amazing!"

Zhou Cheng opened his eyes and glanced at her speechlessly.

Doesn't she have any idea how she got such a great reputation?

He shook his head and continued to close his eyes to rest.

……

Ten days later, in Kyoto.

Zhou Cheng's carriage entered the city through the east gate, passed through the long street, and headed straight for the palace.

The crowds thronged the road, chattering and laughing, creating a festive atmosphere.

Zhou Cheng first went to the Imperial Study to report back.

Upon entering, one sees Emperor Qing sitting behind his desk, his face devoid of any pleasant expression.

"Your subject pays his respects to Your Majesty."

Zhou Cheng knelt down to pay his respects.

Emperor Qing did not tell him to get up, but just stared at him for a while.

Then he spoke, his voice laced with anger:

"Third brother, you're something else. I sent you to the border to boost morale, and you, instead, had a body double appear the whole time, hiding yourself away. You only showed up after the battle was won. You're really clever! You'll use any means necessary! Are you trying to fool the border soldiers, or me?"

Emperor Qing slammed his hand on the table.

"Your subject wouldn't dare!"

Zhou Cheng said something, then lowered his head, looking down at his nose, seemingly lost in thought, and remained silent.

Emperor Qing cursed a few more times before finally seeming to have finally calmed down.

Get up.

Zhou Cheng stood up as instructed.

Emperor Qing looked at him, remained silent for a moment, and then slowly spoke:

"You should be glad you won this battle."

Zhou Cheng bowed slightly: "Your subject knows that we will not lose this battle."

Emperor Qing let out a 'heh'.

He pointed at Zhou Cheng, tapped his finger repeatedly, and finally withdrew it.

"You're lucky. The process was absurd and confusing, but at least the result was the same."

He paused.

"Alright, get out of here. Tomorrow at noon, a banquet will be held at the Hall of Prayer for Good Harvests to celebrate your victory. You don't have a stand-in in this capital. Don't you like to pretend? Tomorrow, you'd better make your act convincing!"

Zhou Cheng seemed to breathe a sigh of relief and quickly clasped his hands in a fist salute: "I will obey Father Emperor's decree."

……

After leaving the Imperial Study, Zhou Cheng went to Qixia Palace.

Consort Li had been waiting for a long time.

As soon as she saw him, her eyes welled up with tears, and she kept asking him questions.

Zhou Cheng patiently responded to each of them.

After leaving Qixia Hall, Zhou Cheng turned and headed towards Guangxin Palace.

I was stopped as soon as I got to the door.

Soon, Li Yunrui's personal female attendant appeared on the steps and gave a curtsy without any expression.

"Your Highness, the Princess is unwell and will not be receiving guests today."

Zhou Cheng gave her a deep look.

"Never mind if you don't want to see her. Please tell your aunt that the affairs of the Imperial Treasury are demanding, and her health is more important."

Having said that, he didn't press the matter further and turned to leave.