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

They spent a considerable amount of time in the palace, and by the time Zhou Cheng returned to the Prince's residence with his men, the sun was already setting.

The warm sunlight tinged the vermilion gate with orange hues. Before the carriage had even come to a complete stop, three figures had already been waiting on the steps in front of the gate for quite some time.

Sang Wen stood at the front, wearing a light pink ruqun (a type of traditional Chinese dress), her hair neatly tied up, and her eyes filled with barely suppressed joy.

Half a step behind her, Si Lili, dressed in a dark gold dress, stood with her hands folded in front of her, a faint smile on her lips.

Later, Ye Ling'er changed out of her usual tight-fitting clothes and put on a red long dress. Her usually simple ponytail was also styled into an exquisite updo.

She crossed her arms, raised her chin slightly, and struck a pose that said, "I'm just here to take a look around." However, her constantly pursed lips betrayed her.

Zhou Cheng lifted the carriage curtain and stepped down. The three women immediately came to greet him.

"Your Highness!" Sang Wen hurried forward, his eyes slightly red, "You're finally back..."

Zhou Cheng reached out and gently pinched her cheek, smiling, "You've lost a bit of weight."

Sang Wen pursed her lips, shook her head, but her gaze never left him for a moment until she was sure he was unharmed, then she lowered her eyes.

Si Lili also came over, bowed, glanced at him, and said softly, "Your Highness has had a long journey."

Zhou Cheng nodded.

Ye Ling'er took a deep breath, stepped forward, and was about to speak when she saw the curtain behind her lifted again, and a fiery red figure emerged from the carriage.

Ye Ling'er's expression froze instantly, and the words that were about to come out were choked back.

Again! Again! Yet another one!

Ye Ling'er glanced at the woman in the car, then looked down at the red dress she was wearing. Her face, which had been filled with a hint of pride and joy, visibly crumbled.

Zhou Cheng gave Ye Ling'er a look, then turned around and helped Zhan Yuanyuan jump off the carriage.

Zhan Yuanyuan steadied herself, raised her head, and curiously looked at the mansion in front of her. Then she focused her gaze on the three figures in front of her, her eyes showing a little apprehension but more curiosity.

Sang Wen's gaze fell on Zhan Yuanyuan. He thought the girl was beautiful, with a pure and innocent look in her eyes. She was holding Zhou Cheng's sleeve, looking very attached to him.

She felt a pang of sadness, but didn't say anything.

Si Lili naturally saw Zhan Yuanyuan as well. At first glance, she was stunned, then she looked again, and then she was incredulous!

Her eyes widened further.

"The...the eldest princess..."

Her lips moved slightly, and she couldn't help but gasp inwardly.

She was Zhan Doudou's good friend and had also spent some time in the Qi Kingdom's palace. She certainly wouldn't not recognize Zhan Yuanyuan.

She simply couldn't understand why the eldest princess of Northern Qi would appear here, especially since she seemed to be extremely close to Zhou Cheng.

Zhan Yuanyuan finally saw Si Lili clearly.

"Sister Lili!"

She suddenly let go of Zhou Cheng's sleeve, took a small step forward, grabbed Si Lili's hand, and smiled so hard her eyes curved into crescent moons.

"Sister Lili! That's great! I heard Your Highness was here too. Now that I know someone here, I'm not afraid!"

Si Lili was still somewhat stunned as she stared at that radiant smile, her mind almost unable to process anything.

She subconsciously looked at Zhou Cheng, her eyes full of doubt and pleading.

At this moment, Ye Ling'er, her face dark, glanced at Zhan Yuanyuan and Si Lili before turning to Zhou Cheng. Suppressing the urge to storm off, she spoke in a harsh tone:

"Li Chengcheng, who is this?"

She realized that the girl in front of her knew Si Lili, and subconsciously assumed that this was another courtesan from somewhere!

There are plenty of beautiful women in the world, and courtesans are just as numerous.

If Zhou Cheng had no picky eating habits and brought just anyone to the mansion, even if she had already resigned herself to her fate, she would still scratch that bastard until he drew blood.

Zhou Cheng glanced around. Servants and attendants were coming and going inside and outside the mansion; it wasn't a place to talk.

"Let's go inside and talk."

He stepped forward and naturally put his arm around Ye Ling'er's waist.

Ye Ling'er's body stiffened, and she tried to push him away, but her hands wouldn't obey her.

She cursed herself inwardly for being so weak, snorted, and turned her face away. Unconsciously, most of her anger had subsided.

……

Inner courtyard, main hall.

Once the door is closed, the noise from the outside world is shut out.

The indoor lighting wasn't particularly bright, but it wasn't dim enough to warrant lighting lamps or candles either.

With no outsiders present, Si Lili took Zhan Yuanyuan's hand:

"Your Highness... what brings you to the Kingdom of Qing?"

When Si Lili spoke, Sang Wen and Ye Ling'er thought she was calling for Zhou Cheng, but when they heard the second half of her sentence, they suddenly realized something was wrong.

Si Lili actually called this new prince "Your Highness"?

At this moment, Zhou Cheng, without waiting for anyone else to ask questions, directly introduced:

"This is Zhan Yuanyuan, the eldest princess of Northern Qi."

Sang Wen and Ye Ling'er were almost caught off guard.

Sang Wen trusted Zhou Cheng's words completely and didn't hesitate. Ye Ling'er, however, had little contact with him and instinctively didn't believe him, then turned her questioning gaze to Si Lili.

During the time Zhou Cheng was away from Kyoto, Ye Ling'er became quite familiar with Si Lili and Sang Wen.

She knew Si Lili's identity and her relationship with Northern Qi.

Si Lili nodded to her.

Ye Ling'er stared wide-eyed at Zhan Yuanyuan, then at Zhou Cheng, her mouth agape as if she could fit an egg in it.

"The eldest princess of Northern Qi?! Chengcheng, what is your relationship with her?"

Zhan Yuanyuan's attachment to Zhou Cheng was undisguised from the moment she got off the bus, so she couldn't possibly be unaware of it.

She just felt that this was very unrealistic!

The dignified eldest princess of Northern Qi ran away to the capital of an enemy state and stayed by her fiancé's side?

Is this a marriage alliance between the royal families of the two countries?

How come she didn't know?

If it's an arranged marriage, then what is she?

Ye Ling'er's mind was a mess. She had originally planned to put on the airs of the first wife and give this "newcomer" a hard time!

As a result, it now seems that even her position as the first wife is somewhat insecure!

Zhou Cheng saw through Ye Ling'er's thoughts at a glance.

He treats all his women equally, but as a woman, Ye Ling'er must have her own thoughts.

To maintain harmony in their relationship and to prevent her from overthinking, Zhou Cheng pulled the distraught Ye Ling'er into his arms and gently comforted her:

"Don't worry, Yuanyuan's identity will be kept a secret here. My proper fiancée is still you, Ling'er."

He patted Ye Ling'er on the back and said to the others:

"Yuanyuan's public name is Qi Yuan, don't let that slip. There's no princess here, just think of Yuanyuan as an ordinary girl I tricked into coming here."

Qi Yuan is the identity that Zhan Doudou arranged for Zhan Yuanyuan. Her past identity information is complete, so even if someone tries to investigate, they won't find anything wrong.

Now, in Northern Qi, they should have arranged a substitute for Zhan Yuanyuan as well.

As long as certain special occasions are avoided, and with Zhan Doudou's cooperation, there is no risk of exposure.

"It's not a lie! I'm doing this willingly!" Zhan Yuanyuan muttered to Zhou Cheng, then turned to the others, "But what His Highness said later is right, just treat me like an ordinary person!"

Hearing Zhan Yuanyuan's charming tone, Ye Ling'er secretly sized her up from Zhou Cheng's arms.

Suddenly, I had a feeling that "this princess doesn't seem to be very smart."

With that innocent, carefree, and guileless look, Ye Ling'er suddenly understood why Zhou Cheng was able to bring someone back from Qi Kingdom from thousands of miles away.

Suddenly, her confidence soared, and the pressure of being the "legal wife" disappeared by more than half.

Zhou Cheng repeatedly reminded everyone to keep it a secret.

He wasn't worried about not being able to handle the situation if Zhan Yuanyuan's identity was exposed; he simply hated trouble.

He trusted all his women completely, except for Li Yunrui.

He knew all too well how tight-lipped they were.

........

Night was falling.

The girls got together, chatting and laughing, and gradually became acquainted.

The candlelight flickered.

Zhou Cheng was the first to leave with Sang Wen.

The others exchanged glances and immediately blushed.

The women are still too reserved and unwilling to join in the debauchery.

There was nothing he could do but take turns comforting them.

As the saying goes, absence makes the heart grow fonder, and a reunion is like a golden autumn breeze and jade dew.

After leaving Sang Wenfang's room, Zhou Cheng turned and went to Si Lili's room.

He handed the letter Zhan Doudou had given him to Si Lili.

After reading it, Si Lili finally felt completely relieved.

Si Lili has a younger brother in the State of Qi. The reason she agreed to become a spy and infiltrate the capital was because of this younger brother.

Now that Zhan Doudou has asked her to stay wholeheartedly by Zhou Cheng's side and promised to protect her only younger brother, her last concerns have been completely dispelled.

That night, Si Lili was exceptionally energetic and exceptionally beautiful.

Zhou Cheng quietly left after Si Lili fell into a deep sleep, exhausted.

After feeding Ye Ling'er, Zhou Cheng finally went to sleep in the room he had arranged for Zhan Yuanyuan.

There was no other way; Zhan Yuanyuan was new to the area and unfamiliar with the environment, so she would feel very uneasy without him.

By the time Zhan Yuanyuan was fast asleep, the sky outside the window was already beginning to lighten.

Zhou Cheng finally let out a long sigh of relief.

The Grandmaster realm grants him boundless energy and a robust physique, yet even a Grandmaster is ultimately bound by mortal flesh.

After a long night of hard work, he felt unusually empty.

Looking at the beautiful woman sleeping soundly beside him, Zhou Cheng silently wondered whether he should try to get his hands on the Heavenly Dao Technique as soon as possible.

There are now four women in the mansion.

Will there be more in the future?

Hard to say.

Time management will definitely be necessary in the future, but today's special circumstances are unavoidable.

As a grandmaster, he had high standards for himself.

He couldn't stand seeing young people soaking in goji berries.

Besides, goji berries are useless to him; they are both highly nourishing and highly toxic, making them unlikely to have any effect on a Grandmaster.

If he wants to further improve his physical recovery ability, the only thing that might be useful to him right now is probably the Heavenly Dao Sect's cultivation method.

The Heavenly Dao Technique emphasizes the unity of heaven and man, with true qi that is endless, long-lasting, and has the most amazing recovery ability.

It's just that Ku He became a monk early, wasting the most powerful characteristic of this technique.

Back in Northern Qi, he failed to exchange cultivation techniques with Haitang Duoduo, but he didn't think much of it.

After his fight with Ku He, his desire for the Heavenly Dao Technique became even stronger, but he didn't show it because he wasn't in a hurry.

Only now did he realize that the sooner he got his hands on this cultivation technique, the better!

Of course, it's unrealistic to run back to Northern Qi to trade with Ku He now.

Only now did he realize that the sooner he got his hands on this cultivation technique, the better!

Of course, it's unrealistic to run back to Northern Qi to trade with Ku He now.

Exchanging cultivation techniques with Ku He would almost certainly come at a price; at the very least, you would have to trade for a cultivation technique of the same level.

Zhou Cheng had no such intention.

Besides the Kuhe lineage of the Northern Qi, there is another person in the capital who has mastered the Heavenly Dao Technique in its entirety.

That person was imprisoned in the deepest part of the Imperial Censorate's dungeon.

As the Northern Qi peace delegation entered the capital, he, being familiar with the plot, actually had a chance to get his hands on the cultivation technique ahead of time.

……

Yesterday, just as Zhou Cheng left the palace, the imperial decree of Emperor Qing to hold a banquet for him at the Hall of Prayer for Good Harvests to celebrate his achievements spread throughout the capital.

Before noon today, all the civil and military officials had already gathered at the Hall of Prayer for Good Harvests.

The palace was lavishly furnished, with tables laden with delicacies and the sounds of string and wind instruments filling the air, creating a lively atmosphere.

Zhou Cheng sat in the seat closest to the throne, his expression calm, a smile playing on his lips, occasionally exchanging a few pleasantries with the royal relatives beside him.

Before long, Emperor Qing, dressed in a black dragon robe, slowly entered.

Everyone stood up and bowed.

Emperor Qing took his seat and raised his hand in a gesture of support.

"All of you, rise."

Everyone returned to their seats.

Emperor Qing's gaze fell on Zhou Cheng, and his voice boomed:

"In this Battle of Qingqi, our Great Qing achieved a great victory, expanding our territory by one prefecture and spreading our might throughout the world. Prince Cheng, Li Chengcheng, volunteered to personally go to the border, sharing weal and woe with the soldiers, boosting the morale of the entire army, and his contributions are indispensable!"

Zhou Cheng stood up and bowed.

"Your subject dares not take credit. This victory is entirely due to Your Majesty's strategic planning and the soldiers' valiant efforts."

Emperor Qing nodded, his face showing even greater satisfaction.

"Very well. Someone, announce the imperial decree."

Eunuch Hou stepped forward, unfurled the imperial edict, and his shrill voice echoed through the hall:

"Prince Cheng, Li Chengcheng, is commendable for his loyalty and bravery. He personally went to the border, inspired the army, and rendered meritorious service to the country. He is hereby granted an additional 3,000 taels of silver, a reward of 10,000 taels of silver, and an additional 100 personal guards. He is also permitted to participate in the central government's administration and to attend to state affairs in the Imperial Study—So be it!"

The moment the imperial edict was issued, the hall erupted in uproar.

Increasing one's fiefdom and bestowing silver are commonplace. But what does it mean to be "advised in the central government" and "enter the imperial study to observe government affairs"?

This means that Zhou Cheng can express his opinions on military and national affairs at any time and in any place.

This means he can openly organize his team and participate in government decision-making.

As the decree was issued.

The Second Prince, Li Chengze, had a livid face, and his hands under the table were trembling uncontrollably.

Over the years, he has walked on thin ice in the imperial court, painstakingly scheming and exhausting himself to achieve nothing more than this.

As it turns out, Zhou Cheng only went to the border army for a short visit, and when he returned, Emperor Qing gave it to him directly?!

This huge difference made Li Chengze's blood boil, and he felt dizzy.

Crown Prince Li Chengqian was no better than Li Chengze.

When Emperor Qing entered, he still had a polite smile on his face.

But as the imperial edict was read aloud, his smile vanished completely.

Previously, there was only one second prince in the court, which already made him subject to control in every way.

To this day, not a single core minister of the six ministries of the imperial court has pledged allegiance to him.

Previously, Mei Zhili, who held a key position, secretly defected to Zhou Cheng, but Zhou Cheng discovered his scheme and forced him to his death with just a few words.

Now Emperor Qing is giving Zhou Cheng money and power, clearly intending to support him. Where does this leave the Crown Prince?

This imperial edict was a blatant slap in his face!

Li Chengqian really wanted to jump up and question Emperor Qing about why he treated him this way!

No matter how angry he was, as soon as he looked up and saw Emperor Qing's deep, unfathomable eyes, he could no longer muster the slightest courage to question him.

He regretted it.

I regret not volunteering to go to war back then.

If he had gone, he might have been the one to be rewarded at the banquet today!

However, even if he had to do it again, Li Chengqian knew he still wouldn't dare to go.

He dared not leave Kyoto and was unwilling to take the risks!

He didn't want to hate himself.

Therefore,

He could only hate Zhou Cheng!

I hate Emperor Qing!

Princess Li Yunrui sat at the head of the table, her beautiful eyes slightly narrowed.

She never expected that Zhou Cheng would actually receive a reward.

What was going on with Zhou Cheng in the border army was unknown to others, but she knew it all too well.

She originally thought that it would be good if Emperor Qing didn't punish Zhou Cheng after he returned to the capital, so she refused to see him yesterday.

Unexpectedly, Emperor Qing has bestowed such a generous reward upon Zhou Cheng today!

"Has Your Majesty failed to ascertain the truth? What was Li Chengcheng doing in the border region?"

Li Yunrui couldn't understand it.

However, she knew that with this imperial decree, Zhou Cheng would have the potential to rival the Crown Prince and the Second Prince in the imperial court.

The Zhou Cheng of the past only bothered her and coaxed her to calm down. He even wavered between her and Fan Xian, which did nothing to help her hold onto power.

Her original plan was to not let him see her unless she was extremely lonely.

But things are different now.

She took a small sip of her drink, concealing the smile on her lips.

At the banquet, Emperor Qing delivered another encouraging speech to the border troops and court officials, bringing the atmosphere of the banquet to a climax.

The banquet continued, with toasts exchanged and music playing.

Zhou Cheng sat at the table with a polite smile on his face, occasionally exchanging a few words with the courtiers who came to offer him a toast.

The system notification sounds kept ringing in my ears.

[Negative emotions from Li Chengze +666!]

Although the emotional values ​​of non-plot characters have little effect, they did give him a deeper understanding of the political landscape in the imperial court.

Emperor Qing sat on his throne, looking at Zhou Cheng's calm and composed demeanor, and nodded slightly.

This third brother always does things in unexpected ways.

They seem reckless and disregard the consequences, yet every time, the outcome is perfect.

The second prince is very methodical in his work, leaving too many traces.

The third brother does things in a free-spirited and unconventional way.

Two people with different styles, working together to hone the prince, is a good thing.

The banquet ended.

Emperor Qing was the first to leave his seat.

Just as Li Yunrui was about to follow, he saw Ye Zhong of the Ye family take the initiative to go to Zhou Cheng.

Seeing this, she sat down again, pretending to be calm on the surface, but her ears were perked up to listen to the sounds below.

"Has Ling'er caused His Highness any trouble at the manor?"

Ye Zhong's words immediately made Zhou Cheng feel embarrassed.

He chuckled awkwardly, "Lord Ye, what are you saying? Ling'er is simple, straightforward, and sincere. How could such a good girl cause trouble? On the contrary, it was me... who made her suffer."

Ye Zhong nodded, then shook his head: "I know Ling'er's personality. If she had been wronged, she would have run to the royal villa. She didn't go, but stayed at your residence instead, so she wasn't wronged."

After saying that, he added, "Speaking of which, it's time to put Your Highness and Ling'er's marriage on the agenda."

He paused for a moment, then said, "After all, if she shows, it won't look good, and it will make it seem like my Ye family has failed in raising our daughter properly."

Having lived two lives, Zhou Cheng really had no experience dealing with his father-in-law.

He didn't know what to say, so he could only agree.

Seeing Zhou Cheng's respectful expression and lack of impatience, Ye Chong was somewhat satisfied.

"Ye Wan wrote that he thinks highly of Your Highness. Now that the border war is temporarily over, if Qingqi succeeds in negotiating peace, Ye Wan will return to Dingzhou soon."

Dingzhou is the front line between my Qing Kingdom and the Western Hu. Although there are frequent battles, it is also an important trading hub with many tribes in the western grasslands. If Your Highness has any needs, Wan'er can assist you in facilitating some trade.

When Li Yunrui heard Ye Chong mention Ye Wan and west Hu, a glint of light flashed in his eyes.

The Xihu were a major force in the western grasslands.

Although it cannot compare with Dongyi City and Northern Qi, which possess Grandmasters, it is still a force that cannot be ignored.

Most importantly, the Xihu region is rich in horses, all of which are excellent horses suitable for use as military horses.

The inner treasury and the western treasury also had private trade dealings, but the scale was too small to be significant.

To trade with the Xihu, one cannot bypass Dingzhou, and the Ye family is the "pillar of stability" of Dingzhou.

With the support of the Ye family, trading with the Xihu would be much easier!

That was a huge market that was in no way inferior to that of Dongyi City and Northern Qi!

She could tell from Ye Chong's words that Ye Wan valued Zhou Cheng highly.

Li Yunrui admitted that she was attracted to him.

As the officials gradually left their seats, Li Yunrui knew that staying any longer would draw attention to himself.

She got up and left the Hall of Prayer for Good Harvests. As soon as she stepped outside the hall, she leaned close to the female official beside her and whispered a few instructions.

After talking with Ye Zhong, many people from the Six Ministries came to offer their congratulations.

Although they were all peripheral figures, it was clear from the beginning that he had attracted the attention of the court.

Then, censors from the Censorate came forward to chat with him.

Zhou Cheng's teacher, Cen Dansheng, was once the Left Censor-in-Chief of the Censorate. His position within the Censorate naturally created a connection between them.

Zhou Cheng dealt with each of the issues one by one, and it wasn't until nearly an hour had passed that he was finally freed.

As Zhou Cheng left the main hall, before he even reached the carriage of the Prince's residence, he saw the personal female official beside Li Yunrui approaching.

She remained expressionless as always.

"Your Highness, Princess Chang requests that you meet her at Guangxin Palace after the banquet!"

Zhou Cheng raised his eyelids slightly and glanced at her indifferently.

"I've rambled on too much at the banquet and am feeling unwell. If you wish to meet, please have your aunt come to the palace another day!"

After saying that, he stopped looking at her and turned to leave.

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