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

That night.

Zhou Cheng's figure, like a wisp of smoke, silently swept past the high wall on the east side of the city.

Five miles outside the city, a rather large courtyard stands quietly in the night, surrounded by trees, with a pond in front of the gate shimmering softly in the moonlight.

Taiping Villa.

Ye Qingmei's residence before her death was also her final resting place.

Zhou Cheng landed on the top of an ancient tree a hundred feet away from the villa, gazing and observing from afar.

Taiping Villa, though called a villa, is actually more like a fortress surrounded by water on three sides.

Inside the courtyard, squads of imperial guards patrolled along fixed routes, their torches flickering in the night.

Judging from the distribution of the firelight, the guards around the outer perimeter of the villa were slightly scattered, while inside the building complex, there were guards every five steps and sentries every ten steps. The density was so high that not even a fly could get in.

Even a grandmaster would need to use his ultimate skill to infiltrate.

Zhou Cheng patiently recorded the patrol frequency of the outer imperial guards.

He came to Taiping Villa only to obtain Barrett's bullets.

The box left behind by Ye Qingmei contained only guns, but no bullets.

The Barrett bullets were stored in two different places by Ye Qingmei back then.

One is Cangshan Mountain, and the other is this Taiping Villa.

Cangshan is a resort not far from Kyoto, and it is considered the starting point of Ye Qingmei's business success.

He didn't know much about Cangshan Mountain, nor did he know the exact location where the bullets were stored, so he didn't consider it.

Taiping Villa is Ye Qingmei's headquarters.

She did so much here, leaving behind major secrets.

After Ye Qingmei's death, Emperor Qing took control of the place. The suspicious emperor suspected that there was a secret hidden here. For more than ten years, he searched the villa inside and out countless times, but unfortunately, he found nothing.

After Fan Xian visited last time, Emperor Qing arranged for the Imperial Guards to strictly guard this place.

Zhou Cheng's gaze passed over the buildings that were on high alert and landed on the pond at the entrance of the villa.

The pond was small, about three or four acres in size. The surface was as calm as a mirror, reflecting the sparse stars in the sky. In the center of the pond, a stone platform stood alone, and on the platform stood a stone sculpture, the subject of which was unclear.

That stone platform is where the mechanism is located.

Emperor Qing found it hard to imagine that someone could build a secret chamber underwater.

Over the years, he explored every corner of all the buildings in the courtyard, yet he never suspected the pond at the entrance.

Zhou Cheng and his troop of imperial guards passed by, their figures descending from the sky like a night owl, silent and stealthy.

His hand rested on the stone carving, and his inner energy flowed silently. He quickly discovered the mechanism.

He twisted the stone carving, then pressed his hands down on the stone platform.

As the stone platform sank, ripples spread outwards from the pond.

"Click—"

A very faint click of a mechanism was heard.

The next moment, the water surface on one side of the center of the pond suddenly parted!

The crack was as smooth as a mirror, as if it had been cut open by an invisible knife, and slowly receded to both sides, revealing a stone staircase leading underwater.

The steps were covered with moss, damp and gleaming dimly in the moonlight.

There was no sound of water, no roaring; everything proceeded in silence.

Zhou Cheng nodded slightly.

Ye Qingmei's design of the mechanism was indeed ingenious.

He flashed and disappeared into the crevice.

As he entered, the water behind him silently closed up, and the pond returned to its original state, as if nothing had happened.

……

The stone steps descended for about three zhang (approximately 10 meters) to a heavy iron gate.

Zhou Cheng flicked his fingers, using Western magic techniques to transform his true energy into flames for illumination.

The iron gate wasn't locked, just ajar. He pushed it open with one hand, and it slid open silently.

A damp, musty smell wafted over, mixed with the smell of kerosene and rust.

This is a rather spacious secret room, several meters square.

Several kerosene lamps, long since extinguished, hung on the surrounding stone walls, and overhead was rough rock, clearly carved out of a natural cave.

The secret room was filled with things in a messy and disorderly manner.

In the corner were several wooden crates, their lids half-open, revealing tools inside—hammers, pliers, files, drill bits, all jumbled together.

Several iron pipes, about the thickness of a finger, stood against the wall, looking badly rusted.

Some unfinished parts were scattered on the ground, all rusted.

Zhou Cheng walked over, picked up an iron pipe, and examined it.

barrel.

A rough gun barrel.

It doesn't even have rifling; it's probably the kind of shotgun Chen Pingping used.

Right now, it's just scrap metal.

Zhou Cheng looked around and quickly realized where he was.

The two shotguns that Chen Pingping used back then were probably manufactured here.

It was hand-rubbed by Ye Qingmei.

He tossed aside the gun barrel and scanned the secret room. Soon, his gaze settled on a corner.

There were several wooden crates piled up there, half-open, filled with all sorts of odds and ends.

However, on top of those miscellaneous items, there was a box the size of a palm!

The box was covered with a layer of light gray, but the military green paint on the surface was still visible.

Zhou Cheng walked over and picked up the box.

The heavy weight pressed down on his palm, and a thought struck him.

Lifting the lid, you can see a row of neatly stacked, golden-yellow metal objects inside.

Lifting the lid, you can see a row of neatly stacked, golden-yellow metal objects inside.

bullet!

It's still Barrett armor-piercing rounds!

There are five rounds left in the standard ten-round ammunition box.

Back then, Ye Qingmei took five bullets, using two to help the late emperor ascend the throne. The remaining three bullets were left in Cangshan.

Wu Zhu, unaware of the purpose of these five arrows, simply tossed them aside.

Zhou Cheng picked one up and examined it in his palm. The bullet was sharp, the casing was thick, and the primer was intact.

very good!

He stored the bullets in his system space and then walked around the secret room once more.

Apart from the tools for making firearms and the bullets, there seemed to be nothing special in this secret room.

But Zhou Cheng knew that Ye Qingmei couldn't have left only these things behind.

He explored the secret chamber carefully, tapping on the stone wall with his hand.

Soon, he discovered a hidden door.

Find the mechanism to open it.

"Click".

The stone wall silently slid open to both sides, revealing a narrow passage.

At the end of the passage, a faint light shone through.

Zhou Cheng stepped in.

The passage was very deep, about ten zhang (approximately 33 meters) long. At the end was a metal wall.

The walls, made of some unknown material, emitted a faint, shimmering luster.

In the center of the wall is a crystal plate that is crystal clear.

It was a screen.

A touch screen.

As Zhou Cheng approached, the panel lit up. An input box appeared on top, and a five-stroke keyboard appeared below.

"Please enter your password."

Zhou Cheng stared at those words, his brows furrowing slightly.

It's Wubi input method again!

He was in a real bind.

He tried operating the screen, but was unable to switch to other input methods.

Looking at the input box, Zhou Cheng sighed and went back immediately.

He doesn't know Wubi input method or the password, so there's no need for him to waste his time here.

He didn't know what was behind the door, but he could roughly guess that it was the place where Ye Qingmei transferred Fan Xian's consciousness, and that the secret of the old era's demise was hidden inside.

To be honest, he was very curious.

Curiosity is one thing, but now is not the time to explore.

Stepping out of the secret chamber, Zhou Cheng ascended the stone steps.

He found the mechanism, timed it perfectly, and the water above his head parted silently once again.

Zhou Cheng leaped out of the water and landed on the stone platform.

He glanced around and saw no patrolling imperial guards. His timing was accurate, saving him the trouble of silencing them.

The water surface closed silently.

The moonlight shone on the water, creating shimmering waves, and everything returned to normal.

Zhou Cheng moved swiftly and arrived at the outer perimeter of the villa.

He observed for a long time, making sure the guards hadn't noticed anything amiss, before turning and leaving.

......

Ten days later.

The negotiations with the Court of State Ceremonial came to an end. News spread from the palace that Emperor Qing would be hosting a banquet at the Hall of Prayer for Good Harvests.

The news sparked widespread discussion throughout Kyoto.

At the same time, a red lantern was silently hung at the back gate of the Sinan Marquis's residence.

There was only one lantern, all alone, which looked rather strange.

Zhou Cheng found out, but ignored it during the day.

During this time, he spent his time in his study organizing the recordings.

Sean's oral description of the Heavenly Dao Technique was recorded word by word and copied onto Xuan paper.

The Heavenly Dao Technique is profound and extensive, but he can apply it to other areas. After studying it for a period of time, he has made some progress, if not rapid.

Zhou Cheng had dinner with the women and did not join the lively banquet at the Hall of Prayer for Good Harvests.

If nothing unexpected happens, at this banquet, Zhuang Mohan will, as agreed with Li Yunrui, produce the forged calligraphy and painting, claim that the poem "Ascending the Heights" was written by his elder, and thus falsely accuse Fan Xian of plagiarism.

Then came the famous scene where Fan Xian, drunk, recited a hundred poems, causing Zhuang Mohan to vomit blood in shame and anger, thus becoming the "Poet Immortal."

Zhou Cheng had no interest in watching Fan Xian show off.

Actually, he admired Fan Xian quite a bit; he really couldn't do something like drinking and reciting poetry in public.

He felt awkward even being a spectator, let alone doing it, so to avoid making himself uncomfortable, he simply didn't join in the fun.

As for Zhuang Mohan's "wrongful accusation" of Fan Xian, which led to the destruction of his reputation of more than seventy years overnight, that had nothing to do with him.

Zhuang Mohan wasn't one of his men; he was just doing something for him on orders.

Now that he has met with the Crown Prince, done what needed to be done, and said what needed to be said, he has no further value.

Throughout the entire banquet, he was completely detached from the events.

He stayed comfortably in the palace, waiting for the banquet to end so he could prepare for his next move.

……

Hall of Prayer for Good Harvests.

As dusk settled, the palace was brightly lit.

Twenty-four vermilion pillars support the dome, each adorned with a gilded dragon.

The floor was paved with gleaming gold bricks, reflecting the lights of the entire hall, making it sparkle like a galaxy.

This banquet was arranged by Emperor Qing in preparation for the recent negotiations.

Aside from the envoys from Dongyi City and the Northern Qi delegation, the visitors consisted mainly of officials from the Court of State Ceremonies and the Ministry of Rites.

Surprisingly, before the banquet even began, Princess Li Yunrui, the Crown Prince, and the Second Prince arrived early.

Li Yunrui was dressed in a simple white palace gown, her hair styled in a high bun, her skin as white as snow. She gracefully took her seat, her gaze sweeping around the hall, but she did not spot that familiar figure.

She frowned slightly.

That troublemaker didn't show up? That's not like him at all!

However, her brows soon relaxed.

Beside Li Yunrui, Crown Prince Li Chengqian sat upright at the table, with a polite smile on his face, but the smile was somewhat stiff.

His brows were furrowed, and his gaze occasionally swept over Li Yunrui, then over the Second Prince Li Chengze on the other side.

In his mind, Zhuang Mohan's words echoed repeatedly like a curse.

"Your Highness, are you aware of the profits the Princess and my Northern Qi have made from smuggling?"

"Li Yunrui doesn't support you, he supports the Second Prince."

"The eldest princess used the profits from smuggling to help the second prince build a private army. Now the second prince's army is strong and well-equipped, ready for battle at any moment, but His Highness the Crown Prince is completely unaware of it."

"Don't believe me? Ask me why I'm telling you?"

"Naturally, it's for the sake of my Great Qi. The fiercer the infighting within your Qing Kingdom's royal family, the more beneficial it is to our country. The Crown Prince and the Second Prince checking and balancing each other, maintaining a balance of power, and causing instability in the Qing Kingdom's court is exactly what my Qi Kingdom wants."

"Now the eldest princess is secretly siding with the second prince, who has a lot of influence in the court. Although he has no military power, he has a private army. His Highness the Crown Prince only has a title, and none of the six ministries in the court support him. Most of his subordinates are also puppets of the eldest princess."

"Your Highness is outnumbered and outmatched by the Second Prince, yet you are unaware of this. The day when you will be deposed is imminent!"

"I am here to see Your Highness, naturally to represent Northern Qi in supporting His Highness the Crown Prince."

"We can bypass the Eldest Princess and re-establish trade routes. Our Northern Qi can help the Crown Prince train a private army to restrain the Second Prince's power, and can even send experts to eliminate dissidents for Your Highness."

"Your Highness's hesitation is only natural. If Your Highness does not believe me, you can wait and see."

Zhuang Mohan's words still echoed in my ears.

The Crown Prince was truly unwilling to believe that Li Yunrui would secretly support Li Chengze.

But Zhuang Mohan revealed to him that Li Yunrui and Li Chengze's joint smuggling operation would pass through a place called "Shijia Village" in Bianzhou.

In order to investigate thoroughly, after meeting with Zhuang Mohan, he secretly sent people to Shijia Village.

The news hasn't come back yet.

But he had already begun to feel afraid.

She was afraid the news would come back, afraid it would confirm Zhuang Mohan's words, afraid that all her efforts over the years would have been for nothing but benefiting others.

Just as the Crown Prince was deep in thought, a commotion arose at the palace gate.

Fan Xian has arrived.

He was dressed in ordinary clothes, with a calm expression, and stepped inside.

Before anyone else could react, Guo Baokun, dressed in a proper official robe, jumped out as soon as Fan Xian appeared.

Guo Baokun stood in front of Fan Xian, his finger almost poking the tip of his nose:

"You scoundrel! You escaped punishment for your violence and injury! Today, I will see you suffer eternal damnation and utter disgrace!"

The voice, filled with resentment, echoed throughout the hall.

The guests all turned to look, and whispers arose.

Fan Xian looked at the face before him, which had first shown extreme grief and indignation, then gloated. His brows furrowed slightly, and he was about to speak—

"Bao Kun! Shut up!"

A majestic voice came from behind.

Minister of Rites Guo Youzhi strode forward, pulled Guo Baokun behind him, and clasped his hands in apology to Fan Xian:

"Young Master Fan, my son has been unruly; please forgive him!"

Fan Xian looked at the Minister of Rites, his gaze sweeping over the father and son, and smiled, saying:

"You're too kind, Lord Guo. Your son... well, he's mischievous and adorable. I'm not angry at all."

Guo Baokun wanted to say something, but Guo Youzhi glared at him and shut up in frustration.

The Crown Prince watched this scene quietly from his seat.

His gaze fell on Guo Baokun, his hands clenched tightly under his sleeves, his knuckles turning white.

Guo Baokun spoke so loudly that he naturally heard it.

He even gleaned from those words that there was a plan targeting Fan Xian tonight.

Can……

Guo Baokun's intervention was not at his instruction!

As is widely known, Guo Baokun was his protégé!

His people did things for others without his knowledge or even through him!

Even without considering the Crown Prince, it's clear that Li Yunrui was behind Guo Baokun.

Guo Baokun was a compiler in the palace, holding a low-ranking official position, but his father was Guo Youzhi, the Minister of Rites, and he was Guo Youzhi's only son.

Guo Baokun taking sides is equivalent to Guo Youzhi taking half a foot in the side.

In the past, he would have been indifferent, and even very happy that Guo Baokun could do things for Li Yunrui.

But now—

He was burning with anger, but had nowhere to vent it!

Li Yunrui supports the Second Prince, and most of his subordinates can be commanded by Li Yunrui.

In other words, Li Yunrui could make him all alone in the blink of an eye.

Everything he had worked so hard for could be easily given to Li Chengze by Li Yunrui.

He couldn't stand this!

He sensed danger!

Looking at Guo Baokun and Guo Youzhi in the hall, a chill ran down his spine, his hair stood on end, and his back was covered in cold sweat.

It was as if we had unknowingly arrived at the edge of a cliff.

With just a gentle push, one could fall into an abyss and die without a burial place.

And the person who might push him and control his destiny—

It wasn't Emperor Qing, but Li Yunrui, whom he had always loved and was always willing to give his all for!

"Your Highness, are you hot? Why are you sweating?"

A soft voice came from the side.

Li Yunrui turned her head at some point, her gaze falling on his face, her beautiful eyes filled with a hint of surprise.

The prince suddenly snapped out of his daze.

The prince suddenly snapped out of his daze.

He quickly forced a smile, but his voice was somewhat unsteady:

"No...it's nothing. I just suddenly feel a little...uncomfortable."

Li Yunrui looked at him with a meaningful gaze.

"Your Highness, as the heir apparent, you should take care of your health." She paused, "Sigh, to be honest, I don't know why, but I haven't been feeling well these past two days, and I haven't even had an appetite."

She pursed her lips, her smile deepening.

"If there's going to be a good show tonight, I wouldn't have come."

The prince's smile froze on his face.

His clenched fist tightened even more.

"Auntie is right." His voice was hoarse. "There really is going to be a good show. I didn't understand before, but now I see—"

Li Yunrui covered her mouth with her sleeve and chuckled softly.

"With the Crown Prince's intelligence, is there even a need to think about this?" She blinked. "But speaking of which, tonight's performance also involved the Crown Prince's men. The Crown Prince won't mind, will he?"

The crown prince forced a smile.

"If Auntie wants to use it, of course I don't mind."

Li Yunrui smiled and nodded, then turned her head to look back into the hall, her eyes filled with anticipation.